Chapter 2
This continues where the first chapter left off.
Breakfast was soon over, and Maddie decided to clean the dishes for them. Evan was a little messy but nothing a baby wipe could fix. Bobby took him into his room to find something for him to wear for the day. The bruises on Evan's face had definitely started to look better overnight but Bobby wasn't going to be worried about what strangers in Target are going to think about it. They know they didn't hurt the kids and they aren't going to hurt them ever. "We're going to the store today Evan, we're going to get you and Maddie some new clothes and shoes and you can chose whatever toys you want," Bobby tells him. He felt like it would be helpful if they were aware of what was going on today. By the time they get home it will probably be time for lunch.
Bobby got Buck into a plain blue t-shirt and a pair of jeans. If Evan needed the toilet then Bobby was going to be around to help but then give their privacy. He wants Evan to have as much independence as he knows the boy will want. There was a bit of time before they needed to go so Bobby left to go and get himself ready and let Evan explore his room and play with whatever toy that was in there that he wanted. It was just mainly various stuffed animals like the bear that he was given only almost twenty four hours earlier. Maddie went to go and check on her brother before she got dressed herself. He still wasn't speaking, but that was okay because they were in a new place with new people who they didn't know yet.
There was an overwhelming sense of safety and trust whilst they were around Bobby and Athena though. It was like what they had been telling the children was actually truthful and they couldn't help but believe them. There was no denying that they felt safer in the house than they ever had the entirety of Evan's life. Once Maddie was dressed she went into Evan's room to play with him for a little bit whilst she knew Athena and Bobby were getting ready for their Target adventure. It would definitely be an adventure for Evan, he can't even remember the last time he went to a store it must have been when he was a baby. At least that's what Maddie could tell him, they had been kept in the house a lot when they moved to Hershey and then to Los Angeles.
Margret and Philip Buckley had been lost in their grief though Philip was more worried about the families reputation than he was about the two surviving kids. All of that is for nothing now as their faces plaster the morning news reputation formally in the ground destroyed. Bobby and Athena tried to shield the children from the news, but it was inevitable that Maddie saw it. They knew their parents had been arrested which is why they are living with Bobby and Athena now. They were super grateful that because Maddie and Evan are minors their names were being kept out of the news for now, just their ages and genders were known. There was nothing out there about the foster parents as well, which was good.
The last thing Bobby or Athena wanted whilst they were out and about living their daily lives was for people to come up to them and asking about the case. It had gotten a lot of people angry, that was for sure. Most child abuse cases tended to rile the masses into a fury. The children deserve a life of peace and security. "Kiddos are you ready to go?" Bobby asks, as he saw Maddie help Evan with his shoes. Evan just nodded excitedly; it was a good thing he was cute despite the bruises littering his face. Bobby grabbed a hoodie from the closet just slightly on the bigger side than Evan to keep him warm and to cover up his face with the hood if he needed it. "Let's go then," Athena says.
Evan was enjoying the music on the short drive from their house to the nearest Target. He still wasn't talking or singing yet, but that wasn't an issue as they were pretty good with understanding Evan's wants and needs. Once they got to the store Bobby did help Evan put the hoodie on because he was worried about the poor kid being questioned by curious onlookers. It was the right call because he felt a very small tight grip on his hand as Evan followed him through the car park with Maddie and Athena not too far behind. There was definitely some anxiety for the youngest member of the Buckley Grant-Nash household. "It will be okay kiddo," Bobby says as they neared the shopping carts. It would probably be best if he put Evan in the child seat of the shopping cart so that he could see Bobby, Athena, and Maddie at all times.
He was definitely a little calmer once Bobby had lifted the small child into the seat and he could see Maddie and Athena behind him. The first place they went to was the clothing aisle to get that done. Evan seemed happy with what he had at home but did chose some new outfits. Athena had fully embraced motherhood and had chosen new outfits for both the children though more for Evan as Maddie was quite capable of choosing her own. Bobby was just there to push the cart and keep Evan calm as people walked past and stared. He remembered how Marcy was when it came to choosing the clothes for Robert Jr and Brook, so he left Athena to it. There were a couple of firefighter and police related t-shirts though.
They got some school supplies for both the children and some arts and craft things for Maddie and Evan to do at home whilst they were waiting for Social services to help them be placed into schools. The next aisle was the toys which was where Evan's interest and curiosity peaked. "Let's get you on the floor and you can chose what toys you want," Bobby says, carefully lifting the small child out of the seat where he was quite content to the ground where he could wander around and chose a toy of his own. This was where Evan got nervous, he was told enough times that he was allowed to chose whatever he wanted but he hesitated. He had chosen a few Hot Wheels cars and some dinosaur figures.
He kept looking back to Bobby and Athena to get their reactions for the choices that he was making, and they kept looking at him with a smile on their face. The last toys he had chosen was a Lego set, and some Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle action figures. Bobby puts him back into the cart's seat and then they move on to get some food shopping in. "Good job there kiddo," Bobby says and that brilliant smile of the 6 year old was back. It wouldn't take long before they had gotten a bunch of snacks, drinks, and ingredients for different meals in their cart, and they were heading towards the checkout. There was nobody that either Bobby or Athena recognized from their jobs as they made their way through the store.
As Bobby went to pay Evan and Maddie were at the end of the checkout and Maddie was doing her best to keep her anxious brother distracted. Now that they were feeling more comfortable with their foster parents the reality of the brutality of his childhood that far was starting to hit Evan hard. Athena noticed it and walked over to them to offer her support and comfort. "It's okay baby, we're going to be back at your new home soon," She tells him. She saw the brief panic in his eyes when the word home was mentioned. Since he couldn't talk there was no way of knowing what he understood of what was going on around him. That was what she hoped the reems of paper and the packs of coloring pens, pencils, and crayons would help with.
The kid's lifetime of trauma was definitely going to have an impact on him. It was the reason why at the moment he feels like he can't say anything or make any sound. Hopefully once he is settled in he can open up to them and he can get all the love, support, and comfort he needs. Athena decided to hold Evan in her arms whilst they waited for Bobby to finish paying for everything to help keep him calm. "Bobby, we're going to head to the car in a minute," she tells him. She would come back to help him load the things into the car but right now Evan was started to get very overwhelmed and overstimulated. He needed a break and to get out of there soon. He had tears in his eyes but then he buried his head in Athena's shoulder whilst she held him.
"I am all done now let's go," Bobby replies, sensing his new son's distress. Maddie pushes the cart and Bobby was grateful that they had parked in the parent toddler bays which meant they were close to the entrance of the store. Evan had let the tears fall and Athena was holding him to give him a sense of security. She wasn't going to shush him because she feels like he needs to let all of this emotion out. Maddie was worried, but not as worried as she would have been yesterday. Athena said whatever emotions they had they could let them out around them. She could be angry at her birth parents for everything they have and haven't done for her and Evan. She could be upset at how her brother had been hurt over and over again.
Eventually Evan calmed down and Athena was sitting on the edge of the trunk of the car with a tissue to gently wipe the last of his tears away. "Is that better now baby?" she asks, and he nods. She kisses the top of his head, and that charming Buckley smile was back as if he hadn't just spent a few minutes crying. She puts him in his car seat, and they start their drive home making sure with Maddie's help that they didn't go anywhere near the old house to help them both with the feeling that the Grant-Nash house was now their house. It definitely helped Evan's nerves as he looked out the window the entire way home. Bobby scooped Evan into his arms once they had parked and smiled as the kid held onto him tightly.
"See home sweet home," Bobby says, as he carefully opens the front door whilst holding Evan. He placed Evan on the couch where his favorite stuffed bear was left behind in the slight rush to get out of the house. Evan held onto it tightly as the others rushed around and got all the shopping in and away. Soon enough Maddie had joined him on the couch and was making up silly voices for the bear to cheer Evan up. He was still looking around for Bobby and Athena, to make sure they hadn't left yet. He wasn't sure why he was thinking about it, the way that he felt around the people who were now his parents was different than he felt around his birth parents. Maddie was a big help in cheering him up and soon they heard the squeals of laughter for the very first time.
It was like music to the adult's ears when they heard the laughter of the small child. He was slowly breaking down the walls around him and wasn't scared about being hurt for it. He was feeling safe enough to open up to them. Sure he wasn't actually talking to them about anything, but he had made a noise and he wasn't being punished for it. In fact Bobby and Athena had stopped what they were doing to listen to it. "Oh that baby is going to have everyone wrapped around his little finger and he won't even know it," Athena says. Anyone could see that the kid has a heart of gold, and he was going to grow up to do some good in the world. Bobby had set up the toys in Evan's room and had put the packaging into the recycling boxes.
A little while later Bobby had made them chocolate spread sandwiches for lunch and they were demolished in barely any time. Shopping left them hungrier than he first thought they were, but soon enough they were helping him clean up and he had an idea. He got one of the boxes of Lego that they had gently encouraged Evan to get himself and put it on the living room floor. He was going to play with Evan, build whatever funky designs he and the kid could come up with. Evan was overjoyed at the fact that Bobby wanted to play with him. No grown up had ever wanted to play with him before. "What do you want to build?" Bobby asks, there was a booklet with designs they could choose from.
They ended up making a few very funky looking animals, but it was worth the brilliant smile as Evan happily played. Bobby had managed to make Evan laugh and was relieved that there was a small glimpse of a normal happy childhood. Maddie and Athena were diving into the crochet kit that had been bought. It was working out well with Maddie starting to open up to Athena about some of the things they had gone through whilst Evan was more than content to just play and have Bobby make up stories and silly things to keep him giggling. It was something that melted Bobby's heart as he went through colors with Evan and how Evan was proving he was a smart kid. He would pass Bobby whichever color or shaped brick he was asked for.
Maddie was definitely a good teacher. That was for sure when Bobby started quizzing the kid on his numbers next. He knew the Buckley parent's didn't have time for it, so Maddie and Evan were left to fend for themselves. The kid was a sponge for knowledge, once they had put the Lego away Bobby put the TV on and there was a big cat documentary playing and he saw how fascinated the kid was, so he left it playing. He went to go and check on the girls in the dining room who were getting on well with their crochet and chat. They had bought one of those reusable bottles for Evan to drink from whilst his arm healed because he was scared of dropping the glass by accident. Bobby had filled it up with apple juice and took it to him, with the glass of water he had poured himself.
He felt a small weight at his side and looked down with a smile. Evan had decided to sit as close to Bobby as physically possible. The stuffed lion he had found in his bedroom hanging on his cast and the bottle of apple juice in his other hand as he made himself comfortable whilst still being engrossed in the documentary. Bobby could get used to this; his little buddy next to him watching television. It was like he had another mini him, only time would tell as Evan's personality continues to shine brightly through the walls. Though there was something Bobby had noticed, this kid had seemingly gotten an endless supply of energy. He kept wriggling in his seat, probably has ADHD Bobby thinks to himself.
"Come here wriggles," Bobby says, with a calm voice as he gently pulls Evan onto his lap for a hug. He knows that if Evan squirms too much in his arms then he will let go and then the kid will be free to roam the living room. Evan settled against Bobby; it was like hearing his heartbeat soothed him. Bobby had to hide his laughter as Athena came through with the camera armed and ready for the wonderful photo opportunity she had in front of her. The documentary had ended and the little six year old was fast asleep in Bobby's arms. The drinks were on the coffee table and Bobby was really enjoying being a father again. "You've got an awfully cute little movie buddy right there," she tells him and joins him on the couch.
"I do but I don't thing he would be fully reliable he fell asleep right after the big cat documentary had even finished," Bobby tells her. He wasn't actually sure that Evan had fallen asleep during the documentary or after it had finished. He had been talking to Evan about what they had been watching and he felt the kid nod and shake his head when he was asked yes or no questions. He was looking forward to the moment when Evan would be able to talk to him about what they were watching. This kid would probably talk his head off about all sorts of random things and Bobby would just sit there and listen to him all day long. Anything either kid would want that made them feel safe and happy then he was going to do his best.
Evan woke up a little while later. Maddie was in her room writing in her journal. Athena was sitting next to Bobby who had the sleeping child on his lap the entire time. "Good nap baby?" Athena asks. Evan nodded before he crawled onto her lap for a cuddle. Bobby used that as an opportunity to go to the bathroom. Evan looked at Athena and she knew there was so much in that little boy's head that he wanted to say but when he opened his mouth no words came out. "Bobby told me you played with the Lego. Was it fun?" she asks, and he eagerly nods. He had made sure one of the strange looking giraffes survived and showed her. Then she asked him more yes or no questions about the documentary.
There was an overwhelming urge for her to refer to Bobby as dad and herself as moma or something, but she wasn't going to force it. It was their first full day with the children after all. She had a chance to speak with their case worker on the phone today who was desperate to find out how the children were doing. She told the case worker that it was all okay and the children were getting settled. She told them about the moment Evan got so overwhelmed he cried but he was doing fine. This was whilst he was watching the big cat documentary on the couch with Bobby. The case worker had let her know this was most likely going to be a long term foster with the potential of adoption because the case was building against the birth parents.
When she told Bobby that Evan was going to have people wrapped around his little pinky finger she didn't need to tell him that the two of them were already smitten with the little boy who had suddenly gotten his energy back and was now on the floor playing with his new Lego and was trying his best to build a house. Now it was Athena's turn to play with the boy and she was going to help him make the best house possible. She taught him how to make stairs and it was a little trickier for him to figure it out with the cast, but he loved the challenge. He seemed to really enjoy trying to figure out the challenge himself first before letting Athena help him so he could do it on his own afterwards. Bobby was spending time with Maddie talking about feelings.
They'd gotten him some mini figures and Evan had made a policewoman who looked as close as Athena as he could. He pointed to the figure and then pointed to her when he showed it off to Athena. "Oh wow you made me as a Lego person for the house. That is amazing Evan I love it," she tells him. She was deeply touched by how he had chosen her first for the house and how he wanted her in Lego mini figure form. Next he made Bobby with a fireman outfit on and put them together. It was like he was showing her what he could understand just by using the Legos. That could be something she could help him with whilst he is nonverbal until he is able to express to them how he feels and what he wants.
She's worked on plenty of cases in her almost ten year career in the police force so far where some of the victims were toddlers or small children like Evan. She would be able to help the officers in their investigation should they want to talk to Evan themselves but there was plenty of evidence of what went on without Evan giving a statement himself. They will just have to see how it goes over the next few days and weeks. Nobody was going to be rushing into anything. "Do you want to make you and Maddie next?" she asks, and Evan nods. She helps him make them and watches as he plays family with his mini figures. He doesn't say anything, but she could see from the way he was holding them that he was being gentle.
She didn't want to introduce the idea of Margret and Philip figures just yet. He needed some time to be a kid and to just play happily before Bobby whipped up one of his amazing dinners for them all. They had remembered to give him Tylenol too and he had managed to successfully go to the bathroom on his own. All things considered he was a pretty happy kid and he even cleaned up his toys when he was done playing without even being asked to. Maddie came looking for her brother when Bobby let her know that he was about to start making chicken nuggets and fries for dinner. He knows it is not one of those extravagant meals like his macaroni and cheese he made last night but nuggets go down well.
It was the healthiest version of Mc Donald's for the kids although with what they were going through Bobby was sure there would be treats of Mc Donald's in the future and he wasn't going to cook every meal that they ate. Thinking about it a little more Bobby can be fairly sure that Evan wouldn't even know what a Mc Donald's is if he had been kept sheltered for his whole life. Athena told him the game that Evan had played with the Lego house and how they didn't really go outside even to the backyard she had made. It was definitely giving them an insight into what he had been through and how he perceived things going on in the world around him. They live in a good neighborhood so she was sure he could explore their backyard as much as he wanted.
Nothing would be off limits to them within reason. She wasn't going to let him climb the trees where he could fall but they knew he could ride a bike and a skateboard, so they were going to let him do it as long as there was safety involved. The last thing they wanted was him constantly in and out of the emergency room because he was being a little on the reckless side. To be fair on the kid none of his current injuries had anything to do with him. The bruising was looking a lot better now than it initially appeared yesterday. It was hard to tell which ones where the oldest and the newest considering he had that many. The children's Tylenol was doing a good job at keeping him pain free though and it wasn't going to be forever.
He can let them know when he didn't feel like he needed it by refusing to take it but for now he did need it. Soon dinner time was there, and it was almost time for another first for the Buckley Grant-Nash household, bath time. Athena thinks that it is better that Bobby be the one to do it because she didn't think that it would be appropriate for her to be involved although she would happily help cover up the cast so it wouldn't get wet. Maddie was free to have a shower if she felt like she needed one. It felt a little strange to have them 8 years apart, but they seem to be handling it quite well. They both deserve their individual relationships with both Bobby and Athena. There was things that they could offer Maddie that Evan didn't at that moment and vice versa.
Bobby was a little nervous for bath time, but he was happy to see the small boy was excited. They had gotten some bath toys before they were approved for foster care, so Bobby threw those into the tub and there were plenty of bubbles. With his left arm safely secured with a trash bag and some duct tape the bath can begin. He carefully lifts the boy into the bathtub and into the warm water. Evan was initially frightened, something told Bobby that they probably didn't have warm or hot water a lot before. "It's alright Evan the water isn't going to hurt you. It's just nice and warm so you can relax," Bobby reassures. Soon enough Evan was used to the water and was distracted by the rubber ducks and toys he could grab floating in the water.
Bobby was very cautious while he was bathing the youngster, but he could make it fun as well. There were plenty of bubbles around him. Bobby carefully stacked the bubbles on top of Evan's head smiling as the youngster found it hilarious. He also made a bubble beard and took plenty of photos of the youngster all smiles. "Look at you. That beard makes you look so smart and handsome," Bobby says, and even though Evan probably didn't understand what those words meant he grinned and nodded as he lifted up the rubber duck to show it off and there was also a Pikachu floating around he kept gravitating towards. He was definitely enjoying bath time and did everything he could to make sure that Bobby wasn't splashed too much.
Bobby didn't mind and had even splashed Evan gently with the water. His way to let him know that it wasn't an issue and to let him know that it wasn't going to get him into any trouble. Once the bath was over he lifted him out and covered him with a towel before rubbing him dry and getting him into clean pajamas and underwear. Then Bobby removed the trash bag from his left arm and took him to the steps so he could brush his teeth whilst the bath water went down the drain. Whilst he let Evan brush his own teeth Bobby sorted out the wet blond curls to they weren't too tangled by the morning. This boy was going to need a haircut soon as his hair was getting long, but there was no rush, better to get him settled in first.
He was almost ready for bed and was quite tired. He went to go and find Athena first though. Bobby thinks he knows where this is about to go. Last night he read Can't Sleep Little Bear to the youngster and he probably wanted to hear what Athena had to offer. This would be her first time reading to someone she was quickly considering to be her son. She had a brief relationship with Michael Grant which had even included a marriage, however there were no children in the picture as he had soon come out as gay and that they ended the marriage on good terms and had remained friends ever since. He would often come over to spend the evening with them, but he was putting it on hold to let the foster children settle in.
"Do you want me to read you a story baby?" Athena asks as she sees the now clean small child appear next to her on the couch. Evan nodded eagerly and it didn't take her long to cave. They made their way to his room. She looked at the bookshelf and then back to the young boy who had both his bear and big cat teddies in his arms. "Do you want me to chose the story or you?" She asks, and he crawled onto the bed and put his bear down before pointing at her. That was good because she had just saw a book which caught her eye. It was called If You Give A Mouse A Cookie written by Laura Numeroff. She picked up the book and sat down on the edge of the bed after tucking the young boy in making sure his two favorite teddies are by his side.
"If a hungry little traveler shows up at your house, you might want to give him a cookie. If you give him a cookie, he's going to ask for a glass of milk." Athena starts reading out loud to the little boy who seemed to be hooked from the very first word. He was definitely a good listener, Athena thinks, and she knows that it was a skill that was going to stay with him for the rest of his life if she had anything to do with it. As good of a listener he was, the battle against sleep was unfortunately lost and he was fast asleep by the time she had finished the book. She kissed the top of his head and said her goodnights before putting the book away and going to join her husband in the living room. It was a good routine.
That way they had some time to themselves but also had that opportunity to support Maddie who had said goodnight to Evan before he joined Athena in his room for the goodnight story was read. "You're taking on motherhood like a professional. I'm proud of you," Bobby says, with a big smile on his face. This was something that had followed many many conversations since they started dating. They both wanted kids, but they were finding conceiving naturally rather challenging, so they decided to go down the adoption and fostering route. They had seen enough cases where there had been children taken into the foster care system and knew they could do something to help. Athena smiles and rests her head against Bobby's chest whilst they watched television.
Half an hour later they noticed Maddie was standing in the doorway. She didn't want to come any closer, she felt like she was interrupting something. Athena moved so there was a space between her and Bobby for the teen to fit. "Come here sweetheart," she tells the teen who didn't need telling twice. She snuggled into the adults, and they smiled. It was nice that they could offer the teen some one on one time with them once the youngest had gone to bed. She could talk about her day and anything about her brother which worried her. She told them about how she was really worried about Evan whilst the they were in the store and he got really upset. She was glad Athena was there to help comfort him.
"It was probably a lot to ask him to go into a new place with a lot of loud noises and new smells and people. We're not going to be dragging the two of you to the store every time just felt that you should have some input on your belongings," Bobby tells her. Athena and Bobby would probably going to go by themselves to Walmart the next time they need any groceries. One of them will stay behind with the kids so there isn't an expectation on Maddie to be the babysitter for her brother again. This would probably be on their day off during the week when they do eventually go back to work. The kids will be in school soon enough and that would allow them to go to the store during the day or something like that.
They were going to work on the exact schedule over the coming days and weeks. Right now they could soak up all the time with the children that they could. There was some cooking channel on, and they were watching it. Maddie didn't seem to mind what was on and they were just chatting away about anything the teen wanted to talk about. It didn't matter and it didn't have to be about what was on her mind so long as she was okay and happy with the topic. When she starts high school Athena couldn't wait to talk about all of those teenage girl gossip talks that could possibly be had when you have a teenage daughter. It was something they had talked about when fostering became an option.
What ages did they want to go for. Robert Jr and Brook were probably between Evan and Maddie's age when they died. Probably a little younger than Maddie to be honest, but Bobby didn't say much about it. He didn't really talk about his children, but it wasn't a topic that Athena was going to push. They did say they were open to any age really. They didn't have much experience with babies considering it had been so long but they were willing to figure it all out. Right now though they were happy that they had a 6 year old and a 14 year old under their wing. Maddie had fallen asleep in between them and Bobby smiled. "Seems like another movie buddy can't hang for the whole session," Athena says.
They had changed the channel to a movie channel at some point during the conversation and it was enough to make the teen sleep. "No kidding, these kids must really be tired. I think jet lag has finally caught up with them even though it is three house ahead of us," Bobby says. It might not seem like a lot but for children it is a big deal. Three hour difference in bedtime is a lot especially for a small child. They hadn't been in California long just under a month, but it was enough because Philip had kept them busy. For Evan it was every chore under the sun Philip could think of including cleaning the toilet with a toothbrush. It was one of those few things that Maddie had been able to let them know was going on.
"Yeah well, I think it's time for bed," Athena says. Bobby turns off the TV whilst Athena goes about turning the lights off in the kitchen and other rooms in the house. Bobby lifts the teen gently and carries her to her room whilst Athena carries on turning off all of the lights. Bobby had tucked the teen in and quietly left the room before getting himself ready for bed. Athena also got ready for bed, and they cuddled under the sheets. They had successfully had a good first full day of being foster parents. They were proud of themselves, taking on the two children was quite sudden and there was not a lot of discussion before they had agreed to take them on and meet them for the first time at the police station.
Athena was especially proud of Bobby during this. There was so much going on he could easily have fallen back into old habits but he was staying strong and there was a certain pair of siblings that had more to do with it than any of them could have realized. There was that instinctive need to protect them and to fix what was broken for them to have a safe and happy life. Athena was looking forward to watching the boys play soccer in the backyard or them playing in the park once the cast had come off. She looks forward to going dress shopping with Maddie and all of those sweet high school dances and staying up gossiping about boys. The future is definitely a lot brighter and maybe even more exciting.
And that is the end of chapter two.
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