6

Skye wandered out into the hall after donning a set of sweats. She was tired of pajamas and well, sweats weren't really like getting all dressed. May told her they were staying home and relaxing not for going to the store or visiting friends. The little girl looked down at the pink and purple unicorn on the front of her sweat-shirt and wondered why a friend wouldn't like it. She shrugged her shoulders. Maybe May only meant the gray kind that she wore to clean and do laundry on Saturdays. She always changed before they went to the green grocers, even in the winter.

The little girl looked to the end of the hall, finding the door there closed. That was unusual because that door was always open. It had a large window and the light spread into the otherwise dim hallway. She thought about pushing it opened but remembered that her new Yeye was using the room now and maybe he was resting. After all he was a Yéyé and that meant grandfather and grandfathers were supposed to be old. Fr. Simon was old and he took a lot of naps, so maybe Yeye took naps too.

Moving into the kitchen, Skye tried to ignore the prickly feeling that was covering her whole body. It was too quiet. The kitchen was clean. There was no teapot on the stove and no cup on the table. May kept a cup all day and used it over and over. She said it was silly to take a new one every time she had a cup of tea and May liked her tea. Skye liked to try the different teas, especially since May let her use as much honey as she wanted. But right now she wasn't thinking about honey. She was thinking it was too quiet, like the kind of quiet when you're all alone. Skye swallowed hard and stepped slowly across the kitchen into the foyer.

One glance at the front door helped to alleviate some of her anxiety. The door was locked and bolted. Someone inside had to do that. You couldn't put that little chain thing on if you were outside the door and she knew the back door only led to the garbage shoots and another fire escape. Skye turned toward May's room expecting to see a closed door. She was not wrong. But May did not take naps…unless…unless she was sick. What if May was sick?

Skye climbed the three steps that led to the landing where the master bedroom was located. She stood outside the door for a moment and chewed her lip. At St. Agnes you never, never, ever knocked on one of the Sister's chamber doors. That was one rule no one ever broke. The fact was you didn't even walk down the hall that led to those doors. The big kids told her that once a kid did go down there and just bumped the door. That kid was never seen again. Skye was sure they were teasing, but it scared her anyway. This was different. This was May. At night the door was always open and two times when she had nightmares May let her sleep in that big bed real close to her. It was nice. It was warm and safe and May let her cuddle up and held her and told her it was just a dream and she would protect her from every bad dream she had. The little girl smiled at the memory.

One other time she was really bad and May talked her real slow and kinda loud and she was really scared she would hit her this time, even though she said she wouldn't. Then she had to stay in her room and the last thing May said was that she was real disappointed in her. Skye remembered she cried for a long time, more than she ever cried when Sr. Regina used her paddle or Sr. Jeremy made those little egg marks on her legs or arms. She wanted to tell May she was sorry. She wanted to tell her she would never make another lie about anything. She wanted to tell her she would always remember they would tell each other the whole truth about everything. She was sorry she forgot. But she was afraid May wouldn't listen and she was afraid to leave her room.

After May talked to her quiet and with no smiles for a long time, she said it was time for bed. She tucked her in and kissed her head but said she was so disappointed she couldn't read a story that night. Skye remembered she just couldn't stop crying and she did get out of bed and went very quietly, except for the sniffling to May's room where the door was opened. Skye just stood in the doorway and watched May brush her hair and put a few things into drawers. When she turned and looked at the little girl, who she was fully aware had been watching her, Skye burst into tears and a litany of babble that made very little sense before diving into May's open arms.

May let her sleep in the big bed that night too, even though she was disappointed. She hugged her real tight and kissed her a lot of times, then hummed and sang quietly until they were both asleep.

Skye raised her hand and knocked very gently, almost so softly it could not be heard. She waited, rocking back and forth on her toes then knocked again a little harder. When there was no answer she leaned forward and put an ear to the door then turned and whisper-yelled into the space where the door met the frame. She called to May but got no replay.

Taking a deep breath, Skye jiggled the knob. She only meant to test the lock but the door clicked open and before she could catch it, it swung slowly inward. Skye peeked inside the pristine room, bed made, clothing put away, everything exactly where it should be and neatly. The bathroom door on the opposite side was wide open the room itself was empty.

The little girl stepped back into her almost panic. May was gone!

But she couldn't be the door was locked…inside. She backed away from the door until she bumped into the metal spiral stairs that lead to the second floor…the totally off limits floor…the May only floor. It was the one place Skye was not allowed, the one rule she could not break. Breaking rules made May look at her with one eyebrow up and angry eyes but mostly it disappointed her and Skye wished she would just hit her cuz that wouldn't hurt so much.

She stood at the bottom of the stairs and looked up at the door at the top. She reached out to touch the railing then pulled back quickly and shook her head. The little girl turned and glanced at the large tree in the corner of the room.

The branches had relaxed, making it look even fuller than it had earlier. The boxes Yeye brought were still in the same place and all the ornaments they had unwrapped were still on the table. Skye stood over them remembering the little tales he had told her about each one. The little princess with the silver blades on her shoes lay close to the edge. She moved it back with one finger, careful not to jiggle it or make a mistake and bump it off onto the floor. Moving closer to the tree, Skye noticed it now had tiny lights strung on all the branches. She wondered how May got them all the way to the top.

She stared up for a bit then let out a breath. Maybe May got mad about the tree. Maybe it was too big and too much work. Maybe she was mad that her baba came and shared all the ormints and the stories. Skye slid down between the large sofa and one of the big chairs. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.

Getting left alone was worse than getting sent back.

xx

William and May strung ten sets of twinkling lights around the giant tree then plugged it in and stood back. May smiled at the thought of what Skye would think and how the twinkling would excite the small child. William shook his head and pulled the plug from the wall insisting it was not enough before adding three more sets before he was satisfied with the results.

"Now it is fully illuminated," William smiled as he placed an arm around his daughter's shoulders. "Sunnu will be overjoyed by the light."

May nodded before she pulled the plug again. She let out a soft sigh as she turned and looked at the boxes stacked behind the couch. "It may take all weekend to decorate." She exhaled, running a hand through her hair to push it from her face.

"Ah, yes and since my granddaughter is not ready to help, I think I will take advantage and rest these old bones for a bit. Perhaps you should do the same. You were up many times during the night." William smiled.

May looked at him in surprise. Yes, she had checked on Skye more than a few times during the night and slept very lightly when she was not doing so. She had no idea her father had heard.

"It is a mother's job to worry, Mellie and to be sure her little one is safe and well. I too worry about my own little one, even though she is not so little these days." He leaned forward and kissed her softly on the forehead. "Do not work too hard, daughter." He smiled as he turned toward the hallway off the kitchen.

May smiled after him, waiting until she heard his door click shut. She stacked all the empty light boxes, cleaned the kitchen and put away the tea kettle then climbed the spiral staircase. She stood in her office doorway and let out a puffy breath at the stack of paperwork on her desk. Looking at the small clock on the equally small table to her left, she realized she had at least an hour, maybe two, to get some of it done. Skye would probably sleep that long.

She closed the door and sat down to get started.

xx

Melinda brushed a stray hair from her face and glanced back at her small clock. She'd never been a clock watcher…never had to be. She did as much as she could at any time and worried not about what else might need her attention until she finished her work. Skye changed all of that and long nights poring over reports became the usual.

"Shit!" she whispered to herself as she slammed the pen she held to the desk. "Three damn hours, how the hell did I…"

Letting out an exasperated breath she flipped closed the file and pushed herself away from the work and exited the small room, securing the lock as she left. The woman quickly padded down the spiral stairs, her footsteps muffled by the thick socks she wore instead of slippers. Barely glancing at the living room or taking in any sight of the kitchen she hurried into the short hallway and stopped inches from Skye's bedroom door by the sound of another door opening. Melinda smiled at her father as he stepped into the dim hallway.

"I hope you are as rested as I, daughter. I think your little one will keep us busy with that monstrous tree you've brought." He chuckled as he stepped toward her.

Melinda simply smiled as she nodded and turned the knob on the door before her. The room was bright, lit by the late fall sunlight that beamed through the light curtains on the window. She smiled as she approached the bed, thankful that her little girl had slept most of the early afternoon and would more than likely feel much better for it. But finding the bed empty sent a quick shiver though the new mom. She shook it off with a quick self admonishment. She turned to the slightly ajar bathroom door and listened for the sound of the small child most certainly inside. When no sound came, Melinda move to the door and pushed it opened finding it just as empty as the bed.

This time she found it much harder to swallow the fear that rushed from the pit of her stomach to the middle of her brain. The woman felt her heart pound against her chest. She turned and rushed to the kitchen nearly knocking William off balance as the two collided a few feet from the table.

"Mellie," William breathed around a small chortle. "Is there a fire?"

Melinda ignored his jest and the phrase he had used every time she was so rushed she seemed unaware of her surroundings. "She's gone, Baba." She drew a breath and again attempted to calm herself without success. "Skye's gone."

William placed his hands on his daughter's shoulders and squeezed gently. He smiled softly. "Melinda, I do not think your small daughter would go very far or ever leave this home without you." He looked into her eyes and waited for the comment to register.

Melinda tried to hang onto her father's words. They made sense, of course they made sense. Where would that little scamp go? But this was Skye and she had a history of taking off for who knows what reasons. They made sense only to Skye. It was hard to tell what might send her into a panicked need to escape or fill her with so much guilt she'd need to hide from it as far away as she could run. Melinda closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She nodded slowly as she slipped from her father's grip and headed for the front door.

Locked, it was still locked and bolted. She let out a relieved sigh, resting her forehead on the door and patting the secured entrance. For a moment she considered the back door but knew she would not find the little girl there. Skye shied away from that area unless Melinda was at least in the doorway and even then the child was visibly nervous.

Six months ago Melinda gave the little girl chores to accomplish around their home. Nothing difficult or demeaning, just little things a very little girl could do like putting the silverware into the dish washer and taking her own clothing to the laundry room every Saturday morning and emptying the waste bin after dinner each night. Silver ware was never an issue but the other two seemed to be an uphill battle. Skye would carry her dirty clothes duffle to the laundry room door but would not enter until May carried in the much larger basket and started sorting what need to be washed. At first it wasn't a big deal and Melinda felt the load might be too heavy for the thin child, so she asked Skye to make the trip twice a week with two smaller piles. The first, delivered on Wednesday evening, set outside the door until the second joined it on Saturday morning. Although frustrate, Melinda tried not to nag but dropped gentle reminders which Skye seemed to understand but still that pile stayed put until Melinda walked into the laundry room with Skye at her heels, carrying all of her own laundry. It was baffling.

The nightly waste removal was just as difficult. Most evenings Skye would simply say she forgot and follow Melinda to the garbage chute first thing in the morning, happily dumping the small bin into it. Other days she said it was too heavy or she couldn't reach the chute or the door was stuck. Every time Melinda ushered the little girl to the back hall and watched as she easily emptied the bin. Sitting Skye down and rehashing all of the things they had discussed about lying did nothing to resolve the situation and forced May to put down her foot. There would be no more trips to Carl's for breakfast or any other meal until all the child's chores were done on time.

They stayed away from their favorite diner for almost a month until Mrs. Gibbons provided the answer. It seemed Skye helped her deposit her trash at intervals throughout the week, each time carrying a large book or dragging a chair into the hall to brace the door before she'd walk the distance to the chute with the older woman. Skye explained she needed to make sure the door didn't shut and trap them outside. Mrs. Gibbons explained there was an extra fire escape they could use in the even that did happen but it wasn't likely, she always carried the key when they went into the small hallway. And the laundry room? The little girl avoided Mrs. Gibbons' as well claiming it was dark and the door might stick and how would she hear her if she was stuck in there.

Melinda almost kicked herself when she realized Skye wasn't avoiding her chores, she was afraid. So again the two sat at the kitchen table over a pot of tea and talked, agreeing to tell each other all the truths they hadn't so far. Melinda admitted she was angry that Skye hadn't done her chores and a bit upset she had not been truthful. Skye blinked back tears and swung her feet faster than usual. The little girl told Melinda she didn't want to get locked in where she couldn't get out like the fosters sometime did when she was bad. Once she got locked in a closet til it got dark and pushed into the cellar in the dark all night. No one came when she called or cried.

Melinda quickly gathered the little girl into her arms and promised it would never ever happen here. She had maintenance install motion sensor lights in the laundry room and the back hallway, removed the lock from the laundry room door and hung an extra key within Skye's reach next to the back door. She also purchased a study door stop and kept it on a small ledge next to that door. Skye could use it to prop the door when she took out the waste bin. The laundry room door had its own special catch on the wall to keep it from closing.

Skye watched as all the changes were made and gradually eased into doing her assigned chores without worry. Now, Melinda did the worrying as she stood in the foyer. Skye would not go into the back hall without reason and the laundry room door had been closed so Melinda was sure the little girl was not inside. She looked across the foyer and smiled at her own bedroom door which she was sure she had closed but was now opened. Skye must have woken up and gone there to look for her. She hurried past her father, still standing in the kitchen doorway watching, and headed for the bedroom but stopped at the bottom of the short staircase when a soft sound caught her attention.

"Skye?" she called softly.

William looked in the same direction and took a step but Melinda stopped him with an open palm. She gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head and walked slowly toward the large chair a few inches from the larger sofa.

"Hey," Melinda whispered as she knelt down in front of the stoic child. "I missed you." She smiled at the little girl's blank expression. She'd seen it before.

Skye sat with her arms wrapped around her knees, her little hands curled into tight fists. Her chin rested against her knees as she stared ahead into nothing. Her breathing was rapid but in short little puffs as she rocked slowly back and forth so discretely it was almost unnoticed.

"Skye…listen to me. I'm right here." Melinda reached out slowly and rubbed her hand gently up and down the little girl's arms. "Everything's okay, Skye, how 'bout you come out of there and see. Everything is okay." She continued her gentle massage as William practically tip toed into the room silently offering to help.

Melinda shook her head but did not take her eyes off the little girl lost in her own panic. "Skye, it's okay to be scared. I know. Sometimes I get scared." She laughed a fluttery laugh. "Just now, I was scared, really scared because…" Melinda leaned forward and almost whispered. "Because I couldn't find you and my heart was beating so fast I didn't think I could breathe." She felt the skinny little arms relax a bit and smiled when the child blinked a few times. "Then I heard you and I just wanted you to hug all my scary feelings away…"

Skye's hands slipped to the floor as she drew a deep breath and let it out in a sob that she immediately tried to quell, but Melinda already had the child pulled into her arms. Skye wrapped herself around the woman as she stood and kissed her head, her cheek, her shoulder and pulled her into a tight embrace. She felt more than heard the little girl's crying as she rocked from side to side and whispered softly that everyone was okay now. Melinda looked to her father. He smiled as he took a few steps then looked to her for permission to come closer. Melinda nodded and in an instant the man held both she and her child in his strong arms. His embrace allowed her own tears freedom as she rested her head on her father's shoulder with Skye sandwiched between them.

As the tensions relaxed, William stepped back and pushed a stay hair from Melinda's face and smiled as he rubbed a hand on Skye's back then placed a soft kiss on the back of her head.

"I'm sorry." Skye's muffled voice came from Melinda's embrace.

Melinda bounced the child forward until she was seated on her hip. "Sorry?" She tilted her head to one side. "Why?"

"Cuz I scared ya and made ya think I's gone." Skye mumbled and looked to the floor.

Melinda pulled her back into a tight hug and kissed her again. "No, baobei, no, I'm the one to be sorry. I never should have gotten so involved in what I was doing. I forgot the time and…and…oh, Skye I am so sorry. I would never, ever leave you alone, never." She kissed the little girl that now hugged her just as tightly.

Skye squeezed her eyes shut tightly and held on to Melinda. "I'm sorry, Mommy." She said close to Melinda's ear.

Melinda felt a warmth pour over her that was as unfamiliar as it was satisfying. It was the first time Skye had called her anything but May. She did not expect to react as she did. She looked to her father, again with tears brimming and smiled as she hugged and rocked her child. Again she kissed the little girl's cheek and for the first time since all of this started felt the warmth there. She moved to Skye's forehead and again kissed her, with a quick temperature check.

"Baobei, you're still too warm." She whispered into the little girl's ear as she turned toward the bedroom. With a quick nod to her father she left the room with Skye in her arms.

xx

Melinda and Skye returned to the parlor hand in hand. They'd been gone long enough for William to store the empty light boxes and do what he felt needed to be done to make those lights look just right. He plugged in the strands and stood back to take in the full effect of the twinkling bulbs. Twice he unplugged the lights and moved sets left or right to be sure the lights were alternating and not clustered in one area. The man smiled at the fruits of his labor and turned at the sound of Skye's little gasp at the sight.

"Yeye, it's the beautifulest thing I ever saw!" The little girl grinned as she slipped free of Melinda's hand and ran to get a closer look.

She stood on tiptoes to see as high as she could before William scooped her up for a better view. The little girl smiled and pointed to the different colors as they blinked off and on. Setting her down gently the man turned to his daughter. She smiled back as Skye moved from one side of the tree to the other then scampered to the landing for an even better view.

"Can I go out on the porch an see it outside?" She hopped up and down holding the railing as she looked wide eyed at May.

The woman started to shake her head but the little girl pleaded and promised to be just a minute, just to see what it looked like outside. "Please, May. I won't stay out there. Pleeeeeeeeez."

Skye rarely asked for anything and never did she plead. May let out a long breath and shook her head.

"Melinda," William began. "The sun is warm today. I small breath of fresh air is good for the child."

His voice was just as pleading as Skye's

May pointed a finger at the little girl. "Coat and boots," she commanded. "Ten minutes and not one second more, got it?"

Skye smiled broadly, nodded and scampered to the hall closet. She pulled on her boots and ran back to the sliding glass doors as she stuffed her arms into her jacket. William smiled as he pushed the heavy door open allowing the little girl to slip under his arm.

"Zip!" May ordered.

Skye stopped and fumbled with the zipper, in her excitement unable to manage the device. May shook her head and bent to help, tapped her finger on the little girl's nose and turned her toward the balcony. Skye bounced outside and jumped up and down clapping at the sight of the light through the window.

Melinda stood next to her father and watched as the little girl moved to different spots on the wide balcony to view the tree.

"She's still over one-o-two." Melinda sighed. "It scares me Baba."

William wrapped an arm around his daughter. "I think she will be fine, Mellie." He smiled. "She is happy and active and has you to care for her. I am sure you will do what is best, but this…" he nodded toward the balcony, "this will help greatly."

They looked down as Skye knocked softly on the glass. William once again pushed it open. "Come on," she grabbed her grandfather's hand. "You gotta see it. It's the most goregested thing in the whole wide world!" She tugged him forward. "Come on, May!" She almost begged until the two adults stepped out into the brisk afternoon and awed at the twinkling sight.

May finally announced it was long enough and ushered her daughter and her father back inside. William volunteered to brew the tea and prepare some hot noodle soup for a late lunch. May pulled off Skye's boots and jacket, frowning at her flushed cheeks and hoping the chill had not sent her temperature soaring. She brushed the little girl's hair back and sighed.

"Maybe we should check your temperature," she suggested with regret.

Skye shook her head. "Uh huh, we just did and I took the red stuff too. I feel okay, not hot." The little girl put her own hand on her forehead. "Not even a little bit. I feel cold." She grabbed May's hand and put it in the same place. "See?" she peered from under her mother's arm.

May relaxed for a moment then placed both her hands on the child's cheeks, smiling at the cool feel of her skin. It might have been a fluke but Skye felt cooler than she had in two days. Maybe her father was right. She smiled and pulled the little girl into a bear hug.

"Okay, for now…but you know we will check it before it's time for medicine."

Skye nodded then stopped. "Unless I'm still cold, right?"

May laughed. "We'll see." She turned the little girl toward the kitchen and urged her on with a soft tap on the backside.

xx

Skye slid into her usual seat at the kitchen table and smiled up at her grandfather as he poured tea into her cup.

"How about some fruit while the soup is heating?" He smiled back.

Skye shook her head and looked to May as she poured tea into her own cup. "May don't let me eat afor we eat for real." She took a deep breath. "And your soup smells real good."

William stood back and raised a brow at the small girl. "You are much better at following rules than your mama." He chuckled as he turned toward May. "My Mellie would jump at the chance to have a treat before a meal. She…"

"Doesn't need to know about all of my bad habits," May finished for him. Then added, "all of which I have long since overcome."

"Ah, but such a little one needs to have a few bad habits," William ruffled Skye's hair gently. "Or what will she have to overcome as she grows?"

"Hmmm," May smiled over the edge of her tea cup. "She has a few she is working on." She winked at Skye who looked down and chewed her lip. May noticed immediately that the little girl was a bit embarrassed. "And doing a great job," she winked again and gave the child a thumb's up. Skye offered a weak smile then sipped her tea.

"Are we going to put the ornmints on a tree?" She asked as she reached for the honey pot.

"See she does like her sweets," William smiled as he moved the object closer to the girl.

"Honey is healthy and contains a lot of bacteria fighters." May quipped.

"Ah, yes. I had forgotten my daughter was a great health expert." He grinned as he helped Skye add the golden liquid to her tea.

May shook her head and pulled three bowls from the cupboard just in time for her father to ladle soup with long thin rice noodles into each. The vegetables floated on top with chunks of white chicken hidden beneath the wealth of noodles. Skye smacked her lips and breathed in the aromatic steam. She took a bit of the broth on her spoon and blew across it several times before taking a small taste.

"Hot," the little girl smiled, "but real good." She took another small taste then asked again, "when we're done we do the ornmints?"

"And the tinsel and everything that goes with it." William smiled. "But first we put on the best Christmas carols and bring out the cookies. You cannot decorate a tree without them."

Skye's face fell. She knew there were no Christmas cookies and she was sure May didn't have music of any kind. She couldn't remember her playing a radio or CD…ever. William watched the little girl and then turned toward his daughter noticing how she too had grown serious watching Skye's spirits fall.

"Did you think I would come all this way and bring all of your treasures without making sure I had also packed a bit of Christmas music?" William smiled at both. "And a lovely woman knocked on the door a bit after you went up to your work," he eyed Melinda knowingly. "She handed me a platter with enough cookies to keep us fed for a few days." He smiled at Skye who had a smile of her own to return.

"Mrs. Gibbons!" She grinned. "I helped."

William nodded as he sipped a spoon of soup. He patted his lips with a napkin before speaking. "Yes, she asked about young Skye. She also admired your very large tree. I invited her to come back tomorrow and see what it looked like when completed. In turn she invited all of us for dinner." He looked quickly to his daughter and added. "I told her it would depend on how our Skye felt."

"I feel real good." Skye volunteered.

"We'll see how you feel tomorrow." May stated and pointed to the now cooled soup, indicating the little girl should finish.

Skye smiled and dug in. She was hungry and the sooner lunch was finished the sooner they would start decorating. Yeye thought of everything and it was great having a grandfather. Even the still little throb of those nasty shots didn't dull her excitement, but she was not going to tell May about that. She'd just deal, like the big kids used to say at St. Agnes. She'd deal.

The little girl could feel the coolness of her trip to the balcony slipping away and the feeling of that dumb fever tickled the back of her neck. Clocks confused Skye, not the ones with the real numbers on them, but May only had the kind with the hands that moved around. That's what was confusing because those hands were never right on any number just in between and Skye couldn't tell if it was 1:30 or 2:30. It was too hard to figure out and she didn't want to tell May because then she'd know she was even more stupid than not being a good reader. Now she wished she could tell time because May said it was four hours til she had to check her temperature, unless she thought it got high again. She had that long to get decorating done. May would know, but she wished she did because then she could get another trip to the balcony to check the tree from out there and the cold would make her skin feel cool again.

Skye hated fevers and she hated thermometers and she hated those dumb shots that made her get fevers. She really hated keeping things from May. They made a deal not to have secrets. Skye sipped her soup and thought about secrets. It wasn't really keeping a secret if she just waited a little while to tell. It wasn't like lying or anything and if she really felt sick May would know. She wouldn't have to tell, May would know. Maybe just the hot soup and the hot tea were making her feel all heat tickly…maybe it wasn't the fever at all. Maybe she'd just wait until the soup was cold…but that would take a long time and it was good and she was hungry. Nope, she'd just be quiet and hold on to her secret for a little while. She already took the medicine and it always made the thermometer go down.

"More?" William's soft voice startled the little girl out of her thoughts. She looked into her almost empty bowl then up at him standing with the ladle in his hand.

Skye shook her head. "No thank you," he remembered her manners. "I'm done." She quickly wiped her mouth with her napkin and set it on the table then drank the last of her now cool tea. "Can we decorate now?" She piped.

William chuckled as he turned to place the pot back on the stove. "We will clean the table and the dishes and then, yes, sunnu, we will decorate."

Skye stood quickly and carried her bowl and cup to the sink. "I can help."

Together they cleaned the kitchen in record time.

Skye kept the tickling heat that moved from her neck to her head, causing a tiny ache right above her nose, a secret.

Just for a little while, she told herself.

Just for a little while.