One Big Family [USWNT]

Chapter 1 Becoming a Family (Age Five)

Lauren Holiday and her husband Jrue had both decided that on a cold December day, they were going to go to the park. They were walking around the sidewalk around the park, when they heard a child crying. 

They saw a girl who looked like she was in her early twenties and another girl, this one looked only around five or six. The twenty year old girl was yelling at the younger one, who was crying. "I am sick of you!" she screamed. "This is why I hate volunteering!"

Lauren swooped right in and hugged the small child. "How can you talk to her like that?" she demanded at the girl.

"I can do what I want, this little brat is my volunteering duty."

"Where do you work?"

"The orphanage down the street."

Lauren picked up the crying girl. "How about I take you home with me?" she said, making the girl smile.

"Please take her," the older one said. "You'll have to do some paper work though."

"Well then, let's get to it."

Two weeks later Lauren and Jrue were driving home with a little girl in the backseat. "So what's your name sweetie?" Jrue asked.

"My names Cassandra!" she said happily. "But you can call me Cassie!"

"Aw, that's cute," Lauren said fondly. "How old are you?"

"I'm this many!" she replied happily, holding up five fingers.

Lauren sighed happily. They already knew these things about their child, but they just loved hearing her say it. The past two weeks had been stressful. Both parents had been busy with paperwork, and they had to get a room ready for their daughter. Since they didn't know what she liked, they decided to just get a plain twin bed and didn't do anything else yet. They were going to take her to the toy store today.

They brought her into her room. She put her suitcase on her bed and unzipped it. Inside were some clothes. But underneath it all was a tiny soccer ball. She took it out and placed it on top of the dresser. "You like soccer?" Lauren asked.

"I love it!" the five year old said excitedly.

Lauren smiled. Cassie took her backpack and put it against the dresser. "Ready to go get decorations?" Lauren asked.

"Yeah!" Cassie said happily.

Jrue, Lauren, and Cassie all got into the car and drove to a place that sold little kid furniture. Unlike what Jrue and Lauren had thought, Cassie picked out everything in red and blue, no pink or green. They didn't mind it though.

They then drove to the toy store. They told Cassie she could pick out three big things, and three small things. Her big things were a mini soccer goal, a giant stuffed tiger, and an air rocket. Her small things were a new soccer ball, a Beanie Baby fox, and a mini gum ball machine.

They took her home and they began setting her room up. They put the mini gum ball machine on her desk, then put a blue bedspread over her bed. Later that week they painted her room blue and added red pillows to her bed.

About a week after they finished her room, Lauren and Cassie were outside playing soccer. Cassie was left foot dominant, so she kicked towards to left a lot.

After they finished, Cassie complained she didn't feel good. "What's wrong baby?" Lauren asked, getting on her knees so she was the same height.

"My tummy hurts," she said. "And I'm all dizzy."

With everything that had been happening, Lauren had forgotten that Cassie wasn't trained like she was. She must have been dehydrated.

She scooped her up into her arms and took her inside. Cassie was extremely sweaty in her jeans and t shirt. "Jrue!" Lauren called, but not frantically.

He came downstairs. Seeing Cassie, he grabbed a cold wash cloth and wiped her face. Lauren carried her to her room and changed her into shorts and a new t shirt. Jrue came in and gave her a water bottle. Soon enough her color was normal again.

She walked downstairs with Lauren and Jrue. Lauren played Candy Land with her while Jrue made dinner. When he finished they ate and soon Cassie was asleep.

Lauren curled up into Jrue's lap on the couch. She sighed heavily as he kissed her head. "Who knew parenting was so hard?" she said.

"Yeah, but it'll be okay."

They fell asleep like that.

The next morning, they were taking Cassie to her first day of school. She clung onto Jrue as they entered the school. "But I don't wanna leave you," she pleaded.

"Baby," Jrue said, picking her up. "It's gonna be okay, we'll be back to pick you up before you know it."

She cried on his chest. Lauren rubbed her back. "Come on Cas," Lauren said. "I'm sure you'll make lots of friends."

She sniffled and Jrue put her down. They walked into the classroom. The teacher was a young woman, around the same age as Lauren herself. "Hi there," she said when she saw the trio. "You must be Cassie! I'm Ms. Daisy. Are you ready to have a super fun day?"

Cassie smiled shyly, clinging to Jrue's leg. Another little girl with blue eyes and brown hair ran up to the two. "Ms. Daisy, Will hit me!" she said, tears coming out if her blue eyes.

"Aw sweetie," Ms. Daisy got on her knees. "You know what? Why don't you go play with Cassie? She's new and she doesn't have any friends yet. I'll go talk to Will."

"Okay!" the brunette said happily.

Cassie let go of Jrue and skipped alongside the girl. They ran to the arts and crafts table where they sat down and began coloring in some coloring books that had been set out. "What's your name?" Cassie asked.

"I'm Emily!" she said excitedly, just as a blond boy with brown eyes passed them. "Hey Josh come here!"

The boy came running up. "Hey Em!" he said happily. "Who's this?"

"Josh this is Cassie!"

"Hi," Cassie smiled shyly.

The day went by in a flash for the young girl. She, Emily, and Josh spent the entire day together. As they drove home, she couldn't stop talking about it. "And the Joshy the brave knight saved Melinda the doll from the ferocious dragon along with his partners me, his faithful tiger, and Emily, a warrior princess."

Lauren chuckled as Cassie told the story for the fifth time. When they reached the house, Cassie pulled out a drawing of a stick figure knight, a tiger, and a stick figure princess with a sword fighting a dragon. Lauren put it on the fridge.

That night, the family of three fell asleep together on the couch, watching a movie.