coffee, scrubs, hugs

CLOSED 1X1 || Wendy Woods R.N. || 54 || Soccer mom, NICU Nurse, Military Widow.

[nrsewoods]

elliewds​:

“Okay…I went to a party at my friend’s house.” Ellie finally admitted. She always had a hard time keeping things from her mom, but she knew she couldn’t tell her about Kevin because she would freak out and ask her a million questions. Ellie loved her mom dearly, but she could be a helicopter mom sometimes and that made Ellie nervous. “I’m sorry for not telling you, and I promise I am being safe.” She was still a pretty innocent kid, compared to others in her class. “You think it’s pretty? I thought you were gonna hate it,” Ellie said, rolling her sleeve back down. “I’m kind of worried it might get infected, though.” She hadn’t gone to the best place for it, but she knew her mom would be able to help if it was. “I don’t think you can help, mom. I just need to figure out my identity,” Ellie said, shrugging her shoulders. “What if I don’t do well in medical school? That’s always been my dream.” Ellie was afraid of failure. She was surprised ot hear her mom say she could stay home from school. “That sounds nice…can we go get pedicures?”

xxxx

“I sorta figured..” She nodded sadly, shifting her position on the couch anxiously. She was trying so hard not to show Ellie how dispointed she was. “Thank you for being honest with me. You know you can talk to me, I’m not going to be mad.” Not completely true, she was  a little mad and concerned too, but she didn’t want ellie to shut down on her completely if she pushed too hard. “Safe? Oh my god... your having sex!” Wendy cried, her heart pounding in her chest as she began to freak out. “Please tell me your using condoms? I told you to tell me when you wanted to be active and i’d get you some..” She sighed, covering her face in her hands as she tried to keep it together. She was extremely protective of her because she was all she had. “It is a little red, honey. Does it itch?” She looked it over closer. “Your supposed to put aquafore on it afterwards. Did they just let you leave like that? Who did it?” She took a deep breath, hoping they had used clean needles. “I don’t hate it, but maybe think about it before you get the next one?” She suggested. “Honey. Is this about college? Your worried you wont get in?” She sighed, wrapping an arm around her. “Sweetie. Your test scores are amazing. You’ve worked so hard, your going to get in and your going to be the best doctor in town. Your father would be so proud.. well.. maybe not of the tattoo, but of all you’ve achieved. We all have doubts sometimes, it’s normal. You aren’t broken..” Hearing her question, went mulled it over before nodding. “I think that can be arranged, as long as you let me know where you are in the future. I worry. ”

[nrsewoods]

elliewds​:

“Yeah, I got a lot done,” Ellie said, trying to give a convincing nod. In all seriousness, she was a smart kid and was planning on going to medical school once she graduated. She looked up to her mom and wanted to make a difference. “Well, why not? It helps me relax, you literally said it yourself.” Ellie hadn’t been feeling herself lately, she had been seeing a boy too and she was sure her mom had no idea about that. She wasn’t a virgin anymore, and she had been making some pretty poor choices. She was just going through a phase, she wasn’t trying to hurt her mom she was just trying to figure out who she was. “I guess I just feel kind of confused and lost, I feel like I don’t know what I’m doing anymore,” she said to her mom, shrugging her shoulders. “I feel like there’s so much I haven’t done or experienced.” She didn’t do a lot of the same things a lot of teenagers did. “I was feeling spontaneous, that’s why I got one. My friend has one and I liked what she did.” Lifting her sleeve, she showed her mom the fine line flower on her elbow. “What do you think?”

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 “Are you finished lying to me, or are we going to keep this up? I know can go all night, but you look like you need sleep.” She sighed, not wanting to have to though. She never wanted things to be like this with ellie. “Honey. I know your growing up, things are changing and life is scary.. but you have to talk to me. I need to know where you are, that your safe.” Her father had died in a car crash so she always got anxious when ellie didn’t text her or call frequently. “I don’t mind you smoking a little bit of weed, but honey this is too much. You need to slow down.” She looked at the tattoo, it wasn’t terrible but she wished she hadn’t gotten it. “It’s pretty.” She finally said, trying to hide her disapointment and worry. “Your so young, ellie. You have so much time to figure out who you are and go on adventures. I promise.. I didn’t know who I wanted to be at your age, but your so smart. You can do anything. How can I help?” She didn’t like knowing her daughter felt lost. “Your staying home tomorrow from school. You need to sleep and then we can have a girls day, okay? We can do whatever you want, how’s that sound?”

[nrsewoods]

ellieprkr​:

“Yeah, I was really lost with the material. Don’t worry, I’m doing better now though.” Ellie did care about her schoolwork and was a great student. However, she wasn’t making the best choices due to having a bit of an identity crisis. When her mother mentioned weed, she let out a sigh. “Okay fine…I did smoke some weed.” She didn’t really have to confess to that, she knew the smell was all over her. Reluctantly, Ellie came and sat down as well. She loved her mother, but she just felt like she needed to figure things out. “No, nothing’s going on at school…I just kind of feel lost in my life,” she admitted. “I just feel like I don’t know who I am anymore, it’s hard to explain” She was worried about college and leaving home, leaving her mom. It was just a lot for the teenager to think about. “I also um…got a tattoo.” 

Wendy slowly inched her hand over to Ellie’s knee when she sat down, sensing the tension in her daughter. “I know it’s late and you have school so I won’t keep you too long.” She apologized, even though she shouldn’t be sorry. Wendy had a lot trouble being firm with Ellie. “Did you actually study at all?” She sighed, hoping so. Ellie had gotten her dyslexia but was sill proving to be a great student despite having to work a little harder. “Yea, I noticed. Your clothes have been smelling like it a lot lately. I get it, weeds appealing. Makes you laugh, helps you relax, but you can’t be doing it on a school night.” She looked her in the eyes to see if that registered. “Oh? I’m sorry you feel like that.” Wendy frowned, patting Ellie’s leg lightly. “Not like yourself how? Are feeling sad? Anxious?” Wendy being a nurse was trying to figure out if Ellie was depressed. “Everyone has moments of self down.. I didn’t always know who I was. You showed me that.” Getting pregnant in her thirties by accident with Ellie turned out to be her biggest blessing. “Oh. A tattoo, huh? That’s.. uhm.. surprising. What made you decide to get one?” It threw Wendy. She not down on her lip and took a breath trying not freak out. God, she hoped it wasn’t infected or done by someone unprofessional. “Can I see?”

[nrsewoods]

ellieprkr​:

Ellie knew she had a perfectly good life and a wonderful mother that she loved very much…but she couldn’t resist teenage rebellion. She had fallen in with a questionable crowd lately and was off smoking weed and not making the best decisions with a couple of boys. Not only sexually, but she had gotten a tattoo as well. She hadn’t texted her mom because she had been out at a party and her phone ended up dying, and she planned on sneaking into the house and coming up with a story before her mother saw her in the morning. However, all that changed when she walked in and was busted. “Hey…sorry I was at Ashley’s house studying for a math test. I had a lot to do,” she lied, knowing that her mom probably wouldn’t buy it, but it was worth a shot. “My phone died, so I couldn’t text.” That part was true. She had sprayed perfume on her clothes hoping Wendy didn’t smell the weed or see the slight redness in her eyes. “Sorry, I’ll make sure I bring a charger next time.”

“Studying? For math. Till midnight?” Wendy nodded, her voice mildly mocking as she crossed her arms and looked at her child. “That’s pretty impressive considering your eyes are hardly open. I called Ashley’s mom, I know you weren’t there. How much weed did you smoke? You smell like a trap house.” Wendy wasn’t born yesterday despite what Ellie clearly thought. “I believe you about the phone, but that doesn’t excuse why you lied to me.” She sat down and motioned for Ellie to join her. “Come sit down, I want to talk about this.” She said calmly, trying to hide the worry in her voice. “What’s going on? This behavior isn’t like you. Is something going on at school? or is it became I’ve been working longer hours? I can try and cut back to be here more, but you know I’ve been trying to save extra for your college.” Wendy put all of her spare money into a fund for Ellie. It wasn’t always easy being a single mom but she’d tried, and seeing Ellie acting out like this was scary.

[nrsewoods]

Wood’s Residence @ellieprkr

Wendy chewed on her skin around her thumb, struggling to focus on her book. She’d re read the first few lines of a page maybe ten times now. She was worried sick about her daughter, Ellie. The teenager wasn’t answering her phone and it was way past her curfew. The last few months her daughter seemed to be pulling more and more stunts like this, acting out. Wendy had no idea why. She worked a lot, being a head nurse in the NICU, but she’d done her best as single mom to raise Ellie in a loving home and she wasn’t the strictest of parents.  Hearing the door finally click open Wendy’s head shot up, her face a mix of annoyance and worry. “Not so fast, young lady. Come here.” She stood up and threw the book down. “Care too explain where you’ve been? It’s almost midnight and you have school tomorrow.” She didn’t often get upset with Ellie, but she’d scared her tonight. “I tried calling, I texted you. Nothing. I waited over an hour before I put your dinner in the microwave. I was afraid something bad happened to you, Eleanor! You can’t just come and go as you please. Since when do you not let me know your going to be out late with friends?” Wendy shook her head, her brows knit in confusion. She didn’t understand why Ellie was being like this.

[elliewds]

nrsewoods​

“It was.. is.. let’s just.. talk about it another time, okay?” Wendy was trying hard to hide visibly how upset it made her to talk about all the ways she’d been failed by the system and Ellie’s parents. Not that she could call them that now. She wasn’t sure what she was to Ellie either. She didn’t want to get too attached only to lose her again to the them or the system, but while she was here she was going to do her best by Ellie. “I would like that very much.” Wendy meekly replied. The truth was, she wanted to hold Ellie, to tell her it would all be okay, but she wasn’t sure if she’d accept it. It hurt her when Ellie said she also felt misguided. “I could never not want you. Look at how.. wonderful you are. So pretty, and smart.. and.. How could anyone not want you?” Wendy couldn’t stop herself from crying anymore when she spoke about being homeless. “You’ll always have a home with me, Ellie. I love you. Very much. I know you hardly know me, but I promise your safe here. Okay?” She came over to her, opening her arms. “Can I.. hug you?” It would break her heart if Ellie said no but she didn’t want to push her. “This isn’t your fault. They failed you as parents. You shouldn’t have to worry about being homeless or unloved.. Taking a bus all the way here to find me in the middle of the night was very brave but also dangerous. Never do that again, okay?” She was so glad nothing happened to her. “I’m a nurse. I work with babies and pregnant women specifically.” She didn’t want to let Ellie know how obvious she’d been with her sweatshirt. “We should probably go get you checked out then. Make sure the baby is okay..” Wendy stroked her cheek, making a mental note about the allergies.

“Okay, I’m sorry for bringing it up.” Ellie felt bad, but there was a lot she didn’t understand and was confused about. All she knew was that she never wanted to see her adoptive parents ever again. She hoped she’d be able to create a good relationship with Wendy, she wasn’t sure why but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was in the right place. “Me too,” Ellie replied, hoping that things would develop easily between them. She was a naive kid who didn’t see things through a jaded perspective yet. When Wendy called her wonderful, pretty, and smart, Ellie couldn’t help but start to tear up. “No one’s ever said those things to me…ever. If they did I was probably little and don’t remember it.” She was made to constantly feel like she wasn’t good enough in comparison to her brother. “Thank you, I already feel like I’m where I’m supposed to be. I feel very safe here with you.” Seeing Wendy’s outstretched arms and hearing her question, she took a couple of steps towards her and nodded as she went into the hug. “Yeah, I’d like that.” All Ellie wanted was to be held and to be told that everything would be okay. She melted into the hug. “I don’t see myself ever having to take a bus like that again, I just hope I don’t do anything to upset you like I upset them.” Ellie wasn’t sure how long Wendy would let her stay, it sounded like she wanted her to stay forever but she wasn’t sure. Because of what just happened to her she was second guessing everything. “Oh…that’s a cool job. You must be really smart,” she commented. “Okay…I’m nervous though. I don’t want to be judged, and I’ve kind of just been in denial about all of this.” Going to a doctor would make it feel real. Standing by the kitchen table, she pulled out a chair. “Can I sit here?” The adrenaline was starting to wear off and she could feel the exhaustion setting in. 

[nrsewoods]

“You’re okay. I don’t want to talk about sad things, that’s all.” They’d both has enough of that. She didn’t want Ellie to feel like she’d made a mistake just for being curious. “I promise we’ll talk about it all another time.” She offered up a smile even though she was close to crying herself when she saw Ellie break down. “You are. You’re all those things and more, honey.” She kissed and cuddled her, rubbing her back for comfort. It pained her to see her baby this. So scared and broken down. “I imagined this wonderful life you’d have after you were born. I’m sorry they didn’t give you the love you deserve.. I’m going to try very hard too.” Unlike them, she actually cared about Ellie and was willing to put her needs first. “You are safe, baby. I’m never going to let anyone hurt you again.” She couldn’t really promise it, not until Ellie was legally hers but she was hell bent on getting her back. “You silly girl. Nothing you could ever do it upset me to the point that I would disown you or throw you out of the house. You’re just a child. Children make mistakes.” It hurt her to think Ellie was afraid she’d be left again. “I know doctors can be a little scary, but I’ll be with you. It’s really important we check on you and the baby to make sure everything’s growing right.” She gently explained as she nodded for Ellie to sit. “Ellie, sweetie… Do you want this baby?” She knew that was hard question, but they were running out of time to do anything else if she didn’t wanna keep it. “The father., is he.. a boy from school?”

[nrsewoods]

ellieprkr​:

Ellie had a million questions about her adoption. It seemed like her adoptive parents were awful, and Ellie had a feeling she would have loved being able to have a relationship with her birth mother. “That sounds really messed up. I don’t know anything about how courts work but it sounds sketchy that they broke the rules and the judge did nothing. Seems corrupt,” Ellie commented, feeling bad for Wendy. She was sure it broke her heart. “Young and misguided…that sounds kind of familiar,” she shrugged her shoulders. “Don’t apologize, it’s okay. We can make up for lost time now, I guess.” Ellie was a loving, forgiving kid and all she wanted was to have that in return. “You didn’t hurt me, it felt like you didn’t want me at first, but now I know better thanks to the letter.” It was sad that Wendy was being nicer to her than her adoptive mother had been in the last sixteen years. Ellie felt like this was where she was meant to be. Hearing Wendy say that she wouldn’t send her back, she immediately let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you…they wouldn’t take me back even if you did send me back. I’d be homeless.” It had been so scary the last couple days. Not knowing where she’d sleep or what she’d eat. “I want to stay here with you, please.” Ellie nodded her head, hesitantly going to get a cup and filled it up. She was so thirsty and she couldn’t wait to eat too. When Wendy asked her the question about her pregnancy, she nearly dropped the cup on the floor. “I um…how did you know?” She asked, truly thinking she had been sly about it. “I…I’m not sure. Maybe twelve or thirteen weeks?” She hadn’t seen a doctor. “Just shellfish. I’m fine with every thing else.” 

“It was.. is.. let’s just.. talk about it another time, okay?” Wendy was trying hard to hide visibly how upset it made her to talk about all the ways she’d been failed by the system and Ellie’s parents. Not that she could call them that now. She wasn’t sure what she was to Ellie either. She didn’t want to get too attached only to lose her again to the them or the system, but while she was here she was going to do her best by Ellie. “I would like that very much.” Wendy meekly replied. The truth was, she wanted to hold Ellie, to tell her it would all be okay, but she wasn’t sure if she’d accept it. It hurt her when Ellie said she also felt misguided. “I could never not want you. Look at how.. wonderful you are. So pretty, and smart.. and.. How could anyone not want you?” Wendy couldn’t stop herself from crying anymore when she spoke about being homeless. “You’ll always have a home with me, Ellie. I love you. Very much. I know you hardly know me, but I promise your safe here. Okay?” She came over to her, opening her arms. “Can I.. hug you?” It would break her heart if Ellie said no but she didn’t want to push her. “This isn’t your fault. They failed you as parents. You shouldn’t have to worry about being homeless or unloved.. Taking a bus all the way here to find me in the middle of the night was very brave but also dangerous. Never do that again, okay?” She was so glad nothing happened to her. “I’m a nurse. I work with babies and pregnant women specifically.” She didn’t want to let Ellie know how obvious she’d been with her sweatshirt. “We should probably go get you checked out then. Make sure the baby is okay..” Wendy stroked her cheek, making a mental note about the allergies.

[nrsewoods]

ellieprkr·:

Ellie nodded, not really knowing what an open adoption was. Did it just mean that she was supposed to get to see her? “That sounds pretty rude of them if they didn’t hold up on their end of the deal…were they legally allowed to do that?” She asked, not knowing a lot about the subject but she was interested in it. She was planning on going to law school some day, but now she didn’t know if she would be able to make that happened. She wasn’t even sure if she’d finish high school at this point. Especially if she had this baby she would have to go get a job, she wouldn’t ask Wendy for any money or help with the baby. She just needed a place to stay for a little while, and she wasn’t expecting anything. “I guess I understand. You just wanted to try to give me the best life possible, right? I can’t blame you for that, it sounds like you didn’t know any better.” Ellie honestly felt more cared about by Wendy than her adoptive parents. She wondered what her life would have been like if her birth mother had raised her. “You know, you are what I expected. I just had a feeling that you were going to be nice and loving,” Ellie admitted. From the moment she read the letter she thought that. “Your letter changed things, before I thought that you didn’t want me but now I know that you did.” Then, Ellie nodded her head. “Yeah…they did. They told me to get out of their house.” The poor thing was exhausted, considering she had spent the last night on a bus and the night before that in a park in California. She would have gotten a hotel but she needed the money for the bus ticket. “I thought they would have reacted differently to what I told them, but I was wrong. It went the opposite of how I thought it would.” It hurt, and she was still upset that the people that were supposed to look out for her tossed her to the side because she made a mistake. “Thank you for offering to make me something, that sounds so good.” She was starving and knew that it wasn’t fair to the baby trying its best to grow. Ellie wasn’t sure how she felt about the baby yet, but she knew she didn’t want anything bad to happen to it. “Blueberries would be awesome, they’re my favorite actually. And I should probably have milk,” she said knowing it was good for her at least, so it was probably good for the baby too. She wondered if Wendy figured her out yet. 

Wendy fumbled a bit when Ellie asked about the legalities of the adoption. She wasn’t sure how much she should really explain. Eleanor was still a child, she didn’t want to upset her. “It’s a complicated matter. They were wrong, but the judge allowed it so their was nothing I could do.” She’d tried many times, but she didn’t have the money to keep taking them and the judge didn’t seem to care what rules they broke since she signed her rights away. She started in on the pancakes, nearly dropping her whisk when Ellie said she must not have known any better. Leave it to a child to cut so deep. “No.. I didn’t. I was young and misguided.” She whispered, shielding her face from Ellie’s view. She didn’t want her to see the shock or her tears. “I’m sorry.” She wanted to kick herself to saying something so generic. “I.. never meant to hurt you.” Ellie was the last person she wanted to cause pain too. “I’m glad the letter helped you see that I love you. I always did.” Not all mothers were kind and loving, but Ellie was no unwanted mistake. “You’re the only thing I’ve really done in life that matters. I was afraid I’d screw you up. Lot of good that did.” She groaned. Wendy was angry, hurt, and confused as to why they turned on Ellie like this. Pregnant or not, she was a child. She needed to be loved and cared for not shunned. “I’m going to have to call them. I won’t send you back, but legally you belong to them. We’ve got things to discuss. I don’t want to be arrested for kidnapping.” She was going to give them a piece of her mind for this, and then, she didn’t know what would happen. “I’ll get you some pajamas after you eat. Do you… want to stay here with me? Or go somewhere else?” She knew she was a stranger and Ellie was acting on scared impulses. “Theirs some in the fridge. Cups are in the left cabinet.” She nodded. “How far along are you?” She dared to ask, flipping over one of the pancakes. “Do you uhm.. have any allergies I should know about?” She felt awful for asking her own daughter this.

[elliewds]

nrsewoods​:

Wendy hugged herself, feeling anxious as Ellie surveyed her house. She felt the urge to remove the photo frames that held Ellie’s pictures. It was embarrassing, Ellie wasn’t hers anymore and yet she displayed her as if she was. And her defense, she didn’t entertain guests very often and she lived alone aside from her cat. Never did she think something so private would be revealed. “They promised me I would get to be part of your life.” It was part of the deal, but in the end they’d shoved her out. Barely sending photos or updates as years passed. “ I wanted to see you, I tried to schedule visits but they didn’t think it would be a good idea.” She looked away sadly, a pained sigh leaving her as she grabbed her phone and held it out to Ellie so she could call them. “Well. I know you may not want to call them, but your a minor, Eleanor. I could get into trouble for having you here.” It pained her to say it, and honestly she was concerned by how adamant Ellie was about not contacting them. She didn’t want to be found. “I’m glad you read it.” Wendy had done her best to keep the letter short and simple, but there was so much more that Ellie didn’t know. She didn’t want Ellie to ever feel like a mistake. “I did- I do love you. Very much. It was.. a complicated time in my life.. there’s so much you don’t know.” Apparently there was a lot Wendy didn’t know either judging by the way Ellie was acting. Her lip quivered just a little when she mentioned being thrown out. “WHAT?? Why! Your only a child.” She shook her head, moving closer. Her head was spinning and her heart was breaking as she saw the fear in Ellie’s eyes. She’d come all this way. To her. For help. “I’m not going to send you away.” She moved her over to the couch. “You must be starving. When’s the last time you are?”

Ellie was a kid, so she thought it was weird that there were pictures of her around. She didn’t understand, and probably wouldn’t for a while. Maybe she would when her baby was born, but she didn’t even know if she was going to keep it. She was too afraid of abortions so she would have it, which unbeknownst to her was a lot like her mom. “Did they? They never mentioned anything to me and I would have liked to have known and had a relationship with you,” Ellie said, being completely honest. She never felt like she fit in with her adoptive family. “No, I really don’t want to. I don’t think I should call them,” Ellie said, shaking her head. She never wanted to see or hear from them again. Hearing Wendy say that she loved her, a small smile spread across Ellie’s facial features. She wanted to get to know this woman. Maybe they’d be very happy together…that was if she let her stay. Seeing as Ellie was in Arizona now, she had no plans for how she was going to live if Wendy sent her away. She didn’t know what to do about school, either. “I’m sure there is, my parents aren’t the most open people. I’d love to hear everything about your story some day.” Ellie was sure it would answer a lot of questions she had. “No, I have a younger brother actually. They always liked him better,” she admitted, a frown on her facial features. She was avoiding the question of why they had kicked her out. She didn’t want to talk about it or mention it just yet. Hopefully Wendy wouldn’t be able to figure it out. Sitting down on the couch, Ellie adjusted her hoodie to not give anything away when she sat. “I haven’t eaten anything since breakfast yesterday.” 

[nrsewoods]

Wendy was surprised by Ellie’s revelation that her parents kept all her efforts of seeing Ellie a secret. It still hurt though. “It was supposed to be an open adoption.” She bit down on her lip anxiously, struggling to keep her composure. Wendy wasn’t one to cry normally but seeing Ellie and hearing all this was painful. “I wanted to see you so bad.” Their was a deep sincerity in her voice as she put the phone down. “Okay. We won’t.” She promised, not wanting to upset Ellie. It seemed like the poor girl was under enough stress. “Someday.” She nodded. There are things that Ellie was still too young to understand about everything. “I didn’t.. it wasn’t you. I did it because I cared about your future. I thought it was for the best. ” Her voice warbled. “Please, just know that.” She never wanted Ellie to feel like she wasn’t wanted. Wendy wanted her from the beginning. “Am I.. what you expected?” She had to ask, worrying that she wouldn’t be what Ellie wanted at all. She was nurse, lived alone with her cat and hadn’t slept with a man in over five years. She didn’t have much to offer but she did love her, always would. “They what?” When you didn’t even know how to react to Ellie saying they cared about her younger brother more than her. She was angry, confused, and upset. “Listen. No matter what happened, what they did wasn’t right. They should’ve never thrown you out of the house.” Ellie was shifty, avoiding her questions. She did catch the way she pulled on the middle of her hoodie and her heart sank. She’d seen it before. It would make sense as to why she’d been thrown out but Jesus how cruel could they be? She was a child, she needed help not to be cast out. “We can’t have you hungry, can we? Come on. I’ll make you come pancakes. Do you like blueberries? I think I’ve got some chocolate chips.. Do you prefer milk or juice?”

[elliewds]

nrsewoods​

“I am.” There was a pause before she acknowledged Ellie’s statement. She couldn’t bring herself to say the word mother no matter how desperately she wanted to. Hearing Ellie say it so casually was a lot. A lump formed in her throat as she took her bag and set it aside. “I would would recognize you anymore.” She swallowed hard, smiling softly as she grabbed a blanket from the couch and put it around Ellie. “I didn’t think so.” She sighed, her brows knitting with concern. “We should probably let them know your safe. I’m sore their worried.” Wendy would have been worried sick. “Oh. I get photos , and sometimes letters on what you’ve been up too, It’s part of our arrangement.” Each of the letters was perfectly folded in a box by her bed and a couple of the photos were displayed around her house. Reminders of the thing most precious to her in all this world. She hoped Ellie would find that unsettling. “You did?” Wendy’s voice was small, her face full of guilt and worry. She wasn’t sure how Ellie had taken the letter, but judging by the fact that she was here must mean she didn’t completely hate her for what she did. When Ellie asked for help, all of the puzzle pieces started to fit together. “I’ll.. try. Sweetie, what’s going on? What made you come all this way? Not that I’m.. upset. I’m very happy to see you.”

As Ellie walked into the house, she saw some pictures of herself and thought that was a little weird. Didn’t Wendy have any other children? But, she supposed she couldn’t blame her. It was kind of nice to see, seeing as her adoptive parents didn’t have many pictures of her. They started preferring her brother a couple of years ago. “Really? My parents never said anything about that,” Ellie replied, finding that there were a lot of things she didn’t know. “No, it’s fine. We don’t have to tell them, they don’t need to know.” They wouldn’t care to know either. Then, she nodded her head. “Yeah, I did…I’m kind of confused by everything but I know you care about me and I guess I don’t blame you for giving me up.” Ellie was only sixteen, so there were a lot of things she still didn’t understand, especially when it came to being a mom. She was still in denial about the baby she was carrying. It was overwhelming and she wondered if Wendy would kick her out, too. She knew she made a stupid mistake and was now paying for the consequences of her own actions. She didn’t know what to do. She was scared and needed reassurance. “I got kicked out…and I don’t really have anywhere else to go,” she said, figuring it was best to just come out with it. She was tired, hungry, and just needed a hug. “I used what ever money I had to buy a bus ticket here.” 

[nrsewoods]

Wendy hugged herself, feeling anxious as Ellie surveyed her house. She felt the urge to remove the photo frames that held Ellie’s pictures. It was embarrassing, Ellie wasn’t hers anymore and yet she displayed her as if she was. And her defense, she didn’t entertain guests very often and she lived alone aside from her cat. Never did she think something so private would be revealed. “They promised me I would get to be part of your life.” It was part of the deal, but in the end they’d shoved her out. Barely sending photos or updates as years passed. “ I wanted to see you, I tried to schedule visits but they didn’t think it would be a good idea.” She looked away sadly, a pained sigh leaving her as she grabbed her phone and held it out to Ellie so she could call them. “Well. I know you may not want to call them, but your a minor, Eleanor. I could get into trouble for having you here.” It pained her to say it, and honestly she was concerned by how adamant Ellie was about not contacting them. She didn’t want to be found. “I’m glad you read it.” Wendy had done her best to keep the letter short and simple, but there was so much more that Ellie didn’t know. She didn’t want Ellie to ever feel like a mistake. “I did- I do love you. Very much. It was.. a complicated time in my life.. there’s so much you don’t know.” Apparently there was a lot Wendy didn’t know either judging by the way Ellie was acting. Her lip quivered just a little when she mentioned being thrown out. “WHAT?? Why! Your only a child.” She shook her head, moving closer. Her head was spinning and her heart was breaking as she saw the fear in Ellie’s eyes. She’d come all this way. To her. For help. “I’m not going to send you away.” She moved her over to the couch. “You must be starving. When’s the last time you are?”

[elliewds]

nrsewoods​

Wendy was shocked to hear the door this late, her senses heightening as she put down the book she’d been reading. She spent most of her nights in like this. She was alone aside from her cat. went over and peeked through her peep whole before opening the door. “Eleanor?” Standing there in complete shock, she pulled her robe tighter. What in the world was her daughter doing here out of the blue so late at night. noticing the bag and the fear in her eyes, she could only assume that Ellie must have gotten her letter. How else would she know where to find her. “Yes, that’s me.” She smiled, her eyes softening as she looked at her and tried hard not to cry.. She couldn’t say she wasn’t happy to see her. Giving her up was the biggest mistake of her life and everyday she wished so badly she could take her back. The photos and updates she received every year only added to that growing desire. Now she was here, and god was she beautiful. “Come in, out of the cold.” She wrapped one arm around her and moved her towards the fireplace. “I’m guessing your parents don’t know where you are?” She highly doubted they let her come on her own given the way they’d rejected Wendy when she asked to visit with Ellie.

Ellie didn’t mean to arrive so late, but the only bus trip she could afford was the latest one. Being nearly three months pregnant, the bus ride hadn’t been easy for her and she felt sick through most of it, but she made it. She was here and hopefully her mother would accept her with open arms. She had a feeling she would because of the letter, but there was still a part of her that thought maybe she changed her mind. Ellie still couldn’t believe how much she looked like Wendy as she stood there staring at her. Hearing Wendy say her name, she was surprised. How did she know? “You’re my mom…and I think you already knew that the moment you saw me,” Ellie said, not knowing that her mother got pictures every year. In response to the question, she had a deer in the headlights look on her face. “Um, no…no they have no idea.” And they didn’t care. They told her to get out of the house. “I read the letter that you left for me, and I thought you might be able to help me,” she said, standing in front of the fireplace. Her mother was so welcoming already.  “How did you recognize me?” 

[nrsewoods]

“I am.” There was a pause before she acknowledged Ellie’s statement. She couldn’t bring herself to say the word mother no matter how desperately she wanted to. Hearing Ellie say it so casually was a lot. A lump formed in her throat as she took her bag and set it aside. “I would would recognize you anymore.” She swallowed hard, smiling softly as she grabbed a blanket from the couch and put it around Ellie. “I didn’t think so.” She sighed, her brows knitting with concern. “We should probably let them know your safe. I’m sore their worried.” Wendy would have been worried sick. “Oh. I get photos , and sometimes letters on what you’ve been up too, It’s part of our arrangement.” Each of the letters was perfectly folded in a box by her bed and a couple of the photos were displayed around her house. Reminders of the thing most precious to her in all this world. She hoped Ellie would find that unsettling. “You did?” Wendy’s voice was small, her face full of guilt and worry. She wasn’t sure how Ellie had taken the letter, but judging by the fact that she was here must mean she didn’t completely hate her for what she did. When Ellie asked for help, all of the puzzle pieces started to fit together. “I’ll.. try. Sweetie, what’s going on? What made you come all this way? Not that I’m.. upset. I’m very happy to see you.”

[elliewds]

Where: Arizona, 11:45 pm 

@nrsewoods

Ellie had spent the last nineteen hours on a bus to get here, so she didn’t know why she was so nervous. She had enough time to figure out what she was going to say. She had come all this way and was standing on her birth mother’s door step, ready to beg her for her help. She was sixteen years old and had been disowned by her adoptive parents because she was pregnant, so she didn’t have anywhere else to go. Prior to purchasing her bus ticket, she spent a few nights in some sketchy situations and was hoping that this worked out. She was thankful she had the letter that her birth mother had left for her to read, so she looked the woman up and managed to find her address. Seeing as the bus ticket cost everything she had, she really needed this to go well. Would Wendy welcome her with open arms? Or would she turn her away? Ellie was naive and hadn’t thought that part through. Standing on Wendy’s door step with a baggy hoodie hiding her little bump, the sixteen year old rang the bell and hoped there would be answer despite how late it was. When the door opened, her heart started beating really fast and she almost couldn’t speak. She was here looking at her mother. “Um…hi…are you Wendy Woods?” She asked nervously. 

[nrsewoods]

Wendy was shocked to hear the door this late, her senses heightening as she put down the book she’d been reading. She spent most of her nights in like this. She was alone aside from her cat. went over and peeked through her peep whole before opening the door. “Eleanor?” Standing there in complete shock, she pulled her robe tighter. What in the world was her daughter doing here out of the blue so late at night. noticing the bag and the fear in her eyes, she could only assume that Ellie must have gotten her letter. How else would she know where to find her. “Yes, that’s me.” She smiled, her eyes softening as she looked at her and tried hard not to cry.. She couldn’t say she wasn’t happy to see her. Giving her up was the biggest mistake of her life and everyday she wished so badly she could take her back. The photos and updates she received every year only added to that growing desire. Now she was here, and god was she beautiful. “Come in, out of the cold.” She wrapped one arm around her and moved her towards the fireplace. “I’m guessing your parents don’t know where you are?” She highly doubted they let her come on her own given the way they’d rejected Wendy when she asked to visit with Ellie.

[nrsewoods]

ellieprkr​:

“I thought that too as soon as I saw your photo online. I thought that you were beautiful and that we looked a lot alike.” It was nice to know where her features came from and that she did look like her mother. She remember when she saw the photo online she was shocked at how much she looked like Wendy. “I won’t, as long as she’s healthy that’s all that matters.” Hopefully, she would have both babies in her arms soon. She just had to get through delivering her daughter. “Shutting her eyes tightly as she felt the pressure and pain return, Ellie knew that it was go time and that she would have to start pushing the baby out. “Okay, I can do this, I can do this…” she said, taking a deep breath before she started to push. Wendy’s encouragement was what Ellie needed to make all of this easier. There was also the fact that she was so close to meeting her daughter. With another couple big pushes and groans, Ellie was glad Wendy had given her the oxygen. She needed it, because even now she still needed to catch her breath. “Is she almost out?” Ellie asked, unsure even though she felt like she didn’t have much longer to go. 

“You googled me?” Wendy was genuinely surprised by that one, but it made sense. Ellie was curious and she couldn’t blame her for searching for answers. “You have your fathers eyes, which was honestly his best quality.” She laughed, remembering how he’d charmed the pants right off her. “You got this.” Wendy rubbed her shoulder to encourage her as she got all hyped up to push. “ Think about holding them both in your arms, and fitting into your jeans again.” Hopefully she could distract her from the pain. “She crowing.” Wendy added, quickly cleaning up a little bit of poop that has slipped out on the last push. She could tell Ellie was losing steam. They needed to hurry this baby along. “I’m gonna help you okay? I’m gonna push on your stomach this time. Hopefully she’ll come on out. It’ll feel like pressure but tell me if I’m hurting you.” She added, throwing her body weight on Ellie when she pushed again. This time the baby slipped free and her loud cries filled the room. “You did it!” She cheered on her daughter as she went to get the baby. “Can you say hello mama?” She was full on crying now as she held her grand daughter in her eyes.

[nrsewoods]

ellieprkr​:

“I’m really glad he takes more after me, Violet and Lacey do have some of my features but they look more like their dad,” Ellie said, a smile on her facial features as she couldn’t take her eyes off her son. “Okay, I will,” she said, finally closing her eyes for a moment. She had a feeling the second round would be worse, considering she was already fatigued. “Wow, that’s really good. I’m glad he’s healthy.” Seven pounds was above average for twins, so Ellie was happy with that, even if she had been really uncomfortable carrying them. It was worth it. She was a little bit sad when her son went away, but she knew he needed to go. He would be well taken care of by the nursing staff. “I know, but it’s still hard. I can’t wait to snuggle with both of them, I’m just going to have that image in my head while I have the second one,” she said to Wendy. “Having you here with me through all of this is so special for me, I know I keep saying that but it really is.” Wendy was so supportive and encouraging. Wincing as she felt some discomfort again, Ellie knew it was just about time to start pushing again. “As ready as I’ll ever be, I just want to get this over with.” 

“I know what’s that’s like. Chloe doesn’t look a thing like me..” she laughed. “You look so much like me it’s scary.” She wondered how she hadn’t seen it right away. “His sister will probably be a little smaller. That’s normal. Don’t freak out.” She laughed and petted Ellie’s hair as she took a moment to rest. “He’ll be back before you know it.” She promised her. She could tell Ellie was a bit distressed but labor would be a good distraction for his absence. “That’s a beautiful image to have.”  she could feel herself tearing up at the idea of seeing Ellie snuggling her two youngest grandchildren. “It’s special for me too.” She was so glad she could be here for Ellie now. “Okay. On the next one, I want you to push real hard.” Hopefully the baby would come in a few pushes.

[nrsewoods]

ellieprkr​:

“Do you really think so?” Ellie asked, looking down at her baby boy. She was honestly relieved to hear that, considering she had no idea who the twins’ father was. She didn’t even know where to start on that, so it was better off she just raised them as a single mother. There had been one guy that she started to have feelings for, but he had been married and she didn’t plan on being a home-wrecker so she cut off all communication. When Wendy started to get emotional, Ellie could understand why so she let her go. “Of course, no worries,” she said, knowing how hard all of this must be for Wendy. When she came back, she made a mental note to ask about that later. “Okay, thank you. I think that will help I just want to do everything I can to help myself.” Once the oxygen was on her, she started to perk up and feel a little bit better, besides the fact she could already feel the second baby working her way down. It wouldn’t be long now. “Me too, and hey, you convinced me and I’ll always thank you for that. And how nice is that fact that you’ll get to see both of them grow up” she said, letting Wendy take the baby boy who still needed a name. “I know he will be, everyone here is going to take the best care of both of them.”

“I do.” She smiled, trailing her fingers over the baby’s cheek and nose. Seeing her fair share of ugly new borns she could honestly say Ellie made gorgeous babies. “I think he’s going to have your chin.” She pulled out her tape measure and started to write things down. “Just try to rest.” She could see her stomach contracting which meant the other baby would be in position soon. Picking up the pace, she checked his reflexes before finally lifting him up to get his weight. “Seven pounds. Four ounces. 21 inches long.” She proudly announced. “Okay, say goodbye to this chunky monkey. He’s going for a bath.” Just in time from the looks of it. His little sister seemed ready to join him. She held the baby over Ellie one last time before she let another nurse take him. “See. I told you that everything would be okay.” When Ellie spoke about getting to see them grow up, Wendy got emotional again. “I wish someone would have told me I could do it when I had you.” If just one person supported her she probably wouldn’t have given Ellie up. She was so scared and alone. Wendy would give anything to go back. “Ready to meet your daughter?”

[nrsewoods]

ellieprkr​:

“Good,” Ellie said, happy to hear that the baby was doing fine and that there wasn’t an emergency. She just wanted both of them to arrive healthy and to spend as little, if any time, in the NICU. Although, she did feel better that Wendy would be the one looking after them if they did need to be there. It was reassuring. When the first baby was born, Ellie was so happy and relieved. She felt so much better and hoped she would need a little time before the second baby came. “He’s so beautiful,” Ellie said, kissing the baby boy’s head. She was so in love with him, and she couldn’t believe that not too long ago she was thinking about giving the twins up. She was still trying to catch her breath. That had been a lot. “Thank you, that was really hard. I’m just glad he’s here and that I’m halfway done,” she said. “Okay, whatever you think will help. I trust you.” Ellie could feel that she needed the oxygen. Whatever would help make things even the slightest bit easier. “I don’t want to let him go, but I know you need to do what you need to do…and I feel way better about letting you take him,” she said, looking at her newborn son’s little fingers and toes. “He’s even cuter than I could have imagined.” 

“He looks so much like you.” She couldn’t hide the brokenness I’m her voice as she struggled to keep herself together. Watching Ellie marvel over her son was a lot. “I’m sorry. This is.. harder than I thought it would be. I’ll be right back.” She hated to admit it as she stepped into a corner of the room to catch her own breath and dry her eyes. The sudden wave of guilt was too much of her to bare. She’d gone through something similar when Chloe was born and it took her a while to forgive herself and even bond with the child. “I’m sorry about all that. Let’s get that oxygen going. Your going to need it for round two.” She came back over much more collected and put the mask on Ellie. She couldn’t tell her she was regretting giving her up so much. She made that choice and didn’t deserve any pity about it. “I’m really glad you decided to keep them.” She laid her hand on the baby’s back as Ellie spoke about not wanting to let him go. “He’s going to be a little heart breaker.” She agreed before bringing over the little baby cart to take his measurements and footprints. “I’ll do all the checks I can here, then I’ll take him to the nursery. I promise you he’ll be in good hands.”

[nrsewoods]

ellieprkr​:

Ellie stopped all thoughts of anything besides bringing her babies into the world. It was a lot more difficult than she remembered, mostly due to the fact she had actually been in labor a lot longer this time around. With the pain of the first baby coming, she didn’t know how she would manage to do it for the second one. She felt stupid for not choosing the epidural earlier. When Wendy explained what was happening and that they had to cut her, she didn’t care at this point. “Okay…is the baby okay?” She asked, hoping that he or she was. In the grand scheme of things, the feeling of the cut wasn’t that bad because there was already so much else going on. Hearing Wendy say she was proud of her gave her the strength and encouragement she needed to push a few more times. “Yeah, I’m ready, I can do this,” she knew she could. She was already so close. When Wendy started counting down, Ellie pushed and pushed until she felt the release of the baby leaving her body. Catching her breath, she let out a big sigh of relief when she heard the baby boy start to cry and he was placed on her chest. “He is so beautiful, hi,” she said, happy to finally see her son. “Mom, I’d love for you to cut the cords for them both.” 

“The baby’s great. Perfect positioning. This is to help you.” Their was a kind and calm assurance in her voice. She didn’t want Ellie panicking. The babies shoulders were broad and if they didn’t cut her, she’d tare and need more stitches. “I’m not going to let anything happen. Okay?” She hoped Ellie would trust her on this. As soon as the doctor gave a signal Wendy began to count back from ten. “Keep going! Keeping going! Almost- Ah!” After helping Ellie lay back she went over and got her new grandson. “We’ve got a boy.” She held him up for Ellie to see and then laid him on her chest l with happy tears running down her cheeks and the biggest grin on her face. She was flooding with so many happy emotions as she watched Ellie with her baby. “Okay..” She nodded and went to cut the cord. After which she brought back a blanket and a suction cup to clean his airways. “I know. It’s no fun.” She laughed as he cried while she rubbed a small blanket against him to get some of the slim off. “You we’re great.” She leaned in and kissed Ellie on the forehead as she hovered over them both. “He’s perfect. Nice and chunky. How are you feeling? Your a bit pale. I think we should put you on some oxygen.” She petted her hair. “I’ll have to take him in a minute.” She added sadly, knowing Ellie wouldn’t want to let him go. Right now though, they could enjoy the moment. The other baby wouldn’t come right away.“Let’s check his little fingers and toes.”