Bringing Home Mei Mei

[justagirl4fun]

Jack and Anne Wilson glanced at each other nervously just before entering the Civil Affairs office where they would soon meet the little girl who would make them a family of four. Four years ago, in that same building, they had become first-time parents when little Ruby, then just a year old, was placed in their arms. Now they were back in China to bring home the precious, but so very sick, three-year-old they had decided to name Harper.

[justagirl4fun]

*bump*

I'm willing to give a little with Ruby's age, if you don't want to play a child that young. I do not want her any younger, though.

[Ishigreensa]

Can I try again, and can Ruby be eight years old?

[justagirl4fun]

Okay, sure. But they still adopted her at age 1, so she's been with them 7 years. And her backstory is that she had a cleft lip and palate when they adopted her, but it's been taken care of. Is that okay?

[Ishigreensa]

I'll have to look those up, if I need to have any side effects... or if they are completely cured, then that's fine.

And yeah, okay.

So, Where did Ruby come from if Mei-mei is from China?

[justagirl4fun]

They are in China now, which is where they adopted Ruby from as well. Ruby's cleft lip and palate were completely corrected and after a few years of speech and feeding therapy she is now fine. The only indication of her condition is a scar on her upper lip from the surgery.

[Ishigreensa]

Okay.

[justagirl4fun]

Jack scooped Ruby up, making sure she had the rag doll Anne's sister had made her. When they'd finally been approved to adopt Harper, she had lovingly made two sweet dolls, one for each girl. "Here, why don't you hold this one too, for Mei Mei and you can give it to her when she gets here, okay?"

[Ishigreensa]

Ruby took both of the dolls in her hands, her round face looking up into her dad's eyes with shiny brown eyes.

[justagirl4fun]

"No, the dollies are from Auntie Sue, remember? Mommy has a stuffie for Mei Mei back at the hotel," Jack said as he bounced Ruby a bit.

Harper screamed and began to cry jagged, heart-wrenching sobs as Anne took her. She turned around, reaching for the nanny as she walked away after insisting, through their translator, that it was best to get it over with quickly. As she cried her lips began turning blue, a result of the life-threatening congenital heart defect she'd been cursed with.

Jack's heart broke for little Harper and he hoped that, like Ruby, she would come around quickly and begin to trust them; he knew, however, that all kids were different and that might not be the case. "Yes, Empress Ruby, you are adorable. And so is Harper," he said with a smile as he tweaked Ruby's nose.

[Ishigreensa]

"Oh," Ruby smiled.

[justagirl4fun]

"It's because of her heart, honey. It's very sick. Hon, remember the doctor said this would happen. It's okay. She'll be alright." Jack got up and set Ruby down, hoping to get a few photos of this special moment.

[Ishigreensa]

Ruby was NOT happy about being put down.

[justagirl4fun]

"Ruby, calm down. Remember all the pictures we have of the day we got you? We want to do the same for Harper. Now sit still and I'll take one of the three of you." Jack continued snapping away despite Harper's tear-streaked cheeks and terrified expression. It was clear that, at the moment, she wanted nothing to do with her new family. "Ruby, do you need to go potty?" he asked, finally taking note of her wiggling and squirming.

[Ishigreensa]

Ruby looked up at her daddy and smiled.

[justagirl4fun]

"I think the bathrooms are over there. Let's go now before we go back to the hotel," Jack said as he saw newly-formed families starting to trickle back outside to the vans waiting to transport them. "Babe, we'll be right back," he told Anne as he headed off with Ruby to the men's room and brought her into a stall.

[Ishigreensa]

Ruby reached up at her daddy as he took her to the bathroom wanting to be carried.

When he got her into the stall, she stood there squirming, her panties already damp and leaking a little more so it was starting to become noticeable.

[justagirl4fun]

"Ruby, for heaven's sake, we're in the bathroom. You couldn't hold it two seconds longer?" Jack scolds as he tanks her pants down and sits her on the toilet. "You'll just have to wear wet pants back to the hotel, because I don't think mommy brought an extra outfit for you."

Out in the main room Harper's sobs are slowing, not because she's less scared, but because she's tired herself out. She fights sleep, though, keeping her body rigid in an attempt to maintain as little body contact with Anne as possible.

[Ishigreensa]

Ruby started to cry as Jack scolded her, and now her voice was carrying through the echo-like room of the bathroom as she continued to pee.

[justagirl4fun]

"Ruby, stop it. You could have prevented this if you'd told me you had to go. You can't keep waiting until it's too late like this. One more time and you'll be back in diapers," Jack threatened as he dried her pants the best he could with paper towels before pulling them back up. "Now hurry up and wash your hands," he ordered as he went to the sinks to wash his own. "The vans will be leaving."

Harper stuck two fingers in her mouth and did her best to block out Anne's voice and touch.

[Ishigreensa]

Ruby became quiet and horror struck when her dad threatened her with diapers.

[justagirl4fun]

"You always say that, but you never learn! You can't just hold it forever, you have to use the potty as soon as you feel the need to go," Jack said, taking her hand and hurrying back to Anne. "You ready to go?" he asked as he looked around, noting that most of the families had left.

[Ishigreensa]

Ruby was feeling really sad now, and walked with her head down back out to the van with her family.

[justagirl4fun]

"I told her if it happens again she'll be back in diapers. We still have a week and a half here in China - and a 24-hour trip home - and I am not going to be dealing with wet pants the whole time," Jack said firmly. "Hon, don't worry so much. This is all still so new for her. She'll be fine. Some kids just take longer." He leaned over and tries to kiss Harper's forehead but she pulled away with a terrified shriek so he backed off. "Let's just get back to the hotel and we can all relax for a while." He helped Anne climb into the van and waited until she was settled in with Harper on her lap - because car seats were practically nonexistent in China - before helping Ruby in next to her and finally getting in himself.

[Ishigreensa]

Ruby leaned against her mom and closed her eyes.

She didn't want to wear diapers, but the truth was, this was not home, and she felt uncertain about using the bathroom here.