Tom and Charlotte's Choice

[Shy-Diapers]

Lani looked down in embarrassment when Tom looked at her shoes. She shrugged a bit. “They’re the ones that fit me best.” She said truthfully. She had a couple pairs of shoes at home but her sneakers fit her the best, though it didn’t say much.

She blushed when it was time to undress. She took her overalls and shirt off and then her underwear. She wasn’t used to undressing in front of very many people. She climbed into the bathtub, still on edge and worried.

The girl’s face went pale when she saw Tom discover the chicken nuggets she’d stashed in her pocket. She didn’t know what to say. “I’m sorry!” She said in a panic. “I won’t do it again!”

 

Charlotte sighed. “It doesn’t matter if you weren’t trying to be mean. It’s not nice to talk about people in front of them. It hurts people’s feelings.” She shook her head. “She’s not stealing anyone. I’ve told you it’s not nice to talk about people when they’re around and you know it hurts your feelings when people do it to you. You’re going into fifth grade soon and you know how to be nice.”

She looked serious at Jessica. “You’re a big girl. You’re double digits now. I expect you to be nice and to think about how your actions affect other people. Part of being a big kid and a big sister is showing that you can listen to what the grown ups say.”

“You can always ask for attention. Daddy and I will always do our best to give you it. You know that.” She said kindly, hugging her close when she climbed into her lap. 

[Ishigreensa]

"But I wasn't doing it like that,"  Jessica protested. "I was just wanting to help, and she wouldn't talk to me when I tried to talk to her, so I don't know what I'm supposed to do then.   I wasn't saying mean things, and I only told you that she smelled, because she does, and I though you can give her a bath.  I didn't say she stinks because I know that's mean."

Jessica sighed.

"How am I supposed to talk to her when we are in the same room?  Ignoring someone is mean, too."

Jessica looked down.

"Okay, I'll just watch mommy.  Maybe you can show me how to get her to talk to me, because if I do what you do, then it's not mean."

She nodded at her.

 

Tom frowned when she said she was sorry and that she wouldn't do it again.

"Do what again?" he asked her.  "It was your chicken nuggets.  The only thing I'm worried about, is your clothes are kind of dirty, and so eating them out of your pocket wouldn't be healthy, sweetheart.  But if you like to save your fast food sometimes, then just let us know.  It comes in it's own box and stuff, so it's not like we can't take some with us when you want."

He sighed and put her clothes in the hamper after he got things out of her pocket.

"Go ahead and wash," he told her.  "If you want, we can make you something to replace the chicken, but it's not good to eat because you didn't keep it in the box, sweetheart, and your pockets had lint and stuff that got all over your food."

He watched her start to bathe. 

[Shy-Diapers]

“It doesn’t matter if it wasn’t mean. I’ve told you it’s not nice to talk about people in front of them.” Charlotte said sternly. She was getting tired of repeating herself.

“You can talk to her if you want so long as you’re nice. If she doesn’t respond that’s okay. I’m just telling you to be kind to her and not do things that I’ve told you are not nice. You don’t need to worry about helping her. That’s Daddy’s and my job.” She explained again, hiding how frustrated she was getting.

 

Lani swallowed hard as Tom talked to her. She didn’t know how to respond when he continued to talk about the food. She was scared of getting in trouble, and now she didn’t have food to eat later if they didn’t give her dinner.

She frowned and took the washcloth Tom had gotten her and started to wash herself. She did as good of a job as a kid her age could do considering nobody ever taught her how to bathe herself. She was missing a lot of spots though and wasn’t able to fully get clean. 

[Ishigreensa]

Tom had not expected her to be able to get clean, because as he had said, she had not had a bath in a while, and he wouldn't have even expected Jessica to get herself fully clean if she had not bathed in a while, and would have asked her to have her mommy help her, but he was surprised at just how incompetent the little one was at cleaning herself up.  For all the fuss she put on that she was a big girl and could take care of herself, he would have expected her to miss a lot less than she did.

When she looked like she was ready to get out, Tom shook his head at her and whispered.

"No, sweetheart.  I'm sorry, but you're not really clean, baby."

He walked over and squatted down at the tub next to her.  "I don't want you to get sick, so I'm going to wash you right, sweetie.  I'm sure you did the best you can, and I want you to know I understand you being a little worried about being washed by a stranger, but if I leave you like this, that would be neglect, baby."

He helped her stand up, and then leaned her so she was sitting on his lap as he started to wash her where she missed.

"Do you always wash like I saw when you are able to take a bath, honey?"

He tried to be gentle with her and talked with a low soft voice.

"It's not your fault, honey.  Your mommy must have been sick a long time and didn't realize you were getting big enough that she should teach you how to bathe, or maybe she did notice, but just couldn't do it.  Either way, you need to be cleaned up a few times by someone so you get used to knowing what being clean is like, then when the time is right, I'll start teaching you wash yourself, if you are here that long, okay?"

 

Jessica was frustrated too.  She had to be nice, but she really was confused about how to be nice.  Lani didn't seem to want to make being nice to her easy, and it seemed like whatever Jessica did, it would not be nice.  If she talked to her, then it would upset her.  If she talked to someone else about something she saw, it wasn't nice.  If she was there at all, it didn't seem it was nice.  So... maybe she did have to be invisible or not even be there.  Why did she have to miss gymnastics the next day if her being at home was so mean?

She got up and ran up to her room to be alone.  No one seemed to care how hard this was for her, and she was tired of trying to figure out the right way to do things.  Maybe it was better that Lani went back and someone else got her that wouldn't have a kid of their own, hopefully.

She ran in and jumped on her bed and pounded her fist into the pillow, screamed, and kicked her feet.

[Shy-Diapers]

Lani blushed bright red when Tom told her she wasn’t clean. She frowned and stared at her feet. She did her best. She washed herself how she always did and didn’t see why it wasn’t enough.

She nodded silently when he asked if that’s how she always did it. She didn’t know what was wrong about it. She didn’t say anything the more he talked. She was embarrassed and didn’t know what to say or do.

 

Charlotte sighed. Maybe Jessica just needed some time to cool off. She shook her head and went to the kitchen to start making dinner. Hopefully tomorrow would go more smoothly.

Seeing how much Jessica was struggling was making her doubt if taking in Leilani was a good idea. 

[Ishigreensa]

Tom frowned.  Somehow, Leilani had a sadder demeanor than earlier though she had not meant to hurt her feelings.  Of course, he knew it was probably surprising to her that she wasn't that clean if no one else ever brought up that she didn't get very clean.  How would they know, though, if she used heavily scented shampoo to hide the smells that came from her privates, her underarms, her knees, and other spots that sometimes children don't really know how to wash that well?  

He hugged her.

"Baby, I'm only saying this, and trying to help you because it's not good for your health to miss all the time.  Eventually, you will especially need to take care of certain areas, or you can get really sick."

He decided to just wash her fully even though she got some places, and probably clean enough, he felt this was the time to teach her how to do it all right, and he told her he would wash her a few times before he taught her.  He figured that once she understood what being clean felt like, then it would make more sense to her when she missed something, but of course, she had to learn that feeling first.

"Your shoes are way too small, baby," he cooed at her as he washed he in his lap.  "I'm going to see if an old pair of Jessica's fit you better for tomorrow, and then we'll get you some decent shoes.  You need some clothes and toys, too, sweetheart.  But you know what?  That's all I really know, as far as what you have to have.  Is there something that you'd like to have?" he asked her.  "If you tell me, I might be able to see if it is in our budget to get you."

 

Jessica sighed in her bed after a good ten minutes of pounding the pillow on her bed, and she looked around her room.  She wasn't exactly sporting the most popular toys of a kid her age, but then she really wasn't deprived either.  Her parents were warry of some types of things that they thought might hurt her or get her into trouble, but she didn't lack for toys that were safe.  In Jessica's eyes, though, some of her toys were a little juvenile, and she could never tell her friends she still played with some of the things she had.  She didn't mind playing with them, mind you.  She just didn't want her friends knowing she was still playing with them.

She got out of bed and went to the foot of her bed where she kept her tinker and blocks, and she started to build something.  When she was bored or upset about something, building always took her mind off of it.

[Shy-Diapers]

Leilani didn’t respond to most of what Tom was saying. She was embarrassed and didn’t know what to say or do. She wasn’t thrilled by Tom washing her, but she knew she couldn’t say or do anything. She also didn’t appreciate being told she wasn’t capable of doing something she’d been doing just fine in her mind.

“I have clothes in my bag.” She mumbled when Tom mentioned shopping for her. She did in fact have a few pieces of clothing in her tattered backpack. She wasn’t used to anyone going shopping for her, let alone going with them. She also wasn’t used to anyone asking her what she wanted.

“Can I get a stuffie?” She asked meekly. That was really the only thing she could think of that she’d want. She had some toys at home but she didn’t really play with them often. She really wanted a stuffed toy though. “All the kids in my class have them.” She added as an afterthought.

[Ishigreensa]

"Of course children your age have them," he agreed with her.  "Jessica, our daughter, has like twelve that she regularly messes with, and a few others that are sort of put away."

He continued to wash her.  "We'll get you more than one, sweetheart."

He washed between her legs.

"This is very important," he changed the topic to something very important.  "You have to wash a certain way or you can get a very troublesome itch that could turn into pain."

He cleaned her.

"Jessica also has building blocks, beads, and other things that children enjoy.  I think while you are here with us, you'll need more than a couple of stuffed animals to play with, but when you go home, you can take anything we get you home with you, if you want to."

He Just washed her enough to show her how she missed, and didn't really feel comfortable, their first wash, spending too long there, so he moved to her knees, and washed behind them.

 

Jessica started building a small town at the foot of her bed, her imagination running wild.

[Shy-Diapers]

“More than one?” Lani asked in surprise. “What do I gotta do?” She asked with a skeptical expression. She wasn’t used to getting things just because, so she was naturally curious to what she needed to do in return for the toys and new clothes.

She frowned and looked down when Tom started talking about getting clean. She was embarrassed and uncomfortable. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been bathed by anyone, and certainly didn’t think she’d ever been washed in someone’s lap.

She stayed quiet after that, trying desperately to stay still but she felt the need to move and squirm. 

[Ishigreensa]

"Well, I mean, I don't really want you to do anything in particular," he told her. "You know, just maybe try to settle in and give us a chance to take care of you a bit."

He smiled and brushed the side of her cheek with his cupped back of a hand, gently touching her face.  I do want to take care of you and teach you how to do what other seven and eight year old children do that maybe has not been taught to you yet."

He lifted her up and put her back in the tub and started to wash her hair.

[Shy-Diapers]

Lani didn’t really know how she was supposed to settle in, but extrapolated that Tom saying to let them take care of her meant that she shouldn’t fight them on things. She’d have to try her best to listen and behave.

She flinched a bit when he brushed her cheek, closing her eyes tightly. She was jumpy and on edge.

When she was back in the bathtub she was a little calmer, though she was clearly in distress from how tangled her hair was. She did her best not to make any sounds, but whimpered as Tom dealt with her poorly managed hair.

“I can do what everyone else does!” She insisted, interpreting Tom’s statement as one of her being a baby. In her mind she was fully capable of doing everything all of her peers could. Aside from making friends that is, but that didn’t matter much to Lani. She had other things to worry about. 

[Ishigreensa]

"Of course you can," he nodded to let her know he was listening to her.  "But somethings, you have to be taught just like all your peers were taught.  The question is not whether you are able or smart enough to learn, but just, what you were taught to do, sweetheart."

He started to wash her hair, which seemed really knotted.  Normally, when Jessica's hair gets this knotted, he asks Charlotte to help her wash her hair, but as she was ten now, he wasn't sure the last time she had needed help to wash her hair or to get herself fairly clean.  It was probably a bit ago when she was having problems, maybe last year, staying dry during the day.

"I'll try to let you do some regular things that I am sure a kid your age can do, but if I need to redo it, don't worry, sweetheart.  Somethings require learning it first, and if your mommy has been sick for a while, then I know why you weren't able to learn some things, sweetheart."

 

Tom had to spend a while on her hair.  

[Shy-Diapers]

Lani seemed satisfied that Tom believed her. She nodded and tried to focus on anything but her hair. She was happy that Tom didn’t see her as a baby and he told her she could do things everyone else did.

When Tom finally finished washing and subsequently brushing her hair, she was fighting tears. It was much better looking and she was relieved it was over. But it definitely hurt the poor girl’s head. The pulling and tugging from how poorly it was taken care of was a lot for her to handle.

“Am I finished?” She whimpered out. She was emotionally exhausted and the bath had drained most of the energy she had left. 

[Ishigreensa]

"All done, sweetheart," he nodded.  "We just need to go get you dressed now, sweetheart."

He helped her out of the bath and wrapping a towel around her, he led her to her room where he finished drying her, so he could look in her stuff to see what he should put on her.

He didn't like the way her clothes fit though and kept taking things off of her.

"Honey, when is the last time you got clothes?" he asked her wrapping the towel around her again.  "Because nothing seems to fit right."

"Stay here a minute," told her.  Then he went to check on Jessica.

"Do you have something that Leilani can wear tonight to sleep in?" he asked her.  "Her clothes are all way too small or dingy for her to wear, sweetheart."

"Oh, um..., she can wear anything in that drawer and on that side of the closet," said forgetting one of her favorite dresses that she technically outgrew was in the closet.  She did sometimes wear that one when she was staying home, or maybe with some tights on to cover herself up because it was a little short.

Tom nodded and went through her things until he found some clothes that were still a bit big for Leilani, but at least it wasn't too small on her.

He came back, and he patted his lap.  He did put a pair of her own panties on her because of course that wasn't very good, and he figured she'd not like wearing Jessica's old panties, not to mention, Jessica would be embarrassed by that since they would be stained orange-yellow.

Once she was dressed, he picked her up again.

"Let's go down and watch some TV until dinner is ready," he whispered to her.

 

Jessica stayed in her room so she wouldn't get in trouble with making Leilani upset.

[Shy-Diapers]

Lani stared at the flood in embarrassment. She wasn’t sure the last time she went shopping. “Uhm, before Mommy got sick.” She mumbled quietly.

She frowned when he left her all alone and wanted him to come back.

As soon as he did, she clung to his leg. She didn’t want him to leave her again. Even though he was gone for mere minutes, she worried he wouldn’t come back. She wanted to be with him still.

She felt a little funny wearing a nightgown that was too big for her, but admittedly she did prefer it to the clothes of hers that were too tight.

Shortly after Tom and Leilani came down, Charlotte was setting the table.

“Dinner is ready.” She told them before heading upstairs.

She poked her head into Jessica’s room and smiled. “Come on honey, dinner is ready.”

[Ishigreensa]

Tom smiled and started to dress her as she clung to him.  He rubbed her back, and after she was in a nightgown, that was a bit big, he walked her down, and he nodded as Charlotte passed by them.

"Alright, I'll get her settled at the table."

Tom walked her to the table, and helped her into the seat next to him.

"Just wait a few minutes for the other two, so we can all eat together, okay?" he asked Leilani.  "Have you had this before?" he asked her as he looked at what Charlotte had made them for dinner.

 

Jessica looked up from what she was doing with her tinkers sets and her blocks, where she had made a town with over thirty simple buildings spread out at the end of her bed.

"Um...." she looked into her mommy's eyes for a few minutes.  "Do you think Leilani would be more comfortable if I don't come and eat at the same time she does?" she asked trying to be nice.

[Shy-Diapers]

Lani squirmed at the table. She was doing her best to sit still but it was really hard to control herself. She was starving and the food was already plated up right in front of her.

She nodded when Tom asked if she’d eaten the lasagna Charlotte had made before. She didn’t take her eyes off her plate though, wanting desperately to start eating.

 

Charlotte sighed and shook her head. “It’s fine. Come down to eat.” She said gently.

“I told you earlier, it’s fine to talk to her and to be around her. It’s not nice to say hurtful things or talk about her. If she doesn’t want to talk to you that’s okay. You don’t have to talk to her. You do have to use kind words though.” She reminded in a gentle tone.

[Ishigreensa]

"I'm not going to say anything hurtful to her," Jessica said.  "I just thought, maybe if she doesn't see me for a while, she might calm down some.  I don't know what else to do.  I know she won't talk to me.  I think she's just not wanting to be friends right now."

She sighed.

"I'll come down, but if she starts being mean, I want to leave the table," she told her mom.

 

Tom patted  the little one's legs.  He could tell she was looking hungry.

 

Jessica came slowly and quietly down the steps, and she made her way to the table.  She didn't like that Leilani was sitting next to daddy right now, again, but she knew from what her mommy said, that she needed it, for now, so she just sat next to mommy.

[Shy-Diapers]

Charlotte sighed. She wished she could get Jessica to see that Lani wasn’t mean and that she had hurt the new girl. She was just grateful she was going to the table.

She put on a smile at the table and poured milk for everyone. The kids had plastic cups, but they didn’t have lids.

 

Lani looked up at Tom when Charlotte and Jessica came downstairs. She waited until he told her she could before she started eating.

Once she was sure she was allowed, she rapidly dug in. The girl was starving and worried about where her next meal would come from. 

[Ishigreensa]

Jessica sat on pins and needles at the table, a lot more fidgety than usual, but staying quiet so as not to upset anyone.  She saw the young girl eating a little fast, but didn't comment on it at all.  That wasn't her place.  She just tried to eat like she was supposed to, slow enough to digest her food, but fast enough that she didn't have to stay in an uncomfortable place for too long.  She didn't really know what else to do.

Tom patted Lani's lap.  "It's okay," he whispered to her.  "No one is going to take your food, sweetheart.  You don't have to eat so fast."

He looked over at Charlotte and mouthed "We need to talk."

Jessica reached for her milk, but bumped the milk glass with the tips of her fingers causing the milk to be pushed over and it went across the table.  Her hand shaking, from sitting on pins and needles, she tried to save the glass, but her shaking only caused the milk to spill even worse as she picked up the glass to set it upright.  

[Shy-Diapers]

Charlotte looked worried when she saw that Tom wanted to talk.

When Jessica spilled the milk, Charlotte stood up and grabbed a dish towel. “It’s okay.” She said, seeing how shaky Jessica was. She didn’t understand why but wasn’t going to push it. “Do you want more?” She asked gently as she wiped up the spill.

 

Lani didn’t respond when Tom told her she didn’t need to eat so fast. She was scared of not having enough to eat and didn’t know the next time she’d get a chance to have food in her belly.

She froze and flinched a bit when Jessica spilled the milk, she looked anxiously up at Charlotte. She was anticipating the other girl to get yelled at or sent to her room for making a mess. 

[Ishigreensa]

Jessica frowned and nodded.

"I'm sorry, mommy," she whispered trying not to say anything too loud that would upset Lani.  "I'm trying to be good," she said in an even softer voice hoping Lani didn't hear her.

Tom saw Lani freeze and flinch, and he sighed and rubbed her back.

"It's okay, Lani," he cooed at her.  "Just eat, sweetie."

He looked over at Jessica and smiled.  "It's okay, Jessi, sweetie.  You know the rule.  We don't care if you spill, but when you can, you help clean it up, right?"

Jessica nodded but saw that mom was already taking care of it.

[Shy-Diapers]

“Don’t worry about it sweetheart. Everyone spills stuff sometimes.” Charlotte said as she finished cleaning up the spill. She set the towel in the sink for the time being.

“Do you want more or no?” She asked, referring to the milk. At this point she was just trying to act normal to show Jessica she didn’t need to be so anxious.

 

Lani flinched a bit when Tom started rubbing her back. She shifted her gaze back and forth between him and Charlotte until she was sure it seemed safe. She was surprised Jessica didn’t get yelled at or anything.

After she relaxed a bit more again, she went back to eating and finished what was on her plate. 

[Ishigreensa]

Jessica nodded.  "Yes please?"

She was mostly a polite girl to her parents and to other adults that she liked even if she was spoiled a lot.  She smiled a little at Lani, but didn't say anything as she started to eat again.

When things calmed down, Jessica looked up at her parents.  "I'm sorry I was a brat to Lani," she told the whole table even though she didn't really know exactly what she did to get on her nerves.  "Please don't send her back.  I'll try harder to be nice to her."

She looked down.  "She's just like mommy said, not used to us, yet, right?" she asked.  She had had some time to think about stuff in her room, and when she was eating at the table, the other girl didn't seem to be trying to get her in trouble.  She was a little bit concerned that she looked so nervous after Jessica spilled the milk.  Yeah, Jessica was nervous, but Lani, almost looked scared to Jessica.

 

Tom smiled and shook his head.  "That's between your mom and me, sweetheart.  We'll tell you both though if anything changes.  Right now, we are planning to see how this works before we decide one way or the other," he told them both truthfully.

[Shy-Diapers]

Charlotte poured Jessica some more milk. She sighed a bit when she didn’t listen to what she said earlier. At least she was trying to get along though.

“It’s not me and Daddy that you should apologize to.” She said gently. She wasn’t happy that Jessica was still talking about Lani like she wasn’t there, but wasn’t going to push the issue.

 

Lani stared at her lap when she was finished eating. She didn’t know what to do with Jessica. She didn’t like that this girl kept talking about her like she wasn’t there. She wanted to say something, but it didn’t seem to be worth it.

Besides, she was more worried about being good so she didn’t get sent away. She was determined to behave and not cause trouble. She squirmed in her chair uncomfortably, but didn’t say anything.