Chapter Fourteen: Sneaks and situations
Setting: Two years after chapter one of Autism.
Siblings: Sofia, Amber, and James.
"That's odd," Sofia muttered, putting a hand on her chin as Gabby tugged at her dress.
"What's odd?" James smirked with a smile. "Gabby tugging or Amber trying to teach Elena how to say tea."
"No. Not that. I've never heard Nell or Bobby Lee argue like they are before. I'm surprised that the whole kingdom isn't hearing it," Sofia muttered as James followed suit with putting a hand on his chin.
It had started with a simple "Excuse us" from the dinner table that morning, reminding the siblings that everyone, including themselves, needed a private talk every now and again.
The siblings did however hear bits and pieces of dialogue from Nell and Bobby Lee before pushing it off, watching Elena and Gabby while Florence helped Sabrina with a dress and Bianca helping Madeline with her needs.
"Come on! You know party now say tea!" Amber encouraged with a smile, having Elena look up at her with confusion.
"Party! Party!" Elena chanted, dancing around the room.
"Yes, Elena, it's a tea party!" Amber smiled. "Say tea party!"
"Dee party!" Elena cheered, clapping her hands.
"Close, Elena," Amber smiled.
Meanwhile, Nell and Bobby Lee were having a strongly worded conversation in their room.
"You want to shelter her?" Bobby Lee asked with crossed arms. "You'll just delay her progress! Her development while she's in toddlerhood depends on the both of us!"
"I just want her safe! This world of hers is as new to me as it is to everyone else!" Nell stressed, her eyes narrowed. "She needs a routine each day! I can't change the routine or else she'll have a fit!"
"Mother and Bianca and Queen Miranda gave you parenting books for a reason Helen and you're just not making any sense on how to raise Elena!" Bobby Lee growled, taking deep breaths to control himself.
"There's nothing in any of the books about autism!" Nell sighed. "How can we adjust the rules to fit what Elena needs to know?"
"So we find new books that deal with autism," Bobby Lee tried to keep his voice even.
The last thing they needed was to be scolded by their loved ones by arguing. Yet it was a serious issue that they themselves were trying to handle alone.
Sure they had some help and Elena was doing her best with walking, rarely crawling like she used to but it still terrified Nell and Bobby Lee while thinking of Elena's best interest.
"New books! Is that all you seem to care about?!" Nell asked with a hiss. "Next thing that'll happen is you protecting her from any and all danger!"
"I know, but there are a lot of people out there that will say things," Bobby Lee admitted. "They'll make Elena's life miserable, they'll call her names, and criticize us for how we're raising her."
"But you know, Robert, if they want to make fun of Elena, they'll have to go through us first!" Nell said firmly, with the challenging glare she always got when someone was giving her and her family a hard time.
Bobby Lee managed to smile. There was the spark he had always admired in Helen!
That didn't mean that he was still upset with her, hearing a polite knock fill the room. Getting it, he tried to apologize as he saw Sofia, Amber, and James standing in the doorway.
"You two have been arguing with each other since you've excused yourselves from breakfast this morning," Sofia reminded as Elena walked on wobbly legs to Nell.
"Mama!" Elena giggled, hugging her legs.
"Is there anything we can do for you?" Amber offered.
"I'm sorry, you three," Nell sighed, but she smiled as she picked up Elena. "I didn't mean to make you upset about our problems too."
"We're not upset; this autism thing is new to us as well," Sofia assured them.
"Teaching Elena to talk and walk has been challenging," Amber admitted as Gabby looked at her.
"Amber pretty!" Gabby giggled, trying to grab Amber's tiara. "Share tiara?"
"Unlike her sister who's a little chatterbox!" James chuckled with a smile. "Not to mention she can beat us all in a race if she could!"
"Chase James!" Gabby giggled, running after him.
James couldn't help but laugh. "And with that, I'm out of here!"
Nell and Bobby Lee couldn't help but laugh as they watched Gabby chase James. They could always count on James to cheer them up.
"But seriously, what are we going to do?" Nell asked. "Bianca told me that some of her friends are so gossipy! They'll say the first thing that comes to their minds, and that scares me to death!"
"What is it Miranda always says? If someone doesn't like something, that's their problem?" Bobby Lee asked.
"That's exactly what Mom says!" Sofia chuckled with a smile "She told me that when I first came to live at the castle."
"And me when I found out I was going to be a mommy," Nell remembered with a sigh. "I was so upset when I found out just a week after being rescued."
"Believe us, Helen, it was a surprise for all of us," Bobby Lee admitted, "But you got through the pregnancy without any problems, and you delivered two beautiful little girls that I'm proud to call my daughters."
"And I love them no matter what anyone says," Nell agreed.
"Then that's what you can tell people who say things," Bobby Lee smiled, watching as the girls all ganged up on James.
"Dogpile?" Sofia joked with a smile.
"No Sofia. It's not just one girl that's ganged up on him!" Amber chuckled as Elena and Gabby hugged James' legs.
"This didn't go the way I planned!" James laughed under the girls, "Help!"
"Sure, if you help give us some ideas on how we can raise Elena," Bobby Lee said as he mussed James' hair.
Nell smiled. She needed a little silly break, but what she was thinking of was no laughing matter.
Still silly breaks always kept her mind at ease, matter what the trouble.
"May you please help us?" Nell asked with a laugh. "I would join them but I'm too big!"
"First we look up some information," Bobby Lee smiled. "We should learn what kind of things Elena needs to learn for her development."
"Like toys?" Sofia asked.
"Toys are a good start," Nell smiled.
"Picture books too," Amber suggested.
"That's a brilliant idea," James agreed as the girls let him up. "I remember Amber always said I made up stories with the pictures in our books when we were little."
"Kitty!" Elena yelled, running over to Clover and hugging him.
"Elena no kitty!" Gabby yelled, trying to put Clover down.
"I come in to check on you, Sof, and I end up being mauled by a toddler," Clover grumbled.
"Go to my room, Clover, I'll be with you as soon as I can," Sofia whispered.
Clover was only too happy to wriggle out of Elena's arms and escape to the safety of Sofia's room.
"Kitty!" Elena called, "Kitty!"
"You can see Sofia's bunny in a little while, Elena; we need to get some things for you first," Nell said as she picked her up.
"She looks ready to start crying," Amber muttered, seeing Elena's lip quiver.
"Oh where oh where has my little kitty gone? Oh where oh where can he be?" James sung, hoping it would calm her down.
"Kitty song?" Elena smiled a little through her tears.
"And just like that..." James waved his hands, and produced Kitty from behind his back. "Kitty's here!"
"Kitty!" Elena squealed, taking her in her arms.
"Good move, James," Nell smiled.
"You calmed her down!" Sofia laughed with a smile.
"All in a day's work!" James chuckled as Bobby Lee messed up his hair.
"How's that phrase go again, music makes everything better?" Nell smiled. "But how will music fix the problems we're going to face?"
"How does your phrase go again, we'll take this one day at a time?" Amber countered with a smile.
"You know what? You're right!" Nell smiled. "But what sort of things can we do for Elena right now? And I don't know if Gabby knows about her having autism. We'll have to teach her about this too."
"Maybe she already knows?" Bobby Lee joked with a smile. "I always give Helen an extra hour of sleep and wake up the girls myself. The first thing I hear is them babbling away in twin speak before they start standing up."
"And call you Da da?" Nell guessed with a laugh.
"The first time she called me that, I broke down right there!" Bobby Lee pretended to wipe away a tear. "It was so cute, Gabby took my hand and said 'Don't cry Dada.' then she kissed me when you came in!"
"I remember that," Nell smiled.
"And Elena said 'da-da-da-da'. That was just as cute!" Bobby Lee smiled.
"At least they got to know you that way," Nell agreed.
"I think that's her favorite word besides Mommy and Kitty!" Sofia chuckled with a smile.
"Da da!" Elena giggled, jumping up and down.
"Hey! I thought you were a mommy's girl!" Nell playfully pouted with a smile.
"Love mama?" Elena smiled.
"That's what I thought!" Nell grinned.
"Let's see if the library has any books for Elena," Sofia suggested with a smile. "But with lots of pictures."
Gabby giggled in agreement, jumping up and down excitedly.
"These are all wonderful ideas," Nell smiled. "I'm so glad you three stuck your noses in our business!"
"It's what we do," James smiled.
Nell and Bobby Lee mussed his hair as they led the way to the library to find the books.
"Oh! Books on princess manners!" Amber laughed with a smile.
"Amber! We're looking for books for Elena, not you!" James groaned in annoyance.
"Elena can learn princess manners too," Amber smiled.
"First things first, Amber, let's learn about autism, then maybe Elena can learn princess things," Bobby Lee smiled.
Amber agreed though she grumbled about the decision as Sofia found a self labeled Disabilities.
Maybe it included a book on autism for Elena to look at the pictures and for her mother to understand.
"How about this one?" Sofia suggested, looking up from the book she was reading, "It says here that animals can also be used as a part of autism treatment."
"Well, we were certainly right about using Clover," Bobby Lee joked.
"That's not a bad idea, but I think maybe we should use James's dog instead of Sofia's bunny," Nell suggested, looking at the book Sofia found. "Dogs and horses are more commonly used in therapies like this."
"Why not?" James agreed. "I'll stay with Jagger while Elena works with him, just like I promised I would when I first got him."
"And he is being trained as a therapy dog," Bobby Lee agreed.
"Doggie bad!" Gabby cried.
"No, honey, James' doggie is good," Nell assured her. "He's trained Jagger so well, and you were actually petting him after your adventure on that horse."
Gabby smiled a little, remembering how quiet and still Jagger was while she had cried in his fur. He had licked her and James to calm them down. "Jaggy's a good doggie?" she asked.
"Yes, he's a very good doggie," Nell smiled. "And now he can be trained as Elena's therapy doggie."
"That's a good idea," James agreed.
"Doggie?" Elena asked in confusion. "Doggie help?"
"Yes sweetheart. He's going to help," Bobby Lee assured her with a smile, taking her in his arms.
"I like doggie!" Elena smiled.
"And doggie likes you," James smiled. He messed with her hair. "And we love you too."
"Games! Games!" Elena giggled much to his disappointment.
"Sure, we can play games with Jagger," James smiled.
"What kind of games?" Nell asked.
"Dress up!" Elena giggled.
"Sure, Jagger is quite fashionable!" James grinned, Amber nodding in agreement.
"What else does the book say?" Sofia wondered before Bobby Lee stopped at a page.
"Children with autism have sensory issues," Bobby Lee read aloud. "That would explain Elena crying or covering her ears."
"Maybe you could try giving her earplugs for something really loud," James suggested from where he was looking at the book. "Or sunglasses for when it's too bright for her."
"Please?" Elena and Gabby asked together.
"Gabby! These aren't for you!" Nell chuckled, picking her up.
"I know but I help Elena," Gabby said, kissing Elena's cheek.
"You know, you're right; you do help," Nell smiled. "You ask Elena how she's feeling every day, and she shows you on her feelings puzzle. That's a big way that you help her. You and James always sing to her, and you're both right; music is a way she expresses herself."
"I do good?" Gabby asked.
"Yes you do!" Nell smiled.
"Kitty song!" Elena cheered, clapping her hands.
"You know if it wasn't for us you two would still be arguing," James muttered, taking Elena by the hand.
"I guess we were pretty silly weren't we?" Nell admitted with a laugh.
"Like we said, sticking our noses where they don't belong and helping others is what we do best!" Sofia smiled.
"You're right Sofia!" Bobby Lee chuckled as Gabby tugged on his pants.
"Daddy, Elena sad," Gabby muttered with a frown.
"I've got this," James said as he took Elena on his lap. He started rocking her as he sang softly, "Pussycat, pussycat, I love you...yes I do...you and your pussycat nose!"
"Kitty!" Elena smiled.
"Thanks, James!" Nell smiled, recognizing Elena's favorite kitty song.
"Music does make her better!" Amber chuckled with a smile.
"I thought of something else," Sofia added, "I remember how Amber likes decorating her room. It says here that pale and neutral colors help keep autistic children calm."
"Bright colors won't work for Elena," Amber agreed, looking at the book. "I can redecorate her room with more muted shades of her favorite colors, since brighter ones might be bad for her."
"And maybe a beanbag chair or soft blanket in a corner," James added, "She can also cuddle up with that big stuffed unicorn I won for her, or the big stuffed bear you bought her."
"Now that you mention that, James, Elena does like cuddling with that bear," Nell smiled.
"And how she tries to bite it in her sleep?" Bobby Lee asked with a chuckle.
"She bites Teddy in her sleep?" Nell asked in surprise.
"I saw her biting Teddy once when she was having a nightmare," Bobby Lee explained, "I rocked her for a while and she calmed right down as I was humming to her."
"That's good," Nell smiled.
"And it was so cute when I told her that she was biting Teddy," Bobby Lee continued, "She went right up to Teddy, and started kissing where she'd bitten him, like she was making him feel better."
Nell smiled. She remembered seeing Elena kiss Teddy and cuddle up with the toy.
People, animals, and toys. Anything she could be gentle with, it was one of the things Nell loved about her little girl.
"I think we've got a good start on things to help Elena," she smiled. "We can start setting her room, and the playroom, up like you suggest, with soft colors, lights, bean bag chairs, and toys. Lots of blankets on the bed and on the playroom floor so she can cuddle up in them."
"Teddy?" Elena asked.
"Yes, sweetheart, we'll get soft toys and teddy bears for you, and Gabby, to play with," Nell agreed. "Amber will be in charge of decorating your rooms, but you can give her ideas on what you want."
"Okay!" Elena agreed before she frowned at the book they were reading. "No pictures?"
"Here's another book, and it's got pictures you might like," Sofia smiled, handing her a book of animals.
"Kitty!" Elena smiled, pointing at a picture of a kitten. "Puppy!" she pointed at a picture of a dog. She looked up at James. "You puppy?"
James looked at the picture. "No, mine's red and white; that one's just red, but that looks really similar to Jagger."
"You puppy friend?" Elena asked.
"Yes, Jagger's my puppy friend, and now he'll be your puppy friend," James smiled as Elena hugged him.