Page 12 of The Hummingbird’s Gift

Ro turned to Nina. “Does that work for you? We’ll stack the wood and then go to the creek after you get dressed?”

Nina nodded emphatically, her round, black ears bobbing. He was looking forward to meeting her as a human. He liked her spunk.

She ambled off toward the back door, with the adorably awkward gate of a young bear. Not that he would tell her, of course.

Achak stepped up beside him. “Grandmother,” he greeted her, then bent to place a kiss on her cheek.

“You haven’t come to see me in a while,” she scolded.

That wasn’t quite true, as he came by often to pick up May or drop her off. But it was true that he hadn’t spent much time with her recently. “I’ll drop in for a cup of tea sometime soon,” he promised.

Just not today, when he was already feeling so raw. He knew that she would listen to his woes and sooth his spirit, but he wasn’t quite ready to be soothed.

They both watched the little bear cub scrabble at the door. May came to help, pushing the screen door open so hard that it bounced off the wall.

“May is not a scared little kitten anymore,” the heart-singer observed.

No, she definitely was not. Even after her ordeal earlier this week, her only thought had been of going to the creek. “She’s handled everything very well.”

“When she was a timid ball of fur, she would sit in my lap and I would pet her. But I’m too old to keep up with a busy four-year-old.”

That sounded like a hint. “Would you like me to take her more often?” He’d already arranged for her to spend most of the time that she wasn’t with him with two other families in the tribe who already had young children.

“No, Rohahen, it’s time for her to find a new home. She doesn’t need me anymore. And you know this was never intended to be permanent.”

For a moment, Ro let himself dream. He, Tier, and May would all live together, a cozy, happy family. But Tier didn’t want to be a part of that dream. He felt like his chest was cracking open.

Rohahen couldn’t give May everything that she needed on his own. He spent hours with her most days, but only during carefully planned activities where he could either give her all his attention or get work done while she played.

It would hurt every time he had to see her with another family. “Can she stay here while I look into it?” he asked, trying to stay focused.

“She can stay for a while.”

The door opened with another bang, and May raced out, an older girl wearing shorts and a too-large shirt walked behind her, distrust clear on her face.

May stopped mid-run to pull up a dandelion and he smiled through the moisture that was starting to gather in his eyes.

“She loves you, you know,” Achak said softly. “You are more like a parent to her than anyone else.”

Ro nodded, unable to speak. How many times could his heart break today?

Achak put a hand on his shoulder. A wordless pulse of care and calm glowed within his chest. It helped. Not enough to make everything go away, but enough to smooth the ragged edges for a while. He was grateful that she’d known what he needed, even when he didn’t.

He stepped closer, silently asking for a little more. The world dropped away as she poured calm and hope into him. He let himself bask in the feeling, that things could be good and right in the world, that he was loved and had a place in it.

When she stepped away, he felt peaceful, his jumbled thoughts still whispering in the background, distanced from the pain. He knew that the false calm would slowly fade away over the next few hours, and that he couldn’t use it like some addictive drug. But for now it would let him get through the day.

“Uncle Ro!” May yanked on his hand. “You didn’t even try to clean up the wood.” There was dandelion fluff stuck in her hair.

“You’re right, I didn’t,” he admitted.

“That still means I won.”

“You did. You’re very fast!”

“I know! See!” She raced away toward the tree, circled it, and then came crashing back into his legs.

He scooped her up and threw her over his shoulders, her legs kicking up into the air. “Hang on. Where did May go?” He turned around while she shrieked with glee. “I just saw her, but she must have been so fast that I can’t find her anymore. Maybe that’s her!” He turned quickly, pointing a trail across the yard. “Ooh! So fast!”