Chapter Text
Maybe Lucina just isn’t cut out for handling kids.
It was originally Owain’s idea, anyway. Lucina desperately needed a job to beat back both her tuition and rent, so he had offered to be her reference for a daycare position. Owain is excellent with kids, so surely his cousin must be similarly talented, right?
Lucina winces as a toddler yanks on her hair. Again.
“Okay. How about this:” Lucina offers, putting Morgan back on the changing table, “if you agree to stop taking your diapers off at every conceivable moment, I will deduct two minutes from your next time-out. Agreed?”
Morgan wriggles from her grasp and nearly throws himself off the edge of the table.
“Gods!” She catches him just as he teeters over the edge. He struggles and whines in her grasp, but she holds him fast. She looks around helplessly, for she is the only person working that day. Such a thing is probably against the law, but she can’t imagine her superiors would appreciate being tattled upon. She can wait until she quits and finds another job which, gods willing, will be soon.
She places Morgan safely on the ground and watches him run directly into another child’s block castle, toppling it over.
She can't handle this. She feels panic mounting, crawling all over her skin and gripping her chest. Of course she hadn’t brought her medication today. She had expected it all to be fine.
She takes a deep breath and pulls her phone from her pocket. The least she can do is mitigate toddler-induced damage as much as possible.
Luckily, she has Morgan’s mother on speed dial.
“Hello, Robin speaking,” says a voice on the other end.
“Hello, Ms. Grimeau? This is Lucina from Shepherd Child Care. I’m calling about Morgan.”
“Oh! Hello, darling! How is my Morgan doing? Has he learned anything today?”
“I don’t—y-yes, of course, he’s learning all about, er, sharing, and—Morgan, do not put that in your mouth!” In vain, she covers one end of her phone as she scolds the wretched child.
“Are you alright over there, dear? You sound frazzled.”
“Yes, everything is—well, no, there is a small concern. Morgan is acting very… rambunctious, and it’s distressing to the other children. We’re somewhat understaffed today, so I was wondering if there is any possibility you might send someone to pick him up?”
There is laughter on the other end. “Is that all? Yes, I’d be happy to pick him up a little early. I’ll be over in fifteen. Can you hold the fort until then?”
“Yes, that sounds perfect. Thank you so much.”
“Anything for you, sweetheart. Ta!”
Lucina breathes a sigh of relief and slips her phone back into her pocket.
She turns to examine the carnage the children have wrought in the forty-five seconds she was distracted. Three are in tears, two wrestle over a broken toy, and one had managed to break through the “childproof” lock on the refrigerator.
She thinks of the various ways she might murder Owain when he returns from whatever soul-searching journey (in a word: vacation) he had decided he absolutely needed to take today.
She also considers what to do as she waits for Morgan’s mother. Reading the children a story may pacify them for a time, but reading out loud has always been a trying task characterized by Lucina tripping over words and forgetting every trick she knows that makes printed text more comprehensible. College professors may be lenient on those with learning disabilities, but toddlers are not. It is yet another lesser mystery to add to the greater conundrum of why on earth she works here.
She grabs the television remote from the top of the bookshelf. A little extra TV time can’t hurt.
She watches The Wiggles for a grand total of seventeen minutes before she hears a buzzer hail a visitor. She unlocks the entrance and ushers Ms. Grimeau into the playroom after a hasty greeting.
“Here, I brought you this.” As Morgan’s mother strides past, she rather unceremoniously shoves a disposable coffee cup into Lucina’s hands. “I ordered one Frappe, but the barista gave me two. Normally I’d make an issue of being double-charged, but you sounded like you’d need it.”
“Er, thank you.” Lucina isn’t sure what a Frappe is. She sets it aside; she doesn’t drink coffee, in any case.
“There he is,” Ms. Grimeau coos, drawing her son into her arms. “Is Miss Lucina giving you a hard time?”
Lucina laughs weakly. “He is a tough one, that much is certain.”
Morgan burrows his head into his mother’s neck. “Oh, but isn’t he sweet? I’m sure he didn’t mean it, whatever he did.”
“Right.” Lucina stifles a grimace. “At any rate, thank you for stopping by, Ms. Grimeau. I apologize if you had to miss anything important for this.”
“It’s Robin to you, sweetheart. And it’s no trouble at all. In fact, you look like you could use a second pair of hands to carry you through the rest of the day.” Robin brightens instantly. “Yes, that’s it! I’ll linger to help you manage the little ones. How does that sound to you?”
“You—no, I—that’s hardly necessary of you—”
“No, I insist! It would be cruel of me to leave you drowning in a sea of toddlers all by yourself.”
Lucina bites her lip. For as grateful she is that Robin consistently picks up Morgan early without a fuss, when it comes down to it, she truly cannot stand the woman. All Lucina knows about her is that she is extremely wealthy, constantly calls out pet names in that strange sing-song tone of hers, and is the most aggravating sort of parent imaginable. No matter what sort of damage Morgan does, she can’t seem to fathom him as anything but an angel. Granted, neither can most of the other parents, but Morgan causes enough trouble that there is a permanent grudge etched into the walls of Lucina’s mind.
Maybe none of that is enough reason to dislike a person so strongly, but there’s just something about this woman that puts Lucina on edge.
But then, perhaps it is a small price to pay for surviving the day.
“Very well,” says Lucina. “I suppose I could use some assistance.”
“Good, good,” Robin replies, and Lucina realizes she has already sat herself in one of the child-sized plastic chairs. “Do you have any champagne in the fridge? I think we could both stand a drink, given the circumstances.”
Lucina sighs. “No, Ms. Grimeau, we do not have any alcohol stored anywhere on the property.”
“Ooh, so serious. Fine, then, I’ll have what this one’s having.” Robin gestures towards the toddler next to her, who sips on an empty juice pouch.
“Alright,” says Lucina. Resigned, she discards the defunct childproof lock from the fridge and searches its contents, all the while thinking she’d give anything to follow Robin’s suggestion and drink the morning, afternoon, and evening away.
--
The next day is Field Trip Day, and, thank the gods, every daycare worker is on board.
“So she just sat there? For, what, eight hours?” Owain asks.
“Five hours, and yes, save for recess,” says Lucina.
She and Owain sit beside the indoor kiddie pool as the children frolic in the shallow waters. It had been Lucina’s turn to choose from the designated field trip locations, and after the disaster that was yesterday, she decided on what, at the time, had seemed like the most relaxing option.
“Yikes,” says Owain. “Well, better than being completely alone, I guess. Oh, and for future reference, I recommend getting the kids to LARP with you. Frederick doesn’t usually let me do it, but you can get away with pretty much anything if it’s just you for the day.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. As for Ms. Grimeau being there, I mostly ignored her; she only knows how to talk about herself, so it isn’t difficult.”
He laughs. “Ouch! And here I thought you didn’t have a single mean bone in your body!”
“It’s not mean, it’s just—okay, perhaps it is a little cold. I will apologize next time I see her.”
“No, no, don’t do that! You have to have an arch nemesis! And who better than the mother of the most infamous kid in the daycare?”
Lucina laughs halfheartedly. “I’m not sure if I want to make an enemy of someone wealthy enough to bury me under a mountain of lawsuits.”
Owain shrugs. He’s about to respond when one of their coworkers approaches them.
“Hey, Luke Skywalker, you’re up for sandbox watch. I’ll take over from here.”
“Curses!’ says Owain. “I’ll have sand in my shoes for a week! My one weakness!”
“Yeah, yeah, just make sure as few kids end up with sand in their Pull-Ups as possible.” Gaius tips his head toward Lucina. “You can go take a dip in the main pool if you want, Little Blue. I’ve got the kiddie pool covered.”
“Are you certain? I can wait until my replacement arrives. I don’t mind.”
“Nah, don’t worry about it. I think we’re overstaffed, anyway. We’ve been taking turns sneaking away to the pool because of it. Just don’t let the boss know. If he sees your wet hair, just tell him Morgan tried to drown you. Worked for me.”
“Thank you, Gaius. I appreciate it.”
“Hey, don’t mention it. Just, uh, keep an eye out for Bubbles.”
“Um… alright. I’ll be careful.” Lucina doubts it is possible to avoid bubbles if she is going swimming, but then, Gaius tends to say odd things.
Swimming isn’t something that immediately comes to Lucina’s mind when she thinks about relaxing, but this isn’t so bad. Underwater, she cannot hear screaming children, or feel the eyes of coworkers and strangers upon her. Everything moves slowly and gently as though time is reluctant to advance. The fluorescent lights’ harsh glare is powerless against the dim, murky depths of the deep end. She feels welcome here.
Of course, she does need to come up for air from time to time. After several rounds of floating underwater and breaching for air, she sees a pair of feet approach the edge of the pool, though she cannot identify their owner for the chlorinated water in her eyes. She assumes it to be another one of her coworkers, likely whoever’s turn in the water is next.
“I’ll be right out,” she says.
“Oh, don’t trouble yourself for me, sweetie. I’m just enjoying the view.”
Lucina stops cold. It isn’t a coworker’s voice, but she’d recognize it anywhere.
“Ms. Grimeau?” she asks. “What are you doing here?”
Robin sits and dangles her legs into the water, resting her chin on her hands. “I heard a rumor that you all were coming here for a field trip, so I thought I’d stop by and keep an eye on Morgan.”
“Morgan is playing in the kiddie pool. We don’t allow the children near the main pool.”
“Oh, of course, how silly of me! I was just going to look there, too, but I must have gotten distracted.”
Lucina sinks further into the water. She doesn’t know why, but she feels self-conscious under this woman’s gaze. Perhaps she feels inadequate compared to Robin, for the latter wears a swimsuit that leaves little to the imagination. Lucina wears a two-piece as well, but it is considerably more modest, more closely resembling shorts and a tank top.
She wants to invent an excuse to get out of the pool and leave Robin there, but then there would be no water shielding her from Robin’s prying eyes.
Robin speaks again before Lucina can form a plan. “I’m terribly sorry for being so talkative yesterday. I should really stop drinking while I work, but the temptation is truly powerful when one works from home.”
“Drinking?” echoes Lucina. Then her eyes widen. “You didn’t drive under the influence, did you?”
“Gods, no, I have a personal driver for that! What sort of person do you take me for?”
Lucina grimaces. “I’m sorry, that was rude of me to—Hold a moment. Did you say you work from home?”
“That’s right.”
“Then why does Morgan need to be here?”
“Oh, you know Morgan.”
Lucina laughs weakly. “Yes, I suppose I do.”
Robin moves her legs back and forth through the water slowly, watching the ripples travel away from her. “Truth be told, I’ve been thinking of taking him out of daycare programs entirely. I wanted him to be socialized with children his age, but I think it might too much stimulation for him. My work typically keeps me very occupied, however, so I can’t care for him properly on my own during the day. I would have to hire a nanny.”
Lucina says nothing, but wonders if submerging herself is a viable escape option.
Robin lifts her head from her hands. “What do they pay you here?”
“Oh. Um,” Lucina scrapes the back of her memory. “I think it was something like—”
“I’ll triple it.”
“You… what?”
“I said, ‘I’ll triple it.’ Whatever they pay you here, I’ll pay you much, much more.”
“For what, exactly?” Lucina asks, guarded.
“For taking care of Morgan, of course. I said I needed a nanny, didn’t I?”
“I’m flattered, Ms. Grimeau, but I hardly think I’m the most qualified person here for that job.”
“Don’t be silly. You handled yourself yesterday, didn’t you? Besides, surely you need the money for, what, rent? Student loans? Drugs?”
“No! I mean, rent and loans, yes, but I don’t—”
“It’s no difference to me, sweetheart,” says Robin, waving a dismissive hand. “It’s a win-win situation. But if you’d rather continue to be overworked, overwhelmed, and underpaid, that’s your decision.”
Lucina chews her lip and considers. Caring for Morgan exclusively for eight hours a day sounds like torture, but then again, if Robin is right about him misbehaving because of the daycare’s environment, maybe he’s more tolerable on his own. Even so, it would also mean spending much of the day in the same building as Robin, which sounds like a trial in and of itself.
But, gods, she really needs the money, and her current job just isn’t worth the stress.
“Very well,” she says. “I will think about it.”
“I’d think on it a little faster, if I were you. Your boss is coming this way.”
Panic floods Lucina’s veins. “He is? Are you sure?”
“Mhm. I’ll be out front. Bring Morgan when you’re done here. Oh, and I threw his change of clothes near what I assume is your bag. See you in a flash, darling.”
“Damn it,” Lucina hisses, paddling as quickly as she can to the pool’s edge. Eyes still partially clouded by water, she can’t spot Frederick anywhere, but she doesn’t want to take any chances.
She manages to scramble out of the water and grab a towel before hearing someone clear their throat rather loudly.
Lucina turned slowly to face her doom. Sure enough, Frederick stood with his arms crossed, tapping his foot.
“Ah, Mr. Geiszler,” says Lucina, her voice a bit too high, “Is everything alright? One of the children lost their toy in the water, so I was just retrieving it.”
“Miss Ezra. As you are normally a trustworthy sort, I would be prone to believe you. Yet I see no toy in your hand.”
“Oh. Yes, I suppose I must have been seeing things, for I didn’t find anything in the pool after all.”
“I see.” Frederick’s brow hangs low over his eyes, which glare pointedly at Lucina. “Miss Ezra, is there something you would like to tell me?”
“I—” Panic rises within her again, but she swallows it down and meets Frederick’s gaze. “Yes, actually. I believe my time working with Shepherd Child Care is over.”
“What? What are you talking about?”
Lucina lifts her chin, summoning bravery where she had thought there had been none. “I have been offered a position for which I feel I am better suited. Furthermore, I don’t agree with certain practices here, namely keeping an understaffed, underpaid, overworked pool of employees. Therefore, I am relinquishing my position effective immediately.”
“I understand your misgivings,” he says with a small grimace, “but to leave us so suddenly, in such a fashion? I thought you better than that, Lucina.”
Me, too, Lucina thinks. But she remains silent.
Frederick’s frown deepens. “Very well. See to it that you’ve left no personal belongings at the care center. I wish you well.”
At this, he turns on his heel and marches back to the rest of the group.
Lucina stands staring in his direction for some time, her mind working slowly. What… just happened? Did I really just… Her gaze drifts to the building’s entrance. She can see Robin lingering near the exit, lazily tapping at her phone.
Robin. Her new boss, apparently.
Well, it wouldn’t do to keep her employer waiting on her first day.
She feels a tug on the towel she is holding. Morgan has one of his hands clasped around the fabric, the other rubbing his nose.
“Miss Luci,” he whines. “Hungry!”
Something about it brings a smile to Lucina’s face. “You’re hungry? Didn’t you eat a few dozen pounds of snow before we came here?”
“No snow, ice cream!”
She shakes her head and reaches for her bag of dry clothes. “All that swimming must have worked up your appetite. Shall we go get something to eat?”
“More ice cream!” cries Morgan.
“We’ll see about that. Let’s change into something dry first, shall we?”
Grateful that he is in no mood to object, Lucina guides the toddling Morgan to one of the connecting rooms to be changed.
“The family changing room, hm? People will start to think we’re a couple.”
Lucina looks over her shoulder to find Robin leaning against the doorway, her lips curved in a smirk.
Lucina huffs quietly and pulls Morgan’s shirt over his head. “They will not.”
“Well, I look too young to be your mother, and we don’t exactly look like sisters. What else would they think?”
“I believe there is a term called ‘friends’?”
At this, Robin can only laugh. Lucina furrows her brow. “Weren’t you going to wait outside?”
“I was, but then I remembered that it’s fifteen degrees fahrenheit outside, and Stahl seems to have parked the car on the other side of the country. Why you all decided to take a trip to the pool in the middle of January will forever be a mystery to me.”
“I thought it would be fun,” Lucina muttered.
She finishes dressing a squirming Morgan and reaches for her own dry clothes. Wary of Robin watching her, she decides against peeling off her damp swimsuit and merely throws a hoodie and sweatpants over her wet garments.
Robin clicks her tongue, but says nothing of it.
“Where are we going?” asks Lucina as she zips her bag and stands.
“After we pick up whatever you’ve left at the daycare, you may as well follow me to my home. You’ll be needing the grand tour, and we must discuss the details of your employment. You are accepting my offer, correct? You’d like to work for me?”
Lucina thinks she can hear her pride struggling to breathe, but she holds fast. “I haven’t decided,” she lies.
“What if I quadruple your pay?”
Lucina sputters and nearly chokes on her own saliva. “That isn’t necessary of you,” she rasps.
“You’ll do it, then?”
Lucina hesitates. Robin smiles meekly. “Come on, darling, it can’t be much farther a commute than your current trip. Plus, I think you’ll find me to be a much more pleasant employer than… that.” She tilts her head towards the room’s exit, surely indicating Lucina’s former superior.
“I think it could be fun,” Robin continues. “What do you say?”
Her hand is extended, her palm open and inviting. This is Lucina’s last chance to say “No.”
Lucina worries her lip again. Even if Robin was only joking about quadrupling her pay, she was offering a lot of money to a student buried in debt. It’s all too generous of her, not to mention all too convenient, which does little to soothe Lucina’s discomfort.
Of course, if she really wanted to say “no”, she would not have given her sudden notice to Frederick.
Lucina’s pride utters a death rattle. She takes Robin’s hand and shakes.
“Very well,” she says. “We have a deal.”
Robin grins, and Lucina thinks that the woman’s teeth are far too white.
“Excellent,” says Robin. “And here I believed you thought badly of me. Well, then, shall we be off?” She lifts Morgan and holds him against her chest. “You can ride in the back seat with me. Morgan has a child seat; he’ll be fine as a passenger.”
“I... think that may be illegal?” says Lucina.
But Robin is already turning to leave. “Not if we don’t get caught, sweetheart,” she calls with a wave of her hand.
Lucina sighs as she follows, her stomach already churning with regret. “Naga help me if I’ve made a mistake,” she mutters, her footsteps echoing in the damp chamber.