by Twila

Feedback is always welcome: twila@e-scribblers.com.

Copyright © 2008 by Twila. All Rights Reserved.

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Halfway through the movie, Katie and Bryan were sound asleep and were carried upstairs and tucked in bed. Molly re-took her place in her mommy’s lap once she’d returned and Megan joined her momma.

“Lizzie,” Andy called softly and once Lizzie looked over at her, patted her other thigh, the one Megan wasn’t sitting on. She was disappointed when Lizzie shook her head. Andy looked to Allie, who happened to be closer to Lizzie. Allie got her message and leaned over to whisper something in Lizzie’s ear.

Lizzie was very surprised when her new mom whispered in her ear. She looked at her and then her new momma in disbelief. She was thirteen, not a baby, although she was a little jealous of Megan and Molly. She stared at them a minute, trying to figure out if they were serious before hesitantly scooting over to Andy. When Andy smiled at her and reached out a hand to help, Lizzie relaxed and took the spot next to Megan. She tensed briefly when her momma hugged her, but then relaxed and enjoyed the contact.

Andy smiled over Lizzie’s head at Allie and winked at her.

Lizzie thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the movie. It had been so long since she’d been held that she sat and absorbed the warmth and feeling of security that Andy’s arms provided. She was so relaxed that she almost dozed off and didn’t even realize the movie was over until her momma whispered in her ear.

“Time to go to bed, baby.”

Lizzie almost cried at the endearment and reluctantly scooted of her new momma’s lap and stood up, not sure what to do. She jumped when her hand was taken and her head jerked up to see her momma smiling at her. Lizzie watched as she took Megan’s hand too and they headed upstairs, Molly and their mom in front of them.

Lizzie headed into her room with Megan following. They brushed their teeth, took turns in the bathroom and then told each other goodnight and headed to their prospective beds. Megan had told Lizzie that their moms would be in after tucking Molly in. Lizzie laid in bed waiting. She liked this part of having a family, if it happened every night like it did last night. Lizzie had been quite surprised to have both her moms come in, tell her goodnight, talk to her for a few minutes, the kiss her and tuck her in bed. She jumped because her mom’s were suddenly there beside her and she hadn’t heard them.

“Relax, baby. We just came to tell you good night.” Andy sat down on one side of Lizzie while Allie sat on the other, both women leaning in to give her a hug.

Lizzie smiled and relaxed.

“Is there anything we need to talk about, clear up, answer for you?” Allie asked softly.

Lizzie shook her head.

“No, Lizzie.”

Her momma’s tone didn’t sound good even in a whisper. Lizzie quickly corrected herself.

“No questions about school tomorrow or church today?” Allie reiterated.

“No, ma’am.”

“Okay, then.” Neither Allie nor Andy were convinced Lizzie didn’t have questions, they had talked about it earlier, but both were letting her set the pace.

Lizzie got her hugs and kisses and tucked in tight before her parents left. She laid there for a while and reviewed the last couple of days. Even though some things were a little stricter here, with the ‘ma’ams’ and punishments, Lizzie found herself hoping that they wouldn’t change their mind and send her back. Was that a possibility? Could they decide they didn’t want her after all and send her back? That thought made Lizzie very sad and sort of depressed. She had trouble falling asleep after that.

The next morning, Lizzie was shaken awake like yesterday. She realized it was Megan though, at least. “Go away,” she muttered.

“Lizzie, it’s time to get up for school,” Megan said.

“Later. Go away.” Lizzie buried her head under her pillow and tried to go back to sleep.

“Elizabeth Ann!”

Lizzie jumped, not only at the tone, but her full name being said. She jerked upright to see her momma standing by her bed, hands on her hips and a frown on her face.

“It’s time to get up, Lizzie. Megan told you that. Is something wrong?”

Lizzie stared at her a minute, trying to wake up.

Andy sat down beside her newest daughter, not missing the tired look on her face. She reached out and brushed the hair out of her eyes. “You didn’t sleep well, did you?” Lizzie didn’t answer. She didn’t have to. The drop in gaze told Andy what she needed to know.

“Why?”

Lizzie shrugged her shoulders.

Andy debated a minute. They really needed to get moving before they were late for school, but Andy didn’t want to pass up an opportunity for Lizzie to open up some. She made her decision and reached over, lifting Lizzie up and sitting a startled Lizzie on her lap.

Lizzie was a little shocked at the swiftness of that maneuver and tensed at first, confused. When arms came around her to hug her tight, she relaxed into the embrace.

“Why couldn’t you sleep? Something wrong with your room?”

Lizzie shook her head.

Andy let her. “Something bothering you?” There was a pause before Andy felt Lizzie shrug her shoulders.

“What was bothering you, baby?” Andy asked gently in Lizzie’s ear.

The endearment caught Lizzie by surprise and before she could stop herself, she was sobbing in Andy’s arms.

Andy hugged her tight, kissing her head and soothing her. “It’s okay, baby. Whatever is wrong, we’ll take care of it. I just need for you to talk to me. Please, baby.”

“When…are…you…sending…me…back?” Lizzie got out between sobs.

Andy was stunned. “What do you mean, sending you back, Lizzie?” Andy set Lizzie forward and turned her until she was facing Andy. Andy tilted her face up until Lizzie was looking at her. “Lizzie, baby, you’re our daughter now, even if those papers haven’t arrived yet. That doesn’t matter. You are our daughter and you will always be our daughter. Okay?”

“What if I do something you don’t like?”

Andy wiped the tears off Lizzie’s face. “No matter what you do, ever, you will always be our daughter. Okay?”

Lizzie stared at her a minute. “Really?”

Andy smiled. “Really.” She let that sink in a minute. “Is that why you couldn’t sleep last night? You thought we were going to send you back today?”

“Maybe not today, but sometime,” Lizzie whispered, staring at her lap.

Andy pulled her back in her arms and squeezed her tight. “Never. So no more worrying about that. Promise?”

Lizzie nodded.

“Anything else bothering you while we’re talking?” Andy asked gently.

Lizzie hesitated before replying, “School.”

“Well, that we’re going to have to take one day at a time and see how it goes. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Anything else?”

Lizzie shook her head.

“Okay, then two things. One, you need to get dressed and downstairs for breakfast, school starts at nine sharp. And two, please stop nodding and shaking your head at me. Okay?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Thank you.”

Lizzie did not like her first day of home schooling at all! By lunchtime, she was frustrated and angry and no amount of apologizing or consoling by her moms changed that fact.

Andy decided they needed to have a chat. While the rest of the family had lunch, Andy took Lizzie to the study. She sat her down on the table in front of her.

“I realize you’re frustrated with all the tests, Lizzie, and we’ve apologized over and over for making you take them,” Andy stated. “We’ve also explained exactly why they are necessary and I believe you are old enough to understand without having a temper tantrum over it.”

Lizzie’s mouth dropped open at that and she looked at her momma in anger.

“Don’t tell me that’s not what it was,” Andy scolded. “That’s exactly how you were behaving, like Katie throwing a tantrum, except without the feet stomping that she tends to do.”

Lizzie didn’t know whether to be angry or laugh at the teasing tone.

Andy lifted Lizzie’s chin and grinned at her. She was happy when Lizzie grinned back. “I know it hadn’t been fun, baby,” she said gently. “But it’s necessary and we need for you to act your age and get through it without all the fuss. Okay?”

“Okay,” Lizzie said, although grudgingly.

“If you can’t,” Andy added her tone no longer gentle or teasing. “You can spend this afternoon writing about the regressive factors involved in throwing temper tantrums.”

Lizzie blushed.

“Is that clear, Lizzie?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Andy smiled. “Good. Let’s go have some lunch.”

Lunch was fine and the afternoon much better. Lizzie still didn’t enjoy doing all the tests but kept hold of her temper and tried to get through them.

“That’s the last one, hon.” Allie smiled at her newest daughter. “Thank you for doing them and since you managed to do them this afternoon without the tantrums you can read for a while.”

Lizzie stared at her in surprise. “Really? Even after…” she didn’t finish.

“Even after this morning, because, you listened to the lecture you received for it and corrected the behavior,” Allie explained.

“Oh,” Lizzie said, very surprised. She smiled and ran upstairs for her book.

Allie and Andy exchanged grins at her hasty departure.

“What are you going to do with her tomorrow?” Andy asked as she helped Allie arrange the school materials.

“Start on math, I guess. I thought about using her book that she’s reading and making her lessons from it,” Allie explained.

“Why don’t you?”

“I was hoping her curriculum would show up.”

“Well, hopefully tomorrow. The latest Wednesday, right?”

“That’s what it said when I ordered it. Hope they are right.”

That evening, after an early dinner, Lizzie was introduced to another “family” tradition – karate class.

“I’ll sit here and read,” Lizzie said, pointing to a chair outside the room where everyone was sitting.

“No, you won’t,” Andy said. She held out a bag to Lizzie, smiling. “Go with Megan and she’ll help you get dressed.”

Lizzie took the bag and stared at her.

“Go!” Andy said, much sterner.

Lizzie started to protest, but Megan and Molly grabbed her by the hands and before she knew it, she was in a dressing room being dressed in white pants and jacket to match theirs.

“I’ll fix your belt,” Megan said, taking the white belt from Lizzie’s hand and fixing it around her waist for her.

Lizzie noticed what she was doing and then noticed that Megan had a green belt and Molly a yellow one. “What do those mean?”

Megan quickly explained as they finished dressing and headed out. She stayed with Lizzie, showed her how to bow before entering the dojo and where to stand.

Lizzie was very surprised to see Bryan and Katie there, also with white belts, and then her mouth fell open because both her moms were in the front of the room, wearing black and red uniforms with black belts! Even Lizzie, in her limited exposure, know what a black belt was.

“Your moms are black belts?” she asked Megan incredulously.

“Our moms.” Megan grinned at her.

“Attention!” Andy called and both girls were quiet. “Let’s begin.”

Lizzie was in for more surprises that evening as Andy led the class and Allie helped her learn something called “forms” with Bryan, Katie and a couple more kids. Lizzie would have felt out of place if her mom hadn’t explained about everyone starting as a white belt – including herself and she had started as an adult!

“That was so cool,” Lizzie exclaimed as she, Megan and Molly were changing after class.

“Yeah, isn’t it,” Megan said.

“Do we get to do this again?” Lizzie asked.

“Oh, yeah. Three times a week,” Molly said.

“Cool.”

“We can help you at home too,” Megan offered, “to learn the forms.”

“That would be great,” Lizzie said. “thank you.”

“She seemed to really enjoy herself,” Andy smiled at her partner as they changed and got Katie and Bryan changed.

“Yes, she did. She practically bounced out of the room.” Allie grinned back.

“Hope that fascination sticks,” Andy said.

“Me too.”

“Did you enjoy yourself tonight, baby?” Andy hugged Lizzie as they tucked her in that night.

“It was so cool,” Lizzie said. “How long does it take to get your black belt?”

“At least four years,” Andy said and watched the smile fade from Lizzie’s face. “You can’t get your black belt until you are at least sixteen, no matter when you start.”

“Oh.” Lizzie paused. “So Megan has to wait six more years to get hers, even if she’s ready?”

“Yes, because you must be mature enough to handle the responsibility that goes along with the title.”

“Oh.”

“Are you excited about learning more?”

Lizzie nodded, lost in her thoughts.

“Where did you go to?” Andy teased.

Lizzie smiled. “Sorry. Does Megan mind?”

“No, she understands and anyway, she doesn’t need a black belt to be good. She’s good now and will only get better as she trains and practices,” Andy explained.

“Have you been doing this long?”

“Since I was Bryan’s age.”

“Oh,” Lizzie said, surprised. “Then you had to wait until you were sixteen?”

“Yes, I did. I had my red belt by the time I was Megan’s age. I had to train for six more years before receiving my black belt.”

“What do the extra stripes mean?”

“There are levels to black belts too. The more stripes, the higher the level.”

Lizzie nodded.

“Alright, baby. You need to get some sleep.”

Allie joined them then and they tucked Lizzie in, kissed her goodnight and said they’d see her in the morning.

Lizzie slept much better that night, but still didn’t want to get up the next morning when Megan tried to wake her up.

“Elizabeth Ann!”

Lizzie jumped and shot up in the bed again. “What?” she exclaimed, staring around sleepily.

Andy sat down beside her. “Time for school, young lady and Megan already told you that once.”

“Oh,” Lizzie said and slumped back, sleepily.

Andy watched her a minute, thinking, and then got up. She headed to the guest room, grabbed the clock on the table beside the bed and headed back to Lizzie’s room. She sat it on the table beside Lizzie’s bed, plugged it in and set it before addressing Lizzie again.

“Lizzie,” she called and waited until Lizzie was looking at her before continuing. “It’s 8:20. School starts at 9:00 sharp. You are to have eaten and be in your chair at that time. For every five minutes you are late, you lose a half hour of your free time. Clear?”

Lizzie’s muddled brain realized exactly what her momma was saying and she sat up and stared at her in horror, shaking her head.

“Yes, Lizzie,” Andy reiterated. “Nine sharp and no skipping breakfast, period. Get moving.” Andy left Lizzie to get it together.

Lizzie watched her momma leave and then jumped out of bed. She had brushed her teeth, dressed and was heading downstairs ten minutes later.

Allie smiled at a very tousled Lizzie who came bursting into the kitchen. She headed over to her, stroking her head as she stopped beside her. “You have time, hon. Relax. Go back upstairs and comb your hair, then come eat.”

“I can’t be late,” Lizzie said.

“You won’t be. Now go.” Allie said, shooing Lizzie back out. Once Lizzie left, she headed over to her partner who was helping Katie with breakfast. “What did you say to her?” she grinned.

Andy filled her in.

“Oh, well. I’d say it worked.”

“We’ll see if it continues to work,” Andy smiled.

Lizzie had a better day at school that day. She liked math and didn’t mind doing that. When her mom told her to go get her book she was reading, Lizzie stared at her in confusion for a minute before obeying. She returned to school and sat down. She was quite shocked when her mom handed her some papers with questions on it. After reading the first one, she looked up in surprise.

“You may use your book, if you need to, hon, but I want good, complete answers to those questions.” Allie smiled at the still stunned look on her daughter’s face.

It took Lizzie a minute to realize she was serious. She got to use her reading books for school? It floored Lizzie but she quickly got busy in case her mom changed her mind.

It was tough work but Lizzie didn’t mind at all because she loved re-reading her book for the answers. Bu lunchtime, she’d made it halfway through the worksheet.

Andy joined them for lunch and was very pleased to learn that Lizzie had a good morning. She hugged her daughter and told her she was very proud of her and to keep it up.

Lizzie did until later that afternoon. She’d finished her worksheet and her mom had handed her a history worksheet and a book to use. Katie and Bryan had been taken upstairs for naps.

“I hate this crap.” Lizzie slammed her book on the table.

Megan and Molly jumped.

“It’s just history,” Megan soothed. “And besides, after that, you should be done.”

“I still hate it.” Lizzie angrily flung the book open.

When Allie returned from settling Katie and Bryan, she knew immediately that there would be trouble. Lizzie was muttering angrily under her breath and flipping the pages so hard Allie was pretty sure she was going to rip them. She headed over to her and grabbed her hand.

“That’s enough, Lizzie. Why don’t you go take a break and calm down,” Allie suggested.

Lizzie jumped up from the table, almost flipping over her chair and took off out of the room.

Allie shook her head and turned to find Molly and Megan looking at her. “It’s okay. Finish up and I’ll get her settled.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the girls replied and got busy with their work.

Allie headed after Lizzie, although not really sure where she’d go. She spotted her outside as she came through the kitchen. Allie opened the back door and stepped out on the deck, standing there and watching Lizzie for a minute. Lizzie was stomping around the yard, kicking sticks and rocks and muttering under her breath. Allie let her, knowing she needed to work out her anger and hoping that would help. After ten minutes, Lizzie had slowed down and was just pacing. Allie decided to see if she was ready to talk. She had popped inside to check on the kids and knowing they were okay, she walked off the deck and over to Lizzie.

“Lizzie?” she called, softly.

Lizzie jumped and jerked around. She had been so involved in her thoughts that she hadn’t known anyone was there. She stared at her mom.

“Are you ready to go back in?” Allie asked gently, opening her arms to Lizzie.

Lizzie hesitated all of two seconds before flinging herself into her mom’s arms and crying.

“Shhh, honey. It’s okay. It’s okay to be angry. Let it out,” Allie soothed, stroking her daughter’s hair.

Lizzie just cried until she couldn’t cry any more.

Allie pulled a tissue out of her pocket, wiped Lizzie’s face and then let her blow her nose. “Okay, now?”

Lizzie nodded. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I get like that.”

“I don’t know either, but I’m very proud of you for the way you handled it.”

Lizzie stepped back and stared at her in shock.

“Not the slamming of your book, hon, but you didn’t blow up at me and you left to calm down on your own. Right?”

Lizzie nodded.

“Do you know what made you so angry? You’ve been doing great all morning.”

“I hate history,” Lizzie muttered.

Allie grinned. “I gathered that, but hon, what I don’t understand is that you read all of these books that are full of history. Why is that so different?”

Lizzie didn’t have an answer for that. “But they aren’t history books,” she stated.

“No, they aren’t. Okay. I guess I understand that, but history is something everyone needs to study whether we like it or not. For today, I need for you to finish what I gave you. Next time we do history it will be from one of your books. Deal?” Allie held her hand out.

Lizzie grinned and shook it. “Deal.”

“Good girl.” Allie hugged her again, left one arm around her shoulders and led her back inside.

Lizzie managed to finish her work that day although it was quite a feat for her. Her mom sitting down with her to do it, made the difference and Lizzie’s growing temper abated.

After dinner that night, Lizzie was concerned when her momma told her she wanted to talk to Lizzie in the study. Lizzie went hesitantly. She was soon seated in the chair in front of her momma’s desk.

“I hear you had a rough afternoon,” Andy stated, watching Lizzie sitting beside her.

Ut-oh. Am I in trouble? Lizzie whispered, “Yes, ma’am.”

“I also hear that you handled yourself very well and I wanted to say that I’m proud of you.”

Lizzie’s head shot up and she stared at her momma in surprise. “But I …” she stammered.

Andy held up her hand. “I know you showed your temper, but you didn’t have a temper tantrum, did you?”

“No, ma’am. Not really.”

“Sometimes we all need to bang a few things, Lizzie. And there’s nothing wrong with that as long as we maintain control. And you did. You didn’t do anything else, or say anything else, and you obeyed mom. That’s what I’m proud of. Okay?” Andy smiled at her. When Lizzie smiled back, Andy leaned over and pulled her into a tight hug. “Hang in there, baby. I promise things will get easier. It’s just going to take a little time to figure out what you need. Okay?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Continued in Part 9

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