block me out | station 19

VI

"I can't believe we're moms," Carina commented, sipping her morning coffee.

"I can't believe we're moms to a fourteen-year-old," her wife added, also enjoying her coffee. "Should we wake her up?"

"I don't know," the Italian sighed. "Maybe we should let her rest a bit more. Who knows how much sleep she's gotten in the past few weeks."

"Or the past few years," Maya said, her heart heavy at the thought of the teenager living in constant fear, unable to rest.

"Hey," the doctor smiled, stepping closer to the blonde. "We can handle anything," she assured, wrapping her wife in a comforting hug.

It was the third official day as Vada's foster moms, and the couple was still adjusting to the idea of caring for a teenager. After Mrs. Anderson had left, Vada stayed in her room for the remainder of the day, emerging only for meals, although she barely ate. The second day had followed a similar pattern, but neither woman objected. They wanted Vada to feel safe and come out of her room on her own terms.

Both Maya and Carina had asked for some days off, considering they all needed to get settled into what was going to be their new lives for a while. Carina had pointed out Vada's need for some new clothes, seeing as they were covered in holes and too small for the girl, so they suggested going shopping for essentials— clothes, hygiene stuff, and even something for her to enjoy during her free time. They hoped that a change of scenery would help them get out of the awkward acquaintance state they were currently in.

In the other room, Vada found herself once again having a sleepless night, lying on the bedroom floor. The nightmares she thought she had left behind resurfaced since she had joined her new foster family— the haunting image of Finn lying lifeless on the floor refused to leave her mind. She couldn't comprehend why they had returned. In her final days with Mr. Ramos, they had finally started to fade away. However, ever since Maya had picked her up, it felt like a switch had been triggered inside her, perhaps because they were the ones present when everything had unraveled. The girl missed her brother so much, and each day she carried the weight of guilt for what had happened to him. She blamed herself relentlessly— if she had only given Finn the last apple, he wouldn't have needed to steal from Mr. Smith's store. Maybe then they would still be together.

Silently, Vada moved the chair that had been propped against the door, slowly opening it, and stepping cautiously into the hallway. She felt as though she were walking on eggshells, not knowing what she was or wasn't allowed to do. Maya and Carina hadn't shown anger towards her yet, but it didn't ease her uncertainty because she remained clueless about what consequences awaited her when the couple did get upset— whether they would raise their voices, hit her, or deny her food for days. She still had that to figure out, and it just added to the big load of stress she already carried on her shoulders.

"Andy said they haven't had any exciting calls in the last few shifts," Maya said, way too happy for Carina's liking.

"I'm glad you're not missing any big fires, bellina," the doctor sarcastically teased. As she pulled her wife in for a kiss she saw a pair of big green eyes peering from the kitchen entrance. "Buongiorno, bambina," Carina said softly.

"You can come in, Vada," the blonde added, noticing the girl's indecisive look. "This is your home now, too."

The teenager padded into the kitchen, the light illuminating her fatigued face for both women to see. It confirmed their suspicions that she hadn't been sleeping, despite what she had told them. Vada's demeanor had drastically changed since they first met her. She had gone from having a rebellious attitude, snapping at anyone who crossed her path, to barely speaking and being fearful of her own shadow.