Chapter 6
Anxiety knotted Athena's stomach as she got ready for the day. It was now Thursday which meant one thing school taster day. Wednesday had been a quieter than normal day, Evan had only two nightmares the previous night and was back to his usual self but didn't quite want anyone to leave his line of sight. They went to the toy store to reward him for how well the previous day had gone. Bobby and Athena loved the little conversations they were getting from him at home. When he was out and about around strangers he didn't speak at all, but they were fine with it. It had been a strange two week period for them where the days sort of blurred into themselves.
Maddie had told them she wanted to go to the high school on her own and they were going to have the tour when they picked her up. She knew Evan was going to need the support more than her and they would have equal time with the parents to suit their needs as they have been doing. This was a big thing, and she had her parents there for her first time being in school so Evan deserved the same. Bobby and Athena knew that this was going to be the biggest thing Evan has done and its going to have a lot of nerves for everyone. "Try and relax, if Evan senses we're anxious then he might be too and we won't know till he gets into the classroom how he will be," Bobby says, rubbing her shoulders as they stand outside.
"I know, but he feels like our baby, and I want what's best for him. I can't believe that he is going to school," Athena replies. It was the biggest first that they were going through as parents. This was going to be Evan's first time stepping into a classroom and then going to school. It felt natural that Evan and Maddie were their babies and that they were going to enjoy all the firsts that come with it. Athena took a moment to calm herself down whilst Bobby went to check on Evan and Maddie. Maddie wanted to help her little brother get dressed for his visit to school. Once she collected herself she joined the rest of her little family in the living room before they had to leave.
Evan was currently his cheery self and even though he was aware of the impending visit to the school he didn't show it. He was a little chatty too, he had one of his books that he was showing Maddie and she was testing him on the words on the page. He might continue to surprise them all and be completely fine with school but all they can do is wait and find out. Evan went to put his book away and then jumped on Athena's lap to give her the biggest hug he could. They knew that he was sensing her nerves and was doing his best to keep everyone calm. "Aw that was a good hug buddy," Athena says. She was enjoying the comfort he gave them.
Even though he was 6 years old and had been though so much trauma for someone so young, he still had a lot of innocence behind those ocean blue eyes. He still saw the good in people, which was something Athena and Bobby counted as a blessing. There was a moment in the toy store yesterday where a child had lost their parents and were upset about it, but without words Evan brought him over to Maddie and Bobby and from there the little girl was reunited with her parents. He got thanked by the girl's parents and he had a big smile for the rest of the day. "You know how to give the best hugs at the best times," Maddie tells him, and he smiles.
"I needed that hug," Athena says. Then it was time to go to the schools. First to the high school and then to the elementary school. Evan was getting more and more independent as the days go by even though he was limited until his left arm was freed from the cast. He got his jacket from the peg, and then put it on himself. He couldn't quite figure out the zipper, but Bobby helped him start it then he did the rest himself. They got into Bobby's truck and off they went. They insisted on walking Maddie up to reception and to find out when and where they were to pick her up from later on. He had managed to buckle himself in for the first time as they got back to go to his school.
Evan sang all the way there with whatever Bobby had playing on the radio. It was cute and it was one of his ways that he kept himself calm when he would otherwise be nervous. He did it with animal facts or any random facts that he knew. Bobby took the lead on this as he had done this before and was keeping both his wife and his foster son calm and happy. He also wanted to keep Evan excited for the new possibilities this would be opening up for him. "Let's go buddy," He says as he had Evan's hand in his as they walked towards the front door. Athena had hold of Bobby's other hand and he was rubbing small circles into her hand. She smiled and took a deep breath.
"Hi, I'm Bobby Grant-Nash, this is Athena Grant-Nash and Evan Buckley here for our visit," Bobby says as they walk up to the receptionist. It felt wrong to Bobby to say Buckley but after all it is his surname, and it is their choice on whether or not they want to keep it when they get older. They are also still foster parents as there has been no movement towards any potential adoption as of yet. The lady at the desk called the principal down and smiled at them. Evan was looking around curiously whilst still holding onto Bobby's hand. They had no worries about him running away from them as he held onto Bobby's hand tightly wherever they went and didn't really allow himself to explore.
Bobby took him around the reception, and they looked at the photos on the walls. Then the principal greeted them. Evan had gone quiet, but that was normal for him, and nobody minded. The case worker had clearly made sure the principal was aware of the situation. "Hi Evan, nice to meet you," she introduces herself to the young one. She introduces herself to Bobby and Athena and told them she was briefed on his situation, so they were not going to push it. The aim of today was to get him into his kindergarten classroom, and to see how he would react to the situation. They would have Bobby and Athena in the room with him then get them to leave to see how he would react. That way they could put a clearer plan in place to make sure the transition was smooth.
They had gotten a full tour of the school before they reached the kindergarten classroom. The children were in there playing at different stations when they got there. These would be Evan's classmates and his teacher for the rest of the school year. He immediately got shy and hid behind Bobby's leg, there were a lot more eyes on him now and he wasn't too keen on it. "It's okay Evan," Athena says, rubbing his back. The teacher told the children to carry on playing as he sat the parents down and got to know them a little bit before Evan joined their classroom.
Evan was completely silent as Mr Lopez explained to them how he had planned on transitioning Evan to the classroom with their support. He was on Athena's lap and Bobby had brought his tiger stuffed animal to keep him calm. "So what things does Evan like?" Mr Lopez asks. The rest of the children in his class he knew very well as he had that time from September to get to know them. It was going to be the same for Evan just in a more condensed time frame. Anything that he can use to help him settle at a time where his whole little world has been rocked. Bobby looks at Evan and smiles, they know a little bit about him themselves.
"Big cats definitely when he's comfortable enough to talk around people he loves facts. He's a smart kid who loves Lego, and dinosaurs," Bobby says, not giving too much away but enough for the teacher to go off. Evan was looking around curiously. It was like he wanted to get down and explore but his own little anxieties were holding him back. Athena didn't have a grip on him at all so he could have gotten down if he wanted to. He knew a couple of the kids kept looking at him. He paid no attention to them though or the teacher who had written down everything Bobby had said. At least the teacher seemed willing to give this the best shot he could.
The teacher explained the way he does things. It was nice, there was a lot of learning through play because even though they suspect Evan may also have ADHD no five year old could sit and focus through the lessons. It was good the way that it was being done though because it means he gets better results from his students. The current theme seemed to be dinosaurs so that would help. Bobby looked forward to hearing all the dinosaur facts Evan would be bringing home. Eventually curiosity got the better of him and he climbed down to explore the classroom. He could see Athena and Bobby near by but as he was looking at the walls he looked back at them less.
He had found the coloring page station. He picked up crayons with his right hand and started carefully coloring between the lines. Nobody knew what handed he was as he only really had the choice of his right hand. Maybe when the cast comes off he will switch to his left hand. Athena smiled as they watched him with his tongue sticking out as he focused on the task at hand. The classroom assistant asked him if he could write his name on the top of the paper, and it took him a moment, but he did in the neatest handwriting a 5 year old can do. It was good to get a look at where he was academically without doing any formal testing. It was also a testament to Maddie and how well she did considering how horrific the situation was for a young girl to go through.
"That's amazing Evan," she said. It took him a while to finish it as he wanted it to look amazing. While he was doing that they were talking about the mutism and how it could affect them whilst he was getting used to the classroom environment. They were refraining from using the term selective as the more they thought of it the more it never was a choice for Evan, it was a fear response from what he had been through. Obviously they couldn't go through the details they had known about the abuse because there were little ears around them who were unintentionally listening to what was going on and the last thing they wanted was for the parents of his classmates to speculate.
"He knows some sign language, but he is also good at showing you his needs when he can't think of the sign. This won't be forever, the more he settles and gets used to everything the more those walls come down," Athena says. They knew that their case worker had filled the teaching team about what they felt was appropriate to know about his childhood at this point. The cast would be a big talking point especially for small children who are curious, but they would get a child friendly version or a slight mistruth as it is not something that they shouldn't be allowed to know. There is probably not going to be a letter to the parents because they get new children in the class all the time.
Once Evan was done he showed the teacher and his foster parents the picture. "Woah buddy that is amazing, could I put it on the wall with our other dinosaur pictures?" he asks, and Evan nods. Athena and Bobby were bursting with pride; he was definitely going to fit in well in this class. He had been there only an hour and he already had his first piece of artwork on the wall. He had the biggest smile on his face as he watched the teacher put the date on the paper and then put it on the wall with the rest of the amazing dinosaur coloring pages. He also got a gold star sticker to wear with pride. Athena felt less afraid and nervous about the whole thing.
Then he went to go and play, and it was time to see how he would do if Bobby and Athena were not in the room. That way they could see how comfortable they would be if Evan stayed the whole day. This could all change when it came to Monday, but Elaine was more than willing to let Athena take it one day at a time and see how it goes. "His big sister Maddie might come and do some pick ups as well as a family-friend of ours Michael Grant. We are a cop and fire fighter, so our shifts won't always match the school day," Bobby explains as the teacher steps out with them for a moment. They could discuss the more important details without little ears.
"That is all good. I will follow your case workers recommendation about having a home school book where we can write how the day goes and then the social workers can have it. He is a really good kid I can see already, and he will be a great fit in my class," the teacher says. They discuss contact details and then the teacher goes to read the children a story before lunch time. The principal took them for a meeting with the assurance that the teacher would phone her if they were needed in the classroom. For now they were going to let Evan show how much he could handle. They definitely liked the teacher and his approach to things; they were glad he was there.
Almost an hour had passed, and it was time for them to go. They walked to the class not sure what to expect and were pleasantly surprised to see him at the table with his classmates happily eating his sandwich Bobby had helped him make that very morning. He wasn't talking, but the children around him didn't care. They were more than happy to tell him about themselves and to fill the silence with all they had learned about dinosaurs so far. "That's our boy, smashing all our expectations out of the park as usual," Bobby whispers to Athena. They didn't want him to know they had come back just yet as he was doing just fine on his own. They were definitely going out for ice cream and takeout tonight.
"I am happy that this is going better than I had dreamed about last night. Our boy deserves the best," Athena whispers. He ate his lunch with his new friends before he even noticed they were in the room. He ran up to them and hugged them though when he did, and they smiled. "Have you had a good time bud?" Athena asks, as Bobby scoops him up into his arms. They thank everyone for their welcomes and that Evan would see them all again on Monday. Evan seemed happy enough to be going back to school. Now it was time to go and see Maddie's school and how she was getting along. If Evan was doing incredibly then they were sure that she would be doing great.
She is their social butterfly and had made a couple of friends already from the park that they took them too. They had gotten to Bobby's truck, and it was now time to see what Evan really thought of it all. "Do you like your new school buddy?" Athena asks, once he was all buckled in. The teacher had given him another sticker whilst they were away, and he was wearing it with pride. He also had his tiger stuffed animal with him, like his comfort item to help remind him everything was okay. The teacher said it was fine for him to bring it with him if they felt like it would be something that would help. He didn't have strict rules in his classroom on those things.
"I like it, the teacher said that I did really well sitting still for story time. Then everyone was really nice to me. They all said they want to be my friend," Evan says, clearly excited about it all. The teacher had a book called dinosaur stories for five year olds which was what he had read from. It was below his reading level but because he was starting to love dinosaurs he was hooked on every word. They didn't think that they could feel any more pride for their son, but they did. There were definitely going to be another trip to the store to buy a dinosaur toy in his future. It would be his reward for finishing his first week of school as they had to space out the gift buying they had been doing for both children.
They had no ill intentions behind the gifts as they deserved to be spoiled but they didn't want to turn them into spoiled brats. They knew it was very unlikely that it would happen, but they didn't want there to be a chance. On the way back to the high school Evan was happily singing along to the radio again holding his tiger close. It made them happy to see him happy like this. It was completely different from the terrified little boy they had met two weeks ago or was it three? They had lost count as it felt like they had been their parents from the moment they were born. It is funny how that could happen to people, how fate builds the perfect family.
Evan was a lot more energetic as they were taken to Maddie's current classroom. High school was a lot different than the elementary school they had just spend hours in. "Where's Maddie Ev?" Bobby asks. Ev was a relatively new nickname for the young lad, but he liked it. He was preferring that or kid or buddy over Evan. They didn't blame him as his birth name had a lot of trauma attached to it. They didn't want to change any part of his identity without his input so Evan it is for now. There were plenty of nickname opportunities though, maybe even Buck. Though it is completely up to him. The lady walking them to the classroom smiled, he really was adorable.
"You must be the Maddie's little brother, are you excited to see her?" The lady asks, it hadn't really occurred to them until now that this has been the first time that they had ever been separated since the moment Evan was born. They tried their best to spend equal time with both children and they had spend most of their time at home. They would do things one on one with the children once Michael was more involved and Evan was ready for it. At the moment they had never been apart from each other so it was going to be new and scary for them both and they might want to spend their free time together. Evan nodded eagerly as they got to the classroom door.
"We have a special visitor for Maddie," The lady says, as she knocked on the door and the teacher had opened it. They were refraining from using the surname Buckley as the teens were more likely to have heard the name in the news than the five year old classmates of Evan. Evan walked in, and all of the classmates went aww as he was looking for his big sister. Maddie made her way to the front of the class and swung her brother into a hug which made the class melt even more. Evan and Maddie against the world, nothing could ever break them apart. She could see Athena and Bobby were waiting in the corridor for them as the taster time was over.
"Hey Evan, did you enjoy your school?" she asks, and he nods with the biggest smile. He had definitely missed her. She wasn't afraid to admit that she missed him too and it was going to be harder to adjust to than she first thought. Throughout the last six years he had been the one constant thing that reminded her that there was still good in the world and not to give up. They say or wave goodbye to everyone and join Bobby and Athena for a group hug. Evan was excited to get to the car to tell her about his day. Maddie was telling them about the friends she had made whilst she was there. All she said about their scenario was that her parents could no longer look after her and her little brother, so they were staying with foster parents.
It wasn't a lie, and it wasn't the full truth either. She didn't have to go into detail about how her brother was only born to save her other brother who had cancer, but medicine failed, and he passed away. That was traumatic enough for a young girl of 8 or 9 years old but to add the abuse they spent the next 5 years going through would be enough to make anyone either angry or upset. She can't bring herself to tell her friends what she went through, and nobody would expect her to either. The school counselor would be there for her when she was ready to talk. She could write her own diary about how she settles into school and things like that.
"Woah you got two stickers already?" Maddie asks him, and he nods. They had made their way to the car, and she had noticed the two stickers on his t-shirt. Athena and Bobby let him excitedly fill her in on his two hours in school. Even she was amazed at how well her brother did, she never doubted him. It was just how it is a big unknown for them, they had never put Evan into a classroom before. At least everyone could agree that they were happy for him to be excited to start on Monday. Athena was nervous to go back to work as was Bobby because their jobs had an element of risk to them, but they trust their relevant departments would keep them safe.
When they got back to the house Evan wanted some alone time in his room. He was overwhelmed again, but they were giving him his space. That meant they could spend some time with Maddie. They knew they were not going to get it right all of the time but as long as she knew an attempt was made then things would definitely work themselves out. They sit in the garden enjoying the Los Angeles sunshine. "How do you feel about starting school sweetheart?" Athena asks. She hadn't said much about her day apart from the friends she had made. Now that Evan was talking more and more each day with them she didn't want him to stop.
"I am happy about it; I made a lot of friends already. By the way the reacted to seeing Evan I am sure I am going to have some friends that will want to be cool friends to him too. This all feels a bit weird to me. This time a month ago we were in Hershey with no way out and now Evan's the happiest I have ever seen him, and we've survived," Maddie says, tears forming in her eyes. It is not surprising that she is gotten emotional about this. They are survivors after all, and it was heartbreaking to hear that she had never seen her own brother this happy in his entire life. Athena pulls her into a hug as she breaks down. Bobby made himself busy making them tea.
Evan heard her crying and came over to hug his sister. He didn't know why she was crying as he hadn't heard the conversation but all he knew was his hugs make everything okay, so that was what he was going to do. "I'm okay Evan," she says, and he still gives her one last hug before he goes running off and returns with the tissue box. She smiles as she takes a tissue from him and wipes her eyes with it. Once Evan was satisfied that Maddie was no longer upset he went to play with his lion and tiger in his room as he had been doing before. Bobby had come back with their mugs of tea and handed them to the girls. They thanked him and he smiled.
"It's okay to be upset about all of this. Even happy tears are okay as these are your emotions. This has been a big change for both of you, heck this is probably the first time your childhood has been normal since Daniel relapsed and his cancer got worse. Evan's too young to know different, but we can't imagine how it has been for you," Bobby says. It was all true, to Evan his childhood would be normal because until recently he didn't know that it was the complete opposite. Even now he was probably anticipating the moment things were going to turn for the worse despite knowing Bobby and Athena would never lay their hands on him in that way. Maddie had 7 years of a normal childhood, then cancer came in like a wrecking ball and ruined their lives.
She would always be grateful for Evan, the light that shone in the darkness of the hour. There was something about how he kept his innocence despite everything which always warmed her heart. How Bobby and Athena, and everyone else they had met saw how he brough the sunshine into the room just by walking in. He might not have been able to save Daniel, but he had saved Maddie. He was too young to understand how much he has done for her, but she would make sure he knew one day. "I know, I was thinking about it earlier how if you would have told me that the fairy godmother was going to come in and save Evan and I from the hell we were living in I would have called you a liar. Now I am here ready for high school and to watch my brother growing up," Maddie says.
"I wouldn't blame you sweetheart. If we had been approached by the caseworker when we got approved and told that our first fosters would be the most wonderful young boy and girl from the most excuse my French fucked up situation we have seen in our careers so far we would have thought the same," Athena says, making sure Evan wasn't listening to her swear. Now she was not the type to use that sort of language on a regular basis, but she couldn't think of any other word that would fit that situation. Neglecting and beating your children for something there was no possible way they had any control on what happened was fucked up. Maddie didn't deny it.
"I know mama, its just that it hasn't really hit me until today. I didn't realize how much of a normal life you and Bobby are giving us," She replies. It makes sense that it wouldn't have hit her until today. If they thought about it school was the only major thing they were both missing once they had become the foster children of Bobby and Athena. They had a nice home, with loving parents, warm food, and everything else their little hearts wished for. Now they are making friends with their peers and getting to enjoy all of the best parts of childhood they didn't get the chance to. Athena was looking forward to all of the moments no matter how happy or sad they were.
The mood picked up just before dinner as Bobby ordered pizza and was going to take them to their new favorite ice cream place after. This was quickly becoming their new favorite activity to do as a family. The little old lady who owns the store always makes sure kids and teens got a free extra scoop of their favorite flavor. It was a cool way for them to try new flavors knowing they got their trusted one as a backup. The free scoop would always come in a separate cup so that it wouldn't be affected by the new flavor if it turned out that the child didn't like it. Bobby loved how she always went the extra mile for her customers.
At some point during the weekend they would go through the list that they had been given of school supplies and see what they could get. Normally this would be done at the beginning of the school year, and they would have plenty of spare supplies to last throughout the school year, but Maddie's situation was different, and they wanted to give Evan some things of his own. Maddie would be moving from class to class whereas Evan would be staying in the same classroom all day. Anything they could do to help continue making the transition as smooth as possible for both the children they would do.
They decided to go to Target to get some pencils and things ready for the week to come. Bobby decided to use their last weekend off before the kids start school to go out somewhere and do some fun things like go to the museum or aquarium. Bobby felt like they had been stuck in the house a lot the past couple of weeks and it was time to start getting into the normal family rhythm. Time to start taking advantage of their time off to do as many fun things as possible. They would do their best to make sure it was things both children could enjoy as having a teenager and a small child can be challenging. For now as Maddie was finding her feet she was happy to go wherever Evan wanted.
Bobby had picked up Evan about halfway through the store, they were approaching his bedtime by staying out this long, but he was excited to get some stationary. He was holding a tub of animal themed crayons when he had fallen asleep in Bobby's arms. "Aw our little man all tired out from school," Athena says quietly when she notices. It has been one of the busiest days for Evan, so they weren't surprised that he had fallen asleep a little earlier than normal. Bobby carefully adjusted him so that he was as comfortable as possible while he slept. Maddie took the crayon tub and put it in the cart so it wouldn't get lost on the way to the checkout as they had more shopping to do still.
They hadn't realized until Bobby was about to start cooking dinner yesterday that they were running low on the staples. Evan seemed to be going through a growth spurt as well as his appetite has grown a lot. For most of the last two or so weeks they had been his foster parents he had a very small appetite for a six year old. Then again they were only eating whatever Maddie felt comfortable cooking, which wouldn't be a lot for a child trying to raise her own brother from the age of 9. The doctors did note they were both underweight, but they were working on it. Bobby's cooking had done a lot of good for them both, so it was great that he enjoyed cooking so much.
Evan stayed asleep throughout the rest of the shopping trip and Bobby only had to adjust him once. He was still too light for the firefighter's liking, but it was being improved. They had bumped into his current fire department captain whilst they were in the produce isle, and he got to meet Maddie officially and Evan was asleep the entire time. "You've got a good little family here Bobby, you kids are welcome at the station any time your dad is on shift," he tells them. He was going to do his best to help Bobby and Athena get the kids settled fully into their life. They could be in the middle of a shift and Maddie and Evan might need their dad and they'd do anything to make sure that it would happen.
"That would be great thank you. I bet Evan would love to see a firetruck," Maddie says, with a sad smile. It was unfair that Evan had barely been outside in his short life. He had never seen any emergency service vehicles in his life until the police car pulled up outside their tiny little Los Angeles house two and a half weeks ago. They didn't go to the hospital in an ambulance, but he watched curiously as several drove past whilst they were waiting. Most of the time when they were in the car he would watch the world pass him by as if it were the best thing he ever saw. It hurt Athena's heart to watch her son like that. It sucks that he has missed out on so much.
Evan was still asleep when they reached the car, he must have been exhausted. Then again the teacher told them he was very happy playing and coloring for that hour they had been gone. The more distractions he had the better he would probably settle in. It had been working well for them so far as his days were filled with playing, coloring, or watching cartoons on the television. He was enjoying Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles the most so far. It was his second favorite thing apart from the tons of animal documentaries Bobby had managed to get hold of. Bobby had successfully master the art of getting the small child into his car seat and out of it into the house without waking him. He could get him changed but it tended to wake him up long enough for his teeth to be cleaned.
The same happened tonight, Bobby was guessing it was from the cast being bumped. He couldn't wait till the poor kid could get the bulky thing off. The more adventurous and confident he was getting with his play and his curiosity the more he was finding the cast a hinderance and annoying. He had whined to them earlier that he wanted it off, but the breaks needed another 6 weeks to heal maximum and 4 minimum and that was a long time to a small child. Not to mention how itchy it was becoming in there. In about four weeks he would have another appointment to see if the cast was ready to come off and Bobby and Athena were going to push to have it changed at the very lest if he needed another two weeks with it and give them the opportunity to at least give him a break and clean it.
They knew the likelihood of being able to have a break like they want him to have would be slim, but they were going to try anyway. They can imagine that the smell that arm would have once the cast comes off wouldn't be pleasant. "Daddy, when can I get the cast off?" A very sleepy Evan asks when they were in the bathroom. He had tried to put the toothpaste on his brush himself, but he was struggling and getting very clearly frustrated with the situation. Bobby reassured him by rubbing his shoulder before helping him put the toothpaste on. The boy had grown in confidence even more the last few days and with it came the stubbornness which had helped him this far.
"In at least another four weeks buddy. I know it's a long time, but the doctors want to make sure it's all fixed, so you don't have to have surgery on it," Bobby answers. There was no sugar coating with him either. He huffed in annoyance and Bobby had to hold back the chuckle. It would be teasing the poor child if he did. It wasn't fair on him as it wasn't like he had asked to have his arm broken. He had been dealing with it incredibly well so far for a small child. He had barely complained until now. In fact there had been a lot that had gone on in a short space of time and a lot of big changes and neither child had complained once. Athena and Bobby wouldn't be angry or mad at them if they did. After all they had a lot they could rightfully complain about.
Evan asked Bobby if he could carry him back to bed and Bobby obliged happily. They are only little for so long, so he was going to savoir every moment. It also seemed to soothe the youngster who was back sleeping soundly before he had even made it over the threshold to his bedroom. Bobby hesitated for a moment before putting the kid down into bed. One day he was going to be too old for cuddles like this, he was going to be around to see Evan grow and develop into a fine young man. It was times like this where loosing Robert Jr and Brooke hurt just that little bit more. He took a moment to take a deep breath, feeling Evan's little breaths against his neck as he slept.
Eventually Bobby placed the sleeping child into his bed and tucked him in with his favorite stuffed animals by his side as usual. Athena had been watching from a distance the whole time. She knew today would be bringing up a lot of emotions for her husband. His children never made it to high school. The thought of taking his daughter to her dances and scaring off her first boyfriend were dreams now becoming reality. "You are doing amazing darling," she says, wrapping her arms around his waist as she walked into their son's room feeling the need to comfort him. They watched as their son slept peacefully as he should and could hear that Maddie was in the bathroom having a shower.
"I know, it just hit me as I was holding him that I am holding my son in my arms and he's not going anywhere. I have a daughter who I can take to father daughter dances and hear her complain when I chase off her first boyfriend. I have a son who I can teach the recipes I was taught as a child and can teach how to treat his partner right," Bobby says, for once letting a few precious tears slip. He had always been a private man, never letting his emotions getting the better of him, but tonight in the comfort of his own home in the arms of the woman he loved he cried. Athena had him turn around so he could be comforted by her in their son's room. They were lucky that he slept through the entire thing otherwise they'd feel the small arms trying to comfort them both.
Not that they would mind it, but he was too young to know about what happened back in Minnesota yet. They wouldn't keep it from him forever though. They would talk to both children about it and do something to honor those two. He feels like it is important that he doesn't forget them or Marcy either. He had calmed down before Maddie was done with her shower and they were watching their show in the living room as normal. Maddie was doing her own thing until she joined them for their show they watch as a trio. They had been talking about what they were thinking would happen next and it was their way of having some time with their teen before she goes to bed.
The routine they had made was working perfectly. They were getting as much equal time with Maddie and Evan as they could. The children also had their chances to have their space as the adults prepared for everything to change again. Michael was a good cook, but he requested that Bobby leave some of his meals in the fridge because they all called him the best cook. They were the best comfort meals after a long day. Michael was going to be coming over during the next couple of weeks to see how the after school routine works as he would be taking over soon enough. Athena was going to show him the photos she had taken of the two that morning as if it was practice for their first day of school photos she'd be taking on Monday.
After two episodes Maddie says her goodnights and heads off to bed. "We've got a pretty perfect little family here," Athena says. She was glad that the anxiety that knotted her stomach had all gone away. They had some pretty strong kids who took everything in their stride. Just two weeks ago they were terrified and unsure of what was going on or what was going to happen next. Now they have a bright future ahead of them. Bobby smiles at her as they watched their own show for one episode before they went to bed themselves. It was nice having some evening time to themselves as they would often be like passing boats depending on shift times.
Bobby wasn't a huge fan of starting a twelve hour shift as Athena was finishing hers, but that was the sacrifice they made to have the jobs they wanted. She always wanted to be a cop and it was her dream and being a firefighter was a generational thing for Bobby. Now that Evan and Maddie were here maybe they would want to follow similar career paths when they are older. They are not going to be forced into that career path if they don't want to, it is up to them what they want to do, and Bobby and Athena will be there as supportive parental figures or parents no matter what. Evan could join the Navy SEALS for all they cared, and they would still be there for him.
There was a small whimper that interrupted their final episode of their television show for the night. Evan had another nightmare and was standing at the doorway with his lion stuffed animal in his hands and tears were flowing down his cheeks. "Aw baby come here," Athena says, getting up to meet him halfway and scoop him up into her arms. The stuffed animal fell to the floor as he clung to her as his small cries turned into heartbreaking sobs. She held him so one hand was on the back of his head and the other holding him close as she gently started rocking side to side. She wasn't going to shush him as she felt that it was important to let him get his emotions out.
Bobby had paused the show when they discovered that their son was having a nightmare. He got up and joined Athena in comforting Evan. He stood behind her and put his hand on their sons back as they worked in perfect harmony to calm him down. They are not going to ask him what happened. If he wants to then he will tell them what happened but that was very rare. After a few minutes Athena needed the bathroom, so Bobby took over holding Evan and asked him if he wanted to try and get back to sleep in his bed. He was always welcome in their bed, but he wanted to try sleep again on his own. Bobby carried him to his room and laid on the bed with him.
Athena walked in with the forgotten toy and joined him on the other side of Evan, so he had both parents with him. Bobby took the toy off her and started a story about how the lion was a superhero here to chase all of the bad dreams away. It worked a treat as Evan had quickly managed to fall back to sleep and was able to let them leave the room to finish their episode before they went to bed themselves. "You really are the best story teller. I seriously think you should record you telling stories even if they are just for Evan for the nights you aren't here," Athena says. Bobby takes a moment to consider it all, it probably would help Evan if he had his stories.
"For Evan I will definitely record some stories, I don't know about writing and selling stories for the wider public. Not yet at least, I don't know if my stories are any good," Bobby says. To Athena, Maddie, and Evan they were some of the best stories they had ever heard, but Athena knew he wouldn't take their word for it. He would tell Athena that they were only saying that because they loved him. It will take him a while before he gets the confidence that he would need to put a children's book out there. For now though he is more than happy to read or make up stories to his son.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
and that is the end of another chapter. Hope you enjoyed.
11 | Page