Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters that you recognize. I don't even own the storyline. And I'm not even sorry.
When my parents split up they didn't know what to do with me. Mom wanted me to go and live with her. Dad wanted me to go and live with him. But I didn't want to go live at Moms or Dads new place, I wanted to stay living in our old place, the three of us together. Four if you counted my pet Sylvanian family panda Bamboo.
There were all these arguments about who would get custody of me. I didn't know what they meant by that. My mom got mad and my dad got mad and then I got mad too. I felt like I was being torn in two. Half of me wanted to side with my mom and the other half of me wanted to side with my dad. It was much easier for Bamboo. He just sided with me.
We had to go for family counselling which seemed a bit silly really because mom and dad didn't want to be a family anymore. This kind looking lady had chatted to me. She was being ever so casual but I knew she was really trying to suss things out. She had these little dolls in her office, a big mommy one and a big daddy one and a whole bunch of little children ones. She wanted me to play with them. I poked the mommy doll and the daddy doll and said I didn't like playing with silly old dolls.
But the lady had noticed me fiddling with Bamboo in my pocket and got a glimpse of him. I like to hold him tight when I feel upset or scared because he makes me feel better.
"Oh what a cute little toy. Let me have a look." She'd said in that silly voice that grown ups use when they are trying to get you to do something.
"He's not a toy. He's a mascot." I'd scowled not wanting to show her Bamboo at all. He's mine and he's suppose to stay private but I had to let this lady hold him and undo his clothes and turn him upside down.
"What's the Panda's name then?" She asked. You would of thought I was two years old. I fiddled with the cuff of my cardigan and shrugged.
"That's Bamboo." Mom said for me. "Blaine's had him for years. He's a very important part of our family."
"I bought him it as a silly Saturday present. I like to treat him every now and then." Dad smiled
"Actually I bought him it one Christmas. As a stocking filler." Argued my mom.
Here we go again I thought.
"I quite clearly remember buying it at the gift shop down by the beach -"
"They don't even sell Sylvavian Families in there! I bought it from the toy store in town -"
I quickly snatched Bamboo back and gently held my hands over his ears because he can't stand to hear them arguing. I saw the lady watching me closely as she spoke up.
"Never mind." She said kindly before smiling down at Bamboo.
"Hello Bamboo." She said peering right into his little furry face. "I bet you're feeling a little bit sad and worried about where you're gonna live."
Bamboo kept his lips buttoned.
"We know what mommy wants and we know what daddy wants, but what does little Bamboo want?" The lady asked
Bamboo still didn't say a word.
"I think he's a bit shy." Said the lady eyeing me carefully. "Maybe it's difficult to say anything in front of mommy and daddy."
She asked my mom and dad to step outside of the room for a few minutes. They didn't want to and kept looking at me, kind of like when you're at school and you're the team leader and everyone wants to be picked to go on your team. Pick me, said mom. Pick me, said dad. I just stared down at Bamboo until they'd stopped protesting and went to wait outside.
"Poor Bamboo, this is a bit tough on him isn't it?"
Bamboo and I stayed silent. The lady was quiet for a bit too. I wondered if mom and dad were trying to listen from outside. But then they started up another argument. It started out in whispers but then they got really cross and let rip.
"Oh dear." Said the lady. "Well Bamboo, here's mommy and here's daddy." She stood the horrible dolls back up in the middle of the table again. Reaching out she took Bamboo from me and stood him between them. Then she looked at me.
"Where does Bamboo want to live Blaine? Does he want to live in house A?" She pointed at the mommy doll. "Or does he want to live in house B?" Se pointed at the daddy doll.
"He wants to live in house C where we've always lived. With mom, dad and me." I said quietly
"I know he does but he can't. Not any more. It wouldn't work. Just listen to mom and dad now." They were full on screaming at each other now.
"They won't be happy living together. You can see that, can't you, Blaine?" she waited for me to nod my head before carrying on. "But you should know that even though they don't love each other anymore they'll never ever stop loving you. They both love you very much and just want you to be happy. So which house do you think you and Bamboo will be most happy in?"
I looked at house A and I looked at house B. I looked at Bamboo and made him walk one way an then the other.
"He still wants to live in House C. But if he can't do that he wants to live in House A and House B."
"Ahhh" said the lady with a nod and that was that it was decided. Bamboo lives in my pocket like he's always done and I live in my moms house one week and my dads the next.