*~Branka's Journal~*

[Cornetified]

~Branka, Puppy Love Nightmare~

 

[Cornetified]

Introduction

Welcome. My name is Corny, the dreamer who awakened the nightmare named Branka. Or, perhaps it would be more appropriate to say that the nightmare awakened me. Branka is my first nightmare, the third dew to come to me, and I can already tell this experience will be quite different than what I’ve had so far. This is the journal I've created, just as I have done for her older siblings, to keep her information and to track her progress as she grows. I hope you will join me... <3  

[Cornetified]

RP Info:

Branka writes in Firebrick

Corny writes in Green

RP Logs:

None at this time~  

[Cornetified]

Branka Basics:

Name: Branka
Essence: Puppy Love
Gender: Female
Likes: Fleece, Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland
Dislikes: Having things taken from her (which, I suppose, is something any child would dislike, but it's all I have about her at this point)
Personality: A nightmare type dream. I still have much to learn about her. She is very quiet and distant, and doesn't do much interacting at this point. Any progress I make with her comes slowly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MugPmly8-uk
Other: Has a pup named Cora, offspring of Conan's dog, Bran.

Photos

Stage 1: Dew
Stage 2: Child Uncert  

[Cornetified]

Updates


3-14-12~ Branka has grown into a child.
2-16-12~ I discovered my dew, Branka.

 

[Cornetified]

~Entry 1~

I woke suddenly, as though an on/off switch in my brain had been pressed. I couldn’t tell what had woken me, but there was a cool sensation in my gut that gave me the shivers. I slipped out of bed, pulled on my fuzzy socks and heavy bathrobe, and went to check on my teens. Gemini was on her floating bed, sleeping contently. Chandrick was in his hammock, snoring loudly with one leg hanging off the side and an arm over his face. Both looked peaceful enough, so it must have been just me feeling the chilled pull. At first I considered ignoring it, since I really didn’t like the way it made me feel, but the longer I sat in bed trying to warm up, the colder I felt. I just could not get comfortable. Finally, I reluctantly climbed from bed once more, got dressed in the heaviest sweater and pants I could find, wrote a note for the two sleeping forms for them to see when they woke, and headed to the car. I drove aimlessly for a while, unable to tell where the pull was coming from. In hindsight, I think I was denying where the pull was originating. How could a feeling like that come from such a wonderful place? Once again, I finally gave in, parked, and set out on foot the rest of the way, since one couldn’t reach where I was going with a car.

I managed a smile when I saw the lovely archway and the sanctuary beyond. It was like I remembered from previous visits; fresh and beautiful as ever. For a moment I felt myself calm down. This place had brought me great happiness before in the forms of a mermaid and then a hawk. The moonlight gave everything a silvery glow; especially with the sparkling of frost that covered the ground. I knew the frost would do no damage to the delicate foliage here though. But then, I heard the ringing, and instantly the garden seemed frightening. The frost now made the grass look like tiny blades that would stab my feet if given the chance. The moonlight caused the trees to throw great shadows that seemed to reach out and threaten to draw me in. Even the crisp air seemed to sting my lungs now. And the ringing… It was so lonely and desperate. It was such a sorrowful and pathetic tone which struck at my heart as though the sound itself carried microscopic daggers, aimed specifically for me. As anxious as the song made me, as much as my hands trembled and my legs itched to run, I found myself walking forward, and my resistance began to fade. I realized that something was calling just to me, in need of my help, and I wanted to help. With that thought in mind, a little excitement began to rise, and my anxiousness eased.

The sky was clear aside from a few thin clouds, and I was grateful for the moonlight that lit the stone pathway. My previous visits had always been during the day, and with that low ring drawing me with great distraction, it was a relief to be able to see where I was stepping. I noticed that I was nearing the tree of the dews, where the little orbs glittered silently in the pale light, and figured that was my destination. I was disappointed that my hands continued to tremble, and as I neared the troubled tone I felt my legs weaken slightly, and my breath was shallow, anxiousness growing as the lonely song lengthened. Despite my eagerness to help ease those sorrowful notes, I was still wary. Nearing the tree, I realized that the chiming bells were not within the large leaves above as I had previously thought. I stepped back, listened harder, and walked off to one side, toward a set of nearby bushes. They were thick with twisted branches, nearly blocking the fallen dew from my sight. The ringing perked up a little as I got onto my hands and knees and reached toward the faint glow. As I scooped it up, its high chimes gave a sharp ring of complaint, as though shocked that I had lifted it, and then the dew went silent. Imagine my surprise to have found it already influenced by an essence! It was a deep red color with a black heart on one side. I looked back at the bottles in hopes of a hint of what essence had been used, but nothing looked out of place.

I held the now silent dew carefully and headed over to the tree to see if there were any hints about this dew. I couldn’t help wondering how this little one had fallen from the tree in the first place. No clues stood out to my eyes in the dark though. Of course, I couldn’t ask her yet either. Her… Once again, instinct led me to the basics. “Are you okay, Branka?” I asked, brow rising as the name slipped out. Odd name... While speaking quietly to Branka, I realized that while I wasn’t quite as anxious as before, the clutch in my gut hadn’t abated, and I took a deep breath to ease the slight shake of my hands. “Why are you so cold?” I asked, getting no reply in return. Not making any progress there, I turned to head back home. As the full moonlight lit me again, I realized what else was different about Branka. Gemini and Chad had both had silver ribbon around them. Branka’s was dark; probably black. Was this..? My mouth dropped open in realization. Branka wasn’t a regular dream. Branka... was a nightmare. I was holding a nightmare!  

[Cornetified]

~Entry 2~

I’ve had Branka for just a short time now. A lot has happened in these few days though...

During the first day with Branka home, I couldn’t simply sleep while Gemini and Chad went to school. I had to try learning about my new dew. So, I did as I had with the dew who arrived before her. I poured myself a glass of caffeine to keep me awake after the long night, since day is my normal bedtime now due to a job change, and exposed Branka to a few different kinds of stimulus. Unlike the other two, she didn’t respond very much at all. She would give a brief jingle, which sounded to me like notes of dismissal. Among other options, she didn’t have a preference to heat or cold, no clear fondness to either classical or rock music, and no partiality between light or dark rooms. I felt like she was almost hesitant to express what she did or didn’t like. After a few more attempts, I fit her into her little basket and we were off to pick up the others from school. (She did pick out the lining for her basket though, chiming rather sweetly when exposed to some soft fleece. The color didn’t seem to matter.) Chadrick made an effort to talk to Branka, but the little dew was silent the whole ride. I could tell she made the others a little uneasy, but at least they’re trying and being nice. I’m not entirely certain that she cared how the others were reacting to her either..

That evening was a little strained. Chadrick went straight up to his room on account of homework, and didn’t come down aside for dinner, and then went straight back up. That’s very unlike him. Even Gemini took longer on her homework than usual. I think Branka’s silence is the problem. It’s such a heavy silence, as silence is when one is waiting for something bad to happen. I popped in some light music though, and when Branka didn’t object to the music or being held, I sat her in my lap and read to myself, allowing the music to calm the anxious atmosphere that our nerves were creating, hoping to help her simply get used to my presence. I just want Branka to feel welcome and safe in her new home.

I didn’t realize how tough that simple wish would be though. Not until Sparkle came to visit. Ever since I brought Branka home, my own dreams have been.. unsettling, and I’d woken often during the past couple nights. Always, as soon as they opened, my eyes would aim straight for the nightmare on the end table that was set at arm’s length from the bed. I felt terrible for tossing even those silent accusations, but I couldn’t help feeling that I was right. Even so, I wouldn't move her from her place. I didn't want her to think I was rejecting her and further heavy that silence. Last night though, Sparkle came to me, and confirmed my suspicions...

Instead of being startled awake like I’d already done so often, I rose slowly from an easy slumber. I was reluctant to rise from such comfort, but I blinked my weary eyes open and woke at the sight of Sparkle sitting on the edge of my bed! I was amazed, since this was actually my first visit from THE guardian in person. She was giving me a somewhat curious look, and in her sweet voice, told me that I had taken on quite the task by bringing home a nightmare. I nodded slowly, sat up and rubbed the bit of sleep from my eyes, and wondered at the weight her words seemed to hold. She waited until I was fully awake before elaborating on her comment. She told me that nightmares were on a delicate balance, and could readily tip to the worst types of dreams if not properly cared for. I remember I felt a small shiver when she said that. The worst type.. A true, living nightmare? What kind of havoc could one cause? Sparkle seemed reluctant to elaborate further though, perhaps for the sake of my own mind, and my shoulders suddenly felt heavy. She also reminded me that while all the good influence in the world doesn’t always ensure a good character, it’s still the best way to prevent such things, so I must try my hardest. Sparkle took me completely by surprise when she mentioned what influenced Branka. Puppy love. Yes. A nightmare of puppy love. It seems like a rather contradictory thought... When I asked why the dew was in those bushes instead of the tree, Sparkle only looked sad and shook her head, saying that it wasn’t her story to tell. So, perhaps I’ll hear it from Branka when she’s older? Or, perhaps it’s not even for me to know at all..

There’s a reason that these dew are called nightmares, differentiating them from their dream counterparts. The dreams have the potential to do great wonders, and nightmares have that same potential. However, if the nightmare continues to be lost to the darkness that they seem to have been born into.. those great wonders could be terrible indeed. (Goodness. Have I watched Harry Potter once too often?) This was the essence of the message I got from Sparkle’s visit. I wondered if something within me had caused this. Branka was apparently my nightmare after all. Sparkle had left before I thought to ask though. That’s why I write now, trying to figure out how to move forward with little Branka, who is currently sitting in her basket and as silent as the night itself. I think she will be growing soon. She’ll need clothing, food, her own bed, her own type of care... Will she be able to go to school, as I’ve heard the other nightmares are able to? Can I possibly guide her to keep her from realizing what Sparkle fears is within each nightmare born? If I can’t even keep Chadrick from acting out... There isn’t much more I can do now than what I’ve been doing, and wait for her to grow so that I can truly interact with her. I’ve been reminding myself all night that if the others can do it, perhaps I can as well. Still... I just wish this chill in my gut would go away...  

[Cornetified]

~Entry 3~

Well, yesterday was quite packed. Or, at least, it certainly felt that way. Branka has been a tiiiiiny bit more active than before, and my suspicion is that she’s going to grow soon. So, I decided to take her shopping and see if any outfits caught her fancy. I also took Chad along, since he is growing too long for his clothes; though with him, you’d have thought I was asking him to walk to Africa! Gemini already has her top picked out, and is going to make it herself, so she didn’t need to come along. I know she’s not fond of the mall anyway, because of the crowds. At least Branka didn’t seem to mind them. She seemed content as long as no one poked at her. And, well, to make a long story short, I took that little dew through all the clothing stores there, and she didn’t like a single thing. If she did, she didn’t let me know. I ended up letting Chad go off on his own to find an outfit, but even he couldn’t decide on anything apparently. So, I bought a late dinner from the food court for him and myself, and we headed back home empty-handed.

So, after that long day, I decided everyone could use a breather, and took them for a movie night to my brother’s to see him and his family. His kids picked the movie Alice in Wonderland to watch; the new Burton version. Imagine my shock when Branka suddenly chimed up a few minutes into the show. It was a soft tone, but clearly hinting with eagerness. I needed a moment to realize.. she was reacting to Alice’s dress in the movie! It reminded me of Chad getting worked up as a dew over clothing from a movie. This was the first thing that Branka had made clear to me, and I was so excited that I nearly hugged the little dew! Of course, with how she’d been so distant up until then, I managed to keep myself composed so that I wouldn’t frighten her, and told her I’d get it for her. With this confirmed, I noticed an air of ease lightening her silence from its usual heaviness.

Back home, I worked to get a few more details from her. I found pictures of it online, and showed her again to see if it was really what she wanted. She chimed softly again with pleasure. The process of getting the further details was long, so I’ll shorten it to keep my hand from cramping. She wanted the dress, but was open to changing a couple things so that it wasn’t exactly like Alice’s. Instead of blue, she wanted this dark, dark orange shade. The pattern at the bottom, she wanted in a dark to medium red. It took me even longer to figure out what she wanted with the gloves, which is simply to extend them up to her elbows, and also have them in the dark-mid red color. I knew those shoes wouldn’t do though. What child wants to run around in heels? The search for shoes proved fruitless, since she seemed intent on Alice now. So, I found another picture of a different Alice, more like the animated Alice, with another pair of shoes, and Branka seemed content with that. I think she might have liked this Alice’s hair style with the bow headband as well, but she seemed to have reached her limit in revealing what she liked to me.

Now that the outfit is sent for, I have to wonder how much of it she’ll be able to wear. What does a puppy love essence look like? Will she even be able to wear the shoes or the tights? Will the gloves fit? The clothes might even have to be altered a bit to fit her, but that shouldn’t be a problem. I had to do the same with Chadrick, with all those feathers of his and those clawed feet. She’s so excited about the whole outfit though. We’ll just have to wait and see when she grows if she can wear it all. Soon, I’m sure! With the outfit set, I can tell she truly is a bit calmer than without, but still, aside from that, she remains as expressionless as before.

The dress
The shoes, with the bow headband.  

[Cornetified]

~Entry 4~

Branka is a child now! At least this time I was there when she grew, unlike her siblings who insist on growing while I’m away from them. I had taken her to work with me because the previously mentioned siblings were at friends’ houses for the night, and weren’t available to watch her. Thankfully, it was a slow night at work, because she grew early into my shift and leaving there during a shift is nearly impossible. I was at my desk and had her basket sitting next to me. I turned to grab some paperwork, and suddenly there was a sharp crackle in the air, and for half a second the lights dimmed as though the light was being sucked right from the fluorescents above. I quickly turned back around, and perched right there on the edge of my desk was a little girl with a black tail and matching floppy puppy ears, long red hair, and startling light blue eyes. She was gazing down at herself and didn’t look up until I spoke her name, at which point only her eyes moved to see me. If I’m to be honest, this gave her a rather.. creepy expression, which sent an all too familiar chill down my back. Once she lifted her chin, she was back to the expected essence of neutrality; blank and empty. Much like when she was a dew, she didn’t show much interest in me or her recent growth spurt. Even the look she had just been giving me was simply the result of her head being tipped down. (at least, I think it was..) I had to run around to find some temporary clothing for her to wear, and the rest of the night was spent between working and trying to interact with Branka. Then it was finally time to head on home.

She made it clear, in her silent way, that she wanted to dress herself, so while she did that, I went and got some food out. I pulled a few different kinds so that she could try them and see what she liked. She hadn’t returned by the time I was done, and when I went to fetch her I caught her looking at herself in the mirror. I say “caught” because that’s how she made it appear. When I poked my head in to find out how she was doing, she was fully dressed and standing in front of my mirror, and I could see the tiniest of contented smiles on her lips. The second she saw me walk in, the smile dropped. I complimented her look, because she did look utterly adorable, and she seemed to relax a little. Unfortunately, the smile didn’t return. I feel that I was very lucky to see it, because I probably won’t be seeing it again anytime soon. She fits into everything we ordered, and only one adjustment was needed to accommodate the tail. Like I said; she was completely adorable. If only she’d shown her pleasure on her face. So, we walked back to the kitchen and she gave the food a try. Nothing particularly seemed to strike her fancy, and she ended up with ham and waffles. She actually ate them together, like a sandwich but with waffles instead of bread. Don’t ask me how she got the idea for that one. At least we found something she’ll eat..

It’s been a few days since then, and she hasn’t found anything that gets her excited like Alice in Wonderland does. We spent two days getting her room together, and most of what she chose is related to the movie in one form or another. The wall paint, the bedding, wall art, curtains... Thankfully it’s Burton’s version and not the animated one. I’m sure my eyes would have been burned out by all the colors! It’s quite an interesting room as it is. Gemini and Chadrick both helped get the room ready, which I think has helped Branka accept them a little more. She seems to regard them as she does the vase in the corner of the living room. Though, the attention she gives me isn’t much more than that either, at this point. I keep reminding myself that it is still early, and that Branka is not going to be able to be raised like her older siblings were. She is a nightmare, and it will take extra efforts to help guide her away from what Sparkle implied that nightmares could become. So, I suppose I’m not quite sure if this emotionless state she’s in is a good thing or a bad thing. It’s better than her growing and acting like a nightmare right away though, so I’m going to go right on ahead and consider it a good thing! Must remain positive if I’m to get through this among everything else going on!  

[Cornetified]

~Entry 5~

Well... so far, so good? Branka mostly stays in her room. I encourage her to come out and visit with everyone, but I also don’t want to push her too much or too fast. The problem is.. I don’t know what too much or too fast is for her! She floats around the house without a murmur. Even her shoes are quiet on the wood floors. Oddly enough, I’ve found that she likes watching me bake. The few times that I’ve baked recently, I’ve turned around to see her standing in the doorway, or sitting at the table, having appeared out of nowhere and just watching me. I never hear her come in. I have tried to get her to bake with me, but she only sits or stands there and watches. I have to be careful, or the house is going to be filled with cookies and cakes in an attempt to catch her in a mood where she’ll work with me. I’m sure Chadrick wouldn’t mind that though. He’d probably make sure the house was never too full. I’m glad to have discovered a new interest in her though. I can tell when she watches that her gaze is a little more focused than usual, and her posture a little more alert. I’m enthusiastic about when she’ll take the chance and accept my request for her help. I think she would enjoy it, and it would give her something to feel proud of. ...Well, to feel anything for, really. With that seemingly aimless stroll of hers, I wonder what could possibly be going through her mind. It could be nothing, but it could also be everything! Maybe one day she’ll let the rest of us know.  

[Cornetified]

~Entry 6~

I’ve been trying to encourage Branka to read and write, with varying results. Gemini has been reading to Branka almost every night, like she did with Chadrick. I’m not sure how attentive Branka actually is during these little bedtime stories. Gem keeps on reading though. I think she might be trying to find a subject that can get a little of Branka’s interest to come to the surface. At the very least, Branka doesn’t seem to mind the stories. I can even see her eyes following along with the words sometimes. Gemini even told me earlier that Branka picked a book by pointing at it when Gem presented her with a few options. This is very encouraging! Speaking of Gem, she finished a doll for branka from the nightmare's dew blanket. Branka's face didn't change upon receiving the gift, but she did give Gem a hug! A hug!! She sleep with that little doll at night now. So cute!

So, she likes reading with Gemini, and she likes to watch me bake (I have yet to get her to work with me on it though). Chadrick is the only one who hasn’t found anything to do with her yet. Admittedly, I don’t think he’s trying very hard to do so either. He always has something else to do other than take some time to learn about his little sister. He’s such a brat... Of course, Branka hasn’t shown any emotion in the matter. It’s hard to tell if she cares that he isn’t around. ..She’s not quite as puppy-like as I might have thought. It makes me wonder how being a nightmare truly affects a dew. I can’t even remember my pre-conceived notions of what I thought a nightmare puppy love essence would be like. I didn’t mean to let myself expect a certain perspective though. Although, perhaps that might simply be one aspect of a nightmare? In Branka’s case, she’s the opposite of what an average puppy is like. Instead of playful and social and affectionate, she’s quiet and aloof.

I wonder if she might take a liking to someone of her own essence though. I heard that Blue’s newest dew is of the same essence as Branka, but is a dream instead of a nightmare. Maybe Branka will find interest in another puppy like herself?  

[Cornetified]

~Entry 7~

So.... talk about things getting off on the wrong foot. Chadrick was cleaning the bird cage today, so his birds were all fluttering around the living room freely. (I’ve told him to put them into the smaller cage while cleaning, because otherwise they poop all over the furniture. He told me he had plastic covering everything though.) I was in my room, reading, when I suddenly heard Chadrick hollering up a storm. Chad’s fire cheep, Cinder, came flying in to me and told me to come quickly. Apparently Branka showed up while the birds were free, and the canine part of her came out... and... Ugh, this is disgusting to write.... Alright. Quick, like a band-aid. Branka ate one of Chad’s birds. Ate! I get there and Branka’s standing there licking her lips with a rather pleased look on her face and a mostly eaten bird carcass in her hands while Chad was busy cussing up and down the walls and trying to get his remaining birds back into the cage. Oh... yuck, yuck, yuck, yuck. After getting Chadrick to calm down enough to watch his language, I set him to finish cleaning up the room while I took Branka to brush her teeth and see if she would tolerate some mouthwash.

Apparently, the bird was delicious though, and she didn’t want to relinquish the taste for the mint of toothpaste. She kept her lips pressed tight together. Then I had to sit her down and try to tell her why she shouldn’t eat Chad’s birds. ...That was a conversation I never thought I would have. As expected, the discussion was decidedly one-sided. She didn’t seem to understand why it was wrong to eat someone’s pet, and she didn’t care how much it hurt Chad. Her eyes were more alert than usual though, and she heard what I said. I honestly think she simply didn’t understand it. I told her to only eat things that were in the fridge or the pantry from now on. She nodded, but who knows.

This incident revealed something rather important and, to me, rather frightening. Branka is obviously lacking in empathy. I suppose I should have expected this to a certain extent though. When one can’t connect to others, how can they be expected to consider the feelings of others? She is going to be so much work...  

[Cornetified]

~Entry 8~

Things seem to have cooled down a bit now. Branka is keeping her meals to the kitchen, and Chadrick has stopped threatening to chain her up outside every time he sees her. I think the arrival of a new dew has had a little influence on the situation. They all needed the distraction of a new dew. The teens are quite taken with her already. Branka... Well.. I had set Ourania on the kitchen table so that everyone could meet her. Branka’s reaction was actually a little more than usual. She leaned close to Ourania, sniffed her, got firmly reminded that the dew wasn’t food, and then she sat back and stared rather intensely. For her part, Ourania simply rang contently, apparently having quite the conversation with Gemini and Chad. Branka took no part in it though. No surprise there. She just watched for a little while and then headed off to her room.

I left Ourania in the care of the teens and followed after the little pup. I knocked on her door, but got no answer, so I slowly cracked it open. She was sitting in front of her window, holding a Cheshire Cat doll in her lap while she gazed out. I knelt next to her, trying to see if the presence of the new dew bothered her. Of course, I couldn’t tell. I tried asking her some questions to no avail. Still, I was worried about how Branka might be taking it. The unusual intensity of her gaze when looking at the dew.. I might simply be a worry wart, but that’s what I do best. I wrapped up my visit with an attempt to assure Branka that I didn’t bring Ourania here to replace her. Branka looked up at this point, though her expression remained blank. However, her knees started to sway gently from side to side. What in interesting reaction. I hope one day she’ll tell me what it means.  

[Cornetified]

~Entry 9~

Was at park. Met girl like me, but not like me. Met boy like us, but not like us. Girl not scared of me. Boy nervous of me, but not scared. Had tea and cookie. Kids kicked ball by me, then didn't come for ball. Kids scared of me. I know.

I had no idea that she'd done anything at the park more than sit and stare at her surroundings like she usually does! As you can see, I finally got her to write some, and I helped her out a bit. She actually did quite well for her first entry. But anyway, after realizing what she wrote, I managed to get some names out of her. She met Conan and Charis at the park. I'm glad they made the effort to talk to her. Charis is the one who is also a puppy love essence, but is a dream instead of a nightmare. I wonder if this is what influenced Branka to give her some time and focus. I'm glad she found someone to interact with a little bit. Though, I don't know how much interacting was done. I wish I could have been there to see it. Also, the fact that she used it for her first entry in her journal! It left an impression of some sort on her! I hope the children being frightened of her didn't upset her. She doesn't act like it, but who knows..  

[Cornetified]

~Entry 10~

I took Branka to the mall the other day, hoping that a little one-on-one time might be good. There were a few problems though. She didn’t understand that taking things without asking or paying for them isn’t appropriate. I thought she might get the idea after she was told to not take things the second time she tried during that trip.. but she didn’t. About shop number six (stealing attempt number eight or nine) was when I decided to finally give up and bring her back home. I was getting quite tired of the shop workers yelling at Branka and at me. She got quite irritated by the end of it, too. I actually had to grab Branka to keep her from biting the stupid worker in that final shop. Sure, she shouldn’t have tried to pull the toy out of the box before purchasing it, but he didn’t need to yank it from her hands and scream at her either. Talk about an overreaction... The odd thing was, I don’t think Branka was even mad about being yelled at. She was just angry because of how he’d grabbed the toy away. I was just down at the other end of the aisle, and she was opening the box before I could get to her. I had just reached her and was going for the box when the staff worker zipped over and started yelling. I stood back up to tell him to ease off a bit, and Branka continued working on the box, ignoring everything like I would expect her to. That’s when the guy reached and snatched it away from her. I heard her growl and saw her fur rise aggressively. Apparently, she gave the guy a look that made him jump about three feet back and scurry off. Thankfully, I didn’t see the look. I had ducked down and scooped her up before she could leap at him. As soon as she was in my arms she stopped growling, which, frankly, surprised me. The worker had run off to hide, which made it easy to leave without making Branka see him again.

Once we got back to the car, I sat next to her and talked to her about why what she did was wrong. I also made sure to tell her that the guy grabbing the item from her hands like he did was wrong, too. That seemed to catch her interest, because she looked up at me for that. I think.. I’m not sure, but I think she was surprised that I wasn’t completely defending what the guy did. That I wasn’t only pointing out what she’d done wrong. I asked her if she understood what I’d said, and she replied with, “okay.” She also did that thing when she swings her knees side to side. One small step for me!! Now, I just have to wait until our next shopping trip to see if her understanding the rules includes the ability to follow the rules.