Living On... After It October 6 2025

[Ishigreensa]

Living On... After It

 

Chapter 1

Mr. Jack Collins

I lie in the bed, the wetness under me and around my legs being a familiar if unwelcome feeling. Out the window, I could see it was still quite dark, and had no idea what time it was. Around me in three other beds, were other girls around my age who had their own baggage, but none of who would be waking up in the morning to a wet bed. I felt my face heat up because I knew I’d be the only one in the whole center who was wet in the morning.

I had been having the same dark dreams I had been having for the last nearly nine months since it happened… the incident that landed me in this place. I had actually seen two other homes since then, too, but I kept having to come back here, because no one could deal with my baggage. One home lasted maybe two months, and the last home was maybe a month.

I twiddled my fingers as I lie there, wondering if I should just get up and look at a clock to see if it was close enough to time to get up, or if I should try to roll over in my disgusting puddle and just go back to sleep. I couldn’t really tell if I as tired, really. I had been so out of it since everything happened nearly nine months ago.

I didn’t know when sleep overpowered me again, but I eventually felt myself being shaken awake by a soft but firm caring hand.

“M...mary?” I stammered because I knew she could see the huge wet stain around me since she had pulled the blankets from me trying to wake me.

“Sweetheart,” she said in the kindest and most gentle voice that anyone could use talking to a twelve year old kid that had just peed all over herself in her sleep. “It’s okay. But you need to get up and go get a shower. Someone is here to see you.”

I frowned. I didn’t know anyone, did I?

“Come on, sweetheart. Go to the bathroom and get cleaned up.”

I walked through the facility, my face red in shame at all the other kids that I had to pass that would have awoken in dry pajamas. Even most of the kids that were younger than me, which was all of nearly eight with only the other three that shared my room being even close to my age.

 

After a bath, I walked into the room, and Mary was there again, having stripped my bed and it lay naked with a huge wet spot showing on the mattress again.

She had some clothes laid out over the dry foot of the bed for me. They were a pair of jeans that had definitely seen better days and a yellow top with white daisies all over it.

“Someone has looked over your file,” Mary told me as she handed me some panties to put on. “Even though he knows you’ve disturbed your classes at school because of your episodes, and he knows that you have fits of screaming and terror for no reason anyone else can see, he is willing to take you on trial.”

I shook my head. “Why can’t I just go into the teen’s independent living?”

“Sweetheart, I don’t think you are ready for that,” she put a hand on my arm. “The truth is you need a lot of support and I really am hoping someone will take you in and help you at least enough to start to control your fits and episodes in public.”

I frowned and looked down. It was true that I had a hard time sometimes at school, and it didn’t take much to trigger them. The lights going off, someone saying something silly like “Down,” or even just a rumbling crack of thunder just before a good rain. All of these could sent me into a fearful episode where I forget where I am.

“What about Mr. Stevens?” I asked about the counselor who had been working with me about the episodes caused by the raid on my home nine months ago.

“Honey, you’ll probably have to see another counselor,” Mary said sadly. “The man checking into helping you out doesn’t live in town.”

At least that would mean I’d go to a different school, and I hoped I was doing better and not having as many episodes or having them as violently as I used to. Maybe no one at the new school would know how bad things really were.

“Mr. Stevens really helped a lot,” though I remembered seeing three others besides him, but he actually seemed to be making progress in the last month.

“I know,” Mary said emotion in her throat as she pulled up the dingy jeans on my legs. “But if you have someone that actually cares about you, and focuses on you, maybe things will be a lot easier for you, too.”

I sighed. “Maybe….”

She took my hand and brought me to the main office where the main matron, an elderly nun usually reviewed files and set up these adoptions for us, or at least that’s what twelve year old me had thought at the time.

 

A man was in the office when I came into the quiet small room with a large oak desk opposite the doors and a wall of bookcases behind it. Nearer to the door up opposite wall, there was a window with a small round table and three chairs. The man was seated at one of those chairs along with the matron next to him.

Green eyes, freckles, red thinning hair, the man was big, strong, and wiry. He smiled over at me, but lowered my head at the way the smile gave me the creeps. Not saying he was a creep, it’s just… I don’t know him, and he’s smiling at me.

“This is the girl,” Matron Elizabeth, an elderly lady with her hair fully covered by the nun’s hat and her weight was concealed under the nun’s robes that she wore. “Her name is Corinna Moreno.”

I kept looking at the floor.

“You have a file on her?” the matron seemed to be confirming rather than blindly asking the man.

“Yes, it says here that the police had invaded her home due to some things going on there, and that’s how she went into the foster program?”

“That’s right,” Matron Elizabeth folded her hands over the table, her elbow on the wood. “She just came to our little group home about four months ago, but she’s had two other families that looked into her, but couldn’t handle her….”

The man narrowed his eyes. “And….”

“Well, you are a single man,” she went on as if interrogating him. “How do you think you are going to be able to keep up with a child like her when two other families with one full time stay at home parent couldn’t deal with her shenanigans?”

“She’s a little preteen,” the man shook his head. “I’m sure they had other concerns in their life that made it hard to focus on the child. If she is truly having as much trouble as her file says she is…, surely it is obvious that she needs someone that will focus on her.”

The matron stopped looking at him as though trying to piece his soul. “Right.”

I was gently pushed towards the man who turned and smiled up at me once again.

“Your name is Corinna, isn’t it?” he asked me.

I frowned and looked at the floor. I felt really overwhelming nerves pricking at inside my head, and my arms started to get goosebumps on them. I tingled in my legs and arms. I wasn’t sure about all of this.

“Yes, that’s Corinna,” the matron glanced at me with a stern frown as though to tell me I was being rude.

“I… I’m Corinna,” I stammered.

He held his hands out for me, and I stepped uneasily, my legs shaking the whole five steps towards him before he took my hands.

“My name is Jack, sweetheart. Jack Collins. I’d like you to come and stay with me at my home.”

I frowned and still looked at the floor. I shivered. I didn’t know if this was a good idea. The last two times they tried, I just got in trouble and then got put back into the system to finally be at this place. This place wasn’t bad, and I sort of liked it here. The matron was strict, but she rarely spoke to us kids directly. Her main job was to set up these meetings with people that wanted to adopt us.

“I know it’s probably a little scary,” Jack kept hold my hands, but now his thumbs rubbing the tops of my hands. “You don’t know anything about me at all, and they want you to just pack up and go live with someone and hope it works out, right?”

I frowned. That wasn’t the real problem, actually. I couldn’t put my finger on the real problem other than I’d be afraid that once he discovered how hard I was, he might get really mad. No, that wasn’t even it, though. There was something else I had no words for. I just stayed quiet.

He looked over at the matron, but kept rubbing my hands with his thumbs.

“Her mother died just nine months ago, of course, in the police raid….”

Jack pulled me gently toward him when he heard how my mom died, and he started to rub my back.

“Apparently, they had a big illegal operation at her mother’s place, and they were doing all sorts of things that had the police watching them probably the last year before they broke in and tried to arrest everyone.”

I frowned. I don’t remember them trying to arrest anyone at all. I only heard the thunder of guns and the thumping of feet on the wood floors as not only adults running this way and that, but also children. They only started calling out “Down” after at least three shots had rang out, which had awakened me from what I thought at the time was the middle of the night.

I didn’t tell them that the matron was wrong though. I was scared to.

“I mean, of course, she’s going to act out if the police killed her mom, regardless of if her mom was doing stuff or not. Children don’t understand things like that,” Jack told the matron.

“I’m glad we at least agree on one thing,” the matron tightened her lips. “So, how do you think you are going to be able to handle her?”

“Day by day?” he seemed to answer as if trying to get a test question right. “I don’t care if you are in a stable relationship, are married, or have a stay at home parent,” he started to explained. “It’s not about your personal life, but rather, how much time you are willing to invest in the child. I have no other investments of time other than my job, which will be at the same hours she is at school, so I see no conflict here.”

The matron frowned. “She shivering in your arms.”

“Of course she is,” Jack rubbed my back even more and a bit more deeply so I could feel him trying caress the fear out now. “She’s a scared child about to go somewhere else. It doesn’t matter who takes her, she’s going to be scared when she first leaves, isn’t she?”

The matron nodded. “Fine. Your paperwork is all in order. You must excuse me, but I am the children’s last defense before they are entrusted to strangers. I have to be thorough.”

It looked like she was actually going to let him take me, then

[Eagle0769]

Interesting start. How does a single man get to adopt a 12-year-old girl?

[WBDaddy]

2 hours ago, Eagle0769 said:

Interesting start. How does a single man get to adopt a 12-year-old girl?

Private orphanages like this have much wider discretion regarding foster care decisions.  State-run facilities have to do it by the book. 

[Ishigreensa]

8 hours ago, WBDaddy said:

Private orphanages like this have much wider discretion regarding foster care decisions.  State-run facilities have to do it by the book. 

Yes, they do.  However, it has gotten so bad with not enough adopting parents, that they have opened it up a lot more.  As long as you are healthy, have no red flag issues, and are considered an upstanding citizen, they even advertise on their websites that single even dads can adopt.  They say there are children who don't even want a mommy because of issues they've have with women, and they say there are boys that don't want a daddy because of issues they've had with them.  It's not easy, though, and you really get vetted.  I think the process for adoption, though I'm not sure about fostering, is more than 6 months, and it is even longer for singles, especially single men to be sure.

Another thing about it, is that it is generally easier to get placed with an older child than a younger child, mostly because most people want younger kids and older kids get overlooked all the time.  It is far more likely for a single man to be placed with a 12 year old girl than a 3 year old girl, and the reason is, once kids are teens, most people just aren't interested in having them.

[Ishigreensa]

Inclusive Eligibility Support

 

 

EOH emphasizes that all capable adults can become resource parents, regardless of marital status or homeownership. You do not need to be married or own your home to provide a loving and stable environment for a foster child. EOH staff are prepared to guide single adults, renters, and non-traditional families through the application and certification process, ensuring that every prospective resource parent receives the support they need to navigate the system.

https://www.eohfamilies.org/become-a-foster-parent

This is also a such a thing of fostering to adoption.

I have done a little research when I had a wishy-washing phase of life about a couple of years ago wondering how hard it would be to adopt.  If I did, I'd have to come to America again, and my wife cannot... so I had considered it at one time.  In the end, my wife and my adult children were more important to me, so I stayed in Japan.  
The thing is, I did some research, and yes, I figured it would have taken me nearly 3 years to be ready because you need a consistent place, where you have support by family and friends to be considered.  You have to have, not necessary a house, but a definitely place where the child can call a room their own.  You have to have enough money that you are not struggling too much, a nice car that can get you around, and of course there are background checks for crime, health, and mental capacities.  These are just the basics.  Single men are vetted, according to some sites ta the time I checked into it a lot harsher than even single women on welfare.  The idea is that society is still worried about men being monsters, and I do understand that.  Children are vulnerable, so they have to be sure they are putting kids into a safe environment for sure.  But yes, even single dads can adopt girls, and teenaged children up to around 14 are usually still trying to be promoted.  After that, they start looking into aging them out of the foster system.

[Salsa]

I think you're a great writer, but it gets harder and harder to follow your stories when you keep recycling the same tropes and story beats and now lately you've started and abandoned a whole bunch of stories with reused character names and even titles. It's getting hard to keep them all straight.

[WBDaddy]

58 minutes ago, Salsa said:

I think you're a great writer, but it gets harder and harder to follow your stories when you keep recycling the same tropes and story beats and now lately you've started and abandoned a whole bunch of stories with reused character names and even titles. It's getting hard to keep them all straight.

This is a pretty harsh criticism, but I can't say it's unfair.  

Ishi, you and I have sort of collaborated in the distant past ("The Pariah", a piece I've contemplated reposting here recently, a riff on your story "Yukari"), and you've had some wildly creative concepts, but your follow-through has been the challenge for you.  I hope you have at least plotted out a general story arc for this one, because the start point is extremely dark, and I'm hoping to find out how this particular girl finds her peace, whether that involves diapers or not. 

[Ishigreensa]

4 hours ago, Salsa said:

I think you're a great writer, but it gets harder and harder to follow your stories when you keep recycling the same tropes and story beats and now lately you've started and abandoned a whole bunch of stories with reused character names and even titles. It's getting hard to keep them all straight.

I am planning to continue this one, to a point where she is going to find her home.  I did finish ONE story, but it has been a while ago.
I am rewriting the Cait story just because honestly, I just thought it through some more.  this isn't recycled, it's being rewritten for some further back story to understand what has happened to Cait a lot more.
And I am in the works of starting another one that someone wants me to redo from a different site that I hadn't finished because that site was... well... not nice to me.  And it had nothing to do with saying I didn't finish the stories, because that is a fair point.

I'm trying to find a way to actually finish the Cait story for sure, which is why the rewrite.  The Character names had actually changed though for that one.  It is based off a British move I saw, but I moved it to America and have some other things gonig on that the movie definitely didn't intend, as far as I know.

 

3 hours ago, WBDaddy said:

This is a pretty harsh criticism, but I can't say it's unfair.  

Ishi, you and I have sort of collaborated in the distant past ("The Pariah", a piece I've contemplated reposting here recently, a riff on your story "Yukari"), and you've had some wildly creative concepts, but your follow-through has been the challenge for you.  I hope you have at least plotted out a general story arc for this one, because the start point is extremely dark, and I'm hoping to find out how this particular girl finds her peace, whether that involves diapers or not. 

Very fair points.  
 

Sent away is not just a new story with the same title.  It is me trying to rehash it and get it somewhere.  I've restarted it a little further back to try to give Cait more Character, and I've also tried to use that to give the caretakers some more ideas of what is going on with the child.  That way, they are more intune with hat is going on.

 

In this story, I am still exploring the larger plot.  I am probably going to end up having to rewrite at some point when I get stuck as I usually do, but I'm hoping the rewrites are better when I do them, and that the rewrites help me develop the plots betters.  Think of them as rough copies.  I know most writers only show their final master pieces when they present, but I'm comfortable on this board enough, that I actually like getting feed back on the rough copies so that I can fix what needs fixed and try to find a way to keep what seems to work well.

I'm so sorry it gets frustrating for some, but it is the feed back that has helped me get as good as I am, and I know... I have a lot further to go.  I know I have abandonned a lot of stories because I just couldn't find a way forward for many of them, but the Cait story isn't going away (Sent Away).  I get stuck for sure, but then I keep having to write it, so yeah, it ill probably keep getting recycle until I have a done product, though can't say how long it will actually take me to get something good from it.  Sorry.

[Parkin]

3 hours ago, Ishigreensa said:

I am planning to continue this one, to a point where she is going to find her home.  I did finish ONE story, but it has been a while ago.
I am rewriting the Cait story just because honestly, I just thought it through some more.  this isn't recycled, it's being rewritten for some further back story to understand what has happened to Cait a lot more.
And I am in the works of starting another one that someone wants me to redo from a different site that I hadn't finished because that site was... well... not nice to me.  And it had nothing to do with saying I didn't finish the stories, because that is a fair point.

I'm trying to find a way to actually finish the Cait story for sure, which is why the rewrite.  The Character names had actually changed though for that one.  It is based off a British move I saw, but I moved it to America and have some other things gonig on that the movie definitely didn't intend, as far as I know.

 

Very fair points.  
 

Sent away is not just a new story with the same title.  It is me trying to rehash it and get it somewhere.  I've restarted it a little further back to try to give Cait more Character, and I've also tried to use that to give the caretakers some more ideas of what is going on with the child.  That way, they are more intune with hat is going on.

 

In this story, I am still exploring the larger plot.  I am probably going to end up having to rewrite at some point when I get stuck as I usually do, but I'm hoping the rewrites are better when I do them, and that the rewrites help me develop the plots betters.  Think of them as rough copies.  I know most writers only show their final master pieces when they present, but I'm comfortable on this board enough, that I actually like getting feed back on the rough copies so that I can fix what needs fixed and try to find a way to keep what seems to work well.

I'm so sorry it gets frustrating for some, but it is the feed back that has helped me get as good as I am, and I know... I have a lot further to go.  I know I have abandonned a lot of stories because I just couldn't find a way forward for many of them, but the Cait story isn't going away (Sent Away).  I get stuck for sure, but then I keep having to write it, so yeah, it ill probably keep getting recycle until I have a done product, though can't say how long it will actually take me to get something good from it.  Sorry.

So your other story won't be send away? 

(sorry for the bad pun)