Chapter Text
The beginnings after adopting the twins were hard.
Even so, Betsy never regretted her decision. When she first heard about their situation, and had herself been considering adoption for some time, she didn’t hesitate for a moment.
She wanted to give these hurt boys a healthy and loving home. Aaron and Andrew came to her when they were two years old.
They were very withdrawn and barely spoke. Betsy did everything she could to make them feel safe. She never raised her voice at them and let them make decisions even about the smallest things, like what they wanted to eat for lunch.
Even though gaining their trust took many sacrifices, Betsy was glad she made that decision. She was especially touched by the moments when one of the twins first called her “mom” or came to her for comfort after a nightmare at night.
Their biological mother - Tilda - was definitely not someone to look up to. She abused her children and was a terrible person. Betsy always felt anger when she thought about her. She couldn’t understand how anyone could do such a thing.
At first, neither Andrew nor Aaron could stand being touched. Betsy understood that and respected it, so she never crossed their boundaries. After a year of living together, Aaron came to her for a hug. She had to hold back tears - she was so happy. From then on, Aaron craved touch. He learned that touch didn’t have to end in pain. He never missed a chance to snuggle into her chest or hold her hand.
It took Andrew longer to warm up to her. Now, he sometimes liked to hug, but not too often. That Betsy trusted him was more than enough for her.
The twins were very attached to each other. They didn’t like spending time with other kids - they preferred each other’s company. Betsy didn’t push them. At first she even let them sleep in the same crib, and she was happy when they decided to have separate beds.
She encouraged them to choose their favorite foods. When they came to her, they ate everything she gave them, probably out of fear that if they were picky, she would take their plate away.
She learned that Andrew was a terrible picky eater, but he had a weakness for sweets. He didn’t like vegetables or most healthy food. Despite all these difficulties, she was glad she had been able to give them a loving home.