Chapter Three

 

I shut the lights down in the center and locked the door behind me, glad another day was done. Winifred promised to be back tomorrow, and Kate insisted on keeping Hope and Katie-Bug at her house, so there were two less munchkins to care for. Working with her again today was wonderful. When we worked together in Snowberry things were light years different than what they are now, but I would take these days over any. I crutched to Kupid’s Table and leaned on the bar. Sarafina was working again and she hurried over to me from the other end.

“Hi, Rosie. How are you doing? Feeling better?” she asked.

“Yes, thank you. I’m hoping you have a glass of white wine with my name on it back there.”

She grinned. “Are you kidding? You spend eight hours a day with kids, you deserve the whole bottle.”

I chuckled and she set a goblet down on the bar. “Do you need help getting on a stool?” she asked.

I glanced at the tall bar stool and back to her. “I think I’ll stand. I’ve been sitting for the last hour with the babies.”

“Let me know if you need a refill,” she said and wandered back to the other end of the bar to wash glasses.

I sipped the wine and dug through my messenger bag, making sure everything I needed was in it before I headed to Gideon’s office. After talking to Kate about the job being too much for me, I decided it was now or never. I couldn’t afford to lose my job, and an expansion would assure me steady employment.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Mary Poppins,” a voice behind me said.

I groaned inwardly before I answered. “Mary Poppins was a nanny, not a daycare worker.”

“Same difference?” he asked, jokingly.

He was wearing his white coat and had a towel over his shoulder. He was spotless, which meant he hadn’t started cooking yet or he was extremely neat at it. “Hi, Sawyer. Don’t you have to work?”

He motioned around the restaurant. “It’s dead in here if you hadn’t noticed. It’s too early for the dinner crowd. I spotted you through the swinging doors. I wanted to check on you earlier, but the center was quiet and I didn’t want to wake up any babies.”

I smiled, lowering the glass from my lips. “Good thinking, we might have hogtied you to a tree if you had.”

His smile made his eyes sparkle. “I also saw Kate in there and basically didn’t want her yelling at me for asking you to dinner when you should have been in bed.”

I rolled my eyes and brushed my hand at him. “I’m a big girl. She would never say anything to you.”

He lifted one brow up in the air. “Really? Because she said it last night on the phone and then again this morning when I was headed to the gym.”

I smacked my forehead with my hand. “She’s such a mother,” I said, sighing.

He smiled and rubbed my back once. “I know she is, which is why I laughed it off, both times. What I used to think was just the two of you becoming friends through Kupid’s Cove has slowly morphed into me believing you’ve been good friends for years.”

I swallowed. No one is supposed to know, outside a small circle of people, I’m from Snowberry. He wasn’t in the circle. I had to stay calm and act my butt off. “I didn’t meet them until I moved here. I think Kate saw a little of herself in me. She latched right on in welcoming me to the resort and never let go.”

He put his hand on his hip and eyed me. “Hmmm, okay. I better get back to the kitchen. Tonight, is Fish Taco Tuesday and they’ll be rolling in soon.” He motioned his finger around my face. “No, you don’t get to curl your nose up at fish tacos when you ate all my fish last night.”

I laughed softly into the empty room. “You have me there. I better be going, too. I want to put my feet up for a bit after a long day. Have a good night.”

I set the glass on the bar and picked up my bag, slinging it over my shoulder before I grabbed my crutches. He held my arm at the crook of my elbow. “I’ll see you later tonight.”

I shook my head. “Not likely. I’m going to soak in the tub and then watch TV until I fall asleep.”

He smiled and let his hand fall. “We’ll see. Enjoy your bath.”

He ran toward the kitchen and grabbed the door for a chef coming through with buffet tubs of taco fixings. Before I dwelled too long on how much I enjoyed seeing him again, I crutched off down the hallway to Gideon’s office. The basement was reserved for offices, conference rooms, and kitchens, all of which organize and maintain the hotel. Even in such a utilitarian space, you feel like you’re back in your childhood home. It’s an odd way to describe the feeling considering it’s a resort, but there’s something about Kupid’s Arrow and Kupid’s Cove. It’s almost as if it breathes as a living entity. Maybe I feel this way because I live here, but I’m inclined to believe it’s because of Kate and Gideon. They treat everyone like family, from the employees to the guests, and the positivity of the staff at all times is noticeable. Sure, they have their problems like any business, but as long as you give them respect they will return it. Now it was time to step up and repay the two people who rescued me. Hell, they saved my life and asked for nothing in return. The least I could do is use my skills to better the resort and improve their business.

Wait. I paused as I crutched. Did Sawyer say ‘we’ll see’ when I told him I wouldn’t see him tonight? What’s up with him? Kate says he has a mammoth size crush on me, but I’ve lived here for eight months. He’s just getting around to talking to me now? Granted, I holed up in my apartment the first month I was here, and rarely left the daycare center for two months after I started working, but it’s been months since I met him. I wonder why he’s decided to crush on me now. Don’t get me wrong. I think Sawyer is a sweet, caring, handsome guy, and exactly the kind of guy I would date, if the last one hadn’t attempted to kill me. Kate says I can’t hold all guys to Jarrett’s madness, but it’s easy to say, and harder to do, when you’re still running from him.

I glanced up to see Gideon’s office in front of me. The door was cracked and Gideon sat behind his desk, his head buried in paperwork.

“Are you going to stand there all night or are you coming in?” he called out.

I breathed in and then out as I swung the door open the rest of the way. “Hi, Gideon. Do you have a minute to talk?”

He stood and came around his desk. “For you, I have all the minutes.”

I smiled as he hugged me and then sat in the chair opposite his desk. Instead of going around to the other side of his desk, he sat in the chair next to me.

“How’s the leg?” he asked first off.

I rubbed it unconsciously. “It’s better today since I had help with the babies. Thanks for loaning me Kate for the day. Winifred will be back tomorrow and Kate is insisting on keeping Katie-Bug and Hope at home to give us a few less kids.”

He rubbed his temple and nodded. “Good. Kate and I have been talking the last month. It’s been more than six months since your injury, and you aren’t going to be able to handle this job anymore, it’s too physical. It’s not a position you’ll be able to sustain long-term, so I instructed Ellie to put an ad together to hire new providers for the center.”

I gasped before I could stop it and tears rolled down my cheeks. My heart pounded in my chest as I shook with fear and anger. I fought with my brain in an attempt to form a coherent sentence. “No, Gideon, I’m okay. Please don’t fire me. I love this job and I love Kupid’s Arrow. I can’t do most other jobs.” I brought my hand to my mouth and struggled to put my thoughts into words, but a sob escaped around my hand.

I felt a warm hand on my lap and glanced down into the face of Hope. “It’s okay, Auntie Rosie, don’t cry.” She turned her head toward Gideon and frowned. “You shouldn’t make Auntie Rosie cry, Daddy. It’s not kind. You shouldn’t be mean,” she said emphatically.

Kate chuckled behind me and Gideon reached out for his daughter and picked her up, sitting her on his lap. It gave me a much needed few moments to get myself together. Kate handed me a tissue and then squeezed my shoulder, leaving her hand there.

“I didn’t mean to make Auntie Rosie cry, baby. We had a misunderstanding, but we can clear it up since you and Mommy are here. How about you give Rosie a hug and then play in the corner with your dolls?”

She climbed off his lap. “Okay, Daddy,” she agreed. She hugged me and then skipped off to the corner where her toys were kept in Gideon’s office. Kate pulled up a chair and sat next to me, patting my shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Rosie, I’m not planning to fire you,” Gideon explained.

“Just the opposite,” Kate said excitedly, then clapped a hand over her mouth. She glanced at her husband. “Sorry, I’m dying to tell her.”

Gideon laughed. “I figured you would have done it having spent all day with her.”

Kate bit her lip. “I almost did.”

I glanced back and forth between them. “What’s going on?” I asked, sniffing once. “Kate told me today the two of you thought the daycare was too much for me, but we never got any further.”

Gideon leaned forward and rested his arms on his thighs. “We do think it’s too much for you physically, but we need you in the center. We want to offer you the director position and hire three new full-time care providers.”

Kate jumped in before I could. “Winnie wants to stay home with the kids, too. She feels too tied down having to be at the center every day, and little Flynn seems to pick up every cold he’s exposed to.”

I nodded. “I understand how she feels. I’m sure if I had kids I would feel the same way,” I said, my voice cracking on the last word. I cleared my throat. “Are you sure you want me to be the director? I would guess there are others out there far more qualified.”

Gideon shook his head. “Not as far as I’m concerned. You have all the requirements the state wants including a four-year degree, and I got this,” he said, standing and lifting an envelope off his desk, “last Friday.”

He handed it to me and I raised an eyebrow as I lifted the flap. Inside were two pieces of paper. The first was an official transcript from the technical college I’d been attending at night to complete early childhood classes. The second was a wall diploma indicating I was now a licensed childcare teacher by the State of Hawaii.

I stared at Kate and then Gideon. “How did you get this? I just finished the courses.”

“I called and asked them to move it along a little bit. Since I paid for the tuition, they graded the tests and sent the information. I didn’t look at the transcript, by the way, they already told me you passed and that was enough for me. I called health and human services and gave her your qualifications. She said you’re more than qualified to be the director. Besides, before you arrived we did a trial run. We had a provider watching a few of the employee kids upstairs in one of the empty employee apartments. It was an experiment of sorts for a month. It went okay, but what you’ve done the last six months is nothing short of a miracle. So, the job is yours, if you want it.”

I dropped the certificate on his desk and threw my arms around him and then Kate. “Yes, I want the job! Like you have to ask twice. I still want to spend time with the kids though. I don’t want to be the kind of director who hides in an office.”

Kate laughed and patted my back a few times. “You can be as hands on as you want to be, Rosie. We think it’s safer for you and the kids if you aren’t responsible for them all day. If you were to fall and get hurt, it would scare the kids, not to mention it could have lasting effects on your recovery. We want you to be integral in the program, but able to rest if you’re having a bad day because you know others are there to help with the babies.”

I nodded and rubbed my leg again. “I’ve tried my best to keep up with the pace, but it’s wearing me down. I don’t know if my leg and hip will ever recover more than it has.”

Kate laid her hand on my arm. “It’s gone downhill again, hasn’t it?”

I nodded robotically, trying not to cry. “I don’t know if it’s because the nerves are regenerating or degenerating, but the pain can be overwhelming. All I want to do is cry, and it’s not depression. The pain is bad enough it’s hard to swallow by the end of the day.”

Gideon handed me a tissue and squeezed my shoulder. “It hasn’t been a year, Rosie. You don’t have to hide when you’re in pain.”

Kate agreed. “If there are two people who understand a chronic illness, it’s us. Please, let us make an appointment at the university with Gideon’s friend. Maybe he can help you.”

I stared down at the tissue in my hand and fought the panic rising in my chest. “I’m afraid,” I whispered. “I’m afraid of what he might say and I’m afraid of leaving Kupid’s Arrow. Jarrett is out there somewhere.”

Gideon frowned. “You can’t risk losing function in your leg because you’re afraid of the minute chance Jarrett would be in Honolulu. Besides, I can fly you to the university and land right on the roof of the hospital. I’ll be with you the whole time and no one will get near you.”

I leaned back and to the side to relieve the pressure building in my hip. Kate squeezed my hand. “I can see the pain etched on your face right now. Please, let us do this for you.”

I nodded once. “Okay, but you have to let me pay you back.”

Gideon smiled. “You won’t need to pay us back. The daycare director is a salaried position. Unlike hourly, medical insurance is part of the package.”

I glanced between them, my heart racing at the thought. “Really or are you just doing it because I’m a friend?”

Gideon chuckled. “Yes, really, and no not because you’re a friend. First of all, you’re family, but all of our salaried employees get health insurance. There’s a small monthly premium you pay, but it’s no big deal. We’ll get you all the information tomorrow, but you’ll be covered now.”

“Drugs, too?” I asked, my tone disbelieving.

Kate squeezed my hand. “Drugs, too. Your medication will be covered with most having no copays since you use generics.”

I was shaking and fought back more tears. “You don’t know what a relief it is to hear that. I pay over two hundred a month right now for my medication, and I don’t always take it when I need it so it stretches further. Two hundred dollars might not seem like a lot to you, but for me it’s a lot of money.”

Gideon squeezed my shoulder. “I know, which is why I’m glad I could offer you this position. I’m only able to offer it to you because you worked hard to earn your extra credits to get certified. You’ve earned this position in both the way you’ve performed and the dedication to the education needed. I want that to be a clear understanding, so there’s no doubt in your mind.”

I nodded quickly. “I understand, but I can still be thankful I even had the chance to prove myself to both of you. That only happened because you opened up your life to me. I would do anything to pay you back even a smidgen of what you’ve done for me. Let’s face it, playing with babies all day isn’t hard work.”

They both laughed, and Gideon shook his head. “You make it look easy, but I know for a fact it’s hard work. I also know for a fact the university has some clinical trials you may qualify for, which is why I’ve been hounding you to go see them. I’ll give you the number and you can call. If you decide to make an appointment, I’ll take you. Deal?”

I rubbed my temple. “Okay, I think it’s a good idea. You know how I hate to be a burden, but I would feel better if I had it looked at again.”

Kate sighed. “You’re not a burden. You more than carry your own weight here. Being stubborn serves you nothing if you’re missing out on opportunities to fix the damage he did.”

They were right. I was being stubborn. The biggest reason wasn’t my fear of Jarrett as it was my fear of finding out the leg will be like this forever. “I’m not sure I can live with this kind of pain the rest of my life,” I whispered. “I’m afraid to hear the answers and I’m angry I have to feel this way.”

Gideon frowned and pounded his fist in his hand. “You shouldn’t have to feel this way. Niko is doing what he can to locate Jarrett, but he’s not getting far. We will get him, and you will get justice, Rosie. I promise you. It may take years, but we will find him and he will pay.”

I took a deep breath in and held it before I let it out. “Get me the number and I’ll call tomorrow.”

Kate and Gideon heaved a sigh of relief in tandem. “Good,” Gideon said relieved. “I’ll text you the number. Tell them who you are, they’re expecting your call.”

I nodded. “I promise to call right away in the morning. As for tonight, I came here for a reason. Now that you’ve told me your news, I would like to show you mine. Do you have time?”

Kate cocked her head. “Sure, but what news are you talking about?”

I glanced around the room. “I’m not sure there’s room here. Is the conference room empty next door?”

Gideon stood. “Sure, want to head over there? You’ve piqued my curiosity and I have something to show you, too.”

He picked up a tube off the floor and motioned for Hope to bring her toy and follow us into the conference room. I set my messenger bag on a chair and dug out a folder.

“You know I’ve been working on a plan to offer the guests options to use Kupid’s Play Castle for activities, and for hourly daycare,” I said, and they both nodded. “The problem is, we don’t have the space. The daycare center isn’t near big enough for the few employees’ kids we have now, and we have ten more on a waiting list. I’ve run the numbers every way possible, but I can’t see it working in the current facility. Frankly, I can’t see anyone wanting to work in the current facility for very long without going stir crazy, either. There are no windows, and getting kids to the bathroom alone is an adventure. If we’re thinking about offering childcare to guests, we can’t do it as we’re set up now.” I opened the folder and laid out the diagrams. “I considered a freestanding building near the beach, but it concerns me for several reasons,” I said, pointing at one of the plans. “You have access to the beach, but it also means if a child escapes they could be in the water before anyone was the wiser. A freestanding building would give us more space, but in the case of bad weather, or a tropical cyclone, we could lose it much easier than being in, or connected, to Kupid’s Arrow Hotel. A separate building also makes security a nightmare, and you know parents count on us to keep their kids safe while in our care.”

Gideon crossed his arms. “I agree. I thought about a freestanding building myself, but the cons outweigh the pros.”

“Right. There are two options we could consider, but since I don’t know the zoning laws for building an addition to the hotel, I focused on using space we already have. If you want to consider an addition, I would hope you would take the information I have in this plan and use it to guide your design, as the set up I have designed incorporates the laws and several conveniences into the plan.”

Gideon and Kate both leaned over the table to inspect the paperwork as I pointed. “I’m sure you can tell these are the two adjoining rooms we don’t use on the backside of the first floor. Currently the large conference room holds extra chairs and tables, and the ballroom is used as overflow for dry goods.”

Gideon tapped the table. “It’s all the rooms are good for. They’re in the back of the building and guests aren’t interested in renting them for events. There’s no access to the kitchens either, and it makes it nearly impossible to cater anything. They’ve been on my radar since I bought the resort, but I haven’t yet found a good use for them.”

I held up my finger. “I may have found the use. Sawyer mentioned no one uses them for events because of the distance from the kitchen, but there is a half kitchen there already with a fridge, sink, and counter. There are also bathrooms right next door. While they aren’t connected, I think it might be possible to make a door on this side into the bathroom. If not, well, with more staffing, we could work out leaving them as they are. Here,” I pointed at the sink and fridge, “there would be space for an efficiency kitchen. What I would like to see happen is planning weekly menus with the kitchen. They would bring the food prepped and ready to be heated and have it in the fridge before opening Monday mornings. The staff then only has to heat it, using microwaves or a convection oven to keep it safe for the little ones, and we don’t have to stress the kitchen staff any longer.”

Kate smiled encouragingly. “Makes sense, keep going.”

“If we use the big room for the older kids during the day, and the evening and weekends for the guests, we can use the smaller room for infants under age two. It keeps the kids separate and allows for better naps and floor time.”

Gideon held up his finger. “You’re thinking we would only offer care to the guests at night and on the weekends?”

I lowered myself into a chair. “We would have to. The problem isn’t only space, but the number of students to staff ratio. Factoring in our current kids and the ones on the waiting list, we’d be at capacity during the day. Besides, I don’t have kids, but if I did, I wouldn’t want my child in a room with older kids running in and out all day. Do you know what I mean?”

Kate sat and rested her chin on her hand. “I do. I wouldn’t want Hope being exposed to older kids, sick kids, kids with behavior problems, or kids with dirty mouths.”

I pointed at her. “Exactly. We want our employees to feel like their kids are the most important to us. Not being used as fillers to make money.”

Gideon held up his hand. “Absolutely. The babies of Kupid’s Cove are the reason we have the daycare. The guest benefit was only an add-on, if we could make it work around our employee schedules, not to replace them.”

I nodded. “Good, I’m glad we’re on the same page. I figure, if we do it this way, we can hire our regular daytime staff, and then part-time staff for the evening and weekends. Also, by using these rooms we could have six infants instead of two,” I explained and Gideon held up his finger.

“Wouldn’t the staff ratio change then?” he asked.

“Yes, but for six babies we would need two teachers. I would prefer two teachers and one assistant, though. However, we have a nice range of newborn to twenty-four months right now. All six spots would be full if we took those on the waiting list, so we would still come out ahead even paying for the extra help. The bigger room will allow us space for eighteen older kids.”

“How many workers would we need for eighteen kids?” he asked, taking notes.

“There would be no way to work that out until I have a list of kids and their ages. The older the better, since you need fewer teachers for older kids. However, I would want to offer a preschool program for ages three and up.”

“Totally within reason,” Gideon said. “I would love for Hope to be in preschool a few days a week. Would you consider part-time kids?”

I shrugged. “I don’t see why not. As long as we have an even number we could use two families to fill one slot.”

Kate nodded. “You’ve put a lot of work into this, Rosie. I had no idea you were working on it.”

“I promised Gideon I would,” I reminded her. “I also think the kids are getting squirrely in the basement. If there were windows, at least they could look outside even if we can’t take them out all the time. Oh, which reminds me,” I said excitedly, pointing at the door near the rooms on the diagram. “Parents would have a private entrance for pick up and drop off, at least for those who don’t live here. Since this door backs up to a parking lot, there’s space to remove part of the concrete, lay down a safety surface and add some basic outdoor toys for the kids. I’ve done some legwork on the feasibility already, but obviously we have a long way to go to get there. We could purchase a large stroller, however, and get kids out on the beach during the day for fresh air until we figure out a play area.” Gideon was smiling and I couldn’t help but follow suit. “What are you smiling about?”

He lifted up the tube he brought and popped off the top, rolling out drawings on the table. “Great minds think alike apparently. I had plans drawn up, too. One using the two rooms at the back of the building, and one plan adding an addition to the building in the back. Let me show you what I have, but I’m leaning toward the two rooms like you are for multiple reasons.”

“Ouchy,” Hope exclaimed loudly and we all swung our heads toward her.

“What’s the matter, honey?” Kate asked, going to where her little girl sat on the floor.

“I don’t’s know, mommy,” she said, standing up. “I thinks a bee stinged me.”

Kate inspected her leg and the floor, but found nothing. “You must have sat on one of your toys,” she said, picking her up.

Kate handed her off to Gideon and she frowned at him. “I’m hungry, Daddy,” she whined.

He kissed her cheek. “You’re hungry? We can’t have a hungry Hope bear. Should we call Chef Sawyer and have him make us some dinner?”

Hope squeezed Gideon’s cheeks. “Yes, but no fishy tacos. Blech,” she gagged.

I laughed and gave her a high five because that’s exactly how I feel about fish tacos.

 

 

The warm water of the tub relaxed the spasm in my hip, and washed away the stress of the day. I enjoyed a nice dinner with Kate and Gideon while he showed me the plans for the addition. While it would be a state of the art facility, we weren’t convinced we had the space to give up, nor would it make a lot of sense when we already have untapped space in the building. We wanted to get it moving relatively quickly, and building a whole new addition would take months. At least the two rooms currently empty would only involve a solid wall and door between the two rooms, a few chest level partitions to separate older age groups and areas, and maybe a door to the bathroom. Gideon and Kate were going to think about it and talk tonight, then get back to me in the morning. In the meantime, they promised to have all the players of the team like Ellie and Flynn get with me about hiring providers, promoting the center, and electrical and technology needs. Gideon wanted to replace me in the room as soon as possible. I won’t have time to be in there full-time and be the director. There’s too much to do to get ready, and he’s right, it’s not the safest for me or the kids right now, as much as I hate to admit it.

After dinner, I took Kate aside and asked her about Sawyer. She assured me he wasn’t one of the small group of people they told about my situation. She was worried he would find out the truth and thought we should tell him. Her worry was, even though I’m using a fake last name, he might be able to search her name and my first name online, and come up with newspaper articles from Snowberry. There were several articles done with the Chamber of Commerce where pictures of Kate and I were included. She was worried he would be hurt, or feel deceived, he didn’t know the truth. In the end, we decided there was nothing we could do but tell him the truth. I assured her I would do it soon, since he would be an integral part of the daycare planning and I would be spending time with him. We would need his expertise in menu planning, nutrition, and sanitation. I insisted on being the one to tell him, because then I could control what to leave out. If I let Kate tell him, she would answer every question he had, and he would have a lot.

My phone rang and I picked it up off the nightstand as I laid my book down. “Hello,” I answered, surprised by the late call. It was already after eight.

“Hi, Rosie, it’s Ellie,” she said, and I could hear the fatigue in her voice. “Sorry for calling so late, but I just got the babies to bed.”

I laughed softly. “No problem, you should get an award for busiest mom in my opinion.”

She sighed. “It’s crazy, but I love it. Before I met Mally, I never even thought about kids and now I have two under two. Nathanial and Cecelia are so close they never want to be apart, which helps. Anyway, I’m calling about work.”

I sat up and grabbed my pad off the bedside table. “Okay, what’s up?”

“Gideon called to tell me you know about the director’s position. Congratulations!” she exclaimed, and I could sense her excitement over the phone. “I can’t wait to work closely with you to get this off the ground.”

I smiled to myself. “Thanks, Ellie. I’ve been thinking about the need to hire a director, but I didn’t think it would be me. I didn’t believe him at first when he asked me.”

“Why not? You’re smart, business savvy, good with the kids, and have respect for parents. It will be a seamless transition and you’ll do great,” she said encouragingly. “Gideon doesn’t put his trust in people he doesn’t know well to hold these kinds of positions. If he offered you the job then he thinks you’re the best one for it. Besides, you already have an understanding of the program and know the employees. It makes sense to put you in the job.”

“You’re right. I guess he took me by surprise, and I still haven’t totally worked through it. Do you want to set up a meeting to talk about hiring?” I asked.

“Hiring is why I’m calling. I’ve had the ad running for a whole twenty-four hours and already have four applicants. They look promising, but I want you to look over their resumes before we offer interviews.”

“Seriously? Four in one day?” I asked, shocked by the news. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s fantastic to get so many this early.”

“Kupid Enterprises has a reputation for the way we treat our employees. Everyone wants to get a foot in the door here. Personally, I think we should interview as soon as possible. If we can get someone started to take over your spot in the center then you’re free to start your director duties and get the new center up and running.”

And take some pressure off my leg, I thought, but I didn’t say it. “I agree one hundred percent. If we can find two full-time teachers and an assistant, then Winifred and I could both leave.”

“Wait,” she said confused, “Winnie is leaving, too?”

“Kate told me today she wants to stay home with the kids. She feels too tied down at the daycare, and I don’t blame her. If we can hire one full-time teacher immediately, I’ll let Winnie go first.”

“Well, that puts a different spin on things. The good news is, several of these applicants seem top notch. I’ll send you their applications via the company email and you can look them over. Get back to me asap in the morning and I’ll set up interviews. Are you free tomorrow evening to do them?”

I didn’t even need to check my calendar to answer. “You bet, the sooner the better. Also, if you get more applications, keep them. We’ll need to hire many more teachers, both full and part-time, once we get the new center up and running.”

I heard her pen tapping on the table. “Okay, I’ll let the ad run one more day, in case some of these current applicants don’t work out, but then I’ll take it down until we’re ready to hire for the new center. It could be a few months and I don’t want to get the reputation for advertising jobs and not having them materialize.”

“Right. Do your thing and I’ll do mine. Send me the resumes and I’ll check them over right now. If I could spend next week training and then be clear of the daycare, the new center can be a go once the rooms are ready.”

“Agreed, I just sent them to your email. I’ll be heading to bed, but email me back with your top picks and I’ll set up interviews in the morning.”

“Sounds great, Ellie. Thanks so much for being on top of this,” I said, grateful she was willing to work practically all day every day.

“No problem, Rosie. Anything we do to improve Kupid’s Arrow is always worth the time and lost sleep. Besides, I’m looking forward to working closely with you and getting to know you better. Listen, if you ever need to talk about your leg with someone who understands, I’m always here. I understand the frustrations of pain and weakness, as well as the fear of others finding out and judging you for it. If it ever gets to be too much, please, knock on my door or call me. I’m always here for you.”

I smiled and laid my head back on the pillow. “Thanks, Ellie. I guess you’ve been talking to Kate.”

She paused before she spoke. “No, I haven’t. Kate wouldn’t talk behind your back about your health. I have a bad leg, which gives me insight into the ways people try to hide agony, and frustration. I never had anyone to talk to about it before I met Mally, and I don’t want you to feel the way I used to feel. What you’ve been through has been a terrible, life altering event; you shouldn’t have to suffer in silence. I might not have the answer, but I’ll always listen and offer what advice I can.”

I sucked up a breath so I didn’t start crying. “I’ve thought about coming to you, but I didn’t know if you were open to talking about it. Somedays it feels too hard to take one more step and I want to collapse and be done with it.”

“It sounds like you’re pushing yourself too hard, Rosie. I’ve seen you the past week; you’re using two crutches again and practically dragging your leg around behind you. I’m not the only one concerned about the way the leg is behaving.”

I sighed. “No, you aren’t. I promised Kate and Gideon tonight I would call the university in the morning. I’m scared, but I have to face the music and have it checked again.”

“What are you scared of?” she asked tenderly.

I shrugged as I held the phone and bit my lip. “I’m scared the doctors will tell me there is nothing else they can do. It’s basically what they told me at Mayo before I moved here. Mayo, Ellie,” I said, my voice cracking. “I don’t want to live in constant pain, but there’s a real possibility I might. There’s also a real possibility I’m going to need a wheelchair and then I’m screwed,” I said, tears falling. “I can’t live here in a wheelchair, there isn’t enough space in the apartments. Not to mention, I can’t play with the babies, walk on the beach, or ever hope to have babies of my own.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” she whispered. “I had no idea it was this bad. Let me get dressed and I’ll come over.”

I wiped a tear from my face and sucked up air. “No, you need your rest. I’ll be okay. It is what it is, and I’ll have to deal with it. I shouldn’t borrow trouble before I see the doctor, but it’s hard. You understand.”

She sighed. “I sure do. Sometimes you feel like you’ll never reach the next step in your life, but I’m proof you will. I know you have a lot of trauma to deal with, but a big part of overcoming it is a positive attitude. You’re great at keeping a positive attitude, even when you’re hurting. Please, let me know when your appointment is in Honolulu and I’ll come with. You don’t have to do this alone and I have plenty of experience with leg issues. Would you like me to come with you?”

I nodded, biting my lip. “I would, yes. I’ll take as much support as I can fit in Gideon’s chopper.”

She laughed gently. “It’s a date then. In the meantime, anytime you need to talk, and I mean anytime, you reach out to me or Kate or both of us. We’ll hold you and let you cry. Okay?”

“It’s a deal, Ellie. I appreciate your support. I knew I made the right call when I reached out to Kate. I didn’t know what else to do, but I knew she and Winifred would be here for me. I didn’t know I would be inheriting a wonderful family, too.”

“We’ve always got your back,” she insisted. “You don’t have to worry about risking your job because you need a day off, and I know you worry about it.”

I chuckled. “I do, but it’s my type A personality. I don’t like letting people down who are counting on me.”

“I understand, but taking a day off to rest once in a while could keep you from needing weeks or months off when you push things too far.”

“Point taken,” I agreed. “I’ll look at the resumes and email you back tonight. Thanks, Ellie.”

We hung up and I grabbed my iPad, opening my work email. As promised the four applicant’s resumes were there and I spent the next half an hour reading over their backgrounds, and checking their social media. I know it’s probably Ellie’s job to do, but if they’re going to be taking care of my babies, I wanted to know everything about them. Besides, after a quick glimpse at one of the applicant’s Facebook page, it was easy to see they called in sick to their current work too many times to go surfing, and posted about it on social media. Not only lazy, but not real bright either. I marked her as a pass, and emailed Ellie to offer an interview to the other three. With any luck, two of them would work out. If all three did, we could hire the third one as the assistant, with the caveat they would get the next full-time teacher position to open with the new center. Then I could walk away from the center and be confident my babies were in good hands.