One

Mackayla was sitting on a chair reading her book, Brenda Mackayla's 15 month old daughter was dozing in her stroller. "Sorry I am late" said a deep voice behind her as a hand touched her shoulder. Mackayla stood up, turned around and smiled at her Uncle Leon.

"It’s okay" she said as she hugged him. "Who might be you be?" Mackayla smiled at the young girl holding Leon's hand.

"I'm your cousin Aerina silly" the girl replied with a giggle. They had spoken on the phone a few days before while Mackayla and Uncle Leon were finalizing things.

"And this is Brenda" Mackayla said as her daughter woke up with a small giggle.

The two girls smiled at each other "hi" said Brenda.

"How was your trip down" Leon asked?

"Long but pretty nice" replied Mackayla. "Sammy here yet" she asked?

"Arrived this morning and your cousin is already enthralled with her" he replied.

Aerina giggled and smiled "she's so cute." They loaded the bags into the back of the blue truck that Leon was driving.

"Would you like to stop to eat somewhere?" Leon asked as Mackayla buckled Brenda into her baby seat.

"No we had a nice dinner at the cafe a bit ago" Mackayla replied "just tired right now."

"Straight home then and get you two settled so you can rest" Leon said with a soft chuckle.

As they pulled away from the Toma Airport Mackayla sighed and said "it's good to see you again Uncle Leon."

"Unca" came a coo from the back. Leon looked up and smiled at his great niece in the back seat.

After unloading and getting everything into the three bedroom apartment that Leon currently rented Brenda crawled up on Leon's lap. She gently caressed his cheek and then curled into his torso and promptly fell asleep. "I think she loves you already" Mackayla looked at her uncle with a loving sigh. "Could be that I look so much like her grandpa" he replied with a deep chuckle.

As Mackayla settled on the couch Aerina sat down beside her and Sammy jumped up on her lap and curled into a ball. "I have a feeling you have made a friend already too" Leon said and she smiled. "So what's really going on" Leon asked?

"I just needed a break and a new start like I told you on the phone" Mackayla replied.

"Well I will accept that for right now but I know there is more." Mackayla just looked at him with a shake of her head. Maybe someday I will tell you everything thought Mackayla. "Hey little lady isn't time for bed?" Leon asked his daughter as he

looked up at the clock.

"Oh do I have to Daddy" Aerina whined.

"Well seeing as how it is already past your bedtime I think so" he replied with a stern note to his voice.

"Don't worry we'll be here for a while" Mackayla said to her. Good nights were said and kisses and hugs were given freely then Aerina skipped off to bed.

They talked for a little bit more about general things before Leon noticed that Mackayla's eyelids were dropping low and her speech was a little slow. "I cleaned out the other room" he said "let me show you the way." Mackayla stood up and followed her uncle down hall "I figured you would like the bigger room" he said as he opened the

door at the end of the hall the baby still in his arms.

Leon placed Brenda in the playpen "you didn't have to give up your room" Mackayla said.

"Yes I did" he replied "well I'll let you do what you need, there's a bathroom through that door" he pointed to the door on the right. "That's the walk-in closet there" he pointed to the sliding doors next to the window. As he turned to leave Mackalya ran

up and hugged him.

"Thanks I love you Uncle Leon" she kissed him on the cheek.

"Love you too Mousie" he replied closing the door.

Mackayla looked at her daughter sleeping soundly in the playpen and bent down and caressed her red hair. She grabbed her blue carry all and pulled out her nightgown and book. She stripped out of her blouse and skirt and quickly washed up at the sink then slipped her silk nightgown on and then crawled into the king sized bed. She read for a few minutes before she fell asleep.

Brenda woke up with a soft cry a few hours later a little uncertain of where she was and having been a little disoriented by the recent changes in her short life.

Mackayla gently picked her up noticing that her daughter was lightly sweating she chided herself for not having thought about that before and stripped the baby down and changed her diaper. "Tirty" Brenda whimpered softly as she nuzzled her mom's chest. Mackayla smiled and slipped her arm free of her gown and offered her daughter her

breast.

"Everything okay" she heard a voice ask after a soft rap on the door.

"Yeah Brenda was just a little warm and thirsty" she answered back.

"Can I get you anything" her cousin asked?

"No I am fine, are you okay?"

"Sometimes I get up in the middle of the night and I can't always get back to sleep."

"Would you like to come lay with me, it's an awfully big bed and sometimes I get lonely?" Mackayla asked as the door opened and her cousin peeked around.

Her cousin crept into the room and climbed up on the bed "do you think Daddy will be mad?"

"No I am sure he will understand."

"What's she doing?" Aerina asked pointing at the baby.

"Drinking" replied Mackayla.

"Ohhhh yeah I forgot some mamas do that."

"It’s okay" she replied with a smile.

"Does it hurt?"

“Only when she decides she wants to bite. But she doesn’t do that too often because she knows Mommy will take it away."

"I bet she don't like that I don't think I would" Aerina said with a giggle. She snuggled down into the covers closer to Mackayla and fell asleep.

Mackayla awoke a little warm and confused but quickly remembered. She glanced down at her sleeping daughter and cousin and smiled, she heard her uncle call "Aerina Maire" a bit nervously.

“She's in here with me Uncle Leon" she quickly called out "it’s okay for you to come in."

"I should have figured that" he opened the door with a soft smile "sometimes she has trouble sleeping. She's crawled in with me a few times already this month. I was hoping that maybe with you here it might stop."

"It’s okay I remember you saying something about that. It might take a little bit but I am sure she will settle down.". Mackayla had worked with children while volunteering at Mother Mable's for a year or more after she had completed high school.

Aerina had moved in with Leon about a year and a half ago after living in an abusive home and foster homes for most of her life. "It’s common for kids in her situation. They feel a little insecure and unwanted" Mackayla said. It was part of the reason she had chosen to live with her uncle instead of looking for her own place. "I don't mind her

crawling in with me" she hugged her cousin close and smiled.

"How was your first night" Leon asked?

"A little warm but actually pretty good" Mackayla replied as they heard a small giggle and snort form under the sheet.

"Where's your Punkie" he asked as a small mound moved.

Mackayla laughed as Brenda pulled the sheet down with a squeal 'Unca".

"So, what would you princesses like for breakfast" asked Leon.

"Pancakes and sausage" said Mack, and Aerina.

"Pankies" cried Brenda.

"Well then I guess we could go to Tonios for breakfast if you would like." Just then Leon's phone rang. He answered the phone. "Howdy buddy can you hang on for a sec.... Aerina why don't you go and put on that new dress and we will let your cousin's get ready to go. If you'd like to shower or anything go ahead no need to rush on any

account" he told Mack as he headed out the door.

She rummaged through her bags for a few minutes to find the shampoo andbrushes and set them on the table. Then settling back in the chair she drew Brenda to her to nurse and started to hum a song, a few minutes later she heard a knock on her door. "Hey, Mackayla I need to head over to a friend's place to help him with something.

Not really sure how long I will be so I am gonna take Aerina with me. Would you like to come with and we can go to lunch or something after?"

"Actually I was thinking I could maybe rest up a little more if that's okay by you?"

"Whatever your little heart desires is fine by me. Make yourself right at home. Talk to you in a bit."

After about twenty minutes Mackayla finished nursing Brenda who pulled her diaper off and started to run around the room laughing. Mackayla chased her for a few minutes saying "here comes the tickle monster." Then hoisting her daughter in her arms she grabbed her stuff and walked to the bathroom. She and Brenda took a nice long

shower cause after 36 hours with only a quick wipe down or two it felt extremely great.

Then she dried them off, dressed, brushed their teeth, and did their hair, and then she walked out to see what her uncle had to eat in his house.

As they were sitting down to breakfast Siammy streaked out of Aerina's room being chased by Dustina they were hissing, which immediately started Brenda crying.

Mackayla jumped up and grabbed Siammy and put her in the bed room then went to comfort her baby. A few tears falling from her own eyes even though she had known it was bound to happen it was still a bit startling to hear and watch. All the while she was doing this Dustina was staring at her and growling, so she decided to forgo the table in

the house and take it out on the sun deck. Brenda sat on her lap and pulled her mom's hair crying and trying to eat at the same time.

After about 15 minutes she calmed down "why kitty" she asked her mommy?

"Oh Punkie it's just gonna take them a little time to get used to each other. You and Maggie acted a little like that toward each other at first but now you are best friends."

Brenda smiled and clapped her hands excitedly "day tat." Mackayla smiled and hugged her baby close.

"Yeah" they both finished their breakfast.

"Ma Ma I eepy" Brenda said and then yawned hugely to prove her point after an hour or so of sitting on the deck and watching the city go by. "Nap" so Mackayla carried her inside where it was a bit cooler.

"Want to lay out here or go in the room."

"Want Am."

"Okay then let's go in the room." So they went in to the room. Brenda pulled off her shoes and shorts and climbed into the bed, curled up next to Siammy and went to sleep. Mackayla sat down to read but soon feel asleep herself.

Mackayla awoke after a couple hours of sleep to "Ma Ma's Song" playing on her phone and realized she'd forgotten to call her mom this morning. She answered her phone "sorry mom. We had a little bit of a rough morning....No nothing serious just the cats getting acquainted.....No he had to go help a friend this morning but he should be back very shortly.....Yeah's she sleeping I guess I was too."

"Yeah she woke up around one sweating a bit because I forgot to change her out of her clothes.....Oh she's a beautiful little girl, long black hair, and hazel eyes. She's gonna give Uncle Leon fits of worry about her when she gets older....Of course I will send a pic....Yeah I know I am in for the same thing." They talked for a bit more until

Mackayla heard a knock on the door. "Come in. Hey Uncle Leon.....Hey Mom wants to talk at you quick."

Leon groaned but reached for the phone. "Hey Mari....yeah I was a little late picking her up I got lost....Hey I told her I don't drive around Toma too much....yeah(soft chuckle) I would never do that." A little more chatting than an "okay sweetie love you

too. Here’s Mackayla back. Yeah actually she's outside waiting.....We were going to lunch and stopped to pick up the ladies but I see one is still snoozing (laughter)...“

Leon hands the phone back as Brenda wakes up. “Yeah she just woke up but I think it's time to go eat.....Okay love you Mom....(Brenda reaches for the phone) “Nana Nana...Uv Nana ...Bye luv ya (blows

raspberries on the phone).... (gives phone back to Mackayla and reaches for Uncle Leon) Unca Eeo...?”

“Yeah they got a great thing going already call you later Mom....Love you...Bye. Kay just let me freshen up a bit and change Punk then I will meet you out in the truck."

"All right but don't be too long I am starving." Mackayla quickly leaned up and kissed him on the cheek as she took her daughter. "You know you really don't have to do that all the time" Leon said with a half-hearted scowl. She just smiled as she walked to the changing table with Brenda and quickly changed her diaper and then put her

shorts and shoes back on. She set her down on her feet and Brenda quickly dropped her hands to the floor and crawled to her great-uncle.

Mackayla laughed and shook her head as Brenda stood up and grabbed Leon’s shorts and he picked her up. She walked into the bathroom as the two turned and walked away. It still amazed her that even though Leon looked so much like her dad

how quickly Brenda had taken to him.

He was a bit heavier than her father was, his voice was deeper and he had longer hair, but Mackayla suspected that was probably why Brenda was so taken with him. Heck if he wasn't related to her Mackayla probably would of been smitten. She quickly brushed her hair and applied just a hint of make-up and then grabbed her purse and head outside.

As she arrived outside her uncle was chatting with the lady next door. "Ahhh here she is. Sasha this is my niece Mackayla Mackayla this is Sasha Peanning."

“How do you do Sasha?"

"I am doing pretty good it's nice to finally put a face to the woman that Leon's been talking about for the past months" Sasha and Mackayla smiled at each other.

"I will catch you later Sasha" Leon said as he walked down the steps behind Mackayla.

They walked the few blocks to Tonios Aerina pushing Brenda in her stroller. Leon walked next to Mackayla pointing out certain places. "You seem a little chummy with the lady next door Uncle." Makayla said to him with a sly smile.

Leon blushed a little and said "we are just friends."