Mute | A New Beginning

Chapter 9

So far things were looking promising. Both Scarlett and Arlo were feeling good about where things were headed, and the pace at which they were going. Mrs Moore too felt an insurmountable amount of pride and joy for the progress, she had worked so hard to make sure that everyone remained comfortable throughout the whole thing.

The time had come for the first sleepover. Tonight was extremely important, and it was crucial that it all went according to plan. If this relationship wasn't meant to be, then it would most likely be brought to light during the next 24 hours.

Both parties were feeling increasingly anxious as time brought them closer to the event. Arlo was nervous about sleeping in another bed, in another house, after having slept in the same room and bed since she arrived at Little River. Furthermore, Scarlett was anxious about having the little body in her home, for the first time, without the guidance of Mrs Moore. She really didn't want to ruin all the progress they had made with this one night.

Currently, Mrs Moore was helping Arlo pack a backpack with all the things she would need for the night. The small girl wasn't much help with this task as, after putting in Douglas and blankie, she had deemed herself fully packed, not thinking that anything in the world was nearly as important as those two things.

"Honey, you can take your blankie and dinosaur in the car with you, we don't need to pack them," she gently explained, "can you think about what pyjamas you would like to wear tonight?"

After a little huff from Arlo, she grabbed her favourite pair, a long-sleeved white shirt with a delicate flower pattern and matching pants. It was the softest pair she owned and, although she rarely kept it on during the night, she found them to be the comfiest.

Mrs Moore ended up making the rest of the decisions herself, acknowledging that Arlo did not seem to be too enthusiastic about the whole ordeal of packing.

Meanwhile, in Scarlett's house, she was busy preparing for the coming night. She had already faced some struggles with deciding where to have the child sleep. Scarlett knew that the beds at the orphanage were ordinary single beds and, even though the woman didn't have any of those in her home, it did reassure her that Arlo would be okay to sleep in the double bed in the guest room. Although it was slightly taller than what she was used to, Scarlett could always place a block on the floor to use as a step if it looked as though the girl wouldn't be able to get up on her own. She also decided to line the edges with pillows to prevent her from rolling off and onto the floor.

For dinner, the woman was planning on making homemade pizzas with the girl, using mealtime as another form of bonding. This way she could also keep an eye on the girl whilst making dinner, preferring this idea over any other option, like sticking the child in front of the TV for 30 minutes.

Scarlett was in the kitchen, organising the food items, when she heard the doorbell ring. The pair were slightly late; however, Scarlett acknowledged the fact that having to pack up a 4-year-old was probably quite tricky.

As soon as she opened the door, she was met with a teary-eyed Arlo and a caretaker who looked like she was close to her wit's end. Mrs Moore was carrying the girl on her hip, who had her fingers in her mouth yet again, letting out a few sniffles every now and then. It seemed to Scarlett as though the tears hadn't started to fall yet, as her cheeks were still dry, although they looked like they may be seconds away from falling.

"Hi! Sorry that we're late." Mrs Moore greeted, bouncing Arlo when she finished her sentence with "Someone got a bit emotional when it came time to leave."

"No worries! I hope we're okay now though?" Scarlett replied, looking at the girl whilst moving to the side to allow the two to enter her home.

"I think we'll be just fine, huh? Just a little bit anxious." Mrs Moore reached a hand up to Arlo's face to wipe away a tear that had finally dropped down her cheek.