Page 9 of Shifted

"You know what? You’re right, Hope." He stands up with new energy and a pearled smile on his lips.

"Want me to beat her up?" He glanced at me up and down with the slightest of judgment.

“No offense, but Max is a boxer, and you're a pin." I scoffed at his remark if only he knew what this ‘pin’ could do in a fight. I wasn’t one to show off my physique. I was all for supporting confidence in others, but I liked to keep to myself.

"That's because I never show my body, you dick head. I work my ass off for your information, and I could take her easy peasy!" That's the thing about Lucas; he can also be an asshole with no filter. He just doesn’t tend to release his words that can be offensive. Maybe this is why Max ghosted him. He might have taken one or two steps too far on a date.

"I've been boxing for many years, Lucas, before and after I had Joely." He now looked surprised, which I took even more offense to. I didn’t think I was that lanky after all, and now he was making me self-conscious. Why do people think it’s okay to shame or compare one's body to another?

"You really are super-mom. What's your superpower?" I bit my lip, smiling. If only this bastard knew.

"I can throw a dagger blindfolded directly in the part of someone's back, killing them within seconds,” he rolled his eyes at my supposed ridicule, but I was dead serious.

"Have you been watching the Equalizer movies again, Hope?" Yes, but I’ve also been acting like the Equalizer in my free time.

"Hey, Denzel Washington does a good job! I take notes, Lucas." He shook his head at my presumed delusion and walked to the side of my desk. He opened my bottom drawer to reveal my hidden stash of snacks.

"So it’s you!?" He was the mysterious snack thief. His eyes glanced at me confusedly as I sat baffled in my chair.

"What's me?" I pointed to my snack drawer as he was the acclaimed thief I’d been after. I even thought about placing a camera in my office, but I figured that was too far or maybe not far enough.

"I've noticed that my Pringle’s stock has been running low. You've been stealing my snacks?" He shook his head in defense, acting as if he wasn’t the one who had opened the drawer below. Now wasn’t the time, if any, to gaslight me.

"Wait a minute. You see, Joely welcomed me to them when I watched her in your office a few months ago, and she said I was free to take them." He was placing the blame on a toddler. If anything, I wish I could say I was surprised. But I wasn’t.

"So you extended her offer?"

"She offered, and I graciously accepted. She never said I should stop."

"She's three!"

"Technically, she just turned three?" He countered slightly defensively and grabbed a pack of goldfish from the drawer.

"Oh yeah, sure, help yourself!" He smiled, opened the sealed goldfish bag, and exited my office. I shut the drawer and sighed, looking back at the vacant case. Paperwork surrounded me, and I wanted to curl up in my bed and sleep.

I felt my phone vibrate, so I removed it from my pocket. DAYCARE flashes across my screen, taking me by surprise. I immediately answered, as Joely’s pick-up wasn’t until late afternoon. So, a call coming now was slightly alarming.

"Hello?" I heard the alertness in my voice; I wasn’t some helicopter mom. I trusted the daycare to pay close attention and care for my child. I wasn’t one to give it away so easily; I’d gotten to know the staff pretty well and other parents who sent their children there.

"Hello, am I speaking with Hope Taylor, Joely's mom?" Her teacher, Amanda, is on the other line. She sounded calm, and nothing rattled in her voice from the first few words. Maybe I was overthinking things, but I am a mother, of course, and I’m worried.

"This is she."

"Hi, Hope, it's Amanda. I'm calling because Joely has had a pretty rough afternoon. We've done our best to sustain her, but she'd prefer her mother right now.” My stomach churns slightly in worry, and I wonder what’s bothering her. Rather, who could have bothered her? There hadn’t been any other issues before at the daycare. She’d been there for two years, and nothing had ever really come up.

"Rough afternoon? What happened?" I swallow the lump that's begun to form in my throat. The rain outside seems to slowly settle as I stare out into the city, anxiously awaiting her response.

She cleared her throat as I waited and began to speak, "One of her classmates, Isabella, brought in cupcakes for her birthday and had lemon frosting on them. We know it’s one of her allergens, so we prevented it.” I pause before saying a word. My heart sinks at the thought of everyone receiving a cupcake besides my baby. I knew she wouldn’t be one to pick a fit or be upset about it in front of her classmates. But I could picture her sad little face as they denied her one.

"Who brings in lemon cupcakes?” My words come out harsh, but the chances of someone bringing in lemon were so slim, yet it happened today. “Sorry, I’m just frustrated; I’ll be right over to get her,” I ended the line standing from my desk. I could picture a sad look on her face, which hurt me even more. But being there right now was more important than my job. Because it was something like this, she'd remember that her mom was there for her.

"Hope?" Sophia, our secretary, watched as I threw things into my bag. I swiftly put on my rain jacket and walked towards her. "Joely’s daycare called. I have to go." Rushing to the elevators, I waited impatiently for the doors to open. I didn’t really leave work, but as a mother, knowing your child's upset and you're there is significantly more important than anything else you’re doing at the moment. The elevator doors open, and I see Lucas typing on his phone. He looks up and is surprised to see me prepared to leave.

"Everything alright?" I nod, reaching into my bag to find my car keys.

"It's just a bad day for your snack dealer," a frown forms on my lips as he waits for an explanation. “Some girl's parents brought in lemon cupcakes for her birthday." He gasped lightly, shaking his head as he began to pace—the dramatics with this one.

"Not the lemon cupcakes!" Closing my eyes in frustration, I nod, "If it helps, those are nasty as fuck anyways, L parents for bringing those in!" I stare back at Lucas, sucking in my lips to withhold any laughter. Sometimes, I figured him to be a teenage boy based on the words he used. But he had some sort of protectiveness over my daughter, and it was something I appreciated.

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