//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: Meeting the Parents // Story: A Family is Love // by Godslittleprincess //------------------------------// “Mom! Dad!” Ocellus cried as she ran into the visitation room of the jail in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with Flare Burst following from behind. With tears in her eyes, she ran right into her parents’ open arms. Both Ocellus’s parents looked like they were in their early thirties, quite a young age for parents of a 16-year-old. Her mother had light aqua skin and jewel purple hair and eyes. Her doubly pregnant belly was visible through her standard orange prison jumpsuit. Her father had gray-blue skin with bright orange eyes and short, two-tone, green hair. He needed crutches to stand up and wore a cast on his left leg from his hip to his toes. The social worker remained sitting at their table, smiling at the touching scene even though her forehead was creased with worry. Ocellus’s mother was the first to notice Flare approaching. She broke the family hug, went up to Flare, and tearfully shook her hand. “Oh, I can’t thank you enough for looking after my daughter,” she blubbered, her gratitude overflowing with her tears. “When I found out what had happened, oh my gosh!” The thoroughly overwhelmed woman collapsed sobbing into her chair as she continued, “This is all my fault. You must think I’m a terrible mother.” “Oh, oh, not at all,” Flare stuttered, trying to maintain composure even though she was about to be overwhelmed herself. “You were just desperate. People tend to make bad decisions in those kinds of situations.” “If I ever get out of here and get a second chance at raising my children, I swear I am never stealing again.” Ocellus’s mom cried waterfalls. The social worker pulled out a packet of tissues from her purse and gave them to Ocellus’s mom. “Oh, darling, don’t be so hard on yourself,” Ocellus’s father comforted as he rubbed circles into his wife’s back. “Your brother was the one who stabbed us in the back and sold our daughter to a pimp. Gosh, if I wasn’t in crutches right now!” “Don’t worry,” the social worker assured them both. “Last I heard, Ms. Antenna, your brother is currently awaiting trial for what he did. I have no doubt he will be brought to justice. However, we do have more pressing concerns to address.” “Of course, of course,” Ocellus’s mother agreed, composing herself and placing her hand on her stomach. “So, how far along are you if you don’t mind me asking?” Flare asked with uncharacteristic timidity. “5 months,” Antenna answered with a sad smile, “I’m not due for a while, but you have to be prepared for anything with twins. Either way, I’ll probably still be in here after they are born.” “Which brings us to our primary concern,” the social worker added. “With Mr. Sternum recovering from injury and his current employment status, he may not be able to handle the responsibility of taking care of twins.” “In other words, the twins are going to have to be placed into foster care as soon as they’re born,” Flare inferred. “Correct, and both Ms. Antenna and Mr. Sternum have agreed that they would want the twins placed in the same home as Ocellus if possible.” Flare nodded before frowning in confusion. “So, what does that mean for Ocellus?” The social worker sighed and continued, “Ms. Antenna and Mr. Sternum were wondering if you could continue to foster Ocellus and then later her siblings.” “They want ME to foster their kids? All the way in Canterlot?” “They seem to be under the impression that your trustworthiness outweighs the distance,” the social worker stated. “Oh,” Flare exclaimed before turning to Ocellus’s parents. “Sir, ma’am, I am deeply honored that you would trust me with taking care of your children, but I simply don’t have any more room in my house for two more people. Also, I don’t know the first thing about taking care of a baby, let alone two.” Ocellus’s parents shared a look with each other and frowned. “Oh, we understand,” Sternum replied with a disappointed sigh. “It’s just that after what happened to Ocellus, we don’t know who to trust anymore in this town, and we don’t feel very comfortable about bringing her back here.” “Is there anyone in the same neighborhood as you who would be willing to take the twins? Or even in the same town?” asked Antenna. Flare pressed her lips together as she contemplated a solution. “I think I might know someone, but I can’t promise you anything,” Flare responded before pulling out her phone and dialing a number. She got up from the table and stepped out of the visitation room. “Hello,” Twilight Velvet answered the phone. “Hey, Velvet, it’s Flare,” Flare Burst replied. “Were you able to talk to Night Light about, well, what we talked about last Mom’s Night Out?” “I have. He’s apprehensive about the whole idea though. He doesn’t think adoption is in our future, and I agreed with him, but then, I told him that we could always foster without adopting, but then he says, ‘Honey, I know you mean well, but what if we end up fostering a kid until he or she ages out of the system? Do we just leave him or her to fend for himself or herself?’ Then, he starts worrying about what’ll happen if we take in a kid expecting to be temporary fosters only for the parents to be unable to take the kid back. Long story short, he thinks the whole foster parenting thing has way too many risks.” “So does letting your daughter get married in the middle of college, and he gave Flash his blessing to marry Twilight,” Flare pointed out. “Gah! Why didn’t I think of that?” Velvet exclaimed. “I could have totally used that to make my case.” “By the way, I know you said that Night said that it’s too risky, but did he flat-out tell you no?” “He said he needed more time to think about it, and in all my years being married to the man, thinking about it usually means making a list of all the pros and cons and planning out for every eventuality with a massive chart,” Velvet retorted with a laugh. “Now I know where Twily gets it from.” “Anyway, I’m calling because I’m meeting with Ocellus’s parents in Pittsburgh right now, and they want their twins to be fostered in the same town as Ocellus,” Flare explained. “I have neither the housing nor the experience to be taking care of newborns, so I was wondering if maybe you and Night would like to help. You’re going to have to decide quickly though. I don’t think Ocellus’s parents have time to wait for a chart.” One week later… “I cannot believe you talked me into this,” Night Light exclaimed to Velvet as the two of them and Twilight put the finishing touches on Shining Armor’s old room which had been converted into a nursery. “I mean, look at us. Our son already has a child of his own, and our daughter is about to get married. We are OLD! What made us think that taking in two newborns and a teenager would be a good idea?” “Hey, those kids and their parents need the help, and they didn’t know who to trust to help them besides Flare Burst and Shining Armor,” Velvet pointed out. “Flare and Shiny weren’t in the right position to help them, but we were. It’s as simple as that. And quit your griping; we’re not THAT old.” “Besides, Dad, this is just temporary” Twilight added. “Ms. Antenna and Mr. Sternum really want to go back to raising their kids themselves as soon as possible.” “Which is why Cadance, you, and I are helping them move to Canterlot and find jobs as soon as Antenna is out of jail and Sternum’s leg is better,” Velvet continued. “Finding jobs for them is going to be easier said than done, Velvet,” Night continued. “The fact that Antenna has jail time on record is going to limit the amount of jobs she can do. On top of that, it’s going to be hard to find employers willing to hire ex-convicts even if it is just a misdemeanor.” “Isn’t the church looking for another cleaning lady?” Velvet remembered. “We could always check there if we have no other options.” Night Light opened his mount to object, but then, he shut it again and thought for a bit. “I suppose that’s true,” Night Light conceded. Before Velvet and Night could discuss the matter further, the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it,” Twilight volunteered. She rushed to the front door and opened it to Ocellus and Flare. Ocellus was carrying a small suitcase and a backpack. “Hello, Ocellus,” Twilight greeted before taking Ocellus’s suitcase from her. “Come on in. Why don’t I help you take your things to your room?” “Thanks so much for looking after me these past few weeks, and for taking me to see my parents,” Ocellus said to Flare as the two of them followed Twilight up the staircase. “I hope you’re not upset about me wanting to change foster homes.” “Oh, you’re very welcome,” Flare replied, “and don’t worry about it. I understand wanting to stay in the same place as your brother and sister. Besides, you’ll have much more room to yourself this way. At the same time, if you ever need us for anything, you know where we live.” On the way to the guest room, the three of them ran into Velvet and Night Light coming out of the nursery. “Oh, hello, Ocellus,” Velvet greeted. “Night and I were just finishing up your brother and sister’s room. Want to take a look and tell us what you think?” “Maybe later, Ms. Velvet,” Ocellus replied, “but thank you. Also, thanks for everything. My parents and I really appreciate this.” “Oh, think nothing of it,” said Night Light. Twilight continued to lead Flare and Ocellus to the guestroom, and when they were out of earshot, Night solemnly said to his wife, “You know what we signed up for isn’t going to be easy in the slightest, right?” “Oh, it’ll be worth it,” Velvet reassured him, pulling her husband into an embrace, which he returned. “It will be worth it.” “Oh, I know.”