Page 6 of An Endless Memory

I inhaled until the pressure of the tears ebbed. “Sure, I have a minute. I just finished.”

I checked the time. The daycare was militant about picking up the kids before they closed, which, of course, I understood. If only their closing time wasn’t right when my shift ended. Finding another daycare was on my to-do list, but that list was massive, and my evenings were dominated by tiny beings. And the daycare was wonderful.

Damn.

“Will I make you late?” Sutton asked.

“No. No, not at all.” I wasn’t telling my boss I had to leave. I was the new girl.

Her shrewd gaze didn’t ease. “Is there anything I can help with? Wilder told me about the issue with Bug over the weekend.”

“I had it under control.” I would’ve. Eventually. “He got away when I was locking the door to the fenced-off area, but the cookies were the only casualty.” They’d been stale by Saturday anyway. I’d tried one. So had Cali. We both ate the cookies anyway.

“Bug is a special case.” She sounded resigned.

He would continue to be a special case. He was a good dog, energetic, but he wasn’t aggressive or fearful and he tolerated kids and other animals really well. He needed space and something to do, and if he wasn’t busy, he needed the piss run out of him three times a day. His family wasn’t able to provide any of that.

She folded her hands over her belly. “Wilder said you had your kids here.”

Panic pressed against my chest walls. “Is that a problem? I’m so sorry, I should’ve asked. At my last job, we were allowed to and I didn’t think?—”

She waved her hands and shook her head. “No, it’s absolutely fine, and I know you know what animals they should and shouldn’t be around. But you can let me know if the weekends are too much right now.”

The tears were threatening to return. They were almost a constant these days. Everything was too much, but that wasn’t Sutton’s problem. She’d been nothing but generous and she was continuing to blow me away. How long before she got sick of making adjustments for me? “No, it’s fine.”

She lifted her brows. “You barely got a maternity leave. If you need more time off?—”

“No.” I almost shouted. “No. It’s fine.” Nothing was fine. I needed the paycheck. I had most of the vet school education but not the job. My student loans were staggering and all mine. If I hadn’t been able to move into my grandma’s old house, I’d still be living with my parents. They’d done so much for me. I’d needed their help, but if I couldn’t survive a month at a new job while living on my own, what did that mean about me? “I’m good. It gets us out of the house for the weekend.”

Her expression was dubious. “Okay,” she said slowly, like she didn’t believe a word I said. Probably because I was lying. “Please know I understand. You can come to me if there are any issues. I know you just lost your grandma.”

I didn’t win the battle against the tears. I swiped at my eyes. My grandma hadn’t been aware of much during her last months, or it would’ve killed her to know I had gotten divorced before Kellan was born. She loved Cali and that I’d had a family when the rest of my siblings were single with no kids. “I miss her.”

Sympathy filled her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“Thank you. Being in her house with all her things helps.” Having a fully furnished house also kept my parents and brothers and sisters from worrying about me. “I really appreciate you taking a chance on me. I’m sorry about Bug.”

“You did well with him. He’s…a lot.” She glanced at the clock on the wall. “You have to go, right? Doesn’t your daycare close soon?”

It closed five minutes ago. I’d get charged ten dollars for every five minutes I was late. “Yes. Soon.”

“Gosh, I’m sorry. Go. I’ll get the wash going.”

Normally, I’d be horrified she had to clean up after me, but I had to get to the daycare. “Thank you.”

“And don’t forget Friday is the party. It’s for family and coworkers in case I get bed-rested during one of my OB visits and miss all the summer festivities. No need to bring anything but the kids.”

“Is that the party you’re throwing here?”

“No, Friday is at my place. The open house for our clients will be here.” She shrugged. “We like an excuse to grill and visit.”

What was that like? My family sometimes gathered for a major holiday. Not often enough.

Relieved I hadn’t upset my boss, I filed the party details away for later. I didn’t run out of the room, but once I was free from her sight, I scurried as fast as possible. The daycare was a quick drive, but another ten dollars was tacked on before I arrived. I hurried to the door and knocked, waiting for Wanda to answer.

Wanda ran an in-home daycare, and she’d been recommended by my coworkers. It was a miracle I even found a spot for a baby. Sutton had hired me two weeks before I gave birth. I had taken a scant six weeks off, but part of that had included Grandma’s funeral, relocating, and finding childcare and getting Cali enrolled in school.

I was exhausted.

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