by Emma Vikes
She rushed to give me a hug and I knelt down, wrapping my arms around her. “Hey, Violet! You have a game tonight?”
Violet nodded her head in excitement. “Yes! And Uncle Everett’s gonna be there to watch!”
I smiled and patted her on the cheek and then looked at Mrs. Barrymore. “You want a trim, Mrs. B?”
She shook her head. “Actually, we came here because we wanted to ask if you could braid Violet’s hair for the game?”
I looked down and saw that Violet was watching me with hopeful eyes. I glanced at the clock. It was 4 PM and it looked like I didn’t have my regulars in. I glanced at Nora who was listening in on the conversation and then waved me off, letting me know that it was alright. “Of course! Let’s head over to that chair, okay?”
I began to comb Violet’s black hair and then turned to Mrs. Barrymore. I hadn’t seen her for two weeks since her last cut and it seemed like her hair’s been growing out nicely. “How have you been, Mrs. Barrymore?”
“Fine. But I’m kind of nervous right now.”
Parting Violet’s hair with my fingers, I glanced at Mrs. B worriedly. “Why is that?”
“Well, Milo called earlier and told me that there was something he wanted to discuss with me after the game. I couldn’t help but be curious about it so I asked him what it was on the phone. He told me he got promoted.”
I pursed my lips and nodded, focusing my attention on braiding Violet’s hair. “That’s great! Why do you seem nervous about it?”
Mrs. Barrymore sighed and I caught sight of the way she looked at Violet. She moved closer to me and answered my question in a low and quiet voice, and I think it was because she didn’t want Violet to hear. “He has to move to Chicago if he accepts. That’s what he wanted to discuss with me, Megan.”
Just as I finished braiding Violet’s hair, Mrs. B whispered something to her and she jumped out of the seat and headed to the couch, rummaging through some magazines. I crossed my arms and looked at Mrs. Barrymore worriedly. I knew that she lived her whole life in Irving and that her late husband was buried here. If there was anything that Mrs. Barrymore cared about, it was her husband. She told me that she visited his grave every day because she never stopped missing him.
Missing a person in heaven was different from missing a person that you’ve lost because things had to end or life happened. It left a hole in your heart that nothing could ever fill. “You don’t want to go.”
Mrs. Barrymore ran a hand through her hair and then looked at me. “I can’t let some stranger take care of Violet too, Megan.”
I placed a hand on her arm. “Then maybe you can suggest someone you know to him that’ll take good care of Violet.”
Mrs. Barrymore continued to stare at me and then she reached for my hands. “I hope I can find a great one too, Megan. I know Milo won’t be thrilled to find out that I’m not going with them. So finding a replacement would be the least I could do.”
“Nancy! I’m going to be late!” Violet called out to Mrs. Barrymore on the couch and the older woman nodded. She flashed me a smile and then went to pick up Violet. They both waved me goodbye.
“Good luck on your game, Violet!”
“Thank you, Megan! And nice jacket! It looks good on you!” She was waving at me enthusiastically and it was only then that I remembered the hoodie I was wearing. It belonged to a stranger and I honestly didn’t know why I even bothered to accept it. But then again, I didn’t want to work wearing a stained shirt. At least the hoodie covered it.
I remembered the guy that hit me earlier and for a brief moment, wondered if his bad karma flipped into a good one too, like how mine did.
At around 5 PM, most of my other co-hairdressers have already left and I was helping Nora lock up like I usually did. When we were both sure that everything was all set up and locked, I waited for the check that I had asked her about earlier. Nora fished through her bag and then tore my check from her check book. “I added a couple of bucks in for you, Megan, in hopes that it’ll help for your rent.”
My heart warmed at that and I threw my arms around her, hugging her tight. “Thank you, Nora. I promise that this will be the last time I do this.”
Nora shot me a look and shook her head. “Let’s hope that you can keep that, Megan.”
We went our separate ways and I made my way over to Pablo, grabbing the spare apron he had and then helping him make more sandwiches without question. He glanced at me once, flashed me a grateful smile, and then continued on with his work. There were a few more customers who ordered and fifteen minutes before seven, Pablo was finally ready to pack up.
I helped him fold some tables, limping as I did so which Pablo caught sight of. “I’ve noticed that you’ve been limping around today.”
“A guy hit me with his car today. It’s not a big deal. Just a bruise and a limp,” I assured him when I saw how quickly his expression changed. We left one table out and Pablo handed me my dinner. It was a Cubana, my favourite.
“Marinated the pork last night. It tastes really good now,” Pablo informed me, taking a big bite of his food. “So, saw Nora give you check earlier. Isn’t it too early for a paycheck?”
I sighed and downed half of my cucumber lemonade. “I got an eviction notice earlier. Landlady is giving me two weeks to pack up and leave but I was wondering if I could negotiate with her. The money I have is enough for a month’s rent. I’m three months behind my payment so if she’ll accept this one month, I’ll figure out a way to pay for the remaining months.”
Pablo was quiet and simply continued to eat his food until he finished it. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and then looked at me. “Why don’t you just leave?”
I stared at him blankly. “With what? The clothes on my back.”
Pablo sighed and shook his head. “When I left Mexico I had nothing too, Megan. All I had were a few bucks and a strong desire to live the life I wanted to. It wasn’t easy but it helped me save my money for my dream. Now I have my food truck and I’m doing what I love. Chasing dreams is never easy but you never know until you try to get out there and do it.”
“But my...”
Pablo glared at me. “Stop thinking about others, Megan. For once, start thinking about what you want. You’ve done enough for them. Let them live their lives and let yourself live yours.”
Chapter 3
Milo
Violet was nowhere near thrilled at the prospect of moving all the way to Chicago and Everett was pissed at me for ruining my daughter’s night with the announcement, especially when she just scored the winning goal of the game. It wasn’t my intention to ruin her night, it was just that we were all at Chuck E. Cheese together and it was easier for me to talk to Violet in public than at home because she would purposely distract herself and ignores me.
I tried talking to her when we came home but when she had finished getting ready for bed and was tucked in, I was about to initiate the conversation with her to which she just said, “It’s fine, Dad. If you want to move to Chicago, there’s not much I can do about it. I just wish we could bring Nancy along.”
The thought of Mrs. Barrymore not coming with us frightened me too. She was the only bridge I had with my daughter and Violet, young as she was, was aware of that too. When Mrs. Barrymore told me that she wasn’t sure if she could come, Violet visibly paled and she was quiet the entire way home, not once asking any more questions about the promotion or Chicago.
“So what are you planning on doing, Milo?”
I looked up and met my brother’s gray eyes that were hidden behind his thick-framed glasses. His black hair was a mop of mess on top of his head and he looked like he had just rolled out of bed because even his clothes were still a tad bit crumpled. The thing with Everett was, he cared less and less about his appearance as he grew older and only cared about science and facts and discovering the next mind-blowing, scientific thing. He was the lead analyst in the forensics department and he was always buried in his work. Kind of like me.
<
br /> “What do you think?” I asked, staring at the monstrous burger in front of me. “I have to hire a new nanny for Violet.”
Everett pushed his glasses back, a habit he had acquired over the years that he had worn them. I couldn’t remember what my brother looked like without them. “I thought maybe you would consider not taking it. Violet’s family is here, Milo and you’re going to whisk her away to Chicago just like that and now you’re thinking of leaving her with some stranger.”
“I’m doing this for her, Everett.”
“Or maybe you’re doing it for yourself. Because you can’t really stay in a place where everything just reminds you of Becs.”
I turned away and then pushed my plate away from me. I inhaled deeply, laced my hands together on the table and looked at my younger brother. “Then is that bad, Ev? Is it bad to want to remove myself from a toxic environment and start somewhere else?”
Everett sighed and then ran a hand through his unruly curls. “No. I would want that for you, but I just, I can’t help but think how Violet is going to handle all of this. When you announced it last night, it was like her life suddenly flashed in front of her eyes and I’ve never seen my niece look so devastated and at a lost since her mother died. She was gradually becoming better, Milo.”
“And she’ll fully become better in a different place, Ev. I promise that if things don’t work out in Chicago for Violet, I’ll ask for a transfer back here. I promise.”
My brother looked at me, hesitation clear in his eyes. “Okay. But you better run this through with Mom.”
We finished up with lunch quickly because Everett had to go back to the ICPD, he claimed he had a murder case going on that he needed to figure out. Everett grew up in love with CSI, it was no wonder he had ended up pursuing that career.
Since it was Saturday, I only had half the day for work and Everett was antsy to get back to his, I drove back home only to find out that Mrs. Barrymore and Violet weren’t home. I wanted to get some sleep or lock myself in my study and pretend that I was busy with work even when I technically had none, just so I wouldn’t be disturbed. But then decided against so. Instead, I opted for making coffee.
For a while, Mrs. Barrymore had repeatedly complained to me that the coffee maker was acting up and just as I added the coffee beans into the canister and pressed start, there was a whirring sound. Suddenly, the machine started jumping on the granite counter and in a haste, all I could think of was stop it with my hands. But it moved all the way down on the floor and crashed and by then, the beans were already ground and were starting to turn into my coffee so basically the whole thing crashed and splattered on the floor were broken pieces of glass and coffee.
“Shit,” I muttered, moved and slipped right into the puddle of mess that the coffee maker created. “Shit!”
My white shirt was stained brown and the small shards of glass had pierced through my skin. I moved a bit and sat on the tiled floor, removing the shards from my arms and my wet and stained white shirt just as the doorbell rang. “God, damn it!”
I didn’t have the time to rush upstairs and put on another shirt so I just opened the front door to stop the incessant ringing.
And right in front of me was the girl that I hit with my car the other day.
Her eyes widened when she saw me and from my face, her eyes travelled down on my shirtless body. It was done slowly and then right as her eyes fell on my happy trail, she immediately turned away, her face flustered and red, as if she had realized what she just done.
“I...I must’ve...gotten the wrong house. I’ll just run along now.” She was ready to run far away from me.
“Wait,” I said, reaching for her and then grabbing her arm to stop her from leaving. I tilted my head to the side, assessing her with my gray eyes. “You’re the girl I hit the other day?”
She bit her bottom lip, her gaze resting on my hand on her arm. I quickly let go. “Yes. And still, I’m fine, see? No more limp. I’ll return your hoodie if you want. I already washed it. If I had known that you live in the same neighborhood as the house Mrs. Barrymore works in...”
“Mrs. Barrymore?” I repeated, looking at her curiously. “Mrs. Barrymore doesn’t work in another house but...”
Mrs. Barrymore parked her car on the street and I heard my daughter’s voice calling out a name. “Megan! Megan!”
The girl in front of me turned and waved, bending down to welcome the hug that my daughter immediately gave her. The exchange took me by complete surprise. Mrs. Barrymore also pulled the woman close and hugged her tight. “Oh, Megan! I’m glad you found the house without a hassle.”
Her statement made Megan pause. She cocked her head to the side. “The house...you mean...” She looked at me- and I was still shirtless- and her eyes widened. “You’re Violet’s Dad?”
I furrowed my eyebrows and Violet stood beside me. Vi had her mother’s blue eyes and brown hair but everything else made her look like me. Sometimes, when the sun shined just right, her eyes looked so pale they would resemble gray and every time it did, she looked more and more like me. My brothers loved it because it meant she looked a bit like them too and they were crazy about their niece.
Megan just stared at us and Mrs. Barrymore placed a gentle hand on her shoulder to bring her back in the moment. “This is Milo Hudson, Megan. I technically worked for his wife, Rebecca’s side of the family and they hired me when they got married. I’ve been taking care of Violet since she was born. I’m sure I’ve told you that.”
I cleared my throat. “And how do you two know each other?”
“She’s my hairdresser, Milo,” Mrs. Barrymore told me with a small smile and then she touched Megan’s shoulder again, “and she called me earlier and asked if she could work for you.”
At her last statement, I looked at Mrs. Barrymore. Last night, before we parted ways at Chuck E. Cheese , she had said that she wanted to help me find the suitable replacement for her, because she wanted Violet to be taken care of someone she trusted. And now, here was the girl I hit the other day, looking at the both of us and then at Violet, in a mix of shock and panic. Clearly, she wanted the job, it was just that she didn’t expect that she would also be working for me.
I opened the door wider and then focused my attention at Megan, realizing that she probably came here for the nanny job that would soon be available when we leave Irving. “Then, I guess, I should probably invite you inside.”
Beside me, Violet clapped excitedly and then dragged Megan inside. “Oh! You told me that you used to play soccer when you were younger. How about one game?”
Violet wasn’t like the other little girls who loved to play with their dolls and toys and pretend that she was having tea. She grew up having three uncles who occasionally visited her and played with her but forced her to play outside and actually have fun. We used to do it too, on weekends when I didn’t have work and I had the chance to spend the entire day with Violet. That was how she fell in love with soccer because it was my first love too.
I watched as the two of them headed to the backyard where I’d set out a goal for Violet and me to play with and eventually, she used it to practice. She kicked out her black soccer ball and gave a bit of a show. Megan smiled and clapped and then the two of them began the game. The first time, it was clear that Megan let Vi score but when she noticed that my daughter wasn’t kidding, she put in effort.
And damn, was she good.
Her plain white shirt- almost identical to the one that she wore the first time we met- was wet with sweat and was clinging tightly to her body. She called Violet for a time-out, and bowed her head. The gesture gave me a view of her long neck since all of her platinum blonde hair was put forward and she began to tie her hair up in a messy bun. She was drenched in sweat with her hair up.
She looked hot.
Immediately, I caught the thought and furrowed my eyebrows. Since Rebecca’s death, I’d veered away from the direction of women. Many liked to believe that I was loyal to my wife ev
en in death but it was mostly because I knew that love was superficial and none of it was real. I thought what I had with Rebecca was real and meant to last a lifetime but she cheated on me and died with her lover.
“Violet adores her.” I jumped in surprise when I heard Mrs. Barrymore’s voice. She had a pitcher of lemonade in a tray with four glasses and she set it down on the patio table. “You’ve been watching them for a while.”
“It’s just nice to see Violet having fun,” I replied casually, pouring myself a glass and her too. It was then that I noticed the plate of brownies sitting on the table too. I grabbed one and devoured it in one bite. With my mouth filled with brownies, I asked, “so I guess you want her to be your replacement?”
Mrs. Barrymore swatted my arm and shook her head at me. “You’re too old to be eating with your mouth full, Milo. Jesus. But yes, I’ve mentioned your promotion to Megan after you called me. The girl must’ve thought about it overnight. It actually came as a surprise but a pleasant one at that.”
I looked at Megan again. By now, I wasn’t sure if she had scored against Violet. “Why does a hairdresser suddenly want to be a nanny?”
It honestly didn’t make sense to me. She had a job and even if I wasn’t sure how much a hairdresser’s salary would be, I was certain that it would be enough for her if she lived alone. But if she came here knowing that we were moving to Chicago and still opting for the job meant that she would have to move with us, then that meant there wasn’t family that held her back.
So why did this stranger- who I thought was all about positivity and being hopeful that your karma could turn around throughout the day- suddenly wanted to apply as my daughter’s new nanny?