Rescue Nova

Kindred

Come Wednesday, six days after Kimberly met Nova on the school's playground and two days since Kimberly and Leila decided to become her caregivers, Nova was starting to settle into her new home. Kimberly and Leila were feeling more secure, too. They didn't know if it was because they were getting more used to their new roles or because of what they had scheduled for this evening. Tonight, after dinner, Kimberly, Leila, and Nova were taking a stroll down the street to visit their neighbors - Ashleigh, Beth, and their daughter, Emily, who was also a little.

When Kimberly had told Ashleigh that she and Leila had become the caregivers of an age regressor, Ashleigh was as eager to get the girls together as Kimberly was for herself and Leila to get together with Ashleigh and Beth to get any advice that they could spare. Ashleigh wanted to get together that evening, but she decided to wait a few days. Her girlfriend, Beth, who was of temporary limited mobility from a recent illness, was confined to the bedroom. She was making good progress and would likely be better able to walk to the living room to join them by Wednesday.

Leila, who had been especially anxious about being new to caregiving, felt a weight had been lifted when Kimberly told her of the arrangement that she had made with Ashleigh. Tonight she hoped many of her questions would be answered.

Ashleigh and Beth, already secure in their roles as Emily's parents, were happy to give Kimberly and Leila what they wished they'd had when they first became caregivers. But, even more, they were looking forward to introducing Emily to someone who would be able to relate to her in a way none of her other friends could. All in all, the four parents were thrilled.

However, the two girls were not. Nova, still new to her regression being so out in the open, was embarrassed by the idea of being introduced to strangers as someone who regresses. She was also naturally shy and had no real good experiences with meeting new people, aside from Kimberly and Leila.

And Emily had about a thousand other problems at the moment and was secretly miserable. She didn't have any interest in meeting anyone for any reason at all. But, although the girls were openly hesitant about it to their parents, they didn't tell them the degree of their misgivings. They planned on just getting through it as best they could.

•••••••••••••••

Leila, Kimberly, and Nova reached the Reed-Brooks household promptly on time for their seven o'clock date with the other family. Before ringing the doorbell, Kimberly looked down at the girl whose hand she held.

"Don't be nervous, honey. These are very nice people."

Nova smiled slightly, but it was only to humor Kimberly. She was not looking forward to this at all.

Ashleigh opened the door, all smiles. "Hello, come in." She backed up to give them room to enter. "Sit anywhere." She closed the door while gesturing for them to sit in the living room, where Beth was seated on the sofa, still under doctor's orders to stay off her feet as much as possible.

"Kimberly told me about what happened. How are you healing?" Leila asked Beth, sitting next to her.

"Getting stronger every day. I'm hoping to soon be walking without Ashleigh watching me like a hawk."

"Emily!" Ashleigh called before sitting nearby.

Ashleigh wanted to say, "Your friend is here," but she didn't. She knew of the problems that arise when overzealous parents are determined that their kids be friends, whether the kids actually want to be or not. It tends to be a fake friendship that has hidden hostility.

Emily, in headspace, like she usually was at home these days, appeared shortly after she was called. Fortunately, she was in a much better mood as a preschooler than an a adult.