Page 32 of All of Me

I nodded. This wasn’t getting any better. I saw Shae glance guiltily toward the kitchen table where his phone still sat from last night.

“Plus, both of your background checks passed because of your employer, who probably has even more stringent background checks than family services does.”

I sighed. Fucking Rawlings and the FBI.

“I’m sorry,” Shae said hesitantly. “What exactly are you doing here?”

Carol glanced at Tammy, who seemed absorbed in coloring. “Tammy’s mom Aisha Greene OD’d two days ago and died. Neighbors heard Tammy crying in the early hours of the morning and called the cops before they went in. Her father—John Turner—not only is MIA but because of his background…well, should he claim his three-year-old daughter he would have to be approved, but you are not only her brother, you are by default her only living approved relative.”

Shae gaped. “She’s my sister?”

Carol smiled. “Technically half, but Aisha didn’t have any relatives.”

Shae just stared at her, and then Carol stood. “I’m sorry, I know this is a shock, but I have another three emergencyplacements today, so I need to get going soon. I just need you to sign this.”

“Wait,” I said, finally realizing what she was doing even though I’d kind of expected it since she walked through the door. “We don’t have any…” I searched for an argument. “Diapers.”

Carol drew the bag forward she had carried in. “We think Tammy was potty-trained but obviously she may have regressed. She doesn’t need a diaper during the day, though the emergency foster mom reported that she used them at night just in case. This is what she has, including a change of clothes. She has no known medical issues or allergies.”

Shae stared at the very small diaper bag. “That’s it?”

“You would have to speak to the cops to find out about her belongings being released,” Carol said.

“Why isn’t she still with the emergency foster mom?” I asked.

“Because I have another three children with no family at all,” Carol said. “And all my group foster homes are full. I’ve passed the case onto the local team, so expect they will be in touch as soon as they assign someone.” She smiled down at Tammy. “Oh, and she doesn’t say much, but that’s hardly surprising.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Much, or at all?”

“I have every faith you’ll work it out,” Carol said. “We can recommend a speech therapist if needed, and I would also recommend a child trauma therapist.” And she just left.

Shae and I stared at each other in stunned silence for a moment before turning our attention to Tammy. She was still coloring, seemingly oblivious to the chaos around her. Shouldn’t she be upset, more frightened? Or was retreating her response to her mother’s death and her whole world turning upside down?

"I... I don't know what to do," Shae whispered, panic evident in his voice. “And how come I was approved?” He was clearly thinking of his arrests when he was forced to do what his dad involved him in.

“Because you weren’t convicted of anything, and Rawlings got the cops to issue you an apology.” I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm for both of them. "Okay, let's take this one step at a time. First, we need to make sure she's comfortable, then we can decide what to do."

I knelt down next to Tammy, keeping my voice gentle. "Hey there, Tammy. Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?" She didn't respond verbally, but her eyes flickered to me briefly before returning to her coloring. "I'll take that as a maybe," I said, standing up. "Shae, why don't you see what we have that might be good for a little kid to eat? I'll check that bag and see what else we might need."

Shae nodded, looking grateful for the direction. As he headed to the kitchen, I rifled through the small diaper bag. It contained a few diapers, wipes, a change of clothes, and not much else. No toys, no comfort items, nothing personal.

"Jesus," I muttered under my breath. This poor kid had lost everything in one fell swoop. I heard a whine and picked Maxie up right away. I had no idea how Tammy would react to him.

Shae returned with some apple slices and a small bowl of cheerios. “It's all I could find.”

Honestly, my childcare experience came from watching Pink and Rawlings. “How about I make a quick run to the store? I’ll call up to Moira and take Maxie with me, see if they need any help with the dogs.”

I saw the panic flash in his eyes, but then he straightened his shoulders. “Yeah,” he said, then turned to Tammy. “So, um, Tammy... do you like to color? What's your favorite color?”

I grabbed my keys and wallet. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Maybe try to get her to eat something while I'm gone?"

Shae nodded, still looking a bit shell-shocked. I couldn't blame him. Suddenly finding out you have a three-year-old sister who was then dropped in your lap would throw anyone for a loop.

I took Maxie straight to Moira’s and she put him with the remaining puppies in their dog bed, then assured me they would help any way they could. Two more families were coming to see the dogs shortly, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

Then she started rattling off a list of food she could bring. It was definitely her way of showing she cared. I assured her I still had a fridge full of food.

At the store, I loaded up a cart with essentials—more diapers, wipes, some clothes in what I hoped was the right size, a few toys, and some kid-friendly foods. As I was checking out, my phone buzzed with a text from Shae:

---