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Hi all, I recently continued one of my stories, but realised I have totally forgotten the login particulars of both the account and email address of the original account I used to publish it. So I had to create a new account and, so as to retain control over the thread, I'll repost the whole thing here. The original post is at the link below. I've also made really small editorial changes here and there. Chapter 1 Daniel was forced to shade his eyes as he stepped out of the shelter of the train station into the noontime sunlight. Looking around, he spotted a vaguely familiar figure a short walk away, waving at him. “Daniel! Over here!” “Uncle Phillip!” Daniel walked over and shook hands with the middle-aged man, who was standing next to a beat-up old car. “Thanks for picking me up.” “No problem at all,” Phillip opened the trunk for Daniel to stow his small suitcase. “You're one of the earlier ones, we're expecting the rest to come late in the afternoon or in the evening. Harriet and Ellie will only be coming tomorrow and will stay overnight for the funeral. Jason's out of the country and so won’t be joining them. The folks from the funeral parlour's supposed to come by around four. Your mom's cooking up a storm and your dad -” “Yeah, Dad's under the weather, so won't be coming. Thankfully I was able to sort things at work out quickly so I could get here earlier.” Phillip and I got into the car, which pulled out of the parking space in short order “Glad Harriet can make it, considering Ellie's only... four?” “I think so, four or five. Yeah, not easy to have to handle a child that young outside of home. Anyway, it's good to see you again.” Phillip pulled out of the carpark into a break in traffic. “Same back to you. It'll be good to see the rest of the family too. It seems the only time we get together nowadays is at weddings and funerals.” Daniel relaxed into the seat as the vaguely familiar scenery passed by. “Sounds about right” Phillip dryly chuckled. “Speaking of which, my wife and your other aunts will want to know – when are we going to able to attend your wedding?” Daniel snorted. “Jesus. Considering Aunt Maggie's messy divorce, why are they all so eager to see me married off?” “Women love a wedding, and it gives them something more to gossip about” Phillip commented. “Plus, you're the eldest unmarried niece-slash-nephew. You're what, thirty?” “In a few months.” Daniel shook his head. “I'm very happy being single, thank you, and am in no rush to get attached at all – particularly not to the wrong woman. If the 'right woman' never comes along, I'd be happy to spend my dying years in some cheerful home with other grumpy old men.” “Heh. Well, good luck convincing the women of that.” The rest of the ride passed with small talk, and some periods of silence where Daniel stared out of the window and replied to emails as his uncle drove. Before long, they turned into a street full of small retiree cottages, all painted in pastel colours. Phillip turned into the driveway of one of the cottages but didn't turn off the engine. He cleared his throat. “Daniel?” “Hm?” Daniel looked up from his phone and blinked a few times. “Oh, we're here.” “Yes, but...” Phillip cleared his throat again. “Before you go in... well... you should prepare yourself.” “Oh... yes, of course. I suppose my mother and aunt Rose are taking it hard.” “No, that's not what I mean – I mean, it's a sad situation, but Dad – your grandpa – was old and we all knew he had a weak heart. It was really a matter of time. We've been mentally prepared for years.” Phillip paused and swallowed uncomfortably. “No, you should prepare yourself for something... um... unexpected. Talk to your mother about it.” With that, he killed the engine and stepped out of the car. “O...kay?” Daniel was surprised, but as Phillip was clearly unwilling to talk about it. He shrugged, got out of the car, accepted his suitcase from Phillip with a word of thanks. His uncle opened the gate for him, and Daniel walked up the path to the house. As he walked, out of the corner of his eye, he saw some sudden movement, and paused. Turning his head, he saw a little girl he had never seen before, standing right next to the fence, staring back at him with large round eyes. The girl was dressed in a simple black short-sleeved dress, white socks, and patent leather shoes. Her caramel brown hair, which reached her shoulders, was unconfined, and some stray hairs floated in the gentle breeze. She held a spray of blue flowers loosely in her hand as she stared at him, open mouthed. She held her stare on him, and he stared back at her, not knowing entirely why he did so. After a moment of eternity, she spun around and raced away to the back of the house. Daniel blinked and shook his head. Turning back to his uncle, he asked “Was that -” before realising that his uncle was out of earshot, having entered the house and was holding the door open for him, looking at him with a raised eyebrow. Daniel quickly trotted to the door and entered with a word of thanks. Before he could repeat his question, however, his uncle called loudly “Marge! Daniel's here!” “Thanks Phil! Daniel! I'm in the kitchen! Come here and say hi!” Daniel's mother's voice floated back. Daniel quickly took off his shoes and put his suitcase out of the way, before walking towards the kitchen, which he recalled was towards the back of the house. Strangely, he saw no sign of anyone else in the house. “Daniel!” his mother was alone in the kitchen, chopping onions, so he walked over and kissed her proffered cheek. “Glad you could make it! Were you able to clear your schedule?” “Yes, thankfully my boss is a good man, he told me to leave everything with him and just go”. Daniel replied. “Hey, by the way, I saw a little girl on the way in – was that Ellie? Is Harriet here already?” Daniel's mother paused and sighed deeply. “No... that's not Ellie,” she said reluctantly. “She's... well...” she paused and glanced into the air “That girl is... how do I phrase this..." A few seconds passed as she tried to think of the best way to convey it. "Well...she's your grandfather's child.” Daniel blinked. “Say that again?” “She's... your grandpa's secret daughter.” “...Huh?!” For the first time in his life, Daniel's jaw literally dropped as he stared at his mother. Daniel's mother saw his expression and sighed heavily. “Apparently, your grandfather – my father – at eighty-three years old – was having a relationship with someone, and... well, somehow...” she waved her hands helplessly. “I really don't want to think about it, but I guess things happened and...” “But... wait... what?” Daniel's mind was recovering quickly, although still shocked. “So grandpa... in his late seventies... well done grandpa!” He shook his head in amazement, before another thought occurred to him. “So that makes her my aunt... and your sister?” He started to laugh. It was Daniel's mother's jaw's turn to fall, before she closed it and smacked Daniel's shoulder. “Daniel! It's not funny! It's – it's – stop laughing! This is a serious matter!” Daniel's laughter intensified as his mother's face turned bright red. “It's... you... she... arrgh! Get out! Shoo!” Daniel fled the kitchen, laughing at his mother's reaction. Once outside the kitchen, his composure quickly returned. Well. I've got to give it to the old man – I can't believe it! “Daniel, go find Rose upstairs! She'll let you know where you'll be sleeping! Then help her get the rooms sorted out, and get changed into something formal before the body comes at around five!” Daniel's mother called after him. “Alright!” And hopefully Aunt Rose can give me more details... Chapter 2 It turned out that the little girl's name was Chloe – surnamed Young, like Daniel's grandfather. She was probably five years old. No one in the family had known of her existence before Daniel's grandfather passed away. The neighbours had known knew she was around and had helped look after her for the short time before family arrived, but they did not have any information either. Most curiously, no one knew who, or where, her mother was. The neighbours didn't recall anyone living there apart from Grandpa, or any regular guests. The little girl's existence was a mystery. According to Daniel's mother, the little girl spent most of her time in an unobtrusive corner, staring out at the garden, or playing silently with a few toys in Daniel's grandpa's room. However, shortly after Daniel's arrival, she started a new activity – following Daniel around. Daniel had just filled a basket with musty sheets to be washed so the guest rooms would be usable. When he turned around, she was standing a few feet behind him, hugging a stuffed rabbit close to her chest. He met her eyes for an instant before she quickly looked down at his feet. “Hello, Chloe.” Daniel greeted her. She didn't respond. “Hi, I'm Daniel, your relative.” it seemed wrong to describe her as his aunt, or him as her nephew. “What are you doing here?” The little girl still did not react, continuing to stare mutely at the ground. “Are you okay? Can you talk?” Daniel didn't know how to interact with a child who didn't respond to anything he said – and for that matter, he was unsure if she understood anything he said. “Well... um... sorry, I have to bring these sheets to be washed, so see you later,” he picked up the basket of sheets and let the room, walking around the little girl. As he walked out and down the stairs, he heard the soft patter of little feet behind him. The little girl continued to follow Daniel as he moved around the house, cleaning. She would disappear for brief moments, presumably when she went to the bathroom or got a drink, but would reappear before long. Nevertheless, she failed to respond to any of Daniel's sporadic attempts to engage her and whenever Daniel looked at her, she was staring at the floor and not meeting his eyes. The first and only time that day Daniel got a reaction from the little girl was after he happened to use the bathroom. As Daniel was washing his hands, he glanced at the dustbin, and was surprised to see a colourful piece of cloth in there. Is that... a diaper? He wondered, bending over to examine it closer. It was indeed a diaper, in a pull-up style, and furthermore, appeared to be wet. Don't tell me... Daniel opened the door and saw the little girl waiting outside, quietly. “Chloe...” the little girl didn't react as always. Daniel paused, unsure of how to broach the subject, before deciding to tackle it head on. “Chloe, there's a diaper, a pull-up, in the dustbin there. Is that yours?” For the first time since he entered the house, the little girl's eyes flashed up to meet his, before looking down again. She slowly nodded yes. Huh, so she can understand me after all. “Well... are you wearing a diaper now?” she shook her head. “I mean – a pull-up?” this time, she nodded. “Why are you wearing a diap – pull-up?” Daniel asked in surprise, realising the stupidity of the question only after he asked it. In any case, the little girl just stared at the floor, unresponsive. “Never mind the last question. Okay, since It's a pull-up, do you know how to use the potty?” the little girl nodded slowly. “I see, but you have accidents sometime?” she nodded again. “Well, if you need help to use the potty, you can let me know, okay? I can ask my mother or aunt Rose to help you.” She didn't respond to that, continuing to stare at the floor. Daniel stood up and sighed. He glanced at his watch, which showed around half an hour past four. Time for a quick shower and to wear something a bit more formal. “Chloe... I'm going to take a bath now, so can you go and look for aunt Rose? It'll take some time before I go down.” she gave no indication she heard him. “You can't follow me into the bathroom, so you should go find Aunt Rose, alright?” He stepped back into the bathroom and closed the door. A few moments later, he heard small feet thud on the staircase, heading down. The guests - more distant relatives, family friends, and neighbours – started arriving shortly after the coffin was placed in the garden, under a large white tent. Dressed in a black suit and tie, Daniel helped to welcome the guests, shadowed by the silent little girl. Daniel didn't understand why the little girl followed him around, despite only meeting earlier that day. He only realised the reason why after he bumped into a guest as he turned the corner to the entrance hallway. The guest, an old lady, stared up at him in shock. “Arthur? Arthur?!” she gasped. “Sorry... what?” Daniel was puzzled as the old lady backed away from him, eyes wide, with a hand on her heart and another covering her mouth. Just then, Rose rushed in, and gently took the old lady's shoulders. “No dearie, this isn't Arthur, this is his grandson, Daniel,” she explained. “But – he looks just like Arthur! A young Arthur!” the old lady protested disbelievingly. “You're right, we've always said that, but this is Daniel, not Arthur... Daniel, why don't you see if your mother needs help?” Rose shooed Daniel away as she tried to settle the old lady's distraught nerves. Daniel bemusedly took the excuse and turned around, and saw the little girl standing behind him. A sudden realisation struck him. So that's why she's following me around! Daniel was suddenly filled with compassion for Chloe, who was alone, and to whom the only familiar face in the crowd was that of a stranger. Over the course of the evening, as various relatives arrived, it became clear to Daniel that no one really knew what to do with the little girl. Most of the relatives intentionally ignored her presence, refusing to look at her direction or to acknowledge her at all. They greeted Daniel with smiles and engaged him in the usual conversational questions, but ignored the tiny shadow following in his wake. She has just lost a parent, but no one seems to care, Daniel thought at sometime during the night, as he sat at a table listening half-heartedly to his mother talk with some old family friend. The little girl sat quietly on the floor beside him, playing with her stuffed rabbit. Has anyone even properly explained death to her? Did I understand what death was when I was her age? I can't remember... The little girl, on her part, remained silent as she clutched a stuffed rabbit toy, keeping her eyes down as she followed Daniel around the forest of giant legs. From time to time, she would quietly walk off to use the bathroom or get a drink, but would always return to Daniel’s side. On the rare occasion when someone noticed and tried to engage her, she refused to respond, continuing whatever she was doing without looking at that person, and the adult would inevitably leave awkwardly thereafter. The only person she reacted to in any way was Daniel. But throughout the course of the night, she never made a single sound. Later on, Daniel caught his mother for a quick conversation. “Mum – is there something wrong with Chloe? She hasn't said a single word the entire day.” he asked. “I don't know. We don't have much information on her at all,” his mother replied matter-of-factly. “She may be a little slow, or maybe just shy. Thanks for keeping an eye on her and keeping her out of the way.” “Well, she kind of just follows me around, like a little ducky. Anyway, do you think she could be autistic? She won't meet my eyes, doesn't respond to anything – and did you know that she's wearing diapers?” Daniel's mum was surprised “Diapers? I thought she was five? How did you find out?” “I saw a wet diaper in the trash – it's a pull-up, so she must be able to change herself. She nodded when I asked if she was wearing one.” “Well now...” his mother looked thoughtful for a moment. “I don't know, maybe she is autistic. There's no way to find out now though. We should let whoever looks after her after this know. For now, just make sure she's no trouble, okay?” Despite his misgivings, the little girl was largely able to look after herself the whole night. She ate the bread, stew, and potatoes – a family recipe which Daniel's mother had cooked – without complaint, keeping herself reasonably clean. Apart from that, she was content with shadowing Daniel quietly. However, despite her small size, her presence was an elephant in the room. No one talked about her, few even talked to her, and no one who knew of her circumstances showed any of the affection that would usually be shown to little children, The fact was, that no one knew what to do with the quiet little girl. After all the guests had left, the only persons who remained were Daniel, his mother, his uncle Phillip and aunt Rose – and the little girl. Between them, they would hold the wake. The original purpose of a wake wasn't clear. Daniel had heard from some that the family would set a guard so that no one would steal the body or grave goods, and from some others that it was supposed to be a vigil for the soul of the departed. Some people online also speculated that in the past, pronouncements of death were not always reliable, and the deceased would occasionally “wake” up. Whatever it was, the wake had long lost its original purpose. Still, it was tradition, and it just felt right to ensure someone was awake through the night. Daniel and Phillip took the first watch. Daniel sat on the couch in the living room, watching Netflix on his phone and enjoying a cold beer. He had changed into a t-shirt and shorts, though he carried a jacket in case it got cold. Phillip sat in another old, squashy armchair and stared at whatever was playing on the television, also with a beer next to him. The ladies had headed to bed early in anticipation of having to wake up to take over the second shift of the wake. The little girl sat quietly beside Daniel, cuddling her toy bunny and staring at the television, dressed in baby blue pyjamas and smelling fresh after a bath. Before long, Daniel was disturbed by a soft bump against his side. Glancing over, he saw that the little girl had fallen asleep, and was now leaning her head against him. Poor thing, she must be exhausted. I'd best get her to bed. “Hey Chloe...” Daniel gently shook her shoulder, and she stirred and sat up, opening sleepy eyes and looking directly at him for an instant before looking down again. “You don't have to stay up. It's late and you're tired, you should go to bed. Does that sound good?” Surprisingly, she shook her head no. “No? Aren't you tired?” She shook her head again. Daniel chuckled “Chloe, you're very tired, and little girls should have gone to sleep a long time ago. I tell you what – do you want to sleep with my mother, Aunt Margaret?” Again, no. “How about with Aunt Rose?” No. “How about...” “I want to stay here,” a tiny voice interrupted Daniel. Daniel blinked in surprise. “You can talk? I mean – did you say you want to stay here?” the little girl firmly nodded. “Are you sure you want to stay here? There's no bed and I'm sure it’s not as comfortable as upstairs...” Daniel was surprised. The little girl nodded her head vigorously. “Just let her,” Phillip grumbled “She's young, sleeping on the couch won't hurt. You can bring her upstairs when you go up.” “I guess so” Daniel acquiesced. “Chloe, do you want to get a pillow or a blanket?” But the little girl was clearly not inclined to move any further. Instead, she curled up on the couch, her head next to him, and closed her eyes, falling instantly back into slumber. That was fast! It isn't that cold tonight, but I should make sure she's warm. Daniel took off his jacket and covered the little girl's small body. He watched her sleep awhile, before turning back to his phone and resuming his show. A few hours passed in that way, before a gentle rumble penetrated Daniel's Airpods. Looking up, he realised that Phillip had dozed off in his chair. The snoring slowly grew louder, and the little girl stirred. “Uncle Phillip,” Daniel paused the show, walked over and tapped the sleeping man on his shoulder, who awoke with a start. “You've got to pick a few more people tomorrow morning, so why don't you head up first? I'll stay here until Aunt Rose or my mother come down.” “Hmm? Ah... well... that makes sense, so if you're sure...” Phillip stood and stretched, yawning hugely. “Yeah, go ahead.” Daniel muffled a sympathetic yawn. “I can sleep in tomorrow – oops, today.” “Alright, good night.” Phillip tramped up the stairs, and the sounds of doors opening and water running came from upstairs for sometime before the house fell silent again. Daniel got another beer from the fridge and turned back to his phone. A few episodes later, Daniel caught some movement out of the corner of his eye as the little girl stirred. He noticed that her leg and part of her body was sticking out from under the jacket, and so he picked the jacket up to place it properly. However, as he lifted the jacket up, he noticed that the little girl's pyjama pants had turned a dark shade. Oh dear – Daniel touched the cloth and confirmed that it was indeed wet. Her diaper must have leaked. “Chloe –” he gently shook her shoulder. the little girl stirred, but didn't open her eyes. “Chloe, wake up – your diaper leaked, you need a change.” The little girl opened her eyes more fully and sat up, her hands flying to touch her wet pants and confirm the wetness for herself. Her gaze swung to Daniel's face, and their eyes met for a second before she looked away again. Despite not seeing her face, Daniel somehow knew she felt sad. “It's alright, these things happen” Daniel awkwardly reassured her. “Why don't you go change into a new diaper – I mean pull-up – and pants?” The little girl nodded and started heading out of the living room. However, after a few steps, she paused, turned back, walked back to Daniel. One small hand reached out and hesitantly grabbed the hem of Daniel's t-shirt. “Do you want me to come with you?” Daniel asked. Still looking down, the little girl nodded. “Alright.” The little girl let go of Daniel's shirt and walked out of the room and up the stairs, Daniel following behind. He followed her into his Grandfather's room, and watched as she pulled some wipes, a new pull-up, and pants from a set of drawers. She then ran into the attached bathroom and closed the door, coming out after a minute in the new pants, presumably wearing the new pull-up underneath. She held the wet pants out to Daniel, who took them gingerly. I'd better wash these, or they're going to stink by morning. Daniel brought the pants back into the bathroom, the little girl following in his footsteps, and rinsed them in the sink before hanging them on the edge of the bathtub to dry. He then noted a clearly soaked purple pull-up in the bin and tied off the bin liner to prevent the smell from spreading. Finally, turning back, he caught the little girl in the middle of a huge yawn, which set off his own yawn as well. “Okay Chloe, time for you to go to bed,” Daniel declared. However, the little girl shook her head. One small hand reached out again and grasped his t-shirt, but this time so tightly that the knuckles turned while. Daniel looked at the hand in surprise, then understanding. Think, dumbass, he scolded himself. She's a little girl whose home is suddenly full of strange adults, most of whom don't want to admit she exists. She's scared and lonely and you're the only person she has any familiarity with. You can't leave her alone. “Do you want me to stay with you until you fall asleep?” Daniel asked her. The little girl looked up at his face and slowly nodded. “Alright then – why don't you get into bed while I use the bathroom.” She nodded again and crawled into the room's queen-sized bed. She sat in bed, staring at the door to the toilet until Daniel emerged and walked over to sit down on the edge of the bed, next to her. “Why don't you lie down and close your eyes?” he suggested, and the little girl did so. Daniel awkwardly stretched the blanket over her, and watched as her breathing slowly grew deeper and drifted into sleep. After a few minutes, the little girl appeared to be sound asleep. Daniel stood up and walked to the room door, opening it as quietly as he could. “No!” a soft, pleading call arrested his steps, and Daniel turned around, surprised to see the little girl sitting up in bed, staring at him. “Stay here!” she whined. “Sorry, I have to go back...” Daniel began. Just then, he heard a door open behind him. “I heard the noise. Why don't you go ahead and stay with her, Daniel, it's about time I took over.” Daniel's mother yawned, but smiled at him. “I can't sleep with all the people moving around, anyway.” “Are you sure?” Daniel checked his phone and noticed that it was almost four in the morning – the pre-agreed handover time. “Alright, thanks – I'll get some rest then.” he paused, and looked back at the little girl, who was still looking at him pleadingly, hugging her stuffed rabbit toy. “Um... I think I have to sleep here tonight.” His mother smiled sympathetically. “That's fine. I'm sure Dad won't mind you using his bed. Based on what I saw today, I don't think that girl would be able to sleep otherwise.” “OK then, thanks and good night.” Stifling another yawn, he closed the door and turned back to the little girl. “Alright, I'll stay with you tonight. Why don't you lie down and go back to sleep?” She nodded and lay down again, curling up around her toy. Daniel walked over and tucked her back in, then paused and considered. There was really no other option available for sleeping that on the bed, next to the little girl. The girl, apparently reassured by his presence, had closed her eyes and was rapidly falling asleep again, and there was more than enough space on the other side of the bed. It should be fine. He carefully lay down and turned off the bedside light, plunging the room into darkness. He lay still for awhile, listening to the slight howl of the wind outside, and the soft, deep breathing of the little human being next to him. He couldn't help but wonder about the future of the little girl. The funeral would take place in a few more hours, and afterwards, the family would decide on her care arrangements, and she would leave to join a brand new family, a brand new household. He wondered if she knew what would happen, and what was going on. How do you explain death to a five year old? Daniel was sure that he wouldn't get any sleep – but before he knew it, he woke up to sunlight streaming into the room, and the sounds of activity from downstairs. Chapter 3 “...Amen.” The minister concluded. “Amen.” everyone else murmured. “I now invite all relatives and friends present to pay your last respects to Arthur Joseph Young. If you wish, you may take a flower from the table and place it on the coffin.” The minister stepped away from the graveside as, by some unwritten custom, friends and more distant relatives stepped forward to pay their final respects, with the immediate family staying seated as the last to say farewell. Daniel sat in the second row from the front, with the little girl sitting quietly next to him. Ellie, Harriet's daughter, sat next to her. Daniel had hoped that the little girl would respond to another child, but the little girl failed to respond to Ellie in any way. Ellie, after attempting to engage the little girl multiple times, grew bored and turned to her mother instead. As the relatives waited patiently in the chairs, Ellie fidgeted until she became bored again. Without anything better to do, she attempted to engage the little girl again, by turning to her and holding out a colourful bracelet in front of the little girl's face. “See my friendship bracelet? It spells my name on it! I made it myself with my friends in school! See, it spells E-L-L-I-E - spells Ellie!” She beamed proudly. “My favourite colour is pink and so I made the words pink, but my friends favourite colours are blue and yellow and so I put the colours there too!” As happened previously, the little girl ignored Ellie's monologue entirely. She sat unresponsively in her chair, staring down at the ground, kicking her legs back and forth. Ellie, clearly frustrated, turned to her mother and began complaining loudly. “Mummy, that girl doesn't want to talk to me! Is it that she cannot talk? She's the same age as me right? How come she cannot talk? I want to play with her but she doesn't say anything!” Harriet, clearly embarrassed, shushed her, but at the same time glanced up at Daniel with the same questions in her eyes. “She can talk, she's just shy,” Daniel told both Ellie and Harriet. Furthermore, he thought, she's learned how to control her volume – unlike someone else! “Then how come she doesn't talk to me?!” Ellie yelled. “Ellie! Be quiet! Use your inside voice!” Harriet chided her. “But we're outside, not inside! Why must I use my inside voice?” Ellie replied indignantly, at the same volume. “I mean... er... by the way, do you need to go potty?” Caught flat-footed, Harriet decided to change the subject. Ellie nodded and slid off the plastic chair and Harriet stood up. “I'll be right back” Harriet excused herself. “Hold on” Daniel interjected, and Harriet paused. “Chloe, do you need to go use the potty?” he asked quietly. The little girl, without looking up, shook her head no. “Can you go and try with Ellie and Harriet?” Daniel asked again. She again shook her head no. “Mummy, I need to go potty bad!” Ellie announced, tugging on her mother's hand and squirming a little. “It's alright, go ahead,” Daniel told Harriet. As Harriet left, he lowered his voice and whispered to Chloe “Chloe, is your pull-up wet?” Chloe's legs froze, and she slowly nodded her head. “It's okay, we'll get you a new pull-up soon,” he reassured her, reaching over and gently patting her back. Slowly, her legs began swinging again as she seemed to relax a little. “Relatives and friends, please make your way back to the sanctuary, where there are some light refreshments. The family will join you shortly.” after some time, the minister herded everyone else away, leaving the family alone for them to bid their final farewells. Daniel's mother and her siblings stood up, each taking a flower from the small pile of white lilies and chrysanthemums left on the table. They gathered together, staring into the grave, and tears sprang into all of their eyes as they regarded their father silently. After awhile, Daniel's uncle tossed his flower into the grave, and his sisters followed. It was now the grand-children's turn. Daniel stood up, but paused and turned to the little girl, who had not moved. “You should go and say goodbye to Grandpa too,” he advised her. The little girl's kicking legs stilled again, before she shook her head no. “Don't be like that. Come on, I'll go together with you.” Daniel offered his hand to the little girl. The little girl slowly reached out a small hand and grabbed Daniel's hand, before sliding off her chair. Hand-in-hand, they walked towards the grave. Daniel's grandfather lay in an open casket in the grave, dressed in a dark suit, his body strewn with white and yellow flowers. Daniel and the little girl stood by the graveside, looking at the body. “Come on, let’s get a flower to give Grandpa,” Daniel said after awhile. He led the little girl to the flower table. Picking up a lily and a chrysanthemum, he asked the little girl “Do you want a white one or a yellow one?” The little girl shook her head. “Don't you want to give Grandpa a flower? Grandpa loved flowers, you know,” Daniel encouraged her. She shook her head, more vigorously this time. She raised her head and looked around. Suddenly, she took off, running away from the grave. “Chloe!” Daniel called after her, startled, and began to run after her. The little girl ignored him and ran to one of the flowerbeds lining the church. Squatting down, she began pulling at the flowers. “Chloe! Stop! Those are -” Daniel caught up with her and reached his hand out to stop her, but paused when he noticed what she was doing. Grandpa's favourite flower. Blue irises. The name came back to him, and he remembered that she had been holding one of those flowers when he had first seen her. She's really Grandpa's daughter. “I see – you want to give Grandpa his favourite flowers, right?” he squatted down next to her as she continued pulling at a flower. He reached out a hand towards the flower and helped her break it off close to the ground, before picking a flower for himself as well. Holding her flower in both hands, the little girl stood up and walked with Daniel back to the grave. Harriet, Ellie, and Daniel's sister Rebecca were standing by the graveside when he returned. Harriet and Rebecca were wiping tears from their eyes, while Ellie stared curiously into the grave. “Mummy! Why is Great-Gramps not moving? Is he sleeping? Why is he sleeping in the hole?” Ellie shouted her questions loudly, oblivious to the solemn mood around her. Stepping up to the graveside, Daniel regarded his grandfather's face again, before throwing the iris in. The little girl threw her flower into grave immediately after, then stood quietly staring into the casket for a long moment. Daniel stood by her, in a bubble of respectful silence. “Is he not going to wake up any more?” softly but clearly, the little girl asked, still staring at the old man's face. Daniel half-knelt next to her and put a hand on her small back. “No,” he replied quietly. “He's not.” Tears immediately gushed out from the little girl's eyes and ran down her cheeks, as her face twisted in terrible, heart-rending anguish. Her breaths turned to gasps as she blindly turned towards Daniel, and gripped his shoulder with one tiny hand. She raised the other hand and rubbed it against her eyes, attempting to hide her tears as she fought against her sobs. Daniel reached out with his other hand and softly began to pat her back, wordlessly offering what comfort he could give. That soft pressure was enough to crack the dam of her self-control, and she flung both hands around Daniel's neck as she buried her face into his shoulder, weeping piteously as her shoulders shook in grief. Kneeling by the grave, Daniel gently embraced the heartbroken little girl, his jacket slowly dampened by bitter tears. Late in the afternoon, the family gathered back at the old man's house for a serious discussion. The adults sat in the living room in a rough circle. Ellie sat in a corner, distracted by some show she was watching on her mother's phone, and Chloe sat quietly by herself in the garden. Her back was to the living room, as she stared at the patch of irises waving in the gentle breeze. Perhaps she knew when she was not wanted. “Seriously, dad should have told us about this earlier!” Daniel's aunt Ruth complained. “Personally, I'm amazed that none of us noticed any sign of her being around when we visited,” Daniel's uncle Jacob declared. “I visited him at least once every two weeks, and never saw any sign of the girl!” Margaret, Daniel's mother, chimed in. “How did dad keep her hidden for so long?” “More importantly, who and where is her mother?” Maggie, Daniel's other aunt, scoffed. “I cannot believe that dad raised that little girl all the way from infancy on his own! He barely did anything when we were children – the only thing he was good for was calling for Mum to handle everything! We should just give the girl back to her mother and be done with it!” Jacob quickly stepped in to interrupt the forthcoming tirade. “Alright, Maggie, I understand what you're saying, but the fact is that we have no clue who her mother is at this time. For now, we have to decide – what do we do with her? “Well, don't look at me,” Maggie sniffed. “I hate children, and since my dear ex-husband ran off with that... that prostitute, there's no way I'm going to be able to look after that … that retard!” “Mags! Watch your language!” Ruth gestured at Ellie, sitting in a corner. Unfortunately, Maggie misunderstood Ruth's intentions. “No? You don't think there's anything wrong with her?” Maggie dramatically gestured at the garden, where the little girl sat quietly. “Look at her! She hasn't said a word to anyone the whole time, doesn't respond to basic courtesies, doesn't look at anyone!” her voice steadily grew louder and shriller. “She just sits around staring at the sky or God-knows-what! Also, unless I am very mistaken, she's the source of all the wet diapers in every toilet in the house! How old is she, five? How does a five year old still wet herself?!” “Maggie!” Margaret shouted loudly over her ranting younger sister. “That's entirely uncalled for!” “Tell me which part of anything I've said is untrue! Can you?” Maggie shouted back. Daniel could not believe his senses as his mother and aunt kicked off a shouting match, which Ruth and Jacob tried to stop at first but got sucked in before long. His eyes flicked to the little girl, who must have heard the commotion and who he knew understood far, far more than she let on. He thought he saw her hunch up defensively, shielding herself from the ruckus in the house. “SHUT! UP!” Phillip had a booming voice capable of shattering stone, which he employed now. As everyone stared at him in shock, he sat back, and in a normal volume, stated “I understand all of you are angry that your father somehow gave you all a sister” – all four siblings flinched at the word – “a half-sister who could be your grandchild, and even hid her existence from everyone until he died. Fine and dandy, and that sucks, but that's not what we should be discussing now! Focus!” “Yes, you're right of cause, dear,” Ruth was the first to speak up after Phillip's scolding. “Maggie, I think you've made your views abundantly clear, and no one's going to ask you to do something you don't want to do. Phillip and I, we have our hands full helping with Ellie as it is. We don't have the time or the energy to give that girl the attention she needs.” Phillip nodded brusquely in agreement. “I can't as well,” Jacob said. “As you know, Susan's mother's health hasn't been good lately, and I have to run the business. Neither of us have the time to look after her as well, especially not with the twins both in college – it’s expensive to put two through at the same time, you know!” Excuses, all excuses, Daniel couldn't help but think, somewhat uncharitably. All eyes turned to Margaret. “I can't possibly do it either, my place isn't suitable for child-raising! Besides, I'm getting old, I don't have time to be looking after a baby or a child either!” “Come on, Mum,” Daniel spoke up. “It's not as if you do anything else for most of the day either. Can't you look after her for awhile at least?” “Daniel! This is none of your business!” Daniel's mother whirled on him. “I'm busier than you know! You don't know anything! And you have no idea how difficult it is to raise a child! You have no idea how much I had to sacrifice, no idea at all!” “Unless you're going to volunteer, you should just keep quiet, brother,” Rebecca chided him as his mother continued to rant. “I'm not able to do so either,” she continued, addressing the family at large. “I just started working and haven't even found a decent boyfriend yet – besides, can you imagine me as a mother?” Rebecca's love for partying was well-known in the family. “Obviously I can't as well,” Harriet added. “My hands are full enough with this one – how am I going to handle two! Especially since she's... well...” her voice trailed off. “Yes, it's not fair to the child if someone was to care for her unwillingly,” someone commented. “It would be one thing if she was normal, but she's... special, it’s not going to be easy to handle her.” “Honestly, I can't imagine her as being related to us at all!” “Are we even sure she's dad's child? He had to have been in his late seventies when she was born, is that physically possible?” “Good point, we should do a DNA test to confirm this!” Daniel listened to the discussion with disbelief. Wasn't this meeting to decide who would look after Chloe? What kind of discussion is this? “Where's her mother anyway? Maybe we should ask the police to help find her? She can't just abandon her child, right?” Looking around, Daniel realised something. They're all angry. They're angry at Grandpa for keeping this huge secret and dumping it on them. They can't take it out on Grandpa, so they're taking it out on Chloe. They just don't want to be saddled with her. No one actually cares for her. “Daniel,” Rebecca asked, “is she really still not potty-trained and in diapers?” Daniel didn't respond, losing himself in thought. He recalled the sound of light feet on wooden floorboards, thudding quietly behind him as he walked. “Mummy, why does Chloe wear diapers? Is she still a baby?” He thought of a little form curled up on the couch, covered by his jacket. “Doesn't the government usually step in in cases like these? Lord knows, this can’t be the first time something like this has happened. That's what the foster system exists for, right?” He saw in his mind's eye fear-widened eyes staring at him from a bed, pleading with him to stay. “Maybe we should put her up for adoption. You see people adopting those disabled Chinese kids all the time, surely someone can take her in?” He remembered a terrible face, covered in tears, fighting to bottle gut-wrenching sobs even as she blindly reached out for comfort. Fuck them all. Enough. “You know what?” Daniel stood up abruptly, cutting through the chatter. All eyes fell on him. “That girl – Chloe – is capable of far more than you think.” He walked to the door between the living room and the garden and turned around to face his shocked relatives. “And even if she isn't – she's definitely going to grow up to be a far better person than any of you.” He turned around and stepped out into the garden, ignoring the stunned silence from his relatives. He walked over to the little girl who was staring at the flowers, her back still hunched defensively, and stepped to her side. He noticed her twisting the stem of an iris flower in her fingers as she sat. “Hey, Chloe,” he asked, slowly but clearly. “Would you like to live with me?” “Daniel! What are you doing!” “Bro! Are you insane?!” he heard his mother's and sister's exclamations behind him. He ignored them as the little girl slowly looked up at him, meeting his eyes. For the second time, an eternity passed in a moment as the little girl stared at the man, and the man stared at the little girl, and each seemed to read the heart of the other. Then Chloe stood up... ...swung around, dropping the flower... ...and sprinted to him. The little girl flung herself into a tight hug around his legs, and held on like she would never let go. Daniel woke up at home the next day, as he felt someone shaking him gently but insistently. He blinked his eyes blearily in the morning sunlight, and as the cloudiness of early-morning vision dissipated, saw a little girl, long oak-brown hair mussed and messy, sitting by his side and staring at his face with large dark brown eyes, dressed in a white nightgown. “Eeyargh!” he shouted, recoiling in surprise. Surprisingly, the little figure was unperturbed. “Uncle, uncle,” she said softly but clearly. “I need a pull-up.” Daniel blinked again, and his memory returned in a flash. “Good morning, Chloe... ah, hold on...” He clambered out of bed and went to a small suitcase on the floor nearby, opening it and taking a pull-up out from the almost-empty pack inside, along with a pack of wipes. He turned back and handed them to Chloe. “Uncle, where's the toilet?” she asked. “Ah, right, I'll show you – but first, don't call me Uncle!” I should be calling you aunt! “Just call me Daniel.” Chloe blinked and looked into his eyes. “Okay... Daniel.” Chapter 4 Bread, butter, cheese, ham, bread. Daniel assembled a decent looking sandwich using the last of the ingredients in his fridge and sliced it diagonally. He placed it on a plate in the centre of the table He heard a door opening, and looked up as Chloe appeared around the corner, holding her wet overnight pull-up. “Daniel, where to throw this?” she asked. “Just throw it in the kitchen bin over there,” he pointed, and Chloe complied. “You should wash your hands after changing your pull-ups,” he reminded her. “Okay.” She walked back to the bathroom. Meanwhile, Daniel poured two glasses of apple juice and set them on the table. Chloe emerged again with clean hands and clambered up onto a chair, which Daniel pulled out for her. She reached out and grabbed her glass, drinking thirstily, before starting on her sandwich. Daniel picked up the other half and nibbled at it. “Is it good?” he asked. “Uh huh,” she answered. They ate silently and awkwardly. Daniel studied Chloe as she ate, observing the way she ate her sandwich crust-first before eating the centre, how she ensured she ate neatly and over the plate, and her exaggerated care as she held the glass with two hands when drinking, before setting it down carefully. After Chloe finished her sandwich, she looked at the empty plate, then at Daniel. “Do you want more?” he asked, and she nodded. “Well, we still have bread, but I'm out of everything except butter...” “Butter,” Chloe agreed, grabbing the bag of bread and pulling out a slice. Daniel handed her the tub of “I can't believe it's not butter!” and a spreader, and she deftly picked up a blob of butter, spread it on the slice of bread, and neatly folded it in half. Daniel was fairly impressed at her carefulness and dexterity. Chloe tore the bread into half and held one half towards Daniel. “Here, Grandpa, for you!” she exclaimed. Daniel sputtered on his apple juice. Grandpa?! “Uh oh! Sorry Daniel, for you!” she reached over and tried to push the piece of bread into his mouth. Daniel intercepted it amusedly, and she looked pleased, settling back in her chair to eat the other half. Huh, so she calls Grandpa 'Grandpa', even though he's her father? I guess it would avoid the need for awkward explanations to others... “We'll be going out after breakfast,” Daniel told Chloe. “I need to buy groceries, and we should buy you more clothes, and other things as well.” “Okay,” she responded, munching on her sandwich. Before he had left his grandfather's house, his mother had helped him search for and pack all of Chloe's belongings into a small suitcase. “I can't believe this is all that she has,” Daniel's mother frowned as she looked at the half-empty suitcase. The stack of clothes was barely a few inches high. “You need to go shop with her once you get home. She needs a lot more clothes than this, especially if you're only still only doing laundry once a week – and she'll need warmer clothes as the temperature drops. You also need to get her some more toys, or she's going to get bored, and drive you crazy too!” “Yes, I will,” he promised. “Call me if you need any advice or help! Even if you're only looking after her for a short time, raising a child is still a lot of work.” “Yes, yes...” “I've put some important documents for her next to your bag. Keep them safely and read them as soon as you can.” “Okay, thanks.” Daniel sighed and stared at the contents of the suitcase. It looked like all of Chloe's possessions amounted to the stack of clothes, two pairs of footwear, a few well-used activity books, some toiletries, a small backpack, and an almost-empty pack of pull-ups. He noted the distinct absence of any actual underwear in the bag. “I'm sure we'll find more of her things around the house as we clear it up. We'll let you know if we do.” Daniel's mother shook her head as she stared at the suitcase. “Whoever the girl's mother is, she's clearly out of the picture. No mother would have left her child with just this stuff! I'll send you a list of things you're going to need to buy.” “Okay, mum, whatever you want.” Daniel replied. Privately, he intended to disregard it. After all, how much did a single kid need? As it turns out, little girls did need a lot of things. Daniel read his mother's messaged list, and realised it contained a lot more items than he had thought. Thankfully, most of them were likely to be available at a strip mall not too far from his place. First, and perhaps most importantly, clothing. As Daniel worked in the regional headquarters for a large clothing chain with many stores, he had a generous employee discount which he fully intended to make use of. Hence, for the first time in his life, he entered the children's department of a branch of his store. The atmosphere in the children's department was... confounding. Shelves were covered in bright and pastel colours, with cute designs and pictures of various cartoon characters splashed boldly around. Parents, usually mothers, with children in tow flitted from shelf to shelf, with varying degrees of interest and resignation on the part of the child. Even the store scent seemed more child-like somehow, reminiscent of baby powder and lavender. The juvenile atmosphere assaulted Daniel's senses as he walked into the store, holding Chloe's hand and feeling very out of place. Chloe appeared to be attracted by the many colours and designs available. It didn't take long before she pointed at a rack and tugged at Daniel's hand, saying “That one!” Daniel walked over and picked up the light blue long-sleeved tee, sporting some similarly-coloured cartoon horse on the front. It looked unfamiliar and slightly threatening to him, but Chloe was clearly attracted by it. “The price looks alright. What's your shirt size?” he asked “I dunno,” she shrugged. “How tall are you, then?” “I dunno...” “Well, how do I check if this fits...?” Looking around for inspiration, Daniel happened to notice a mother in another aisle bending down and stretching out the shoulders of a shirt against the back of her own child. Enlightened, he had Chloe place her small backpack into the shopping basket, then carried out the same exercise. Looks like a good fit, but I think I should get a size larger in case she starts growing again. He pulled out a shirt with the desired size and put it into the basket. “Alright, one down... what else do you need?” he asked, not actually expecting an answer. “Pyjamas, pants, shirts, socks, jacket,” Chloe offhandedly replied, while craning her neck to look at the many selections surrounding her. Daniel was pleasantly surprised at her sensible answer. “Sounds good! Let me know if you see anything you like, I don't do laundry very often so you can get more.” “Okay!” she agreed happily, and tugged Daniel's hand towards the next location. On their way to the cashier, Daniel paused as they walked by a row displaying children's underwear. “Chloe, let's get you some panties as well. You can wear them after you learn to use the potty better, okay?” “Okay.” Chloe seemed pleased with the idea. “Go and see which ones you like.” Thankfully, children's underwear was sized by age, so all he needed was to pick the right boxes with the designs Chloe pointed out. “That reminds me – it’s been quite a while since we left the house, do you need to go to the toilet?” Daniel asked. Her face fell as she shook her head. “I peed in my pull-ups already,” she quietly explained. “Oh dear, when did that happen?” “When we were choosing clothes,” she replied embarrassedly. “Was it an accident?” Daniel was slightly concerned. Although she had claimed to be able to use the toilet, the only time she had actually used it was when she was at Grandpa's house – and even then, it was clearly hit-and-miss by the number of pull-ups he had seen in the bins. “No,” she admitted. She tugged at his hand, prompting him to bend down, and whispered into his ear “I don't like using the potty outside. It's dirty and scary.” “Oh.” Daniel was surprised at her candour and sighed. “Not all toilets outside are dirty, and you need to tell me when you need to go potty. So how wet are you? Do you need to change?” He turned her around by her shoulders, looking at her pants, noting that while they appeared slightly puffier than normal, there were no wet spots on the front or back. “I dunno,” she shrugged. “Well... we'll go and pay for these items, then we'll go to the toilet to get you changed, okay?” “Okay...” she replied quietly, looking slightly downcast. Daniel took Chloe's hand and walked towards the cashier. Now that he knew she was wet, he noticed that Chloe's gait was slightly different, a little wider than normal. I guess I've got to be more vigilant on bringing her to the toilet. At least I now know how to tell if she's wet. Almost two hundred dollars poorer, Daniel brought Chloe to look for a toilet. Thankfully, Daniel knew the store manager, who allowed Daniel to leave his purchases in the employee break room so he didn't have to carry them around. Daniel made sure Chloe was carrying her backpack, which contained wipes and spare pull-ups. For once, the mall bathroom didn't have a queue as it was still the middle of a working day. “Chloe, go and change in the women's bathroom. I need to take a leak as well, so we'll meet again outside here. If I'm not around, stay here and wait for me. Okay?” The little girl shook her head. “I don't want to go,” she told him quietly. “Chloe, we're gonna be here for a while longer, so you have to get changed,” he explained. “I don't want to go myself,” she looked up at him beseechingly. “Can you come with me?” “I can't go into the ladies, though...” he looked around, and spotted an unoccupied handicap-accessible bathroom separate from the two main bathrooms. “How about we use this one then?” He stepped in and looked around in slight dismay. The bathroom wasn't dirty, but it clearly wasn't very well-maintained either, and had suspicious puddles in the corners. Chloe stepped in after him, took one look at the commode, and pressed her back against the opposite wall. “I don't wanna to use that potty,” she said, with a little fear in her voice. “Yeah, I can see why. Never mind, you don't have to use it. Just change your diaper, okay?” “I don't wanna sit there,” she complained. “Sit? Oh, I see.” Daniel recalled that she would sit down when wearing or taking off long pants, which she would need to do to change. Sitting on the floor was clearly out of the question. “Since it’s like this, shall I help you change?” Daniel asked. Chloe nodded, and immediately unbuttoned her pants, pulled them down, then pulled her shirt up to fully expose the pull-up. Daniel reached out to change her, before a thought occurred to him. “Can you try to pee now, before I change you?” “Okay.” She froze for a few seconds, before announcing “I'm done.” Daniel reached for the sides of the pull-up and tore it away. As the pull-up fell open, he noted that almost half of the pull-up was dry. Good to know – it can probably hold at least another wetting before it needs a change. He also noticed a bit of redness around the edges of Chloe's diaper area. “Chloe, are your... private parts painful?” he asked. “No, it's itchy,” she replied. “I think you have a bit of a rash. Have you been cleaning yourself properly when you change?” “Uh huh,” she said, pulling out a wet wipe and demonstrating. Daniel watched and shook his head. “Chloe, you need to clean more than just that part, you need to clean the whole area which got wet. Here, let me help you.” He grabbed Chloe's hand, which was still holding the wet wipe, and guided her to wipe a higher and wider portion than she had done before. “You also need to wipe between your legs, and your bum if your diaper is very wet, okay? Here, take another wipe and clean again, properly.” “It's not a diaper, it's a pull-up,” she complained as she wiped herself more thoroughly. “Fine, pull-up. Much better, now let's get your new pull-up on.” Daniel discarded the wet pull-up into the bin, took the new pull-up, and opened the Velcro on the seams. He put the back half through her legs and pulled it up the back, while aligning the front of the pull-up so it was level. “Hold the front please?” Chloe did so, and he used his free hand to fasten the Velcro pieces on each side of the pull-up. “Done. Does it feel good?” Chloe shifted around and tugged at the pull-up a little. “It's good,” she stated as she pulled her pants up. “Now, I need you to do me a favour – I need to use the bathroom too, so can you to go to that corner, face the wall, close your eyes, and not turn around until I say you can?” “Okay,” she did so, so Daniel was able to relieve himself with some privacy. “Thanks,” he said once done. She turned around, came to the sink, and both of them washed their hands. “Thanks, Daniel,” Chloe surprised him with a spontaneous hug around one leg. He smiled, reached down, and ruffled her hair affectionately. “You're welcome, Chloe. Let's go get lunch.” Chapter 5 Daniel pushed a large trolley around the supermarket, with Chloe sitting in the main compartment. Most of it was filled with various groceries, with some snacks and chocolates thrown in for good measure. He turned down the next aisle, which was filled with colourful packages on both sides. “Chloe, what brand of diapers do you wear?” he asked. “Pull-ups!” she said, a little indignation in her voice. “Yes, but which one? Point it out to me?” “There,” she pointed, and he walked over and examined the packs. “Oh, it's actually named pull-ups. I thought that was a type of diaper, not a brand,” he commented. He pulled out a pack of girls designs in the largest size they had. “Says 17-25 kg – looks about right.” “Grandpa buys that one,” Chloe informed him, pointing at the jumbo boxes of pull-ups. “Makes sense, I guess,” Daniel mentally estimated how long a box would last. “I think we better get 2 boxes. We could also use some more wipes, and I guess we had better get some diaper rash cream and powder.” He picked out the items and stowed them in the trolley. He pushed the trolley to the next aisle, which now surrounded him with colourful pencils, coloured pencils, activity books, and toys. “Chloe, I want you to get yourself some fun activity books, and a toy you like. Can you do that?” Daniel asked her, and her eyes widened with a smile. Daniel lifted her out of the cart, and she took a few steps down the aisle, entranced by the many things around her. She picked up a stuffed toy and studied it at arm’s length, before hugging it close to her chest. Daniel observed her for a while, enjoying the sight of clear delight on her face. After awhile, he idly scanned the other shelves in the aisle. Activity books, board games, more toys, school supplies, colouring equipment, paints... School supplies! It was as if a thunderbolt hit him. Holy crap – I need to find her a school! After a long day of shopping and a few more hundred dollars poorer, Daniel pushed two fully laden supermarket trolleys towards the main entrance of the mall. Chloe was walking quietly beside him, holding on to the hem of his shirt and walking slowly, rubbing her eyes. Daniel noticed that she was walking a little awkwardly as well. “Chloe, are you wet again?” he asked her softly. “Uh huh,” she replied. “We're going home now, so are you okay if we wait until we reach home to change you?” “Okay...” she yawned. “I'm tired,” she complained. “We'll take an Uber back, so you can sleep in the car, alright?” “Okay...” she rubbed her eyes more as she walked. Thankfully, the Uber driver was helpful and not only had a car seat for children, but even helped Daniel load everything into the car once he had set up the car seat. “Daniel,” Chloe whispered as Daniel was fastening the seatbelt around her. “My stomach hurts, just a little bit.” Daniel paused. “Do you need to poop?” he asked, and she nodded. “Oh no – is it urgent?” “No, it’s ok now,” she said. “We're only around 20 minutes away from home, so can you hold on until then?” “Okay...” she yawned again, and shifted in her seat, her eyes slowly closing. Daniel patted her head, then closed the car door. However, halfway through the ride back, a sudden smell spread through the car, jolting Daniel awake from a light doze in the back seat. A second later, the driver glanced at him through the rear-view mirror. “You smell that?” the driver pushed a button and all the windows wound down a little. Daniel winced in embarrassment. “I'm sorry, I think she pooped. In her pull-ups.” The driver laughed. “I have kids too, I know the smell. I hope they didn't leak though... pull-ups are not good for poop, especially for older kids.” Daniel appreciated the driver's delicacy in not asking why she was in pull-ups. “I'm so sorry – if it leaked, I'll pay for the clean-up.” he offered. “No worries, that's why I keep a plastic cover on the seat. Isn't the first time and won't be the last.” Thankfully, they arrived at Daniel's home not long later. He lived in a small, two-bedroom apartment in a relatively good part outside town, with an underground private car park and drop-off bay. The apartment belonged to his father, who let him stay without rent on the grounds that “Eh, it'll be yours someday anyway.” In exchange, Daniel helped his father manage his other rental property, a similar-sized apartment in the same building, and paid for maintenance, utilities, and taxes. Daniel got out of the car, crossed over to the other side, and opened the passenger door next to Chloe. She stirred in her seat as he did so. “Hey, Chloe, wake up, we're home,” he shook her gently as he unbuckled her. “Uh huh...” Chloe blearily opened her eyes and looked at him. Suddenly, her eyes widened as she came fully awake, and one of her hands shot to her pull-up. She touched the back of the pull-up, and her lower lip started to quiver. “I know, you pooped while you were sleeping. Come on out and let's see the damage.” Chloe didn't move, but began sniffing and rubbing at her eyes, which were turning red. Daniel reached under her legs and back, being careful not to disturb the diaper, lifted her out of the vehicle, and placed her on the ground where she stood up. As predicted by the driver, two dark arcs stained the back of her pants. He pulled back the hem of her pants and peeked down, noting brown stains on the back of her legs as well. “Oh Chloe... your pull-up leaked.” Chloe was valiantly, but unsuccessfully fighting back tears. Daniel knelt, reached out and gently wiped a few tears tricking down her cheeks with his thumb. “Chloe, it's okay, accidents happen. You were sleeping, right?” she nodded. “I'm definitely not going to be angry at you for an accident while sleeping. We'll go upstairs and get you clean again, okay?” Chloe nodded again, sniffing hard. One of her hands went to her bottom and touched it softly, but backed off as even that small pressure caused the poop to shift around. Daniel stood up and turned around, and saw that while he was settling Chloe, the driver had not only helped unload everything from the car, but had magically produced a flatbed trolley from somewhere, and was loading the boxes and items onto the trolley. “I'll help you bring your stuff up, so I can take the trolley back once you're done,” the driver told him before he could say anything. “That's incredibly generous of you, mate,” Daniel was deeply appreciative of his consideration. “I would usually decline, but in the present circumstances...” “Don't worry about it,” the driver cut him off, locking the car and pushing the trolley into a waiting lift as Daniel carried the rest of the items which could not fit on the trolley. Chloe, still sniffling, waddled into the lift behind Daniel the driver. The lift door closed, and for a few moments, both men held their breath to avoid being overwhelmed by the noxious fumes emitting from the little girl. “Thank you so much again, man,” Daniel shook the driver's hand. "I'll give you a generous tip for the trouble,” he promised. “Won't say no to that,” the driver smiled as he walked off as Daniel closed the door to his apartment. He took out his phone and gave the driver five stars and entered a twenty-dollar tip. Then he remembered the poop stains on the child seat, winced, and increased it to thirty dollars. He put down his phone and turned to Chloe. “Alright, let's get you – oh dear.” Now that the door was closed, Chloe had broken down into a full meltdown. Facing away from Daniel, she covered her face with her hands, but her distressed sobs were clearly audible as her shoulders shook. Daniel reached out and gently patted her back, and Chloe abruptly spun around and pressed her face into his shirt. Daniel held his breath to avoid gagging even as he enfolded her in a hug. “Chloe, it’s okay... shh...” Daniel awkwardly patted the little girl's back. “You'll feel better after we have you cleaned up, so I'm going to bring you to the bathroom, okay?” Avoiding touching her poop-covered diaper, he carefully carried her to the toilet. Daniel gently laid Chloe down on the toilet floor. He pulled off her pants and saw to his dismay that the brown stains had spread and now covered a good part of her upper legs not covered by the pull-up. “That must feel horrible, huh?” He put the stained pants aside, and gently tore open the sides of her pull-up, revealing a huge mess within. He reflexively gagged as the foul smell hit his nose, but held his breath and soldiered on, carefully removing the soiled pull-up, dumping its contents into the toilet bowl, and flushing. Turning back, he realised he had made a mistake – Chloe's poop-smeared bum was now directly resting on the toilet floor, leaving a stain behind on the tiles. In a flash, he realised one reason most parents carried changing mats around. “Ah – crap, sorry, hold on,” he stood up and ran to the kitchen, grabbing a plastic bag and an old clean towel. He returned and dropped the emptied pull-up into the plastic bag. He was going to place the towel under poor Chloe's bum to protect the floor, before cleaning her up with wipes, but then reconsidered. “Chloe, I'm going to give you a bath, okay? You'll feel a lot better after that, I promise”. Chloe, still crying softly, didn't respond, so he lifted her by her armpits – making sure he didn't step on the poop stain – and put her into the bathtub. Daniel turned on the shower and used it to spray Chloe clean, noting again the redness of the rash. Using the towel, he gently wiped all the poop off her, before wiping the stains off the floor and discarding it with the pull-up. Her crying slowly faded into sniffles as the water washed her clean, and she began to stare at her feet. Daniel somehow got the sense that she was ashamed, and perhaps expecting a scolding. “Chloe,” the little girl flinched as Daniel reached over. He gently lifted up her chin, so she was looking at him. “I'm not angry, okay?” He smiled understandingly at her. “I think you're still tired, so let’s give you a nice bath, then you can take a nap. Does that sound good?” Chloe nodded and relaxed, and for the first time, she met his eyes and smiled back. One warm bath later, Daniel had helped the little girl apply a layer of diaper cream, put on a new pull-up, and a nightgown. Chloe now sat before Daniel, who was using a newly-purchased blow dryer to dry her hair. “Chloe, can I ask you some things about the accident?” he said. Her back stiffened a little, but immediately relaxed as she nodded. Her body language clearly said that she trusted him enough to discuss this with him. “When was the last time you pooped?” The amount of poop in the diaper had been massive, much larger than he expected from a small child. “I dunno,” she said. “Did you poop yesterday? You remember, we woke up, got you dressed, went to the church...” She thought for a bit. “Nope,” she replied softly. I guess that explains that huge poop, Daniel thought. “Do you normally poop in your pull-ups?” he asked. “No,” she replied firmly. “I poop in the potty.” “Okay... When was the last time you pooped in your pull-ups?” he probed further. “I dunno,” she replied. “Did you poop in your pull-ups any time last week?” he tried again. “No!” she stated definitively, her body language showing she was becoming upset about the questioning. Daniel sighed. “Its fine. I believe you. However, pull-ups are not meant for pooping, so if you poop in your pull-ups some more, we need to get you real diapers, okay?” “No! I poop in the potty!” Chloe turned her head and glared at him. “Don't turn your head while I'm drying your hair! It's okay, I said I believe you,” Daniel really didn't see the difference between her wearing a pull-up and a diaper, but she clearly felt otherwise. “Okay,” she turned her head back to the original position, apparently mollified. “All right, we're done. Let's put you to bed.” Daniel turned off the hair dryer a short while later. Chloe stood up and yawned, rubbing at her eyes. “Can you go and pee in the potty before the nap?” he encouraged her. “Okay...” she slowly walked to the toilet. Daniel followed her, partly in case she needed help, but mainly to see if she really knew how to use a toilet. He watched as she pulled her pull-up down, but stopped and looked at the toilet seat which was a little too high for her – the step stool they bought still being in its box. “Daniel...” she turned to him for help. He picked her up and sat her on the toilet, holding her steady as she found her balance. He heard a stream of pee hitting water shortly after, lasting for a few seconds before trickling off. She hopped off the toilet seat, pulled some toilet paper and wiped herself, then threw it into the toilet. She pulled up the pull-up, flushed the toilet. and washed her hands. So, she really can use the toilet after all – that's good. Daniel was also relieved that she had no problems using the toilet at his home. He resolved to clean the toilet more thoroughly as soon as he could. “I'm done!” Chloe told Daniel proudly. “Good job!” he praised her. “Alright, time for your nap.” Chloe ran back into the bedroom and crawled into the centre of his king-sized bed, her eyes beginning to close the moment her head hit the pillow. Daniel tucked her in, pulled the curtains almost shut while letting a beam of light still enter the room, and turned off the room light. “Daniel, stay here,” a little voice pleaded as Daniel turned to leave the room. He paused. “Well... okay, I’ll stay just for awhile, but when you’re asleep I'll go outside to get some things done, alright?” Daniel walked over and sat on the bed next to her. “Okay...” the little girl's tired eyes closed, and before long, her breathing deepened into the regular rhythms of sleep. Daniel marvelled awhile at her peaceful face, before he quietly got up and left the room, leaving the door slightly ajar as the little girl slumbered. Chapter 6 Daniel felt that he was exceptionally productive that day. In the space of just over an hour, he had quickly cleaned his house, started a load of laundry, thrown away some R-rated magazines, and generally tried to make his house a bit more welcoming for a 5 year old girl. Now, he picked up his phone and called his sister. “Hey Daniel, what’s up?” Harriet’s voice came clearly through Daniel’s airpods as he finished stowing the last of the groceries. “Hey Harriet! Quite a lot, but don’t really have the time to go into it now. Listen - do you have any advice on how to find a school for Chloe?” “A school?! Wait - you really brought her home?! Is everything alright?” “Yeah, it’s alright for now, I guess?” “For now… oh my word…” Daniel heard Harriet taking a deep breath, and hurriedly forestalled the flood of questions he was sure was coming. “Yeah look, I don’t have much time, sorry. Chloe’s napping now and she’ll probably wake up soon. Anyway, I need to go back to work tomorrow – I was in the middle of some projects and I’m sure they’re waiting for me to get back. How do I enrol her in a school – or is there a daycare, or childcare, or something? Do I just turn up at the nearest one and drop her off?” “Ah – er, she’s five, right? So, I suppose she’d be going to a kindergarten, or a childcare. You may not be able to get her into one straightaway though, most of them require an application process, and you’re of course going to want to research them before sending her to one…” “Wait – how long’s the application process?” “Could take up to a month, but first you need to find one which you’re comfortable with, so it could take longer.” “A month?!” Daniel began, ever so slightly, to panic. “Oh my lord, what am I going to do then? I can’t take any more days off!” “Ellie – wait – I’m on a call – wait, don’t do that – “Daniel could hear a young high pitched voice in the background, demanding attention. “Sorry Daniel I’ve got to run. Try looking online for short-term childcare services or call social services and get recommendations. Call me again tonight after 9 if you need more help!” “Wait, what – “unfortunately, Daniel realised the call had ended. No way I’m calling social services – God knows what they would do! Google gods, please be kind… Just then, the door of his bedroom shifted, and a sleepy little girl stood in the opening. “Hey Chloe, slept well?” “Mmhmm,” the little girl rubbed her eyes. “I’m thirsty.” “Oh let me get you some juice. But first, do you need a new pull-up?” Chloe pulled up her nightgown and stared at her clearly faded stars. “Mmhmm”. “Let’s get you changed first then,” he walked her to the toilet, which he had packed earlier. “I’ve put your pull-ups and wipes in the bathroom cabinet, so you can take them from here yourself when you need clean pull-ups. After that, throw the dirty ones into this special bin, then wash your hands. Is that ok?” The special bin had a foot press and a lid on it, to contain the smell of wet diapers. “Okay,” she immediately pulled down her wet pull-up, threw it into the bin, and pulled out some wipes. Just then, Daniel remembered the rash. “Hold on – you also have to put the diaper cream on. See, what you do is you squeeze a bit on your hands, then rub them all over your… your diaper area, the places which get wet, and rub them in. Can you try?” “Okay…” Chloe attempted to do as instructed, but Daniel soon realised that she was not able to apply it properly. “Never mind, I’ll help you with the cream for now, until your rash gets better, alright?” He took over and gently helped her apply the cream. After that process, she grabbed a fresh pull-up and put it on. “Now wash your hands!” She did so, standing on the newly purchased stepstool. “Great job Chloe!” The little girl smiled a little at the praise. Should I really be praising a 5-year-old for changing her wet diaper? Daniel wondered. “I’m thirsty,” She reminded him, “…and a little hungry.” “Alright, let’s get you something to drink, and I’ll make you a little snack, yeah? You can play with your toys, watch TV, or draw in the meantime.” “Okay.” About an hour later, after a lot of google searches and reading, Daniel was staring at 3 options for childcares, each of which provided the required emergency care services. All seemed to offer a decent standard of care, (not that he knew much about what that meant), had decent reviews, and were reasonably affordable. The final choice came down to two factors – closing times, and distance. Option A – Surprisingly close to my place but closes at 7pm on the dot. Yeah, that’s not going to work – I’ll count myself lucky if I’m out of the office doors at 7pm! Option B – Close to the office, but only provides emergency care for up to 2 weeks, and closes at 8pm… that timing’s workable, but 2 weeks is far too short! I’d have to find another option soon, and Chloe would have to get accustomed to a whole new social group and teachers… nope, not a good option. Option C – it’s out of the way but is one of the few which provides “overnight care” if needed, and can accommodate late pickups. It would almost double my travelling time though… It seems like C is the only real option here. Sigh… Daniel made sure that Chloe remained engrossed in the colouring book and ducked into his bedroom. He found the number for “emergency care” on the website and dialled it. After a few rings and clicks, a cheerful voice responded. “Sunshine Park Childcare, emergency care line, this is Tiffany, can I ask who is this?” “Hi, my name is Daniel, and I was calling about whether you would be able to look after a 5-year-old girl for a few weeks on an urgent and emergency basis? Starting tomorrow?” “Hi Daniel, um… one moment please, let me check availability, please hold!” A canned hold-tone came on for about a minute, before the voice came back. “Sure, we have the capacity to do so. Before accepting her, can you help me understand why you need emergency childcare? For the usual legal and insurance reasons, you know.” “Great! Wow!” Daniel couldn’t believe his luck at the availability. “As to why… well, a relative of mine passed away over the weekend, leaving a 5-year-old daughter behind. The other parent’s not in the picture, so I’m looking after her. I just need emergency childcare for maybe a month so I can find a more suitable permanent childcare!” “Thanks Daniel, appreciate your sharing! That would be no problem at all. Next, does the child have any special needs?” “Nope, she’s perfectly healthy! She’s a bit quiet and shy, especially after the recent funeral… but that’s understandable.” He then remembered “Oh, but she’s basically not potty trained – she wears pull-ups and seldom makes it to the toilet. Would that be a problem?” “Thanks, and no problem at all. Our staff are well trained and very experienced at changing diapers.” “Oh no she doesn’t need any help – except maybe a reminder to change before she leaks. She can change herself.” “Okay then, sounds good. Does she have any allergies, dietary restrictions, medical conditions, or suchlike?” “Um – I don’t think so? I don’t really know her all that well, but she eats everything I put in front of her?” Daniel remembered the documents he took home and continued “She has some kind of a health book which I’ll look at and let you know.” “That’s fine, please do and in fact, bring it along when you bring her over, along with all the other admission documents we will need,” Tiffany chirruped. “And yep, based on your responses, I think we will have no problem enrolling her, subject of course to on-site confirmation of documents and information – sorry, our lawyers make us say that” she laughed. “No worries at all! Thank you very much – you guys are lifesavers!” Daniel gratefully replied. “So what does she have to bring along?” “Well after this, I’ll need you give me your email address and phone number. I’ll email you some paperwork, and a list of items she needs to bring. As she’s a temporary student, we won’t need you to buy the uniform -although you can if you want, it’s very cute! Also, as she’s still in diapers, we would need you to bring some packs over – at least 30 pieces – and keep it stocked. If runs out, we will charge you for using our reserve diapers at a rather high markup. Sorry, I mean pull-ups, of course.” “That is perfect.” Daniel gave Tiffany his particulars, confirmed the likely drop off time (early) and pick-up time (late), and ended the call. He couldn’t resist giving himself a congratulatory pat on the back once he was done. He flopped onto his bed and stared at the ceiling, feeling a huge weight taken off his shoulders. Damn, I’m tired. Shopping, cleaning, arranging for schooling… I am really getting old, he mused to himself. Still, the kid is happy, fed, clean, and still alive… not a bad job at all! He let his mind go blank for awhile as he stared at the ceiling, until after some time, the door creaked open and Chloe cautiously peeked in, looking slightly worried. “Everything alright, Chloe?” “Mmhmm,” her expression eased, and she ducked out and went back to whatever she was doing. Daniel checked his watch, and realised it was nearing 6pm. Aaaand time to get dinner started. No rest for the wicked – or was it that the reward for work well done is more work? That night, just before she slept, Chloe helped Daniel pack her bag for the childcare, according to the packing list sent. Daniel discovered that even at 5, Chloe clearly knew what she wanted to wear, favouring pants and shirts over dresses or skirts – notwithstanding Daniel pointing out it would be easier for her to change her pull-ups if she was in a dress. She also insisted that pull-ups to be added to her pack, even after Daniel explained that he would leave a full pack at the childcare. “Chloe, try to use the potty at childcare, ok? You can ask the teachers to bring you at any time.” “Okay.” She hesitated, and asked timidly “will the teachers be angry if I wet my pull-ups?” “Oh no, I don’t think they will. They appeared very nice when I spoke to them! But, if they do, you tell another teacher to call me immediately, and I will scold them!” Daniel put on an exaggerated angry face and mimed wagging his fingers at an invisible teacher. “Okay,” Chole smiled hesitantly. “Also remember to change your pull-ups when they are wet! We packed 2 extra spare sets of clothes, but if you get both dirty, you’ll have nothing to wear the rest of the day and will only wear a pull up!” Daniel joked. Seeing Chloe’s suddenly worried expression, he explained “I’m kidding about just wearing a pull-up, but please keep your clothes clean!” “Okay, I definitely will” Chloe replied, not looking too reassured. “And no pooping in your pull-ups!” “I won’t!” Chloe flicked him an irritated look, as Daniel grinned. After the bag was packed and set by the door, Chloe crawled into the bed hugging her rabbit. She had, sometime over the past few sleeps, picked a side of the king-sized bed as “her” half, and she snuggled in there while Daniel carefully laid the blanket over her. “Set an alarm, Daniel!” she reminded him. “Yes, I’ve already done so,” he replied as he turned off the light. “I’m going to leave the toilet light on, and the door open a bit, so the light comes in and you don’t get scared, alright?” “Can you stay here?” she pleaded. “I will, until you fall asleep. Is that OK?” Daniel walked back into the room and sat on what had now become “his” side of the bed. “Okay,” she turned and faced him, hugging her bunny, and closed her eyes. “Goodnight Daniel.” “Goodnight, Chloe.” Daniel started scrolling through emails on his phone, until after around 20 minutes, he noticed that the breathing from the other side of the bed had regularised. He saw her loosely holding her bunny, with her eyes closed, dead to the world. He carefully stood up and left the room, closing the door softly behind him. After listening at the door and ensuring that there was no noise from within, he finally relaxed. Grabbing a beer from the fridge, he threw himself on the couch, turned on Netflix, and cracked the beer open. For some reason, he felt like he needed to stare at some natural beauty, so he found a documentary voiced by Lord David Attenborough – whose voice he found to be very comforting – and stared at the screen. After about half an hour, in the middle of his second beer, the door to his bedroom cracked open and Chloe pattered out. Without saying a word, she clambered onto the couch, next to where he was seated, and curled up next to him. “Chloe, what are you doing out here – “he checked himself as he noticed the slight tear tracks on her cheeks, even as her breathing quickly deepened back into sleep. “Well I guess there’s no harm in letting you sleep here awhile…” He continued watching the documentary as she slumbered beside him, barely stirring. When it ended, he turned off all the lights in the house, picked her up – while she remained in deep sleep, dead to the world – and carried her back to the bed, before hitting the sack himself shortly after.