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four: first day

Jade

The kids were still asleep when Richie and Dinah woke up. They asked a million and one questions, in which I couldn't give much detail. We just sent them downstairs in the playroom in the meantime.

Ma was asleep as well, so Leigh and I decided to make breakfast for everyone.

"Whaddya think they like?" I ask her while putting bacon in the oven. "Honestly, I think they wouldn't care. But we gotta be careful not to over feed them. They look pretty malnourished," she replies, flipping pancakes.

Just as she said that, the little girl comes in barefoot and holding a stuffed bunny close to her. She rubs her tired green eyes while yawning.

"Hey, there," Leigh says softly. The girl furrows her brows and look between us two. "W-Where's Miss Mamani?" She asks in a very small voice. I almost didn't hear her.

"She's asleep right now. Are you hungry?" The girl nods, but stands in the doorway awkwardly. "C'mon, breakfast is almost done," I hold my arms out and she hesitantly lets me pick her up.

She immediately buries her face in my neck and inhales. "Y-You smell like the nice lady," she stutters. Leigh and I exchange glances.

"Yeah, that's our momma," I say to her and she lifts her head curiously. "Really?" Leigh snickers and I squint playfully at her.

"Yeah," I answer the younger child and she hums. "I-Is the white police your daddy?" I hum affirmatively. "Ooh. So, y-you're black and white?"

"Yes, ma'am," Leigh replies while putting pancakes on a plate. "Ooh, c-can I have some?" The girl asks excitedly and my sister pokes her belly, making her giggle. "Of course. Is your brother awake?"

Right when she said that, we hear a loud cry followed by sobbing. Leigh rushes to the living room and the little girl squirms out of my hold. She runs right to the living room and we follow.

What we see is the little girl cradling the very small boy like a baby. She shushes him softly and speaks to him as such. He calms down a little, wiping his face on his loose blue dinosaur shirt.

"Wanna eat?" She asks in Spanish and he nods. "Pancakes?" He nods again.

Leigh and I exchange glances before returning to the kitchen. We say nothing as we prepare their plates.

Seconds later, both come in, hand in hand with him being very close to her. The boy had a stuffed otter under his arm with his thumb in his mouth. "Good mornin', loves," Leigh smiles and the boy just stares at her.

"Erick, s-she told us good morning," she whispers to him and he removes his thumb. "G'mornin'," he says quietly.

"C'mon, let's wash y'all's hands before you eat, okay?" I say while ushering them to the bathroom.

After both pairs of small hands were nice and clean, Erick sits in a chair next to his sister, reconnecting their hands.

Leigh cut up a pancake into fours with a bit of eggs and grits on the side. I busied myself by getting them sippy cups of juice. Richie and DJ may not like it at first, but they're gonna have to get use to sharing if these two are gonna live with us.

When we sat the food in front of them, Erick shoves a pancake and some eggs in his mouth by hand.

"Slow down, sweetie or you'll make yourself sick," I say softly and he bows his head. "Here, and use a this, okay?" I add while picking up the little utensil. He takes it timidly and scoops up some eggs.

It all fell in his lap before the spoon came to his mouth. He immediately eats off of his lap and once again, I had to tell him to slow down. His eyes then starts to water, "I can't."

I pout a bit and open my arms to him. He hesitates then does the same, letting me hold him. He sniffles in my ear while laying on my shoulder."Yes, you can. It's okay. Do you want some juice?"

He nods, but doesn't budge. "Here, I got it," my sister says and offers him the PJ Masks themed sippy cup.

He takes it and sat up right to drink from it. "Better?" I ask after he takes several gulps from the cup. He sighs and nods, "Yeah."

"Leigh, can you get me somethin' to clean these eggs up?" I say after getting Erick back in his seat. "Yeah, I got it," she says and fetches the broom and dustpan.

"Um, s-so what y-you names?" Lauren asks. My eyes widen when I see her plate is clean. They must still feel starved. Poor things.

"I'm Jade and that's Leigh-Anne," I say just as my sister walks in. "Oh, I-I'm Lauren and this is E-Erick," she says. Her brother was too busy eating to acknowledge her.

He was eating more slowly and I couldn't help but smile and move his soft hair back. He then looks up at me with green eyes and a bit of grits on his lip. I take a tissue and wipe his mouth for him.

"H-How old a-are you?"

"I'm 11 and she's 10," Leigh answers this time. "I'm four!" Erick suddenly says while holding up three fingers. I help him put up another, "I'm four!" He repeats when he has the right amount.

"I'm this many," Lauren puts up a whole hand and an extra finger. So my guess was true.

Richie and DJ walks in then stops when they see the new kids. Surprisingly, they both get up and reunite with their new friends. I smile to myself since it's honestly so cute.

"Leigh-Leigh, Jadey, these are our friends from the park!" Dinah says with lit up eyes. Like they haven't been asking a thousand questions earlier.

"I know. And guess what?" Leigh says while putting two more plates on the opposite side of the table.

"Are they stayin' with us??" Richie's eyes were wide with excitement. "Mhm," I nod. "Go wash y'all's hands," I tell them and Richie practically gallops off while cheering.

The siblings got back in their seats, seemingly more comfortable now.

"Um, J-Jade?"

"Yes, Lauren?"

"Um, what's th-that big, b-black s-square thing?" She points in the direction of the living room. I furrow my eyebrows, "What black square?"

"Y'know. It's r-right there," she continues pointing and we both look to see what she's talking about. "The TV?" Leigh-Anne asks, just as confused as me.

"What's a TV?" Erick asks then, furthering our perplexity. "You've... never seen a TV?"

"What's a TV??" He repeats, sounding a little agitated. "It's somethin' you can watch stuff on. Look," Leigh goes over to our TV and turns it slightly towards them.

She turns it on and PJ Masks pops up. The theme song is playing and next we know, Richie starts singing it at the top of his lungs.

"Shh! Mommy still sleep," Dinah says, taking a seat. I make their plates and set them in front of my little brother and sister. "Y'all want some bacon?"

"Yes," both say as the small siblings eyes' stay glued to the show.

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