Sadie pawed at her face as she woke from her tear-induced nap. She was no longer feeling little, but was still feeling just as sad.
"Hi. Did you sleep okay?"
The girl looked to see Ava seated across from her on one of the living room chairs.
"Yeah" she responded quietly.
As the large woman moved to stand, Sadie felt herself involuntarily flinch with the action.
"It's okay, sweetie. I just need to check your diaper and get you changed."
The redhead quickly reverted back to panic as she felt the dampness of her diaper. She kicked down the blanket that was draped over her and moved to stand up.
"I c-can do it. You don't h-have to."
Ava stopped as she came to rest in front of the girl's seated position on the couch. She placed a gentle hand on a small thigh and felt a nervous shudder move through its owner at the contact.
"I want to help. If you'll let me."
After several minutes of deliberation, a tiny nod indicated Sadie's compliance. She allowed herself to be pulled up and led into the bathroom.
"Lay down, honey" she said while retrieving the needed changing materials.
Sadie simply laid silently on the bathroom floor as Ava started to pull at the diaper's adhesive tabs. She slipped her thumb into her mouth and sucked softly as she attempted to calm herself from the uncomfortable situation.
"Oh, Sadie" said the woman sadly. "You've got a terrible rash. This can't just be from today. I admit you were wet for about half an hour when I laid you down to sleep. But this looks like it's been here for a long time."
The girl simply shrugged; though she never removed her thumb. The rash was indeed painful but she had no means of soothing it.
"Did Victoria know about this? She must if she changed you."
Both of them knew that Ava was pressing lightly for more information. She was highly suspicious of how Victoria's lingering feelings of resentment had affected the girl directly.
"She changed me s-sometimes. But I potty a lot and sh-she didn't have t-time usually."
The black haired woman wrinkled her nose at the response. Things were all starting to sound very suspicious indeed.
"I see" she said plainly. "Well you'll need some rash cream for sure. I'll have to look into that in a minute."
"I-it's okay" came the quick reply.
"No, Sadie. Having a rash this bad isn't okay. I don't want you to be sick or feel yucky."
The girl hung her head. She didn't want to overstay her welcome and make Ava do so much for her.
As she was wiped down and changed into a new diaper, Ava brought her back to the living room where she seated her on the couch.
The blanket was wrapped around her and the older woman chuckled slightly.
"What's that saying? Snug as a bug in a rug?"
Sadie smiled a little but only shrugged. Her thumb returned to her mouth as she watched Ava's expression of concentration.
"I know that it might be hard to talk about, babe. But what exactly were you and Victoria arguing about?"
The girl looked stricken. She didn't want to think about her now ex-caregiver but knew there was no point in hiding things anymore.
"She said th-that I was too much. She n-needed a break from m-me. So I h-had to go stay w-with you."
"Uh huh" came the reply. "Is that the first time she's said something like that?"
"Not r-really. Sometimes she'd say th-that I cried to m-much or n-needed too much. And that I p-potty a lot."
Ava was a mixture of concentration and contempt at hearing what Victoria had said and done.
"She s-said I wasn't actually a b-baby so I didn't n-need a lot of c-care or to c-cry and other stuff."
"Stuff like what?" the woman pressed.
Sadie shrugged a bit before continuing.
"I don't k-know. Like a b-bottle or p-pacifier and other th-things like that."
"Are those things you'd like to have?"
"Maybe. B-but I can't h-have them cause I'm not a b-baby."
Ava was growing more frustrated and angry as the girl continued to speak.
"Do you think that Victoria was ever mean to you for no reason? Besides not letting you have things you wanted?"
Sadie looked sad as she played with the edge of the blanket.
"I don't k-know. She w-was only mean because of m-me. I walk too s-slow so she had to p-push me and I was p-playing too loud with my s-stuffie so she took it away. Stuff like th-that."
"She pushed you? Did you she ever do anything else like that?"
Sadie's cries in the closet of not wanting to be hurt rang louder than ever.
"Wh-when I was crying she m-might smack my head or knock me d-down. But I was t-too loud!"
Ava shook her head in disbelief. She then pinched the bridge of her nose in agitation as she squeezed her eyes shut.
"You don't understand!" cried Sadie suddenly.
"I'm a b-bad girl when I'm l-little! And when I'm b-big too I guess. Victoria t-tried but I'm a b-brat. Sh-she was just tired."
The small girl was close to becoming severely upset once again, and Ava had heard all that she needed to hear.
"Listen to me very clearly, Sadie" she stated seriously. "What you've described is neglect and abuse. Victoria pushing and hitting you, not changing your diaper, not giving you things you need, and treating you poorly all point to those two things."
Sadie looked terrified.
"No, Ava! Sh-she said that I-I couldn't say th-that or I'd be in t-trouble."
"Say what?"
"She said no abuse or n-neglect. No talking about th-those words."
Ava threw her hands up in a huff.
"Exactly. She was doing both of those things and that's why she wanted you to not talk about them or allow them to come up."
Sadie felt like crying. She was so confused.
"But it's not l-like that! I was j-just being p-punished for being b-bad. That's what had to h-happen."
Ava shook her head sternly.
"No. That's not how things work at all. I know I'm not a caregiver, but you have to believe me when I say these things, honey. Needing a diaper change is not bad. Wanting to have a comfort item is not wrong. Needing to be cared for is totally fine. These are classic abuser tactics. She's convinced you that you're the one in the wrong and deserving of the things she's done to you."
Moving to cup the girl's hands in her face, Ava tried to push down the anger she felt at Victoria to focus on helping the girl in front of her.
"I am so sorry this happened to you, Sadie. I need you to understand that none of that was or is your fault. I wish I would have known or picked up on things sooner. Victoria had you and I both convinced that she was taking care of you."
The girl finally let tears fall as her friend held her face gently in her own, large hands. She sniffled a bit but made no move to pull away.
"She was your caregiver in name only, sweetheart. If she was truly caring for you, we wouldn't be having this conversation."
Sadie sighed and tried to look down. Her face was released and she hung her head sadly. Deep down, she knew that Ava was right. Even so, she was still struggling to come to terms with the reality of the situation.
"Thank you, Ava. You've d-done so much. B-but I can't s-stay here" the girl said as she twisted some fabric in her fingers.
"Why not?" came the surprised reply.
"Th-that's too much! I mean...you didn't even have a ch-choice."
Ava remained stern.
"And neither did you. She dropped you off here. I'm incredibly thankful for that. I don't know what I'd do if I found out she'd just left you on the street somewhere."
Sadie shuddered at remembering Victoria's words of wanting to just toss her somewhere.
"But I'm big now. W-What about when I'm l-little? I c-can't take care of m-myself. You shouldn't h-have to do that. You didn't s-sign up for that."
"And you didn't sign up for abandonment. I guess we're both in a tough spot" said Ava matter of factly.
For that, the tiny girl had no rebuttal.
"Why don't you stay here? At least for a couple days. If you really want to leave after that, we can work something out. But I won't let you just walk out of here with nowhere to go and no one to take care of you."
" I g-guess so" the girl mumbled.
Though she was not at all ungrateful, the redhead was still hesitant to accept so much.
Ava hoped she picked the right time to show Sadie something else she had purchased. She need to teach the girl that accepting gifts, as well as basic kindness, were not synonymous with being spoiled.
"I actually got you something, Sadie. It came with your diapers, but I was keeping it for a time you might really need it. Now is probably a good time."
The small girl looked on quizzically as Ava went to her room and returned with something held behind her back.
With a small smile, the woman then held out a soft-looking elephant lovey.
"Here. I hope you like it, baby."
Taking the lovey from her friend, the girl began nuzzling it instantly. A soft coo escaped Ava's lips as she watching the tiny girl smile and hold her new comfort item.
"Th-thank you."