Just The Same As His Sibling.

Damon and I had returned from Los Angeles Sunday afternoon. We took it easy the rest of the day then Monday quickly approached. I decided to take the day off from the store to go visit the orphanage. Damon was hesitant at first but then he then agreed.

I entered through the orphanage doors and was greeted by a smiling Emily. "Hello Ms. Bush. Sterling's in the playroom."

"Thank you." I gave a slight smile back and made my way to the familiar room.

I opened the door and Sterling was playing with his cars on a race track. He was so caught up in playing he didn't notice I had come to see him. I took the opportunity to sneak up on him. I tiptoed quietly as his back remained facing me. Once I got close enough I knelt down silently.

"Boo." I whispered to him.

He jumped as he turned around to face me. His face lit up with a smile and his arms wrapped quickly around my neck. "You're back!"

I hugged him in return and let out a small chuckle. "Of course, I have to come to see my favorite boy."

He pulled away from the hug and I could see he was slightly blushing. "I'm your favorite?"

"Of course! Unless the baby is a boy, then you'll both have to be my favorites. But you will always be my favorite Sterling." I ruffled his hair with my hand.

"Here, let's play with dinosaurs today!" He hurried to a table that had a picture of a grassy area and water that was meant to be used for playing with animals.

I sat down beside him as he took various dinosaurs and put them on the table. He handed me one and we began to play with them back and forth. He had me be the mother dinosaur while he was the baby. We used our dinosaurs to go around the table to search for food and play.

After a little while of playing Sterling paused and looked at me. I could tell he wanted to say something but it didn't seem he knew the words.

"What is it?" I asked. "You can tell me anything Sterling."

"I was just thinking about something. You know how my mommy is in heaven?" He asked.

"Yes." I nodded.

"Well I think she would like it if I had a mommy here to help protect me while she waits for me." He suggested.

"Is that so?" I looked curiously at him.

"Yeah, I was thinking maybe you could. If you want. Then we could get a daddy too." He seemed to have thought this through.

I nodded. "What if we got your daddy?"

Sterling let out a sigh. "I don't want my daddy. I heard one of the ladies say he's going to have a new kid so I want a new daddy."

"What if we got your daddy to come visit you? Maybe he has a reason he hasn't come yet." I was trying to get him open to the idea but I wasn't going to push it too far and upset him.

"No. I don't want to." he answered.

"Okay. How about we go back to playing and we can talk about the mommy thing later." I suggested to change the subject.

"Okay. Let's play with the Legos now!" He started to hurry to the table with the Legos.

"Sterling." I spoke to grab his attention. "We need to put the dinosaur's away and clean up after ourselves."

He nodded and came back to the table. We put away the toys we had played with and then we went to the table to build together. He wanted to build a tower and see how tall we could get it. There definitely wasn't a dull moment with him.

I felt bad though that Damon still didn't know about this remarkable boy's existence. I looked forward to my visits with Sterling. I looked forward even more to when he would be able to meet with Damon. The problem was Sterling knew only what people gossiped about. He didn't know the truth about what Ava did. I wanted to explain it to him but I wasn't sure how to even start.

Mrs. Strahm knocked on the playroom door and peeked her head in. "Ms. Bush, can I speak to you for a moment."

"I'll be right back." I reassured Sterling and then I stood up to exit the room.

Mrs. Strahm walked down the hall a little bit to be away from the playroom door. I followed behind until she had stopped and turned to face me.

"Is this about Sterling?" I questioned.

"Yes." She nodded.

"Is something wrong?" I looked at her with concern for the small child.

"Ms. Bush, I have a concern I would like to talk to you about." Mrs. Strahm spoke while we stood in the hall.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Sterling has told a few of our workers and a couple children that he thinks he might be leaving soon. He's been here for years and has seen that multiple visits from someone usually ends up with the child leaving here." She explained. "He thinks he'll be going home with you eventually Ms. Bush."

I nodded. "I understand."

"My concern is that I don't want him to get the wrong idea from your visits. If you and Mr. Tipton have no intention of taking him home it might be best to hold off on your visits." I could tell she was just worried about the effect this would have on Sterling but I couldn't help but be irritated by her words.

"Mrs. Strahm, Sterling is not here because Mr. Tipton didn't want him. Sterling is here because Mr. Tipton was led to believe by his sister's doing that Sterling was never born." I explained. "I'm here to get Sterling willing to meet his father. Once they've met my fiance and I will be taking him home with us."

"I understand that's easy to say but-" She began to speak again but I cut her off.

"I don't mean any disrespect Mrs. Strahm but I will not let Sterling stay here any longer than he has to." my tone was stern. "I can assure you he will be in good hands. I will love and care for him just the same as his sibling that I'm carrying right now."

Before either of us could say another word the conversation was interrupted by footsteps hurriedly getting away from us. I turned to see Sterling entering back into the playroom. He had heard everything.

Damon and I had returned from Los Angeles Sunday afternoon. We took it easy the rest of the day then Monday quickly approached. I decided to take the day off from the store to go visit the orphanage. Damon was hesitant at first but then he then agreed.

I entered through the orphanage doors and was greeted by a smiling Emily. "Hello Ms. Bush. Sterling's in the playroom."

"Thank you." I gave a slight smile back and made my way to the familiar room.

I opened the door and Sterling was playing with his cars on a race track. He was so caught up in playing he didn't notice I had come to see him. I took the opportunity to sneak up on him. I tiptoed quietly as his back remained facing me. Once I got close enough I knelt down silently.

"Boo." I whispered to him.

He jumped as he turned around to face me. His face lit up with a smile and his arms wrapped quickly around my neck. "You're back!"

I hugged him in return and let out a small chuckle. "Of course, I have to come to see my favorite boy."

He pulled away from the hug and I could see he was slightly blushing. "I'm your favorite?"

"Of course! Unless the baby is a boy, then you'll both have to be my favorites. But you will always be my favorite Sterling." I ruffled his hair with my hand.

"Here, let's play with dinosaurs today!" He hurried to a table that had a picture of a grassy area and water that was meant to be used for playing with animals.

I sat down beside him as he took various dinosaurs and put them on the table. He handed me one and we began to play with them back and forth. He had me be the mother dinosaur while he was the baby. We used our dinosaurs to go around the table to search for food and play.

After a little while of playing Sterling paused and looked at me. I could tell he wanted to say something but it didn't seem he knew the words.

"What is it?" I asked. "You can tell me anything Sterling."

"I was just thinking about something. You know how my mommy is in heaven?" He asked.

"Yes." I nodded.

"Well I think she would like it if I had a mommy here to help protect me while she waits for me." He suggested.

"Is that so?" I looked curiously at him.

"Yeah, I was thinking maybe you could. If you want. Then we could get a daddy too." He seemed to have thought this through.

I nodded. "What if we got your daddy?"

Sterling let out a sigh. "I don't want my daddy. I heard one of the ladies say he's going to have a new kid so I want a new daddy."

"What if we got your daddy to come visit you? Maybe he has a reason he hasn't come yet." I was trying to get him open to the idea but I wasn't going to push it too far and upset him.

"No. I don't want to." he answered.

"Okay. How about we go back to playing and we can talk about the mommy thing later." I suggested to change the subject.

"Okay. Let's play with the Legos now!" He started to hurry to the table with the Legos.

"Sterling." I spoke to grab his attention. "We need to put the dinosaur's away and clean up after ourselves."

He nodded and came back to the table. We put away the toys we had played with and then we went to the table to build together. He wanted to build a tower and see how tall we could get it. There definitely wasn't a dull moment with him.

I felt bad though that Damon still didn't know about this remarkable boy's existence. I looked forward to my visits with Sterling. I looked forward even more to when he would be able to meet with Damon. The problem was Sterling knew only what people gossiped about. He didn't know the truth about what Ava did. I wanted to explain it to him but I wasn't sure how to even start.

Mrs. Strahm knocked on the playroom door and peeked her head in. "Ms. Bush, can I speak to you for a moment."

"I'll be right back." I reassured Sterling and then I stood up to exit the room.

Mrs. Strahm walked down the hall a little bit to be away from the playroom door. I followed behind until she had stopped and turned to face me.

"Is this about Sterling?" I questioned.

"Yes." She nodded.

"Is something wrong?" I looked at her with concern for the small child.

"Ms. Bush, I have a concern I would like to talk to you about." Mrs. Strahm spoke while we stood in the hall.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Sterling has told a few of our workers and a couple children that he thinks he might be leaving soon. He's been here for years and has seen that multiple visits from someone usually ends up with the child leaving here." She explained. "He thinks he'll be going home with you eventually Ms. Bush."

I nodded. "I understand."

"My concern is that I don't want him to get the wrong idea from your visits. If you and Mr. Tipton have no intention of taking him home it might be best to hold off on your visits." I could tell she was just worried about the effect this would have on Sterling but I couldn't help but be irritated by her words.

"Mrs. Strahm, Sterling is not here because Mr. Tipton didn't want him. Sterling is here because Mr. Tipton was led to believe by his sister's doing that Sterling was never born." I explained. "I'm here to get Sterling willing to meet his father. Once they've met my fiancé and I will be taking him home with us."

"I understand that's easy to say but-" She began to speak again but I cut her off.

"I don't mean any disrespect Mrs. Strahm but I will not let Sterling stay here any longer than he has to." my tone was stern. "I can assure you he will be in good hands. I will love and care for him just the same as his sibling that I'm carrying right now."

Before either of us could say another word the conversation was interrupted by footsteps hurriedly getting away from us. I turned to see Sterling entering back into the playroom. He had heard everything.