Chapter Twelve

They had reached the half-way mark. Autumn had been with the family for a full three months. Nina knew about the girl's trip to the ER as a precaution when she refused to eat. She smiled when she bought it up to the men. She told them they handled it well.

"Neither of you panicked. You didn't back down from her. Some people do when they're parenting a toddler for the first time."

Drew wished he could read what went through his toddler's head sometimes. It was likely going to result in another melt-down, either right here in the supermarket or when they got home but Drew thought it was worth a try to bring Autumn with him while he shopped for groceries. Perhaps it might get her more interested in food than she had been in the past week. For a Texas child, Drew was flabbergasted to hear Autumn had likely eaten grits before. They were going to try shrimp (the pre-cooked and frozen ones) and grits with her for dinner. Rick and Brianna wanted hot sauce to top their shrimp. Autumn looked at the can of grits seemingly with interest before her attention went elsewhere; a boy on the floor throwing an epic full-on, ear splitting tantrum over something, Drew couldn't hear what, that the boy's mom wouldn't buy him. Autumn looked him with a questioning expression, her hands covering her ears.

Drew chuckled. Don't you try to tell you don't know how to do that. He thought.

Autumn was more of a protestor than a tantrum-thrower. Once or twice since her first food protest Autumn had thrown herself to the floor when she didn't get her way. Drew or Rick immediately stood her back up, looked her in the face and told her "no. You don't do that." This snapped the girl out of her mood. The tone said her dads meant business even though she was so young. Nina said she said that one of Autumn's former foster parents were older and had adult children who admitted they would "swat" the girl on the behind or "pop her in the mouth" if the girl then only more than any infant would try to bite them or she grabbed something, even an object like a toy from them. Autumn was removed from the placement upon this statement being reported. Rick thought that it was possible that now when he or Drew picked her from the floor and said "stop" she thought they might strike her in the face.

They didn't. They weren't those kind of parents, plus foster carers weren't permitted to use corporal punishment. That was the first thing they learned in the classes they had to take to foster Brianna. Even if they had been, Autumn was too young to learn from it. Getting her to snap out of any angry or defiant moment was the goal right now. Once the moment was over, the day went on.

"You guys can make grits?" Brianna asked.

Drew laughed at his daughter. "They're instant. I'm sure I can manage."

"Yeah but that doesn't mean anything. Not everything you guys make is…appetizing the first time."

"Oh really?" Rick asked with raised eyebrows.

"Yes. Shall I bring up kung pao chicken disaster from two weeks ago again?"

"I stand behind that the recipe wasn't posted on the website correctly."

"You would. But I gotta try those before my sister does. Grits are awesome and they can't be ruined for her."


Shrimp and grits minus hot sauce were a hit with Autumn. But they were sticking with the instant ones, unless Syd or Rick's mother Olivia made them. Bedtime looked like it was going to be another fight. Autumn didn't want to put on the pajamas Rick took from the drawer. A second pair had fell from the drawer that was left open. She squirmed from Rick's grasp and shook her head. Instead of scolding her, seeing a pair of mismatched pajamas on the floor he asked her "do you want the other pajamas?"

Autumn nodded.

Note to self, let the little one pick her own pajamas, Rick thought.

Two-year-olds were in the process of becoming their own person, more so even for Autumn who had essentially lived her life in hospitals. When she wasn't, "home" constantly changed. Her new parents tried to keep this in mind when Autumn acted out. As for tonight, Rick realized something too simple; parents didn't have to control everything. On the list of things Autumn could control were what pajamas she wore. Even if it was mismatched set.