Hidden Burdens (working title)

Chapter Eight

The usual evening routine followed dinner.

Ben and Kayla waited to give Kimmy a chore so she could get settled in. Usually, they give the kids at least a week or so. Sometimes the kids settled in quickly and were able to help out within a week. But Sometimes they needed a little extra time. It just depended on the kid.

Samson seemed to take an instant liking to the kid. After he was fed, Samson spent most of the evening in the upstairs loft with Kimmy until Ben called him to go outside one last time for the night before they went to bed. The two of them had been snuggling together on the floor while watching her videos. It was an adorable sight to find coming up the stairs, that Ben had asked Kimmy if he could take a picture of them on his phone.

Kids were not allowed to be shown on social media for privacy reasons. Some foster parents skirted around the rule by pasting a sticker over the kid's face. Kayla just didn't share any photos. Both she and Ben took photos of the kids, but it was only to save memories. For them and for the kids' parents to keep them posted on how their kids were doing, which the parents especially loved.

Ben had offered Kimmy to send the photo to her mom but promised no one else.

Kimmy looked away as if thinking about it and nodded.

So, Ben pulled up the camera app on his phone and stood up to take a picture. He offered to show it to her, but Kimmy wasn't interested.

Ben took Samson downstairs to get his leash and harness, remembering he hadn't taken him out for a walk in a couple of days. He asked if Kimmy wanted to come, but she declined. Mary and Miguel jumped on his offer, though, while Kayla stayed with Claudia and Kimmy.

Since it was late, they were only gone long enough to walk around the block. Ben usually made an effort to take Samson on walks. Some days were hectic and there wasn't enough time. It also helped some kids open up when it was just them.

When they got back, both humans and dog hydrated.

While Kayla helped Miguel get ready for bed, Ben offered to call Kimmy's mom for her. Leonard had given Kayla Stella's number for now while they finished getting visitation settled, but phone calls had to be monitored. Stella had been very vocal and angry towards CPS, including to her own daughter. Ben could understand the hostility of having her children taken from her, but agreed that shouldn't be put on a kid who was dealing with being separated from her family and moving around strangers.

Stella answered on the third ring. "Hello?"

Ben had placed the call on speaker so both he and Kimmy could hear. "Hello, is this Stella?"

"Speaking."

Ben smiled over at Kimmy, who was now sitting up. "Hey, Stella, this is Benjamin Ross. You can call me Ben. I am here with Kimmy. My wife and I will be her foster parents for the time being and we thought we would call so you both can say good night and let Kimmy tell you about her day."

Ben let Kimmy speak, but with him there the conversation was one-sided, with Stella only talking. He at least stepped in to share. He told her about coloring with Miguel and jumping on the trampoline afterwards, and having pizza for dinner.

"Speaking of, do you have any particular diets you feed Kimmy? Or is anything okay?" It was a question they tried to ask the parents if they could, especially if the family was vegan or vegetarian, or if there was a specific religion, or even food allergies the caseworker wasn't aware of. In all the stress and anxiety from their kids being taken and minds racing, not everything comes to mind in the moment.