JUST BEFORE 1.00AM...

Police car outside.

That'll keep the neighbours in gossip for a fortnight...

Two officers, one male one female. The male came up the garden path, checked they'd got the right address and went back to the car.

They shepherded three tiny shapes up the path and in.

I spoke to the children straight away;

"Hello" I said, as softly as I could.

They stood in a line in the hall looking at the floor; dressed in shabby garish tops and pants, each of them shivering despite a thin but new blanket over their shoulders.

I told them my name and who we were and that we had beds for them tonight.

Hierarchy of Needs training kicked in, I called out to husband;

"Can you turn on the central heating?"

Then;

"Who's hungry?"

Three pairs of eyes looked up, eyes red from crying.

"Come with me." I led them into the kitchen, husband took over the official stuff with the cops; I was up and running as foster Mum."

Apprentice foster carer (our eldest foster child) was sat at the table. I introduced him.

"Who'd like cereal?" I asked.

They said nothing, each gave a slight shrug.

 "Weetabix..Porridge?"

Nothing. I tried again.

"Coco Pops?" I thought I saw the middle one give half a nod.

Meanwhile eldest foster child had rooted bacon from the fridge and started himself a bacon sandwich. Didn't ask. Acting the man. 

I whispered confidentially to the kids "He doesn't like cereal." ...but he heard me.

"S'alright innit if you can't be arsed.." he said from the cooker "Anyone else want a bacon sarnie?"

I saw the eyes of the eldest of the three flick from left to right, then he grunted;

"Go on then."

And we were away!!!

What I mean is, they'd started to arrive. Their heart had started to arrive. And who'd begun the bonding? Another child who was himself in care.

A thought jumped into my head. I spoke to the bacon chef;

"Have you decided where you're sleeping tonight?" He'd offered up his bedroom so that two of the new arrivals had a proper bed.

"I'll be alright on the sofa." He said manfully as he could, before adding;

"Probably be a bit knackered for school though..."

That seemed a fair deal. I looked at him and nodded, my mind mostly on how to get some sort of a bead on what sort of children we'd just taken in. 

Who are they? How are they doing? What do they need?

I'm fostering blind here; the only thing I know for sure is that our senior foster child is now about ten years on from where he was an hour ago...

To be continued...