Night Changes

It felt as if it was her first day at school. Her stomach felt funny. She didn’t want to go. She tried to remind herself that she wouldn’t be alone. Leo would be there. Jemma, Trip and Piper would be there. And her parents would just be a call away. The teachers would help her too. And the guidance counsellor. But it still felt a little scary. She rubbed her left palm where her mama had pressed multiple kisses. You will have these with you until you see me again. She had her mama ‘s kisses with her and she had also packed the card her parents had made for her, as a reminder that she had a home to go back to  now.

The car stopped and Skye prepared to exit but Phil stopped her. He turned around in his seat and gently took her hand. He drew a heart on her left wrist and on Leo’s too. Bobbi and Tasha took the pen from his and drew stars around the heart. “We will be there with you two. And we will all see each other at home,” Phil assured them.

His words, the drawings, the kisses, the card in her bag and the note that she knew would be there in her lunch bag - these were the things that got her out of the car and walk into the school building. Leo was beside her. They were holding hands, drawing comfort from each other’s presence. They met with Jemma, Trip and Piper.

“Oh! There you are!” Jemma exclaimed. She gave them both hugs. “How are you two? What happened? We heard rumors and -”

“Jemma,” Skye interrupted. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Me too,” Leo added.

Jemma deflated a bit but didn’t push. “Are you two fine now?” she asked. Skye nodded and Leo answered in words. All of them walked together to the class.

“So, what’s new?” Skye asked.
“Ward apologized to us,” Trip told them.
“He did what?” Leo asked.
“Found us during lunch. He sounded sincere.”

Skye shared a look with Leo. That was unexpected. She didn’t know if she wanted to have that conversation with him or not. After everything he had put them through, she didn’t feel like forgiving him. How did you forgive someone anyway?

“Since when do you two draw on your hands?” Piper asked.

Skye didn’t know how to answer this. She didn’t want anyone to know that she couldn’t deal with something so easy as school. She didn’t want them to know that she still felt a little nauseous. She didn’t want them to know how weak she was.

“It’s a Christmas thing,” Leo answered, subtly squeezing her hand. Skye gave him a grateful squeeze back.

They went for their PE class. Piper told them she was glad that they were okay, and then left to meet with her friend, Davis.

The class was boring. No one brought attention to the fact that they had been gone for the week but Skye could still feel the gazes. There must have been rumours around. Skye didn’t like the looks. She didn’t want the looks. She wanted to forget what happened and the lingering gazes wouldn’t let her.

“Someone saw you do an awesome karate move,” Trip whispered to her. Skye looked at him in surprise. “They are admiring you.” Skye remembered making the tai chi move. She hadn’t thought about it in the aftermath, though her parents had emphasized that they were proud of her for fighting back. Skye looked at her classmates in new light. They were admiring her because she did a tai chi move. She giggled.

Skye sat with Leo for most of the day - both of them still needing the reassurance - and if Jemma and Trip found it weird, they didn’t comment. Their friends would keep them distracted when things got too much. A little touch on the shoulder, slight bumps on the leg. Jemma reminded Skye of the breathing exercises her mom had taught her.

Lunch was definitely her favourite time. She read the note from her parents. It was signed from mom and dad, unlike the first note that had been Phil and Melinda. Skye loved this change. She pocketed the note. She had saved all of them, stuffed into her desk drawer. She told her friends about her parents planning to adopt and they cheered for her.

Arts and French were a little difficult as Leo wasn’t there with her. But Piper was. She would bump their knees or would engage Skye in a conversation till breathing became easier. Skye liked having friends like these - those who celebrated with her and also helped her when things got difficult.

Walking out school was scary. That was when it had happened. To Skye’s relief, Miss Harrington accompanied them to the school doors where Lian was already waiting. Skye was relieved to see her. Lian gave them a warm smile. Skye liked her, even though she was a little different from what Skye had imagined. Different wasn’t bad, Skye was starting to learn that.

They walked to Lian’s car. She held their hands reassuringly. A part of Skye knew that she was safe now, another part of her was still waiting for Zabo to jump from around the corner and try to take her away. Nothing happened though - of course it didn’t. Skye got into the back seat with Leo, and Lian started the car. They would pick up Natasha from the high school. Their dad would stay with Bobbi but mom would meet them at home.

“How was your day?” Lian asked.
“Good,” Leo answered.
“Yeah. Why do you call mom Qiaolian?” Skye asked.
“That’s her name. A part of her heritage,” Lian answered.
“First time Lao Lao called mum that, I was looking around wondering who she was talking to,” Leo told her. Skye laughed. She could understand the confusion.

When they arrived home with Tasha, their mom was stepping out of her car. Skye hurried to hug her. “Did you miss me?” her mom asked. Skye hummed in her shoulder.

“Did you miss me?” Skye asked.
“So much. I missed you all so much.”

The others joined in on the hug and five minutes later William ushered them in. “It is too cold to stay outside,” he said. They put their coats in the closet. William had cut some apples for them. They all settled around the dining table and worked on their homework.

The days got easier after that. There were still kisses and hand drawings. Skye did end up going to Mr. Nash’s office once and call her parents. They didn’t mind. They both told her that they loved her and missed her. Skye loved them. She loved how special they made her feel.

She was feeling a lot of other things too. She had no idea what to think of Zabo’s decision to give up his rights. He didn’t want to be her parent anymore. A very big part of her was glad that she could stay with her family but another small part wondered his reasons. Skye didn’t want to think about him. He was a bad person and she didn’t want to be thankful to him. She had talked about this with Dr. Morgan.

“People are rarely black and white, Skye. That’s the beauty of them. Zabo definitely did some things that he shouldn’t have done. And he realizes that because of those things, you cannot live with him. So, he gave up his rights, and now you can be with people who love and who will protect you; people you love.”

Skye had thought about that for a while but she still didn’t know what to think about all of it. She had bigger and more important things to do. She had finished all her sketches and had purchased long rectangular cardboard boxes for them. She had wrapped them and had neatly labelled them. She had used the suggestions from her siblings for presents for her grandparents. For Trip, she had bought a basketball poster.

There were a lot of Christmas activities around the house. They got the tree and lots of other decorations. Skye got a hula girl ornament. Bobbi’s was a mockingbird, Tasha’s a dancing figure, Leo’s a space rocket, dad’s a red colour car and mom’s a ninja. They all spent an entire evening decorating the tree in the family room and also setting up the train set underneath it. There were figures of snowmen all around the house, including a few Olaf ones.

Skye had particularly enjoyed decorating the gingerbread house. Leo used icing to assemble the house. They used icing and candies to decorate the house. Skye enjoyed adding minute details using a toothpick. Bobbi used ice-cream cones to make tree and Tasha used marshmallow to create people. They used white powdered sugar for snow.

There were lots of Christmas movies, ranging from movies that came out in 1947 to new movies like The Polar Express and even animated ones like Frozen. Lian and William took them for a drive around the neighbourhood to admire the Christmas light display. Spoiler alert, it was wonderful. Julie invited them to her home to bake tons of cookies, which also meant playing with the icing.

Christmas Eve was spent with all of the family. Lian, William and Julie were planning to stay the night. They played lots of games - UNO, monopoly, cluedo and some cards game too. Their parents got them matching snowman pajamas and they clicked a picture together. But it was Christmas today.

Skye woke up in her own room. She rubbed her eyes and then remembered the day. It was Christmas. Her first Christmas with her family. She jumped out of the bed and immediately rushed out of her room. She still locked the door but there was no need for the chair under the knob. Her dad would never hurt her.

Skye brushed her teeth quickly and immediately set to wake her siblings. Her first stop was Bobbi’s room. “Wake up Bobbi,” Skye said, shaking her older sister. “It’s Christmas.” Bobbi opened her eyes.

“Merry Christmas,” she said. Skye continued to shake her. “Okay. Okay. I am up.” Bobbi pushed her blanket away and pulled Skye for a hug. “Your first Christmas with us.”

“Merry Christmas,” Skye wished her. “Let’s wake everyone else up.” Bobbi grinned. She went to freshen up while Skye banged on Leo’s door. He was already up.

“It’s Christmas.” They hugged and wished each other, before attacking Tasha’s door.

“Ugh! It’s just seven,” Tasha groaned from inside.
“Wake up, Tash,” Leo said. “It’s Christmas.”
“Too early.”
“Wake up, Tasha.” Skye banged the door.
“Tash, it’s Skye’s first Christmas with us. Get your ass up,” Bobbi said.
“Ugh!” Tasha groaned again but they all heard footsteps to the door. “You need to learn how to sleep past seven,” Tasha said. Skye smiled and hugged her.
“Merri Christmas,” she wished.
“Merry Christmas, sestra.” There was a fondness in Tasha’s voice.

Soon, they were all in the family room. There were lots of hugs and kisses from everyone. It was unanimously decided that they would open presents before they did anything else. Skye was excited. She wanted to see everyone’s reaction when they saw her sketches. She also wanted to see what the others had got her.

“Okay,” her dad said. “There are chits with everyone’s names on it in this bowl. We will draw a name and then that person will give their present to everyone. Ready? Skye, why don’t you draw the first chit.”

Skye pulled out a chit. “Leo,” she announced. With a grin, Leo rushed to the Christmas tree and picked the presents he had placed under it. He handed them over to everyone, telling their grandparents that the present for them was from him and Tasha. Skye remembered they had made a scrapbook for them.  She looked at her own present. She pocketed the card and then opened the gift. It was a book on coding for game development. Skye thanked him, her fingers itching to open the book. She looked around as the others opened their presents. Bobbi got a book on biology facts, Tasha got a book on world politics, their dad got a red colour toy car which was like his Christmas ornament - I will call it Lola, he announced - and their mom got aviator sunglasses. They all thanked Leo, who picked the next name.

“Lao Lao and Lao Ye.”

Skye got a digital drawing tablet from them. “You can connect it to a computer and use it to sketch digitally,” Lian explained. Skye thanked her and William. Others mostly got a ticket to something of their interest - basketball game for Bobbi, a dance show for Tasha and a tech exhibition for Leo. Their parents, however, received a double rocking chair. “Like the one we had at home. You loved it, Qiaolian.”

The next name was hers. Skye rushed to the Christmas tree and passed her presents to everyone. She waited for them to open it.

“Wait!” Bobbi exclaimed. “Grandma, Lao Lao, Lao Ye, you guys open your presents first.”
“Why?” William asked.
“Because Bobbi is being weird. She knows what Skye has got for us,” Tasha said.
“I want us to open her presents together. Come on. Listen to me.” Bobbi pouted.

Skye grinned as everyone gave Bobbi a fond look and listened to her. Skye had bought a throw blanket for Julie, a tea gift set for Lian and garden tool set for William. “These are wonderful, sūnnǚ,” William said, admiring his tools. “Thank you.” Skye smiled at him.

“Now can we open our presents?” Leo asked Bobbi. She nodded. Skye watched as they all unwrapped the boxes and pulled out the sketches. “You sketched these?” he asked. Skye nodded.

“Wow!” her dad said. “Angel eyes, these are wonderful.”
“Bǎo bǎo, these are beautiful.”
“We have to get them framed,” Bobbi said. Everyone nodded.
“That is why you needed Bobbi’s help,” Tasha said. “You wanted our pictures.”
Skye nodded. “It’s easier to draw a face when I have it in front of me.”
“We are getting this framed as soon as we can,” her dad said.
“You are a wonderful artist, Xiǎohuā,” William said.

Skye thanked them, with a small blush on her face. She loved her family. She loved how they encouraged her. She loved how they praised her accomplishments. She loved how they loved her.

The next name was Tasha’s. Skye got a pencil set with sketchbooks from her. She got a hand-knitted sweater from Julie, along with a Harry Potter bobblehead. Bobbi gave her a polaroid camera. “You can click lots of pictures and decorate your room with them.” Her parents gave her an artist painting kit - with an easel, lots of paints, brushes and canvases. Skye absolutely loved it. She thanked them profusely. There were other presents too - lego sets and some new board games, and also a trip to an animal care center. They were getting a pet.

Skye looked around the room and thought of the day she had arrived here. She had been so sure that she would be sent back; that this was just a temporary stop in the journey. But she had been wrong. This was her home, with her family. Her parents. Her siblings. Her grandparents. Her life had changed so much. Dr. Morgan often told her that change was constant and inevitable. But Skye was sure of one thing. No matter how many changes, she would always have her family with her.

Even when the night changes
It will never change me and you.