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Early Tuesday morning, Katie said loudly in her sleep, “I don't go here,” before settling down again. Adam barely heard it from his room. He thought this was an improvement as he ran towards the girl’s room. He wasn't surprised when he peeked into the room and found the girl was soundly sleeping.
Tuesday morning, Katie was woken up bright and early by her Daddie, who was dressed in a shirt and tie. His clothes were not unlike what he usually wore to church. She was still wiping the cobwebs from her eyes as her diaper was switched to a pull-up. She was released from the table and handed a stack of clothes to get dressed in.
She put her t-shirt over the top of her bra before putting her pink ‘Hanna Zoo sweatshirt on. Once her jeans were on, she walked downstairs in her stocking feet. Daddie was waiting for her in the kitchen with a bowl full of cereal. After she sat down, he poured milk into the bowl.
Katie looked around for a clock, “What time is it?”
“Early, I need to get you to the babysitters before going to work. I have an eight a.m. consultation at the office,” Daddie said.
After breakfast was over, the girl was handed her car bag. She was then ushered to the car. Once strapped into her child seat, she looked in her car bag to find, besides the usual books and coloring book, she also had her phone, house key to Daddie’s house, her wallet, a pair of tights, the wrapped coloring book, and her volunteer name tag for the Zoo. She had a sneaking suspicion she was volunteering today and not in her regular uniform. She wondered … nah … she figured she would be wearing the elf costume. Shrugging, she settled down to read Marisol’s book. Why she hadn’t read it yet, she wasn’t sure.
Daddie was using the GPS, and this route looked familiar. She thought they were heading towards Clearwater, but Grandma and Grandpa would have to work today. Wait, not Grandma and Grandpa. She was nineteen, so they would be Mom and Dad. Wait again, she was strapped in the child seat, so maybe she was seven. Her age had been switching by the minute this week. She had worn her bra all this week, but she wasn’t really nineteen yesterday. She was with her best friends having a blast, but she had willingly regressed in front of them.
Daddie pulled into the driveway of an unfamiliar house. He released her and reminded her to grab her car bag. The two of them walked to the front door, which was answered by Mr. Cooper after the doorbell was rung. Katie was allowed to go inside the house, and the two guys made small talk. She removed her jacket and shoes, figuring she was going to be here a bit. She sat on a nearby couch.
Mark Cooper said, “Welcome to my house, Katie.” He continued by yelling down the hall, “Matthew, Greg, and Timmy, come get breakfast before school.”
Two boys, one of whom appeared to be older than the other, ran into the room. They stopped in their tracks when they saw the girl. The oldest asked, “Who is that?”
“That is Katie. I am watching her. Katie, this is Greg. He is five. This is Timmy. He is three,” Mark said. He continued by screaming, “Matthew, hurry up.”
Timmy asked as the four of them headed to the kitchen, “How old are you, Katie?”
Katie said while looking at Mr. Cooper, “Ummm.”
Mark said while smiling, “That is a complicated one, but let us just say she is seven right now.”
Greg smiled at Katie, “So slow poke Matthew’s age.”
The two boys and one girl sat at the table. Mark got four bowls out of the cupboard and filled each one with cereal. He added milk before placing one in front of the kids. His oldest son finally decided to show his face as the bowl was put in his place.
Katie just shrugged and ate another bowl of cereal. She was getting pestered with questions, all she answered as her regressed self would answer them. However, she hesitated about where she went to school. She looked at her ‘babysitter’ for help.
Mark Cooper smiled, “Boys, Katie is more than meets the eye. Because of her height, she has two ages. You are meeting the seven-year-old, but there is a nineteen-year-old college student hidden behind that bubbly personality. The seven-year-old doesn’t go to school, but the nineteen-year-old attends Mountain College. I will explain it all later.”
Always inquisitive, Greg asked, “Why are you so short.”
“I have dwarfism,” Katie explained to the curious five-year-old.
Timmy asked, “What is that?”
Mark laughed, “Finish your cereal, and I will explain it to you later. The short answer is she is fully grown now. She won’t grow anymore.”
When the cereal was done, Mark Cooper took charge, “All four of you, get your shoes and coat on. You three boys, grab your backpacks, too.”
Katie followed directions and followed the family to the car. She was directed to the front seat, where she found a blue booster waiting for her. The other three sat in the back, in various child seats. Soon, they were dropping the two oldest boys off at one school.
After he escorted the two boys to the school, he came back and opened Katie’s door, “It is safer for you to be in the backseat, Princess.”
Katie just shrugged and got into the backseat before he pulled away. Soon, they were dropping Timmy off at the pre-kindergarten center. After a quick stop to return the fourth booster to Mrs. Cooper’s car, they returned back to the Cooper home. Once they got to the house, the girl was allowed to entertain herself.
Mr. Cooper said, “We have three hours until lunch. After lunch, we will have to get you dressed in your uniform.”
The girl asked, “What am I doing today?”
“You can either assist Santa, show off an animal, or assist Heather in Kid’s Korner. However, if you choose to show off an animal, I need to find you a partner.”
Katie said, “Can I think about it?”
“The Zoo doesn’t open until two during the Christmas season. You have plenty of time.”
Katie grabbed the wrapped present of what she expected to be a coloring book from her bag and unwrapped it. She found just what she expected: a thin coloring book. It was titled Zoo Animals. She flipped to a page showing some monkeys and started to color them.
Adam Olsen’s cell phone rang, and he answered with, “You reached Adam Olsen. How may I help you?” …
“Excellent, what did you find?” …
“You think it is just old cracked hoses?” …
“Yes, please replace the hoses.” …
“Yes, I don’t have a problem with you replacing the belts also. What about the sensor?” …
“O2 sensor? What is that? I am a lawyer, not an auto mechanic.” …
“Please do replace that.” …
“You can send the revised quote to …“ He told his fax number before hanging up the phone and returning to the mountain of work on his desk.
He hadn’t been off the phone long before his phone rang again, “You reached Adam Olsen. How may I help you?”
“Hello, Lisa.” …
“What are the terms of the plea bargain?”
“I am fine with dropping the kidnapping charge. Katie isn’t here right now to give her approval or denial.” …
“The charge is for a felony or misdemeanor?” …
“Misdemeanor is fine with me. Katie obviously has the final say.” …
“How long is the sentence for the aggravated assault in the plea?” …
“Yes, she doesn’t deserve the maximum. I am fine with five years of house arrest with a work release. I will have Katie give her opinion later. She is volunteering today.” …
“Is there a fine, also?” …
“Where does the five thousand go?” …
“Instead of the Government’s pocket, can we have her donate that to a battered women's shelter?” …
“It might be late by the time I see Katie today. Can she give her yes or no late today or early tomorrow?” …
“Excellent, talk to you later,” He said as he hung up the phone.
Mark Cooper walked into the living room where Katie was lying on the floor coloring, “Katie, Princess, please put your artwork away and come get some lunch.”
Katie followed the instructions and put her coloring book and crayons back into her bag. She walked into the kitchen to find a sandwich waiting for her. Sitting down, the little one saw lunch was a grilled cheese sandwich with applesauce and a cup of a red drink. Taking a sip, Katie discovered it was fruit punch.
“Mr. Cooper,” Katie said after eating some of her grilled cheese sandwich. “I am assuming that because of the tights requirement and the fact that my normal uniform is not here, I am going to wear the elf costume.”
She got a pat on her braided hair as Mark replied, “That is correct.”
“If I help Heather, no one will see my costume except the skirt. As much as I like helping her, I probably shouldn't do that,” Katie thought out loud. “Since you won't let me be by myself at all, displaying an animal won't work. I will gladly help silly Santa.”
Mark Cooper tickled the girl's sides, “I will show you, silly, cheeky girl.”
Giggling up a storm like a real seven-year-old, Katie exclaimed, “Stop!”
“Are you sure you are not actually seven? That really sounded like childhood giggles.”
Katie just shrugged. When her lunch was done, her hands and face were washed before being directed toward a bedroom. It appeared to be the master bedroom. The elf costume was sitting on the bed. Mark walked out of the room, leaving Katie to change in privacy. She stripped and put the costume on. Realizing she had forgotten her tights in her bag, she left the room to go get them. Katie giggled at the bells that rang as she walked. Before going back to the bedroom to put the tights on, the little elf asked what she should do with her clothes. Katie received a grocery bag as the answer. Returning to the room, she groaned upon realizing the tights were one of her white ruffled bum ones.
After putting the hat on to complete the costume, Elf Katie left the bedroom and gave Mr. Cooper her clothes. She dug for her name tag and pinned it on her outfit. She was handed a pair of elf shoe covers. Looking in the mirror, she smiled at the elf looking back at her, complete with pointy shoes.
They were soon on the road to the Zoo. Katie was again delegated to the backseat. Once at Susquehanna Valley, they went into the office building. Katie was sent to the Santa area to make sure the gifts were restocked.
Backstage, Elf Katie removed her jacket, exposing the costume before going up on stage to restock the gifts to be given to the kids.
Mrs. Clause, Rebecca, looked at Elf Kathleen going up to the bag next to Santa’s chair, “Kathleen, you are cute in that costume.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Claus,” Katie responded with a grin while dragging a box of gifts.
Rebecca was looking at Katie as if she wanted to say something. She finally asked, “Do you have a younger sister your size?”
“No, why?”
The older volunteer thought for a moment, “There was a little girl here yesterday who sat on Santa's lap who looked exactly like you.”
While blushing, Katie went to the backstage area and grabbed her coat. She returned and asked, “Was she wearing this coat?”
“Yes, she was,” … light bulb goes on … “That little girl was you?” Rebecca asked.
Katie blushed some more and just nodded her head before saying, “Guilty as charged. Welcome to my little girl side.”
Santa walked into the room and asked, “What is Katie embarrassed about now?”
Rebecca replied, “We were discussing a certain red-headed girl in a pink polka-dotted coat who visited yesterday.”
Mark Cooper beamed with pride, “My niece is a cutie pie.”
Katie and Rebecca asked, “Niece?”
“I can't be your Daddie because you already have one of those,” Mark stated. “So you're my niece.”
Katie just shrugged and got ready to hand out gifts. They were divided by age groups and genders. Soon, the first guests started to filter into the cafeteria. The girl was enjoying herself. The kids right now were mostly preschool kids because schools were still in session.
About two and a half hours later, the smell of food was driving her nuts. She scanned at the long line and locked eyes with a certain best friend. If Stacy was here, that meant Aunty was here too. She also noticed that a sign had been put in the middle of the entrance, closing the line to Santa.
Finally, Stacy sat on Santa's lap and asked for the AG doll and a new bike. She walked over to Katie and received her gift, saying, “Thank you, Elf Katie.”
Rebecca said, “It is break time, Kathleen.”
Katie asked, “Can I enjoy it with my Aunt and cousin?”
Rebecca stuck her head behind the curtain a second and said when she returned, “Mark doesn't mind. As long as you're safe.”
Katie ran to grab her wallet and followed her bestie and Aunty to the food lines. Katie won the argument about who was going to pay, “You have paid for me so many times. I am finally able to pay. Let me do it.”
At the window, she requested a kid's chili dog and a kid's drink for herself. Stacy and Aunty also ordered before Katie continued, “Here is my volunteer card for the discount.”
The girl behind the counter said, “No need for that, Kath. I automatically added it when I saw it was you.”
The small family went to the table and talked while they ate. Stacy said, “I heard you were at Uncle’s, but I haven't seen you.”
“Over the weekend, Daddie and I went to the resort. Yesterday, I spent all day with Ann and Zoe. Today, I was driven to my boss's house to be babysitted before working here. I can't be home during the day because Daddie has to work,” Katie responded.
Stacy asked, “Resort?”
Katie looked around and said, “A resort Daddie and I go to. I'll tell you more when we aren't here.”
Once the food was done, the impromptu reunion was broken up, and Katie went backstage to wait for the others to return. Sitting against the wall, she was coloring quietly when Santa and Mrs. Claus entered. They just smiled at her as she put away her coloring book.
Mark Cooper said, “Ok, my little elf, that was the last child for the day.” The girl followed Santa to the office building. Once they got there, she was handed her bag of clothes to switch out of the costume. She soon returned from the bathroom, de-elfed, and handed the costume back to Mr. Cooper. Once Mr. Cooper was out of the Santa costume, she was directed back to the backseat of the car.
She just watched the world go by as they traveled. She figured she was going to Daddie’s house because they had been on the road a long time. Finally, they arrived at Daddie's house just as she expected. Katie opened the door when they got to the front door. She said, “Daddie, we are home.”
A disembodied voice called out, “In the mud room doing laundry, I will be there in a second.”
When Daddie entered the room, he turned to Mark, “How was she?”
“An angel like normal,” Mark Cooper said. “I must be getting back to the better half in Clearwater.”
“Thank you for watching her, Mark.”
“No, thank you for allowing me to steal her for the day,” Mr. Cooper smiled down at Katie. “See you again tomorrow, Katie.”
Realizing she would be doing the same tomorrow as she had done today, Katie responded, “Ok, Uncle Mark.”
“That is right, don’t you forget that,” Uncle Mark said before leaving the house.
Once the door was closed, Daddie got serious, “Kathleen, the police want to know if you will accept a plea deal for Mrs. Hart.”
Katie asked about the plea deal as they went upstairs to her bedroom. As her bottom was being changed into a diaper, Daddie described the plea deal. He also told her his opinion of it.
As she was being tucked in bed in her footsie, Katie asked, “Do I have to call the cops, or can you give the message to the cops?”
Daddie kissed Katie on her forehead, “It is better that you do it. I will put the phone number in your bag tomorrow.”
Picking up a book, Daddie read her a bedtime story. He then turned off the light and closed the door.
