adoption: One plus an Unexpected one

[Ishigreensa]

Mike and Sarah had been discussing adoption for a couple of years now.

[Shy-Diapers]

(Okay, but maybe change it to another local agency or semi-local, because international requires more paperwork and traveling.)

"I'm coming honey!" Sarah said coming down the stairs. She had a purse full of a few snacks such as pretzels and goldfish and fruit gummies, things every little kid liked. She also had a little stuffed moose for the girl, figuring a stuffed animal would be a good gift for a little girl. They didn't know anything about the girl, they had just said that they had a little girl that needed a home right away and they obviously agreed to take her in. But they were warned that she has some problems, but to Sarah, that just made her decision feel even more right. She had no idea that they'd end up with a little girl with basically a laundry list of issues and problems.

[Ishigreensa]

"Yeah, I hope she does too," Mike said with a small smile.

[Shy-Diapers]

"I know." Sarah said getting more and more nervous by the minute. She stares out the window the whole drive. "Do we have everything? Did we forget something?" She asked Mike, they had brought everything they needed, but she was worried she had forgotten something important. "I never thought this day would come. We're gonna be parents."

[Ishigreensa]

"Okay, calm down, honey.

[Shy-Diapers]

Sarah nodded. They had no idea how old the girl was. They assumed she was going to be a toddler, but were happy with even a teenager. "Do you want to go in first or me? Didn't they say that it might be better if we introduced ourselves slowly to her? I don't want the poor girl to freak out and get scared."

[Ishigreensa]

"You're right, and I think since you are a woman, a mother is usually a softer gender to kids than a father is, so maybe you should go in first.

[Shy-Diapers]

"Okay." Sarah said. She hoped this was the right choice. They had a spacious two story home with three guest rooms currently but they obviously we're just dying to be turned into bedrooms for little kids. They arrived at the foster home and she took a deep breath.

[Ishigreensa]

(Oh, okay.

[Shy-Diapers]

Sarah nodded. She grabbed her purse and the little stuffed moose. She squeezed Mike's hand and took a deep breath. They walked into the home after being greeted by their adoption agent. She and Sarah discussed that Sarah would be going to meet the little girl while Mike stayed and heard about her issues and needs.

[Ishigreensa]

Mike nodded once they were settled, and he was ready to hear about the problems.

"Well, we're pretty sure we want her, especially because she has problems.

[Shy-Diapers]

Sarah approached the little girl but the girl seemed to back away from her. She just climbed to the corner of the bed up against the wall. When Sarah tried to sit by the girl, the girl would freak out and start to cry. She was so silent though, too silent. Most kids weren't that quiet. She sighed and pulled out the moose. Maybe that would put the girl at ease, but instead the girl just through it to the ground and avoided looking at Sarah.

[Ishigreensa]

"That seems really hard," Mike said.

[Shy-Diapers]

"Well, it's hard to know, she's been bounced around so much we haven't been able to identify them all. But she is very sensitive to tone. If you raise your voice in the slightest, to her, it's like your screaming at her. Same with light. Most of the time she's fine, but when she's upset the room will seem to bright for her. Certain things like a scratchy tag on her shirt could send her into a meltdown if she gets worked up enough. Another thing is, we think she is somewhere on the autism spectrum. She has trouble communicating with words sometimes, and if she's into something, she'll be hyper focused and not notice anything around her."

Sarah tried picking the girl up and into her lap, but that warranted a scream from the little girl. Sarah quickly backed away and sighed. The girl kept screaming and shaking, rocking back and forth on her bed.

[Ishigreensa]

Mike nodded and when he came in, he could see a frustrated wife sitting on the edge of the bed looking lost for what to do.

[Shy-Diapers]

Sarah sighed. She got up and stood in the doorway leaning against the wall. She was doing her best to be welcoming to the child, but all she was doing was messing it up.

[Ishigreensa]

"Honey, I'm your new daddy.

[Shy-Diapers]

Elizabeth pet the moose in Mike's hands. She tilted her head a bit at it. It was soft and comforting looking. She slowly took it and held it to her chest tightly under her chin. She pet it's little fuzzy antlers she seemed so entranced by the toy. Her little hands and fingers were covered with different colored bandaids. She looked up at Mike a little, she still seemed nervous. "You're tall." She spoke softly, her voice barely above a whisper. She was so sweet and innocent, it was a wonder that anyone could hurt someone like her.

[Ishigreensa]

As she was distracted by the moose, Mike subtly gestured for Sarah to come closer to them.

"It's a nice moose, isn't it?" he asked her ignoring her reference to his height.

[Shy-Diapers]

Elizabeth backed away as Sarah approached her. She didn't have good memories with the women after she tried to hit her. Sarah hadn't meant to hit her at all, but due to the little girl's only experiences, being grabbed by a woman meant that you were going to get beaten, certainly not held.

[Ishigreensa]

"Alright honey," Mike said bending down to the little girl.

[Shy-Diapers]

Elizabeth started to cry and shake when Mike picked her up out of nowhere and carried her away. She wasn't ready yet! She was scared! She thought he was gonna talk to her and let her answer questions not just grab her and leave. She fussed and kicked her legs reaching towards her room the whole time. She didn't have much, but there were things she was very attached to. She had a giant hoodie from the nice police man that rescued her from her mother and often came to visit her, and she had a royal blue bow. It wasn't something most people would bat an eye at, but it was the closest thing to a birthday gift she ever got. Those two things and the only bandaids she ever would allow on her were in a tiny maroon backpack by her bed. She had tears running violently down her face. When Mike set her down in the car, she ran out and back up to her room. She put her backpack on her shoulders and hid under her bed. She didn't like things happening fast, and this was all too new and too much for the little girl.

[Ishigreensa]

Mike sighed, and he went back in for her.

[Shy-Diapers]

Elizabeth was shaking under her bed and crying. She had mastered the art of being silent. After a while she crawled out from underneath her bed, her little braids now a mess and her once pale face, bright red. She sniffled and sat on her knees in front of her bed staring at Mike. She leaned over and stretched her arm out as far as it could go, not quite far enough to reach Mike, and set the moose down. "Keep my stuff." She mumbled, tightening the grip on her little backpack. It was old and dirty, the front pouch ripped open and the zipper broken.

[Ishigreensa]

"Of course we'll keep anything that's important to you, baby.