The walk from the shore to the house was quiet, with Tenzin and Pema knowing that any whispered conversation between them was sure to be overheard by Bumi and Ling. The shocked expressions they exchanged would have to suffice for the time being.
Ling paused when the group neared the top of the island's peak. "Wow," she said, looking over the bay into Republic City. "I've never seen a city so big before."
"Have you ever left your village?" Pema asked.
Ling shook her head. "No, but I've talked with the sailors who dock at the town's port. I've heard stories from every nation. But actually getting out and seeing Republic City? I couldn't even imagine it."
This was the moment when Meelo came running out of the house, still dressed in pajamas. His sisters came a moment later, Ikki yelling, "Stop running, Meelo!"
The boy stopped short when he saw the group. "Uncle Bumi!" he yelled, jumping off the ground and into Bumi's arms (a feat aided by airbending abilities). "Hi! How are you? Did you just get here? Who's this?" he pointed to Ling. "Why is she wearing Earth Kingdom clothes?"
Jinora caught up with him, and pried her brother out of her uncle's arms, setting him on the ground. "Sorry, Uncle Bumi. He's just excited this morning. Or every morning."
"That's okay, squirt!" Bumi laughed, ruffling Jinora's hair.
"But who is she?" Meelo asked again, bouncing on his feet.
Pema cleared her throat. "Children, this is… Should I tell them, Bumi? Okay, meet your cousin, Ling."
Jinora was the first to put the pieces together. "Cousin?" she stated. "As in Uncle Bumi's daughter?"
Ling nodded. "Hi," she said, rather shyly. Tenzin noted that the girl seemed demurred and quiet, despite occasional outbursts. The sign of an active child raised by those who repressed her emotions.
"Well, don't be strangers!" Pema instructed her children. "Go show Ling around the island! Actually, let's get her and Uncle Bumi breakfast. After a couple days at sea, I'm sure they'll appreciate a nice warm meal!"
Ling spent the morning being pulled around the island by her cousins, who propelled themselves on air scooters. She tried to replicate their movements, but she ended up falling to the ground after only a second or two of flight. Eventually, Jinora called off her sibling's game and suggested that walking around the island would be a fairer alternative.
"She seems a little uneasy surrounded by their airbending," Tenzin noted from the kitchen, where the three adults had been watching them from the window.
His brother nodded. "Well, first off she's not used to this much attention. She was raised by her grandparents and aunts and uncles who had children of their own to focus on. There was no parent to pay attention to her."
"You're doing the best you can right now," Pema assured him, having noted the guilt in his voice.
He shrugged. "I have a lot of lost time to make up for. I mean, you two have spent the last ten years raising kids!" he gestured to Pema, who was holding baby Rohan in her arms. "They know you and love you! I've spent three days with Ling, and I can say with certainty that they've been among the most awkward in my life, sandwiched between the day Suna's family told me she was dead and the day Dad took me aside and gave me the talk. I can hardly hold a conversation with her. I'm a total stranger."
"But you thought you were doing what was right by leaving her there with Suna's family," Pema countered. "And they were the ones in the wrong by barring you from visiting her."
Bumi sighed. "You could argue that," he said, defeated. "But that's not going to change the overwhelming guilt I feel, leaving my own daughter on her own for almost fifteen years to deal with bending she had no idea what to do with."
The three adults sat in silence, observing Ling and her cousins until they were out of view. Bumi exhaled. He had a lot of catching up to do.
Dinner approached, and the suddenly larger family sat down for an Earth Kingdom style meal that Pema (using an old family recipe of hers that she found) hastily prepared in honor of Ling. Just as Ikki finished setting the table, Korra burst through the door.
"Hey, sorry I'm late- I stayed up late last night at Asami's and then we spent today in the park with the boys, and we all known Asami could use a day off from running her company- hey, who are these two? No wait, that was rude, sorry."
"Commander Bumi, at your service, Avatar Korra!" Bumi saluted her.
"Oh, yeah, you're Aang's son!" Korra replied, recognizing him. "And who are you?" she asked Ling.
"Ling. I'm, um, Bumi's daughter," she said uncertainly.
Korra tilted her head. "I didn't know you guys had a niece," she addressed Tenzin and Pema.
"Well, we didn't either. It's been an exciting day, news wise," Pema replied. "Come, help yourself to dinner."
The Avatar looked around the room in confusion. "But how did you not know-" she began.
"I already had to go through this twice today: once with Tenzin and Pema and once with the kids," Ling said, the exhaustion evident in her voice. "That's plenty for one day, I think."
Meelo stood up and ran over to the Avatar "Don't worry, Korra!" he whispered loudly. "I'll tell you everything!"
"No, I want to!" Ikki shouted.
Tenzin sighed. Being responsible for four airbending children plus the Avatar were already a handful. Adding another one- a teenager, no less- to the mix didn't help.