The lucky one

Knowing each other better

Chapter 3– Knowing each other better

Andrea couldn't help but shed a few tears as she parked outside the orphanage the next day.

Little Claire, and her inseparable doll, were ready for the ride.  She was wearing the orphanage's impeccable uniform, the green of her denim dress bringing out the green of her eyes.  Her curls were loose, and a green ribbon bow adorned her hair.  Her black shoes were shining as bright as her face, lit up by the purest smile Andrea had ever seen.

Beside her was Mrs Bones, who would accompany them on the tour.

– Hey, sweetie.  Looks like you've already been told that we're going for a walk today, doesn't it? – Andrea looked at the girl, smiling hard.

– Yes, Aunt Christina explained to me that you're going to come visit me every once in a while–  she said, pointing to the woman beside her.

– That's right.  – Andrea said and bent down to kiss the girl on the forehead.

Then, getting up again, she greeted the caseworker.

– Pleasure, Mrs Bones, Andrea Finley.

– You can call me by my first name, we'll spend a little time together in the next few weeks.

Andrea laughed.

– It's true, dear.  The same goes for you.

“Aunt Chris.” Claire coughed to get attention.

– Yes, little one.

– You're here to make sure Aunt Andrea doesn't disappear with me, aren't you?

The two women couldn't hold back a laugh.

– You're really smart huh, girl.  Are you sure you're only six? – Miss Bones asked, still chuckling, to which the little girl just shrugged.

–Shall we go then? – Andrea asked her.

Claire nodded and took the hand that Andrea held out to her, following her to the car, which was already equipped with the special car seat for her age.  Dom was already waiting for them to open the back door.

– Hi, guy! – the little girl introduced herself to the driver before he had a chance to do so.

– Hi little one.  What's your name? Dominic bent down to her height.

– My name is Claire, and this is Anne.  And you?

– My name is Dominic, but everyone calls me Dom.

The little girl laughed, making the adults laugh too.

– I like your name, Uncle Dom.  Can I ask you just one more thing?

– Everything you want.

– Why are you all smooth up here? - she asked running her hand over the driver's bald head.

Andrea bit her lip to keep from laughing, feeling her eyes fill with tears.

– Well, I was born with hair, you know, but over time I started to go bald.  It happens to some men when they get old. – The man said, doing his best to not laugh.

– Ready to go for a walk? – he asked and she nodded.  –Then let me help you up.

He picked her up and placed her in the special seat, and Andrea buckled her seat belt.
–Ok, honey, you are firmly attached now. – She sat next to Claire, and Chris sat next to Andrea.
– Where are we going, Aunt Andrea?
– I thought I'd take you to lunch at the mall and then take you to the cinema, but we can do whatever you want.
– Cinema looks great, thank you.
Andrea smiled and kissed her little hand, as she used to do with her children.  She knew the adoption process was a long one, and she might end up not being able to adopt Claire, but it was hard not to get attached.
The drive to downtown Nashville was a bit long, at least half an hour, and Claire seemed lost in thought.
– Is everything okay, Claire?– Andrea asked.
– Yes, mom… Oops, Aunt Andrea.  – the girl looked anxiously at Andrea, who gave her a smile and a reassuring look.
Claire sighed, blushing, and looked at the doll, pretending to play with it.
The silence continued until almost arriving at the mall, when Blank Space started playing on the radio and she began to sing.
– New, money, suit and tie, I can read you like a magazine...
Andrea smiled and exchanged glances with the driver as well as the social worker.
– Aunt Andrea, did you know that the girl who sings this song is the best singer in the world?
– Really, Claire?  Do you know her?
– Yes, she calls Taylor, like your daughter.
The social worker gave Andrea, who was teary-eyed, a smile.
– I think I've heard that song a few times.  – Andrea joked.
Everyone was silent for a while, and then they arrived at the mall.
– All right, dear. We arrived at the mall.
Seeing the size of the building, Claire felt a little uncomfortable, and stretched out her arms for Andrea to pick her up.
The blonde kindly picked her up then.
– Hey, what's going on, beautiful?  Don't want to walk here?
– This place has a lot of people, aunt.  I'm afraid of getting lost.
– Feels better up here or walking hand in hand with me and Chris.
– Up here –  she said.
– Okay, when you want to come down just tell me.
She knew her back would regret carrying a 20kg child everywhere, but how could she say no?
Andrea held her on her hip, allowing her to survey the place. Fortunately, soon enough she saw toys on the playground and asked to play for a while before lunch.
Andrea and Chris watched her as she talked to other kids in the ball pit.
– She doesn't seem to have any trouble socializing out here.  It's weird that she's so alone at the orphanage. – Andrea observed.
– Principal Monssant told me that she had this concern about socialization.  But I believe that the fact that most of the children in the orphanage are older than her, and aware that she can be adopted faster because she is younger, may have facilitated this “segregation.” – Chris explained.
– Do you think I should tell her that I'm the mother of 'the best singer in the world'?
–I think so, but wait a minute.  Or make a surprise.  Your daughter will be here in a few days, right?
– Yes, in just over two weeks.  Taylor still doesn't know about her either. – Andrea added, a little tense.
– Then it would be fun to surprise them both.  By the way, Andrea, could you get her autograph for me?  My daughter is fanatical about it and I ended up becoming a fan too.
Andrea's heart melted.
– Of course dear.  Why don't we arrange a surprise meeting for your daughter?  Taylor loves talking to fans.
– I would make the list of the best mom in the world if Taylor could do that for my baby girl. - Chris said and they both laughed.
– She will, I'm sure.
The two talked about motherhood for a while longer until Claire appeared in front of them, sweaty but with a beautiful smile.
– There, Aunts Chris and Andrea.  We can eat now.
Hand in hand between the women, Claire skipped to the restaurant.  After helping her wash her hands, Andrea helped her serve lunch, asking what she liked to eat and what she didn't.
The three of them had a pleasant lunch, and the little one spent at least half the time they were there making Andrea and Chris smile with her clever phrases and spontaneity.  After lunch, they went to the cinema, where they watched the latest Disney animation.  Claire, who had never been to a movie theater in her life, could barely contain her admiration, and when the movie was over she couldn't stop repeating how much of a dream it felt and thanking Andrea.
– Auntie, can I have an ice cream?
– Of course dear.  Sounds like a great idea.  – Andrea gave the child a reassuring smile, and bought ice cream for the three of them.
Everything seemed fine, until Claire saw a child walking around with a stuffed penguin.
Claire dropped the ice cream and ran in the opposite direction.
– Claire, what happened, honey?  – Andrea shouted, running after her along with Chris.
By the time they reached her, Claire was shaking and crying, clearly in a panic attack, leaning against the bathroom wall.  Andrea immediately recognized the symptoms, since Taylor had developed the same problem the year before.
– She's panicking, I'm going to hug her tight until she calms down.  – Andrea told Chris.
Andrea carefully picked her up, and she was struggling hard.
– Let me go, don't kill Mom, don't kill Mom!
Andrea felt her heart break.  She was remembering her mother's murder.
– Claire, Claire, calm down dear, take a deep breath.  It's Aunt Andrea here, you're safe.  Nothing bad will happen to you. 
It took a while but eventually the child normalized his breathing, and she finally seemed to remember where she was.
Wiping her eyes, she saw Andrea and Chris smiling at her, and she relaxed.
– Aunt Andrea, I think I was crying.  I'm sorry, I don't know what happened.
– It's okay, little one.  Don't worry about it now, okay?–  She kissed the top of the child's head.
The little one nodded, trying to remember what she was doing before she started crying.
– Maybe we'd better take her back earlier today, it was too much emotion.– Chris whispered to Andrea, who nodded.
Chris took her little hand and squeezed it lightly.
– Claire, it's time to go back to the orphanage.  We have to leave if we're to get back in time for a shower and a nap before dinner.
– But I want to be with Aunt Andrea more.
– You will see me again in two days, ok?  You'll just go by tomorrow without seeing me and then you'll see me again.
“Okay,” Claire said, trying to control a yawn.
– Can you hold me until we get to Uncle Dom?
– Yes I can.  – Andrea smiled sweetly at the child and picked her up.
She fell asleep before she even got to the car, and didn't wake up even after Andrea tied her belt and kissed her forehead.
“Poor kid, she's exhausted.” Chris commented, and Andrea nodded, and then said something she'd been thinking about for the last few minutes.
– I know she has bed wetting episodes, but Principal Monssant hadn't told me about her panic attacks. It might have been the first.
–We'll need to ask the director.  But if it was the first I suggest that a child psychologist see her later this week.
Andrea agreed.
– It was lucky you knew what to do. – Chris commented and Andrea just said briefly that she had dealt with these crisis in the family before.
Before they knew it, they were at the orphanage again, where an employee was already waiting for them to take Claire to the bath.
At some cost, Andrea managed to wake her up.
– Honey, we're here.
She helped her down, and Claire said goodbye to the driver, Andrea, and Chris quickly before following the orphanage worker without question, too sleepy to even know exactly what she was doing.
Chris and Andrea, on the other hand, went straight to the board.  Mrs. Monssant was waiting for them.
– Hello darlings.  How was your walk?
– Excellent, Lizzy.  – The social worker began. – It would have been perfect if it weren't for a small incident, wouldn't it, Andrea.
The blonde nodded and the director looked at them worriedly.
– Lizzy, by any chance have you ever witnessed Claire in a panic attack?
The woman shook her head, and she looked at them in dismay.
– How was that?
Andrea sighed.
– I have no idea what caused it.  We were eating ice cream at the mall, and out of nowhere she started running desperately, I followed her, and when I held her she screamed, asking me not to kill her mother, so I'm assuming that something she saw at the mall triggered a flashback and a panic attack.
Mrs Monssant covered her face with her hands.
– And now, how do we deal with it?
Andrea shrugged.
– She has to be accompanied by a child psychologist, and you here from the orphanage team should receive a little training to help her in crises, as I received when someone close to me received this diagnosis.  Even because it's something that can happen to any child who has been through trauma here, and she's not the only one with a difficult past from what we've talked about.
Lizzy shook her head in affirmation.
– We will arrange it, Andrea, thank you very much.
– It was nothing.  Well, see you the day after tomorrow then?– she asked Chris and Lizzy.
They both nodded and she headed back to the car, where she shed a few tears as Dom took her back.
– Do you accept, Mrs? – Dom offered Andreia a box of tissues.
– Thanks.  Today was one emotion after another.
The man nodded.
– If I may say so, ma'am, I'm hoping you can adopt this child, and maybe you don't realize it, but to us who look at it from the outside it's pretty clear that you already see her as your daughter.  The look from you to her was the same look I've seen you give Mr and Miss Swift all these years.
Andrea couldn't contain her smile.
–Oh dear, you're right.  I already love her, and I'll do everything in my power to be able to call her my daughter.