Hope you're enjoying this! Here's part 19...
Part 19
Harriet left the kitchen and looked over in sympathy to the living room couch. Tyler and Tiegan were both curled up together under a duvet. Ever since the night before, they had been throwing up, non-stop and Harriet knew that far from being just a tummy bug, most of it was psychological. They had both been barely able to eat and had been shaking non-stop. Walking over, Harriet took a seat next to them, pulling them into a hug and stroking their hair, calmingly.
"You know, there's no need for you both to be so worried…I know that you're upset and scared, I know that you'll miss Nana and Grandpa Moon, but I'm sure that they'll both come to see you as often as they can. They both love you so much and nothing will ever change that…"
"What if the new foster parents aren't as nice as them, though?" Tyler frowned, "What if they're mean and they shout and hit me and Tiegan..."
Tiegan looked even more worried at this, so Harriet quickly cut Tyler off.
"I'm sure they won't be," she maintained, promising, "Mr. Roberts and I will ask to meet them, with Nana Moon and between the three of us, we'll make sure that they're the nicest people on earth."
"They won't be as nice as Nana and Grandpa Moon," Tiegan let out in a shuddering sob, "They're the nicest people in the whole universe."
Harriet could see that both children were close to losing it again, particularly Tiegan, so she spoke to reassure them.
"Then I'll make sure that they're the second nicest family in the whole universe. Maybe they'll have other children they've adopted and then you'll be in a big family again…or maybe it'll just be the four of you and they'll spoil you rotten!"
Tiegan and Tyler heard what Harriet had to say, but after a minute of serious thought, voiced the fear that had been worrying both children the most.
"But what if they don't want me?" Tyler asked, "What if they only want Tiegan? Some people only want girls or boys, but not both. What if me and Tiegan go to different families? I don't want them to split us up…"
This voiced fear really did upset Tiegan and her tummy rolled in revolt. Harriet only just managed to grab the bucket beside the couch (put there just in case of such an event, earlier,) in time for Tiegan to be sick. As soon as the little girl was done, she broke into violent floods of tears again. And Tyler, seeing his sister so upset, soon followed her. Harriet sighed and pulled one onto her lap and tucked the other under her arm as she set about soothing them. Tyler was the first to fall asleep, then Tiegan and short time later, their tiny bodies so utterly exhausted. Harriet felt close to tears herself, but had to pull herself together quickly, as the doorbell sounded. She propped Tyler up with a cushion as she left the couch to answer the door, Tiegan still in her arms.
OOOO
"Hi, Harriet," she discovered her friends at the door, with Mattie in tow, "Is everything alright?"
"Not really," she told them, not even trying to pretend otherwise.
She showed them into the living room, passing Tiegan carefully to Mac, then picked up the used bucket.
"I'll be back in just a minute. I have to take care of this," she explained to them, "With these two, I've been up to my knees in child-sick, today."
Harm, Mac and Mattie could tell that Harriet was frazzled, but it seemed as if there was more there, she seemed to be as upset for the children as she would be for any of her kids.
"Are they sick, Harriet?" Mac asked, taking in Tiegan and Tyler's tiny pale faces.
"I'm not sure what it is," Harriet told them, honestly, "Of course they're very upset and worried, but they've both been running temperatures, on and off, all day. I decided to keep them at home, just in case."
"It's a lot for a child to deal with," Harm nodded, from his place beside Tyler, who was now settled against him.
"It's just not fair," Harriet shook her head, angrily, "Not for them and not for Wendy and Alfie. How could you possibly choose between your kids? No parent should have to make that decision."
Harm, Mac and Mattie all shook their head in agreement.
"That's actually what we were coming here to talk to you about," Harm broached the subject, "We were going to ask if Wendy has sorted something out about a new foster home."
"There's nothing available for two," Harriet regretfully shook her head, "She's going to hold out for somewhere with two places, but it doesn't looking like a very promising prospect."
"Is there any reason why Wendy chose fostering?" Mac asked, curiously, "Why she didn't adopt them?"
"She's not told me that much about it," Harriet shook her head again, "But she's always considered them like children of her own, but by fostering, she's able to help more children in the long-term. But many children do stay in the fostering system long-term, like Tiegan and Tyler have."
"So it was the Moon's decision to foster, not the children's biological parents?"
Harriet now looked interested.
"No, Wendy told me that both Tiegan and Tyler's biological parents signed away any legal rights to them. I don't know what the circumstances were, but…why do you ask?"
Harm looked cautiously at both children, then asked, "Harriet, could we possibly have a word with you, in the kitchen…we should probably get a few things sorted before we…broadcast anything."
Harriet nodded and Mattie stayed to keep an eye on the children, while the adults went to conference in the kitchen.
OOOO
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