What? Three more?

[Ishigreensa]

Mike was happily married to a woman he loved, and they had one little one about five years ago.

[justagirl4fun]

Emma glanced at her phone and instantly got butterflies in her stomach when she saw it was the social worker calling. Would this finally be the day they finally got a foster child? "Hello?" she said nervously as she answered the call, her hands shaking and her knees weak.

[Ishigreensa]

"I'm in a real pinch, and your family records say you'll take older children, and you'll be happy taking in more than one?" Mrs. Wilson asked through the phone.

[justagirl4fun]

"Oh no, we are still willing to take older children and sibling groups," Emma assured Mrs. Wilson. "But if I may ask...why such a dire situation? What will we be dealing with with these children?" As she talked Emma watched out the window as her own girls - Kelly, age 7, and 3-year-old Erylin - played in the back yard.

[Ishigreensa]

"I think it's best if I talk to you face to face, both your husband and you together.

[justagirl4fun]

Emma immediately dialed Mike. "Honey? You have to come home

[Ishigreensa]

"Oh, uh... I...," he had a really important meeting in two hours with a client, and now, he would have to miss it.

[justagirl4fun]

Emma had been rushing around, trying to tidy up the house, and jumped when she heard the doorbell. "Oh, Mrs. Wilson, girls, please come in. Excuse the mess, I wasn't expecting you quite this soon," she explained as she showed them in to the living room. "Mike is on his way, he should be joining us shortly."

[Ishigreensa]

"Honey, believe me, the last thing I'm here for right now, is to judge how clean your house is.

[justagirl4fun]

"Yes, they just got here," Emma said. "Oh, hon, Kelly and Erylin are playing in the sprinkler out back, want to just peek on them quick and make sure everything is okay?" With the social worker arriving so suddenly, she hadn't even had a chance to explain to the girls what was going on. "Or maybe the girls would like to go out and play with them?" she said to Mrs. Wilson. The yard was completely fenced in, with just a sand box and a swing set; there was no pool, trampoline or other objects that might be considered dangerous, so she thought the kids might be okay out there while the adults talked.

[Ishigreensa]

"Heidi, take Cassandra out to play," Mrs. Wilson said firmly.

[justagirl4fun]

"Okay, never mind, maybe that was a bad idea. Mike, tell the girls to come in. They can show Heidi, Kim, and Cassandra the play room. It's right over there." Emma pointed to a door off the back of the living room so Mrs. Wilson would know the girls would be within earshot.

[Ishigreensa]

Heidi nodded and got up to get her sisters.

Mrs. Wilson looked skeptically at that idea too, but since Heidi would be there with her, she knew Heidi would try to do what was best for her sister, and would get the adults if she couldn't handle it since the adults were right in the next room.

Mike walked to the door.

"Girls, come in, please.

[justagirl4fun]

Erylin looked up excitedly when she heard Mike's voice. "Daddy's home!" she yelled as she ran over to him in her little red and pink polka dot bikini with ruffles on the butt, her strawberry blond hair pulled up in two messy buns and adorned with pink bows. "Why are you home early?" she asked as she wrapped her arms around his legs.

Kelly paused to turn off the sprinkler before following her little sister. "Who's here?" she asked skeptically as she wrapped a towel around her tie-dyed one-piece. They weren't expecting any guests, as far as she knew.

[Ishigreensa]

"You are going to possibly have three new sisters to share time with," he said as he bent down and picked the baby up.

[justagirl4fun]

Kelly stopped in her tracks when she saw the girls standing outside the playroom. Sure, her parents had discussed the possibility of having foster kids, but she always assumed they'd be younger. Two of these girls were definitely older than her, and the third one looked to be pretty close to her age. She eyed them warily before approaching them and walking into the playroom. She dropped her towel on the floor and stared at Mike, not sure what to do with these strange girls.

[Ishigreensa]

Mike smiled at Kelly.

"Just talk to them and get to know each other," he encouraged his daughter.

Heidi looked at her just as worried that she might be mean to either her baby sister or her special sister who has problems coping anyway.

"I'm Heidi," she said stepping forward to keep the younger ones protectively behind her.

[justagirl4fun]

"I'm Kelly, and that's my baby sister, Erylin. She's three, and I'm seven," the little blond said boldly as she stared up at Heidi.

[Ishigreensa]

"I'm sorry to intrude on your family," Heidi said.

[justagirl4fun]

"As long as you're nice to my sister," Kelly said protectively before catching a glimpse of Cassandra. "Is your sister wearing a...diaper?" she asked, a bit bewildered. Her baby sister only just turned 3, and she didn't even wear diapers! This girl was twice as old as Erylin!

[Ishigreensa]

"Yeah.

[justagirl4fun]

Kelly nodded. "Yes, I'm sorry," she said while grabbing Erylin protectively. The little girl hadn't even said anything, and this bully was threatening her? Kelly knew then and there that she'd have to keep a close eye on the baby to keep her safe.

"Okay, so what do we need to know about the girls?" Emma asked Mrs. Wilson anxiously. She was already starting to worry that they were biting off more than thy could chew; these girls sounded tough, and she was afraid for little Erylin who was so timid and wouldn't even be able to defend herself if the girls started acting out.

[Ishigreensa]

"As long as Heidi feels her sisters are safe, you don't have to worry too much about her except making sure your beds for her are protected at night.

[justagirl4fun]

"Okay...now, about Kim. I've heard some autistic children can get rather...violent. Kelly, well, she's a feisty one. She might be little, but she's scrappy so I'm not too worried about her, but what about the baby? Is Kim a threat to her? And what about Heidi? Would she hurt either of the girls if they upset Kim?"

[Ishigreensa]

"I don't think Heidi would hurt a baby if it came down to it, but she would probably hit the bigger girl if the bigger girl made either of her little sisters cry.