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Worse, she didn’t know what to do. She had no life experiences to fall back on, no one she could ask. She kept thinking she should talk to a lawyer, but how would she find one, let alone pay him or her? She wasn’t the kind of person who was supposed to need a lawyer.
“Just focus on being here,” she told herself as she got Jackson out of his car seat. He was all smiles, excited to spend the day with people he knew.
She walked inside, Jackson grasping her hand as he toddled along with her.
The bright yellow building was a converted house in eastern Kirkland. The yard, front and back, was completely fenced. Tall trees provided shade in the summer and all the plants were nontoxic. There were plenty of toys on the huge covered patio. Artificial turf meant nearly year-round play, even in Seattle’s rainy winter months.
Inside, the twenty-four-hundred-square-foot house had been converted to day care paradise where kids were segregated by age and ability. There was a room for the infants and babies, with several changing stations and an area with thick mats for crawling time.
Around ten months, students went into the middle group, with toys, scheduled naps and story time. At about three and a half, toddlers transitioned to pre-K with even more socialization and some early learning.
The kitchen had been modified for the kids. The children ate in shifts with the meals catered by a local grocery store deli that provided child-friendly, organic when possible, meals and snacks.
But the real appeal of the day care, at least for Allison, was the hybrid co-op model they used. Parents could pay the hefty monthly fee, just like anywhere else. Or one or both parents could work as a caretaker in the day care. For every hour worked, you earned two hours of day care.
Parents who chose the latter option were vetted, just like any other employee, and had to complete a comprehensive online program. Once done, they signed up for shifts at the day care a month in advance so Liz, the manager, could have plenty of staff on hand.
Allison had been working in the day care since Jackson was a baby. She spent her mornings there, then went to her afternoon job, clerking at a grocery store. It was the best of both worlds—Jackson had quality day care that she didn’t have to pay for, plus she had a regular, albeit small paycheck from the grocery store. She always worked more hours at the co-op than she needed, so was able to bank the time for a rare afternoon off.
She greeted the other staff member on duty as she signed in her son. Once he was settled, she clocked in for her shift. Now that she was over six months pregnant, she mostly worked with the babies. Feeding and rocking babies and changing diapers was a lot easier on her body than herding energetic four-year-olds, although she still did story hour a few times a week.
She stored her handbag, wishing she could keep her phone with her, but Liz had a firm no-cell-phones rule. Hopefully she wouldn’t miss a call from Peter. After washing her hands, she slipped on an apron, then went to check in the first of the infants to arrive.
By seven thirty she had five babies, from six weeks to seven months. The former, a little girl, had been reluctantly handed over by her sobbing mother.
“I’m not ready to go back to work,” she said, wiping away tears. “But my maternity leave ended last week. I asked for more time but my boss is a heartless bastard.”
Allison had offered as much comfort as she could before taking baby Sabine. “She’ll be fine.”
“I know, but I still want to call every hour.”
“Absolutely.”
The day care also offered remote camera access through a secure server.
She got Sabine settled in her bassinet and checked on the other four. Little Michael, nearly seven months, was going to need some playtime. He was on the cusp of crawling. Jessie, her partner for her shift, tickled Michael’s tummy, making him laugh and wave his hands and feet.
“Want me to play with this one?” she asked, glancing at Allison’s large belly. “It’s easier for me to get on and off the floor.”
“I hate to give up the fun, but getting to my feet is a challenge these days.” In her current condition, she was better suited for sit-down duties.
The first hour of settling everyone helped distract her from the disaster that was her personal life. A little before nine, Liz, her boss, stopped by.
“Everyone happy?” she asked.
Allison had baby Sabine in her arms. Jessie had taken Michael to the young toddler play area and the other infants were sleeping. She looked at her friend-slash-boss, prepared to say everything was fine. Instead she found herself fighting tears.
Liz immediately hurried toward her. “What’s wrong?”
Allison struggled for control. “It’s personal, not work. Can we talk on my break?”
“Of course. Come get me when you’re ready.” Liz touched her shoulder. “Are you okay? Do you want to go home?”
“No. Being here is better.” Not only was caring for the babies a wonderful distraction, but also she wanted to bank as much day care time as possible. Who knew what horrible thing was going to happen next?
Once it was time for her break, Allison hurried into her friend’s office and closed the door, then took a seat.
Liz’s expression was concerned. “Tell me,” she said gently. “I’ve been worried.”
