The Search for Home

CHAPTER 4 - City walks

BILLIE'S POV

Once all drinks had been finished, we slowly made our way out of the little Café and towards the Orphanage. Sophie and Briar had walked by foot to meet us a mere hour ago, and so I decided to join them. Well... I didn't really get a say in the matter. Briar has been clung tightly to my side ever since her panic back at the Café and we were struggling to get her in the car so here we are. Mom decided to take one for the team and drive and meet us outside the orphanage so that we wouldn't have to walk back for the car.

Being out and about and getting some fresh air is nice. The air is cool and crisp. Not cold enough you need to zip up your jacket but also not too hot where you have to abandon the jacket altogether. I had luckily thought ahead when I got dressed this morning. I am wearing long and black joggers, a black and baggy hoodie with a large hood with which is over my head to cover my face and if needed, I have a pair of sunglasses and a beanie in my pocket but I think the hoodie will suffice to keep my face hidden from the public. It has been a while since I have been able to just walk around the city without the worry of whether someone will recognize me and a crowd will start forming because trust me, a group of people hovering around you like a swarm of bees, taking pictures of your every move and shouting questions at you right, left and center can put a dampener on the mood. Now I LOVE my fans. They are the reason I have my dream career and am able to provide for myself and now also for Briar, but sometimes it can get a little much.

Briar hasn't had the courage to speak the whole time I have known her (which is only 1 hour) and Sophie seemed to be in her own world, and we continued to walk along the pleasantly quiet streets, so I decided to break the silence. "So Sophie, I noticed back there that Briar has a fear of getting in the car. Do you have any tricks or tips on how to get her to feel more comfortable being in the car? Especially since we live 45 minutes away and walking is not an option" I ask. Sophie chuckles lightly as she smiles in my direction, "I guess it isn't" "I am only Briar's caseworker, and so I tend to meet her at the orphanage. I don't have any experience travelling anywhere with Briar because this has been her first meeting with a potential adopter. Unfortunately, everyone else who has even looked into the idea of adopting Briar has been put off the minute they read her case file. They see the words Anxiety and PTSD and scarper like the wind. So no, unfortunately, I don't have any tips or tricks from experience that I can give you and I don't think she has been anywhere outside of walking distance during the 16 months that she has been at the orphanage, but I can give you some ideas from research that I have done on PTSD" Sophie explains as we continue to wander the streets of LA. "Anything is better than nothing at the moment so any advice you have would be great" I reply as I swap the arm that is holding Briar because she is leaning all her weight on that one arm and it is making my arm numb. "My first tip for you is just to try. Try to strap her into her car seat and see what happens. She may cry a little but calm down after being consoled, but she may panic and start to show the same signs of panic as she did back at the restaurant but at least you tried to get her in. My next tip would be not to force it. If she starts to have a panic attack, don't leave her in the car seat and start to drive away. Get her out and figure out another option. And that leads me to my third tip, talk to her. Ask her why she doesn't want to go in her car seat and why she feels scared to get in the car. If she replies, then great! You can listen to why and try to console her and explain why she is safe and why it is okay to be scared, and then she will feel better about it next time. If she doesn't reply, give her realistic options. As you said, it is not possible or enjoyable for any of you if you walked home because it is a 45-minute drive. I don't know how long it would take you to walk but it just isn't realistic. Give her options such as sitting in the car seat alone in the back or you sitting beside her in the back while she is in the car seat. Sitting her on your lap and sharing the seatbelt is not recommended and you could get in trouble for it but if she will not allow either of the other 2 options, that may have to be your last call to get her home. I hope this isn't too much information for you to take in?" Sophie explains. "Oh my gosh no, thank you so much. That is going to be a big help, thank you" I smile brightly in appreciation. "Absolutely no problem, I am glad I can help" Sophie smiles back just as the orphanage comes into view. I can't see my Mom's car parked anywhere nearby but the street seemed pretty full so maybe she had to park elsewhere and walk to the orphanage. As we continue to walk closer to the building, I hear a snort come from the small body pressed tightly against my chest. I brush Briar's beautiful blonde locks away from my face to reveal her face pressed into the crook of my neck, her eyes closed and her mouth hanging open as her arms droop by her side. I press a kiss to her forehead and brush her hair behind her ear with my spare hand to try and stop the breeze from blowing it in my face and her own. "Had a nice walk?" My Mom asks happily, giving me a fright. I was so entranced in Briar that I hadn't even noticed that we had arrived outside the orphanage. "Yes, it was quite lovely" Sophie happily exclaims as my Mom comes up beside me and grabs a hair tie from her pocket and gently pulls Briar's hair into a messy ponytail to help keep it out of the way. "Thanks, Mom" I smile as she places a gentle kiss in Briar's hair. "No problem sweetheart... Are we ready to go in?" "Definitely" I smile in return as Sophie uses a light gray key fob to unlock the front door, and we follow behind.