Sweet Little Songbird ✔️

SWEET LITTLE SONGBIRD

The child who called herself Melody sat alone in a meadow of yellow flowers.

Her eyes were closed. Her cheeks were tearstained. She looked vulnerable and small - which was, perhaps, the reason the faeries decided to approach her that day.

"Sweet girl, why are you sad?"

The hand on Melody's shoulder was warm. The five-year-old was so caught up in her misery that she didn't question who it belonged to.

"Jake is being mean." She wailed. "He's always yelling at me and being annoyed and saying I'm a 'brat'."

"Oh dear. Who is Jake?"

"My brother." Melody said miserably. Then she glanced up in defiance. "I don't like him."

"I didn't say you have to." The voice assured her. Glancing over her shoulder, Melody took in the girl standing just behind her in surprise.

"You're small." She stated bluntly.

"That I am." The girl replied, voice light and teasing. She had wavy hair, tanned skin, and cat-like almond eyes. She was also only three feet tall. The multitude of bracelets on her wrist shifted when she reached up to tuck a strand of Melody's hair behind her ear. "And so are you." She noted.

"So?" Melody replied defensively. Jake always made fun of her petite figure, even if she wasn't that much smaller than her older cousin, Evie.

"So nothing." The girl was unruffled.

"Oh...okay."

"May I have your name, little one?"

"Melody." Melody replied grudgingly. Then she remembered her manners. "What's yours?"

"You can call me Ivy."

"'Kay." Melody whispered. Then: "Are we friends?"

"Do you want to be friends?" Ivy asked gently.

"Yes." Melody said. "Will you be Evie's friend too?"

"Your cousin?"

"Yeah."

"Well...does Evie want to be friends with me?"

"I don't know."

"Well, then it can be our secret, yes, dear?"

"Secret?"

"Yes. You shouldn't tell anyone about me. Then Jake might come too, and I don't think I would like Jake very much, do you?"

"No." Melody said, determined. Then she heard a voice filtering through the trees. "Melody! Melody, dinner!"

"I have to go." Melody said unenthusiastically. "Will you be here tomorrow?"

"Yes, little one. I'll be here."

___

And she was.

The next day, Melody got up, ate cereal, and then promptly asked her mother if she could go outside.

"Why?" Her mother wanted to know.

Our secret.

"I wanna do something." Melody said vaguely. "So can I?"

"How about you ask if Jake wants to go with you? It's still cold out, and wet. What if you get lost?"

"No!" Melody said immediately. Her mother's surprise must have registered, because she hastily added, "I'm big now!"

"Well, okay." Her mother gave a patronizing smile. "Just stay within sight."