"But I don't want a little sister," Mollie said plainly, looking up at her mother. Remy gave her daughter a small, sad smile. She and Hadley had done their best to keep from being upset in front of Mollie over the last few weeks, but there were still hard days.
Remy crouched down in front of Mollie, making herself the same height as her five year old daughter. "We talked about this, didn't we?"
"Why can't Natalie go back to her house?" Mollie asked, completely ignoring Remy. For the second time today, Natalie had ripped an arm off of Mollie's favorite doll. Mollie, who had had little patience for Natalie before she had moved in, was struggling.
Remy sighed. "Come here, Molldoll." She picked up her ever growing daughter and carried her to the couch. "Remember what me and Daddy talked to you about? Auntie Sol isn't here anymore, right? So Natalie gets to live with us now."
"But I don't want her to!" Mollie protested with a whine. She looked like she was about to cry, so Remy held up a finger to Mollie's puckered lips. She opened her mouth to respond, but Mollie began again, "But I don't like her! She's so mean! And she never talks and she breaks my stuff!"
Remy shook her head. "Natalie is two. You are five. Big sisters share, and help little sisters learn." She looked from Mollie over to Natalie who was digging around in the big box of toys that sat in the corner of the playroom. "All she wants to do is play with you.
"Nattie?" Remy asked from across the room. Natalie looked over her shoulder. "Ball?" Natalie said, turning and holding a blue ball out. Remy smiled. "Look, she wants to play catch. Come here, Natalie Bo Batalie, come give your...mama...the ball." It was only with effort that Remy's smile stayed on her face. It had been three weeks since Sol's passing, and while accepting Natalie as her own had been an immediate natural instinct, calling herself Mom in regards to her niece had been difficult.
Solange's death had been sudden, and had rocked the Sterling family to the core. Hadley was just now pulling himself out of the stupor the pain of losing his little sister had put him into; Remy had been struggling to keep the two young girls in some state of normalcy, whilst grieving and trying to help Alicia keep up with the things Hadley was in no state to take care of.
Natalie looked around expectantly when Remy said mama, and Remy felt an actual pain in her chest. She wondered how long it would take for the toddler to start associating the word with Remy. The therapist Remy had spoken to told her that Natalie wouldn't remember Solange for more than a few months, something that Remy felt guiltily conflicted about. Was it wrong to be thankful Natalie was too young to understand or remember?
"She's looking for Aunt Sol," Mollie pointed out, her words thick with attitude. The five year old's lack of tact was jarring. Remy knew Mollie didn't understand the concept of death, either, but it was so hard to not want to shake her when she spoke so thoughtlessly about Solange. Children could be so needlessly cruel.
She's never coming back, Remy thought to Mollie, wishing her daughter could grasp the truth.
"It's okay," Remy said, instead. "Natalie doesn't understand yet, but it's okay." She stood back up, carrying Mollie with her. "Wanna play catch, Nattie?" She walked over to where Natalie held the ball, and she arranged the two girls and herself in a triangle on the floor.
"Mommy's gonna pass the ball to Mollie!" Remy said. She rolled the ball across the floor and Mollie caught it. "Now Mollie's gonna pass the ball to Nattie!" Mollie rolled the ball to Natalie. "And Nattie rolls it to Mommy!" Remy patted the carpet next to her before Natalie could look around to search for Sol. Natalie rolled the ball to Remy, following the natural progression of the game. Remy smiled as Natalie giggled when Remy caught the ball and said "Yayyyy!" in a silly voice.
Mollie laughed too, and Remy noticed her staring at Natalie as she did. "She's cute, isn't she?" Remy asked. She rolled the ball to Mollie.
Mollie caught the ball and thought for a minute. "Yeah. I guess she's pretty cute," she decided. "Nattie! Catch!"
Remy crouched down in front of Mollie, making herself the same height as her five year old daughter. "We talked about this, didn't we?"
"Why can't Natalie go back to her house?" Mollie asked, completely ignoring Remy. For the second time today, Natalie had ripped an arm off of Mollie's favorite doll. Mollie, who had had little patience for Natalie before she had moved in, was struggling.
Remy sighed. "Come here, Molldoll." She picked up her ever growing daughter and carried her to the couch. "Remember what me and Daddy talked to you about? Auntie Sol isn't here anymore, right? So Natalie gets to live with us now."
"But I don't want her to!" Mollie protested with a whine. She looked like she was about to cry, so Remy held up a finger to Mollie's puckered lips. She opened her mouth to respond, but Mollie began again, "But I don't like her! She's so mean! And she never talks and she breaks my stuff!"
Remy shook her head. "Natalie is two. You are five. Big sisters share, and help little sisters learn." She looked from Mollie over to Natalie who was digging around in the big box of toys that sat in the corner of the playroom. "All she wants to do is play with you.
"Nattie?" Remy asked from across the room. Natalie looked over her shoulder. "Ball?" Natalie said, turning and holding a blue ball out. Remy smiled. "Look, she wants to play catch. Come here, Natalie Bo Batalie, come give your...mama...the ball." It was only with effort that Remy's smile stayed on her face. It had been three weeks since Sol's passing, and while accepting Natalie as her own had been an immediate natural instinct, calling herself Mom in regards to her niece had been difficult.
Solange's death had been sudden, and had rocked the Sterling family to the core. Hadley was just now pulling himself out of the stupor the pain of losing his little sister had put him into; Remy had been struggling to keep the two young girls in some state of normalcy, whilst grieving and trying to help Alicia keep up with the things Hadley was in no state to take care of.
Natalie looked around expectantly when Remy said mama, and Remy felt an actual pain in her chest. She wondered how long it would take for the toddler to start associating the word with Remy. The therapist Remy had spoken to told her that Natalie wouldn't remember Solange for more than a few months, something that Remy felt guiltily conflicted about. Was it wrong to be thankful Natalie was too young to understand or remember?
"She's looking for Aunt Sol," Mollie pointed out, her words thick with attitude. The five year old's lack of tact was jarring. Remy knew Mollie didn't understand the concept of death, either, but it was so hard to not want to shake her when she spoke so thoughtlessly about Solange. Children could be so needlessly cruel.
She's never coming back, Remy thought to Mollie, wishing her daughter could grasp the truth.
"It's okay," Remy said, instead. "Natalie doesn't understand yet, but it's okay." She stood back up, carrying Mollie with her. "Wanna play catch, Nattie?" She walked over to where Natalie held the ball, and she arranged the two girls and herself in a triangle on the floor.
"Mommy's gonna pass the ball to Mollie!" Remy said. She rolled the ball across the floor and Mollie caught it. "Now Mollie's gonna pass the ball to Nattie!" Mollie rolled the ball to Natalie. "And Nattie rolls it to Mommy!" Remy patted the carpet next to her before Natalie could look around to search for Sol. Natalie rolled the ball to Remy, following the natural progression of the game. Remy smiled as Natalie giggled when Remy caught the ball and said "Yayyyy!" in a silly voice.
Mollie laughed too, and Remy noticed her staring at Natalie as she did. "She's cute, isn't she?" Remy asked. She rolled the ball to Mollie.
Mollie caught the ball and thought for a minute. "Yeah. I guess she's pretty cute," she decided. "Nattie! Catch!"
