Thanks for all of the really great feedback!
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Part 27
Next, they moved upstairs, where they took the children to their rooms, both at one end of the hall. Tyler's was on the very end and was across the hall from Harm and Mac's master bedroom. Tiegan's was next to Tyler's and Mattie's was on the other side. Across from Mattie and Tiegan's room was the guest suite, where Harm's parents had stayed when they had visited, the previous Christmas. There was another small en-suite room downstairs, which came in handy, because they found that friends and family tended to all come to visit around the same time. Harm's brother Sergei had come a couple of times, as had Chloé, Mac's little sister, who was now actually close to the Mattie's age.
"You guys are welcome to come into my room at any time," Mattie told the children, "But just make sure you knock first. I don't ever lock the door, because it's too tiring to keep getting up and down all of the time. You'll always be welcome, okay?"
While Mac had shown them the rooms upstairs, Harm had braved the rain again to retrieve Tyler and Tiegan's suitcases. Each case was brought upstairs and settled on the child's bed.
"Would you both like to unpack now, or later, once you've had a chance to look around?" Wendy asked.
Both children said that they'd rather leave it. In truth, they were both pretty eager to explore and look around and they doubted that they'd be able to sleep much that night. They could unpack their belongings later, once night had fallen. It was just a shame that the weather outside was so bad, because they not only wanted to look around the garden, but also explore the neighborhood. Growing up in foster care, they were both pretty used to going out and seeking out friendships with the neighbor's kids. Most of their foster brothers and sisters were quite a bit younger than them and the two that had disabilities weren't able to play much with them. Their childhood in care had prepared them pretty well for inventing amusement and finding their own fun.
"I can help you both with your unpacking," Mac told them both, "That way, we'll take almost no time at all. In the meantime, we could do whatever you'd like to do; watch a movie, play on the computer or the Play Station. We've got some nice storybooks that we could read together or some drawing books…"
"It seems like you two are never going to be bored," Wendy smiled at the children, "Even if this rain doesn't let up."
"We don't really play computer games very well," Tyler confessed, "We don't have stuff like that…But maybe we could get better?"
"Yeah," Harm ran a hand over the boy's hair, "That would provide some amusement for a while, at least. Then once the rain lets up, we could all go on a walk to the park, or maybe go in the car to the petting zoo at Chesterton."
Tiegan's face lit up and Mac smiled as she noted that the little girl was probably an animal lover. No doubt that she'd be asking about a pet of some kind, soon! They would have to start out simple, because both adults both worked, but something low-maintenance would help both children to learn about responsibility, while giving them something they could bond with.
"There's a safari park near there, too," Mac noted, "A trip to there could fill a day."
"How many days do you work, Mrs. Rabb?" Wendy asked, curiously.
"Well, it used to be four days a week," Mac told her, "But my boss allowed me to cut it by a day, so now I can split my days, so I only work in the morning and early afternoon, then be home by two o'clock. That's how we all used to manage, for all but one day during the working week, when Mattie first started her rehabilitation. Harm would drop her off in the morning and I'd pick her up in the afternoon. It seems to work fine, although I sometimes do have to work a couple of hours from home on the weekend."
"That seems fine," Wendy nodded, "Tiegan and Tyler's school run after-school programs, so it would be possible for you to pick them up around 2.30."
"After-school activities are wicked," Tyler told them, enthusiastically, "You can play all sorts of fun sports."
"And do arts-and-crafts," Tiegan added, "The school even has a vegetable garden, that everybody helps out with."
"That does sounds fun," Mac noted.
"And on Wednesdays, when Tiegan has ballet after school," Wendy noted, but not for the first time, "one of the other mothers in Tiegan's class says she'd be happy to run her there and home again. If you find that it's a problem, classes also run on Saturday mornings."
"Harriet Roberts has also volunteered to help out," Harm told Wendy, "if the children don't want to stay after, some days. And what neither Mac nor Harriet can manage, I'll take care of. One of the perks of a command position is the flexibility of the working hours."
"It sounds like everything is all taken care of, then," Wendy smiled, "I can see that you have put a lot of thought and preparation into this."
"Of course," Harm nodded, joking, "We want the kids to like it here. Do you think you two will?"
Both children nodded eagerly, grinning from ear to ear. They both threw themselves at Harms legs, which they hugged, fiercely.
Harm chuckled as he eyed the kids attached to his legs, regarding them with both amusement and fatherly affection. Mac knew exactly how he felt, she could barely get her head round the fact that these wonderful kids were going to be staying with them, at the end of today.
"Let's go back downstairs and see what we can find to read," Mac suggested, "We've got a big bookshelf in the living room."
Later on, Wendy left and both children didn't seem to mind her going at all. If anything, they seemed eager to start carving out their place within this family.
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