Found Home

Help

"I gotta protect Lolo," Camila told her, looking determined.

"Why do you have to protect Lauren?"

Camila's tears slipped down her face. She shook her head, looking away.

Naya already could determine what was happening with Camila.

"You have to make sure Lauren is safe, or else you've failed her," Naya said, softly.

Camila nodded her head. She hugged Nala close.

"You get scared when you're away from Lauren, right?"

Another nod.

Naya wrote down what she knew before nodding her own head. "Okay, I think we're done for today. I'm going to talk to your mothers before talking to Lauren about her feelings. But would you mind seeing me again? I want to help you feel happier."

"I'm sad," Camila told her, rubbing her eyes.

"And I'm going to help you with that, yeah?"

"Okay," Camila whispered standing up.

Both went to the door and walked out. Naya smiled, when she saw Normani sitting on the ground with Lauren on her lap. The smaller girl had her head on Normani's shoulder, her eyes closed. Normani was running her hand through Lauren's hair. Camila rushed to them and sat down next to Normani, curling against her.

Naya turned to Ally and Dinah. "So after talking to Camila, she's dealing with a lot of guilt and has the same separation anxiety as Normani. But she also seems to be showing signs of depression. I won't know for sure what it is, but after a few session I'll be able to determine what exactly she has and if it's even depression."

"Thank you," Dinah said, giving the child therapist/psychologist  a smile.

Naya nodded her head. "Have Lauren come in with her speech therapist when she gets here."

The mothers gave her a nod.

-

Tori walked in, holding Lauren's sleeve covered hand. The little girl was holding tightly onto Nala.

"I'm going to sit next to you the entire time, okay?"

Lauren nodded her head. She raised her arms, wanting to be placed on the sofa (it was really hard with her dress-like jacket).

"Hi Lauren, do you know who I am?"

Lauren looked at her hands as she signed. "Help Manibear."

Naya nodded after Tori translated. "Yeah. And I'm also helping Camila now. And I want to help you."

Lauren looked up at her with a tiny, cute frown.

"Your mommies are worried about you. They want to know how to help you."

Lauren looked down.

"Can you tell me what you are feeling?"

"Scared. Tired. Sad."

Naya nodded her head, writing down what she was being told.

"I remember you talking before, are you scared to talk?"

Lauren shrugged, confused.

"Do you want to talk?"

A nod.

"But you can't?"

Lauren nodded.

"It's okay. We want to know why. Are you comfortable at home?"

Lauren shrugged.

"Talk to us Lauren," Naya said in a soft voice.

"Take me again."

"Who is going to take you again?"

"Them."

"Clara and Mike?"

Lauren nodded her head. "Scared they take me."

"They hurt you, didn't they?"

Lauren looked at her hands. She rubbed them together.

"Can you tell us what they did?"

Lauren looked up at Naya, before shaking her head. Tears filled her eyes. She whimpered, closing her eyes. Her body started to shake, as she cried.

The door was pushed opened, and Lauren's sister's ran in. Lauren cried into Normani's arms.

Naya stood up and walked to the parents.

"Have you heard of selective mutism?"

"I've heard of mutism," Ally said, nodding her head.

"Selective Mutism is the inability to speak when a person is scared or uncomfortable. Whenever Lauren is scared or is uncomfortable, she can't speak."

"How can we help with that?" Dinah asked, frowning.

"Tori and I will be able to help. But you and your wife will have to show Lauren that it's okay. That she can talk when she's ready, but it's comfortable. Just help her," Naya told her.

Tori turned to Lauren, to see her leaning against her sisters.

"Lauren seems to be dealing with PTSD. Which is understandable, given what she has gone through."

Tori nodded, "She had a mild case of PTSD when she started therapy."

"With enough therapy, Lauren will be able to get help for this and be able to move passed this."

Dinah and Ally relaxed. They looked at Lauren.

"Have you thought of talking to someone?"

"What?" Dinah asked, confused.

"Lauren, Camila, and Normani weren't the only ones affected. You lost your child, you must be feeling something."

Ally shook her head. "We-we're fine."

"You cry a lot," Camila said, looking at her mother.

"Mama and Mommy have been sad a lot."

Naya nodded her head. "Talk to a professional, if not for yourselves, by for your daughters."

Dinah nodded her head. "Okay."

Naya nodded her head. "I'll give a number for someone to help you. I can't, I only deal with children."

Ally nodded her head, "it's okay. As long as we all get better."

"You will. I know you can."

-

"M-mommy," Lauren whispered, half asleep. Her eyes were closed, as she snuggled on Dinah's chest. Dinah's breasts were being used as pillows for the youngest.

"Mommy is here," Dinah whispered, running her hand through her hair.

Lauren breathed out, her body fully relaxing. Dinah looked over to see Lauren asleep.

Camila and Normani were doing their homework with Ally. Once they were done, they ran to the couch and curled up with their mothers.

Ally looked at Dinah. "We're going to be okay."

Dinah smiled. "I told you so. We're a family, we're always going to be okay."

-

Chapter 15 is finished. Do you know what that means? We are halfway done with Found Home and the Home Trilogy.

Lauren goes back to school next chapter. There is a small time jump, with Lauren being better. The next chapter may not be out for a few days. I have a project due in two days that I have not started, and it's my final project before I finish school on Thursday.