doing amazing.”
“Good.”
He turned to her. “Any nightmares or memories from your past that are popping up, Cia?”
“Nope,” she said and uncrossed and crossed her legs again. She was beginning to get very red in the face and looked to be in pain.
Bruce frowned. “There are many things I would like to discuss with you, but I don’t think now is the best time. Why don’t you two go to the cabin and change into your child costume?”
A heavy sigh of relief came from Cia.
“You are now five years old and can use the toilet by yourself, although you still need help to dress, bathe, and brush your teeth,” he instructed.
Cia was already up from her chair and out the door.
I gave Bruce a quick “Talk to you later.”
We almost ran to the cabin, where she started to undress herself. I wanted to help but she hissed at me, “I got this,” and disappeared into the bathroom and slammed the door with her foot.
We had certainly hit the age of independence, alright.
I waited outside the cabin and the look on her face, when she came out, was pure bliss.
“Feel better?” I asked.
“A trillion times better,” she said with a soft smile and sat down. In her hands she held a mint-green skirt and a purple t-shirt with a printed-on pony.
“Who do you think picks out these clothes,” she asked.
“I don’t know; Therese maybe?” I suggested.
“Hmm… whomever it is, the person sure has a love for colors.”
She sat for a minute and fidgeted with the print on the shirt. “I used to have one of these.”
“You had a pony?”
“Not a real pony, but I had one of these toys. They’re called My Little Pony.”
“Oh, nice,” I said distractedly because I had just spotted Therese outside the main house and she was looking good in her summer dress, with her long hair blowing slightly in the breeze.
“I think I might have stolen it actually.”
That made me turn my head and look at Cia, whose eyes were glazed over.
“What did you say?”
“I stole the pony from a neighbor girl who forgot it on her lawn. I hid it in my room so no one would take it away from me.”
“Why did you steal it?” I asked slowly.
“Because I was jealous and didn’t have any toys myself.”
“You didn’t have any toys?”
She shook her head. “Except for Kitty.”
“Who is Kitty?”
“My Hello Kitty was a stuffed animal that I took everywhere. I couldn’t sleep without her.
“You still have her?”
“No, my mom burned her.”
“What? No mother would do something that cruel. Are you sure she burned your teddy bear?”
Cia was biting the inside of her cheek. “My mom was a mean drunk, and it happened on one of those nights when she blamed me for ruining her life.”
“Why did she think you ruined her life?”
She snorted. “Classic story. Sixteen-year-old virgin infatuated with rich pretty boy who says all the right things. She wants to make him happy and gives him what he wants. She ends up pregnant and alone and rejected by him, with her friends fleeing like rats, and her parents angry at her. And who gets the blame? The stupid baby who ruined her life.”
“You’re not stupid, Cia,” I said and stroked her hair. She jerked away.
“I think you need to help me change into this Pony costume.”
We didn’t speak while I helped her change her clothes. What she had revealed made me grateful for the mom I have who has always given me support and love. Unlike Cia, I have never lacked any toys or comfort, and I wished I could somehow share it with Cia.
I couldn’t. No one could. It was too late and the damage was already done. Or was it?
Later that day when Cia was drawing with crayons, which she could do for hours in her own little bubble, I spoke to Therese, who helped me find a multicolored My Little Pony in one of the toy boxes in the play area and wrap it in gift paper. I wished I could have gotten Cia a new one, but at least this one would be hers and not stolen.
“Sugar,” I
“Good.”
He turned to her. “Any nightmares or memories from your past that are popping up, Cia?”
“Nope,” she said and uncrossed and crossed her legs again. She was beginning to get very red in the face and looked to be in pain.
Bruce frowned. “There are many things I would like to discuss with you, but I don’t think now is the best time. Why don’t you two go to the cabin and change into your child costume?”
A heavy sigh of relief came from Cia.
“You are now five years old and can use the toilet by yourself, although you still need help to dress, bathe, and brush your teeth,” he instructed.
Cia was already up from her chair and out the door.
I gave Bruce a quick “Talk to you later.”
We almost ran to the cabin, where she started to undress herself. I wanted to help but she hissed at me, “I got this,” and disappeared into the bathroom and slammed the door with her foot.
We had certainly hit the age of independence, alright.
I waited outside the cabin and the look on her face, when she came out, was pure bliss.
“Feel better?” I asked.
“A trillion times better,” she said with a soft smile and sat down. In her hands she held a mint-green skirt and a purple t-shirt with a printed-on pony.
“Who do you think picks out these clothes,” she asked.
“I don’t know; Therese maybe?” I suggested.
“Hmm… whomever it is, the person sure has a love for colors.”
She sat for a minute and fidgeted with the print on the shirt. “I used to have one of these.”
“You had a pony?”
“Not a real pony, but I had one of these toys. They’re called My Little Pony.”
“Oh, nice,” I said distractedly because I had just spotted Therese outside the main house and she was looking good in her summer dress, with her long hair blowing slightly in the breeze.
“I think I might have stolen it actually.”
That made me turn my head and look at Cia, whose eyes were glazed over.
“What did you say?”
“I stole the pony from a neighbor girl who forgot it on her lawn. I hid it in my room so no one would take it away from me.”
“Why did you steal it?” I asked slowly.
“Because I was jealous and didn’t have any toys myself.”
“You didn’t have any toys?”
She shook her head. “Except for Kitty.”
“Who is Kitty?”
“My Hello Kitty was a stuffed animal that I took everywhere. I couldn’t sleep without her.
“You still have her?”
“No, my mom burned her.”
“What? No mother would do something that cruel. Are you sure she burned your teddy bear?”
Cia was biting the inside of her cheek. “My mom was a mean drunk, and it happened on one of those nights when she blamed me for ruining her life.”
“Why did she think you ruined her life?”
She snorted. “Classic story. Sixteen-year-old virgin infatuated with rich pretty boy who says all the right things. She wants to make him happy and gives him what he wants. She ends up pregnant and alone and rejected by him, with her friends fleeing like rats, and her parents angry at her. And who gets the blame? The stupid baby who ruined her life.”
“You’re not stupid, Cia,” I said and stroked her hair. She jerked away.
“I think you need to help me change into this Pony costume.”
We didn’t speak while I helped her change her clothes. What she had revealed made me grateful for the mom I have who has always given me support and love. Unlike Cia, I have never lacked any toys or comfort, and I wished I could somehow share it with Cia.
I couldn’t. No one could. It was too late and the damage was already done. Or was it?
Later that day when Cia was drawing with crayons, which she could do for hours in her own little bubble, I spoke to Therese, who helped me find a multicolored My Little Pony in one of the toy boxes in the play area and wrap it in gift paper. I wished I could have gotten Cia a new one, but at least this one would be hers and not stolen.
“Sugar,” I
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