The New Foster

[Ishigreensa]

Tom went out of the house for a moment since Lani was napping to go pick up some ice cream for the girls and to clear his head a bit.  He had never expected to be the one taking care of Lani, but now, he couldn't think he'd want it any other way, well, maybe with the exception that maybe Charlotte could help.  He really like this little one.

He had no idea that she was awake at the moment, so thought it was a safe moment to get a minute.  She had only been home about an hour after all, and with all the excitement of earlier, he was sure she'd sleep at least two hours.

 

Rebecca looked up at her mommy.

"So you think I should still try to be friends with her, but maybe give her a little space the rest of the day so she's not being pushed or something?" she wanted her mommy's advice.

"I know, maybe she likes cookies!  We could bake some and see if she wants to eat them.  But if you are tired...," she trailed off in the way she normally did, that meant she really wanted the attention, but she would accept if her mommy needed some time.

[Shy-Diapers]

“I say just continue to be nice to her, but give her some space. She only just got here yesterday.” Charlotte said warmly. “I’m sure she’ll open up more when she gets more comfortable.”

“How about we make some cookies just for fun.” She suggested and stood up. “No pressure of them being for Lani so there’s no disappointment if she doesn’t want them. But we can still make some and offer them to Daddy and her. How does that sound?”

[Ishigreensa]

"Yay!" Rebecca hugged her mom and ran to the kitchen to start getting the bowls out.  She loved baking with her mom.  

She started to sing a silly song to lighten the mood even more as she got things out that she knew they usually used for making cookies.

 

Tom was went in, and got Rebecca her favorite chocolate mint ice cream in a cup, and because he didn't know Lani well, and wanted to make sure she would be more likely to eat it, he got her vanilla so at least it was plain and so shouldn't taste too weird.

 

Rebecca looked up at her mom at every opportunity, wanting to break the eggs into the bowl, to shift the flour and salt together, and other simple tasks you often ask of younger kids when really, they are the ones that wanted to back, and you do it so that they will have a good time with you.

"I love chocolate chips or raisins," Rebecca said looking to see if they had either for cookies.

[Shy-Diapers]

Charlotte smiled. She grabbed out the ingredients from the fridge that they’d need and started pre heating the oven. She opened her recipe box and grabbed a recipe card for chocolate chip cookies, per Rebecca’s request.

She let Rebecca do as much as she wanted and was able to while she grabbed the chocolate chips. “Chocolate chips it is!” She said cheerfully.

Charlotte was happy that Rebecca was taking everything well. She hadn't expected it but it was definitely a relief. She was still a little hurt about Lani obviously, but she decided to channel that energy into doting on Rebecca and giving her extra attention. 

[Ishigreensa]

Rebecca, now being a ten year old nearly fifth grader, tried to insist to her mommy she could do more.  She wanted to preheat the oven.  She wanted to put the cookies in, but let her mom take them out because the hot pan still kind of scared her.  She wanted to mix it with the electric mixer.  She had so much energy, as if she was pouring all of her love and soul into making the cookies, not so much because of Lani, but because she was having fun with mommy, and because she knew at least mom and dad would be eating them.

She was so tied up into the cookies, that she didn't register that she had to pee, until she started to wet her pants some, and as they darkened, she looked up at her mommy.

"Uh oh," she frowned.  "I... I forgot to use the bathroom."

 

Tom came home at the moment she was wetting her pants, and he just froze wondering what happened.  He looked to Charlotte wanting to know if she was sad, upset, or what was going on.

At the moment, Rebecca wasn't really upset yet, but she was waiting for her mom's reaction as she continued to stand there, peeing herself because it was too late.

[Shy-Diapers]

Charlotte smiled and let Rebecca do almost everything, but was still insistent on some things being too advanced for her. Especially since Rebecca wasn’t always the most careful.

When she heard her daughter she looked over and frowned, sighing a bit. “Becca…” She started gently. “You know that when you feel something starting or know it’s happening you still try to get to the bathroom. You don’t just stand here if you know it’s happening.”

She sighed and shook her head. When she was sure Rebecca had finished she nodded towards the stairs. “Go get changed and cleaned up. I have to clean this up now.” She said gently. She wasn’t mad or upset at Rebecca, but did wish she was a little more careful and wouldn’t always have her head in the clouds.

When Rebecca ran off she turned to Tom. “I don’t know what happened. Everything was fine until she just suddenly told me she forgot to use the bathroom.”

[Ishigreensa]

Tom sighed and shook his head.  

"She's ten years old and going into fifth grade.  She really should learn to control herself a bit better," he told Charlotte.  "Well, I got her and Lani some ice cream.  Lani hasn't come down from the bedroom yet, has she?  Maybe I should go up and check on her."

"Oh, smells like Becks talked you into making some cookies, huh?"

He waved and started up after Becks as she had ran off to go change her wet clothes.

He knocked on Beck's door first and smiled when he saw her open her door, still in her wet pants.

"Here, sweetie, some ice cream because you didn't get dessert at the restaurant."

 

He went into the master room, and when he did, he saw a teary eyed scared little girl on the bed....

"Sweetheart, are you okay?" he asked her.  "I got some ice cream for you, and thought I'd check on you.  Did you have a nice nap?"

[Shy-Diapers]

“This hasn’t happened in over a year. I’m not sure what’s up with her.” Charlotte said with a sigh as she started mopping up the puddle.

“I haven’t seen her since the car.” She said in reference to Lani.

 

Lani’s head bolted up and she stiffened when she heard Tom. She felt her heart pounding and her chest was tight. The tears started coming faster and harder as she tried to scoot backwards in fear.

“I-I’m sorry-y!” She sobbed as he approached her. She held her knees to her chest and looked up at him. Rebecca’s overalls and the towels underneath her were darker and obviously wet. 

[Ishigreensa]

"Aw, sweetheart, didn't I tell you?  That's what the towels were for, baby.  I told you, you are in a very scary place right now, and so it's common and natural for little kids to wet their pants when they are nervous and uncertain about things.  Don't worry, sweetheart."

He reached over and picked her up and hugged her.

"Look," he pulled the towels out of the way and showed her the dry bed.  "See?  No harm.  The towels needed to be washed anyway, so no problem, okay?"

He took her to her room and put her down.

"This is for you, baby.  It's vanilla since I didn't know your favorite, and after you eat it, I'll have brought your new clothes up, so we can finally put you in something that fits, okay?"

 

Becks came down not too much longer, still eating her ice cream.

"I'm sorry, mommy," she told Charlotte.  "I didn't know it was going to come out so soon.  I was almost done with getting those ones off the cookie sheet, and wanted to finish and thought I could, but then I started peeing.  I'm sorry."

She hung her head.

"I didn't mean to make a mess for you."

[Shy-Diapers]

Lani felt her cheeks get hot. She looked down at her lap uncomfortably. What Tom was saying made sense, but she couldn’t bring herself to admit to him that she wet the bed at home too. What was her excuse then?

She sniffled and stood still in her room while Tom went to get her clothes. She was too anxious and scared at the moment to eat her ice cream. She just wanted to get clean clothes on.

 

Charlotte sighed a bit. “Becks you know better than that.” She explained gently. “You know that you can’t hold it that long sometimes. If you need to go and there’s a bathroom available you go right away. The cookies would still have been here afterwards.” She shook her head as she finished cleaning up. “And we’ve told you before to go to the bathroom right away if you know an accident is happening.”

She bent down to Rebecca’s level and made eye contact with her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. “You’re going into fifth grade in a few weeks. You need to listen to your body sweetheart.”

She pulled her into a hug. “I’m not mad or upset. You just need to listen to our rules. We tell you these things for a reason, I promise.”

[Ishigreensa]

Rebecca nodded and looked down.  "I know.  I just got excited and forgot.  I'm sorry."

She went back to try to make more cookies hoping it was okay.  She knew her mom was just trying to help her and knew that she was right.  She just didn't know what made her not realize she was going to wet this time.  It felt sort of sudden to her, but she didn't want to argue with her mom who might think she was just making excuses.  Her mom did always tell her to go when she knows she has to go.

"I'll be more careful," she promised.  It might have been cute when she was like six or seven and promised to be more careful, but she figured her mom was tired of hearing her say it, and wanted her to actually show it.  She started to think about it, and it kind of made her mad at herself.

She sat in the kitchen chair and looked down.

"I know I always say that.  I'm going to really try to mean it this time though," she told her mom.  "I hate wetting my pants."

When Tom came back and saw that she had not started on her ice cream yet, he motioned for her to come to him so he could hug her, and as he did, he opened her ice cream for her.

"You can eat your ice cream," he told her.  "We don't want it to melt.  And while you eat, I'll start getting your wet things off you if that's okay."

He started to undo her shoulder straps and as he did, he rubbed her back.

"Don't worry about a little accident, baby.  I'm not worried about it, other than that it makes you sad."

He pulled the bib part of it down and started to slide it down her legs.

"I know you are not wetting in the daytime, and I'll stop asking about the potty in the day, but how about in exchange, you just come and get me when you wet the bed, sweetie.  I think for a while, you are going to need some comfort until this stops, and I don't know, we might have to figure out something to help you keep your bedding dry so you don't always wake up in a wet bed.  But don't be scared.  No one is mad.  Rebecca won't even know you wet the overalls because they need to be washed before she can wear them anyway, even if you hadn't wet, sweetheart."

He hugged her and as he did so, he started to pull down her soaked panties.

 

[Shy-Diapers]

“I know you do sweetheart. Nobody is mad or upset. We just want it to not happen for your sake.” Charlotte explained gently. She put the mop away and set the timer on the cookies in the oven.

 

Lani sniffled and looked up at Tom. She didn’t really feel like eating her ice cream right now. It certainly showed her state of mind. She had devoured any food in front of her since she arrived but now she was refusing. She was too upset to want any ice cream.

She nodded along to what he was saying. She couldn’t help it and put her thumb in her mouth as she held her dragon to her chest. “I’ll tell you.” She said quietly. It seemed fair to her. He’d stop bothering her in the daytime and he’d help her clean up in the mornings.

When she was completely stripped down she looked up at him with wet eyes still. “You’re so nice to me.” She said, a little surprised by the situation she found herself in. 

[Ishigreensa]

"Baby, that's how healthy parents are supposed to treat children," he told her.  "It's not being nice, it's just being there as we promised, when we said we'd take in a foster child, and you are the lucky child we got.  We'd do it for Becks, our daughter, and for any child we promised to take care of, honey.  That's what good adults that are not sick do."

He was trying really hard not make her mom look bad and she said herself, that her mom was sick.

"We can put your ice cream up for later after I dress you," he told her.  "It's okay.  It's still yours, but we don't want it to melt, okay?"

He got her ice cream and put it on the dresser so he could get Beck's Tshirt off her.

"Now, what would you like to wear, sweetie?"

He showed her the bags that had her things in them.

"No more tight old clothes for a while, okay?"

He hugged her as he took her top off her so she was naked at the moment.

 

Rebecca was soon into making the cookies again, and though she was in better spirits after about ten minutes, she had not forgotten her promise that she was going to be more careful.

[Shy-Diapers]

“I miss when Mommy was nice.” Leilani said softly. Her voice wasn’t sad necessarily, but more like she was stating a fact.

She nodded about the ice cream. She wasn’t in a mood to eat right then. Her mind was too busy.

She looked at the clothes in front of her, a little overwhelmed. She didn’t think she’d ever had this many brand new clothes that fit her at one time. She pointed to a pink short sleeved dress with brown horse silhouettes all over. She then looked up at Tom for approval, still sucking her thumb and holding her dragon. Between her size, the thumb sucking, and the wet clothes she just had on, the soon to be third grader looked more like she was in kindergarten.

“Can I wear that one?” She asked hopefully. “And Bluey undies?” She added, pointing to the package of new underwear. “Please.” She quickly said after, not wanting to be in trouble for forgetting her manners. 

[Ishigreensa]

"I'm sure you do," Tom hugged her to let her know that he was there listening.  "It's hard to not miss the better times when you know that your mommy being sick is making things hard for not only you, but herself, too, baby."

He sat with her, and patiently waited for her to pick out what she would wear.  He didn't mind if it took all night, as long as she was more or less happy about it.  She was sucking her thumb, but he didn't comment on that.  Rebecca had done that around her age, and Rebecca had no real reason to do so other than she was just very immature, so he thought it was natural for a child to suck their thumb at times.  If anything, he thought maybe because of all the talk of being mature between the day before and this morning, she had been trying to put it off because she didn't want to be seen as a baby.

"These are your things," he told her when she added please, to him, almost as if she was begging for him to not be mad for choosing what she wanted.  "You can wear anything you want and you don't really have to ask permission when it's your own stuff, sweetheart."

He pulled out a pair of panties from her Bluey pack, and started to slip those on her.

"You're safe, sweetheart," he told her.  "You are not going to get on people's nerves if you need to change your clothes, if you talk a little bit, or if you play with toys here.  No one is sick here like your mommy seems to be, okay?  And you have your own space you can always to go play if someone is feeling a little bit sick," he gestured at her bedroom.  "This room is yours, baby.  Your safe spot.  If you feel overwhelmed or in trouble, you can always come here, and when I know where you are, I'll check on you that you are okay."

He started to dress her into her dress that she chose.

"Lots of kids still wet their pants and their bed at your age," he told her.  "What's important, is that you let someone know when you've wet the bed so you are not going around uncomfortable and you don't get sick, okay sweetie?"

He finished dressing her and pushed her back a little bit so he could check how she looked.  "Maybe we should brush your hair again," he told her.  "You really are an adorable little one."

[Shy-Diapers]

Lani nodded. She didn’t quite know if she believed or understood everything Tom was saying, but he seemed to mean it and he was being nothing but nice to her. Maybe this wasn’t such a bad place to be if she couldn’t be with her mom.

She let Tom get her dressed and hugged him as he spoke more. Having been deprived of affection at home for so long, the little girl was desperate for it now that she had been given a taste of how much comfort it could bring.

She stepped back and shook her head when he asked to brush her hair. “It’ll hurt!” She whined softly, not in a defiant way, but in a worried way. Her hair was a massive tangled mess in the ponytail. It was clear nobody had bothered washing or brushing it for at least the time she’d been in foster care. 

[Ishigreensa]

Tom nodded.

"I know it might hurt the first time," he admitted to her.  "But I'll take it slow and do as much as I can to make it hurt less.  You know what?  How about we wash your hair first?  That will make it easier, and we'll try to untangle it a little bit while we are washing it, and that will help.  We don't want to pull your hair more than we have to."

He put her in his lap and hugged her for another minute.

"It will feel a lot better when it's clean and brushed properly, baby.  But I think I might need to wash your hair this time because it is so tangled and dirty, you probably couldn't really do it on your own.  If Rebecca's hair had gone unwashed for a week, I'd insist she let either her mommy or me wash it for her just the same as I'm asking of you, except I know you don't really trust Charlotte yet, so I'll just do it, if that's okay with you."

He stood up and took her hand.

"Your toys are still downstairs.  Would you like to help me bring them up to your room?  I also need to take the wet things to the laundry first, but you can either stay with me, or take one load of clothes with you.  Don't worry if Rebecca happens to see.  She's wet the bed at your age, so she wouldn't think anything of that, honey."

He smiled but he saw hesitancy in her eyes.

"Or, how about this?  I'll bundle up the wet clothes in the towels that also need washed, and then she wouldn't be able to tell if I'm just taking down the towels that need washed or what not, and she would know her clothes need washed since you wore them, so wouldn't really think about it if I had them wrapped up in the towels."

He went to his room to get the wet towels and put a few more with them, and then went to her room again, and bundled them together so the peed in clothes were not seen.

"How is this?" he showed her what he meant.

[Shy-Diapers]

“You’ll be gentle?” Lani asked hesitantly, looking up at him with wide eyes, wanting to trust him. When he further explained she relented. “Okay.” She said softly with a nod. “I’ll be brave.” She added, mostly to herself so she could try to make herself feel more confident than she was.

She was anxious and scared about Charlotte and Rebecca seeing her sheets, but he quickly made that fear go away. She smiled a little and nodded at him. She couldn’t see her clothes or sheets in the bundle of towels.

“I can help.” She finally agreed to helping bring her toys to her room. She clung to his side, holding onto his pant leg while they went downstairs, staying close to him while he couldn’t carry her. She did take her thumb out of her mouth though, scared of being seen as a baby in front of the other people in the house. 

[Ishigreensa]

Tom walked her down to the laundry, keeping her by his side.  

Rebecca looked over and saw her holding daddy's legs like she used to when she was being shy, so she just smiled a little and let them pass with the towels.  She didn't know why daddy suddenly decided to bring towels down, but she didn't see anything out of the ordinary, so didn't say anything.  The wet panties and overalls were completely covered by the towels, and the little girl looked as nervous and close to daddy as she had been since getting her, so she looked up at her mom.

"Do you think if I ask daddy to take a cookie, he might take one for her?"

Tom had placed the ice cream cup in her hands before they left and asked her to take it with them so they could put it in the freezer for her for later.

After pulling out her sheets and putting them in the dryer, he put the new load of laundry along with a few other things in the wash.

"See?  All out of sight and mind, and once I start this washer, there will be no proof that any washing even had to be done," Tom smiled at Lani.  "Now, everything is all clean!"

He picked her up and carried her up again, where Rebecca smiled at them as they messed with the fridge.

"We made cookies," Rebecca told him.  "You can Lani can have one!"

"Maybe later, sweetie.  Lani doesn't feel like eating at the moment."

"Oh," Rebecca looked down sadly.  "Well, you can have some and she can, whenever."

She sadly walked out of the kitchen and towards her room to think about what to do next.

[Shy-Diapers]

Charlotte was about to tell Rebecca to wait and not say anything because it seemed like Lani was extremely clingy at the moment and Tom wasn’t saying anything, but Rebecca had gone ahead before she could even respond.

 

Lani sniffled and smiled a little. Tom was being so nice about her accidents and about everything really. She was relieved nobody would know she’d wet the bed. She was happy when he picked her up and she hugged him, content with being carried. She was glad Tom answered for her and she didn’t have to comment on the cookie, really not feeling like eating bag the moment.

 

Charlotte sighed and went up to Rebecca’s room to try to comfort her. She knocked lightly on the door. “Can I come in?”

[Ishigreensa]

Tom helped the little one bring her toys up and then stayed with her for a bit so she could get used to her things.

"We'll wash your hair after dinner, that way, you'll feel fresh before bed," he told her.  "So, why don't you explore your things a little bit, and I'll sit with you for a while."

 

Rebecca heard the knock and she went over and opened the door.

"I think daddy's mad because I wet on the floor earlier," she said sadly.  "He didn't even look at the cookies."

She sighed and let her mom into her room.

"Can you please tell daddy that I'm sorry?"

[Shy-Diapers]

Lani frowned. She was anxious and dreading the bath. If she had the choice she’d prefer to get it over with now rather than wait around for the pain and discomfort of her hair being washed.

She stayed in his lap up in her room but did start to explore her Magna Tiles. She liked looking at the box and the sample booklet to figure out how to copy the buildings exactly.

 

Charlotte shook her head and sighed. She sat down on the bed next to Rebecca. “Sweetie I told you nobody is mad at you. We have never been upset with you for your accidents.” She reminded. “Daddy is helping Lani right now. That’s what he’s focused on.” She tried to explain.

“You told him Lani could have a cookie and he said she doesn’t feel like eating. You didn’t ask him if he wanted one.” She started. “I’m sure he’ll have one later but right now he’s just trying to get Lani settled. She’s clinging to him a lot right now so she’s probably really scared and not in a very good mood.”

[Ishigreensa]

"Daddy's never ignored me for a whole day before though," Rebecca pointed out.  "I mean, I know he said some things to me today, but it's... I don't know.  It feels like he's ignoring me, and I can't help it.  I feel a little bit... um... jealous?"

She looked down.

"That's bad, isn't it?  I'm being not understanding and being a pig and selfish."

She pulled her legs up to her chin.

"I'm sorry.  I just kind of love daddy, and it feels like he has a new girl now, and doesn't need me anymore."

She had tears in her eyes.

"You aren't going to leave me alone, are you?" she asked her mom the nightmare she had earlier now probably starting to make sense to her mommy, maybe.

 

Tom looked at the booklet with her, and pulled the tiles closer so he could see how they worked, too.

"Well, look at that!" he tried to engage the little one in the exploratory game they were now playing.

[Shy-Diapers]

Charlotte sighed and shook her head. “He’s not ignoring you sweetie. He still loves you so much. He wanted you to get more than one toy at the store and he went out and got you your favorite ice cream at the store.” She pointed out gently.

“It’s normal to feel jealous baby. He still adores you. Lani doesn’t feel comfortable around me yet so he has to take care of her basically all by himself.” She hugged Rebecca close.

“Maybe tomorrow we can all go somewhere fun as a family.” She suggested. “So we can all be together. I can’t make any promises but I can talk to Daddy.”

 

Lani squirmed in Tom’s lap with anxiety. She was dreading the bath and her hair being done. It was such a present thought in her mind she was having trouble focusing on anything else. She didn’t respond to Tom’s attempts at engagement or conversation, putting her thumb in her mouth as she continued to build, trying to calm herself down. 

[Ishigreensa]

Rebecca smiled.

"Okay.  I know Lani has a hard time right now.  I'm trying to be patient.  That's what it's called when you wait for the thing you want, right?  And I'll try harder mommy."

She hugged her.

"Maybe we can go to the fair!  It's in town, right?"

 

Tom could see that it was hard to get her to focus, so he turned her after a bit in his lap and asked.

"Are you okay?  Do you want to take a bath right now, or maybe you're hungry?"