Shared Custody… a Little too much

"Where's your backpack?" Addison asked Betsy as she glanced at the clock in her kitchen. The time read 7:43 meaning they had 2 minutes to make it to Betsy's school to be on time.
"I think I left it in Cooper's office yesterday" Betsy said as she ran into the kitchen digging through a duffle bag. She pulled clothes out and then threw them on the floor and sighed.
"Just put something on," Addison said. "I can't" Betsy sat down and her eyes became teary.
"What's wrong sweetie?" Addison sat down on the floor with her back against the counter next to Betsy and put her hand on her shoulder. "The other kids…" she sniffled. "They call me 'hobo' because I wore the same clothes twice in a row because when I went to violets I didn't bring my bag with me and we were running late again.
"Well don't worry," Addison kissed her forehead, "While you're at school I'm going to get all your clothes cleaned, can you wear this for now?" She asked picking up a pink skirt and a white tank top with flowers. Betsy put it on and grabbed her backpack and they got in Addison's car. Addison walked Betsy in to her classroom and then headed back out the hallway towards her car. The school headmaster Mrs. Peaches called out

"Ma'am, excuse me, just a minute." Addison turned back and walked down the hallway, "Would you mind stepping into my office?" She asked and unlocked her door." Mrs. Peaches looked old, had dusty brown hair that was turning grey and was wearing a long black pencil skirt and a matching blazer. She also had small golden-rimmed glasses and a very wrinkly face. "Jeanette Peaches, the headmaster of Santa Monica Elementary school," She said and stuck out her hand.
"Dr. Addison Forbes-Montgomery." Addison shook her hand back.
"And now, you, are you her new legal guardian or are you mom, we aren't quite clear of the situation here." "No, Betsy's mom died months ago, her father died last week-" "So you're the new legal guardian?" She asked. Mrs. Peaches had a very judgmental tone. She seemed to be the type that was easily irritated by any non-traditional family structure.
"If I could finish," Addison began to raise her voice slightly. "Us, well the doctors of Oceanside wellness worked with her dad for a long time and we've all been taking her home for a night or two." Addison felt nervous as if she were in trouble or doing something wrong and was being yelled at by the principal. Mrs. Peaches stared down at her through her glasses.
"Like the class hamster, or in this case the work hamster? Taking the pet for one or two nights a week so you can play with it and then pass it off and continue to live irresponsibly, Ma'am I don't know what kind of medical practice you guys are running down there but I find this highly inappro-"
"What's best for Betsy right now is that she be with people that love her, all the people that love her also have other lives and in order to make that easier on her and everyone else we developed this system until we can come up with a final solution." Addison said firmly.
"If you say so," Mrs. Peaches said slowly. "Then these conditions must be kept or I WILL be calling child protective services," She said darkly. "Betsy will come on time to school every day, our late bell rings at 7:45. At the start of each day she will always know who is picking her up, and she will be picked up on time at 2:30 unless planned ahead of time. She will come and stay all day every day and have all of her belongings with her and her homework done and be wearing fresh clothes every day, does this sound fine?"
"As a doctor I find it unnecessary to call CPS on a child that is alive, fed, sheltered and loved," Addison responded nervously.
"That's all fine and dandy in your office but in my school as an educator I find it necessary if a child is late, repeatedly, signed out in the middle of the day to go to lunch and god knows where and shuffled around house to house every day." She then smiled. "Good day, we'll see you, or who ever is in charge later at 2:30."

"She's going to call CPS Sam, CPS, she threatened with CPS," Addison said as she poured herself some coffee from the practice's kitchen.
"Meeting." Sam said. Everyone gathered around and Addison reviewed everything Mrs. Peaches said this morning.
"That ain't fair," Charlotte said, "The poor girl is grievin' over the loss of her big daddy and all those people are worried about is an education."
"I know," Addison said. "So, who's taking her today?" She asked.
"We are." Cooper said. Charlotte looked at him nervously and held his hand. "We are, and you're going to help me, she already likes you, everything is going to be fine," He said to Charlotte. He knew she wasn't too comfortable with children, but he knew he was doing the right thing and the girls would be getting along.
"Here is her backpack, make sure she has it at school tomorrow & this is her trust fund card, can you get her some clothes so that I can wash the rest of her laundry?" Addison asked.
"Yeah we got this," Cooper took her things. Everyone headed off to their consults.

"Ready to go?" Cooper asked Betsy, he put her arm around her and walked her down the steps of the school. "How was your day?" He asked. They got in the car.
"Some one heard the principal call me 'class hamster' so they all started calling me that today." She worked hard not to cry.
"You know what? You have it better than everyone else because you have at least 8 'parents' that love you, and they are all doctors." They walked into the practice and Cooper's pager started going off. "I have a patient at the hospital I need to take care of, why don't you go hang out with Charlotte and she'll take you back to our house and we'll have dinner together." Betsy walked in to Charlotte's office.
"Hi Charlotte," she said.
"Hey sweetie, what's up with you?" Charlotte asked.
"I wish I were pretty like you Charlotte, then maybe people wouldn't be so mean." Betsy said.
"Ya know sweetie, people are always gonna be mean to you, but ya know what the best thing you can do is?" Charlotte smiled. "Ignore them and have a good day, hey I know, how about the two of us go to the mall together and get you a new outfit." Betsy smiled. It seemed strange that Charlotte would start bonding with the child, but she felt her pain. She had lost her 'big daddy' not too long ago and at she was constantly facing the struggle of people being rude to her and she really didn't want Betsy to feel like her at such a young age.

"How was your afternoon girls?" Cooper asked coming in with some hamburgers.
"Charlotte is fun!" Betsy said, she bought me a new outfit, Cooper looked over at it on the table, a white mini skirt, a black strappy tank top and some mini white wedges, looked just like a mini Charlotte, Cooper thought. "Now she's painting my nails red and in the morning she said she's going to help me brush my hair and teach me about lipstick."
"How cool!" Cooper said smiling. "Make sure you get that homework done."
"Charlotte already did. And she helped me with the math, She is really good at the whole adding thing."
"That's what made fall in love with her," Cooper leaned on her back and kissed the side of her head. "Her good adding and subtracting skills," He rubbed her back, "And her multiplication" he gave her the look.
"You two are gross," Betsy stuck her tongue out. In the morning Betsy got up with Charlotte and dressed her in the new outfit they had bought yesterday.

"Now sweetie," Charlotte said. "If anyone is picking on you today you do not have to stay, you call me right up and I'll get those kids in so much trouble they'll be speakin' to that principal." Betsy smiled and walked into class.
"Mrs. Peachey" Charlotte said as she walked quickly back down the hall.
"It's Peaches," She said snootily, but Charlotte continued walking.