butterfly// 5SOS

18

In the meantime, I ordered a couple more things that would arrive in a few days such as a name for his door. Another thing we had to get was a plate with his name on, which we'd only recently began after Lauren had decided to put a handprint on a plate that we'd then glazed over and kept. She adored having that plate, and insisted Jasper got one.

The pair of them had their handprints, but I felt like getting something more to Elijah's likes was better. Therefore, I requested a football to be painted in the middle, and hoped it would turn out okay.

"Mike, why didn't you wake me up?" Crystal hummed, "Go to sleep,"

"You needed more sleep. He's been to the toilet, that's it,"

My head hit the pillow and she ran her fingers through my hair, but I fell asleep instantly anyway.

In the morning, I woke up, Crystal fast asleep on my stomach, something sizzling downstairs. Afraid something was wrong, I woke Crystal up and we headed downstairs to find Elijah in the kitchen, cooking up a storm.

"You weren't supposed to see," he said sadly, facing the cooker, which had beans and eggs and french toast on.

"Well we aren't used to being cooked for so we had to investigate," I said, grabbing three plates out, "It's still a nice surprise,"

"I though that we might need a big breakfast to give us energy for today- if we are still moving my room,"

"Good idea. Of course we are still doing it. We'll get your bed down there at least and do our best to move all your furniture too," Crystal said, "That's your dad's job while I unbox the decorations,"

"Is anyone coming to help?"

"Not today, we thought we'd better have some time together. If we are struggling to finish then maybe tomorrow,"

"Are we painting?"

"Did you want to?"

"No, thankyou. I like that there is only one blue wall,"

We sat together at the table with a plate full of breakfast and a glass of orange juice each, Elijah at the head of the table.

"Oh! I just got all your online school information through. That's exciting ay?"

"Where will I go?"

"Probably grandma and grandads. Perhaps when you're used to it you can work in the library,"

"Can't I stay here?"

"We don't really want you home alone right now," I said softly, "But if you keep working with your therapist, and us, maybe you can eventually,"

"Will I meet him in real life?"

"He said he would do face time if that's what you want, or you can go to his office. They're really considerate about how you feel,"

"I will call him again,"

"That sounds like a good idea. This is very lovely food," Crystal said, "Thankyou,"

"That's a relief. I wasn't sure it would end up okay because I got stressed,"

"It's really nice,"

"Thankyou for being so kind to me this week. I know I have been really hard to live with,"

"You can always come to us. It's not been an easy week,"

"I showered this morning, and tidied my room a bit. All my clothes are in a bag so that we can move my wardrobe,"

"Do you reckon we can get it downstairs without taking it apart?" I grinned, Crystal shaking her head, "I will try,"

"No, you won't,"

"I will, we can do it,"

We cleared up breakfast and got ready for the day, then all the decorations arrived and Crystal began to unbox them all. Meanwhile, Elijah and I took all of his clothes downstairs to the living room, and carried the mattress downstairs too.

Our determination to not take anything apart meant we could just about squeeze his bedframe down the stairs, and we made his bed up against the blue wall. At the end was the tv and the xbox.

Luckily, our playroom hadn't had much decoration- merely a couple of beanbags and a shelf that was now empty. He decided to keep a beanbag in there, and we brought down a lamp as well.

Then came the wardrobe, which we took downstairs with a smug face as Crystal watched us with raised eyebrows. Elijah even let out a small laugh, which was delightful.

"We did it,"

"Mkay,"

"Excuse me, what have you done?"

"Recycled boxes,"

"Mkay,"

She scoffed and followed us into the bedroom where we stood the wardrobe back up. They put his clothes back while I built a desk, then I put it below his window and grabbed Jasper's old chair. 

It was smaller than his old room, but much cosier, and we brought in the decorations. There was a blue rug to match the walls, and we added pen pots to the desk, then moved to the wall beside his bed and hung up three football posters.

"These are really nice. Thankyou so much,"

"That's alright buddy,"

"This room feels so special,"

Soothingly, I rubbed his back; it wasn't the best room we'd ever made, but he hadn't shared many interests with us so we had to improvise. It was still great though, and he wouldn't age out of it.

For lunch, we made a salad and wanted to take it to the park for a picnic, but there was no convincing Elijah to go out in public yet. Instead, we sat in the garden.

"I'm surprised we finished so quickly," I said.

"Am I allowed to use the tv?"

"Of course you are, until 9pm,"

"Really? That's so cool. I'm going to check if Jasper has added me on the xbox when we go back in because he said he'd play,"

"Hopefully he has,"

Communication with Jasper had been lacking. He'd not called us once, it was us calling him, and they ended quickly. This week had been his birthday and we got no message for sending him a present, nor had he answered our calls. But the social worker had told us he was fine.

It was his sweet 16, and we had such big plans.

I'd emailed his brother to see if we could visit, but had no reply either; perhaps they were shutting off their electronics to spend time with each other.

"I want to visit him,"

"Well, we have to wait for permission from his brother. You could always write him a letter, they feel so special to receive,"

"Could you help me?"

"Sure,"

We went inside and checked the xbox, Jasper sadly not living up to his word. However, this only fuelled Elijah's willpower to write a letter, and he sat beside me with pen and paper.

"Are you good at English?"

"No. I can't spell,"

"If you're unsure then ask me,"

Unfortunately, he stopped at least once every sentence- generally more. I made a mental note to find him some resources to help him improve.

In the end, we had a completed letter, and stuck it in an envelope with the address written on.

"Lets post it now," he said, "So he gets it quickly and replies,"

"You'll come out?"

"Only in the car. I hope he replies,"

"Me too bud, but who knows what he's up to,"