Katie, Not Kate

Chapter 10: Kate, Not Katie

The next three days were a bit easier on everyone with the addition of Leslie Ann and Mary Beth to help keep Katie occupied and playing games — though Katie seemed to be getting crankier with each passing day, even if she wouldn't tell anyone why.

When Kitty and Jubilee came by her room to help her get dressed in her purple tutu and to braid ribbons in her hair, it took them a solid fifteen minutes before they could even get started, because she had attached herself to Jubilee the moment she walked through the door and just started to cry as she informed her, "I like your hair braiding."

"I can still braid your hair," Jubilee said, looking down at Katie's little shoulders as she scrunched them up to her ears. Kitty was taken off guard too by the change in the little girl and just glanced at Jubilee, totally baffled.

"I want ribbons in my hair," Katie agreed as she just hugged Jubilee tighter.

"I brought new purple ones," Kitty offered. "Just for you."

Katie lifted her head up to look at Kitty and then ran over to give Kitty a similarly tight hug. "You're really, really nice to me," she said as she latched onto Kitty's arm.

"Why wouldn't we be?" Kitty asked, trying hard to understand why Katie was so upset.

Katie scrunched her little nose up in confusion. "You don't gotta play with me. You have other friends," she tried to explain.

"But we like playing with you."

Katie just latched onto Kitty arm harder, though she did allow Jubilee to braid her hair, as long as she could hold Kitty's hand or arm or something while Jubilee worked. By the time they were ready for the day, it had taken the three girls far longer than usual, and Katie was still insisting on holding both of their hands all the way down to breakfast.

Annie met the girls in the kitchen with a bright smile as she was taking her second batch of muffins out of the oven. This one was blueberry, but there were apple cinnamon ones out on the table already, and the kitchen smelled delicious with the coffee brewing and the muffins baking. "Good morning, Katie. Good morning, girls," Annie said with a bright smile as Katie darted over to grab a cinnamon muffin that wasn't too hot to touch yet. "You look very nice today, Katie."

Katie nodded as she took a bite of muffin. "I like when Jubilee does my hair," she said as she patted the seat next to her to try and get Jubilee and Kitty to sit down with her.

The girls quickly grabbed their coffee and muffins and sat on either side of her. They were happy to join Katie as she kicked her feet a lot slower than normally, though she was clearly making a valiant effort to act like her usual chipper self.

Even so, Katie was much quieter than usual that morning, and as soon as the kitchen door opened to admit Storm, she was instantly alert, watching as Storm made herself a cup of tea. "You really don't have to cook for us all the time," Storm said to Annie as she leaned against the counter.

"I woke up early this morning," Annie explained with a shrug. "The jet lag's still playing with my sense of timing. And I thought - I might as well make myself busy."

"I just don't want you to feel obligated," Storm said, and Annie laughed her off.

"I really don't mind. Actually, I like baking. It's a good stress reliever to have something to beat into a pulp," she admitted, and Storm smiled wider at that.

"I hope you're not overly stressed about anything in particular," she said.

"Oh, no," Annie said quickly, shaking her head. "Don't worry about me. It's just — you know how it is when you move to a new place. There's so much change all at once."