Truly Welcome In The Empty Nest
20250621
Prompt from PrideOnThePage
“I’m afraid you’re the only child here at the moment - but at least that means you can pick any room you want!”
“Thanks, Ms Dolly.” Mattie hugged their stuffed tiger tight and forced a smile.
“Oh, just ‘Dolly’ is fine. Whatever you’re comfortable with.”
At least you don’t expect me to call you ‘mom’.
Ms Dolly clasped her hands together and beamed down at the child. “So, which room would you like? Don’t be shy!”
“Um…”
Definitely not the pink room. Well, it was more purple, but still. The blue one with planets painted on the ceiling was pretty cool. The jungle room was tempting. But so was the sunshine room.
Mattie held up Tilda and examined how the tiger looked against each backdrop. “I think Tilda needs a jungle to play in.”
“What a good idea! And if you decide you don’t like it we can always move you to another.”
Mattie dutifully nodded. As if they’d ask for such a thing! They knew better than to make a fuss.
“Well then, let’s get you settled in.”
Ms Dolly bustled into the jungle bedroom with Mattie’s suitcases in hand, and Mattie followed.
“This was my Nathan’s room. He always loved animals. I thought he was going to grow up to be a veterinarian, when he was small he dreamed of working at the zoo, but then he went into engineering. People are funny like that, aren’t they? We’re all complicated. But it worked out - he’s very happy.”
“Were, um, did you have four kids?” Mattie glanced back at the other bedrooms.
“Yes, we aimed for a second and got triplets! Thank goodness Bob had good earnings, and my brother and his husband were eager to help. They take part in the fostering too, did anyone tell you? So there’s usually two adults about the place.”
“Oh.” Mattie’s eyes widened. “No. Nobody said.”
“You don’t mind, do you?” Ms Dolly shot them an uncertain glance. “They’re very nice, I promise. And perfectly safe around children.”
“I-I don’t mind!”
Did… Would they maybe… be ok with…
Ms Dolly sighed with relief. “I’ll introduce you to everyone at dinner. Gary said it should be ready for six. And Bob and John should be back by half five, but they both need some time to decompress. But come evening we’re all here for you! What are your hobbies? Do you like reading? Video games?”
“S-sure.”
“Oh, don’t feel you have to! Nobody will mind at all, honest.”
“No, no, I’d like to.” Mattie managed a real smile, which Ms Dolly returned.
“Well, alright. Oh!” She leant forward and gently caught Tilda’s foot, examining the scrawled letters. “I see your tiger is a ‘she/her’.”
Mattie’s heart was pounding in their chest.
“I’m a ‘she/her’ too.” Ms Dolly’s gaze was gentle. Her words soft as feather-down. “What about you?”
“I…” Mattie whispered, forcing the words out a tight throat. “I like ‘they’. And ‘Mattie’.”
“Alright. I’ll be sure to tell everyone, Mattie.”
Prompt was “Nest”.
Leeron,
What a wonderful story. I was right tearing up all over again—the tears had just dried after writing my answer to Gloria, and here they came again with yours. You touched something raw and gentle at the same time. I would have longed for a nest like this, the way you shape it here—tender, warm, without pressure, full of choice and soft reassurance.
The way Dolly asks questions without assuming the answers, how she sees Mattie and meets them where they are—yes. That’s exactly the kind of adult I once wished for. The kind who doesn’t teach identity, rather makes space for it to speak. I felt that in every sentence.
Have you ever considered writing books for children? Truly. You already know how to listen through story. You know how to name fear and care and invitation in the same breath. You’d be brilliant in it. I would’ve held a book like that close to my chest.
Thank you for sharing this. It touched me.