Jess was trembling. Whether it was from excitement or fear, Lirssa could not tell. Mrs. June had helped get Jess ready for the visit. She was so clean she near squeaked with it. Though Jess would never have had the courage or thought to ask for it, Mrs. June had added a bit of lily water fragrance to the girl's dark hair when she brushed it back and pulled the front portion into a little bun with a small orchid in its center. The dress was a pale blue made especially for Jess for meeting days. Jess had never had a meeting day until that day.

Lirssa had taken care with her own dressing so Jess would not feel out of place. Her dress was a long light violet with the dark raspberry bodice and lacings. Her hair was a bit more unruly with nothing to keep it under control, but she looked respectable. "Dr. Maranya said she was sending a carriage about this time, Jess. I suspect it'll be a little late with is being midday and all. Lots of wagons and folks on the street." Truth be known, Lirssa had every expectation of the wagon being on time or early, but she had to prepare Jess just in case it was late.

A preparation unnecessary as a handsome carriage rolled to a stop in front of High Spires House not a few minutes later. Lirssa felt Jess latch on to her when the young driver stepped down to greet them. "Buon giorno! Good day to you, ladies." His smile was wide, warm and the dark eyes friendly beneath the shag of brown hair that gleamed with good care.

Lirssa had met Ernesto, Dr. Maranya's driver, on her initial visit to the palazzo. "Buon giorno, Ernesto!" she greeted with cheer. "Difficult drive?" A flash of a grin, her tutor would be rather proud of her attempt at friendly small talk. She held Jess's hand and walked out of the gated yard of High Spires House to the now open and waiting carriage.

"No, miss, nothing I cannot handle." His own bravado kept his smile warm and a twinkle to his eyes. "Here, little one, let me." He took Jess's hand, she flinched just a moment as if a very large bubble might burst, then smiled as he helped her inside.

Following up without Ernesto's aid, Lirssa settled inside and felt over the luxury of the carriage. "That Mister Antonio sure knows how to pick carriages. Have you ever?" Lirssa laughed bright to the little girl who had tucked herself so far in a corner as if she might destroy the nice surroundings with her very presence.

"Oh, come on Jess, you can't hurt anything. And even if you did, it isn't like Mister Antonio can't afford to have it fixed." She looked out the window as they passed by people and buildings. "Actually, I wonder if this is Mister Antonio's or Dr. Maranya's. I don't think she's actually hurting for money, either. Still, this has a Mister Antonio sort of flair to it, I think." A nod as she looked over it again. "Enjoy it while you can, because the trip won't be terribly long the way Ernesto has the horses taking us at a quick clip-clop." Which reminded her. "Oh! How did you like Mister Jake's farm and bobbin" around with Miss Rena?"

"Mister Jake has lots of animals. I met a cow with really long horns." The new conversation only helped a little in turning Jess's thoughts away from the anxious, sick feeling she had growing in her stomach. "Miss Rena is very nice. I like her. She knows a lot about things. I think she needs a puppy."

Lirssa could not help but laugh. "Why does she need a puppy?"

Jess shrugged, feeling a bit foolish. Lirssa saw what her reaction had done. "No, really, Jess. Do you think she'd like a puppy, or is it you want a puppy, and because you'll be around Miss Rena a lot, you think she should have one so you can play with it' You said Mister Antonio needed a puppy, too, but I think we found just the thing for him, don't you?"

Another shrug was the only response that suddenly with the jolt of the carriage, turned brown eyes wide and hands clenching the edge of the seat. "What's happening?"

With a mild wave of her hand like she were shooing away a fly. "Just the road. We're close. Look at those walls!" Lirssa encouraged Jess to peer out the windows. "That's part of the grounds."

The stone walls had an impressive and warning look about them. Tall and dominating as if to dare anyone to attempt to cross them to what lay inside. Only the metal door which swung open to reveal what a welcoming atmosphere was concealed beyond those walls. "Ready Jess?" Lirssa asked as the carriage pulled to a stop.

Ernesto opened the door and Lirssa sprung out, belatedly thinking she should have waited for Ernesto's aid in descending the carriage steps. She gave him a sheepish sort of grin, then bubbled up a smile of encouragement for Jess who took each step slowly. "They are good people, Jess. I won't let anything happen to you.? Lirssa whispered close to the girl and a kiss to her cheek, then took her hand and turned to face the moment of meeting.

Lirssa gave a nod of encouragement to Jess. The girl took one timid step forward and then stopped. "Remember the story I told you of when I visited" It doesn't hurt a bit, and really felt a bit ticklish, just like Dr. Maranya says. I wouldn't lead you astray, would I?"

Jess had to admit with a shy sort of nod that Lirssa had, in fact, not led her astray — not yet. The thought of a green glow covering her turned her tummy to jelly. Still, there were maybe parents on the other side. Maybe a home and a family. With a deep breath held and back straight, her hand touched upon the panel.

To say Lirssa was relieved was to put it mildly indeed. She never quite knew what set Jess off into her shell still. The shell was more rare a protection these days since the visit to the clinic and her time spent with Miss Rena and on Mister Jake's farm. Still, sometimes the rattle of a chain, or like before with the jolting of the carriage, Jess would sink back into herself.

As before, the green glow trickled up Jess's arm as it had Lirssa's. She watched it progress until it surrounded Jess entirely, made three bright pulses, and then dimmed into nothing. "See, no problem." Lirssa grinned and boldly walked forward.

A confused look up at Dr. Maranaya and then quick stepping it to catch up with Lirssa, Jess said, "It didn't tickle. It didn't hurt, but it didn't tickle either."

"Really?" Lirssa thought about it, but that thought was cast away as she grinned about at the grounds, her feet crunching across the white gravel. "Isn't it lovely?"

"Well," Jess shrugged and whispered, "maybe a little at first." Her eyes cast down and then up to their surroundings. She shuffled closer to Lirssa. "Yes," came the brightening smile, "lovely."

As close as she could with Lirssa, turning about looking the area over once more. "Dr. Maranya, have you always lived in a place like this, or was this a surprise to you, too, when you first saw it?"

Jess was looking over the grounds, but mostly she was looking for people. Two people in particular. With nervous fingers, she twisted a dark lock of her hair around her finger , unwrapped it, and wrapped it again over and over.

If it weren't for the hand aching clench of Jess's, Lirssa would have been tempted to take off at a run after Alberto. Fortunate, in reflection, that she did not in her dress. Instead of wincing and drawing her hand free of the vice, Lirssa gave a warm smile and nod. "Absolutely. Looks like he is heading to Jess's favorite place. The barn."

Jess was quite curious, frightened, and oh so many things. Her stomach was doing more tumbles than Lirssa could manage, so she thinks. A gulp to push down the tight lump of her throat, she nodded but did not dare one step forward. Her free hand smoothed over her dress, then would clench the cloth, then smooth again.

"Right then. You should see the horses, Jess, and sooner or later, you've got to let me have my hand back. They don't want to see you plus my hand. They just want to see you."

Skepticism bubbled up more. Nobody had wanted to see her before and, "They have a boy?"

"What of it' My parents have two children of their own. They still love me as their daughter natural born, though I'm not. Besides, every father wants a daughter." She was quite careful not to say every man. In her experience, not every man was a father — no matter if he had children or not. "And you've got something he doesn't."

Completely amazed at that statement, Jess blurted out, "What's that?"

"A sense of style. Did you see what he was wearing?" Lirssa was trying her best to make Jess feel good about this. As they rounded the entrance to the barn, Lirssa stepped back a little, wiggled her hand free of Jess's, but set her hands on the little girl's shoulder. It was a protective and promoting gesture. Jess was not without her presence, but she was in the front. She had the spotlight. This was her moment.

Lirssa sure as heck wasn't going to let her feint, and so whispered in her ear to try and calm her. "Remember puppy noses and floppy ears. If you don't get that feeling like when you were meeting my pack, then we will call it no good and no harm done."

A tight lipped nod, Jess did smile a little at the thought. She remember the shy way she felt around the big dogs, but after a few moments, they were her best friends and she knew they were hers and she was theirs. She wondered if it would be the same with humans. She dared to open her heart and hope a little to find out.

Lirssa grinned up at the family. It was a lively family, which is what had won her over early on in the meeting. Their discussion had been more formal, and Lirssa knew that Dr. Maranya had spoken about what she had learned of Jess to the family as well.

What Jess felt was a little warm glow like someone had taken a drop from a sunshower and placed it in the center of her. She accepted the woman, Alessandra's, hand and nodded. She could be helpful, though, she looked down at her dress and up at the woman's apron and gave a worried glance over to Lirssa.

"Never you mind that, Jess." Lirssa knew just what she was thinking. But before she could encourage more a happy dog came up, and Lirssa knew it.

She knew because Jess's chest just swelled at the sight of the dog as she drew in a big breath. The dog was like a sign of everything good. Arms out, ignoring her dress, she hugged upon the dog, petted him, let him lick her face all over and gave him kisses.

Horses, chickens, dogs, and a family. She pinched at her leg through the cloth of her dress. It was not a dream, or if it was then she determined it was better not to wake up; just snuggle in the warmth of it all. Speaking might break the spell, so instead she got up and hugged upon Alessandra and gave a happy nod to Alberto.

Hands on hips, twisting her smile to keep from letting herself cry, Lirssa nodded. "I'll see her other things to you later tonight." She turned about and aimed a hip bump at Dr. Maranya, and gave her a secreted thumbs up. This was, she was as certain as when she found her own second family, a perfect match.

Jess had a family.