A Tribe United Again

Chapter 12

Xindi looked all over the toy store but couldn't find anything small and inexpensive.

Mickey walked up behind her and pointed at something she couldn't reach. "Want that!"

Xindi grabbed it for her.

"Tank coo!" Mickey held the big stuffed bear to her chest. In a minute she was going to have a stuffed bear collection that would rival her mother's stuffed animal collection.

"You're welcome."

"You get?"

Xindi shrugged.

Mickey thought about it before walking to a section and pointing. "You get."

Xindi saw what she was pointing at. It was a huge dollhouse display. It was ironically yellow with white trim, three stories high and had plenty of dolls sitting around it. She loved it...

Mal walked over, holding Cerise's and Riley's hands. "Is this what you want?"

Xindi blushed. "I can't ask for this."

"Why not?"

"It's too much." Oh but how she wanted it though.

He checked the price. "It's only $500."

She blinked at him saying only when saying $500. "But-?"

"Xindi." He knelt so they could be eye to eye. "Don't worry about money. That's our job. We take care of you and you worry about being a good person. Okay?"

Her eyes filled. He reminded her of her recently deceased father. She nodded.

"So is this what you want?"

She nodded again.

"Alright. Come on so we can get someone to carry this big old thing."

ATUA

Laura was dead surprised. "Are you kidding me?!"

"No." Marcy said flatly.

"How in the world did you get painters already?!"

"I called and asked."

"Marcy, stop being literal."

It was quiet on the phone.

"I'm sorry." Laura huffed. "I just don't understand how you move so quickly."

"They need the steady paycheck so the more work I throw their way, the more they call me a preferred customer. What does that mean?"

"I don't know." Laura admitted. "Maybe it's like when we fly or use our credit cards?"

"Hmm."

Laura knew Marcy was no longer thinking about it. "Please tell me calling the painters is the only thing you've done."

"No."

Laura was glad she wasn't being literal but was upset she was being honest. "What else have you done?!"

"The painters are here. They're split up into two groups. They're doing Xindi's and Sola's rooms first. She doesn't have a favorite color so I'm painting her room in rainbow. One wall is yellow, one is blue, one is pink and the last is green. Her bathroom is purple and her closet is orange."

"Whose?"

"Xindi. Her ceiling is white and so is her trim but the ceiling will have recipes written in script since she loves to cook."

Laura loved that idea. "What else?"

"She's getting carpet. Black."

"Ooh!"