have something for you," Jane said to me, after we decided where Missouri City would be, or ought to be, anyway. "Something I wanted to give you before we landed on Huckleberry."
"I hope it's a puppy," I said. I'd been hinting in that direction for a couple of weeks.
Jane laughed. "No puppies!" she said. "At least not until we're actually settled in. Okay?"
"Oh, all right," I said, disappointed.
"No, it's this," Jane said. She reached into her pocket to pull out a silver chain with something that was a pale green at the end.
I took the chain and looked at the pendant. "It's an elephant," I said.
"It is," Jane said. She knelt down so that she and I were face-to-face. "I bought it on Phoenix just before we left. I saw it in a shop and it made me think of you."
"Because of Babar," I said.
"Yes," Jane said. "But for other reasons, too. Most of the people who live on Huckleberry are from a country on Earth called India, and many of them are Hindu, which is a religion. They have a god called Ganesh, who has the head of an elephant. Ganesh is their god of intelligence, and I think you're pretty smart. He's also the god of beginnings, which makes sense, too."
"Because we're starting our lives here," I said.
"Right," Jane said. She took the pendant and necklace from me and put the silver chain around my neck, fastening it in the back. "There's also the saying that 'an elephant never forgets.' Have you heard it?" I nodded. "John and I are proud to be your parents, Zoe. We're happy you're part of our life now, and will help us make our life to come. But I know neither of us would want you ever to forget your mother and father."
She drew back and then touched the pendant, gently. "This is to remind you how much we love you," Jane said. "But I hope it will also remind you how much your mother and father loved you, too. You're loved by two sets of parents, Zoe. Don't forget about the first because you're with us now."
"I won't," I said. "I promise."
"The last reason I wanted to give you this was to continue the tradition," Jane said. "Your mother and your father each gave you an elephant. I wanted to give you one, too. I hope you like it."
"I love it," I said, and then launched myself into Jane. She caught me and hugged me. We hugged for a while, and I cried a little bit too. Because I was eight years old, and I could do that.
I eventually unhugged myself from Jane and looked at the pendant again. "What is this made of?" I asked.
"It's jade," Jane said.
"Does it mean anything?" I asked.
"Well," Jane said, "I suppose it means I think jade is pretty."
"Did Dad get me an elephant, too?" I asked. Eight-year-olds can switch into acquisition mode pretty quickly.
"I don't know," Jane said. "I haven't talked to him about it, because you asked me not to. I don't think he knows about the elephants."
"Maybe he'll figure it out," I said.
"Maybe he will," Jane said. She stood and took my hand again, and we looked out at Huckleberry once more.
About a week and a half later, after we were all moved in to Huckleberry, Dad came through the door with something small and squirmy in his hands.
No, it wasn't an elephant. Use your heads, people. It was a puppy.
I squealed with glee - which I was allowed to do, eight at the time, remember - and John handed the puppy to me. It immediately tried to lick my face off.
"Aftab Chengelpet just weaned a litter from their mother, so I thought we might give one of the puppies a home," Dad said. "You know, if you want. Although I don't recall you having any enthusiasm for such a creature. We could always give it back."
"Don't you dare," I said, between puppy licks.
"All right," Dad said. "Just remember he's your responsibility. You'll have to feed him and exercise him and take care of him."
"I will," I said.
"And neuter him and pay for his college," Dad said.
"What?" I said.
"John," Mom said, from her chair, where she had been reading.
"Never mind those last two," Dad said. "But you will have to give him a name."
I held the puppy at arm's length to get a good look at him; he continued to try to lick my face from a distance and wobbled in my