of her coat sleeve. ‘Gee, calm down. Remember why you’re here. I’m sure Tamika didn’t mean it.’
‘Yes I did!’ Tamika shot. ‘Birds are filthy and blackbirds are evil. They don’t belong indoors.’
Freya shot around in a fury. ‘Orus is not filthy! And he’s a raven, not a blackbird. They’re not evil. I will never enter a place where he is not welcome.’
‘Of course he’s welcome!’ Alma called as she arrived on the porch. ‘You are all welcome here.’ Her eyes went wide when she saw the changes in Freya. ‘Why, my sweet Angel, what on earth have you done to yourself?’
Freya looked down her front, still furious at Tamika’s comments. ‘I have made a few changes before I go to school.’
‘But last night you said you wanted to blend in. This is not blending in! And your beautiful long hair, what have you done to it?’
‘Archie cut it for me,’ Freya said. ‘I like it.’
‘You remind me of that stupid comic, Gruesome Greta,’ Tamika remarked unkindly.
Freya took a step forward. ‘What are you saying?’
‘Freya, don’t,’ Orus cawed. ‘She is just a grieving child. Think of her dead parents and leave her be.’
‘Tamika!’ Alma cried. ‘Your mama raised you better than that! You apologize to our guests right now.’
‘I will not!’ Tamika shouted. ‘And I don’t need babysitters to take me to school!’ She turned and ran from the door. Stomping up the stairs, they heard her slam her bedroom door at the top.
Freya had felt Tamika’s grief at the loss of both her parents mixed with deep-seated anger and fear.
‘Angel, I am so sorry,’ Alma said as she invited them in. ‘Please, please forgive her. I didn’t tell her what you are. Only that you are going to take her to school.’
Freya and Archie entered the house and were greeted by the welcoming aroma of home-made soup and baking bread wafting through the air.
‘She is angry at the loss of her parents,’ Freya said. ‘And she is fearful. She knows something is very wrong with you, but is too frightened to ask you about it.’
Alma’s hands shot up to her mouth. ‘Oh, my poor baby. I’ve tried to keep my illness hidden from her.’
‘Yet, she knows,’ Freya said. ‘I believe she also knows this house is in grave danger from the developers.’
‘That I couldn’t keep from her,’ Alma said. ‘They call all the time, making their threats against us.’
‘Can I go up and talk to her?’ Archie asked.
‘Perhaps I should go,’ Freya volunteered.
‘No!’ Archie cried.
Freya frowned. ‘Why not? You know I would never harm her.’
‘It’s not that,’ Archie said quickly. ‘Gee, you are still getting used to things here on Earth and talking to people. Let’s say she says something that you misunderstand, or she sees your wings. I don’t think she could handle that yet. Please let me go.’
Freya huffed indignantly. ‘I wouldn’t tell her what I am.’
Alma stepped forward. ‘Let Archie go.’
Freya turned to the old woman. ‘Don’t you trust me? Do you really think I’d hurt Tyrone’s daughter?’
Fear rose on the old woman’s face. ‘Forgive me, Angel, I meant no disrespect.’
Archie elbowed her in the side. ‘Gee, calm down and be nice.’
Freya inhaled deeply and let it out slowly. This wasn’t going as she had planned. ‘I’m sorry. I just didn’t expect Tamika to be so angry. Her father told me about her and I was looking forward to meeting her.’
‘She’s in pain,’ Alma explained. ‘Give her time to get to know you. She’s a sweet child with a kind heart. But her heart’s been badly broken.’
Freya nodded and looked to Archie. ‘Go talk to her.’
When he was gone the old woman pulled on kitchen gloves. ‘While we’ve got a moment, I can get you measured for your new clothes.’
After Alma had carefully measured Freya’s wings, and while Archie was with Tamika, Freya watched Alma feed Uniik. She was enchanted by the baby and wanted desperately to hold her, but knew she couldn’t.
‘She is so full of life,’ observed Freya.
The old woman’s eyes were sparkling with pride. ‘Just like her papa. I wish he could have seen how beautiful she is.’
‘He wanted that too. As he lay dying, his thoughts were only of his girls, as he called them.’
Alma’s eyes fogged as she sniffed. ‘I just hope I live long enough to see the girls protected. I know I couldn’t rest peacefully if anything happened to them.’
‘Nothing’s going to happen, Grandma.’ Tamika entered the kitchen, followed by Archie. ‘They’re not going to take our home away from