Family ties

[matt1989]

It was a slightly rainy day when when Jack sign the paperwork to adopt his niece. Three weeks ago Jack's sister Mary died from a car accident. Mary and his niece we're the only family Jack has. Her father was never really in the picture.

"Ever thing seems to be in order. I see no reason to keep her hearing longer."

The young lady be hind the desk was going through the paperwork.

 

"Thank you I can't imagine what she been going through this past 3 weeks."

"Yes it wasn't easy for her. It never is. I should at least tell you though she has started wetting the bed. It not a nightly problem but it is something that you should know. We had her check out but there doesn't appear to be any medically wrong with her just don't make it in a big deal when it happen."

"I'm sure it's from all the stress. Hopefully it won't last long."

Jack finished up his conversation with the young lady for heading out for the office. It's been outside the office is his  young 13-year-old niece ever thing she owns in a small duffel bag.

[Lost Little Neppy]

Kalypso was angry as she sat outside the office, hearing what was being said through the thin door. Her face was red in embarrassment. She had hoped that her problem wasn't going to be brought up. The nurses were kind about it, at least, assuring her that it was no big deal. The plastic sheets weren't fun to sleep on, but it was better than the alternative protection they offered. Still, she was glad to be out and living in an actual home now. She hardly remembered her uncle, but her mother spoke about him at times during Christmas when she would wonder out loud whether to invite him over, but being would eventually decide against it as not to bother him. Perhaps she had assumed that he was spending Christmas with a girlfriend and her family, but that didn't seem to be the case at all when she saw him alone. Maybe she could ask about it.

When the door opened, Kalypso refused to look up from her duffel bag. All she had with her were clothes and toiletries, as she never did own much else. All the toys she had outgrown were donated and her mother could never afford the things she wanted like a tablet or portable video game console. She was also "too young" for a phone, despite her middle school classmates having one. Well, the rich ones, anyway. She stood up, still staring at the duffel bag, indicating that she was ready, but refusing to say much else. Not after what he heard about her,.

[matt1989]

That load up Jack's car and took off for Kalypso new home. Jack say much thinking that Kalypso just wants a little space right now. Jack stop at a Walmart 

"I just need to grab a few things. If want anything thing just let me know."

Jack started go down each aisle eventually making he's way to the baby's diaper aisle but he was just after some toilet paper that share the same aisle than came the grocery.

"You want anything to snack on?"

Jack ask trying to be nice.

[Lost Little Neppy]

Kalypso opened the car door and stepped into the sunshine. She closed the door and followed her uncle into the Walmart building, trying her best to just be invisible.

As they walked to the baby aisle, she looked to her right and left and kept a good distance from her uncle. She was still paranoid over her nighttime incontinence and whether or not he would bring it up in the store. When they got into the aisle, she balled her hands into fists to contain her impatience. There seemed to be everything, from feminine pads to pull-ups to diapers for all sizes. There were also wipes, plastic sheets, and many other baby products.

"No, I'm fine," Kalypso whispered as she stared at the shelves.

[matt1989]

Jack looked Kalypso and wonder why she looks so nervous. Than he notice what aisle they were in. 

"Don't worry that not why we her."

jack sad grabbing a jumbo pack of toilet paper. Jack everything he needed payed for everything and loaded his car. 

"You hungry? I know this great place down the road." Jack asking getting in the car 

[Lost Little Neppy]

Kalypso breathed a sigh of relief when they left without getting anything embarrassing. She left the store in a slightly happier mood.

"What do they have?" she asked as she buckled herself in the front seat.

[matt1989]

"burgers mostly but got chicken and salads."

Jack sayed starting the car. Happy that Kalypso was warming up to him.

"I got most of your stuff in the guest room. Your furniture is up in storage for the time being. In time we'll that room feeling like home. I do have your mother's vanity desk in my work shop I just want to fix it up for you. I just thought that might be something you would like."

[Lost Little Neppy]

Kalypso nodded her head to show she understood. Maybe a bacon cheeseburger and fries wouldn't be too bad after all.

"Okay. Thanks, Uncle Jack."

[matt1989]

Jack pulled in to the burger joint and went in for lunch. They we're sitting in a booth waiting for their food.

"So how school?" Asking the typical questions most adults ask kids.

[Lost Little Neppy]

Kalypso shrugged. "Okay. Wish it was summer." She didn't have many friends, and most people her age were dating now. That was something she knew she wasn't ready for. It didn't help that she had yet to develop, as her breasts hadn't come in yet, she hadn't gotten her period, she hadn't even grown body hair.

The smell from the kitchen distracted her and she looked hopefully towards where she expected the food to come out.

[matt1989]

A lady come carrying their food jack thanks her.

"Well summer won't be too much longer. Is there anything you like to do this summer?"

Jack takes a bite out of his hamburger.

[Lost Little Neppy]

Kalypso dug into her food. Uncle Jack was right, it was good!

"Nothing much," she admitted once she was halfway done with her cheeseburger. "I want to take it easy." She knew it was a lazy answer, but it was true. She had no summer aspirations, other than the vein hope that her uncle would buy her a computer or video game console so she could play video games. It was something she always wanted to do, despite her mother not being able to afford it.

[matt1989]

"I'll really don't have much to do back at home small town but I do have some old game consoles I can dust out."

Jack took last two bites of his hamburger.

"By the way I should let you know that your school is going to allow you to do remote learning for the rest of this year since you be moving to my place than after this summer I'll get you sind up to go her."

[Lost Little Neppy]

Kalypso smiled as she listened, eating her fries as she did so. This was sounding better and better.

"Thank you, Uncle Jack," she said gratefully. "I've never tried remote learning before. I've only heard of going to school or just being homeschooled."

[matt1989]

Well it's kind of a new thing after covid happen but we should get going."

Jack finished off this mail paid for it and then headed up to the car. It was still a good 15 minutes away. Jack's home with a small and modest home three bedrooms one bath. Looking in you can tell Jack lives alone. Jack showed 

Kalypso the guest bedroom which didn't have much a TV a bed and a small pile of boxes in the corner of a room.

"Like I said in time will turn it into a bedroom but for now this should do you good."

[Lost Little Neppy]

"What's in the boxes?" Kalypso asked. They reminded her of the boxes of medical supplies in the hospital she was in with her mother, and the memories came flooding back. She frowned and looked down at the floor.

Not being able to see her mother after the car accident was difficult. Apparently she had taken the brunt of the force, while she was relatively fine, but had a concussion. It was no surprise, at least according to the nurses there, but she had nightmares about it every night. Sometimes it was the car crash as though played on a projector, other times it was more dramatic, featuring poisonous leeches crawling to her mother's body or dead, crushed animals surrounding them post-crash. She shook her head to rid herself of the images. She was certain the nightmares were why she was wetting at night. She wasn't wetting during the day, so there were no more injuries, right?

[matt1989]

"just your stuff I got from your old house." 

Jack noticed Kalypso was looking up seat. "What's the matter? You can tell me anything." 

jack pull Kalypso for a hug.

[Lost Little Neppy]

"I'm fine!" Kalypso snapped as she pulled away from the hug, lightly pushing him away as she did so. Thinking about her mother had made her mood worse.

[matt1989]

"ok if you say so. I know I haven't been a big part of your life up until know but I hope you know you can always tell anything. anyways I'll let you settle in I'll be in the living room if you need me."

[Lost Little Neppy]

Kalypso waited for him to leave before unpacking her bag and putting her clothes up in the closet on the appropriate hangers. She glanced at the boxes, wanting to know what was in them, but also not wanting to know. What if they were incontinence products, like what she had seen at Walmart? No, he wouldn't know about that before getting her. Would he?

She wanted to investigate, but the idea of seeing something that would embarrass or humiliate her stopped her. Instead, she pulled out her toothbrush and went to the bathroom to put it away. Deodorant was next, then finally her underwear, which she put in the small dresser in her room. She briefly imagined having worse things in there, and shook it out of her head. Maybe she just needed to rest.

Deciding to test out the bed, Kalyspo laid on it, bouncing slightly upon it. Standard bed for a guest, nothing special about it, and no different from the one she once slept in. In a few moments, Kalypso closed her eyes and tried to relax, eventually falling into a light nap as the soda she had earlier with her lunch made its way through her.

[matt1989]

After jack fell asleep watching TV walk back up an hour later and and decided to go check on Kalypso to find her asleep herself. He notice that Kalypso wet the bed. 

"Kalypso wake up you had an accident."

Jack said gently waking her up.

[Lost Little Neppy]

Kalypso groaned before waking up, then woke with a start when she felt wet sheets and a hand shaking her awake. Without thinking, she pulled the covers over herself in an attempt to hide the wet patch that had pooled around her, her cheeks blazing with embarrassment.

She tried to think of something to say, but couldn't think of anything. She just held her blanket up to her chin and refused to look up at her uncle.

[matt1989]

"look Kalypso I not going to judge you for this. I know you can't help it and I know your not a baby." Jack seat down on avoiding the wet spot.

"Your mom was the only one I ever told this to. I wet the bed until was 15 years old. She helped me hide it when I was getting older and it wasn't stopping. Eventually it slowed down until I didn't wet the bed at all."

What Jack wasn't telling he is how awful his parents treated him because of his bedwetting problem when he was growing up.

[Lost Little Neppy]

She looked at him now, silently scrutinizing him to see if he was telling the truth. She had nurses tell her this was a one-time thing, that it was no big deal, that it would go away in time. Three weeks later, and still had this issue every time she slept. Every time.

"Mom never talked about family," she admitted. "She just said that we had each other, and that was okay."

[matt1989]

"Kalypso or family are not the greatest of people. Even I did thinks I'm not proud of. Your mom didn't want you to be around that. The only reason why she started to let me be around is I got in a substance abuse recovery program."

Jack pulled out his 3 year chip.

"I was going to show your mom this before the."

Jack stopped mid sentence. All can think was his sister. He did this for her.

"I I'm going miss her."