Single Father with girls from two different moms

[Ishigreensa]

Imelda noticed that her sister was done and she never ever finished her food anyway.  She was a small girl, you see, with a very small stomach, so it didn't take much to make her full.  She waited until no one was looking and then slipped some of her food onto her sister's plate.  Then grinning, she went back to eating.

It took a bit, but Robert looked at Lexi's plate and he looked up at her.

"Honey?  Are you going to finish your breakfast?"

Imelda smiled shyly.  She just thought her big sister might be hungry because she had already finished eating.

[Shy-Diapers]

Lexi hadn’t noticed the food being put on her plate, so when Robert asked about it, she looked perplexed. “I um.” She stumbled, not sure what to say. She was confused. She didn’t think that Imelda would’ve put food on her plate. “Sorry Daddy.” She mumbled before starting to eat the food on her plate. She was very confused. She thought maybe she had missed the food before so now she felt bad that she didn’t clear her plate, but it wasn’t the same kind of food that was there earlier. 

[Ishigreensa]

Robert smiled and he reached over for her hand.

"Honey, there is nothing to be sorry about.  I just thought maybe you and Imelda were trading food, and then maybe you either didn't like what Imelda had after all, or maybe you felt guilty some other way and I wanted to make sure you were enjoying your food, honey.  You don't have to finish it if you don't like it."

Imelda smiled up at her older sister.

"I just thought you were hungry, sis.  You already finished, and I thought you were really hungry because you ate faster than daddy, even."

[Shy-Diapers]

“I didn’t know it was there.” Lexi said quietly. She felt kind of stupid for not realizing. 

She ate the little bit that had been put on her plate and kept her head down. 

“I’m sorry. I’ll eat slower next time. I’m just used to having to finish my food in time.”

[Ishigreensa]

Imelda and Robert looked at each other and then Imelda got off of her chair and went around so she was between her new big sister and her daddy.  She put her arms around Lexi.

"I didn't mean to make you feel like you were in trouble.  I just didn't want you to be hungry, and I almost never finish my food at restaurants because they always give me too much.  It's better than wasting it, to give it to you if you are hungry, sis."

"Honey, you're not in trouble.  You don't have to be sorry," Robert said.  "I was just afraid you didn't like your food and if you were still hungry, I can't leave you like that.  I don't know how well you were fed before, so I want to make sure you got full on your first meal with me, and then I will make sure you get a reasonable amount of food from now on.  If I don't put enough on your plate the first time, then I want you to let me know if you are still hungry, honey.  If I can do something about it, you will get more.  If not, then I will figure something out if it is at all possible at that time.  Most of the time, it will be possible to make sure you eat enough.  Okay?"

[Shy-Diapers]

Lexi looked down at her lap. She wanted to cry. Everything was so different and she was so overwhelmed. She was just trying to be as good as she possibly could. 

She nodded and listened to Robert and Imelda. She didn’t really know how to tell when she was full. She hadn’t been given the chance to self monitor that kind of thing since Robert had left them. She would try though. She didn’t want to say she didn’t know if she was full or not.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know Daddy. Everything is different and I just wanna be a good girl.”

[Ishigreensa]

Robert smiled at her.

"Honey, I have no doubt that you are a good girl.  You don't have to try so hard, baby."

He smiled and once they had finished eating, he reached both his hands out to both his little girls so they could walk with him up to the front to pay and then back out to the car.

[Shy-Diapers]

Lexi nodded. She still didn’t feel that way, but she wanted to act like she did. She just wanted to make her father happy. If she could please him then that would guarantee that he wouldn’t leave her. 

“Are we going to the motel now?” She asked quietly, feeling a little wary to ask Robert something, unsure if he was busy paying or not. 

[Ishigreensa]

"Yes, we are, baby," he said as he heard her though he was talking to the other person.  He didn't get as upset about being interrupted doing adult things unless he was doing something really important, and he didn't see that paying for something was something that needed his full attention.  The other person surely knew that kids needed attention sometimes, and even at inconvenient times.

Imelda smiled up at her daddy and then at Lexi.

"Maybe we can play a little bit when we get to the motel," Imelda said to Lexi.

[Shy-Diapers]

Lexi nodded, glad to be going somewhere where she would be able to relax a little bit. 

“Like what?” She asked curiously. She didn’t have any toys besides a few stuffed animals, and she assumed Imelda didn’t bring toys with her when they made the trip to get Lexi. 

Lexi loved arts and crafts, but once Robert and her mother separated, she never really got to do much as far as art goes. Her mother said it was a waste of time. She would occasionally draw in her school notebooks, but that was at school, not at home. She hadn’t gone to school in a few weeks. 

She held Robert’s hand tightly, not wanting to be away from him as they walked to the car. She used her free hand to make sure her backpack was still on her and she hadn’t lost it. It just made her feel better. 

She climbed in the car and shifted the bag to her lap once she was all buckled. 

[Ishigreensa]

Imelda climbed in next to her and smiled over at her.

"I have some play doh at the dorm and a couple of dolls to play with," she said.  "I also have a couple of coloring books and some crayons.  So, we can do whatever you want."

Imelda was a very simple girl, so it didn't take much to entertain her.

Robert buckled both girls into the car and then he started to drive to the motel afterwards.

[Shy-Diapers]

Lexi nodded. She was kinda jealous that Imelda had things like dolls, and obviously ones that were okay to bring with them. She figured she had lots of things at home, and was kinda jealous. She felt kind of left out since she had almost nothing. 

Lexi was pretty easily entertained, mainly because she had to be. But she still wished and wanted for things like pretty dolls or fun games or other toys and clothes. She knew they were farfetched though. She looked down at her lap which had her bag. She was a little nervous about the motel. She’d never been to one before. 

[Ishigreensa]

Soon enough, they were at the motel and Imelda smiled.

She reached for Lexi's hand as they walked into the motel with their daddy.

"So, what's in your bag?" she asked.  "Clothes and toys?"

She was curious, but she didn't want to be too nosy because that might make her sister mad.

"I sometimes carry about a bag, too, but daddy told me to leave my bag at the motel when we went to get you."

 

Robert walked both his daughters to the motel room, and opened the door for them.

"I want two little girls to get ready for a bath," he said as he walked into the room.  "Now, I usually do wash Imelda's hair for her and help her wash her back because she can't really reach it that well, but she washes everywhere else herself.  I don't know what you are used to though, what do you want me to do?" he asked Lexi.  "I can wait until you come out to help Imelda with her hair and back, or I can help you both with your hair and back, or if you just don't mind me being there, but you want to do it yourself, I can just wash Imelda's back and hair and then leave so you two can continue to play in the bath.  I just don't want to make you uncomfortable, honey."

[Shy-Diapers]

Lexi blushes and shook her head. She was a little embarrassed that she still wanted to carry a stuffed animal and blanket around for comfort. She shuffled into the motel, sticking close to Robert. She didn’t want to be away from him. 

It took Lexi a while to process what Robert had said. While she processed everything, she just blinked and stared blankly. When she finally understood everything and processed it, she turned red and looked down.

She didn’t really want to take a bath with Imelda. She didn’t know the girl at all really, and didn’t want Imelda to see her naked. She also was a little shy about Robert seeing her naked, but she didn’t know how to wash herself that well. She was really never taught. Her mother would spray her down in the shower with a removable shower head, but that was about all the help she got, and even that was rare. 

She swallowed hard and bit her lip. She didn’t really like any of Robert’s choices, but she wanted to be good and obey him. None of the options gave Alexandra the option to not have Imelda in the bath with her. 

“I um.” She stuttered, her face feeling extremely hot. She didn’t know what to say. She wasn’t used to having choices and she was also extremely embarrassed about being in the bath with anyone. She didn’t remember ever doing that. She felt tears sting her eyes, feeling overwhelmed and worried. She wanted to ask Robert if she could bathe alone, but she was scared that he might get mad. 

[Ishigreensa]

Robert could see how nervous Lexi was, and he wondered why.  He had given her the choice to not have him in the bathroom at all, so it couldn't be that she was afraid that he would see her naked, was it?  He wanted to make sure, so he walked over to her and pulled her into him and hugged her.  

"Honey, I promise, I won't come into the bathroom until you are dressed and back out in the main room, if that's what's scaring you.  I want to take care of you, not embarrass you, sweetie.  Is that what was wrong?  Are you scared I'm going to come in on you while you are in the bath?"

Sure, he knew that she didn't know Imelda that well, but he figured that girls had to share showers when they went swimming and in Junior High, in a few years, she would have to dress in front of other girls, so he didn't think that was such a big deal.  He didn't know how awkward she found it.

[Shy-Diapers]

Lexi didn’t really know how to express her feelings. After never being allowed to express them for years, she found it difficult and scary to try. She wanted to cry. She didn’t really know why, but she just did. She stared down at her feet and sniffled. 

Lexi felt ashamed of her body and how she looked. Her mother constantly told her and trained her to feel that way. She was also pretty socially isolated. She never got to do anything outside of school, and Lexi’s mother would get extremely upset if she found out that Lexi had been talking to people at school. Because of how she felt about herself, she was scared and ashamed and just generally shy about being in the bath with Imelda. 

She wanted to scream. She didn’t really know how to say what she wanted. She hugged Robert as tight as she could, seeming scared and frightened. She had been through a lot of emotional abuse and more recently, neglect. Living in such an environment really did a number to the young girl’s mind. 

She didn’t really want Robert to see her naked either, but she didn’t want to be away from him. Ideally, she’d be able to bathe independently, but with Robert in the room, just not looking. 

“Do I have to?” She asked, her voice shaky, like she was about to cry. 

[Ishigreensa]

Robert wasn't sure what was going on with her, but he didn't think it healthy to let Imelda see her acting so funny about having a bath, so he thought a bit more about what to do.  He was starting to think that she wasn't so much scared of him looking at her as she was just upset at having to take off her clothes at all.  Was there something she was trying to hide on her body?  Was there something like a scar or something that made her nervous?

He reached down and picked her up.

"Imelda, can you go in the bathroom and start your bath, honey?  I think daddy needs to talk to Lexi for a little bit and she might need to take a bath by herself tonight."

Imelda nodded.

When Imelda left the room, Robert put Lexi in his lap and he rubbed her back.

"Honey, what do you mean, do you have to?  Do you not want to take a bath?  If that's what you are asking, I'm afraid you do need a bath, baby.  You're not exactly clean, and tomorrow, we are meeting some really important people to get your custody status changed."

He hugged her a little bit kissed the top of her head.

"Daddy is here, honey.  I promise, whatever you are trying to hide, daddy knows that it might be hard, but daddy will love you either way."

[Shy-Diapers]

Lexi sighed as tears ran down her small face. She was struggling to comprehend her own feelings, let alone express them. She didn’t know how to tell Robert how she felt. She just wished things were easier. She didn’t like to think this way, but she was starting to miss her mother. 

“I’m sorry.” She said in a near whisper, nodding when asked if she didn’t want to bathe. She was embarrassed to say that she didn’t want to bathe with Imelda, but it felt really weird to her. She’d only just met the girl, and she didn’t want to be in the bath with anyone, let alone Imelda. It’s not that she didn’t like Imelda, but they had just met. She didn’t want anyone seeing her with her clothes off, let alone bathing with someone. 

She didn’t really think she was trying to hide anything, unless Robert meant her entire body. She wasn’t scarred or anything, just ashamed and embarrassed. 

“I’m not trying to hide anything.” She squeaked out softly. She gripped tightly onto her bag, even more than before. She desperately wanted to take her stuffed animal and blanket out of her bag, but she didn’t want to seem like a little kid, or risk Robert getting mad. Though he hadn’t gotten mad at her yet. 

[Ishigreensa]

"You don't need to be sorry," he told her.  "It's okay, honey."

He noticed how tightly she held her bag and he wondered if she had something important to her in it.

"You haven't opened your bag at all," he reminded her.  "Are you afraid you are going to lose something?"

He hoped maybe she had something in it that would help calm her because she looked really nervous and upset.  He repositioned her so that he could rock her a little bit and look into her eyes as he did so.

"It's okay, Lexa.  It's okay.  Daddy is here, and I'm not going to let anyone hurt you, sweetie."

He looked over at the closed bathroom door.

"I'll tell you what, honey.  We'll let Imelda finish, and I'll wash her hair and back for her, and then you can take a bath after her.  Would that be okay?  I won't even go in the bathroom on you while you bathe if you prefer that, but honestly, I'm a little worried that you won't get completely clean.  Your hair doesn't exactly smell like it's been washed in a while, and well, I'll give you privacy if you need me to....  At least for today, honey."

[Shy-Diapers]

Lexi opened her bag up, her hands a little shaky. She thought that Robert’s comment meant that she was supposed to open it and show him what was inside. She showed him the open bag containing her white plush owl and a pink quilt with rabbits on it. They had been her favorite objects since she was little, having insisted on taking her owl to the first day of kindergarten with her in her backpack. 

She cracked a small smile when her father said that she could have a bath by herself. She was happy she wouldn’t have to be naked in front of Imelda, or even Robert. She felt relieved, feeling a little better, but she still felt weird about Robert potentially seeing her naked. She wanted her privacy, but it was embarrassing that Robert said she didn’t smell clean. 

Truthfully, Lexi didn’t really know how to wash herself. Nobody ever taught her how and it’s not like her mother frequently bathed her. When Robert had left, Lexi was still being bathed completely by her parents, so she never learned after her mother’s mental state went downhill. 

[Ishigreensa]

Robert smiled and patted her back.

"Take out your owl and hug it or play with it," he told her.  "You haven't had your toys out all day, and it's not right.  Even Imelda can't go all day without her toys out, and I give her time to play all the time.  You don't seem like you play very much to me.  Even if you are a big girl, you're not too old for toys, honey."

He set her down and went to check on Imelda and to wash her hair and her back.

[Shy-Diapers]

Lexi nodded and took her owl out of the backpack. She held it close to her chest and buried her face in its soft plush. She looked a little worried when Robert got up, afraid he wouldn’t come back. But she tried to tell herself that he would, even if she was skeptical. 

She was already feeling a lot better, just being able to hold one of the few things she treasured most. She was still upset and nervous though. It seemed like Robert really wanted to help clean her up. She felt conflicted. It would be nice for someone to give her a real bath and help her wash herself for once, but on the other hand that would mean Robert seeing her naked and she felt extremely ashamed and embarrassed about anyone seeing her. 

[Ishigreensa]

Ten minutes later, Robert carried Imelda out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel and he smiled over at Lexi.

"The bathroom is clear, now, honey.  You can go in and take a bath.  I have to help Imelda get dressed."

Actually, he didn't have to help her at all.  Imelda was a big girl after all, but Robert had always helped her after a bath, and Imelda really didn't mind... yet.  To her, it was natural that daddy helped her after a bath, and sometimes, when she had wet the bed.  That didn't really happen that often anymore, but there were times when it still happneed.

Robert saw her holding her little toy.

"You can take your toy with you, but mind that you put it up high so it doesn't get on the floor by accident because you don't want it getting wet, honey.  A toy like that shouldn't get wet if you want to keep it nice, but you kind of already know that, don't you?"

[Shy-Diapers]

Lexi turned red when she heard the door open. She quickly put the owl back in her backpack. She didn’t want Imelda to see and think she was a little kid. She’d already gotten made fun of enough for having it around so much by the kids at the foster home she was in the past few days. 

Lexi took her bag with her, not wanting it to be taken while she wasn’t near it. She set it in the dry sink and stared at the bathtub. She kept looking at the closed door, feeling worried. She didn’t know if Robert was going to come in or not. She kind of expected him to, but she just wanted to know when. She sighed and ran the bath, folding her clothes into as small of a pile she could. She sat in the bath and sighed, looking around. While she didn’t have any scars or physical signs of abuse, she was pretty thin. Lexi used to be on the chubby side, but she was so thin now, mainly from not being fed as much as she should. Sure as she got older she got taller and thinner, but she was a little too thin, especially for the girl who used to be a little plumper, Burt still healthy looking. Lexi didn’t really look as healthy, mostly because her face looked so sad and scared and sunken all the time. 

[Ishigreensa]

Robert stayed true to his word and let her bathe as long as he could without disturbing her.  He had no intention of going back on his word when he told her he wouldn't open the door on her, so it was nearly thirty minutes before he knocked at the bathroom door.

"You can take a little longer if you want, but I just wanted to make sure you're okay, honey."

(Did she remember to bring in some clothes for her? If not, she might have to ask him for some clothes, which would lead to him having to come in and then not only seeing her way too thin for a girl her age, but also seeing that her back wasn't clean at all and her legs were spotty clean because of not knowing how to wash properly, or whatever?)