“Why Momma bees all grumpy?” Skye asked loudly as she was pulled into the boys’ room. Trip closed the door and put a finger to his lips indicating the little girl should be quiet. “Why Momma bees all grumpy?” She repeated in a tiny whisper.
“She’s not grumpy, sweetheart,” Jemma smiled as she took Skye by the hand and led her to sit on the lower bunk next to Fitz. “She’s just a bit apprehensive, that’s all.” Jemma explained as she sat next to her little sister.
Skye scrunched up her face in confusion. “Momma not appyhemsid, Jemma,” Skye shook her head. “Her is no happy. Her yelldid at me two times and pulled my shoes on my feets.” She stuck out her feet and wriggled them side to side.
Fitz shook his head and stared at his little sister’s feet. “I agree with Skye, mom is really in a horrid mood. She nearly skinned me alive because I allowed the soap to drip on the countertop in the powder room.”
Trip leaned against the closed door with his arms crossed over his chest and observed his younger siblings’ conversation. He had to agree. Their mother had been very sensitive about pretty much everything the past few days. She even had him hose off the basketball court every time he and his friends used it this week. He was starting to worry he might wash away some of the pavement.
“I no like a grumpy Momma. Hoer is scaring to me.” Skye pouted. “I wanna happy Momma to be heor.”
“Me too,” Fitz agreed.
“She’s just a bit anxious,” Jemma reasoned as she met Trip’s eyes. The older boy shrugged his shoulders and dropped his arms to his sides.
Before he could answer, the door bumped his back and he stepped aside. Melinda stepped breathlessly into the room. “Here you are,” she more accused than anything. “What are all of you doing? I asked you to clean up the toys in the family room and I meant right now.” She stood pointing toward the hall, glaring at her startled children.
Skye scooted from the bed and reached up to Trip who scooped her into his arms. Fitz followed suit and stood behind his much bigger brother.
“I want every toy picked up and put where it belongs and I want it to stay there.” She continued. “And I mean every single Lego, Leopold.” She peered directly at the boy who nodded quickly.
Three children stood and stared at their mother, the fourth buried her face in her big brother’s neck with both arms wrapped tightly around the same.
“Why are you just standing there? Let’s go! Move! I want that room cleaned and I want it to stay clean.” Melinda ordered stepping aside so the kids could scramble out the door. She stopped Trip as he attempted to follow the ‘twins’ who were already halfway down the stairs. “Hold it right there. Not you little one,” she took Skye by the waist and tugged her from Trip’s hold. She set the little girl on the floor and glared down at her with hands on her hips. “You and I are going to pick up all those crayons on the floor in your room and put away all the clothes someone pushed into the closet.” Skye stuck out her bottom lip and stared at the floor.
Trip smiled and put a hand on the little girl’s shoulder. He’d never seen Melinda act this way. “I can help her,” he offered.
“No, I need you to supervise the pair downstairs. I’ll take care of this one and then she’s going to take a nap…a real nap…not fool around in her room for an hour and turn into a cranky mess by six o clock.” She took Skye by the hand and walked quickly toward the little girl’s room. Skye practically had to run to keep up.
Trip watched for a few seconds before he bounced down the stairs. Skye was partly right. Melinda was not grumpy and she was not apprehensive she was down right miserable.
xx
Phil looked up at the soft tap on his office door. He’d been working at home for the past few days, trying to help his wife but finding more paper work to do here than he had at the office in the city. He listened for a moment thinking perhaps it was only someone passing by or an accidental bump by one of the crew. The kids had been warned to leave dad to his work and Melinda was busy with her unending preparations. But there it was again, that almost silent tap at the door.
“It’s open,” he called expecting his wife to enter telling him he should stop for lunch or that there was some pressing need he had to address. Instead, three very solemn youngsters slipped quietly into the room and stood in front of it staring at him. Before the door shut completely the fourth and tiniest child slipped inside and reached up to her older brother. He took her in his arms as the younger boy silently closed the door.
Phil sat frozen in place. The pen in his hand was poised to jot down notes on the file spread across his desk. His sleeves were turned up and he was unusually tie-free. For several seconds the children merely stood staring at their father as he stared back. But, Phil could only take so much. He clicked back into action and flipped the pen in his hand, lightly tapping it on the desk.
Rising slowly, Phil stepped to the front of his desk and leaned against it with his arms folded across his chest. He smiled at his brood but got nothing back. He looked away in an effort not to laugh, but needed to put an end to this. “Well, gang for as much fun as this staring match has been, I’ve really got work to do, soooooo, thanks for your time and your visit and…well, you can see yourselves out.” He motioned toward the door behind them.
Fitz folded his arms over his shoulders and imitated his father’s stance exactly. “Da, we need to talk.” He puppy snarled.
“Why?” Phil inquired, suddenly a little apprehensive. “What did you do?”
Trip let out a soft snort and shuffled his feet a bit. Skye held on a little tighter and looked at her brother with confusion. He shook his head to let her know to keep quiet…for now.
“We’ve done nothing, Da, truly nothing,” Jemma began taking a step toward her father. “Yet, it seems we are all in quite a bit of hot water for something.”
“Yes,” Fitz agreed, arms still across his chest, as he began tapping his foot as well. “We are quite curious about what it is we might have done or perhaps not done.”
Skye had somehow squirmed from Trip’s hold and ambled across the room without begin noticed. She tugged at Phil’s pants pocket. He looked down in surprise. “Why momma be so mad to us?” Her little eyebrows rose as she waited for his answer.
Phil looked to the others and found the same expression on all of their faces.
Trip stepped between the ‘twins’ and added to the conversation. He shook his head as he began. “Mom’s been on edge for days, ordering everyone to pick up toys and put away clothes, clean off the table and not made one fingerprint on the fixtures in any bathroom. She makes us change the towels if we so much as dry our hands.”
“She had me fold my dirty shorts before I tossed them in the hamper!” Fitz exclaimed.
“I had to line up all the socks in my sock drawer so they were in perfectly straight lines.” Jemma sighed.
Skye tugged on her father’s pants again. He looked down at her. “Momma maked me take a nap affer I take-did one.” She bounced those little hands in front of her.
“She’s right Da,” Trip agreed. “She put Skye down for a nap after lunch and then again right before dinner. The poor kid was out of it. I had to rescue her, then hide her in Gram’s apartment til supper. Mom, didn’t even remember she put her in her room.”
“Is momma sick?” Jemma asked with trepidation.
“Is she losing her bloomin’ mind?” Fitz squeeked.
“Hoer is scaring to me?” Skye sniffled.
“Is everything alright?” Trip swallowed.
Phil let out a soft breath as he scooped up Skye and wrapped an arm around Jemma. “Momma is not sick.” He assured his older daughter. “And she hasn’t lost her mind,” he spoke directly to Fitz. “She’s not angry with any of you and she certainly isn’t trying to scare anyone.” He placed a quick kiss on Skye’s forehead.
Trip shook his head and placed his hands on Fitz’s shoulders as he stood behind his little brother. “Well, she’s freaked out about something and we’ve been trying to stay clear, but she keeps finding us.” Fitz looked back and up at his brother then to his father and nodded in agreement.
Phil smiled at the concern his children were showing, although some of it was for their own well being. “I assure you your mother is not ‘out to get you’.” He tried to hide the snicker in his comment.
“It’s not a laughing matter, Da.” Fitz did not miss his father’s jest. “I feel like I’ve joined the armed forces. Next thing you know she’ll be demanding I bounce a quarter off my just made bed.”
“He had to do it twice yesterday.” Trip turned up one side of his mouth and squeezed Fitz’s shoulders gently. “Make the bed…not the quarter thing,” he clarified. “And I had to scrub…scrub the basketball because she said it was grubby and making dark marks on the court…”
“Which he had already hosed off twice,” Fitz held up a finger and finished for his brother.
“Okay, okay,” Phil held up a hand. “I hear what you are saying and believe it or not there is a reason for all of this.”
“Perhaps she needs a holiday of some sort, a trip to the sea side or possibly a day at the spa. Four kids can be a bit much for anyone.” Fitz shook his head.
Skye clapped her hands. “I nere went the sea side.” She smiled.
Phil turned his head and spoke to the little girl. “No one is going to the sea side.” Her smile turned to a fine pout. “Momma doesn’t need a vacation and she has no problem taking care of any of you. She’s just a little nervous right now.”
“Why?” A chorus of three voices inquired before he could continue.
“Well, momma is anxious because her mother is coming for a visit and she just wants everything to be perfect.” Phil explained. “Momma just wants everything to be perfect for that visit.” He smiled but even Skye could see it was weak.
“She’s not coming until Tuesday,” Trip groaned. “Mom’s been freakin’ out for a week.”
Phil hesitated for a bit, not wanting to influence the children’s opinion of the grandmother they had not yet met. “Well, Lian is a little particular about things and momma just wants to make a good impression.”
“Well, she might need new kids, because we are far from perfect.” Fitz snorted and Trip joined his little brother’s mirth.
“Momma get new kids?” Skye was alarmed. “Hoer no keeps us no mower?”
Phil bounced her a bit and hugged her tightly. “Momma already has the best kids and she is not looking for any replacements. She loves you.” He poked his youngest in the belly, giving her a gentle tickle and turning her frown into a squeaky giggle. “And you and you and you.” He squeezed Jemma, nodded to Trip and tousled Fitz’s curls.
“Is mom’s mother a mysophobic?” Fitz asked with a furrowed brow.
“Myso…what?” Phil was clearly confused. “English, Fitz, remember your old man only has one Master’s Degree.”
“It means she has an excessive fear of germs. It’s probably more commonly called germophobia.” Jemma explained.
Phil raised his brows in understanding as Trip hid a chuckle. “No, I’m pretty sure Lian May is one hundred percent phobia free. Although I can’t say there aren’t plenty of people with a Lian-o-phobia of varying degrees.”
“You wouldn’t be one of them, would you Da?” Trip mumbled to his father who threw him a dark look.
“Your grandmother is…she’s…well…” Phil hedged, not really knowing how to explain his mother-in-law’s idiosyncrasies. Four pairs of eyes waited expectantly.
“She likes things to be done perfectly all the time.” Melinda’s voice in the doorway startled everyone.
Fitz quickly slipped behind his much bigger brother, not even bothering to peek at his mother. Jemma stepped behind Phil and Skye buried her face in her father’s neck, wrapping her arms and legs around him tightly. Trip swallowed hard and put both hands behind his back, wrapping them around the little boy cowering there.
Melinda stood holding the door that no one heard her push open and glared at her husband and children. Phil smiled and tried to take a step forward but was held in place by the little girl behind him. He could see why his crew was suddenly a bit fearful of their mother and for a second felt that Lian herself was staring back at him.
“Melinda,” Phil greeted her with a smile. “The kids were just…” he looked around at his children. “They were just on their way out, right kids?” No one answered. No one moved.
Suddenly Trip took the hint and tried to pull Fitz to his side, but the boy refused to budge. “A…yeah, we…we were just leaving. Come on, kids.” He moved sideways toward his father with the intent of collecting the girls and heading for the door. Fitz slid along behind him, matching his footsteps exactly.
“Hold it right there.” Melinda spoke quietly but the kids froze at the sound. She walked the short distance across the office and lightly tapped her baby on the arm. “I thought I put you in your bed, baobei. You’re supposed to be napping.”
Skye lifted her elbow and peeked at her mother under her arm. “I talk-a daddy too.” She mumbled.
Melinda paused for a moment staring into her husband’s eyes then reached to take the little girl. “Okay, talks over. Naptime, little one.” She put her hands on Skye’s hips and gave a gentle tug, but her baby whined and snuggled closer to her father. Melinda pulled back as if she’d been burned.
Phil put a hand to the child’s back and shushed her. “Hey, angel, it’s just momma. She wants you to have a little rest so you’re not all grouchy at supper time.” He spoke close to the little girl’s ear but looked at his wife. Skye shook her head and kicked her feet gently.
Melinda stepped back and took in the rest of the room. Fitz still hid completely behind Trip, only his knuckles dug into his brother’s T-shirt and the toes of his sneakers were visible. Jemma stood half behind her father and stared at her mother with wide eyes. Trip found his own sneakers quite interesting and kept his stare to the floor.
“The kids are a little concerned, Mel.” Phil began, still softly shushing a trembling Skye. “They think you’re angry with them.” He pursed his lips and shrugged his shoulders.
“Wha…” Melinda’s jaw dropped as she looked around once more. “Angry? No, of course I’m not angry with them, why would I…”
“You’ve been pretty tough on them the last few days, Mel. Come on, folding dirty underwear?” Phil almost laughed as he swayed back and forth, feeling Skye relax in his arms. “I know you’re anxious about your mom’s visit, but Mel you’re going a bit too far. They’re only kids, Mel.” He spoke quietly to her.
Melinda stopped for a moment and thought about her own actions the past few days, about how much she had been acting exactly like her mother. Lian May was a strict, no nonsense mother who kept her only daughter towing the line constantly. Little Melinda May was expected to have an immaculately clean bedroom, clothing folded perfectly in drawers and closets kept in military precision. Her toys spent most of the time on the shelves since playing with them would cause a mess. She cleaned up after herself at meals, doing dishes and washing the table even after a simple snack. Mrs. May had no tolerance for her daughter’s breaking a rule or forgetting a chore. Sje loved her daughter but showed her affection through strict discipline and expectations of academic excellence. Snuggling, hugging, and good night kisses did not exist in Lian May’s idea of motherhood.
Melinda had vowed never to treat her own children in such a fashion but the impending shadow of her mother coming to her home to meet these children had set the woman back. She pictured herself as her own mother looming over her own children and a shudder ran through her body.
“We’re sorry, momma.” Jemma spoke quietly as she stepped away from Phil and gently wrapped her arms around her mother. Melinda looked down at her for a moment and almost cried when she could not recall the last time one of her little ones hugged her. She hadn’t even tucked them into bed for the last few nights, leaving that task to her eldest who did it without question.
Melinda went down on one knee and looked her older daughter in the eye. “No, no bao bao, I’m sorry. I am so sorry.” She kissed the little girl’s forehead and hugged her tightly. Jemma hugged back just as tightly and sniffed back the tears that ran over her cheeks. From the corner of her eye Melinda caught Fitz peeking around his brother, watching his mother and sister. He chewed his bottom lip. She reached out quickly and snatched his wrist, pulling him into the hug. “Get over here, you.” She smiled as she covered his face with kisses and squished him into a three-way hug with Jemma. The little boy pretended to push away and scrub off the kisses with both hands but then wrapped his arms around his mother and squeezed just as tightly as his sister.
After a few seconds Melinda stood and faced her eldest child while still holding her ‘twins’ close. “Thank you for putting up with me, Trip. I don’t know what I would do without you.” She let go of her little ones for a moment and hugged the tall teen, softly kissing his cheek. The boy blushed but hugged her back, remaining speechless for the moment.
She turned to her baby and rubbed a hand on her youngest’s back. “Baobei, momma is so sorry. I did not mean to scare you. Please come to momma.” She waited for the little face to turn from her father’s neck. It only took a second for Skye to see the look on her mother’s face. She released her grip on Phil and dove into her momma’s arms, quickly snuggling into Melinda’s embrace. Melinda squeezed her tightly and kissed her cheek.
“Okay,” Melinda took a deep breath. “I’ve been a really crummy mom the last few days and none of you deserve that, so starting right now we just go back to being the messy, mixed up, wild family we are happy being. My mom, your grandmother is coming to visit and she is going to see exactly who we are and she’s just going to have to like us that way.” The kids smiled with relief.
“However,” she stopped them as their smiles turned to apprehension. “I will expect you to be on your best behavior and show your grandmother proper respect as long as she’s here. Deal?”
The kids exchanged glances.
“Deal,” Trip smiled giving a thumbs-up.
“Deal,” Jemma nodded.
“Dee-o,” Skye yawned.
Several seconds passed as all eyes turned to Fitz who made eye contact with none. He merely chewed his bottom lip, squinted one eye and looked up in thought.
“Fitz?” Phil prompted.
“I’m thinking…” the little boy explained.
“Fitz…” Phil warned.
“Deal,” Fitz answered quickly then joined in the laughter of his family.
xx
Lian arrived late Tuesday afternoon. She did not smile at her grandchildren, quietly approving their excellent behavior as they stood listening to Melinda and Phil introduce them. Skye clung to her father refusing to so much as look at the woman who stood staring at her brothers and sister.
Trip took his grandmother’s bag to the guestroom as the ‘twins’ lead her to the kitchen. Jemma explained that they had gone into the city to find her favorite tea and that Melinda had found a shop that had the item imported directly from China. Fitz carefully placed a plate of walnut cookies and sesame crisps on the table.
“We went to the Wok Bakery to get these.” He explained. “Mom let us taste them and a few other things, but she said these were your favorites. Skye bit one but we made sure it wasn’t on the plate.
“Qǐng xiǎngshòu, zǔmǔ.¹” Fitz smiled.
Lian nodded to the child, smiling with her eyes although her face remained stoic. “Wǒ shì nǐ de nǎinai.²” She watched as Jemma poured water from the kettle into the fine china teapot and drop in the tea ball with the precise amount of tea. Lian nodded her approval. Fitz placed one of his mother’s fine tea cups and saucer in front of his grandmother and sat on the chair next to her. He pointed to the tea cup.
“This is one of mom’s favorite teacups. She uses one everyday when she has her tea.” Fitz informed her. “These are fine cups.”
Jemma rolled her eyes at her brother’s attempt to make sure their grandmother knew that their mother used the cups she had given her as a gift many years before.
“Will you be joining me?” Lian inquired as Jemma poured the steaming liquid into the small cup.
“No, ma’am,” Jemma smiled. “Momma doesn’t allow us to have tea. There is more than forty milligrams of caffeine in this Silver Jasmine tea. It is a bit higher than regular jasmine tea because it is made with black tea rather than green. Of course the caffeine is neutralized smidge because of the jasmine blossoms, but momma still feels it is way to much for either of us when we will be going to bed in just a few hours.” Jemma explained to Lian’s delight.
“You are a very intelligent and well spoken child, Jemma. It is well to see such astuteness in such a young child.” Lian spoke around a sip of the hot liquid.
Jemma beamed at the compliment. “Yes, grandmother, Fitz and I have tested in the genius level. We attend a school that offers a curriculum to meet our academic levels. We are both studying at a secondary level.”
“That would be high school here in the U.S.” Fitz explained. Lian nodded.
“Your brother also attends this school?” She asked.
“No,” Fitz shook his head and struggled to hold his giggle. “Trip would rather excel in basketball.”
“He plans on attending West Point after graduating.” Jemma added. “He has very good grades and Da says he should have no problem finding a sponsor.”
“Athletic ability is a valuable skill.” Lian spoke calmly, ignoring Fitz’s slight laugh. “I am sure Antoine is very good at what he does as well.” Fitz snickered again at his grandmother’s use of his brother’s given name.
Lian set down the cup on the saucer and picked up a sesame crisp. She set it down on her saucer. “And the small one, she has skills as well.”
Fitz could not contain his laughter. “She’s very good at getting into mischief and casting off her clothing to run bare naked with no inhibition at all.”
“Fitz,” Jemma scolded as she sat on the opposite side of her grandmother. “Skye came to us from a very depressing background, but she has come a long way in the short time we’ve been together.” She quickly explained. “She’s very timid around new people.”
“Except for mom,” Fitz nodded. “She never seemed fearful of her, not from the very start.”
Lian smiled a tiny smile and gave a curt nod, proud of her daughter’s accomplishment with these interesting children. “Do you think I will have a chance to meet her?”
“Oh, absolutely,” Jemma smiled. “Momma is probably just cleaning her up a smidge. She gets a bit ruffled while at preschool.”
Fitz let out a short whoop. “Yesterday she was completely blue! She got into the art area and she and her companion managed to paint each other before the teacher was able to stop them. Mom had her in the tub for an hour.”
“She is a tad busy at times.” Jemma tried to excuse her little sister’s misadventure.
“Thank you, Jemma and Fitz for keeping your grandmother company.” Melinda smiled nervously as she and Phil entered the kitchen. “Do you think you can keep an eye on Skye for a little while? She’s in the playroom.”
Phil smiled at his mother-in-law. “She’s not quite ready to make an appearance yet.”
“That might not be such a bad thing.” Fitz started as he stepped in front of his father. Phil set his hand gently over the boy’s mouth and gave an embarrassed smile. May shot Fitz a warning glare.
Jemma quickly took her brother’s hand. “Let’s go, Fitz. Skye’s waiting.”
Melinda watched as the ‘twins’ disappeared down the short hallway, Jemma softly scolding Fitz as they went.
Skye peeked around the door and stepped back as her siblings entered the room. “I no like-a that gamma lady. Hoer haves mean eyes to me.”
Jemma knelt down in front of her little sister. “Oh, sweetheart, grandmother is not mean, just a little more serious than we’re used to seeing.”
“Of course that could be misconstrued as mean…” Fitz posed.
“You are not helping,” Jemma growled at him. Fitz shrugged his shoulders and moved off to work on his K-nex® roller coaster.
“Grandmother would really like to meet you, Skye.” Jemma took one of the little girl’s hands and stood. Skye pulled away immediately and backed away shaking her head.
Fitz flipped the switch on his creation causing it to whir into motion but lose momentum as it approached the first inverted loop. The boy shook his head and disconnected the motor, grabbing a screwdriver and mumbling to himself. “You’ll really have no choice once dinner is served. Mom will expect all of us at the table.” He spoke without turning around or ceasing his tinkering.
“I not hun-gey.” Skye shook her head. She inched her way across the room and squeezed behind the large recliner, pulling herself into a tight ball.
“Fitz you are absolutely no help at all.” Jemma threw her arms up in despair and moved to coax her sister from her hiding place.
Trip had spent the better part of the late afternoon working on a school report and studying for an algebra exam. By the time he strolled into the playroom, in an effort to avoid the uncomfortable adult conversation in the kitchen, Jemma and Fitz had exhausted their efforts to extract their little sister from her temporary haven. They explained the situation to their brother and watched as he tried smooth talking Skye out from behind the large chair. Fifteen minutes later, he too gave up and simply sat on the floor letting out a long exasperated sigh.
The three children looked toward the door as their mother’s voice drifted up the hall and into the room announcing that supper was on the table. The ‘twins’ looked at Trip waiting for his reaction. The young boy shrugged his shoulders, palms up and pushed himself off the floor.
“I guess that’s our cue.” He turned and spoke to the recliner. “Come on, Skye, Momma says dinner is ready.” His request was met with a whine and a soft kick to the back of the seat. Trip shook his head.
Fitz stared at the empty chair. “I suppose you could just move it. Then she would have to come out.”
Trip nodded then shook his head. “Naw, she’d crawl off behind or under something else before I could snatch her and the screaming would not go over well. I think Mom’s gonna have to handle this one.”
“She’s not about to be happy about that.” Fitz sighed.
Before Jemma could add to the conversation, Melinda’s voice called again, this time a little more urgent.
Three children ambled into the kitchen after stopping in the powder room to quickly wash their hands. Phil smiled as he set a large dish on the table. Melinda turned from her task at the stove and Lian merely watched the silent interaction. The children smiled back and slowly slipped into their usual places at the table.
Melinda set a large plate of steaming vegetables on the table and looked from one face to the other already realizing she was one short. “Where’s Skye?” She asked trying very hard not to make eye contact with her mother.
Trip made a grand exercise of unfolding his napkin and spreading it across his lap. Jemma took a quick sip of her water. Fitz rolled his eyes and shook his head. “She’s taken up space behind Da’s recliner and has no plans to exit any time soon. Not that we haven’t had a go at it.”
Melinda sighed as she pushed the chair she was about to sit on, back into the table. “I apologize, Mother. Skye is a little shy.”
“And a lot stubborn, OUCH!” Fitz exclaimed at his brother’s under the table kick.
“I’ll get her. Please start without me.” Melinda nodded toward Phil who gave a quick nod in return as he sat in his usual spot.
Lian stood and Melinda held her breath, certain her mother would now critique her parenting skills and admonish the little girl’s actions.
“Please, Melinda, let me try.” Lian asked her daughter who stared for a moment before answering yes.
Fitz immediately stood to follow and observe his grandmother’s useless attempt to goad Skye into moving but was pushed back into his seat with one gentle shove from his mother. Phil shook his head and nodded toward the table. The boy let out a disgusted huff and glared at no one in particular.
Lian held up a hand stopping her daughter from following and the family watched as she walked down the hall and into the playroom.
“Think she’ll make any progress?” Phil queried.
“Not a bloomin’ chance,” Fitz shook his head.
“Mother has a lot of experience talking down suspects and she’s an expert hostage negotiator.” Melinda reminded her husband as she stared in disbelief down the short hallway.
xx
Lian walked into the room with no problem finding the large recliner. She let out a short breath and walked toward it then dropped down and crawled behind. Skye pulled herself farther into the small space and buried her head in her knees. She wrapped her arms tightly around her legs.
“Zhè shì yīgè fēicháng hǎo de kōngjiān, dànshì, tā fēicháng xiǎo.³” Lian spoke softly. The little girl did not respond. “Sometimes a little one needs a small space. The world can be very big and frightening at times.” Skye squirmed a bit but did not answer. Lian began humming a familiar tune, one that Melinda sang to her baby many nights as she fell asleep. Skye peeked with one eye.
Lian watched from the corner of her eye, careful not to move quickly or look directly at the little girl. “I would hide in my grandfather’s work chest. It smelled of pine and green tea. I felt safe there.” She hummed more of her song but Skye turned her head and stared, clearly digesting the comment. Lian smiled a thin smile. “My little girl would crawl under the sink and stay there for hours. At times she would eat her dinner and fall asleep there. I would have to carry her to her bed.”
“You haves a liddle gorel?” Skye asked softly, without raising her head.
“I did.” Lian answered, still looking straight ahead. “Melinda is grown now. She is a momma with her own children.”
“My momma is a-linda.” Skye’s head popped up. “You himmed hoer song. Hoer sings-a me that song in my bed.”
“It is an old song. My momma sang it to me as I slept and I sang to my Melinda when she was so little.” Lian remembered her tiny daughter long before she felt the girl needed to learn discipline and respect. She remembered just loving her baby, singing to her and holding her tiny form to her heart.
“I gots eyezes like-a momma. We the same.” Skye blinked several times at the woman next to her. “You haves eyezes lika-a momma, too. We the same, too?” The little girl asked, looking sideways at the woman.
Lian turned very slowly and looked at her youngest grandchild, the memory of her own tiny daughter flashed through her mind and she smiled a real smile. “I think that it might mean just that.” Skye smiled back.
The little girl pointed to the floor, tapping it with her fingertip. “This a my spot. It bees liddle. This,” she patted her palm on the back of the recliner, “bees daddy’s chayor. Him like-as it to sleep. Him snorgs louder.” Skye giggled.
Lian nodded. “I see.” She agreed.
“You momma’s mommy?” Skye narrowed her eyes but smiled as her grandmother nodded. “Where her daddy bees?” She inquired innocently.
Lian answered without missing a beat. “He is William. He lives far away on the other side of the country. He and I do not live together.”
Skye stared for a moment, trying to understand. “You no like-a him?”
“That is not something a small child should ask and surely does not need to know.” Lian answered calmly so as not to frighten the little girl.
“Suntines they no like-a me,” Skye sighed. “Then I go to Sagnes agin, but momma like-a me lotsa tines.” She nodded in agreement with herself.
“I cannot understand why anyone would not like you, Skye. I think I will like you very much, if you will let me.” Lian remained calm, waiting for the child to answer but her heart ached for a little girl who had such deep wounds for one so young.
Skye smiled again. “You like-a me, but I be with my momma and daddy. I no go with you no more. This my howz.” She patted the carpet gently.
“I promise I will honor your wishes, sunnu.” Lian agreed. “Everyone is waiting for us to join them for dinner. Do you think we could do that?”
“I helip momma make shockolate cake for zessert.” Skye smiled as she stood.
“We wouldn’t want to miss that would we?” Lian agreed as she pushed herself up and took the little girl’s outstretched hand.
The two walked into the kitchen to everyone’s surprise. Skye slipped her hand free and ran to Melinda wrapping both arms around her mother’s neck. “Momma, gamma no wanna you eat unner the sink, akay? We have cake, momma? Gamma like cake. We no miss at.” Skye shook her head rapidly as Melinda and Phil exchanged confused glances.
Fitz tried not to laugh with a mouthful of milk but could not hold back, splurting the liquid from his nose and mouth in his effort. Trip’s laughter was uncontrolled as Phil jumped up to aid his younger son with a handful of paper napkins. Jemma tried to remain composed but her tiny giggle joined her brothers as she covered her mouth with both hands.
Melinda tried to throw a warning glare at her brood but Skye’s little hands caught her cheeks. The little girl smiled into her mother’s face. “See momma, erryone bees happy. Erryone likes a gamma lady now.”
Lian looked across the table at her daughter, nodded her approval and gave a wide smile.
¹Please enjoy, grandmother
²Call me, grandma
³This is a very nice space, but it’s very small.