What it feels like to be rescued.

Funny thing about love, the deeper it goes the more it unearths. Mia's laughs are already richer and longer, her smiles coming regularly now, and she is playing with Ada and Evelyn like a pro.

But the hard parts are sharper, too. I've never seen a child cry like this (or one with this much reason). And yesterday we entered a new phase, where she retracts, gets suspicious and starts crying whenever I come close. Our best guess is that she's not used to male caregivers. Or that the doctors who treated her burn accident, last May, were men. What we do know is that I've got a lifetime to change her mind.

But today we did have a huge treat: she called Krista "Mommy", loud and clear – and about half an hour later, she waved at me (from a safe distance) with a "Papa." That's enough to last me for a couple of days. Meanwhile it's so sweet and so good to have her Mommy and sisters here, to make her smile.
 

 

And just in case anyone is wondering where we are, here's a photo of what we saw rising out of the mists of West Lake.
 Yep, it's China.