Chapter 5
CHAPTER
FIVE
Ash
“It’ll work for now until we get the house finished,” Rebel says as we look around the new suite of rooms we moved into.
Instead of one bedroom, this one has two, and Marnie and Holly have been hard at work getting it set up with everything a little five-year-old girl could possibly ever want or need. Our suites are really like mini apartments, complete with a sitting area and a small kitchenette.
“True, true. I just can’t believe how fast all of this has happened,” I admit, looking at my best friend.
Practically as soon as I made the call to the Department of Family and Children Services, I was put in touch with Aileen Jackson, Becca’s caseworker.
Marnie and I went in and met with her, I gave her the information I had, and after she confirmed it, she called to let me know that Becca would be coming to live with us.
“Hopefully, she likes it,” I murmur while looking around her room.
Marnie and Holly decided to create a fairytale forest, so her bed resembles a treehouse, complete with a solid wood ladder that’ll allow her to climb up to the bed, as well as sturdy railings to keep her from falling out, something I was worried about considering Marnie says she’s tiny for her age.
Not that it’s all that high up, but it’s still off the ground enough that underneath, there’s a cozy area for her to read or do her homework, since we put in a desk, along with bookshelves, and a futon.
She’s probably on the smaller side because of the malnourishment, my mind whispers.
Once again, I find myself irrationally angry with my sister, Alice.
Granted when we were growing up, she was extremely selfish, but I would’ve never expected her to abuse a child, especially not one that has the same blood flowing through her veins.
“I think she will,” Rebel replies, grinning as he looks at the mural that Prophet painted that depicts small animals and fairies peeking out from the woodland forest he created in a complimentary theme to go along with the bed.
“He’s got so much talent, I kind of wish he’d be willing to open a tattoo parlor.
Hell, he can ink with the best of them.”
I shrug and say, “I don’t remember why he laid his gun down, but until he’s ready to pick it back up again, we need to let him be.” He still works on the brothers, which is good for us, of course, but the world at large is missing out on his talent.
He sighs and states, “Yeah, I know, brother, just wishful thinking, I guess.”
“Okay, let’s get these dressers where the women wanted them so they can put up the clothes and shit,” I instruct.
This is where Marnie and I had our first true disagreement as a couple.
I wanted to go nuts and buy everything I saw, but Marnie told me we needed to wait.
She feels that it’ll overwhelm Becca, and it would be better for her in the long run.
I finally conceded that she was right after I stopped and thought about it.
She made a lot of sense when she reminded me that we didn’t know her personality, so buying a bunch of toys, and even clothes, could backfire on us if she preferred other things besides what we had bought.
So, besides the little bookshelf, desk, and futon underneath the loft bed, we have a teddy bear currently sitting on her pillow, waiting for her arrival, with age-appropriate books based on what Holly suggested, since Becca’s in the same class as Mina.
We also got her a tablet that has educational games on them because her caseworker said she was still getting caught up with her classmates in some areas.
Hopefully, it’ll make her feel welcome because from what Mrs. Jackson told us, she’s had a tumultuous few years.
Once we’re done inspecting the room and setup, we leave and head downstairs where our two ol’ ladies are cooking up a storm.
Becca will be here after school lets out, and despite not wanting a lot of fanfare so we don’t scare her, Marnie and I want her to see that she’s now got a large family at her back, one that won’t starve her and will give her all the attention she should’ve been getting all along from her family.
“I’m kind of nervous,” Marnie whispers as we sit in the common room waiting for Becca and her caseworker to arrive. Thankfully, Rebel told the club girls it was ‘family only’ so they’re not lounging around and giving the wrong impression of us and how we operate.
In fact, since we’ll have Becca here for the foreseeable future until our house is finished being built, they’ve been banished until after nine at night, and have to be gone before seven in the morning.
It was the best compromise we could come up with considering the fact that most of the men here are single and need a stress-reliever from time to time.
“It’s going to be fine, sweetheart,” I reply, trying to reassure her.
“What if she doesn’t like us?” She persists with her questions just as the door opens and Mrs. Jackson walks in, followed by the tiniest little pixie I’ve ever seen. Behind them are Colt and Preston, our two prospects. Colt is wheeling in a large suitcase, while Preston has two boxes in his arms.
Before I can answer her, Mrs. Jackson reaches us and holds out her hand. “Mr. Stanton, how are you today?” she asks.
“Ash, please,” I reply. “We’re doing fine. Colt, Preston, can y’all take that up to Becca’s room, please?” They nod in response, so I return my focus to the little girl who’s staring up at Mrs. Jackson, a mixture of hope and fear on her face.
Crouching down, I reach out my hand and say, “Hey, I’m Ash, your uncle, and this is Marnie, my ol’ lady. You must be Becca. I’m so very happy to meet you.”
She shyly smiles and waves, saying, “Hi,” in a voice that’s so soft, I have to strain to hear her.
“Hi, sweetheart. You look just like your daddy did when he was a little boy,” I reply.
Her eyes go wide as she asks, “Really? I… I don’t remember them too good anymore.”
“Well, I remember him, although I don’t know if I ever met your mommy, so I’ll share all the stories I have about your dad, okay?” I query. “Do you remember Marnie?” I ask, reintroducing her since I think it got brushed over. “She’s my ol’ lady.”
“What’s an ol’ lady?” she asks, looking at Marnie, who’s now crouched down next to me.
“It means she’s my wife in the motorcycle club world,” I reply. “Although, I plan to marry her as well at some point.” I hear the gasp from Marnie and smirk when she looks at me, her eyes huge, like a cartoon character.
Marnie opens her mouth to say something, except it’s drowned out by Mina, who all but screams, “Becca! You’re here!”
I help Marnie up and we watch, along with Mrs. Jackson and the brothers, as the two little girls hug each other while jumping up and down, excitedly chattering their little hearts out.
“Well, I think she’s going to settle in just fine,” Mrs. Jackson murmurs with a smile plastered on her face.
“Let me give you this information and documentation then I’ll get out of your hair, so she understands that this is her new home.
” She hands me a file folder and at my raised brow, she quickly explains that it holds Becca’s vital information, such as her social security card, her birth certificate, and also her vaccination record.
“Thank you,” Marnie says, taking the file from my hands. “Do you know if she’s ever been to a dentist? If not, I’ll get that set up right away. Also, has she had her yearly checkup at the doctor?”
Mrs. Jackson genuinely smiles at Marnie’s questions.
“You’ll do just fine. She had a complete physical when she first came into care because of the circumstances.
The pediatrician had several recommendations in order to get her to optimal health, and Mrs. Talbot has been following them to a T.
In fact, there’s a letter in there from Pauline detailing what she’s done.
I think she has a dental appointment set up, and the information should be notated in there as well.
I’m sure you can understand that Pauline was prioritizing her health first, because she was a very sick little girl when we were made aware of the situation. ”
I can’t help the growl that escapes at her words; my sister has a lot to answer for someday.
I may no longer follow the edicts set forth in the religion my family was enamored with, but even I can recall how the congregation was told, over and over, that children were our future.
While I believe that myself, the rest of their rhetoric was plain old bullshit, which is one of the reasons I walked away.
“I’ll be sure to read through it and adjust my schedule accordingly, so she goes to that appointment. Thank you again, Mrs. Jackson, for everything,” Marnie says. “Would you like to see the room we created for her?”
“Well, I mean,” Mrs. Jackson starts, obviously flustered, “this isn’t like a normal foster situation.
The two of you are now her legal guardians based on the judge's decree, so I don’t actually have to do any kind of household inspections.
” Then she leans in and whispers, “But I’d love to see it because I know you called Pauline so you could get an idea of her likes. ”
“Then while the girls are celebrating, how about we take you up and show you?” I ask. Glancing at Holly, I ask, “Can you keep an eye on her for a few minutes?” Holly nods as Ruby joins the two giggling girls while Marnie and I lead Mrs. Jackson upstairs.
After she looks around the room, she turns to us, and I can see her eyes are wet and red-rimmed. “This is… she’s going to feel so secure here. What you’ve created in such a short amount of time is wonderful. I just know she’s going to have the best life ever.”
“We’re going to do everything in our power to make that a reality.
I’m so glad she had someone like Mrs. Talbot taking care of her until we found out about her existence,” I admit.
“Not gonna lie, my heart hurts for what she went through because of her aunt.” I can’t help the venom that escapes; I truly don’t understand why anyone would hurt a child, let alone one who they’re biologically related to.
“I suspect you’ll succeed marvelously. Now, if you opt to adopt her, please reach out to me. Because she was in the system, we have the connections to make that a painless process,” she advises.
“We likely will because she needs to know she’s a part of our family, especially if we choose to adopt other children down the line,” I tell her, Marnie pressed to my side. “We’ve got a lot of love to give.”
“We’ve got plenty of children who need homes when you’re ready,” Mrs. Jackson says. “So, you might want to get your foster parent certification because that process is different from what we’re doing with Becca.”
“I’ll look online and see when the classes start,” Marnie says. “But I think for a while it needs to just be Becca.”
“I agree. We’ll know when the time is right to change that,” I add. “Now, we should head back downstairs since this is all new to Becca.”
Dinner went off without a hitch, and the excitement the three little girls added to the table full of my brothers had everyone chuckling at one point or another.
Right now, I’m thankful it’s the holiday week, because there’s no way we’ll get her settled down, so she gets enough rest for school, and tomorrow’s going to be a busy day.
“Do you think she’ll want to go with me to help deliver the Thanksgiving boxes, or stay here and help you, Grammy, Holly, and the girls with the baking?” I ask Marnie as we head upstairs.
Mina is still here because she wanted to see Becca’s bedroom, so Ruby, Rebel, Holly, and PJ are trailing behind.
“Oh, she wants to help bake,” Holly says. “She heard Grammy talking about it, then Mina chimed in and told her how much fun she would have.”
In years past, we catered our Thanksgiving meal, but when Holly and Rebel got together, things changed. Now, we all go out to Esther and Paul’s house, where so much food is prepared, we all come back to the clubhouse with plenty of leftovers.
“Then that’s what we’ll do,” Marnie decrees, grinning. “Holly, does Esther have another small apron for Becca? I didn’t think about getting one with all the shopping I did.”
Holly giggles while nodding. “When she heard what was happening, she went out and got the same stuff that the girls have so she’s all set to bake and cook at Grammy’s.”
I can’t help the smile that crosses my face. My family, my chosen family, has already taken Becca into their hearts. I send a look upward and hope that David and his wife can see that their little girl will be well taken care of from here on out.
I’m sitting in the living room of our suite, listening to the giggles coming from the bathroom as I slowly go through the file that Mrs. Jackson gave us.
Becca’s clothes and stuff she brought from Mrs. Talbot’s house have already been put away, and the few pictures of her and her parents are now placed in the living room, as well as one on her little desk.
Her mom is someone I vaguely recognize from years ago.
She and her parents were parishioners in the church we attended.
Still, I didn’t know her well, and something must have happened with her family for Becca to eventually end up in foster care.
I’m so lost in thought that I don’t immediately see Becca standing in front of me, a book in her hand. “Ash?” Marnie softly calls.
“Hmm?” My head snaps up and I see Becca, dressed in a princess nightshirt with her hair covered in a bonnet as she moves from foot to foot. “Well, I didn’t know Olaf was going to visit us,” I tease, referring to her character nightgown. “Do you want me to read to you, sweetheart?”
She shyly nods but doesn’t waste any time climbing up next to me and handing me the book. “You like this one?” I ask, looking at the cover.
“Frog and Toad are funny,” she whispers, almost as if she’s afraid to talk.
“Well then, let’s see what they’re up to, okay?” I ask, placing a kiss on her forehead.