Just another chapter. Happy 4th of July America
Posted: 4/7/12
Arriving Home
"I hope you like it" Quinn said as she opened the front door with her free hand. The other was carrying Beth's suite case, the little girl herself stood next to the woman still clutching Minty.
Beth's brow eyes took in the beige walls and wooden flooring, not sure what to expect, it was simple, cosy... simple
"Come on I'll show you to your room" Quinn said again into the silence. She walked past Beth and started to walk up the stairs when she paused and looked back at Beth concerned "You coming?" she asked.
The little girl nodded quickly and started to follow the blonde woman with the short hair up the stairs. As they reached the landing Quinn stopped outside a room she gently put the case down and opened the door before stepping out of the way for Beth to see inside.
The little girl looked round the room at the soft purple walls (she'd told Quinn it was her favourite colour), the light wooden flooring and the dark purple circle rug in the middle of the room. The Bed in the corner with, yet again, purple sheets, there was a chest of draws for her clothes, a bed side table with a Winnie the Pooh lamp sat on top of it. And in the corner along the same wall as the door was a Victorian style rocking horse.
Beth walked straight up to it, in a daze. She reached out to touch the cream carved horse but hesitated and looked back at Quinn
"You don't need to ask" she smiled, knowing what the silent question was "Everything in here is yours"
The little girls face lightened up as she reached out and touched the smooth painted object "Where did you get it?"
"I made it" Quinn admitted. She had needed to find a hobby in her empty years and taken some classes, that damn horse that she had finished the previous weekend ready for Beth when she moved in, had actually taken 3 years from start to finish. And that didn't include all the failed attempts before, but she had been determined to accomplish the task. And now she had.
The Cream horse with the carved brown mane, the leather reigns and saddle that she had added was now being admired by the new resident of the house
"You're really clever" the little girl said in awe
"Do you like it, your room?" she asked specifically
Beth turned away from the horse and looked at her room again "I love it" she grinned, while squeezing Minty tightly
"We can go shopping tomorrow, get you some more clothes and some toys" she said, knowing the few pieces that she had left in the room were outdated and maybe too young for Beth
"I like these" she said politely as if to tell Quinn she didn't need to buy her anything "What's he called?" she said as she went to the bed and patted the big yellow duck that lay belly down on her bed
"You can call him whatever you want, he's yours" Quinn smiled fondly. The duck had sat in the room for so long, getting dusty. Quinn had put him in the washing machine and been surprised when he came out as bright as he did.
"I'll call him chuck" she said happily "Chuck, this is Minty, you're gonna be best friends" she put Minty down next to the duck and Quinn felt joy and accomplishment. Beth had placed her prized possession in the room then that must have meant she felt comfortable. "Thank you" Beth said breaking Quinn from her thought processing
"That's okay, I'm glad you like it. Do you also like pizza?"
"I love pizza" she smiled eagerly
"Good, I'll order us a Pizza. What would you like on the pizza"
"Can we have bacon?" she may have asked too quickly "It's my favourite" she added shyly while looking at her feet
"That's my favourite too" Quinn said back as enthusiastically making Beth beam at her
...
The new family sat on the floor leaning against the sofa, while eating their pizza (and cheesy bread) and watching cartoons, instead of any usual Friday night TV. Quinn had given control of the remote to Beth, wanting the little girl to be comfortable and happy
"Do you know what?" the little girl asked
"What?" Quinn asked in the same light relaxed tone while looking at Beth next to her
"They should put bacon on cheesy bread" she said, very sure that it was a good idea
Quinn chuckled, if she hadn't known it from the time she'd spent with Beth over the past few weeks already, she sure knew it now: They were going to get along very well
...
Quinn helped Beth get ready for bed and tucked her in that night. Once the little girl was settled in her SpongeBob pyjamas (another thing that was her favourite) Quinn told her a story from the little girl's big book of stories that she'd bought with her. Beth had only officially been part of her family for a few hours and everything was feeling so natural and perfect.
Much later that night after Quinn herself had gone to bed she was woken by the presence of someone standing by her bed. She woke slowly, lifting her head off the pillow until she saw the outline of the figure next to the bed. She was startled to say the least "Beth?" her voice was groggy "what's wrong?" she asked softly as she sat up, placing her feet on the floor and sweeping her own messy short hair back. She was wearing her usual pyjama pants and tank top to bed.
"Had a bad dream" Beth said clutching both Minty and Chuck in front of her
"Come on" Quinn shuffled back into the bed so she was on the far side, leaving the other open for Beth, Minty and Chuck
Beth didn't hesitate to scramble onto the bed. She was quickly under the covers and her stuffed friends were with her "Thank you Miss Quinn"
Quinn chuckled next to the little girl "I told you, it's just Quinn. Otherwise I'll have to call you Miss Beth"
Beth turned over so she was facing the woman "I'm not a grown up, silly" she said with a giggle
It was the last sound Quinn heard from Beth before soft snoring that night. Quinn was happy again, she'd accomplished something, she'd opened her heart and it felt amazing.
...
The next day
Quinn placed a bowl of froot-loops in front of Beth, and a glass of Orange juice. She knew the girls likes and dislikes so knew she'd be okay with this breakfast but she would need to sharpen up on her cooking skills soon, they couldn't live on junk food, take out and cereal "So" Quinn started as she sat down at the breakfast table grabbing another bowl for herself and pouring fruit loops into it from the box "I was wondering. You're going to have to start pre-school soon. I have signed you up to a local school, its really nice I checked" she reassured Beth as she poured milk onto her cereal "How would you feel about starting on Monday, it's just I've got work on Monday so if you don't want to go I'll have to get a nanny" she explained gently, not wanting to upset Beth
"I'd like to go... I could get some new friends" she would rather hang around with a bunch of people her age, than have to get used to another adult. Quinn was great and loads of fun but there was no guarantee another adult would be fun. At least at school there were kids to meet.
"Really?" Quinn asked surprised
"Yeah" she said with a smile as she shoved another spoonful of cereal in her mouth, dribbling milk down her chin
"Well, we'll go shopping later, get you some new stuff to wear to school if you want" she offered
"Okay... Can minty go to school with me?"
Quinn thought, she thought about how mean kids could be, she didn't want Beth upset because of some kid damaging or taking Minty "I don't know if he's allowed... maybe he should stay here keep chuck company then when you get home you can tell him all about your day" she suggested
"Okay" Quinn was relieved that Beth seemed happy with the compromise "Can I have some more cereal please?" she asked
"Sure" Quinn nudged the box toward Beth as she took her first spoonful herself. After two chews she made a sour face, in dislike at the flavour. She swallowed and put her spoon on the table before sliding the bowl to a giggling Beth "You can have mine"
...
A few blocks away
"Oh come on you two, get out of the car" A short brunette woman whined. She stood leaning against the open back passenger door of her silver Lexus
"No" a little boy and girl, both with brown hair and brown eyes as well as other similarities to their mother, sat in their booster car seats in the back of the car with their arms folded across their chests
"Lisa, Matt you can sit in the car as long as you want, it won't change anything" the mother was really hating how both her children had also adopted her stubbornness
"We don't want to live here" the girl, Lisa, said as she kept her eyes forward
Rachel sighed "Look, we needed to move here so I could take the new job, remember?"
"We wanna go home, back to Boston" Matt said in the same whiny tone his sister was using
"This is our home now" The mother explained "If we went back there would be a new family living in the old house"
"Well, tell them to go" Matt said again
"No, don't be silly" Rachel sighed "All our stuff is here" she'd paid movers and given them explicit instruction as to where she wanted everything. "You can't sit in the car all day" she huffed, crossing her arms just like her twin children were
"We can try" her daughter huffed back
"But if you stay in the car how will you ever get the presents I have waiting in your new rooms?" she said craftily
"Presents!" they perked up in unison.
They quickly undid their seat belts and slid out of the car, running to the open front door and into their new home. Rachel slammed the car door triumphant and locked the car before following her children, knowing the bribery gifts she'd bought them would probably only momentarily satisfy the pouts on their faces
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