Chapter Five
Steve, Danny and Chin sat out on the lanai drinking beers as they waited for Kono to arrive so they could finally meet there new niece.
"Have you spoken to Kono since she and Adam adopted Tilly?" Danny asked Chin
"Yes she rung me a few time but I think she's spent the past few weeks trying to settle Tilly in. From what I understand Tilly's had a bit of trouble settling." Chin explained.
"Must be tough on her" Steve interjected.
"Yeah, I think Kono's been worrying a lot, blaming herself for various things." Chin added.
Before the guys could discuss further they heard giggles coming from the side gate.
"Hey guys!" Kono greeted as she happily walked to join the guys as Tilly gripped Kono's hand and padded along behind.
"Hey cuz!" Chin said as he stood and hugged his baby cousin.
Tilly coward behind Kono, her face expressing fear as she looked between the new faces.
"Come here sweetie" Kono said as she scooped Tilly up into her arms. "You want to meet some knew people?" Kono asked.
Tilly paused before nodding but still buried her face in the crook of Kono's neck. Kono introduced everyone to Tilly who slowly became more comfortable but remained close to Kono. The team began talking as Grace appeared from inside.
"Hey sweetie where were you hiding?" Kono asked as Grace perched on Kono's knee that wasn't being occupied by Tilly.
"I had homework to do." Grace said with a quitter voice than usual.
"Only because someone left it till the last minute." Danny said scornfully.
Steve just rolled his eyes at Danny. "Danno move on." Steve said, receiving a chuckle from Grace.
"Steven, homework is there for a reason, and kids should do it when there given it so they don't fall behind!" Danny rambled.
"Oh come on Danny she's done it now." Kono joined in.
"Hey don't you can't comment you left your homework to the last minute every week and you always lied to me and your mum about doing it then wanted our help when you were stuck." Chin said to Kono . "Grace do not follow in your auntie Kono's footsteps, she was always kept behind at school to complete her overdue homework." Chin said wisely.
Kono whispered something in Grace's ear that got a giggle and annoyed the others.
"Tilly you going to say hello to Grace, she's your cousin just like Chin is mine." Kono said
Tilly went all shy and curled into Kono before waving at Grace.
"Tilly you want to play in the sand with me?" Grace asked
Tilly's face lit up and she looked up to Kono for permission.
"Go on sweetie, stay with Grace and don't go to close to the sea." Kono said as Grace took Tilly's hand and they ran off to the beach at the end of the garden.
"So how's motherhood treating you?" Danny asked Kono.
"Erm yeah it's great, I love Tilly to pieces." Kono said.
"Something bothering you?" Chin asked, having noticed his cousin hesitation.
Kono sighed and look on towards Tilly and Grace. "Most of the time she sees happy, but she still gets upset at random times, or gets nightmares and she still wets herself during the day and at night." Kono said as she looked to her team for advice.
"Kono, that's all part of getting used to a new environment. She's been through so much at such a young age it's understandable that she finds things tough." Danny said reassuringly.
"Why does she keep having accidents though? The social worker said she was fine when she first arrived at the home then suddenly she began wetting the bed." Kono said.
"She's young it happens. I remember Grace still having the odd accident either from a nightmare or if she was too busy playing she might forget to go, it's all normal." Danny said as he placed a hand on Kono's arm.
"He's right cuz, you still wet yourself when you were her age, and you grew out of it." Chin added, making Kono blush slightly.
"What do I do about it?" Kono asked.
"Remind her to use the toilet during the day, make sure she pee's before bed stuff like that." Danny said.
"Yeah and the outbursts of crying sound normal for what she's been through. I'm no genius with kids but when you suffer a trauma its normal to suffer nightmares and start crying randomly." Steve added.
"Cuz don't worry, you're doing great." Chin said, knowing full well his baby cousin was doubting herself.
"Thanks Chin." Kono replied.
"Mummy, mummy!" Till exclaimed as she ran from the beach to Kono, Grace following behind.
"What is it darling?" Kono asked, a hint of worry in her voice that was washed away when she saw the bright smile on Tilly's face.
"I fownd a shewll!" Tilly exclaimed happily as she handed in to Kono.
"It's beautiful darling!" Kono said as she looked at the shell.
"I wanna make a sancasle!" Tilly said with a giggle.
"You do! You know whose good at making sandcastles?" Kono said
Tilly's eyes went wide as she waited for Kono to answer.
"Uncle Danny!" Kono said as she and the other all laughed at the haloe and his hate towards the sand.
"Yay Danno!" Tilly cried as everyone continued to laugh as Tilly picked up on the common nickname for Danny.
"I'll get you back Kalakaua!" Danny said mockingly as he jumped up and scooped Tilly onto his shoulders, grabbed Grace's hand and ran off to the sand.
Kono returned home later that evening, a sleeping Tilly in her arms. Adam was seated on the sofa a grin donning his face as he looked at his two favourite girls. Kono took a seat next to Adam and kissed his cheek.
"Have a good day?" Adam asked.
"Yeah it was nice to see the guys and Grace but it would have been better with you there." Kono said as she leaned into Adam.
"Sorry baby, work called." Adam said before kissing Kono's head.
"We should get her to bed." Kono said as the both rose and headed to her room. "I'm going to wake her and make her use the bathroom, try curb the bed wetting" Kono said
Kono gently awoke Tilly and sat her on the toilet, Tilly suddenly started hitting Kono and crying, scrambling of the toilet and running out the bathroom stumbling over her shorts that were still round her ankles.
"Tilly!" Kono cried as she went after Tilly.
Adam had heard the two and come out to see Tilly crying on the floor.
Kono had panic written across her face as she went to Tilly. "Sweetie pleases what's wrong?" Kono asked.
*hiccup* "No wee wee" Tilly cried as she climbed into Kono's arms.
Adam bent down to Tilly sweeping her hair off her face. "Sweet heart why don't you want to go toilet?" Adam asked in a soothing tone as Kono rocked her gently.
"Scary it bad!" Tilly cried, confusing Adam and Kono.
"Darling ca you point to what scares you?" Kono asked.
Tilly nodded shakily and held tight to Kono's top as she pointed at the red shower curtain with her other hand.
"Are you scared of this?" Adam asked as he stood by the curtain and shook it slightly.
Tilly nodded and rubbed her tired eyes. "It red, mummy red" Tilly said sadly.
Kono was unsure what Tilly was referring to until it clicked.
"Sweetie does the red scare you because mummy had red on her when she went to sleep?" Kono asked as she referred to the copious amount of blood that Tilly was subject to on that day.
Tilly nodded her head against Kono's chest.
"Oh baby we can take it down. Why don't we go to mummy and daddies bathroom instead?" Kono said as she took Tilly to use her bathroom.
Later that evening Kono and Adam curled up on the sofa watching a movie. Tilly had gone to sleep easily that night after they threw out the shower curtain. It was the first time since she started living with Kono and Adam that she had gone to bed without fuss. Kono was curled into Adams side drawing circles on his abdomen.
"Babe do you think Tilly will be okay now?" Kono asked with concern
"I don't know hun, I guess we may have sorted the bed wetting for the most part but she's been through hell and back. She's far too young to have to deal with something like that." Adam replied.
"Do you think we should take her back to the children's counsellor that the care home had her see?" Kono asked
Adam though for a moment, "No our little girl is perfect. She doesn't need to have some doc make her relive the memories from that day, she won't understand why. She managed to tell us tonight what was bothering her and why, I don't doubt we can get more out of her when she's ready. We just have to be there for her babe." Adam said reassuringly.
Kono sighed and agreed. She knew Adam was right; there wasn't much she could do other than be the best mum she could.