Adopted by "Lizzie" Olsen

08: Sleeping is Crap

1218 Words [This chapter feels stretched, the next chapter will hopefully be better]

Lizzie's POV

I think I went too far with my rant but when she said. "Can we start with small steps? Like some small things please?" I knew she want to try and that's all I could ask for. 

"Of course, sweetheart do you have any ideas and where you like to start?" I asked to hopefully start a real conversation.

"I don't know if I have any interests, do you have something in mind?" She stuttered while speaking the crying calmed down to just the tears still left in her eyes.

"How about we start tomorrow we can go out and do some shopping, by getting you some new clothes, but first I would like to get you a phone and laptop if you're okay with that?" I know giving a 9-year-old a phone isn't great for parenting but I want to be able to contact her if she ever gets separated which I feel is going to happen more than I would like.

"That's fine." 

"Are you sure we can find something else?" I paused looking for an answer, but all she did was nod. "Okay go eat I ordered takeout before you got woke up, do you want to try some foods?"

"Sure, I'm kind of hungry anyway." 

"Okay, I ordered chinses food." Thankfully the talk I had with Tammy gave me some details on her favorite foods, and what she preferred. 

"Can I go to the bathroom before dinner?" 

Of course, do you know where it is?" She nodded before walking away. I walked to the kitchen and started to separate the foods a bit before Tammy spoke. 

"I'm going to head home so you guys can enjoy your dinner, my family is waiting for me so they can start dinner." 

"Of course, I'm so sorry for keeping you so long." 

"Lizzie, I am happy I stayed, I don't what would have happened if I wasn't here. The whole knife thing doesn't happen often, only when she's so deep in thought that she doesn't realize her surroundings." 

"I will keep that in mind thank you for coming over, having a familiar face probably helped her adjust a bit better anyway."

"Of course, call if you need anything you have my number, she usually has a hard time falling asleep, just letting you know if you turn on Gilmore Girls, it's on Netflix, and it helps her fall asleep." 

"Thank you, hopefully, I won't be needing anyway help have a good night." 

"Goodnight."

I sat down at the table and waited for Y/n. It didn't take her long to sit down at the table and start eating her food, I joined her in eating. we sat in a comfortable silence until we were both done, she grabbed the plates and brought them to the sink, and started to do the dishes. Odd. 

"You know I have a dishwasher for a reason you don't need to do the dishes." 

"Oh, I'm sorry," is all she said before leaving the kitchen and walking into the living room, and curling up onto the couch.

"Do you want to go to bed yet or do you want to stay up for a little while?" 

She didn't answer so I walked to the living room to see she was completely lost in thought already. What could she be possibly thinking about? That didn't take long for her to get lost. Maybe that's something we will have to work on.

She didn't answer to any of my verbal calls, so I put my hand on her shoulder, that's when she looked at me. "Are you tired? We can call it a night if you want?" 

"Could we, I'm so tired for no reason."

"Come on let's get you to bed." Standing up and walked into the room she slept in last night. I want to decorate this room for her when we come back to New York. Maybe I will have it redone done for her as a surprise for when we come back. 

She literally flopped onto the bed. Before turning over and looking at me. "Sleeping is crap I don't understand why we need sleep, sometimes it just gets in the way of doing daily things. I hate how much I slept today." 

"Well, it's our body's way of recharging just like a phone. Think of it this way if you never charge your phone it just sits there completely useless, until we charge it. "

 "That's a good way of putting it I guess, but just gets in the way sometimes." 

"You may have a point but it's a part of life which means you have no choice in the matter." 

"Okay," Her eyes were closing and she hadn't changed and I don't know the last time she truthfully showered. I'm going to have to get that done in the morning. 

"Goodnight sweetheart. Come get me if you need anything." 

I didn't get an answer probably means she's asleep already. I carefully walked out of her room leaving the door open just in case.

I finished cleaning up in the living room and kitchen before, making my way to my own bedroom before and getting ready for bed. 

When I got into bed, my phone buzzed, I looked over to see 3 messages from Scar and a message from Tammy. I opened Tammy's first 

Tammy: 

I also forgot to mention Y/n won't get out of bed in the morning until you come to get her, something she learned at one of the foster homes, she's an early riser. I have never been able to break from the habit maybe you will be able to.

Me: 

Thank you for the heads up I will make sure to check on her when I wake up in the morning.

Then I opened the messages from Scar.

Scar: 

Do you have plans tomorrow, I'm hoping to bring Rose over, Romain is being a little difficult right now.

Maybe we could show Y/n some of New York?

Liz?

Me:

Sorry Scar, I tucked Y/n back into bed. Y/n and I are considering going shopping tomorrow for some clothes, and I want to get her a phone and laptop. Then maybe some lunch. What do you think?

She didn't take that long to reply, she's never on her phone so that's kind of odd.

Scar: 

Sounds good to me, but are you sure you want to bring her out into the world so soon, I mean the paps will have a field day with you hanging out a child, and it's not my child 

Me: 

I'm sure that will happen. Another call I made today was for extra security, and another driver, it might be a rough morning but they will be small steps in the right direction

Scar: 

Whatever you want Liz, I'm headed to bed good night.

Me: 

Night Scar

Scar could be right though the paps will have field it could be too soon, I would rather have her shopping here in New York than in LA. The paps tend to be worse out there than around here. 

Y/n's comment about sleep wants to make me laugh. Sometimes sleeping is crap. I think tonight with Y/n was a big success in the end. Finally having decent conversations, is a start to a healthy relationship with my kid.

{Not proofread or spellchecked}

[Have a good day or night whenever you are reading this]

{Originally published August 30, 2022}