"Send him back?" Eden asked, looking to her curly haired son. "What on earth..." She trailed off as she took in the pleading eyes of her son, the worried look of her daughter and the completely regretful and scared look on Cailen.
She sighed again, wiping at Cailen's face one more time before setting the cloth down.
"Stella, William, go get Dean. Ask him to clean up the vase, please." Eden instructed.
The children looked troubled, as if they weren't sure they should listen to their mother for fear of Cailen being sent back without their consent.
It was probably better this way, Cailen thought, less embarrassing and all.
"But Mom-"
"Go," She said firmly, shutting William up and watching as Stella led him away to go get Dean.
Eden turned back to Cailen. He had more tears running down his cheeks. His tears really had nothing to do with the pain in his wrist but the fear of being sent away.
He hadn't realized just how attached he had gotten here. Not just to William but to Stella and Eden and Dean too. They were so nice and so welcoming.
Cailen didn't think he deserved such a nice family.
He was just a screw up.
"Eden, I'm really sorry. I'll- I'll go pack." He said and made to jump down from the counter but was stopped with Eden stepping in front of him, keeping him up on the counter and looking into his eyes.
"Cailen, I'm not sending you back." Was the first thing she said, completely throwing him off guard and rendering him speechless.
"You're in a lot of trouble. Don't think you're not, but there is no way I'm sending you back, love. These things happen. Things break all the time and we have to pay the consequences, yes, but those consequences will never be sending you back to that orphanage."
"But I-"
"No, love. You're staying here and doing dishes every night for a week with no TV. You're not going back there, Cailen. You're a part of this family." Eden said this as she reached up and moved a stray lock of hair from his eyes, pushing it back behind his ear and keeping her hand there, holding his face so he would look at her.
"Really?" He asked, not really able to believe her.
She nodded.
"I don't want you to ever think I would send you away for anything, okay?" Eden said, running her fingers through Cailen's hair gently.
"I love you, Cailen. In a short amount of time, believe it or not, Dean and I love you. We wouldn't send you away for anything." Eden continued, leaning in and gently kissing his forehead.
And really, Cailen was already crying so he thought a few more tears wouldn't matter. It's just, he's never heard that before.
No one has ever told him that they love him.
He's never had someone push his hair back so carefully before. He’s never had someone kiss his forehead. He's never had someone take him as a priority rather than whatever he's broken.
Eden was the first.
He's never had a family before, he didn't know what to expect.
"I'm sorry." Was all Cailen could say.
For the vase, for being a screw up, for lumping Dean and Eden with those other horrible families. Eden would never know that though.
"I know you are, love. But it's just a vase. I'm just glad you didn't break your wrist." She smiled softly at him and he couldn't help but return it.
"Okay, who's the little trouble maker that broke that ugly, er, I mean... beautiful vase?" Dean asked, coming into the kitchen with a dustpan full of broken glass.
He tossed the shards into the rubbish bin and grinned innocently over at Eden who was glaring playfully at her husband. Dean made his way over to them, sneaking his hand around Eden's waist and placing his other hand on Cailen's back.
"I did." Cailen admitted quietly.
"What'd she get ya for? No computer? Extra chores?" Dean asked like this wasn't that big of a deal. Like Cailen didn't have fresh tears on his face, like Cailen hadn't just broken a vase, an expensive looking one at that.
"Dishes for a week." Cailen said, feeling a little bit better now that Dean didn't seem to be mad. Dean gasped.
"That's a lot of dishes!" He exclaimed. Cailen giggled slightly.
"And no TV." Cailen added in, not minding it. He would exchange every TV time to stay in this family.
"Are you crazy?" Dean exclaimed, turning to his wife with a horrified look. Eden snorted and rolled her eyes.
"No, but I think you might be." She commented. Cailen giggled at this, wiping at his face to rid himself of the tears.
"Mom, is Cailen staying?" William's small worried voice came from the doorway to the kitchen.
Stella was right behind them, the same look of worry etched in her face. Dean gave his wife a confused look but she only shook her head and turned to her children.
"Of course, darling. Come here you two." She said and waved them over.
The two children shuffled over, William wedging his way in between Dean and Eden, Stella coming to stand beside Eden and Cailen's legs.
"Cailen is a part of this family. He's not going anywhere but up to his room because he is grounded for a week."
Despite being grounded for a week, Cailen couldn't help but smile. He loved hearing that.
Part of this family.
"And you will be following him because you know better than to be doing that kind of stuff in this house." Eden scolded William who pouted and hung his head.
"Right, now off you go. I'll call you down for dinner."
That night, Eden and Dean tucked Cailen into bed, explaining to him that they were not mad at him in anyway, that they didn't care about a stupid vase as long as he wasn't hurt.
Cailen nearly cried again, only he didn't hate himself for it like he usually did. He found it hard to be mad at himself when Dean and Eden were looking at him so lovingly.
He still didn't like the fact that he cried so easily but it mattered less if Eden and Dean didn't mind.