If that's what it takes

9

Derek rested with the tiny girl pressed against his side. He found his finger running through her long blonde hair as he watched her sleep peacefully against him. The thought occurred to him that he didn't even know who this tiny little girl was, and that the connection she had made to him was almost magical. One minute, he was watching this withdrawn, sad, absolutely precious little girl sitting alone in the airport, and now she was pressed up against him, holding him as if he were the only thing keeping her together. He has nieces and nephews, and he loves each and every one of them. He had spent time with them, played with them, talked with them, seen them grow, learn, and love. He had been their uncle and their friend. However, he had never had this chest tightening feeling every time his name was uttered from their lips. Perhaps he felt bad for this little girl with the gray eyes and pink sparkly shoes, perhaps that was all it was. Perhaps he felt connected to her because he too felt so alone and withdrawn. Perhaps it was because she was just so concentrated on those pink sparkly shoes that she looked like she needed someone to tell her story to, just like any adult would. But it could be just her voice, her sweet angelic voice and how she would look at him and smile and her smile would light his own face up, would warm his heart like nothing ever had. She certainly was a special little girl, and her situation broke his heart.

"Just Derek?" A tiny voice emitted from his side as he leaned forward to see her gray eyes staring up at him.

"Hmm?" He asked softly as he watched her sigh a little.

"What happens if I get to Seattle and I'm scared?" She whimpered as she watched him. "What happens if there isn't anyone to read me a story?" She asked as she sat up a little. "What happens if there's no one to get me a cup of water in the middle of the night... what happens if my sister doesn't like me... where do I go? I want to go home." She whimpered as her lip began to tremble.

"You mean you've been laying here, comfy and safe and you've been worrying all this time?" He asked, watching her lip stick out a little more as she nodded. "You don't have anything to worry about." Derek said softly as he watched her sigh as a tear escaped her eye. "I'll be in Seattle... I'm your friend, right?"

"Uh huh..." She nodded.

"Maybe we can get together sometime with your sister... go to the zoo... I can check on Mister Derek here..." He nodded toward the bear.

"I would like that." She smiled as she wiped her tears.

"Why do you like me so much?" Derek asked as she watched his eyes carefully, a small smile spreading over her lips.

"Cuz you're nice... and you... you rescued me..." She said with a giggle as she snuggled her bear. "And you got me my favorite bear..."

"You know... I'm sure that your doll is feeling very jealous right about now, hearing you tell that bear you love her so much."

"Oh, Molly is okay with it... she can share." The little girl giggled. "Mommy said that I've had Molly since I was a little baby."

"Well, Molly is a very special doll then, so don't you go and replace her with that ole Mister Derek." He said as he listened to the little girl giggle.

"Mister Derek is going to be a very good friend to me." She said as she cuddled her head into him and rested.

It wasn't long after she had woken up before the flight attendant announced over the intercom that the plane would be landing shortly. Zoey sat up and watched out the window as the plane glided delicately over the sun rising sky as morning broke in Seattle. She was sleepy, as it were early afternoon in New York City, but the sunshine sliding delicately through the windows of the plane draped them in pinks, oranges and purples of the early morning. "Aren't you sleepy?" Derek asked as the little girl looked up into his eyes for a moment, her head turning to face the clouds they were descending into.