Finding Charlie Rose

As the boys pulled up at home they started to get nervous. They were excited to have Charlie here but were also worried. What if their father came back? What if Charlie didn't like it here? What if she was scared of one of her brothers? There was lots going on in their heads. Charlie was sitting in the back talking quietly to her worm. She was getting a little sleepy and hungry but Sammy had told her they would eat when they got to their new home. She wondered if her mummy would be at their new home. Sam had told her she was in the sky now but she didn't understand it.

Liam got Charlie out of the car seat and held her hand cause Charlie wanted to walk. Sam and Liam decided they would get their bags later but took Charlie's bags so she could have some of her stuff if she wanted and headed for the door. Oliver, Byron and Uncle John were waiting inside for all the boys to return. They wanted to meet their new brother and nephew. When they heard the door open and close they rushed to the foyer. All they saw was a little figure hiding behind Liam.

Why was their brother in a dress? Thought Oliver. He hadn't seen Charlie's face. Sam crouched down next to Charlie "Hey Charlie I want you to meet some people" he spoke gently. "This is Oliver and Byron more of your brothers and this one is our Uncle John. He is your mummy's brother. Everyone this is our sister Charlie, Charlie Rose" Sam introduced. "Sister?" Oliver asked. The three guys were stunned especially Uncle John because Charlie was the spitting image of Sally. They were sure that Sam had said they had another brother nothing about a sister.

"Ah Sam what happened to our brother?" Byron asked. "Umm well you see, Officer Jones told me a three-year-old Charlie and I just assumed Charlie was a boy" Sam explained. "Charlie a girl, silly Sammy" Charlie giggled. All eyes snapped to her. "Yes, you are, You're my baby girl right Charlie?" Sam asked. Charlie shook her head no "I am big girl" she replied, she didn't want to be a baby. All the boys laughed at how adorable she was.

John slowly walked over to his niece not wanting to scare her. "Hi, princess. I'm your Uncle John. I'm so happy to meet you. You look just like your mummy did when she was your age" John said. "You know mummy?" Charlie asked. "Yeh baby she was my baby sister" John replied. "Is mummy here? Mummy sleeping not wake up" Charlie said. "Oh baby, mummy isn't here. She is in the sky remember?" Sam told his sister. Charlie nodded her head yes and put the worm in front of her face. She could still smell the lavender her mummy put on the worm just slightly. She didn't really understand what Sammy meant but all she knew was her mummy was sleeping and then Charlie was taken away.

The boys and Uncle John spent the afternoon with Charlie getting to know her. She gave them each nicknames, Oliver was O's, Byron got Bee and Uncle John was just J. When it was close to dinner time John asked his niece what she wanted for dinner and Charlie happily told him strawberries. He was willing to give her anything she wanted but Sam and Liam wouldn't allow her to just eat strawberries again. "Charlie you need to eat more than strawberries. Would you like some pasta or some chicken?" Sam asked his sister. "Dinosaur pasta" Charlie yelled out. She loved it when her mummy made dinosaur pasta. "Ahh, we don't have dinosaur pasta babe we have spiral pasta though" Liam said. Charlie didn't know if she liked spiral pasta so they kept quiet.

Sam cooked pasta for everyone and as soon as it was ready he called them into the dining room for dinner. Charlie came in holding her Uncle John's hand. She tried to sit in the chair but she couldn't see over the table. Byron picked her up sitting her on his lap. "Hey princess is that better?" He asked. Charlie nodded her head smiling at Byron. Everyone looked on wanting Charlie to be sitting with them. Charlie tried to feed herself using the big fork but her little hands struggled. The boys watched on and Liam noted she would need to get kid-friendly forks and spoons. "Hey, Charlie want some help?" Asked Byron. "No I a big girl" she said. "I know Charlie but the fork is really big" Byron tried to reason with her but she was stubborn. She continued to use the fork getting pasta everywhere but she had to do it herself. She had the red sauce all over the place including in her hair.

"Ok munchkin you need a shower" Oliver said. Charlie liked showers cause it was like dancing in the rain. "Ok," she said before trying to get off Byron's lap. She ended up wiping sauce all over his shirt and his legs, but when she smiled at him he couldn't be angry. That smile read like pure sunshine.

Oliver helped Charlie into the shower where she danced around getting water everywhere including all over Oliver. He had put some music on for her when she first got it and was laughing at her. He managed to wash her hair with shampoo and clean her up before wrapping her in a white fluffy towel. He carried her back downstairs where all his brothers were waiting. "I no want clothes O's" Charlie said. She saw Bee without a shirt and wanted to be like him. "Charlie you need clothes on" Uncle John told the girl. "Bee no have clothes. I want like Bee" Charlie replied. "Ok munchkin" Oliver replied helping Charlie put on underwear.

Charlie was tired, she hadn't had a nap today as she had spent lots of time with her brothers and uncle. She didn't want to go to sleep by herself though so she held onto her worm and climbed into Byron's lap. She held the worm close to her face and snuggled into Byron breathing in his scent and the lingering lavender oil on the worm. Soon she was sleeping on Byron's chest and he couldn't help but love the feeling.

Liam walked into the room "Hey Charlie time for bed" he said not seeing she was already asleep. "Too late dude" Sam replied. "I'll take her up to the spare room," Liam said. "Nah she is ok here. She can sleep with me" Byron replied. All the brothers were unhappy about that. They all wanted Charlie to sleep with them. Byron couldn't wipe the smile off his face seeing his baby sister sleeping peacefully and he could smell the lavender which reminded him of his mum. "Dude her toy thing smells like lavender. Mum used to always put some on my pillow. I can't believe she still does that" Byron told the others. All the boys watched Charlie sleeping for a while before they each headed off to bed.