Shining Stars

Chapter 13

Entering the room her parents were staying in Christine watched as her father finished doing up her mother's dress zipper. Her hair still brushed to the side Pierre leaned down and kissed his wife's neck gently before releasing her. Christine could see how much they loved each other and she envied them for their near perfect marriage.

"Oh, hello darling. Was there something you needed?" Pierre asked when he saw her standing at the door. Walking past her he gently kissed her forehead before moving to the mirror to finish his tie.

"Christine, is something wrong, honey?"

"No," she assured. "Nothing's wrong. I had a question I wanted to ask you before we went to the dinner"

"What is it?"

Sitting on the bench at the foot of the bed she had a good view of both parents. "I was wondering if you remembered a yellow plastic barrette I used to wear when I was a little girl."

Before her eyes both of them stopped still, meeting each other's eyes in the mirror before turning to face their daughter. "What makes you ask, darling?" Pierre asked.

"Kat and I found it today in a box we'd left behind on the last family trip, kind of like a time capsule I guess. She said I used to wear it in my hair everyday but I don't remember it. I was hoping you might." Another look passed between them and Christine grew even more curious. "What is it?"

Getting up from her seat at the vanity Angelina moved to sit with her daughter. "Honey, that was the barrette you were wearing the day of the train wreck. The people at the orphanage said that you refused to take it off. The first time we tried to give you a bath you refused to let the maid take it off. We finally got you to compromise; you held it in your hands the entire time."

"But why?"

"You kept saying that you loved the duck because the duck loved you back. We asked one of the therapists about it and they said that there was a good chance your birth parents had given it to you, that it was the only thing you had left of them." Pulling her daughter into her arms she hugged her tightly. "The last summer we came here you stopped wearing it. I thought you had lost it maybe, but you never got upset about not having it. When I asked you about it you said that you'd left it to guard over something and that it was still in your heart."

"I wish I could remember," Christine said after a moment, her arm around her mother's waist. Shaking off the melancholy mood she smiled at the man and woman watching her carefully. "At least now I know why I like ducks so much."

Laughing, more with relief than with humor, Pierre and Angelina kissed their little girl and moved to finish getting ready, Christine leaving their room to finish her preparations. Moving down the hallway she was rounding a corner when a little girl ran into her, knocking her flat.

"Sorry," she said, scared at having knocked over the pretty lady.

"It's okay," Christine answered. Pulling herself into a nearby chair she looked down at the little blond haired blue-eyed angel. "Who are you?"

"Sammy," she replied. Looking closely at Christine she asked, "Are you the lady that gave us the teddy bears?" Smiling at the little girl she nodded. "They said that you used to be like us. That you didn't have a mommy or a daddy either."

"That's right." Reaching out Christine pulled Sammy into her lap, giving the little girl the fairytale, Grated version of her life.

"Does that mean that someday, if I'm a really good girl and are as lucky as you that I'll have a new mommy and daddy too?"

"I hope so, Sammy, I really do hope so."

An older woman Christine recognized from the children's home called for Sammy to come back and Christine released the little girl. Watching her leave Christine thought back to the day she'd first met her parents. They'd come to the home, the orphanage, dressed up like she'd never seen before. She'd been afraid to go near them they looked so fancy. But Pierre had gotten down on his knees in front of her and took his hand in hers.