Welcome to Gaia! ::

Kova glanced over to where her daughter sat, feet curled up beneath her customary fluffy skirt, head tilted to lean against the arm of the couch. With a subvocal sigh, she turned her attention back to the tray of cookies she was removing from the oven. "Do you think Kaimi likes chocolate chip or ginger better?"

"I think ginger" came the quiet answer. Delilah lifted her head to peer across the open floorplan into the kitchen. She rewarded her mother with a faint little smile. "I like ginger." She paused and looked down to fiddle with the bright yellow bandage wrapped around her forearm. "Do you think Mystic likes ginger cookies?"

"Delly, Mystic doesn't have a mouth."

"Oh." Restless, the flower girl shifted on the couch before finally pushing herself from it. "Do you think Kaimi will get here soon?"

"I hope so."

"Delly, can you get that?"

The question didn't even have to be asked; Delilah had already slipped from the couch and padded, barefoot, to the door. Her smile was back when she opened it and, to her mother's relief, there was life in her movements again. Even more so as her turquoise widened in surprise at how her friend had grown. "Kaimi," she breathed, "you're bigger." Then, impulsively, she stuck out her hand to grab the other girl's and pull her inside. A push with her foot shut the door and she dragged Kaimi behind her to the kitchen. "Mama, Kaimi's grown up now, too."

Kova looked up and immediately smiled. "Wow, she has!" She straightened and dusted flour from her hands before balling them on fists and settling them on her hips as she studied the girl. "You're growin' like a weed, lil one!"

Kova stuck her head out of the kitchen and beamed. "I hope you like ginger cookies!" Then she promptly disappeared again and left the girls to their own devices.

Delilah reached out to take Kaimi's free hand and led her gently into the sprawling apartment. "Thank you for coming," she murmured but she was still smiling a bit which was a good sign. "Mama was worried about me so it's good that you're here. Would you like to see my room?"

Leading the other girl by the hand, Delilah took Kaimi through the wide-open main living quarters and down a hallway. A few doors opened off of it but they moved past quickly, giving Kaimi only the briefest glimpse into rooms that appeared to cover the other areas of life - bathroom, bedroom, little office, etc. At the end of the hallway stood a white-painted door. On this door was a fairly impressive mural, inexpertly but lovingly painted, an elaborate conglomeration of flowers winding around a trellis. Delilah's name was woven into it in gold letters.

Delilah released Kaimi's hand in order to open the door. Once the way was clear, she almost skipped through and indicated Kaimi was to follow. What greeted Kaimi proved that her friend was definitely a beloved only child, princess of the house. Her bed was the requisite canopy with a high gauzy arch. The wide window ledge overflowed with pots of plants, all varieties, mostly flowers. Various bits of pink and white furniture littered the room and a vanity featured a large mirror above it. Strangely, there were no stuffed animals anywhere in the room. Delilah turned and looked at Kaimi with a tilted head. "Do you like it?"

Delilah smiled brightly, widely, at her friend's reaction and the look was one hundred percent natural and, for once, she appeared her proper age, innocently pleased. "Thank you." Moving forward, she took one of Kaimi's hands and began to lead her around the room. "Mama had Uncle Kiet set up a bed for you in here," she explained. Sure enough, there was a sweet little camp bed set up between Delilah's own and the row of flower boxes.