The New Foster

[Ishigreensa]

Tom frowned.  He wasn't sure why she would react like that, but all scolding her would do, is put her on further edge, so with a sigh, he silently nodded to Charlotte.  He didn't know what happened to her, but there had to be a reason that she so clearly said "No," like that to Charlotte and not himself.  He always thought it more natural for a child to do that with a man because men were the ones that he heard so often hurt children.

"Okay, little one," he reached down and touched her hand.  "How about we go see where you'll be sleeping?  We can put your stuff in your room, and then I'll show you around everywhere else."

He waited for to take his hand or not, and led her up to her room.

"It's not much," he said.  "But there is a bed and a dresser for your clothes along with a closet.  We can get you some things maybe tomorrow so you won't be bored all the time, and make your room your own for while you are with us."

 

Rebecca nodded about having her water bottle and skipped out to the car when her mom was ready.

"They said I'm getting better," she chirped in the front seat talking to her mom as they drove.  "The coach even said if I work a little more and don't miss any practices for the next week or two, I might get to play in September!"

It was Thursday, as Rebecca had practices on Mondays and Thursdays.

"If I get into a game, are you and dad going to watch?  I think we have games on either Wednesdays or Saturdays starting in September."

She was pretty talkative now that she was with just her mommy.

[Shy-Diapers]

Lani obediently took Tom’s hand and followed him up the stairs. She was silently taking in all of her surroundings and was quite amazed by how big the house was. She was also surprised to be getting her own bedroom.

“This is all for me?” She asked curiously as she looked around. Everything was so new and clean. The bed was so much bigger than her bed at home. At home she had a small twin sized mattress on a basic metal bed frame. The bed here was a double sized mattress on an actual wood frame with a headboard and everything. The room was the family’s guest bed before they got approved to foster Lani. The bed had a white quilt with purple and pink ruffled fabric in horizontal stripes across and had pale blue sheets underneath.

“Like buy me things?” She asked with skepticism in her voice. “What do I gotta do?” She scowled a bit and looked up at Tom, trying to figure out his motives and what the trade off would be.

 

Charlotte smiled. Seeing Rebecca so happy and herself made her momentarily forget the disappointment she felt in how things with Lani were going so far.

“That’s great sweetie! I’m so proud of you! You’ve been working really hard this summer.” She said cheerfully. “Daddy and I will do our absolute best to be at any games you get to play in. I don’t want to promise something unless we know for sure, but we will most certainly try!” Charlotte was always careful ever since Rebecca was a baby to not make promises she wasn’t sure she could keep, wanting to build a healthy and trusting relationship with her daughter.

“Daddy or I will come pick you up after practice as usual.” She said when they arrived. She unlocked the car and let Rebecca out, keeping a watchful eye on her until she saw her successfully reach her coach and teammates.

Once she knew Rebecca was safe and sound, she started the drive back home. 

[Ishigreensa]

"What do you mean, what do you have to do?" Tom asked taken aback.  "I've never heard of buying a kid a toy or something in exchange for something, unless we asked our daughter to do something first, and then maybe I've bribed her with a toy before, but if I tell her I'm buying her something out of the blue, she isn't expected to do anything for it.  I didn't plan on treating you any different, sweetheart."

He frowned at her.

"I don't want there to be any mistrust, so I will ask you to do things that I think are normal for kids after you get used to things here, but anything I ask you to do has nothing to do with if I think you need new things to wear, to play with, or to make your space yours, sweetheart.  You are a person, and you have a right to have certain things."

He sat down on the bed and motioned for her to come to him.

"How about this," he read the suspicious look in her face thinking he wasn't getting through to her.  "How about for you to get the things I'm intended to get you anyway, maybe you can just give us a chance, huh?  You know.  Maybe just watch to see what we are really like instead of letting your fears control what you see?" he asked her.  "I know it's hard being in a new place and from what that lady was saying, you were having a hard time fitting into a place that would take you.  It's not going to be easy for any of us.  This is new to us, and I know it's scary for a little one like you."

He reached out to hug her again.

"Now, why don't we look through your clothes to see what you can change into, and after Auntie C gets back, she can help you get a bath?"

[Shy-Diapers]

Leilani looked up at Tom curiously as he spoke to her. He didn’t seem to fully understand what she meant but she didn’t say anything. She just decided she’d do what he asked of her when the time came.

“A toy?” She asked with raised eyebrows. “Mommy says I’m too old for toys.” She said nonchalantly. When he had said he’d buy her some things she hadn’t imagined he’d meant a toy. She couldn’t remember the last time her mother had bought her toys.

She swallowed hard and sat on the bed next to him as he instructed. She looked up at him curiously as he continued to talk. None of the other families had spoken to her like this before. None of them cared to get to know her at all. In reality she didn’t get much further than house rules and the adults reading over her file before she was sent away again. She decided not to say anything about why the other families didn’t keep her, hoping if she didn’t bring it up this family wouldn’t send her back.

“I’m not scared!” She insisted, the softness she had showed before going away as she stiffened up to defend herself.

She relaxed a little when he hugged her. It caught her off guard and she didn’t expect it or for it to comfort her.

She climbed off her bed and laid out the clothes she had in her bag. None of it was in good shape. Each item was stained or were starting to fray. It all seemed dingy and not quite clean as well. This wasn’t even taking into account that none of it was the right size for the little girl, it was all too small.

“No!” She insisted when Tom mentioned Charlotte helping her bathe. She really didn’t like that idea for multiple reasons. “I know how to bathe myself!” She added after the fact. She’d been bathing herself at home for quite a while and was quite accustomed to it. 

[Ishigreensa]

"Alright, I should have realized a big girl your age could do it yourself," he said referring to her being able to bathe herself.  "I'll just run you some bath water, and get you something...," he looked at the state of her things, and shook his head now seeing that no one had bothered to wash her things, let alone, he wondered if half of it fit her!  "...Well, I'll get you something of Rebecca's to wear for now.  You may swim in it a bit, but better than it being too tight, honey."

He lifted her off the bed and set her on her feet and took her hand to lead her to the bathroom for a bath.  She smelled, not like pee or anything but of just not having had a bath in a while.

He stopped at the tub and looked back to her.  "You don't have to take your clothes off until I get out," he told her.  "I want you to be comfortable, but can you come over here and feel the water for me, so I know how hot to make it so you don't feel too hot or too cold?"

He started to turn the knobs hoping she'd do as he asked.

When he had a bath ready for her, he walked out of the bathroom to let her get ready and get in the bath while he went to find something from Rebecca's closet to put on her.  

There weren't a lot of choices of things that would be comfortable for her because while Rebecca was short for her age, it was a natural shortness and not because of not being well fed, so she had the proper weight of a girl her size.  He settled on finding a pair of her old panties that might be small enough to at least be held up loosely.  Then he got her a nightgown and a safety pin to pin the panties to her so that they would stay up, and went back to see how her bath was going.

"I have something for you to wear, and I might need to pin the panties on you so they fit better, but your other things need washed to say the least, sweetheart.  Just come and find me after you get dressed, okay?"

[Shy-Diapers]

Lani looked up curiously when Tom said he’d get her something of Rebecca’s to wear. She didn’t know why she wouldn’t be wearing her own clothes. She wanted to ask him but didn’t want to get in trouble for questioning him, so she stayed quiet.

She followed him to the bathroom and felt the water. The temperature was fine so she just nodded without saying anything.

She turned back to face him when he spoke again. “I can wash them myself.” She said responsibly. She was used to doing her own laundry at home, though she didn’t ever use the washer since she didn’t know how and her mother didn’t like her trying to use it anyway.

When Tom finally left, she got undressed and put her clothes on the closed toilet seat and left her shoes on the floor. She made sure to place her clothes in a way that the stashed chicken nuggets from before wouldn’t be seen.

Leilani washed herself in the bath as best she knew how, though she decided not to try to wash her hair. She wasn’t good at getting herself clean by any means, especially in important places, but it was good enough to get any visible dirt off her slender body.

She got dressed in the clothes and picked up her own. The nightgown was much too big for her, but the underwear at least weren’t falling off her. They were definitely loose and too big, but could get by without being pinned.

Lani took a deep breath and exited the bathroom. She didn’t know where anything was other than her room. She frowned and walked down the hall towards it. She didn’t know where Tom would be since she hadn’t gotten a tour of any other parts of the house.

While Lani was in the bath upstairs, Charlotte came home and not seeing either her husband or the little girl, decided she’d start dinner. She figured she’d give them some space. 

[Ishigreensa]

Tom had been waiting for her in the room she was given looking at her things and deciding what might be salvaged and what might have to be thrown out.  He shook his head at the condition of all her things, and knew, even as small as she was, that a good portion of this stuff was way too small for her.  When did they last get her clothes?  When she was four or something?

When he saw her come in, he smiled.

"Hey, sweetheart, come over here, please?" he motioned for her.  "I was looking through your bag, and maybe a couple of things are okay, but how attached are you to all this stuff?  I feel like you need some clothes that will fit you, sweetie."

He held up her way too small panties and put them against her frame without lifting the nightie of course, and shook his head.  "I don't know how you ever squeezed into this," he told her.  "And these," he held up some jeans that the legs wouldn't come any further down than halfway between the knee and the calf.  "This is just not going to do, sweetie.  You need decent things that will keep you warm and comfortable."

He finally got a little look at her feet, and frowned seeing the redness on the top of her feet.

"Can I see your feet, sweetie?" he asked her thinking about whether she should wear her shoes shopping the next day or not.  After he assessed whether he should put on a pair of Rebecca's old shoes on her or not, he let her stand up, and realized how big the gown was on her.

"Do I need to pin your panties up for you?" he asked her.  "I don't want to make you uncomfortable if there is no need, but if they are falling down, then you need me to do it, okay?"

[Shy-Diapers]

Leilani approached Tom a little shyly, but she wasn’t as afraid of him as before.

She looked up at him and shrugged a little bit. She didn’t really understand what he meant by being attached to her clothes. They were simply what she had. None of them were her favorites or anything. “Mommy said I don’t need new clothes.” She said nonchalantly. “Clothes are expensive.” Sometimes the way she spoke seemed to be unnatural for a seven year old child. She had a tendency to parrot what the adults around her said.

She felt embarrassed when he kept going on about her clothes. She didn’t really understand what was wrong with them, but Tom seemed very focused on them. She knew she didn’t have nice and fancy or new clothes like other kids at school, but she didn’t really understand why it was bad. She let him look over her feet while she watched him with curiosity.

“They’re okay.” She said softly, talking about her underwear. She lifted up her nightgown to show Tom. He was being nice to her and she didn’t want him to think she was lying about how they fit her. They were certainly too big, but seemed to be just tight enough to get by without any safety pins. 

[Ishigreensa]

Tom smiled.  

"Okay, sweetheart.  I just didn't want to make you show me if you are okay in the undies you have," he said looking in her eyes and not the panties since they weren't falling down.  "I know it can be uncomfortable or even scary showing people you don't know that well your undies."

He smiled at her. 

"But the gown should be pinned in a couple of places to make it easier to wear.  Is that okay?"

He reached for the safety pins he had and showed them to her so she could see what he was going to pin on her so she wouldn't be as scared of being stuck by them every time she moved. 

"Your clothes are really small on you," he told her.  "I get that you don't have money for nicer things, but still, when a kid is growing, she should still be put in clothes that at least fit, sweetheart."

He started to pin the nightie for her under the arms and three places in back to make it fit her better, but still loose enough she could squirm out of it or lift it to use the toilet.

"That should work for now, sweetheart."

He took her hand and started to show her the rest of the house.

"That's my bedroom," he told her.  "If you need anything in the middle of the night or you just get scared, if you knock first, and listen for a response, if you either hear no noises or you are told you can come in, then you can come in and get me.   Please do not go in there if no one is in there, though, okay?"

He smiled.

"This is Rebecca's room.  You can go in there if she gives you permission day to day, but not unless she says it's okay, and she won't be allowed in your room unless you say it's okay, too."

He then started down the steps with her.

 

Rebecca was running her hardest, looking for the right opportunities, and trying her special tactic when someone got too close to her, and while she never really got the ball from anyone with it because the others knew about her now, it did cause girls on three important shots to change their path, which may have been what caused them to miss their goal.

Rebecca was getting hot because she played hard, and took a little bit of a drink.

[Shy-Diapers]

Lani let the nightgown fall again when Tom said it was okay. She didn’t think twice about showing him that the underwear weren’t falling off, especially since she didn’t want him to think she was lying.

She frowned a bit when he mentioned safety pinning the clothes. She couldn’t articulate why she didn’t like that idea, but she didn’t comment on it. She decided she’d try to deal with it so she wouldn’t upset him. After it was pinned she frowned again, not liking how it felt with the extra fabric bunched up and pinned to make the nightgown smaller than it was. She was doing her best to tolerate it, but was fidgeting more than she was earlier.

Walking around the rest of the house, Lani looked up at Tom and was doing her best to take in and remember everything he was saying, especially when it came to the rules. She was determined to do her best to follow these rules and be as well behaved as she could. In her mind, if she was bad again she’d be sent away and wouldn’t get to see her mother again.

She stiffened when she saw Charlotte in the kitchen when Tom took her downstairs. She hadn’t expected to see her back and didn’t hear the door at all. She didn’t say anything, but instead stayed close to Tom’s side while he continued to show her around, occasionally glancing at Charlotte when she started talking.

Charlotte smiled when she saw Tom and Lani come downstairs. “Hey there sweetie, how are you settling in? I see you got a nice bath.” She said sweetly, bending down to Lani’s level. She frowned when Lani didn’t say anything in response and stood up to look at Tom. “How’s it going?”

 

[Ishigreensa]

Tom smiled when she fidgeted a little bit and nodded at her.

"Pinned up clothing feels strange, doesn't it?" he said with a smile.  "Don't worry, we'll get you something to wear that fits tomorrow, sweetie."

He walked into the kitchen, a little surprised at how long they had been upstairs.  He could have sworn the bath couldn't have been more than five minutes, but then again, he was looking through bag and he did look through his daughter's clothes for a while looking for the best fit for the little one.

"Well, she's a little angel, but someone has not been only negligent about her cleanliness, but I would be surprised if any of her things actually fit her.  I understand some people don't have money, but that's what Goodwill and Churches are for.  If you can't even do that for your kids who are growing, then that's just laziness, right?" he asked Charlotte.

He sighed and glanced down at the little one.

"This one doesn't complain about anything, though.  I had to put even a pair of Rebecca's old panties on her because I'll be darned if I let her wear panties that don't do their job," he told Charlotte.  And that's why she's wearing one of Beck's old nighties."

He picked the little one up.

"She hasn't made one complaint about things, and those shoes she has, she can't wear them anymore.  They were making her feet red.  Fate smiled on her though and gave her no blisters."

He shook his head.  "I'll talk more about it later, but right now, I need to finish a house tour that I promised this little one."

He pointed across the room.  "The television is over there as is the book case if you like to read.  I'll show you the downstairs toilet, and where you can put dirty laundry for later.  In our house, little girls don't wash clothes.  We don't even let Rebecca touch the washing machine or dryer.  Cleaning your clothes is Aunt C's job and mine, okay?"

He smiled to her.

"Oh, you know what, I don't think I told you what you can call me, yet, did I?  I told you my name, but I didn't say how you should address me.  You can call me Uncle T, Uncle Tom, daddy, or something else that is nice if you like."

He let her down as he opened the backdoor.

"And that's our yard.  Rebecca has a tree house out there, and you can probably see a few of her old toys out there if you wanted to look."

When he was done showing her around, he picked her up again and took her back to the kitchen.

"Are you thirsty or hungry?" he asked.  He forgot that her clothes were still up in the bathroom and not taken to the laundry or even to her room.  He actually didn't even think about that they were there, so it was likely either Charlotte or Rebecca would find her clothes there before he took her back up that way again.

[Shy-Diapers]

“I’m sorry.” Lani mumbled softly when Tom acknowledged how she felt about the clothes. She really didn’t like how the nightgown felt on her. She felt bad that it seemed to be obvious to Tom. She wasn’t supposed to let on that she wasn’t happy or comfortable.

Charlotte raised her eyebrows in surprise when Tom said she was an angel. That was completely different from everything they’d read and heard about the child in her file. Maybe the file was wrong, though that wouldn’t explain why seven separate families didn’t want to keep her for more than a day.

“Mommy isn’t lazy!” Lani protested, frowning and scowling when Tom started talking poorly about her mother. She may not have understood what was wrong with her situation, but she understood he was saying something negative about her beloved mother.

Charlotte frowned when Lani got upset. She supposed she couldn’t blame the little girl for being protective of her mother. She didn’t know what to say so she just nodded when Tom said they’d talk more later. She went back to cooking dinner and made sure to check the time occasionally so she wouldn’t be late picking up Rebecca.

A little overwhelmed with all the information Tom was throwing at her, Lani didn’t know what to say for a moment. “I like reading.” She managed to squeak out before he started telling her what to call him. She was feeling more and more overwhelmed with how much information she was being given. When she was ushered away to the backyard, she just stared out at it. She wasn’t used to playing outside too much since she didn’t have a nice yard at home and she wasn’t very coordinated or good at running.

“I’m okay.” She she said quietly. She didn’t know what to think or do at the moment. She was trying to internalize and remember everything Tom had told her as well as memorizing the layout of the house. She was hungry of course, but she knew better than to say so. 

[Ishigreensa]

Tom saw that she didn't seem interested in saying anything, so he took her to the fridge and got her some juice, and then walked her to the living room.

"Do you like to watch cartoons?" he asked her trying to get her to do something a kid would.  "There are books for all ages in the bookcase there, and if you see anything else lying around that you want to play with just let me know and I'll let you know if you can or not, honey."

He turned the TV on, and then put the changer on the stand by the sofa.

"You can look through the channels," he told her.  They had ordered a very light package of channels because in the school year, there was barely any time for anyone to watch TV, so they didn't need that many channels.  They had 4 channels for the news and sports, 3 movies channels, and 7 channels for comedy, cartoons, and regular television viewing.

Tom sat on the sofa wondering what he should do with her.  If he started watching the news or sports, she would probably not know what to do, and he wasn't sure if he should leave her on her own yet as she seemed uncomfortable with Charlotte altogether, and was barely getting used to him.

"Honey, can I see that file while I'm sitting down?  I'd like to know exactly what is in her file.  I mean, maybe I could point it out if I see it written down, but as far as the time to get her a bath until now, she hasn't really complained much at all."

[Shy-Diapers]

Lani didn’t say anything but accepted the juice and was more than happy to drink it. Maybe this new house wasn’t so bad.

“Sometimes.” She said quietly. She did watch TV at home, but not too often. She had a few shows she watched on repeat when she could, but wasn’t glued to the television most days. “Mommy says TV is too loud, so I only get to watch it sometimes.” She said without thinking twice. It wasn’t much, but she was slowly opening up about her mother and her home life.

Wanting to be good, Leilani flipped through the channels until she found some cartoon. She wasn’t interested in whatever it was, but Tom seemed to want her to watch something. She instead was still looking around and trying to take everything in around her, as well as the fidgeting that hadn’t stopped since arriving.

Charlotte grabbed Lani’s file from her bag from earlier and handed it to Tom in the living room. The file had various documentations in it from over the years. It had reports of her acting out at school, bullying other kids, stealing from other kids, stealing from stores on occasion, as well as general disobedience and refusal to listen. None of it was very detailed, but there sure was a lot. The file also stated some vague details about Lani’s living situation, simply stating she lived with her mother and was removed from her care due to neglect.

Lani’s face fell when Tom asked for her file. She set her half empty juice cup down and stared at her lap. She knew from experience this past week that whenever someone actually had a good look in her file, her time there was cut extremely short. She was trying not to let it show, but she was scared and sad. She had started to feel comfortable around Tom and now she’d be sent away. She kept her eyes down, sitting as still as she could muster as tears welled up in her eyes. 

[Ishigreensa]

Tom frowned at what was written about her, especially since the documentation seemed kind of patchy and it seemed little more to him like a lot of it could have been speculation rather than actual proof when it came to the stealing.  The bullying didn't really give any specific details, and he wondered if someone just took someone at their word, and if she was just being picked on because she was in a situation where no one really fought for her.  There was a problem with his instinctual thoughts though, and that was how could there be so much in the file, if it was someone just getting their own say while her say wasn't written, and that problem was that unless there was some malicious force behind it, he didn't think people would just make up things about someone.

He sighed.  The child had not done anything wrong in the short time he had been talking to her, but maybe the best thing was to just keep an eye on her and maybe correct anything she does.  Maybe if her mother was a bit neglectful, maybe she had not taught her right from wrong or about stealing.  That was possible, though he wasn't sure he bought that either.

He shook his head.

"Honey, I'm not sure this file is complete," he told his wife.  "I know that we haven't had her for very long, and that she was just only starting to open up to me, but if there is any truth to anything in this file, and I'm not saying there isn't, but where are the assessments where they try to find her motives?"

He show her where the file had a lot of general accusations, but there were not real details to back up the generalizations that were made.

"I get it, that she could be putting on a show right now, or that maybe the opportunity just hasn't presented itself, but honestly, she didn't make much sound in the car or when we stopped to get her food," Tom confided with Charlotte.  "And why aren't there any specifics mentioned with the bullying and the stealing?  You'd think they would have included at least a few specific examples in trying prove her guilt, wouldn't you?"

He shook his head.

"I know, I might be just getting attached to her, and so that makes me want to see a possible answer that could explain the file being wrong.  I will keep a watch on her, but she hasn't really said anything that would make me believe she would bully Becks if she thought she could, has she?"

He sighed and threw the file on the inn table in front of him.

He looked over at the little one, watching television, and he could see that she was watching it in that same way Becks sometimes does when she isn't really interested, but there just wasn't anything else to do.

"Do you have something you like to do?" Tom asked Lani.  "Maybe draw pictures, play a game, or something?"

[Shy-Diapers]

Charlotte shrugged. “She was only placed into foster care about a week ago. And it seems her school didn’t bother doing much in the way of trying to find motives or even correct her behavior.” She said shaking her head.

She took a breath and let out a large sigh. “I don’t know what to think to be honest. Maybe we can talk about this later. At this point there’s not much we can do unless we send her back. Other than that all we can do is wait around and keep an eye on her.”

Lani sniffled and couldn’t stop the tears from falling down her face as she heard the adults talking about her. She jumped a little bit in her seat when Tom addressed her directly.

“I like to read.” She answered meekly, clearly scared and unsure. “I’m sorry.” She added after the fact, apologizing for her file and the behaviors within it. “Are you gonna send me back now?” She asked sadly, keeping her eyes on her lap. 

[Ishigreensa]

"A week ago," Tom emphasized what Charlotte had said.  "And no one wanted to take care of her.  If I had to guess, this file we have has something to do with what alerted authorities that the girl was being neglected, and people just read this, but never actually tried to figure out what was going on.  I mean, the child has been on her best behavior since we got her, as far as I could tell.  She's a little antisocial right now, but can you blame her?  No one seems to want to keep her, and she's been yanked from her mother and she probably has no understanding as to why."

He sighed.

"We'll just watch her and see how true this stuff is, and maybe confront her about it if she does half of the stuff that is mentioned.  Maybe if we try to understand what is going on with her, then she wouldn't act out as much."

He smiled.

"Oh, and I told her we'll get her some stuff.  The stuff she has is not going to do if we are keeping her for more than a day in our house, wouldn't you agree?  If you are wondering what I mean, her bag is upstairs in her room, and I went through it, and she really doesn't have anything ,not even a favorite toy in there."

(part of the conversation that he said before turning to Lani): ^

 

"No, baby, at least not yet.  You've done nothing to make me think you are a lost cause.  People write things in reports sometimes, and sometimes, it looks worse on paper than what is really going on.  I'm determined to give you a chance as long as you give us one.  I know we are scary right now, baby, but I promise that Auntie C and Rebecca will be fair with you, but you need to try to be fair with all of us, too, okay?"

He smiled when she said she liked to read, and that smiled was still on his face.  He came over and picked her up and patting her bum, he walked over to the bookcase, and sat her down so she could see the lower shelves because she was so small, he assumed she would likely read something more on towards the kindergarten books they had for Rebecca, but he didn't direct her.  He figured she'd find a book she liked.

"Pick one, sweetheart," he said to her.  "You don't have to read it right now, but you can, or you can take it to your room when it's bed time and you can read yourself to sleep if you want."

He waited a bit for her to pick her book.

 

(Almost two hours later):

Rebecca played hard for nearly two hours because her mom wasn't really that late, maybe five or ten minutes getting her to practice, so she had almost the full two hours of practice.  She drank lots of water in that time because of how hard she was playing, and soon, it was nearly time for her mom to come and get her.

"You really have improved," her coach told her with a smile.  "Since we lost Jamie over the last month since her family moved, we were lucky you were here to so easily slip into her spot, otherwise, we'd have had a really weak point in our defense."

Rebecca smiled and hugged her coach when she realized the coach was being sincere with the praise.

That's when her mom pulled up, just in time to see her letting go of her hug on the female coach.

 

 

[Shy-Diapers]

Lani frowned. She was surprised that Tom seemed willing to keep her at all. But she didn’t like that he wasn’t completely sure. Not knowing how long she’d stay or if she’d be sent to the group home everyone talked about was scary for the little girl.

She stiffened and startled when he picked her up and carried her to the books. She wasn’t expecting to be carried around by anyone. She couldn’t remember the last time her mom carried her or even held her.

She looked around at the books and was a little overwhelmed by the choices. At school she was used to things being organized by genre and difficulty or she could talk to the librarian. “I don’t know.” She said meekly. “I read Bridge to Terabithia right before they took me from Mommy.” She said as she looked around at the choices.

 

Charlotte had finished prepping dinner and had left it in the oven to keep warm. She headed over to pick Rebecca up from practice.

She smiled and walked up to where her daughter and the coach were, happy to see Rebecca enjoying herself. “Hey honey. How’d practice go?” She asked as they headed back to the car. 

[Ishigreensa]

Tom smiled when she said that she had read "Bridge to Terribithia."  

"Well, if you can read that well," he said lifting her on his knee as she squatted to show her the third shelf, of the seven shelf bookcase they had there.  "We got these books for Rebecca last year," he told the girl.  "Maybe one of these are more your speed."

He could feel her stiffness, and that just made him want to hug her.  "Don't be so scared, baby.  No one here is going to hurt you, I promise."

He looked along the shelf with her.  "We have "Black Beauty" about a horse here, and we have "The Sideways School."  He pointed those out, and then just held her to let her look and choose.

He didn't know what was going through her little head, but he knew he wanted to give her every possible chance before sending her back, and hoped he wouldn't have to.  The child had already been through so many homes that didn't want her, and she probably felt rejected upon the fear of never seeing her mom again.  He hoped that for the little one's sake, her mom would wake the dog up and realize what a wonderful child this was.  No one should be neglecting a child to the point she was wearing the tight clothes she came to them in.

"You know what," he said to her.  "How about while you are figuring out what book you want to keep for a while, so you can read it, how about I start reading "The Little House in the Big Woods" to you.  The book is really old, but it is about a family in pioneer times that moved a little west from the East Coast, just before the big gold rush."

 

Rebecca smiled at her mom.  

"It was so great!  The coach even said the team was lucky I was there to replace the best player we had.  Jamie had to move a while ago, and the coach said if I wasn't there on the team, our defense would be really weak!"

She lifted herself up and down in her seat as she spoke, her legs tightly together, but she ignored her bladder because she was too excited to talk to her mom about the news and she didn't see a bathroom nearby anyway.

[Shy-Diapers]

“I read Black Beauty last year.” Leilani said quietly. She hesitantly grabbed the other book he suggested and looked it over. It seemed fine, if a little less mature than she typically read, but she wasn’t one to complain when given the opportunity to read.

“That sounds interesting.” She said when Tom mentioned the book he’d read. He mentioned that they bought books for Rebecca and she wondered about the girl. Nobody told her much about her. She wanted to know if the girl was older than her or just bigger. Most of the other kids in her grade were bigger than her, so she never knew if someone was older just based on size.

“I’m so glad!” Charlotte said cheerfully. She was always happy to see her daughter enjoying herself.

She glanced over at a red light and raised her eyebrows, noticing Rebecca’s movements. “Becca, do you need to go to the bathroom?” She was pretty sure she knew the answer, knowing Rebecca’s movements and habits pretty well, but she wanted her to admit it and communicate her own needs. 

[Ishigreensa]

"Oh, you read that one, too?" he asked the little one.  "They said you are going into third grade, right?  I'm just a little surprised because I know Rebecca struggled with some of the books you said you read, and she's going into fifth grade this year, honey."

He rubbed her back.

"You must be a really good reader then."

He had seen Rebecca bring home "Black Beauty" last year from school as something her whole class was reading, and though she was already placed in a special reading class for her slower reading ability, it seemed even the special class was insistent on getting her read this because it supposedly had other lessons tied to what they were doing in that year with the kids, so he was pretty sure it was a fourth grade book, and if she read it last year when she should be in second grade, then that meant she was at least two reading levels above her normal grade level.

"Well, we have all the time you want," he told her as he looked at the book he offered her.  "If you don't like these books because they are too easy, there are other books higher up, but you definitely need help getting up there when you want to look because I don't want you falling," he told her.  "So how about you hold on to the Sideways School for a minute, and I'll lift you up some more."

The next shelf had much thicker chapter books.  It had some classics like the Arabian Knights, and it had newer ones like Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone.  There were historic fictions, fantasy, science fiction, and other genres all mixed together, though, so she had to really look to see what was there.

 

"Um... yeah," Rebecca looked down at her lap when her mom caught her trying to hold it.  "I... um... forgot to go before coming to the car.  I was just so excited I was going to be actually playing, I wanted to tell you about it!" she said her excited tone a little damped by the fact her mom might be catching her about to wet herself, and as she thought it, a little bit eeked out and damped her panties because she had been holding it a pretty long time by then.

"I'm sorry," she felt her face get a little red.  "Can we pull over before I wet my pants?" she asked.  "Maybe a convenience store or something?"

[Shy-Diapers]

“I’m sorry.” Lani said while she hung her head. She felt like she did something wrong. “I wasn’t trying to be arrogant.” She said, parroting back what her mother said to her when she talked too much about being good at something.

She nodded when asked about what grade she was going into. “I read all the time. It’s my favorite thing to do.” She said quietly. She was still feeling scared and unsure of everything after having seen Tom read her file. She looked at the various books but was a little overwhelmed and didn’t know what to pick.

“It’s okay honey you just need to tell someone before it becomes an emergency.” Charlotte said gently. She was able to pull off at a drug store.

She turned the car off and took Rebecca inside and stood outside the bathroom stall while she went.

Once Rebecca finished in the bathroom, they went back to the car and started driving back home.

When they eventually arrived home, Charlotte smiled, not wanting Rebecca’s mood to be sour the rest of the night. “Go wash up then we can eat dinner.” She said as they walked inside.

“We can get the table ready for dinner now.” She said to her husband when she saw him in the living room before heading to the kitchen to take the lasagna out of the oven. 

[Ishigreensa]

"Arrogant?" Tom was caught off by her big person word.  Sure, she wasn't a baby, but where did an eight year old learn how to use such a big word?  He didn't think he even knew that word until high school.

"Sweetheart, it's not being arrogant to acknowledge you are good at something unless you talk down to others who are not as good at it, and you haven't done that, as far as I can tell."

He pulled out the shorter Harry Potter Book for her.

"How about I let you look at these two books tonight, and then in the morning, you can hand me back the one that is less interesting for now, or if you don't like either, we can choose another one tomorrow, okay?"

 

Rebecca went into the bathroom holding herself trying not to pee her pants, though before she got in the stall, she started to go a little, but it stopped and she got her shorts down, luckily before the pee really got through her panties.  Her panties felt a little soggy as she pulled them up but at least her shorts, she hoped, were not noticeably wet.  

She finished in the toilet and when she came out and washed her hands and was a little happier, she nodded at her mom.  Her mom kept telling her to tell someone before it got this bad.  She wanted to do what her mom said, and she knew what her mom wanted, but for some reason, her body just didn't behave and wait long enough for her to say something.  She was too immature to realize it was a choice she was making by just expecting too much from her body.

When they got home, she was glad mom sent her off to clean herself up, and she changed her panties and did notice a little bit of a wetness on her shorts, but it wasn't so bad that someone would notice right away.  She sighed and put her laundry in the dirty hamper in the bathroom before washing her hands and then she went down dressed in a short skirt and a nice summer top.

Tom smiled when they came in, but his daughter was off to her room or the bathroom before he could say anything to her.  He was used to her always coming home from practice about to wet herself though, so he just ignored it and responded to Charlotte.

"Okay.  I was just trying to get the little one to choose a book to read.  Apparently, she loves to read."

He was holding her and carrying her to the table.

As the family started to sit at the table, Rebecca in her usual spot, Tom across from her, putting Lani in the seat that was between him and Rebecca so he was seated next to Charlotte, he smiled and asked if he should help get anything.

Rebecca smiled.  "My favorite!  Lasagna!"

She looked at Lani, and she smiled.  "Our mom makes the best lasagna!"

[Shy-Diapers]

Lani didn’t want to argue with Tom so she just nodded. She accepted the extra book and held them while she saw Tom and Charlotte talking.

Charlotte set the table for everyone and gave everyone some milk as well as putting lasagna on everyone’s plate along with some green beans. She smiled and sat down to eat, happy that Rebecca was having a good day and that it seemed like Lani was at the very least talking to Tom which was more than she could say for herself.

Lani sat silently at the table, starting to eat only once she was told she could. She did pause however when she heard Rebecca. She frowned and scowled. “She’s not my mom!” She said sternly to the bigger girl. “I have a mommy!” She insisted. She wasn’t trying to be mean or rude, but she didn’t appreciate Rebecca trying to erase her mother that she loved so dearly. 

[Ishigreensa]

As they settled to eat, and Tom was glad to have gotten a few words out of the little one, he started to ask Rebecca about soccer when suddenly, the little one screamed, to him, about Charlotte not being her mom.

He stood up and walked over and pick her up, wanting to comfort her.

"It's alright, sweetheart.  No one is replacing your mommy.  That's why we asked you to call us Auntie and Uncle or anything else you want.  It's okay.  Rebecca didn't mean anything by it.  She just doesn't know what is going on yet.  No one has told her much about you yet, sweetheart."

He rocked her a bit and took her back to sit in his lap.

 

Rebecca looked down and mumbled "I'm sorry.  I didn't know."

She got big tears in her eyes.

"Mommy?  I didn't know.  I thought she was like Annie.  Honest.  You know, the movie we watched a few months ago?"

She was really sorry that she had upset the little girl.  "I'm really sorry, Lani.  I am.  Please?"

She didn't want the little girl to hate her.