Train Orphans: 2nd Family restart for Robehouse

[Ishigreensa]

"Don't you want a phone?" Tommy asked.  "Because I do!"

He smiled up at his sister.  "Maybe I can use it sometimes...."

[robehouse]

"Yes, of course I do. I don't have anyone to call right now though." Penny said.

[Ishigreensa]

Tommy nodded and smiled.

"I know.  But we have to start school again, sometime.  I guess you'll get some friends, then, huh?"

[robehouse]

"Yeah probably. We'll be starting soon." Penny agreed.

[Ishigreensa]

"So..., Can I?" he asked again.  "Can I use your phone sometimes?"

[robehouse]

"I don't think I'm allowed. I know your my brother, but I was told not to let anyone else use it. We'll have to see." Penny answered.

[Ishigreensa]

Tommy frowned.

"That's not very fair."

He looked like he wanted to pout for a while, so he went off to his room.

[robehouse]

Penny rolled her eyes. She didn't even have a phone yet and it was causing conflict.

Erica leaned into her sister as they watched tv 

[Ishigreensa]

Ted came into the living room for a minute to check on the kids and noticed that Tommy had gone.  The two sisters cuddling together, though, he shrugged and went back to looking after dinner.

 

[robehouse]

Penny saw Ted out of the corner of her eye but stayed where she was with Erica. She put her arm around Erica and hugged her.

[Ishigreensa]

Ted smiled when he saw the sisters hugging, and he hummed to himself as he went back to the kitchen to work on dinner.

Eventually, dinner was ready and went back to the living room again to get the kids.

"Dinner is ready, girls.  Where is Tommy?"

Penny #1 oo

[robehouse]

"I guess he's in his bedroom. He got a little upset with me." Penny said.

Penny and Erica stood up to go to the kitchen.

[Ishigreensa]

Ted stopped Penny.

"Why'd he get upset, sweetie?  Maybe I can help."

He patted her shoulder while he waited to see if she would tell him.

[robehouse]

"He asked what I talked to you about and I said you gave me rules about using the phone. He asked me if he could borrow it sometime, and I told him I wasn't allowed to lend it to anyone." Penny said.

"If I had known he would get upset I never would have said anything." Penny sighed.

[Ishigreensa]

Ted sighed.

"I'll talk to him, honey.  He's just a preteen that wants to be treated older than he is.  I was the same way."

He nodded at her to go on to eat dinner.

Ted walked over to Tommy's door, and knocked.

"Tommy, we need to talk," he told him through the door.  "Can I come in?"

"Yeah...."

 

[robehouse]

Penny nodded.

Penny took Erica to the kitchen and sat down at the table. They worries for Ted and Tommy.

[Ishigreensa]

At the table, they already had some food dished out to them.

Ted continued to talk to Tommy for about fifteen minutes.

Eventually, they came out and Tommy looked a bit happier as he sat on the other side of Erica.

He smiled over at Penny.

"Uncle Ted says he's going to get us younger kids a cheaper phone to share."

[robehouse]

Penny smiled at Tommy.

"That's a great idea. We can talk to each other and uncle Ted." Penny said.

Penny started eating her dinner.

[Ishigreensa]

Ted frowned.

"Not when you are all home and in the same place," he told the kids.  "You kids spend way too much time texting and stuff on devices as it is.  I mean, you three, not in particular, but just teenagers in general.  When possible, I would you kids to talk face to face."

He then smiled.

"After dinner, Penny, would you mind helping me clean up?"

He looked at Tommy.

"You prepare a bath for you and your little sister?" he looked at Tommy.

Tommy nodded.

[robehouse]

"That's what I meant. Like after school." Penny said.

"Yes sir." Penny said.

Penny and Erica continued to eat.

[Ishigreensa]

After dinner, Ted started to gather up the dishes and looked to Penny to start helping and to Tommy to go run the bath.

Tom ran off to go do as he wanted.

Ted took the dishes into the kitchen area and put them in the sink, and started to run some dish water.

"You can dry and put away," he told Penny.  "If you are not sure where something goes, just ask, sweetie."

[robehouse]

Penny got up and starting helping Ted clear the table and do the dishes.

"Alright. I'll do my best." Penny said.

Erica went with Tommy to the bathroom.

[Ishigreensa]

Ted smiled.

"Honey, don't worry too much.  I don't expect perfection, sweetheart.  That's why I told you to ask me if you don't know where something goes.  Even if you just forgot, it's okay."

He put a hand around her for a second.

"You're home, and you're safe, sweetie.  No one will be mad at you if you make a small mistake, okay?"

 

Tommy took Erica into the bathroom and started to run the water.  When it was filling up, he turned to his sister.

"Do you want to do it, or shall I help you?" he asked her talking about helping her undress.

[robehouse]

"Thank you." Penny said.

She smiled as Ted put his arm around her.

 

Erica shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't care." Erica answered.

[Ishigreensa]

Ted started to wash the dishes and he smiled at her.

"You're a good girl," he told Penny.

"Come here, little sis," Tommy told his little sister.  "If you don't care, then I do.  I want you to know your brother is always here for you unless you don't want me to be."

He reached for her shirt to lift it off of her.