Those Little Things
1.) When she was little, she used to sit in her father's lap and sing. She sung him nursery rhymes, lullabies, even snippets of current pop songs she heard on TV.
Even then, people around her told her she had a pretty voice. Aunt Angela in particular used to pass along a compliment.
Whenever this happened, Syd's face would light up in response. Then the little girl would carry on, louder than before.
2.) She remembered being proud of her parents, even at a young age. She thought they were heroes, not because they had two essential jobs needed in society, but because they loved what they did.
At the age of four, she promised herself that one day, she would do something useful to society, so that Mommy and Daddy would be proud of her.
3.) She was ecstatic to hear that the new neighbors had a daughter her own age. When she and her parents had gone to introduce themselves to the new family, she couldn't wait to meet the girl who would surely become her best friend.
That first day, she and Jamie played in front of Jamie's house for hours. The two girls had a lot of things in common and were fast friends.
Then, to complete their trio, Sky Tate Collins had stood up to some of the older neighborhood kids for them. After that, the three were inseparable.
4.) The idea of singing professionally never really occurred to her until she was twelve. She, Jamie and Sky attended private school, which proved to have its connections.
She won first place in the talent show that year. In the audience was the VP of Big Machine Records. Immediately following the show, he approached the Graysons, saying he was interested in signing her.
As soon as the words were out of the VP's mouth, singing was suddenly the only future Syd could ever imagine herself having.
5.) Her mother came with her to her first recording session. She watched from the other side of the glass wall, and there was such pride on her face that Syd felt like she was on top of the world.
One day, Syd told herself, I'll look at my daughter like that.
6.) While she was away, sometimes she worried Sky and Jamie would get closer. She was afraid to come home to find her two best friends had become a couple.
How pleasantly surprised she was to come home to see Jamie head over heels for a boy named Robbie.
7.) Syd knew that her parents, Jamie, and probably even Sky himself thought that she had gone to SPD for Sky.
That was only part of the reason.
The other part was that she had never forgotten her oath to herself to be a hero, just like her mother and father.
8.) She had loved being an only child until she had become a ranger. As the team slowly became her surrogate brothers and sister, Syd wished for a flesh–and–blood sibling.
9.) After Emperor Gruumm was put in prison, Sky got over himself and asked her out.
After nearly four years, when he finally got around to proposing to her, Syd punched him. He scowled, but more out of irritation than pain. He asked why she had done that.
She was nothing if not honest. She told him not to tease her.
He was serious.
She was glad, and she accepted.
10.) Sky had wanted to name their first child after one of the original Earth rangers. He suggested Jason for a boy and Kimberly for a girl.
She had put her foot down. She wanted her children to have their own names; to not have to live up to such a powerful legacy.
She liked Kristin for a girl and Aaron for a boy.
She got her way.
But when they had their third child, another girl, Sky wanted to name her after Z.
It was one of the few times in their marriage that he got his way.