Page 6 of Rectify

Leaving the room together, I make my way to the entrance. As a safety precaution, the entrance to the building is locked at all times. Only parents and staff members with the code can enter, ensuring the staff and all the children are not caught up in any custody, kidnapping, or misplacement predicaments. Through the transparent glass, I see a short woman holding a fussy toddler on her hip. Feeling empathetic, I hurry up my steps, and quickly unlock the door and pull it open.

“Hi,” I say meeting her eyes. “Can I help you?”

Letting out a heavy sigh, she bounces on the spot trying to calm the little girl down. “I just wanted to know if you had any vacancies?”

I cringe but find myself biting back the immediate and warranted no. Glancing over to the little girl, I open my arms and the woman gladly hands her over to me. “And what’s your name?” I coo at the toddler, sliding her cute chocolate coloured fringe out of her eyes.

“Her name is Lily,” the woman answers for her.

“I’m Sasha, it’s nice to meet you both.”

About to offer me her hand, a drink bottle drops from underneath her arm. “Oh, shi— sugar,” she corrects before picking it up. “I’m Max.” She throws the bottle in her handbag and then runs her fingers through her hair in frustration. Moving the layers away from her face, I notice the dark circles under her eyes, aging her beyond the rest of her features. “We just stopped by to get a feel for the place, if that's okay?”

We usually have an open day once a month for all prospective families, but there's something about her that urges me to bend the routine. “Why don’t the three of us go for a walk.” I look down and smile at the face peeking up. “Let’s see if Lily likes it here.”

I show her around, explaining each playroom, and what age groups go where.

“Down. Down. Down,” Lily chants when we reach the sandpit.

“Can I?” I ask Max, flicking my eyes over to the kids playing across from us.

“Actually.” She extends her arms and I take it as my cue to hand Lily back to her. “We have a bunch of errands today and I would rather her not be covered in sand.”

“Of course.” I smile as Lily effortlessly climbs her way back to Max.

“Let’s go to my office and I can give you a starter pack.”

I finish off the usual spiel as we take a seat at the small circular table in the middle of the room. Piling the papers in order of importance, I hand them to her. “How many days are you looking at?”

“We’re really hoping for every day,” she answers, her voice bordering desperation.

“Full-time work,” I assume. “It’s a rough gig. I get it.”

“You have kids?” She eyes me curiously.

“She’s sixteen now, not much of a kid. Pretty much takes care of herself.”

“Are you kidding?” She squeaks. “What? Were you a teenage mum?” Her curiosity seems innocent, but the usual disbelief and stereotype that comes along with the question ruffles my feathers. “You don't look a day over twenty-six.”

I offer her a tight smile, a slight irritation surfacing, the compliment unable to taper down the need to defend myself. “I was fourteen. I’m thirty.”

“Shit.” Her voice and eyes drift off, no longer referring to the conversation between us. “I can’t imagine fourteen-year-old me having a baby.”

“Shit,” Lily parrots. “Max. Shit. Max. Shit.”

Like a vacuum, our joint laughter sucks the tension out of the room.

“So, five days for Lily?”

“Yeah. We— I mean her dad.” She looks down at the little girl, shaking her head like she's said too much or something wrong. “It’s just a busy time right now.”

Against every single number, every piece of paperwork I was working on earlier, and my general common sense of how my own centre is run, I give her paperwork to fill out and tell her I'll be calling her soon.

I lead her out and promise to be in touch. Returning to the office, I meet Holly who has suspicion written all over her face.

“We can't fit that family in.”

“Who said that’s what I was doing?” I lie.

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