Mute | A New Beginning

Chapter 8

Over the next week, Mrs Moore and Scarlett tried to fit in as many visits as possible, trying to create the beginnings of a bond between the woman and child.

One of these outings occurred on the Tuesday after their pool party, in which Scarlett took the two of them out to the park for the afternoon. She was so ecstatic at the news of being able to take Arlo out for the day. The idea of not being in the setting of either the orphanage or her home felt like a massive leap of progress to her, and she desperately hoped that everything would work out well, fearing the idea of a setback in the relationship they were forming because they pushed the girl too far too quickly.

As soon as Scarlett got the run-down of the plan, she instantly started to plan every small detail out, communicating back and forth with Mrs Moore about all the inquiries she had. Although, the caretaker was quick to ease any sudden worries by providing answers to the questions, and logical solutions to any obstacles that Scarlett's anxious mind conjured up.

The plan made by the two adults was that, beforehand, Scarlett would drive her car over to Little River to pick the two of them up, and then they would all head to their destination together. Mrs Moore had suggested this as it was a great opportunity to teach Scarlett how to install a car seat into a car, which, although being an essential skill, could be quite finicky.

She had also informed Scarlett of the potential mental state of Arlo whilst being outside of the orphanage, in public spaces and crowded atmospheres. Mrs Moore had explained that, from previous experience, the child could range from being a reasonable level of 'okay', or as much as could be expected, to being in a concerningly panicked state. This news made Scarlett's heart sink a little. She felt the need to make sure the child always felt safe and loved from this point on in her life, even though Scarlett knew that it would still take some more time to gain that level of trust with Arlo. All she could do right now was show the girl that she was there for her and that she would continue to be there for her, regardless of the situation.

When Scarlett finally pulled up on the orphanage driveway and parked her car in front of the large building, she took a big deep breath, trying her best to calm the nerves that had been building for a few days now. For some reason, she felt an immensely significant amount of pressure on today's outing, as it wasn't within the comfort and predictability of her home or the orphanage.

Scarlett barely had any time to close her car door after getting out, when she saw Mrs Moore walk out the front door, car seat in her arms, and the small girl closely in tow. She couldn't help but smile widely at the sight of Arlo, dressed in the cutest little pair of pastel yellow leggings, with a white t-shirt that had a sweet bumble bee design on the front, and the most adorable pair of tiny sandals on her equally as tiny feet. Like most of the other times Scarlett had seen the child, her hair was wild and free, whilst still giving the slight impression that an attempt at taming it had been made. It would also be wrong not to mention the fuzzy dinosaur and little blanket that she always carried.

"Hello! It's so nice to see you again!" Mrs Moore exclaimed as she made her way over to the car, having to walk a little awkwardly because of the bulk of the car seat she was carrying.

"Well, hello you two! How are we today?" Scarlett replied, directing her attention to Mrs Moore's tiny second shadow. Who, like most shadows, made no reply, barely even acknowledging the attempt at a greeting. However, Scarlett brushed this off, blaming the fact that the girl always seemed more reserved at the beginning of the time they spent together. She hoped that Arlo would warm up to her soon.

Deciding to answer on both of their behalf Mrs Moore started, "We are doing pretty well today, how about you?"

"Oh, I'm doing good thanks! I've been anticipating our adventure all morning!"