Muriel sighed as she sipped her coffee. "Frankly, I'm a bit lost for direction," she said. "I've only just started to figure out taking care of one child, now I've got two. And Melanie I can't exactly send to school during the day - not yet, anyway." She looked out the window at the girls outside; Melanie still wore the same look of dazed confusion she had since her separation, and she still hovered at the edges of things while Jenny and Lilly were far more social, but...she did seem to be fitting in a little better. Maybe it just needed time? But how much? She couldn't just take a leave of absence for a semester, or a year, or three years, until Melanie was ready to be placed in a school environment.
Not even if Hawkins was willing to fund it...she had a job, even if it wasn't a glamorous, obviously-important one. If she weren't doing her job? Someone else would be, she knew the police department wasn't really under-staffed. But if she wasn't...well, she'd never have met Jenny, for one. Doubtless whichever theoretical replacement had her route would have found her and taken her in, but what would have happened from there? Would any of them have formed a relationship with the little girl as she had? Would any of them have taken her in? Not that they were heartless or anything, but she probably would've simply wound up in an orphanage...
Okay, she was getting a little muddled, emotionally. It wasn't like Jenny would have been completely abandoned in the system if not for her, necessarily. But she was there, and she did bond with Jenny and take her in, all flowing pretty naturally from simply doing her job, until she formed a deeper connection. Who knew what other opportunities might cross her path, to see that things went better than simply standard procedure? She couldn't just abandon that. But then, what could she do here?
"As I've said," Mr. Gordon said, "I do bear the responsibility for this...if you want us to help in any way..."
Muriel shook her head. "Thanks," she said, "but...well, for one, I have no idea how she's going to react to the idea of living long-term with us. Jenny's probably going to be the person she trusts most, I'm thinking; after all, she convinced Melanie not to sacrifice her own life, and she's probably inherently 'familiar' just for being the original Melanie was cloned from. And I think she understands on some level that I helped save her life. You two would be complete strangers...no offense."
She tried to tell herself that that was why she wasn't going to take them up on it...but she wasn't completely certain. She was going to make a point not to hold a grudge against Lilly's father, but...that didn't mean she was ready to just leave her kids with him again, yet.
"None taken," Mrs. Gordon said. "Besides...Lilly's obviously not entirely comfortable around her, either. I'm sure they'll get over that in time, but making the two of them share a house right now...probably wouldn't be the best idea. At least, not if there's a better solution..."
Muriel shrugged. "That's the big question," she said. "I've been thinking about it all afternoon. I've been toying with the idea of asking my parents to help out, but..." She sighed.
Abigail smiled. "What are your parents like? They're good with children, are they?"
The insect-woman smiled in spite of her confusion. "Heh, yeah, I suppose. I guess...I mean, they don't do a lot of babysitting or anything, but they get along pretty well with kids. They seemed to like Jenny a lot, but then I guess she's just naturally likeable."
Mr. Gordon chuckled. "She is. And we can tell you, grandparents can be a great resource. When Lil-uh, when Billy was younger, we used to leave him with Abby's mom quite a lot. She was terrific with him, and Stacy too, later on. Made all the difference in the world when we were trying to arrange nights out."
Muriel laughed. She hardly thought of her mom and dad as grandparents...nor had she thought about the fact that the Gordons were probably three or four years older than she'd assume by the ages of their children. She looked over at Abigail again; lord, she hoped she looked that good at...what, forty? But she turned her attention back to the conversation, and frowned.
"I know," she said. "And sure they'd be happy to assist. And my dad's ex-military...I kind of wonder if that isn't the kind of person Melanie would need, to really understand her and what she's been through. It's just...well, if I ask them to help, I'm going to have to explain Melanie to them. And if I do that...I have to explain what I'm letting Jenny be a part of." She sighed. "How do I do that? How do I explain that I'm letting my daughter be a...a child soldier, but it's for the safety of the universe so it's okay? What are they going to think?"
Their expressions were sympathetic. Mrs. Gordon put a hand on her shoulder. "That is a tough question," she said. "But I'm sure they'll understand, Muriel. They must know you well enough to know you wouldn't put Jenny in a situation she can't handle. I only met you on Saturday, and I can tell that."
Mr. Gordon nodded. "Besides," he said, "your point about your father...don't you think that's exactly what Jenny needs, too? I'm sure Melanie will need help, but Jenny's the only one who's still involved, by your account. If he knows what's really going on, she can come to him for answers, and he'll have all the context he needs to give her the right ones."
Muriel smiled, brushing away something from the corner of her eye. "Thanks," she said.
