Chapter 17 – Given My Miranda Nights

I could see Grandpa and Bill scurrying up the walkway. I opened the door for them and they came in. Bill seemed very excited to find out that I had found something. He put on gloves and took the paper from me and put it in a plastic bag with air holes. He carefully examined it and read the words on the paper.

“So, you and Doug say this is a Compuserve email address and not a zip code. And you say the address itself is a code too, you think?”

“Yes, they use a dot instead of a hyphen for Compuserve, but the numbers are much the same. That means the words on the page are possible passwords.” Doug said. “I have a DSL line at the house now. I can test it if you would like.”

“Okay, Doug, let’s give it a try.”

We walked across the street and Doug booted up his Windows 98 machine and brought up Netscape. He downloaded the software for Compuserve and then used his dial up modem. He tried logging into the account several times and then found the password that worked. It was the street name.

“Okay Doug. Log off. I think they may need to get a warrant for this and I don’t know the correct procedure. I didn’t see you get in. Electronic email is not my forte and I want to make sure I do this right if it yields good fruit.”

“What do you think we will discover, Bill?” Grandpa sounded very curious.

“Well, there is a name of an individual plus the figure of $75,000 next to them. I suspect that is a mob contract of some sort. The last number is a bank routing number. It might be to a Swiss Bank account. In all likelihood, they were discussing a hit and this was the means of contact. That is why he probably stuffed the paper as the cops approached at the side of the table.”

“Can you use it legally given how long it took to be discovered?” asked Grandpa.

“Well, the chain of evidence isn’t the best. It would have been better if they picked it up when the men were picked up. But, Samantha’s quick thinking helps. And maybe we can turn it to our advantage. They think they got rid of it, which means we can eavesdrop with the proper warrant. It gives us probable cause too which is half of the battle.” Bill was happy.

“How about the name on the paper. Do you know the man it mentions?” Grandpa asked.

“Not a man. It is a lady as a matter of fact. She is the one of the federal prosecutors working out of Denver. We need to find out why she earned a hit. And a cheap one too at that. Unless that is the down payment of twenty per cent in which case, they want it done right.” Bill said thoughtfully. Still, he was clearly concerned.

He went on to mention who it was. “Her leg work on the Timothy McVeigh Oklahoma City bombing trial earned her justifiable entry into the big leagues. Her bosses noticed her exceptional skills and dedication to her work. She has gone on to prosecute drug lords, mobsters, and a range of federal offenses. She is really good at it too with a high conviction rate. She has the cutest daughter you have ever met too. She is four years old and would melt the heart of a jack frost himself. Her husband is a retired Green Beret warrant officer and a stay at home dad these days. I met the family at a law enforcement conference in Denver last May. We had dinner together and I learned a lot about federal law enforcement.”

“Then, you are talking about ‘J. Murphy’ being Jacqueline Murphy, aren’t you?” Grandpa seemed impressed. I wondered how he knew about her. So did Bill who nodded in agreement.

“One and the same. It totally fits with where they were meeting and who Jeremy Bolton is in the grand scheme of things. Jeremy is a legs man for the mob. A low level henchman and con-man whose job it is to run errands for the mob. He likes staying out of sight. I don’t know what organized criminal case they are working on right now, but they must need her out of the picture bad enough to order a hit. The question is, what case is she working on that has painted a target on her back?”

“Sir, I have a clue on the paper, if it helps. Or rather, not on the paper.” I said half hoping I was right.

Bill and Grandpa gave me an inquisitive look.

“Well, if what you say is true, that she worked hard and moved up the ranks quickly, then she must have displaced someone along the way. So, if she is the head prosecutor, then who would take over with her gone? And why isn’t their name on the paper too?”

“Good point!” said Bill. “How did you figure that one out?” He patted me on the back.

“Woman’s intuition.” I grinned and paused while they both gave me a weird look. “Okay, the truth is that and I have been binging on Nancy Drew lately. I find myself finding clues everywhere and even when they aren’t there.”

They laughed when I told them the truth. “Okay. Let’s assume you are right, Samantha. And I think you may well be. There is a mole on the federal prosecutor’s staff. The paper left by our criminal says send ‘Accident report to I.O. on Jackie M with repairs to include $75,000 for injuries suffered as well.’ We can assume that this was all code. The address they use is fake and the street name turns out to be a password for the zip plus four which is really a Compuserve number and grants access to an email account online. Does that sum it up?”

Doug, Grandpa, and I nodded yes.

“Then I need to get in touch with internal affairs for the Feds asap. And it just so happens I know the woman personally. We don’t make many friends as internal affairs, so we tend to get to know one another. Even those in different agencies. Let me go make a phone call. I will be right back.” Bill asked if he could use the phone. Doug said yes. He went into the kitchen. I heard a brief conversation. He came back in laughing.

“Do you understand the term ‘Chain of Evidence,’ Samantha?” Bill had a smirk on his face as he said this.

“No, but I guess it has something to do with where the evidence came from.”

“That works. In this case, the fact that the paper was in your control for the last week means that you have been the custodian of the paper. Now, you are transferring it to us. But, there could be a complication. You aren’t an official law enforcement agent. So, the paper could be ruled inadmissible in a court of law, darn it. Hint, hint. But, there is a way around that. Hint, hint.” Bill was being clever. But I wasn’t getting it.

“And what would that be?” Grandpa asked in a joking way. He knew Bill was up to something.

“Let her keep the paper and turn her into an informant. Is there a secure location you can keep the paper and lock it up?” Bill winked at Grandpa.

“I have a safe deposit box.” Dad said. He was getting the guy talk. I sure wasn’t.

“Perfect. That means that the paper won’t show up in an FBI lab and the results sent to the office in Denver to the federal prosecutors there. Hint, hint.” Bill chuckled.

I was baffled by the ‘hint, hint.’ Doug laughed and turned to me to explain. “What they are saying, Samantha, is that if he takes the paper and they examine it, procedure would cause the results to be transmitted to the mole in the prosecutors office. By turning you into an informant, they can avoid that happening. All they need to do is secure the paper in a location that can’t be touched and they can proceed with the investigation of the mole first and then accept the paper later. Now do you get the hint, hint.”

Bill said, “What, did someone say something?” He pretended to look elsewhere as he ignored what Doug said.

“Oh, I get it now. But, if I am the informant, whom do I inform?” I inquired.

“Up for a little traveling young lady?” Bill beamed. “You are catching the evening flight to DC. You will inform my internal affairs contact with the U.S. Marshalls of your information. And then you head back home. So, are you and your grandfather up for a quick tour of Washington at government expense?”

And so, later that day, we were on a plane to Baltimore and Grandpa was my escort. I raised the armrest as was my custom and snuggled up against him and slept during the flight. We arrived and were met by this well dressed woman in a pant suit. She was about five ten and in her fifties. She had long grey hair and sported wire rim glasses that matched her grey hair. She had a warm face, but the wrinkles revealed a face that had dealt with worry and stress. Her smile was pleasant and warming.

“Hello, Robert Miller is it?” She said.

“Yes Ma’am.” I marveled at how military my Grandpa sounded on the job.

“I’m Tina Campbell. I am in the internal affairs division of the U.S. Marshall's office. Can you and Samantha come with me after you collect your luggage?” She had a gentle but firm air about her. Hardly what I had expected. I thought it would be a gruff person who greeted us.

“We only have carry on luggage. We can come with you now.” Grandpa said proudly. He liked traveling light.

“Fantastic.” Tina sounded impressed.

We went to her rather ordinary car and she drove us to a non-descript diner that was open 24 hours. We got a table away from others and I unfolded the information about the paper and its contents. She smiled and wrote down all the information that I had to give.

“I have everything I need, but how did you ever suspect it was a Compuserve account?”

“That was easy. Doug, my unofficial brother, had a Windows 95 computer set up with Compuserve before his parents acquired a DSL line for their research project. We used to laugh that the account number bore a striking resemblance to the zip plus four format of the postal service. We thought it would be easy to hide the account information through the use of a phony address.”

“And so?”

“That and the address was for Illinois, but the zip was for Texas.”

“Well, that would do it, wouldn’t it? I hadn't noticed.” She smiled at the obvious thing she missed.

Afterwards, she took us to our hotel in the city. We had an open jaw connection, which meant that we were going out of National instead of Baltimore. It meant we could enjoy a day in the city and then head home.

“Grandpa, didn’t you say you were stationed here for a year?”

“Yes, a requirement of the State Department is that you spend a hitch at home about every twelve years or so.”

“Neat Grandpa. What do you think we should do tomorrow?”

“Quick trip through the Smithsonian and around the capital. Then hop the metro and go home.”

We slept well and had a good breakfast. We made arrangements to keep our luggage at the hotel until we left on the Metro. We saw as much as we could. From the White House to the Mall. I loved seeing Abraham Lincoln. But the most moving memorial was the Vietnam memorial wall and the three soldiers.

Grandpa walked up and touched the wall. He just stared at it and started to cry. “I knew them Samantha. They were in my basic training class. They got caught in the Tet Offensive. We lost over fifty-eight thousand men and women in Nam. That damn war tore this country apart.”

I looked around at the Three Soldiers. “Grandpa, why didn’t you serve?”

“I got out about the time it was getting serious. I went to work for the Parks Department. I had a small family and they wanted to see me everyday.”

“Do you regret not going?”

“Sometimes. Sometimes I just count myself lucky. I was at the tail end of Korea and the start of Nam. And I dodged serving in either place. There is something called survivor’s guilt. I sometimes feel it. But, I found talking with your grandmother helped. And, getting to know Roderick, I have been able to learn from him how not to feel guilty. Notice how he valued your service.”

“Well, I am glad you are here. Because without you, I wouldn’t appreciate any of their names and their sacrifice.”

“Thanks, Samantha. That means a lot to me. I love you.”

“I love you too.” As we walked away, I turned and saw many men and women standing at the wall. Each one had a story about someone they loved. Looking at the names one last time, I hoped their sacrifices will never be forgotten.

On the flight home, I snuggled up against Grandpa again. I noticed he held me tighter than the flight out. I woke up and we were picked up by Bill.

“I heard good things about you Samantha. Tina really liked you. Thought you were a very mature young lady.”

“Thanks Bill. Do you think Tina will be able to protect the prosecutor?”

“We will see. She is flying out to Denver to talk to Ms. Murphy personally. It will depend on what Murphy wants to do.”

Waking up the next morning was almost impossible. But, Dad drove me to school to let me sleep longer. Mom was already there. The day went well and Choir was a lot of fun. Instead of us getting our normal song of the week, we began to work together for the competition in five weeks or so.

Mr. Thompson announced, “Okay class, time to go over the rules. There are thirty schools coming to the competition. They are each being allowed two songs to do as a choir and one solo. Then, the judges will eliminate all but ten schools. Those ten will compete based on a twenty minute program. There has to be one solo with choir backing them up. One foreign language song. One medieval song and one modern. And all of that to take place in about 10 to 12 minutes. That means they can audition four choirs an hour and finish all thirty in less than eight hours. So, auditions will start at 8:30 am all the way through to 8:00 pm.”

Mr. Thompson looked around the room. “We have to make our best impression out of the gate. The ten will then compete over the next two days. We will have a better chance to compete if we get there and use our other talents. Two solos at least. Male and female. Five songs. One Broadway tune and One Medieval. The rest is up to us. The only hitch is that we just can’t use the same song the same way twice.”

Grace asked. “About the foreign song, is that going to be a solo with Jackie?” She sounded disappointed. I was scared stiff. A lot would be riding on me.

“Yes, Grace.” That is why I chose ‘Chanter.’ It is three minutes and thirty seconds. But, as I said, we can only use the solo once. In the second part of the competition, another girl will get a chance to sing. But, I fully intend to use Jackie’s talents to get us into the second round. I want to use her for her solo, then as a guitar player for our modern song, ‘Here comes the sun,’ by the Beatles, and at the piano for ‘Coventry Carol.’ So, we can use Elysa with ‘Coventry Carol’ during the second round. What do you all think?”

The general agreement was that it would work. I was, of course, feeling the pressure to perform. Each of the songs relied heavily on me. But, at the same time, the second round didn’t. It would be able to take advantage of the range of talents of everyone else. I understood what Mr. Thompson was doing. My grandfather had explained to me the concept of shock and awe from the military. Mr. Thompson was merely stacking the deck at the first round and implying that we had more talent than just myself, which we do.

And so, I found myself in the presence of Mrs. Cox during choir who would work on my French skills with ‘Chanter’ twice a week. In a moment of inspiration, Mr. Thompson used a rule to help me. I could have music in front of me for my solo if someone turned the pages. So, he had Dean do it with me. That way I could sing to him and ignore the crowd.

After I finished my homework that afternoon, Bill showed up and collected me. He needed my help. They had found a girl who had been being abused by her family. He didn’t go into the details, but, they wanted to make her feel at home. She was about eight years old and in third grade. Child protective services was overwhelmed and couldn’t get there until six. They needed her to have a friend until they arrived. Her name was Arlene. She looked exhausted and unkempt with deep circles under her eyes.

“Hi Arlene, can I get you something to eat?”

“Who are you?” Arlene shot me an angry look. She sounded defensive.

“My name is Samantha. I help like helping Officer O’Brien. I am her niece. I heard you were in here all alone waiting for someone to show up to take you to foster care. And I thought I would see if you wanted something.”

“Is that where they are going to take me? I don’t want to go. I want to go home.” She began to cry.

I sat down next to her and patiently waited.

“What are you looking at?” She was clearly defensive.

“You, obviously. Well, would you like something to eat or drink?”

“All right! Bring me a gallon of ice cream.”

“Melted or still frozen?” I said. She laughed.

“Aren’t you supposed to ask me what flavor?”

“I would, but this is a police station. Have you ever tried to get a gallon of ice cream through the security checks they have here? They have to check it for a file in case you want to escape. Then they got to taste test it to make sure I am not going to hurt you. A squad of cops can take a toll on how much ice cream is left. And by the time you get permission to bring it to someone … well, I don’t want to tell you, but it isn’t pretty.”

“Doesn’t seem to give you much choice. So, what could you possibly bring me then?”

“They have this awesome vending machine here. It has healthy things like candy bars, potato chips covered in fake cheese, awful cookies that claim they were made by your grandmother, but were really made by drunken elves. And all sorts of gum.” She began giggling.

“If you think so highly of this place, why do you come here?” Arlene relaxed a little.

“Good question.” I looked both ways and then whispered, “Its food is way better than my school.” She howled at my comment.

“Can you get me some milk and cookies?”

“Sure. Did you want it stale or just recently out of date?”

“Stale would be fine.” she chuckled.

“I will be right back.” I went out and Bill helped me get some milk and cookies. I took them into her.

“Hi Samantha. Thank you for the cookies and milk.”

“Would you like something to read or do while you wait?”

“Maybe someone to talk to would be nice? Do you mind?”

“Of course not.”

“How old are you?”

“I am twelve. I am in 7th grade.”

“That’s nice. Is your school food really that bad?”

“Not really. I enjoy it. Which is kind of surprising. I can cook. You would think I would make my own lunches. But, my Mom teaches at my school and we have to leave early. I am in choir, so I have to spend the morning doing warm ups so I can train my voice. That means I can’t make my own lunch.”

“Do you have sisters?”

“An older sister. I have a cousin who is seven. She is coming out for spring break in a few weeks. I like doing make up with her and we want to dress up. That will be nice.”

“Aren’t you curious about me?” She was feeling sorry for herself again.

“Yes, but I can’t ask you any questions about your family. It is the rules.” She didn’t like what I had to say.

“Then why are you here?” she grew defensive.

“Because you need a friend. And it is scary being in here alone. I volunteer to be a friend to someone so they can relax. I mean, this room isn’t the nicest. They just want you to know they care while they wait for someone is authorized to take care of you. So they let me stay with you if you want.”

“You mean I could ask you to leave?” Part of her, I could tell, didn’t like to be trapped.

“Yes, you can.”

“Then leave.” I could tell her anger wasn’t directed at me, but at the room.

“Okay.” I got up to leave.

“No, stay. Sorry. I just wanted to see if it was true.” I could tell she was under stress.

“I understand.” I sat back down.

For the next few hours, we just chatted about different stuff. By the time the child protective services agent showed up with council, Arlene was so relaxed, they were able to get a treasure trove of material from her.

Dad stopped by to pick me up. “Samantha, Bill says you did a great job with that girl. I am proud of you. You stuck to the rules he said.”

As we walked out, I looked up at him. He was deep in thought. I wondered what was on his mind. I sweetly asked, “Can we get some ice cream Daddy?”

“Sure, Princess.” I loved his answer. But, his mind was still on something. I took his hand. And we strolled out to the car. He must have been in real deep thought because we drove past the ice cream shop. When we got home, mom greeted us. “I put your dinner in the oven. How did it go?”

“She was fantastic according to Bill. They said she had her feeling at ease in no time which made their job easier once the CPS agent and legal council showed up.”

“Have you told Samantha the news yet?”

“No, I was going to let your Dad.”

“What news Dad?”

“Oh, we are getting house guests. Seems you are popular.”

I was a bit confused. Dad and I sat down at the dinner table. Grandpa came in to join us.

“Have you told her yet?” Grandpa was apprehensive.

“No, we thought we would let you do that.” Dad said.

I just looked at both of them with my lips pursed and nose scrunched. I think they knew I was annoyed.

“Okay, okay. I get the message. You know that information you passed on to Tina. It looks like they are taking it seriously. So, after they talked to Ms. Murphy, it was decided to get her husband and daughter out of town for at least two weeks while they gave her protection. I don’t know what they found on Compuserve, but it confirmed their worse suspicions. So, they are setting a trap for the mole and the hit man. Oh, they are only supposed to hurt her, not kill her if possible. Make it look like an accident.”

“That sounds great. But what does that mean for us?”

“The husband and daughter are going to stay with you. How are you going to handle it Paul?” Grandpa said.

“I guess I can put up Samantha with Jane again. They seemed to enjoy it. We can give Samantha’s room to Miranda and Robert’s to Duke.” Mom offered as she sat down at the table with us.

“I could take in Jane. We have been wanting to see more of her. That way, no one has to share a room.” Grandpa said.

“Well, in that case, we could let Miranda stay in Jane’s room. That would make it easier because our room is across the way and we can watch Miranda too.” Mom added.

Dad grimaced. “I am okay with these plans, but we have your brother coming, Pamela. We were going to give them Robert’s room and let Samantha and Jane stay with my folks. I have been trying to think about how to make this work.”

“Why are we doing this again?” Mom asked. “I feel like we are running a hotel.”

“Because, they don’t want to use a hotel where they can be traced to by the mob. They can’t use family. And they need someone who can look after Miranda if it is needed. And Samantha will love taking care of Miranda.”

I beamed, “Yes Sir. I would love to take care of Miranda.” It looked like I would have a little sister.

The arrangements having been made, we had a knock on the door the next day after school. It was Tina with a man and a little girl. “Hi Ms. Tina, Mr. Murphy, and this must be Miranda!” I squatted down in front of this little shy girl who was hanging on to her Daddy’s leg. I put out my hand to shake.

“Hi Miranda. My name is Samantha. Can we be friends?”

Miranda smiled at me and after a moment held out her doll. “This is Francesca. She is my dolly.”

“Nice to meet you Francesca. You sure are pretty. Just like Miranda.” I shook her doll’s hand and then gave it a kiss on the cheek.

Miranda melted. I got up and Miranda offered me her hand. “I like you. You are pretty too.”

Mom came to the door. “Come on in. Let’s get you settled. Is there anything you need to do right away? Oh, I am sorry. My name is Pamela. This is my husband Paul. And you have already met Samantha.”

“No, but thank you Pamela. Thank you for taking us in on such short notice. Please, my name in Donovan. We couldn’t use any federal connections to find a safe place to stay. When Tina here had a solution, we hoped you would say yes. It is very kind of you to take us in on such short notice.”

Dad piped up, “Why don’t you give me the key to your trunk Tina, and Robert and I can bring in their luggage while you all get acquainted.”

“Oh, I can let you do that.” Mr. Murphy protested.

“We know you can do it. And based on what we hear, you could kick our butt too. But, your little girl is the only concern you should have right now. We have got your six.” Grandpa said.

Miranda looked up at her dad and my heart melted. She dearly loved him and it showed. If he left the room, she would clearly panic. Grandpa was right.

“Miranda, while the adults get settled in, can we have a tea party with you and Francesca? My friend Mary is here and she has the table ready.” Miranda looked up at her dad. He nodded yes and had a big smile on his face.

She shuffled over to our table. “This is real tea! And what are these?”

“These are called scones. And these are tea sandwiches. And these are tea biscuits. And this is my best friend, Mary. We are going to have high tea just like they do in England.”

“It is nice to meet you Mary. I never have had real tea before. Thank you.”

We put up Francesca in her own chair. We sat down and taught Miranda how to drink tea. She discovered that she liked it with a little milk and sugar. She loved the scones with butter and jam. And she adored the tea biscuits. We were having such a good time, we didn’t notice that the adults had gotten everyone settled in. Her dad came over and sat down with us.

“Well, Princess, have you been having a good time?” Mr. Murphy’s voice was tender and kind.

“Oh yes, Daddy, but this table is for girls only. We are having high tea.”

Trying not to laugh, Mr. Murphy feigned looking sad, “Does that mean I have to go?” He hung his head low and pretended to be sad.

Mary was having fun with this. “Oh yes, you will have to go. Unless? Here, I have an idea, Miranda.” Mary took the big brimmed hat with flowers on it off her head and put it on Mr. Murphy and took off her pink pastel scarf and put it around his neck. “See, Miranda, we made him a girl for the rest of the high tea.”

Miranda giggled, “You look pretty, Daddy!” He chuckled and began to drink his tea with his pinky stuck out.

“Thank you Samantha and Mary for going out and getting the scones and having a tea party for Miranda. They are good.” Mr. Murphy said in a falsetto voice.

“You’re welcome, but I cooked the scones myself. I even made the strawberry jam.” I said. “Mary did the sandwiches and the tea biscuits.”

Mr. Murphy nodded his head as he took a bite of his scone. He was clearly discovering our talents.

A little while later, he looked up at our wall clock. “Okay, Miranda, I have to be Daddy again. It is time for your nap. Say thank you to the nice ladies.”

“Daddy, no! I don’t want to take a nap. I am grown up just like Mary and Samantha. Please, Daddy, don’t!” She pouted and stomped her foot. She threw the most adorable tantrum.

“Yes Miranda, you know how tired you get and grumpy too.” He took off his hat and scarf and gave it back to Mary. He lovingly picked up Miranda and took her and Francesca upstairs quietly absorbing all her protests responding to each one with a kiss on her cheek.

Grandpa came around the corner. “Thank you Mary. You and Samantha sure made Miranda feel at home.”

“It was nothing. I have always wanted to have a real tea party instead of the imaginary ones I had when I was Miranda’s age.” Mary said. “It was a lot of fun.”

Doug came in. “Can you stay for dinner, Mary?”

“Oh no, I have to finish my homework.”

“We can do it all together. After all, Doug gave up time with you.” I said. I knew that Doug loved spending time with her.

“Oh, okay.” We sat down and did our homework. It was wonderful. We talked about our classes. Doug helped us understand a few concepts in math that we were having trouble with. His patience is so awesome. He takes his time to let us get it and we don’t feel as if he is judging us. At the end of the homework session, he and Mary were holding hands.

“Come on you two love birds, time for dinner.” They both turned red.

Mr. Murphy came down with Miranda. She was clearly better rested. Mom brought out my old booster seat and let Miranda sit on it next to her dad and to me. I was very happy.

After dinner, Mary was very stern. “Earth to Samantha, you still got to practice for the competition.” I put the doll I had borrowed for playing with Miranda down.

“Yes. You are right. Miranda, I have to practice for choir. Can I play you the guitar tonight?”

“Sure. I went upstairs and grabbed my guitar. I came back down and set up next to her and Mary, who had picked up my doll and was now playing with Miranda.

I played ‘Here comes the sun.” We started to sing it too. Miranda never heard it before. I pretended she was the little darling and so did Mary who would point at her and she would giggle.

Doug’s parents came to the rescue with an offer we couldn’t refuse. Jane was going to stay across the street in one of their spare rooms. This would allow us to have everyone visit for the next week without having to resort to a hotel. My aunt and uncle would stay with my grandparents along with Tristan. Evelyn would stay with me in my room. She had been told to stay quiet about my being really a boy. It was going to be a nice two weeks if Miranda would be her for that long.

After a long day at school, going for a walk with Grandpa, doing homework, practicing for the choir competition, and babysitting Alice, Brian, and Carol, I finally had some alone time with Miranda. I was babysitting her so her Dad and my parents could go out and enjoy a little adult time. I was in heaven.

First, we played a little house in the living room. We took care of our babies and chatted about our rough days at work. Then we pretend cooked dinner and had to put our babies to bed. It was a sweet time. Then, I made dinner for the two of us for real. Miranda was very impressed that I knew how to cook and she really enjoyed the grilled cheese sandwich I cooked for her. I was a bit disappointed that is all she wanted, but what could I expect from a four year old.

Then I drew a bubble bath for her. She giggled and played in the bath. She got out and I helped dry her off and get her dressed for bed.

“Samantha, I miss my Mommy. I wish I could talk to her.”

“I know. But, they say we aren’t supposed to call until the bad men are caught. They don’t want them to know where you are right now. But, I know she misses you too.”

After helping her get her nightshirt on, she hugged me. “I wish you could come home with me.”

“I like spending time with you too. Come on, let’s get those teeth brushed and then I can brush your hair.”

She brushed her teeth and then we sat down where I could brush her hair. “Why do they want to hurt my Mommy?”

“I wish I could tell you. But, your Mommy is very special and I know she will make them pay. I love your hair Miranda. It is so pretty. Would you like to do something special with it? Like braid it?”

“Oh yes, would you? Mommy keeps saying she will, but she comes home tired. Mommy works too hard.”

I combed out her beautiful blonde hair, grabbed my spray bottle with water, and began to French braid her hair. “Did you learn to braid hair from your Mom?” she asked.

“No, I learned to do it in my Shakespeare class. The girls would do it to each other so our hair wouldn’t get in the way while we were acting. I found I got rather good at it. I don’t get much chance to do it these days. But, I like doing it. There, you are done. I put on the elastic at the end of the braid. Tell me what you think?” I held up a mirror and she was thrilled.

“Oh thank you! Do you think you could teach my Dad.”

“Sure, I would love to. I think he would enjoy doing it. Time for bed. You use the potty first. I have got a special story for you. It is one of my favorites. Pippi Longstocking.”

After washing her hands, I tucked her into bed, pulled up a chair, and began to read to her. She soon yawned and fell asleep to my reading. I closed the book and just sat there and watched her sleep peacefully. She was so sweet and pretty with her hazel eyes and long blonde hair. I didn’t even hear that her dad had come back. I heard his soft voice, “That was kind of you Samantha, thank you.”

I turned to the voice at the door and smiled. “Thank you. I enjoyed every moment of it. Miranda is a sweet girl. I really like her. But she sure misses her mom.” I got up, put the book down, and walked to the door.

“So do I. I can’t wait until this whole thing is over. I hear from Tina that you were the one who found out that someone was trying to harm her. We can’t thank you enough.”

I looked back at her sleeping peacefully. “I am really glad I was able to help. She really loves you. Miranda wants me to teach you how to French braid her hair.”

“I’d like to learn that.”

“Tomorrow, Sir. Right now, I am going off to the land of Nod myself.”

There was something about caring for this young girl that was better than I can explain. I never felt more like a girl until now. And I don’t know why. I curled up in bed and slept like an angel. I woke the next morning early. I had to be careful now that I was sharing a bathroom. I took a quick shower, quickly washed my hair, and put on my government issued appliance. I dried out my hair and went into my room and got dressed. The early spring weather was here it would be alternating between warm and cold. Today was going to be on the warm side, so I found myself trying to decided what to wear. Show I go with a skirt or jeans. I decided on jeans since I would be playing with the triplets and Miranda.

But, what for the top? I picked out that nice silk peach blouse I wore at my uncles and put on a black vest. I picked out a cotton elastic choker and attached my silver heart to it. I also put on a little perfume. I had no idea why, but I wanted to smell pretty. I put on some light pale blue ear rings that set off nicely my blouse and and some blue plastic bracelets. Then I tied my hair back into a high pony tail. The choice for my nails was hard. I finally went with nude. I just couldn’t find a color a I liked with the blouse. I would have to visit the store to find something that would.

I went downstairs and cooked breakfast. People started coming down. Mom and Dad were enjoying the eggs and sausage I had cooked when Mr. Murphy came in and found me at the stove cooking some more eggs. I handed him a plate of eggs and sausage.

“Oh, Samantha, you don’t have to do this. I am capable of fending for myself.”

“I know Mr. Murphy, but I like to cook.”

“He sat down and was talking with my parents. I plated my eggs and sausage and put on an apron and cleaned the pan and the tools I cooked with. I put away the jar of drippings under the sink. I put up everything to dry and went to sit down with everyone at the breakfast table.

“Samantha, you are a dream. You cook and clean up after yourself. That is a nice work ethic.”

“Thank you again, Mr. Murphy. I enjoy it. It relaxes me. And, Mrs. Smith really enjoys it when I babysit. It is really hard to manage triplets. I don’t envy her.” I was hungry and ate the small amount of eggs and sausage quickly. I liked to eat lady like portions in the morning.

“Honey, Grandma is coming over with Grandpa this morning to drive you to school. He wants to do your walk today after school. And I thought you might like to use the time this morning to help our guests.”

“That is a wonderful idea Mom.” Before they could say anything, I jumped up, put my dishes in the sink, and rushed upstairs to wake up Miranda.

She looked like a sweet angel. “Miranda, time to wake up sleepy head.”

She looked up at me and smiled. “You look nice today Samantha.”

“Thank you. You look pretty too. Come on. The bathroom is free. You need to get it there and use it. What would you like for breakfast?”

“I would like pancakes.”

“Deal, you go use the bathroom and I will cook you up a batch. By the time you get down stairs, they will be ready.”

After leading her to the bathroom, I rushed downstairs and grabbed the Bisquick box to make up some batter. Ten minutes later, I had a short stack for Miranda. She came wandering in her night shirt.

“Daddy!” She rushed up to him while he was talking to my Dad. My Mom had already left.

“Pumpkin! Did you have a good night’s sleep?” She nodded yes and snuggled with him.

I brought over the short stack of pancakes and put them in front of her with a glass of milk. “Here is the butter and syrup. Did you want your Daddy to cut it up for you.” She looked up at him. He already had grabbed the knife and fork. “Thank you again Samantha. You are spoiling us.” he said.

“That’s the idea.” I trotted off to get my backpack together and be ready for when Grandma arrived. Dad was going in at ten during the week to give extra time to Mr. Murphy. It was a slow week for him anyway. They always arranged for little to do in March and April because spring storms usually disrupted the work flow anyway he said.

I came back into the kitchen. I had an idea. “Miranda, would you like me to make you a couple of Easter dresses? We could do them together and then you can tell your Mommy all about them when you get back.”

“Oh, could we! Yes, I would love that.”

Grandma came in the side door and we scurried out for school. “Grandma, could you swing by the fabric store and find a few Simplicity patterns for Miranda and some fabric. I would like to make her a couple of Easter style dresses. That way we have something to for the next few nights. It will make it fun for her to learn, don’t you think?”

“I would enjoy that. I know you sew, but I have never seen you do it. Mind if I help too.”

“No, I would love it.” I hugged her and ran off to my first class.

At home, later that day, I found Grandma talking to Jane.

“It’s okay, Jane. We will help out. We admire you for working as a waitress and going to community college. But, would you rather get an inheritance from us to pay off your student debt or let us pay now and get to spend more time with you?”

My sister bowed to her logic. “I would love to see more of you. Since I graduated from school, I haven’t had any time for family. And I live here. Thank you Grandma.”

“Good, then don’t worry about losing your job. We will work it out. Just go to class and leave the driving to us.”

“Jane, does this mean I will see more of you?” I beamed and couldn’t hide my joy.

“Yes, Pipsqueak, it does.” I went up and hugged her.

“Squeak, squeak.”

“What is that for?” She was curious about my squeaking.

“Well, if you are going to call me Pipsqueak, then I need to give you a squeak or two. It means I love you.” She giggled and gave me a big hug. I was very happy. I hadn’t really enjoyed having Jane around since she graduated from high school.

“I love you too.”

I found Grandma had gotten me three lovely outfits. Better still, she and Mr. Murphy had gone to the store together with Miranda and let her help chose all three including the fabric. The process of making them for the next two weeks would keep us busy.

I went into the kitchen and made a meatloaf. It didn’t take long. I left it in the fridge for Mom to put on later. Mr. Murphy came downstairs with Miranda who had just gotten up from her nap. After I finished my chores, I said, “Miranda, would you like to come with me to babysit the triplets? Don’t worry Mr. Murphy, they are just next door.”

“Oh, yes! Please, can I Daddy.” Miranda was loving being with me. I could tell.

Jane said, “Mind if I join you, Pipsqueak?” I love my sister’s nickname for me. I smile every time she says it.

“Sure, Sis. I would love it.”

I picked up Miranda and we all walked next door. Mrs. Smith was thrilled to have all three of us. Brian was just driving her nuts. He was already walking at ten months. Next month, they were going to be a year old. Jane took Alice and I took Carol. Miranda loved running with Brian and keeping him out of trouble.

“Oh, bless you all. I can go take a nap now. Do you need anything?” Mrs. Smith said.

“No, Mrs. Smith. When do you want us to feed them?”

“About five-thirty. Their food is in the fridge as usual. I have set my alarm.”

We formed a circle in their living room. Letting each of the girls balance themselves and try to talk to us. They were already learning to speak. The girls could say ‘Sam’ and ‘Moma’ and ‘Dada’ now. Brian could walk and squeal, but couldn’t talk. Miranda liked shepherding him.

“Samantha, I like babies. But they are a lot of work.” Miranda said.

“Yes they are. But I love them. They are worth it.” I nuzzled with Carol and blew raspberries on her tummy as I changed her.

“Do you want to be a Mommy too?” she asked me?

“That would be nice.” I said somewhat dreamily as I finished changing Carol.

“I don’t know if I can carry one in my tummy. I am afraid I might eat them instead.” Miranda said with a little concern in her voice.

“I don’t think it works that way, Miranda. Your Mommy and my Mommy carried us in their tummies until we came out. And they didn’t eat us.” I said calmly.

“Do you want to carry a baby in your tummy, Samantha?” She asked innocently.

“Sadly, Miranda, I can’t carry a baby in my tummy. The doctors can’t fix me. I would have to adopt.” I pouted. Jane smiled and bit her lip.

“I’m sorry to hear that, Samantha. It must make you very sad.” Miranda began to get tears in her eyes.

Before I could say anything to make her feel better, Jane said, “It is okay Miranda, I can give her something from my body and then let another girl can carry a baby for Samantha so she can have babies that are her own flesh and blood so she can be a mommy too. She will have a family of her own. I promise.”

“Really! You would do that for your sister?” said Miranda. She cheered up.

I looked at my sister with astonishment. She looked at me, smiled, and gave me a nod and then looked back to Miranda. “Don’t worry, Miranda, just know that if my sister ever wants to be a Mommy, I will help her out because that is what sisters do.” She came over with Alice and gave me a hug and whispered in my ear, “And I mean it too, Pipsqueak. If something were to ever happen to you where you couldn’t have kids of your own, I would do whatever I could to make it possible for you to have kids of your own. I think Robert would do it too. Your family loves you. We see how much you love children and how good you are to them.”

As I held Carol, I reached around and hugged Jane back. I couldn’t say a word. I couldn’t even say, ‘Squeak, squeak.’ I just burrowed my head into her side where Miranda couldn’t see me and quietly sobbed.

She held onto me tenderly gently stroking my head and let me cry. She kissed my head and said, “You are such a softy, Pipsqueak. That is one of the many things I love about you.”

Until five-thirty, we played. And then we set up the triplets in the kitchen and each of us let them eat. They were getting good at using spoons and sippy cups. It was fun. Mrs. Smith came into the kitchen and found we had cleaned up and the babies had been fed and changed. She said thank you and we headed back to the house to have meatloaf for dinner.

The next night was a bit scary. Spring storms in Tennessee often are. The sirens went off about eleven. I went in and picked up Miranda. Her father came into the room. I said, “We need to get downstairs to bathroom. It is our safe room.” I carried Miranda down there. Mom and Dad joined us with a radio. We listened to the news. There was news of rotation nearby our location.

“What does rotation mean?” Mr. Murphy asked.

“It means either a tornado has touched down or could touch down.”

About twenty minutes later, the storm passed us by.

“Daddy, I am scared. Can Samantha stay with me tonight?”

“Miranda, she has school in the morning.” He was trying to give me a way out. I didn’t want it.

“It’s okay Mr. Murphy, I would love to stay with her.” I pulled out from the bottom of Jane’s bed, her trundle bed and grabbed a pillow from my room. So, she and I weren’t technically in the same bed. That seemed to satisfy Mr. Murphy who said he was okay with it now.

“Samantha. I want to have a sister. I want her to be just like you.”

“Miranda, if I had a four year old sister, I would want her to be just like you.”

“Goodnight, Samantha.”

“Goodnight, Miranda.”

I woke up at six to Mom sitting on the side of my bed. “Sleep well honey?” She caressed my leg and patted it.

“Yes, Mommy. I did.” I looked over and saw Miranda sleeping peacefully. “It is like I have a little sister. And I love that.”

Mom and I quietly put the trundle back and crept out of the room.

We quietly cooked some waffles together. I put on the coffee maker. I also made up some orange juice.

“Samantha, thank you for making Miranda and Donovan feel so welcome. You are a wonderful hostess. It seems like every time someone imposes on you, you don’t even care. You just embrace what ever you are called on to do. And you do it with such grace, tenderness, and kindness.” Mom hugged me and kissed me on the head.

Mr. Murphy came in carrying Miranda who was rubbing her eyes and waking up. “Good morning sleepyhead” I said.

Mr. Murphy put Miranda down and she came over and took a hold of my leg. “Would you like some waffles this morning?” She nodded yes. I plated some and then reached down and picked her up. Her legs were wrapped around my body as I held her with one arm. I took my free hand and picked up her dish and carried her to the breakfast table where I put down the plate first and then put her on the chair in front of it. “Would you like milk and orange juice too?”

“Yes, please.”

I brought her milk and orange juice. I then cut up her waffle so she could eat it. Mr. Murphy just stood there with a smile on his face and watched me as I took care of her every need. I then grabbed a brush I had downstairs and brushed out her hair while she ate. Next, I braided it and put a red bow on where I had put the elastic.

“That is so pretty Samantha, thank you.” he said. Mom looked on approvingly.

“Come here Samantha, please, and bring the brush.” Mom brushed out my hair, squirted it with water, and then French braided it just like I had done for Miranda. Mr. Murphy brought over a rubber band and a blue bow I had a the table too.

“See, Miranda, now you two look like sisters.” Mom said. I picked up a mirror I had downstairs and we took a look at each others hair. Miranda was happy.

Dad came wandering in. Mr. Murphy turned to him and said, “We are lucky men, Paul. There is nothing more special than pretty daughters, is there?”

There is nothing that makes a girl feel prettier than when the know their dads love their little girls. I felt on cloud nine. It was a great start to what would be a wonderful day.

With Jane home early from school, I was able to ask Mrs. Smith to bring over the triplets to our place. While Jane and Grandma helped watch them, Miranda and I began work on her dresses. Grandma and Jane were enjoying watching me and the triplets. It was a girl gab fest.

The first outfit we did was really just a skirt with appliques just above the hemline not unlike a poodle skirt. It was very simple to make. Rather than poodles, I did cute little kittens playing around the skirt. It hardly took any time at all to do it. It had a nice elastic waste and was a perfect fit for Miranda. She put it on over her little jeans. It looked adorable on her.

The next dress was a little more complicated. It was a romper with buttons on the bodice at the shoulders. I carefully measured it out and had it done in about the same time as the skirt since it didn’t have the time consuming appliques. Miranda was so excited, she threw off her clothes, except for her panties and put on the dress. She twirled and looked at herself in the mirror. She loved it.

The last one was a bit more complicated. I would have to really work on this one. It was a complex dress red dress with a flower print with white lace on the front. It had nice shoulders with lace trim and was adorable. It took me about an hour an a half to get it right. But finally, I was done with all three outfits. Mrs. Smith came to pick up her babies and was intrigued to see the fashion show that unfolded.

After the grand reveal to the dad in which Miranda modeled all the outfits, Mr. Murphy said, “Samantha, I can’t believe you did this all so quickly. They are gorgeous!” Mr. Murphy was clearly delighted.

“I wish I could send pictures to my wife of how pretty she looks in them.” I swear, he was about to cry.

Miranda was thrilled to have her Dad’s approval and gushed all over him as he admired her in each outfit.

Mrs. Smith came up to me. “I remember what you did for my babies. And now I get to see someone else experience the same joy. You really ought to do something for yourself, Samantha.”

As I helped her get her babies back home, she made me an offer. “Samantha, if you want, I would love to sit down with you and go over what I see in catalogs that I think would look really good on you? Would you mind my help? I want to do something for just you.”

“No, actually, I would love it. I have been wanting to find my own style. But, as much as I help other people, I just don’t know what looks good on me. I really don’t know a lot about fashion. Still, I have admired how tastefully you have dressed since I met you. I am not promising anything, but it would be fun just to learn about it from someone whose taste I admire.”

I said my goodbyes and skipped back home. I read Miranda another chapter from ‘Pippi Longstocking’ as her dad and Jane listened. “Thank you again Samantha. You have a magic touch with my Miranda. She loves you very much. I wished you lived in Denver. We would have you babysit her in a heart beat.”

“The feeling is mutual. I am really enjoying having her here. She is a sweet girl. It is like I have a little sister. And yes, I would love to babysit her.”

The next day was getting caught up day. Our skating instructor wanted to work with Dean alone this week. He needed to get his foot work down before we could seriously start ice dancing. Apparently, I was a bit of a distraction. Most partners don’t have romantic feelings for each other and, well, we did. She wanted his eyes off of me. I felt cheated. I loved the way Dean was starting to look at me.

Dad and Mr. Murphy let me babysit Miranda. I decided we would play house for real.

“Come on Miranda, let’s clean up the house.” I pulled out the laundry baskets and we hit every room and took down the dirty clothes. I started to sort every basket according to the clothes in it and then began to do the laundry for that room. Then she followed me to the bathroom downstairs and helped me clean the bathroom by giving me what I needed when I asked for it. We chatted while I worked.

Then we went upstairs and did the same thing for the two bathrooms there which included the master bathroom. I grabbed the sheets from the hall closet and we proceeded to put fresh sheets on the beds. I took the sheets downstairs to the laundry room where I threw a load into the dryer and put more clothes into the washing machine.

Dad, Grandpa, and Mr. Murphy walked in having gone to the local gun store. Mr. Murphy wanted to make sure he had protection just in case it was needed. Dad was enjoying bonding with him and finding out what it was like to be a Green Beret. Grandpa no doubt enjoyed showing off his knowledge of weapons and their stopping power. I know, because I usually tuned him out once I heard either the word caliber or millimeter when associated with a gun.

They continued their discussion at the kitchen table. After a bit, Miranda went over to her dad and snuggled while I continued to work on cleaning the house. Jane came in from her classes and began to help me.

I went over to Miranda. “Time for your nap.” We went upstairs and I put her down and read more Pippi to her. She fell asleep and I went back downstairs to continue working on laundry and other house cleaning we needed to do.

Jane and I were folding laundry. “I’m sorry, Samantha. I really imposed on you. I should carry my own weight.” Mr. Murphy said.

“I don’t understand. What are you talking about?” I was baffled.

“You just did our laundry and you put Miranda down for her nap. That’s my job. That is what I usually do at home.”

“But you seemed to be enjoying your time with the guys. You’re a long way from home. And you are our guest.” I continued to fold laundry.

“It’s okay, Donovan. You are our guest. The girls do this normally. They seem to enjoy doing it together.”

“Did you work as a team with the Green Berets?” I asked.

“Yeah, we would train foreign troops to take over their defense. Seal Team Six and the other special forces were there for missions. Our mission was to work ourselves out of a job.”

“So, you taught troops how to fight?” I asked.

He sat down. Jane and I worked well together. She pulled out a load from the dryer and I grabbed the current load in the washing machine and put it the now empty dryer and started it. As I was doing that, she put in a new load into the washer.

“Yeah, I found their weaknesses and provided the kind of training they would need to strengthen their forces and special force. In addition, I taught them how to render medical aid and more.”

“Must be pretty boring to be home now taking care of a little girl and no one to teach?” Jane asked.

Jane and I were really tag teaming him without even realizing it.

“I learned to clean and take of things from my Mom and sister. They were my teachers.” I hugged my sister as I said it and then went back to work.

“I hadn’t thought of it, but that is what I really miss about being a Green Beret. I taught all over the world and got to know so many people. Now, I hardly see anyone. It gets lonely.”

“Where in Denver do you live?” Jane asked. I had a feeling I knew where she was going with that question.

“South end, because it is a short drive to the courthouse. Why do you ask?”

“Have you thought about tutoring cadets at the Air Force Academy?” I said. The tag team was doing their job.

Mr. Murphy looked at us for a moment as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He smiled and said, “You know, that thought never occurred to me. I have been so focused on being a dad so much, I hadn’t given it much thought. I was just giving so much support to Jacqueline’s career that I wasn’t thinking about what I wanted to do.”

“That makes sense. Miranda is quite a handful. You are an awesome Dad. She is lucky to have you.” Jane said.

“Thank you. And thanks for the advice.” He wandered off and we kept working.

“You know Sis, we make a good team.” I loved being around Jane.

“Sure do, Pipsqueak.” She said that with pride.

I giggled and said, “Squeak, squeak.”

“I love you too.”

In no time at all, we had everyone’s laundry done and were working on the bed sheets and towels. We took turns putting away the clothes upstairs. Mom came in at one point and gave us a hug. “I don’t know what I would do without you guys. You are the best girls any mother could have.”

Dinner was great. Dad and Grandpa fired up the grill and we had hamburgers hot off the grill. Miranda was happy as a clam with all the attention she was getting. But, at one point I could see her go off and start holding her doll tightly and looking sad.

I went up to her. “Are you sad because you are missing your Mom?” I asked. She nodded yes.

“Hey, why don’t we draw pictures. I will draw a picture of my Mom and you draw a picture of yours.” We sat down at the table and I pulled out some crayons. We drew these awesome pictures of our Moms and gave them nice places to be. Her stick figure had her Mom in front of a ski chalet with a fire going. Apparently, she was skiing with her Mom when the news came in about the contract on her.

She then added her Dad and did a handsome stick drawing of him. And finally, she did a stick figure of herself.

“You finished?” I asked.

She thought for a moment, “No.”

She then began to draw another girl. She was figure skating and had a big smile on her face.

“Who is that?” I inquired when she had done.

“You! You told me you love to ice skate.”

“I did, didn’t I?” I hugged her. I then wrote in crayon each name, ‘Daddy, Mommy, Miranda, and then Samantha.’ “Here, go show it to your Dad.” She ran up to him and he hugged her and admired her drawing.

“What made you think of that, Samantha?” Jane said.

“I don’t know. I just thought it would help.”

The night wasn’t complete until I had read her another chapter of Pippi Longstocking. Dad and Mr. Murphy watched as I read to her. Once again, she fell asleep and I put down the book and quietly left the room.

Dad hugged and kissed me good night and headed downstairs with Mr. Murphy. They seemed to be really hitting it off well. Jane came up to get a few things out of her room. We talked in the hallway.

“How is staying at Doug’s place?”

“Nice. His folks are really focused right now, as usual, I hear. They say they are making huge breakthroughs. Poor guy. He hardly sees them. I am glad we can be there for him.”

“So am I. I notice you haven’t dated much lately. Why?”

“I don’t know. I think I am wanting to find someone. I liked what you said about the loneliest place being in the arms of another. I want a companion, not someone who just loves my body. I found by Christmas, it wasn’t as much fun as it used to be. The boys are growing up. They expect more and I don’t want to deliver something without getting something worth while in return.”

“You mean like a handsome brother-in-law?” I asked suggestively.

I took her arm and we went downstairs for a glass of milk and a long sister chat filled with giggles, gossip, and girl talk.

“So, your major is now accounting?”

“Yes, Dad has said there are several jobs open for bookkeeping for the city every year and I could get a good, steady entry level job when I graduate. So, it looks like I am going to be out on my own after I graduate. All I need to do if find someone who has a future after university and I could look at starting a family too.”

The following afternoon, Jane, Miranda, Grandma, and I were babysitting the triplets next door. Well, not exactly, it was more of a get together of the women. The men were assembled back at the house. Dad, Grandpa, Doug, Bill, Harvey (Mr. Smith) and Chris were playing poker with monopoly money.

The winner of the day would get a trophy. It was a lamp that looked like a leg. It was from the movie ‘A Christmas Story.’ They were having potato chips and root beer. It was a friendly game and they were bonding. Whoever had the most money by the end of the night won the lamp. The ladies won the chance to tease the winner.

We were having fun. We would talk weather, then vacations, then fashion, and then whatever. It was more akin to a gab fest than babysitting. I felt privileged to be part of the discussions and joined in some of them too.

A knock came at the door. Mrs. Smith opened it and ushered in Mrs. Allen with Samantha in her arms.

“You really were the first person to hold her first?” Miranda looked at me with admiration.

We got on the floor and I held Samantha while Jane and Miranda played with the triplets.

“Yes. It was so exciting to hold a little life in my hands and pass her to her mother. I felt so special.”

“Derek is about to head back to work on the oil rigs in the gulf. He has used as much vacation time as he can. I won’t see him for six months.”

“I’m glad he was here for the birth of Samantha.” Mom said.

“Would you mind coming over and helping me too, Samantha? I can use the help. You saw how well Derek handles housekeeping.”

I giggled. “Of course.”

“You can also bring her over to Miller Day Care. We seem to enjoy having babies in the house. We are getting ready for future expansion. Right Jane?”

“Mom! Please!” Jane blushed and let Brian sleep on her shoulder.

A knock came at the door and in came Doug. “Mr. Allen took my place at the table. Can we turn on the television? There is news on CNN that will be of interest to Miranda.”

The television was turned on and the reporters were talking about the usual stuff. War, politics, etc. Then they started a story about Denver.

The CNN reporter said, “Federal prosecutor John Redburn was arrested today along with members of the O’Reilly syndicate based out of Boston charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice and attempted murder. They were caught in a rather intricate plot to remove a federal prosecutor and allow Redburn to be the lead attorney prosecuting the head of the O’Reilly family for his embezzlement of Teamster’s trust money. His name is Ian O’Reilly. It appears Redburn was going to deliberately throw the trial through a procedural error, blame it on a subordinate, and frustrate justice in the process. Details of how they found out are not forthcoming.”

“So, it is over. Miranda, you can go home now.” Doug said. My mouth was hanging open. I was losing my little sister.

She looked over at me and burst into shouts of joy and screamed. “I get to see my Mommy again.” And then just as quickly, she turned sad when she saw my face and started to tear up. “But that means I will have to say goodbye to you.”

“And I will have to say goodbye to you too.” I went over and held her tenderly. “If I ever wanted to know what it was like to have a younger sister, you answered that question. And the answer is that I would love to have a little sister like you.”

She looked up at me and smiled. “Will you come visit?”

“I hope so!” Mr. Murphy walked in time to hear the question. “We owe you!”

“Well, Sir, my brother does go to CSU, so it is likely I could stop by one of these days.”

“Please do. I just talked to my wife, and she would love to thank you in person. She loved the pictures. I just talked to your Mommy, Miranda. She is very happy to have this whole thing over with. We are making plans to go home tomorrow. So, you will get one more night with Samantha and then we go home.”

Doug, Miranda, and I followed them back into our house.

Dad put his hand on Mr. Murphy’s shoulder. “And then your vacation ends.”

“Yeah, it was nice to have live in help, Paul.” He winked at me. “Nice to be around guys too.”

Grandpa said, “Do you hunt, Donovan?”

“Sure do. Why do you ask?”

“Well, we could come out and do some hunting. We do, after all, have a built in babysitter who would love to take care of your little darling while we are gone.”

I looked up at my Grandpa and smiled. “C’mon Miranda. Let’s go play.”

When I finished reading a chapter of Pippi Longstocking that evening and closed the book, I reflected on what had been a wonderful week. Miranda had more than visited. She had given me a chance to go back in time and be a little girl, the little girl I knew I was so many years ago.

Now, I had to prepare for Evelyn’s visit. I had one more visit with Erin before I was ready for volunteer work. I had another visit to the endocrinologist to make adjustments.

Erin had me go into an exam room which she rarely used. Because of the need to do a yearly physical, she would do it for me. Her nurse was in attendance. “Okay Samantha, I need to do a few things. Please take off your dress.”

I took off my dress. She proceeded to give me a physical. She stopped and filled out some forms. I was weighed and she measure my height. She looked into my eyes and checked my hearing. The physical was complete and I got dressed again and headed to her spacious office where I prepared tea before our usual session.

“All right. Samantha, I want you to start wearing camisoles. Soon, your nipples are going to start getting sensitive. They are already starting to show signs of changing. In the good news department, you are following the same track as your sister and mother. You will be skinny for a bit longer. I had an idle chat with your sister and she mentioned how she was frustrated until she was fourteen and her breasts finally showed up.”

She went on to say, “Just to recap, you had a lot of time with the men in your life. How did it make you feel.”

“More like a girl while at the same time admiring men more than ever before. They are wonderful creatures.”

“Yes they are. I love my husband so much. I like that he is a good man. He is very kind to me and romantic too. I think a woman who appreciates masculinity is a complete woman. But, I really come from a Ying and Yang philosophy when it comes to gender. So, you babysat a four year old this week. How was that experience.”

“Wonderful. I loved having a little sister all week. And, tomorrow, my cousins come and I get to take care of a four year old boy and a seven year old girl all week.” I was so excited.

“Now, you know you won’t be able to get pregnant and have children of your own?” she said with a note of caution.

I told her what Jane said just a few days earlier.

“Interesting. I wonder if she knows.”

“Knows what?”

“I wonder if Jane knows you are going to transition into being a girl and she won’t see Sam again. She just gave you a blank check to make it easier to decide.”

“You mean she will understand my wanting to become a girl?”

“Sounds like it. You said she stopped dating, right?”

“Yes. I don’t see how that fits into the picture.”

Erin grinned and sat back in her chair taking a sip of tea. “You are too close to her to notice. She knows that if she is going to donate eggs, it would be best for her not to have any entanglements. For instance, a husband or boyfriend who says he doesn’t want his kids to be related to their cousins as half brother or half sister.”

“Oh.” I started to process what she was saying. “Oh no, you mean ...”

“Yes. I suspect she is about to start egg donations on your behalf. Although she could stay on birth control and do it, it would be best if she weren’t on birth control. And if she isn’t on birth control, she would not want to date. So, it is just a guess, but I think Jane is taking time off from dating to donate eggs to a bank. I wouldn’t bring this up to her. But, trust me. She is up to something. And something wonderful.”

I closed my eyes and took a sip of tea enjoying the taste. “My sister loves me.” escaped my lips.

“Yes, she does. And it sounds like she has made a decision to support you when the time comes for you to tell your parents who you really are. Oh, one other thing. If you find her testing her urine with pregnancy tests or something similar, don’t say anything. Just ignore them. You look the other way and miss why she wants to go to a doctor’s office or something like that. Find a way to make yourself scarce and pretend you don’t understand.”

I sighed deeply with a feeling of peace. Jane was making sure I would have a family of my own. What a kind sister I have. I began to cry happy tears.

“Just let those tears flow, Samantha. You have earned them.”

I sniffled and kept crying happy tears, “You think so?”

“Yes, I do. Girl or boy, you are one of the nicest and sweetest patients I have ever had. The one thing that is obvious about Jane is how much she really loves you.”

I quietly said, “Squeak, squeak,” while Erin was filling the pot with hot water. She made a pot of tea to replace the one we had just gone through, poured my tea, and just let me sit there and cry as I reflected on Jane’s gift to my future. Erin passed me a few tissues. Then, she leaned back and just watched me with a big smile on her face. It was matched by the smile on my own.

I closed my eyes, kept crying, but felt warm all over and loved by my sisters.

Copyright © 2017 by AuP reviner

[author’s note:

Writing is continuing to catch me by surprise. Jane caught me completely off guard. At first, I thought she stopped dating because she was tired of it. And then I had to ask her what she was really up to.

Next visit to D.C.. Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

– AuP ]