My Little Stargazer(Adopted by Remington Leith)

(8) - Raffi

The next morning when I woke up Cherry wasn't in my room. I panicked and ran out of my room in only my underwear.
"Cherry?!" I checked the bathroom and Sebastian's room and then ran downstairs.
"Cherry?!" I glanced around the living room and then ran into the kitchen. Cherry was sitting at the table with Emerson. She was drawing while Emerson ate. I sighed and slumped down into one of the chairs.
"Gave me a heart attack."
"She's been down here since last night. I thought you knew." Emerson told me.
"Last night?"
"Yeah. At like one thirty I got home and she came down. I gave her a pencil and paper and she drew with me for an hour and so and then fell asleep. I put on her my bed. She woke up. . ." He leaned to the left to look at the clock. "About an hour ago." Cherry dropped her pencil and stuck her fingers in her mouth before picking up the piece paper she'd been drawing on.
"Ook!" There were stick figures, two of them, one was short and colored red. The other was tall and colored black. The tall one had what looked like a knife. Honestly the drawing was horrifying.
"Uh. . ." Emerson and I shared a look. "Cherry, who is that?" I pointed at the drawing. She shook her head. I sighed. "Please tell me?"
"Deedee." She whispered.
"Keep an eye on her. I need to go make a call." I went back upstairs.

———

I dug through the stack of papers Carla had given me until I found the phone number for Cherry's social worker, Jess Meyers.
"Hello, Jess Meyers' phone, Jess speaking."
"Hi. This Remington Leith. I'm Cherry's foster parent."
"Oh! Hi. How are things going?"
"Uh, fine. Listen she's drawing some, um. . ."
"Oh! Oh, that. Yes, about eight months ago she was in therapy. And, like most kids, she didn't want to talk, so instead they had her draw. It's a way for her to communicate with you when she can't find the words. She's been through a lot for someone so young."
"Oh. Ok."
"Is that all?"
"Uh, I think so."
"Alright! Feel free to call if you have any more questions."
"Ok. Thanks."
"No problem! Bye!" She ended the call and I walked back into the kitchen. I slumped into the chair if previously vacated.
"So?"
"She was in therapy and this was what they had her do, since she wouldn't talk." I sighed and closed my eyes.
"You can go back to bed if you want. I can watch Cherry."
"Mm. Ok." I hauled myself up out of the chair and back upstairs to my bed. I was asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow.

———

"Remington?" Someone shook my shoulder and I groaned in response. "Rem, get up. It's lunchtime." I stuck my arm out and attempted to hit whoever was disrupting my sleep. "Don't you dare hit me, Remington. Get your ass out of bed." I groaned again and opened one eye. Monica was crouching by my bed. "Hey, baby. Get up." She ran her fingers through my hair. I smiled. I buried my face in my pillow for a few seconds before pushing myself into a sitting position. "It's about time sleeping beauty. Emerson needs to leave, but Cherry doesn't want to be alone with me." She pouted, then smiled and kissed me.
"Hi." I said when we broke apart.
"Hi. Get dressed." I stood and stretched before grabbing my jeans off the floor and pulling them on and then digging through my dresser for a shirt. I put my chain and padlock on and my rings, grabbed the chain I told Cherry I'd give back to her and grabbed my shoes before grabbing Mon's hand with my free one and walking downstairs.
"Finally!" Emerson said when I walked into the kitchen. I stuck my tongue out at him. He grabbed his phone off the table and walked into the living room. Cherry was sitting at the table drinking chocolate milk and rubbing her hand through the small puddle on the table.
"You want coffee?" I asked Mon.
"Please." She sat down across from Cherry. I started messing with the coffee maker. Once coffee was in the works I put my chain and padlock back on Cherry. I picked her up and sat down in her chair before putting her in my lap.
"Cherry this Monica." Cherry sat there staring at Mon for a few seconds before turning to face me and burying her face in my chest. I sighed.
"She's not much of a talker."

———

After a lunch of spaghetti with no sauce and a really sad salad Monica had to go. I turned on Raffi because a) it's fun and b) it's children's music and I had I child. I left Cherry in the living room while I cleaned up the kitchen. I stepped into the living room just to check on her and she was dancing. It was the cutest thing I'd ever seen. I watched her until the song ended then I went back to the kitchen. She definitely seemed to be settling in okay. She was getting more comfortable with me and, apparently, Emerson. It was a good start.