Our parents and others tried to talk to me about what was going on, but I wasn’t ready. While Ajie talked with them, I started to go back to our room but ended up at the fire pit in front of the hotel. Ajie had found me there in tears, and we went to our room.

On Saturday morning, we had an encounter with a wolf up on the cliff. To begin with, it was a little intense but ended peacefully.

Then after breakfast, on the way home, it was a stop in Taos to see Mr. Yazzie, and once back at the house, it was getting ready for tomorrow’s open house. We were surprised by Charlie and Jackie, giving us two coffee tables that Charlie had made as a house warming gift. And again that night our parents tried to get me to talk about my problem. But I still wouldn’t.

Early Sunday morning, like one in the morning, I couldn’t sleep, and Amy joined me in the courtyard. Amy insisted that we talk about the problem, and we did. I also found out what the talk after the bonfire at the resort was about. We did make it back to bed. When we woke up, we had talked more.

The open house was a success, and afterward, with the support of Naainish and Quah Ah, we talked with our parents about everything. Charlie and Jackie were still there, so they also heard everything. They even heard that Amy and I were looking into either adopting or fostering a Navajo child. We’d seen smiles from all the women present and surprisingly Naainish.

Still, no one has been able to tell us what the number three has to do with all of this. Or if they know, that won’t tell us.

Monday morning, we were all up early. Our parents had an early flight home. So, Amy and I made frybread breakfast tacos for everyone. After breakfast, as we were cleaning up, I was washing the coffee maker, and I said to our parents, “This will be here waiting for you for the next time you come out.”

“We’ll see you again as soon as we can.”, my father said. “And buy fresh coffee before we come.”

“And, yes, we’ll see you as soon as we can.”, my mother-in-law added.

We loaded all of their luggage into two cars and drove to the airport. After our parents had checked in, we walked down the concourse with them and waited. As they called for boarding, the so longs were tearful. We watched as they walked across the tarmac and up the boarding stairs. We all waved as they disappeared into the plane. Amy and I then went up onto the observation deck and watched as the plane taxied out to the runway and took off.

I looked at Amy, and she was crying, so I said, “Honey, it won’t be long until we see them again.” Little did I know how true that statement was.

“I know.”, Amy said. “I just miss them so much.”

“I do too.”

“Are you still going into the university?”

“Yes, if it’s okay. I just want to see if anything is going on. And if nothing is, I’ll come right home.”

“Good. I may be in the office. I need to get back to writing my text.”

Amy and I walked back out to the parking lot, and we said so long to each other. I wanted to kiss her so bad, but there were too many people around, so we just hugged. I did say, “Ayóó' áníínísh'ní, Ajie. - (I love you, Ajie.)”

Amy smiled and said, “Ayóó' áníínísh'ní aldó’, Tommy. - (I love you too, Tommy.)”

I looked at her and said, “Tommy?”

She smiled, and as she touched my chest, she said, “Always.”

And I wanted to kiss her even more. But I didn’t. We got into our respective cars, Amy headed home, and I headed to the university.

As I walked into the office, Dr. Joe looked at me and said, “That was a nice open house that you had.”

“Thanks.”, I said. “It was a lot of fun.”

“And, you’re dad was interesting to talk to.”

“One researcher to another.”

“I guess it was. Are you feeling any better?”

“I think. Seeing little Mark helped. Plus, we had some deep talks the past couple of days. And we found out that Chief Clah works closely with the Navajo Children and Family Service people.”

“Oh! Thinking of adopting?”

“Maybe. Or fostering. But we need to look into it some more.”

“Knowing you, you’ll know it inside and out before you’re done.”

“You’re probably right. So, anything going on?”, I asked.

“No. Not right now.”

“Okay, I’ll check back later this week or call me. I’m heading home, I’ve got some things to do.”

“Okay. Say hi to Amy for me.”

“You do the same to Mary and especially little Makwa – (bear).”

“I will. See you later, Kai.”

“Later.”

As I pulled into the garage at home, Amy’s car wasn’t there. I went into the house, and there was a note. And it said, ”Hi honey. They called from the hospital and needed me. I should be home by six. Don’t start without me. Love, Amy.”

I thought, ‘What did she mean by, don’t start without me?’

Oh well, I guess I can’t do anything.

But, I did do somethings. I went and looked at the hogan. The outside of the hogan, we need to do some landscaping. I went into the hogan, here was enough light coming in through the smoke hole that you could see what you were doing.

I went over by the fire pit, sat, and did some thinking. Some thinking about writing a paper. Maybe for my doctoral. Or perhaps just to be published. I came up with some ideas, and I just needed to find out if something, like I was thinking of doing, had been done or not. Hmm, maybe a drive back to the university after lunch.

I did make that drive and spent some time digging through the list of doctoral papers on integrated circuits. And the two subjects that I was thinking about weren’t on any of the lists. What was I thinking about?

Do you really want to know? Okay. You asked for it, I was thinking along the lines of analog integrated circuits using MOS technology, or dynamic flip-flop sensors and latching pulses. I warned you. It’s geeky stuff.

So it was time to find some techie books on these subjects, which might not be easy. So it was digging through the stacks. And nothing.

I looked at the time, and it was almost five. So I called it a day and headed home. As I pulled into our driveway, I stopped and grabbed the newspaper and mail.

And once in the house, I looked at the answering machine, and there was at least one message. I rewound the tape and pressed play. The first message was from Amy’s parents, they’d arrived home safe and sound, and they thanked us for a wonderful time. The second message was from my parents, and it basically said the same thing.

As Amy had said, she was home just before six. After we’d greeted each other, I asked, “So what didn’t you want me to start without you?”

“Dinner.”, Amy replied.

“Oh. Why?”

“On the way home from the airport, I stopped at the grocery store and picked up a couple of salmon steaks and some asparagus.”

“I’m glad I waited.”

Along with the salmon and asparagus, we made cheesy potatoes southwest style. These cheesy potatoes are made with diced tomatoes, diced green chilies, sweet corn, black beans, Mexican blend cheese, and of course, bite-sized pieces of potatoes. Yum!

After dinner, we had sangria out in the courtyard. As we sat there, Amy asked, “So, did Dr. Joe have any news of any kind?”

“Nothing yet.”, I replied. “But Los Alamos will come through with something.”

“So, what did you do?”

“I looked at what we might do about landscaping the hogan.”

“Okay.”

“And I was thinking about a subject for my doctoral thesis or something that I could publish.”

“Oh! Come up with anything?”

“Maybe.”, I said. “I need to talk to Dr. Joe about it. Now, can we talk about anything else?”

“Do you want to talk about the adoption thing?”, Amy asked.

“How did you guess?”

“I just felt that you might be ready to talk about it.”

“Are you?”

“Yes. Are you?”

“Yes. Where do we start?”

“Let’s find out as much as we can about adoption and fostering.”, Amy said.

“That may be a good place to start.”, I said.

“Do you think Chief Clah would be a good place to start.”

“Probably. He does know all about Tom and Kai.”

“That was one thing I was wondering about. How would the people at the Navajo Children and Family Services feel about a couple like us?”

“Good question. Do you want me to call him tomorrow?”, I asked.

“I think so.”

Tuesday morning, I went into the university for three reasons, to talk with Dr. Joe about my ideas for a thesis, to call Chief Clah, and to leave Amy alone so she could work on her text.

When I walked up to the office at nine o’clock, it was dark. So, Dr. Joe wasn’t here yet. I unlocked the door, cleared the alarm, and turned on the lights. I sat at the desk, dug my wallet out of my purse, found Chief Clah’s card, and called the number of the Navajo Nation’s offices in Window Rock.

That office told me that he was at his office in Albuquerque today. I thanked them and called his office here in Albuquerque. After I got past his secretary, we talked.

“Hello, Kai.”, Chief Clah said as he answered his phone.

“Hello, Chief Clah.”, I said.

“What can I do for you?”

“Amy and I would like to talk to you.”

“Is this in regards to the adoption issue?”

“Yes, sir. We want to find out more about it and feel that you might be the best one for us to talk to.”

“In your case, I might be.”

“You do know all about us.”, I said.

“That I do.”, Chief Clah said. “When would you like to do it?”

“Right now, we’re flexible.”

“Today is out, and tomorrow I’ll be in Window Rock on tribal business. I will be back in Albuquerque on Thursday, and I’m free at one.”

“One on Thursday should work.”

“Would you mind if I have someone else there?”

“Who?”

“Someone from the Navajo Children and Family Services.”

“I don’t know if we’re ready for that yet.”

“She may be able to answer questions that I can’t.”, Chief Clah said.

“Like how’d they feel about two girls?”, I said. “One of them being someone like me?”

“That could be one thing.”

“How good are they at keeping things quiet?”

“Very good. It’s something that they do all the time. Plus, ninety percent of the staff is Navajo, and the other ten percent are from other area tribes. Remember that the first word in their name is Navajo.”

“True.”, I said. “I guess we’ll see how I feel when I meet them.”

“Kai, it’ll be fine.”, Chief Clah said. And I’m going to be there for you and Amy. I do work with them, but not for them.”

“I hope. We’ll see you at one on Thursday.”

“Take care, Kai, and say hello to Amy for me.”

“Say hi to Mai. Hágoónee' - (see you later), Chief.”

“Hágoónee', Kai.”

Just then, Dr. Joe walked into the office, and he said, “Good morning, Kai.”

“Good morning, Dr. Joe. Let me call Amy, and then I have something to discuss with you.”

I picked the phone up and called home. When Amy answered, I said, “Hi honey. Sorry to interrupt you, but I just talked to Chief Clah. And we’re meeting with him at one Thursday afternoon.” … “Yes, and he wanted to have someone there from the Navajo Children and Family Services.” … “I wasn’t too sure about it, but he said that they would be discreet.” … “He said that they might be able to answer our questions better than he can.” … “Yes, I asked him about the two girl thing, and he said it would be better for them to answer that.” … “He also told me that he’d be there for us.” … “Okay, love. I’ll see you later. Ayóó' áníínísh'ní. - (I love you.)”

As I hung up the phone, I looked at Dr. Joe, and he was looking at me. And he said, “Navajo Children and Family Services. You are planning something. Aren’t you?”

“Yes, Amy and I talked more about adopting or fostering a Navajo child. And we’re going to talk to some people.”

“The researcher is looking for all the facts.”

“Yes. We’ve realized that we’re helping the older children with the scholarships. And since we can’t have children we thought that we might be able to help a younger child with either adoption or fostering.”

“You know, that’s great. And it’s something that I see you and Amy doing and doing right. Let me know if there’s anything that I can do to help.

“So, what do you want to talk about?”

“I’ve come up with a couple of ideas for either a paper to be published or for a doctoral thesis.”, I said.

“It’s about time.”, “Dr. Joe said. “What are they?”

“Oh, thanks. I’m looking at something along the lines of analog integrated circuits using MOS technology, or dynamic flip-flop sensors and latching pulses.”

“Okay. They both have to do with integrated circuits. Don’t they?”

“Yes.”

“Thought so.”

And Dr. Joe and I went over what I’d done so far and what I’d need to do.

We then went to lunch. As we ate in the faculty dining room, I said, “I was thinking over what we’d talked about for this doctoral thing. And that’s a lot of stuff to do.”

“It is.”, Dr. Joe said. “And remember that you’ll need to defend the thesis in front of a board of faculty members. But knowing you and the way that you can present something that you believe in, you won’t have a problem.

“And by doing this doctoral the way you’re doing it, you will be a young doctoral candidate. And you are already establishing yourself professionally in many ways. There are people in high places that you’ve impressed, and they will back you. Why do you think that you were pushed to bypass your masters. These people see your potential. If they hadn’t seen it, you wouldn’t have the Research Associate position.

“And from what I hear, Amy is in the same boat.”

I looked at Dr. Joe for a few seconds, then I said, “Really?”

“Yes, Kai, really. Both you and Amy are the exception to the rule. You both are young, both of you know your subjects exceptionally well and can teach them in a way that encourages the student to learn.

“I was thirty-one when I earned my doctoral. You could easily do it before you turn twenty-five.”

“That’s what scares me.”, I said. “I’m going to be young when and if I finish this doctoral. How will I be looked at by my peers?”

“Kai, if they know you, they’ll be properly impressed. If they don’t know you, some will be jealous.”

After we’d finished lunch, Dr. Joe went back to his office, and I headed home with a stop at the hardware store that’s close to us. At the hardware store, I went to the outdoor sales area, where they have a lot of desert-type plants for doing landscaping. I started looking around at the various plants. As I was looking around, a man came up to me and asked, “Miss, is there something that I can help you with.”

“Maybe.”, I said. “We just had a hogan built behind the house and want to do a little landscaping around it to match what's been done around the house.”

“A hogan?”

“Yes, a typical Navajo home.”

“Yes, I know. But you don’t see much landscaping around them.”

“True. This hogan is a little more than the typical hogan. But we don’t want to do much. Probably plants that grow close to the ground. Something to transition from the landscaping around the house to the hogan.”

“We do offer a landscaping design service.”

“Interesting. Let me talk to my cousin about it, and we may just do it.”

A little later, as I walked into the house, I could hear the typewriter going. I stuck my head in the door, Amy looked at me, and I said, “I’m home.”

“So, I see.”, Amy replied.

“Did you take a break for lunch?”

“Is it that late?”

“Yes. Want me to make you something?”

“Sure. I’ll finish this part and be right out.”

“You’d better be, or I’m coming to get you.”

“I’ll be right there.”

I went to the kitchen and fixed Amy some lunch. And she was good to her word. She joined me fairly quickly. As she ate, I told her about my visit to the hardware store, and she was interested in the design service.

Then I told her about the talk that Dr. Joe and I had, and what he’d told me. And that it was scary.

Then Amy said, “So, Dr. Joe thinks that we’re the exception to the rule?”

“Yes, I guess most people don’t receive their doctoral until their mid-thirties. Dr. Joe said that he didn’t receive his until he was thirty-one. And he thinks that we could have ours by the time we’re twenty-five.

“Plus, he feels that we’re already establishing ourselves professionally.”

“Now I know why you said it was scary.”

After Amy had her lunch, she went back to work on her textbook. I grabbed some of my technical journals, and went out into the courtyard and started looking for information for my thesis.

I’m not going to bore you about went on for the rest of Tuesday or on Wednesday. It was just research, and Amy working at the hospital on Wednesday.

Thursday was one of those days when time flew by faster than you wanted it to. Why was time flying? Because Amy and I were meeting with Chief Clah and someone from the Navajo Children and Family Services, and I’m more nervous than I’ve ever been.

Just before one in the afternoon, Amy and I walked into Chief Clah’s office in downtown Albuquerque. Like I always do, I was dressed for a meeting, a long skirt, fancy blouse, and wrap moccasins. I did go light on the jewelry. My hair was done in two braids, with a simple headband. Amy was dressed almost identically to me. Except she had her hair in a single braid.

As we walked into Chief Clah’s office, his secretary looked at us, and asked, “Can I help you?”

“Yes, I’m Miss Nez, and we have an appointment to see Mr. Clah at one.”, I said.

“Yes, Miss Nez, Mr. Clah is expecting you, please have a seat, and I’ll tell him that you’re here.”

“Thank you.”

Ajie and I went, sat, and waited. It was a few minutes later that the door to Chief Clah’s office opened, and he walked out. He looked at us, smiled, and said, “Kai and Ajie come on in.”

Ajie and I got up, and I said, “Chief Clah, it’s good to see you.”

“And, you too.”

As we walked into the Chief’s office, we saw a woman sitting there. And she was a native. Chief Clah said, “Mrs. Biakeddy, this is Miss Kai Nez and Miss Amy Young, who we call Ajie Nez. Kai and Ajie, this is Mrs. Dezba Biakeddy. She’s the administrator of the Navajo Children and Family Services.”

I smiled at hearing the last name Biakeddy, and Mrs. Biakeddy asked, “Is something wrong, Miss Nez?”

“No, Mrs. Biakeddy.”, I said. “It’s that your last name is the same as one of my uncles and the same as the man that gave me my driver’s test out here.”

“Biakeddy is a common name, just like Nez is.”

“We’ve learned that.”

“If I may ask, who is your uncle?”

“His name is Yiska or Paul, and he manages the Ojo Caliente resort north of here.”

“I’ve never heard of him, and he’s probably never heard of me.”

“I can understand that.”

“Mr. Clah hasn’t told me much about you.”, Mrs. Biakeddy said. “You said that you took a driver's test out here. Aren’t you from around here?”

“No.”, I replied. “We’re from Ohio. We came out here a year ago when Ajie was given a full-ride scholarship for her master's work. And I came along with her because I have several relatives out here. And I didn’t have a driver's license but figured that I should have one out here. So I got one.”

“What do you do?”

“Both of us are at the University of New Mexico.”, I said. “Ajie has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and is working on her doctorate in nursing. She is also part-time faculty at the College of Nursing and works at the hospital in the emergency room.

“With me, I have a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, and I’m a full-time faculty member in the College of Engineering and also hold a Research Associate’s position. And I’m working on a doctorate in electrical engineering.”

“I see. Now, Mr. Clah did tell me that you do have some interest in adoption or fostering a child?”

“Yes, we thought that we might be able to help the children.”

“Why do you think that you’d be able to help the children?”

“Did Chief Clah tell you about the scholarship?”

“No.”

“Well, a couple of years ago … ” and I went on to tell her the story of the Chief Nastas Todachine Scholarship. As I gave her the details, she just looked at me.

When I finished the story of the scholarship, Mrs. Biakeddy said, “You two are the ones that started that scholarship?”

“Yes, and we still control it. And we feel that we still have something more to give.”

Looking at Ajie, Mrs. Biakeddy asked, “Miss Young, why are you sometimes called by the Navajo name, Ajie Nez.”

“The Big Medicine People Clan made me an honorary member, and it was the name that the tribal elders gave me.”, Ajie replied.

“Wait a minute.”, Mrs. Biakeddy said. “Now, I remember where I’ve seen you two before. I’m also a member of the Big Medicine People Clan. And you were at the meeting in Window Rock when we chose a new Chief. And, Kai Nez, you stood up for Chief Etsitty. Didn't you?”

I looked at her and smiled as I said, “Yes. I’m also a member of the Big Medicine People Clan. It was my grandmother's clan.”

Her eyes got big as she said, “Then … Then you’re the Nádleeh – (two spirit person).”

I smiled as I said, “Guilty as charged.”

Then I said, “And, Mrs. Biakeddy, Ajie and I came here to find out more about adopting and fostering. And I think you’ve found out more about us then we intended to tell you today.

“As Chief Clah will tell you, we are private people. If we decide to adopt or foster a child, I know that we’d have to be completely upfront with you. But we’re not ready to do either right now. So, we ask you to please keep what we’ve talked about today to yourself.”

“Miss Nez.”, Mrs. Biakeddy said. “One thing that we do very well is to keep our client's information private.”

“But, we’re not clients.”

“I know. But you may become our client, and if we allowed your information to become public, we’d lose the confidence that our clients have in us to protect their information. So what you’ve told me today is just between the four of us.”

“Thank you. Now could you fill us in on the requirements to adopt or foster a child?”

“I’d be happy to.” And, Mrs. Biakeddy gave us the details involved in adopting or fostering a child.

When she finished telling us, I said, “That was very helpful, Mrs. Biakeddy. Now, I’m going to open a can of worms.”

“And, what is that?”, Mrs. Biakeddy asked.

“First, Chief Clah knows all of this, and I think that he feels that you should also know before we go any further. Am I right, Chief?”

“Yes, Kai, you are.”, Chief Clah said.

“Mrs. Biakeddy, have you ever worked with a couple that was two girls before?”

“I can’t say that we have. It would be a strange thing to do.”

“So, with what you know about us right now, we wouldn’t have a chance to adopt?”

“It would be a stumbling block.”

“But not a wall?”

“Possibly not. But that would be up to the selection committee.”

“I see. So we’d have to go before this committee?”

“Usually, no. They rely a lot on the information from your caseworker.”

“I see. So if we were a married man and woman, there wouldn’t be a problem?”

“From what I’ve heard here today about the two of you and without going deeper into anything, it would be one less problem that could prevent you from adopting or fostering a child.”

I again looked at Chief Clah, and he nodded yes.

Then I said, “Mrs. Biakeddy, you are a Navajo, so you should understand what a Nádleeh is.”

“I do, Miss Nez.”, Mrs. Biakeddy said. “It’s a person that has two spirits.”

“What are those two spirits?”

“I believe that one is the spirit of a man, and the other is the spirit of a woman.”

“They are. And it’s said that a Nádleeh sees things through the eyes of a man and a woman at the same time giving the Nádleeh the ability to see things that others can’t. And I can do that. I can see people that have bad feelings towards myself and those that are close to me.”

“How do you feel about me, Miss Nez?”

“Mrs. Biakeddy, if I didn’t feel good about you, we wouldn’t be sitting here. I feel that you are a good person with an open mind.”

“Thank you, Miss Nez. What are you leading up to?”

“I’m going to throw you another curve.”

“Oh?”

“Mrs. Biakeddy, my legal name is Thomas Bly Young.”

Mrs. Biakeddy sat there looking at me, then finally said, “You’re really a man!?”

“Yes. When I’m out here, my female spirit is very strong because of all of my ancestors being here. And she wants to be seen. So I’m Kai when I’m out here. Also, I’m only one-fourth Navajo. The rest is Anglo.

“Our medicine man friend, Naainish Yazzie, has told us that it’s the way it should be. And he’s guided Ajie and me down the correct path.”

“That is quite a curve, Miss Nez.”

“Too much of a curve?”

“Maybe not. But I’m sensing that there’s more?”, Mrs. Biakeddy said.

“There is. Ajie isn’t my cousin. She’s my wife.”

“Now, there’s a curve.”

“And Ajie is not a Navajo. She has a small amount of native blood. Her fourth great grandmother was a member of the Wampanoag Tribe of New England. But she has been accepted by the Navajo people, and she has taken to the Navajo people.”

“Very interesting.”, Mrs. Biakeddy said. “Ajie, who gave you the name Ajie Nez?”

“Kai and I were at a ceremony for her.”, Ajie replied. “And Chief Kinlicheeny, Chief Todachine, Naainish, and five other tribal elders were there. And Chief Todachine was the first to use my name, Ajie. He told us that they had chosen Ajie as my name because I’m so close to Kai that I share his spirits in my heart. And that Ajie means, my heart.”

Then I added, “Also at the same time Chief Kinlicheeny told Ajie that they’d like to make her a member of the Navajo Nation, but they couldn’t because she doesn’t have any Navajo blood.”

Again Mrs. Biakeddy sat there and looked at us, then she looked at Chief Clah, and using his proper title for the first time, said, “Chief Clah, after hearing those names, I have a feeling that I’m in the presence of two people who are special to their people.”

Chief Clah just nodded yes.

Looking at me, Mrs. Biakeddy said, “I hope you don’t mind, but Chief Clah explained to me why you are looking at fostering or adopting a child. And I’m sorry to hear about the problem that you’re having.”

“Thank you.”, I said.

“And I think that if you decide to pursue an adoption or fostering that, I need to be your caseworker.”

“We’re not looking for special treatment.”

“I know. It’s just that some people wouldn't understand you, And after today, I think I have a little bit of an understanding of the two of you.”

“And you’d like to see us do something like this. Wouldn’t you?”

“I know I would.”, Chief Clah said.

“I think that the two of you would make good parents.”, Mrs. Biakeddy said. “There is only one concern that I have.”

“What’s that?”, I asked.

“The two of you are so busy at the university. … ”

“You’re worried that we wouldn’t have enough time for the child?”, Ajie said.

“Exactly.”

“If one or the other of us couldn’t be with them, the university has a good daycare for the children of the faculty, staff, and students. It’s staffed by trained educators in child development with the help of the students from the College of Education.”

I saw Mrs. Biakeddy smile, and I said, “But, you knew that. Didn’t you?”

“Of course.”, Mrs. Biakeddy said. “I just wanted to see how you felt about it.

“Could I give you the applications for both an adoption and a fostering. That way, when you’re ready, you’ll have them. And when and if you decide to do this, return them directly to me.”

I looked at Ajie. She nodded, yes. So I said, “That would be fine, Mrs. Biakeddy.”

Mrs. Biakeddy picked up her briefcase, opened it, and took out two pamphlets, and as she handed them to Ajie, she said, “One of these covers adoption and the other fostering. We’ve talked about most of what’s in these.”

Then she took two folders, handed those to Ajie, and said, “These contain the applications. I know that there’s a lot to them, but everything is important. And Kai, you will need to use your legal name.”

“I understand.”, I replied.

“Well.”, Chief Clah said. “It looks like we may have something positive in the works.”

“I hope so.”, I said. “And, Mrs. Biakeddy, it’s been a pleasure meeting you.”

“And, it’s been a real pleasure meeting you and Ajie.”, Mrs. Biakeddy said. “Meeting a Nádleeh this way has opened my eyes a little. And I’m willing to work with you.”

“And we with you.”

We said so long to Mrs. Biakeddy. And then Chief Clah said, “Kai and Ajie, if there is anything I can do to help you don’t hesitate to ask. And, when and if you decided to do this, bring the forms to me and let me go over them. Then I’ll have my secretary notarize them for you.”

“Thank you for everything, Chief Clah.”, I said. “And we’ll keep in touch.”

As we were on the way home, I asked, “Want to run up to Santa Fe for dinner.”

“That would be fun.”, Ajie replied. “The Pink Adobe?”

“Maybe. But I’ve heard that The Shed is good.”

“Let’s try it.”

We found The Shed and had a good meal, and then we headed home. I know I was quiet on the way home, but I had something on my mind. As we pulled into the garage, Ajie asked, “Honey, what are you thinking about. The adoption thing?”

“Yeah.”, I said.

“Me too.”

“Do you have the makings for sangria?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s make some, then sit and watch the stars.”

“I love your idea.”

Later we were sitting out in the courtyard sipping sangria with a small fire burning in the fire pit and watching the stars. Ajie finally broke the silence when she said, “Honey, how do you feel about this adoption thing?”

“I feel good about it.”, I said. “And I feel that adoption is the way to go.”

“So, do I.”

“I feel I want the relationship with the child to be forever. That I want them to be ours through thick and thin, I want to take full responsibility for them. I want them to be ours.

“I don’t want someone else making decisions for them. It should be our choice who they see if they need a doctor, where they go to school, and if they embrace the Great Spirit or not.”

“We’re thinking along the same lines, love.”, Ajie said.

We cuddled together, and I pointed out some constellations to Ajie. But, there were no shooting stars tonight.

As I woke up on Friday morning, Amy was looking at me. She smiled and said, “Happy birthday, love.” And then I received a very nice kiss.

Then as we were eating breakfast, Amy asked what I was doing today, and I told her that I needed to go into the university for a little while, but that I’d be home early. Amy then said, “If you call and get the answering machine, leave a message. I’ll be here, but I don’t want to get called into work on your special day.”

“It’s not that special.”, I said.

“Just like you said, you only turn twenty-three once.”

“You’re planning something.”

“Who me?”

“Yes, you.”

“No, not me.”

“We’ll see.”

A little later, as I walked into the office, Dr. Joe said, “Mornin’. How was your meeting?”

“It was interesting.”, I said. “And very informative.”

“So, what are you going to do?”

“We’re leaning towards adoption.”

“How long will that take?”

“I’m not sure. We didn’t talk about that. But I think it depends on several things.”

“This is going to be interesting.”, Dr. Joe said.

“Tell me about it.”, I replied. “I’m going to the library and do some research on my thesis. And then we’re going to the resort.”

“Okay. We’ll see you later.”

I did go to the library, but only until ten, and then I headed home. When I was back at home, Amy, no Ajie, was dressed for the barbecue. The usual long skirt, fancy blouse, wrap moccasins, and her hair was in two braids.

I went to our room to change, and there was a brand new long velvet skirt, a new fancy blouse, and a new pair of wrap moccasins. Amy had followed me to our room, and she said, “Happy birthday, love.”

“You shouldn’t have.”, I said.

“Yes, I should have. Now, get changed, and let's get going.”

I did change into my new clothes and redid my single braid into two braids. Then we went to the safe in the garage, and choose our jewelry. We both put on Concho belts, and the rest went into the camera case. Then we headed to the resort.

As we drove, we talked about something. Something to do with the adoption.

When we pulled up to my aunt and uncle’s house, there were a couple of cars and a pickup truck there. The pickup truck belonged Naainish, the two cars had Arizona license plates, and I knew that one of them was my Uncle Gaagii’s car. The other one I wasn’t sure about.

As we walked into the house, we were met by both sets of my aunts and uncles, and Naainish with a “Baa hózho´ogo ni'dizhchi´, Kai. - (Good wishes for your birthday, Kai.)”

And I received a lot of hugs, except from Naainish. But that’s Naainish.

We took our things to our room and picked out our jewelry. It was the usual bracelets and rings. Ajie wore her new squash blossom necklace, and I wore one of the other ones. I chose the earrings that were made of the dimes with the gold feathers hanging from them. Ajie wore a pair of silver feather earrings. We both wore our braided leather headbands with the Eagle feathers.

As we walked toward the area where the barbecue is, we saw guests also heading that way. But when we got there, I saw not only Charlie and Jackie, who I knew would be there, but Chief Tom and Vickie, and Dr. Joe, Mary, and little Mark. Also, Chief Kinlicheeny was there with his wife, as was Chief Clah and his wife Mai were there.

Ajie and I had time to walk around before it was time for dinner. We walked over to the are were the dancers were, and I saw that Dibe’s mother and father were here.

As we watched the dancers, we noticed that Dibe had spotted us. When she finished her dance, we saw her whisper something to one of her friends. Then they both ran over to where we were standing. After receiving hugs and a happy birthday from Dibe, she and her friend took Ajie and me to the dance area. And we danced with them. Ajie did a lot better than I did, but Dibe did try to help me.

When we finished the dance, I saw my Uncle Paul wave to me, so after thanking Dibe and her friend for the dance, Ajie and I headed to where my uncle was. When we were there, my uncle said, “The food is ready, Kai.”

“I only see Chief Kinlicheeny, Chief Clah, and Chief Tom. Is there anyone else here?”

“No, Kai, that’s it.”, Uncle Paul said.

Ajie and I did our usual introductions, but before I could introduce Naainish, my Uncle Paul took the microphone from me. Then he said, “We have one more special thing to do.”

Then as he put his arm around me, he said, “This young lady has been doing the introductions at the barbecue for the past few years. And today is a special day for her, so I’d like to wish Kai Nez baa hózho´ogo ni'dizhchi´ or good wishes for your birthday.”

Someone started singing happy birthday. And I got embarrassed.

When they finished singing, my uncle said, “On the dessert table is a birthday cake, and as soon as Kai cuts the first piece, we’ll have some for everyone.”

Then as he handed me the microphone, Uncle Paul said, “Finish your job, birthday girl.”

I took the microphone and said, “Thank you, Mr. Biakeddy. One more thing and we can eat. Naainish, please join us.”

I waited until Naainish was with me, then I said, “This is Naainish. He is one of our medicine men. He’ll give us a short prayer, and then we can eat.”

I handed Naainish the microphone, and he gave us a short prayer. Then he handed the microphone back to me, and I said, “Ladies and gentlemen, the food is ready. Enjoy.”

Then I looked at my uncle and said, “Thanks for embarrassing me, Uncle Paul.”

With a big grin, Uncle Paul said, “Kai, it was my pleasure.”

I just shook my head. Ajie then took my hand and led me to the dessert table. On the table was a huge sheet birthday cake. It said, ‘Happy birthday Kai’ on it and was decorated with a wolf and Eagle.

I heard a woman say to no one in particular, “Why a wolf and an Eagle.”

I looked at her and said, “They represent my spirits.”

“Oh! Happy birthday, young lady.”

“Thank you.”

I then cut the first and second pieces of cake, the first, a corner piece with all the icing, for me, and the second piece for Ajie. We dropped those off where my aunts and uncles were sitting, then went and got our food. When we were back at the table, my cake was missing. I looked at my Uncle Paul, and he said, “That was a good cake.”

“Uncle Paul, where’s my cake?”, I asked.

“In my stomach.”, he replied as he patted his stomach.

“Okay. I quit!”

“You quit what?”

“Being your announcer.”

“Wait. Kai.”, Uncle Paul said as he pulled my piece of cake, which had been on his lap, out from under the table, and set it in front of me.

I looked at him and said, “Now I want a raise.”

“A raise!”

“You’re going to have to double my pay to get me back.”

“But I don’t pay you anything.”

“Hmm. We’re going to have to work on that. I’ll have my people talk with your people.”

“Huh?”

“Oh, never mind.”

Ajie and I ate our barbecue, then our cake. And while we ate, I received some beautiful cards, and a couple had checks in them.

When we were finished, we walked around and talked with people. And I had several people wish me a happy birthday.

We found Chief Kinlicheeny and Chief Clah, and their wives standing and watching the dancers. Chief Clah asked, “Isn’t one of the dancers the first recipient of the scholarship?”

“Yes.”, Ajie said. “The girl in the white regalia.”

“How is she doing?”

“She just finished her first year, and did wonderfully.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“Chief, we have a question for you. Let’s go sit someplace.”

“We’ll see you later.”, Chief Kinlicheeny said.

“No, Chief.”, I said. “You and your wife, and Mai may want to hear this.”

The six of us walked to an empty table and sat.

Then Ajie said, “First, I know that the four of you know that Kai is a man and a two spirit person. And now we’ve found out that because of something that happened to Kai while we were in college, we can’t have children.

“We’ve spoken with Chief Clah and a Mrs. Biakeddy from the Navajo children's services about adoption. And we hope that we can adopt a Navajo child.”

“I’ve known about everything except what happened when you were in college.”, Chief Kinlicheeny said.

“Kai was attacked and severely beaten.”, Ajie said. “The beating made it so that he can’t father children.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

Ajie went on with, “One thing that bothers both of us with the adoption is that the child if it’s a closed adoption, which is what we want, takes the surname of the adopting couple. And we both feel that Young, which is Kai’s legal surname, isn’t a Navajo surname.”

“You do know that surnames in the Navajo culture came from the Anglos. Don’t you?”, Mia Clah said.

“Yes, Mia, we do.”, I said. “If they used anything, they used the name of their clan until the white man came and forced them to pick one so that they could keep records.”

Mai just nodded yes, then said, “You have learned your Navajo history.”

I smiled.

“So what are you thinking of doing?”, Chief Clah asked.

I looked at Ajie, then at Chief Clah, and said, “Chief, with you being a lawyer, we figured that you’d be the best one to ask how much trouble it would be to legally change our names?”

“I thought that’s the direction you were going. And you know that you don’t have to do this to adopt?”

“Yes, we know, but we feel that it would be better for the child being raised here to have a last name that is closer to their heritage.”

“Interesting logic. And I assume that both of you are looking at changing your names?”

“Yes.”, Ajie said. “Most people already know Kai as Kai Nez and not Tom Young. Mine would be the tough one. But a lot of people know that to the Navajo people that I’m known as Ajie Nez.”

“The only thing is.”, I said. “Is that we’d only want to do this if we were sure that we’d be able to adopt.”

“Kai and Ajie.”, Chief Clah said. “I know that you impressed Mrs. Biakeddy when we met. Kai, as I’ve seen you do before, you presented your case in a clear and precise way and in a way that she understood everything. Even though you threw a few curves. And you both asked some great questions.

“I’d say that you have an excellent chance of being able to adopt. The only things that need to be done are background checks, and I don’t think that either of you will have a problem there. Then there’s the home visitation where your caseworker and someone else visits you at home. And, having visited your home, I don’t think that will be a problem.

“Then there’s your case being presented in front of the selection committee. And that you can never tell about them. But, if you have Mrs. Biakeddy on your side, and I think you do, they shouldn’t be a problem.”

“If we can be sure of that, what’s involved in a legal name change?”, Amy asked.

“Let’s see. You live in Bernalillo County.”, Chief Clah said. “So it would need to be done there. It would be a little easier if you lived in the Nation, then one of our judges could do it. But, it shouldn’t be a problem, I know the judge that would handle it in Bernalillo.

“We’d need to publish something in the legal section of the Albuquerque paper twice over two weeks. But there may be a way around that. Then we’d have to petition the court for an adult’s change of name. And I could write that up for you. Then we’d have to take the petition to the clerk's office, and you would have to go to that.

“We then schedule a hearing date. And then you appear in front of the judge, and he either grants or denies the petition.”

“Do we have a valid reason to change our names?”, Ajie asked.

“Kai has a more valid reason.”, Chief Clah said. “Plus Kai is both a boy’s name and a girl’s name. So, I’d suggest that with Kai, whenever we appear at court that Kai is the male Kai.

“And with Ajie, she has a good reason because she’s married to Kai.”

“Do we mention the adoption?”, I asked.

“I wouldn’t unless we need to. We’ll use Kai’s acceptance by the Nation, and that it’s the name that the Nation knows him by.”

“I wish Ajie was a member of the Nation.”

“Kai.”, Chief Kinlicheeny said. “So do we. But it just can’t be.”

“I know, Chief.”, I said. “It’s just a wish.”

“So, Kai and Ajie.”, Chief Clah said. “When do you want to do this.”

I looked at Ajie, then said, “I think Ajie and I need to talk about this a little more. Plus, we need to talk to our parents.”

“Yes, we need to talk to our parents.”, Ajie said. “But, please everyone do us a favor. Don’t say anything to either of our aunts, or it will get to Kai’s mother faster than a speeding bullet.”

“We’ll keep it quiet.”, Chief Clah promised.

“Asta.”, Chief Kinlicheeny said as he looked at Chief Clah. “Would anything from the Council help with this?”

“It couldn’t hurt, Chief.”, Chief Clah replied.

“I’ll get something to you.”

“I need to go to the bonfire.”, I said.

“Need to meditate.”, Ajie asked.

“Out of the mouth of babes.”

Then I said, “Thank you, everyone, for hearing us out. You’ve all been a big help.”

“It was our pleasure.”, Chief Kinlicheeny said.”

As Ajie and I walked towards the house to pick up a rug, I looked over my shoulder, and the Chiefs and their wives were talking.

As we walked into the house, Amy asked, “Can I meditate with you?”

“You know you don’t have to ask.”, I replied.

Soon after the Sun had set an almost full waning Moon rose. Ajie and I placed the rug in our favorite spot. And we sat. I looked towards where my uncle usually stands, and he was there talking to the guests that were there. I also saw the two Chiefs and their wives there. And of course, Naainish.

Ajie and I looked at each other, and I said, “Ayóó' áníínísh'ní. - (I love you.)”

She smiled and said, “Ayóó' áníínísh'ní aldó’. - (I love you too.)”

We both concentrated on the fire. And then we heard Naainish start to chant. Things were feeling good. I saw the vision of the Indian maiden again. And everything appeared to be in harmony.

When Naainish finished his chant, Ajie and I looked at each other, and I said, “I’m feeling il hózho´. - (the emotion of being happy.)”

“So am I.”, Ajie said. “I feel that we’re on the right path. And that makes me happy.”

We got up. I picked up the rug, folded it, placed it over my arm. And we walked to where everyone was standing. I walked up to Naainish and said in Navajo, “Thank you. I feel like everything is in balance.”

He smiled and said, “It is good.”

I handed the rug to my aunt, then Ajie and I walked around talking to people.

Later Ajie and I were sitting on the patio at my aunt and uncle’s house. We had a small fire burning, and we were looking at the stars. Ajie asked, “How are we going to talk to our parents about this?”

“Well.”, I said. “I think with this, it would be best face to face.”

“You’re right. So, we fly home. When?”

“As soon as we can. I guess when we talk to them on Sunday, we can see when we can get together. We can fly in one day and fly home the next day.”

“Sounds good. And we’d better take the blanket for Maria and Mark’s baby.”

“Oh, that’s right.”, I said. “The baby is due soon. Have you talked to them or Larry and Kelly recently?”

“It’s been a couple of weeks.”, Amy replied. “I guess I’d also better call them on Sunday and see how things are going.”

Ajie and I had a nice, leisurely breakfast with my two sets of aunts and uncles, then spent some time using the resorts facilities. Then after lunch, we headed home, and of course, we stopped by to see the Eagles. And in the fifteen minutes that we were there, we saw the two adult Eagles and only one of the Eaglets. I was a little worried, but then we figured that the other two Eaglets were out exploring the area.

As we were leaving the parking area and putting the barricade back in place, one of the tribal police cars pulled up. As the officer got out of the car, he started to say, “You know that this area is … Oh. It’s you.”

“Hello, Officer Jack. Yes, it’s us.”, I said.

“We’ve learned that you’re visiting some Eagles back there.”

“We are. How did you find out?”

“One day I saw all five of them soaring over the reservoir when I was here, it was an amazing sight, and I said something to Iz. He asked me not to say anything. And I haven’t.”

“I’m glad. Bald Eagles are rare in this part of New Mexico, and we don’t want to see them disturbed. This pair had three Eaglets this spring, and that more than doubles the number in the area.”

“That’s what Iz said. He also told us that they are special to you.”

“Yes, there’s something between them and us that we don’t completely understand.”

“As Iz and the Governor have said, you’re welcome here at any time.”

“Thank you, officer. Have a good day.”

When we were back home, we put the jewelry away and went into the house. I looked at the answering machine, and there weren’t any messages.

For dinner, we threw together a southwestern chicken salad with cilantro dressing. And yes, some homemade sangria.

Later as we were sitting out in the courtyard, I said, “Do you think we should stay two nights, that would give us time to see the crew.” The crew is Larry and Kelly, Mark and Maria, and us.