"I'll Love You Forever, Baby Girl..." Another OXO with Swim

"A-Ah…" Fale shouldn't really have expected any less. Rei hadn't been doing so good when she left. "Is it… alright if I see her?" Fale kept her hands folded in front of her, looking at the secretary. She was worried, for Rei, and deeply so. She couldn't help but think she had caused some of this herself, with her actions just days prior.

The woman hummed a moment before looking towards the door that lead to the rooms in the back. She frowned lightly. “I suppose you could try. She’s not very responsive and we’re running out of options,” the secretary replied, her lips forming a grim smile. The woman led Fale to the door, letting her through. Some of the kids stopped what they were doing, surprised to see a new person. The other employees got their attention again, quickly with starting a game of Simon says. One of them walked over to talk to the secretary. “Here for an adoption?” they asked.
“She’s here for Rei, actually…” came the response.
The employee looked at Fale sadly. “I wish you luck,” they hummed, moving down the hall where Rei’s temporary room was. “I’ll let her know she has a visitor,” they said.

Rei was sitting in her room, not feeling like playing. She didn’t know why nothing looked fun anymore. Even quiet activities weren’t as fun as they used to be. Her eyes were glued to the window when she heard a small knock before the door opened. Was it time to go out and eat already?
“Rei, dear. The nice lady from a few days ago came back to see you,” one of the people working in the orphanage said. Rei’s face twisted into confusion. She didn’t understand why the pretty lady would want to come back. The little girl scooted to the edge of the bed. “Okay…” came Rei’s soft reply.

"I'm glad I came when I did, then," Fale said, voice soft. "Hopefully I'll be able to help some…" The goddess noticed how the children looked at her, turning away some. She was just here for Rei, she wouldn't let herself bond with anyone else. Especially not another child. She watched at the employee left to tell Rei, hands still in front of her.
"I am worried for her…"

The secretary sighed softly, leading Fale down the hallway. “We are as well. If she cooperates well with you and you’re considering giving her a home… that’d be more than appreciated. Otherwise we may have to send her somewhere meant for more troubled of children. Most don’t get adopted there, and I’d hate to see her get any worse,” the woman explained. They stopped at the door, the other employee giving them the okay. “Would you prefer some privacy…?”

"I do hope I'll be able to give her a home," Fale admitted. She was troubled at the thought of Rei being sent somewhere like that, not having a real chance for a family…
"Ah, yes, please," Fale said softly. She moved forward when she was given the okay, looking in.
"Hey, Rei," she said softly, ducking her head some out of instinct. "How are you doing..?"

The employees stepped away, allowing Fale to have some time to attempt what she could. They wanted what was best for all the children, after all. Even if Rei didn't see it that way.
The little girl was sitting on the edge of the bed, hugging her knees. Her eyes looked sad, staring up at Fale. Rei blinked at her a moment before remembering her manners. "Hello…" she greeted softly. "What are you doing here…? I thought you didn't… want to help me," she asked, seeming genuinely confused. Rei never liked to ignore questions, but the little girl didn't think she wanted to admit that she was so scared.

Fale took a few steps forward, moving to sit on the bed with Rei.
"I made a mistake," Fale admitted, "And I'm sorry. I want to help you, in the ways I can. I truly am so sorry I just… left you here." Fale felt horrible, knowing Rei had been abandoned here not once, but twice. This time, though, she came back. She'd be the one to take Rei away from here, if she could.
One way or another.

Rei sat there a moment, trying to push the sad thoughts away. Mommy and daddy made mistakes too. The nice lady wanted to help. She frowned again, reminding herself of what she had been told. “That’s okay, miss… Mommy and daddy aren’t coming…” she told Fale sadly. Her eyes looked teary again, thinking about the fact. Rei hadn’t let it sink in yet, in denial despite knowing better.

Fale couldn't stand to see Rei sad like this. She opened her arms in an offer of a hug, wishing she could make all the sadness go away.
"I… I know…" she admitted softly. "I still want to help, Rei." The goddess would make things right. She'd give Rei a good home, a place she could be happy. She'd never ask to replace Rei's mommy, but… she could raise the child. She could give her love, and safety, and she could keep the darkness away.

“B-but…” she started, eyes tearing up again. She wiped at her eyes before giving up. She couldn’t take it anymore and leaned forward into Fale’s arms. Surprisingly, she felt warmth soak into her in a comforting way. She liked the way it made her feel. That it was okay to feel sad… The little girl cried openly, shoulders shaking some. “W-why didn’t they w-want me anym-more…?”

Fale wrapped her arms around Rei, pulling the small girl close. She gently ran her hand over Rei's head, head tilting down to her.
"They still want you," Fale said softly. "They just… they knew that they weren't going to be able to give you the things you need. It broke their hearts to give you up, but they don't want you to be hurt. I know it might not seem like that, that it hurts right now, but it's going to help you. I'm so sorry you have to go through this all…"

Rei now sat in her lap, hands full of Fale’s shirt fabric. She snuggled closer to the woman, still very confused. “H-how do you k-know that, miss…?” the little girl asked. Her parents had never told her why they were leaving, hoping she wouldn’t get upset while they were there. They wouldn’t have been able to leave if they told Rei before hand.

Fale continued to gently rub Rei's back and head, holding the small girl close to herself.
"I know, because your mommy and daddy must have loved you so much to raise such a nice girl as you. And when you love someone that much, you're willing to do anything to help them, even if it hurts." She was the goddess of Eternity, after all. She had seen it time and again, when ones she had blessed had to be taken apart, no matter how much they were loved. It hurt her heart…

Rei buried her face in Fale’s shirt, seeming to feel safe in the embrace. Her tense form relaxed at the gentle touches. She really missed this. The small child continued to cry, but softer now. “But I d-don’t care about t-things…” she managed to protest.

Fale was glad to feel Rei relaxing more in her hold, not stopping with her gentle comforts.
"There are some things people can't go without," Fale explained softly. "Food, and clothes, and warmth… These are all things that you need, Rei. I'm sure that if it hadn't been bad, they would have kept you with them. They must love you so much to admit they couldn't give you those things…" Fale hummed softly, holding Rei closer.

Rei didn’t reply, instead trying to see things the way Fale was explaining them. It made sense this way. It sounded less harsh than the fact that her parents weren’t coming back. She snuggled into the woman holding her, just enjoying the physical touch. It felt so good after isolating herself for a few days.

Fale stopped talking as Rei didn't reply. She continued her humming, though, a calming lullaby everyone who was associated with the pantheon knew oh so well. She gently rubbed Rei's back as she did, rocking the small girl in her arms. Fale hesitated, then started talking again.
"How are you feeling..?"

Rei felt so tired at this point, and the lullaby wasn't helping her stay awake. It was strange how she was letting herself nearly fall asleep in a stranger's arms. A familiar stranger, but still a stranger. Her breathing was completely back to normal, her body feeling warm and secure. The only tears left were the ones already dry on her cheeks. "Mmm… warm," she replied sleepily. Rei blinked up at Fale, doing her best to stay awake for the visit.

Fale smiled some as Rei looked up at her, giving the girl a hug and pulling her a bit closer.
"I see," she said, doing her best to hold the chuckle in her tone back. Rei was just so sweet… Fale wiped away the remnants of the tears on Rei's cheeks, starting to hum again. Hopefully, this was a good sign. Fale hoped to bring Rei home that day. She continued to gently rub Rei's back, picking the lullaby back up.

Rei attempted to smile back. It felt good to do that. She blinked tiredly, still trying to keep herself from falling asleep. "That song's pretty… making me sleepy…" she said before rubbing at her eyes again. The small girl seemed to be a completely different person than in the past few days. She looked tired emotionally as well as half asleep, but there was something different in the air now that her tiny face wasn't frowning anymore.

(all the bbies 0^0)

Fale was touched when Rei tried to smile back, patting her back again. It felt good, to see that she was feeling good enough to at least not be frowning anymore.
"It's a very old song," The goddess said softly. She wouldn't mention Mother- she didn't want to upset Rei again.
"It makes me sleepy, too." The goddess chuckled softly, gently hugging Rei. This had been a success, then. Hopefully, she'd be able to bring Rei home with her.

Rei gave a soft hum before eventually her eyelids grew heavier. She gave a yawn, snuggling closer to Fale. “You… said you still wanted to help me… is… is…” she started, her mind starting to feel fuzzy. Despite wanting to keep awake, the little girl found herself passed out cuddled with Fale. And for once, she was smiling in her sleep again. Nobody would have any idea how that was possible, Rei having known the woman for under an hour in total. It was extremely odd for any child to be that relaxed around someone new.

Fale waited for Rei to finish her question for a few seconds before she had realized the girl had fallen asleeo. She looked peaceful, which was good! It was encouraging. Fale help her arms tucked around Rei, standing up. She didn't set the girl down, rubbing her back as she stepped to the door.
"She fell asleep," she said, looking out. "I must admit, I'm hesitant to put her down…"

Rei continued to sleep peacefully. No one was outside the door as of the moment, but someone was probably right around the corner as to be sure no one would kidnap a child or something of the sort. As Fale continued to pet her gently, the small girl gave a small noise in her sleep, shifting a bit closer.

No one was around…
Fale could take Rei. She could do it, right now, just walk back through that door and go to her home with Rei in her arms. No one would know. They'd never be able to track them down, take Rei away from Fale…
No.
She wouldn't do that. She couldn't scare Rei like that. She looked down at the girl, smiling some at her.
"Sweet thing…" She hummed, patting Rei's back as she turned to the bedroom to lay Rei down. She tucked the small girl in, lightly patting her head.
"I'll be back soon…" She needed to talk to the woman from the front desk, see what paperwork she had to sign.
She was taking Rei home.

Rei seemed to not enjoy her warm comfort being replaced with regular sheets and blankets, but she settled quickly enough. Were she awake, she might have leaned into the gentle pat.
Seeing Fale come out of the room, one of the employees noticed the woman didn't seem upset. That meant things went well, right? "Everything go okay?" they asked politely.

The only reason Fale had left Rei in the room was that she didn't want the temptation to just steal the girl away. She smiled as Rei settled down, glad she didn't wake up.
"Yes, very," Fale said when the employee came up to ask their question. "She's taking a nap now, and she seems to have opened up a lot." Fale herself had a small smile on her lips as she thought of what had happened. Sweet Rei, it was good she'd been so calm once she'd been allowed to cry things out.

The employee blinked a moment in surprise a moment before nodding. "That's good to hear. Are you… considering taking her ma'am? If that's the case, I can get the paperwork ready for you on the case that Rei is willing to come with you?" they asked politely. They wouldn't start anything unless both parties were willing. While they didn't want to have to wake up Rei for confirmation, the orphanage probably would in the case they were unsure of the word of the adult.

"I am," Fale confirmed. She wouldn't try to say anything for Rei and would be willing to wait until she woke up or someone woke her up. The woman folded her hands in front of her, patient. She relaxed some as she thought of how things had gone so far. She was also thinking about how she was going to word asking Rei to come home with her…

With a nod, the employee went to go grab the woman from the front desk to alert her to the possible adoption. Said woman came back quickly, smiling widely. "I'm so relieved to hear you two had positive reactions to one another. I understand that you would like to adopt today. Please keep in mind raising a child is a big responsibility, and that your home is a safe environment for her," the woman reminded. She didn't want Fale to back out after a few days and suddenly decide motherhood wasn't for her. Before Fale could decide, the secretary smiled again. "Now, how about those papers while someone helps Rei up and out of bed?" she asked, leading Serna into a side room. It was an office, complete with a few toys in the corner for kids, chairs and computer for the adults. "We'll be ready to start when she gives the okay."

Rei found herself being gently woken up, a soft touch at her shoulder. She blinked, hoping it was the nice lady from before. When it wasn't, she frowned lightly. "Where…?" she started before the adult in the room assured her Fale was still around. "She needs you to come and answer a very important question, Rei. This could be a very exciting day if you like her a lot." And she did. The little girl seemed happy knowing Fale wanted to help again. She still didn't know how, but maybe that was what the question was. To ask her to let her help again. Rei slowly stood from the bed before coming into a small room she hadn't been in before. And sitting there was Fale and the woman from the front room she wasn't allowed in anymore. Rei walked over to Fale easily, staring up at her eagerly. She hadn't left her behind again…