The child smiled gratefully at her defender and looked at the nanny. “I was excited,” she announced.

“Excited or not, you are never to pull away from me, do you understand?”

“Yes, Ms. Cheryl,” Serafina replied, trying to suppress her giggle as she watched Meka’s silent imitation of the older woman.

An annoyed Angelica and an amused Raph glanced at one another in reaction to Meka’s antics.

“And your outdoor voice disturbed the other guests,” Serafina’s nanny reproved.

The little girl bit her lip as she looked thoughtfully around the large room for the first time and saw the small groups of seated adults, some of which were looking at them. “I should tell them I’m sorry,” she announced and then began to walk towards the closest cluster.

Raph leaned towards his older sister. “She’s so much like Jelimom,” he whispered as he stood to run after the determined and polite little girl, intending to accompany the child on her rounds.

The nanny sighed and sat with the sisters, who greeted her cordially but quickly returned to a more personal discussion.

“He hovers,” Meka observed as the two sisters watched their brother follow Serafina around the room.

“He got that from Mama B.”

“It’s annoying.”

“Sometimes, but sometimes it feels good.”

“Yeah, that too, but mostly it’s annoying,” Meka concluded.  “Funny that Jelimom brought her.”

Angelica sighed, “Mama T keeps trying to reinforce that we’re sisters, which is ridiculous since she wasn’t born until after I had left home.  Exhibit one, her angel name.”

“It’s a good name.”

Angelica rolled her eyes again, “Mama T insists that we be together at every important event.”  Angelica looked at Meka, exasperation in her voice, “You have no idea how many dance recitals, T-ball games, piano recitals, and open school nights I’ve attended.”

“Probably as many as you did for me and Raph when we were kids,” Meka retorted.

“Touche,” Angelica conceded.  “She still thinks that you guys are her brother and sister.”

“Angie, who cares? Really, it doesn’t hurt and she’ll sort it out someday.”

The older sister’s brow furrowed as she processed Meka’s words.  She smiled, “You can cut right to the truth.”

“One of us has too. You two spend too much time sorting everything into categories so that you can analyze them.” Meka smiled, “Another Mama B trait.”

Angelica was eager to keep the conversation active.  She did not want a lull that would allow her mind to drift to the presence of her Mama T at this event.  It was unsettling and she felt horrible that she was questioning, just a little bit, her Mama T’s motives.