"Bye Alison I'll see you Monday. Don't forget to show your Mom how well you write your name!" She smiled at both the little girl and the mother who looked very eager to go home and take a nap.
"I won't! Bye Miss Aubrey!"
She waved and went back inside of the daycare. As the owner of one of the two daycares in Charming she was a very busy woman. A total of twelve kids and three employees kept her on her toes and left her exhausted at the end of the day. It was hard but she wouldn't have it any other way. She looked at the two remaining kids who played quietly on the floor and the one younger employee Caitlyn who was jumping to get out of work. Aubrey vaguely recalled her mentioning she had a date later. Aubrey smiled, dating. She hadn't dated in over ten years. After her husband died she had moved away from their small town and opened this daycare.
"Why don't you head out Caitlyn?"
Caitlyn's face lit up, "You sure? I can stay if it's too much."
Aubrey waved her hand, "These two are angels. You go. Their mom called and said she was having car trouble so she'll be late. You head out. I'll see you Monday morning."
Caitlyn thanked her over and over as she gathered her things and headed out. Aubrey sighed and looked at the twin three year olds playing with race cars and motorcycles, "Your mom is having a bit of car trouble guys. She should be here soon. Would you two like a snack?"
They both nodded and quietly put the toys away before sitting at their table. Andy shook her head; those were some well behaved kids. She'd been working with kids for thirteen years and it was very rare to see kids like that now a days. When their parents had first showed up and put in an application for the twins she had been slightly worried. Twins could be a handful and their father…had a reputation. But it was definitely a case of never judge a book by its cover. Sadly she had lost a few clients. Not all people were as accepting as she was.
She poured two glasses of apple juice and gave each a handful of crackers before settling next to them with some paperwork.
"What's all that paper for Miss Aubrey?" asked a tiny voice.
"These are report cards I'm going to send home to everyone's parents. See? This one if for you Paxton and this one is for you Addison." She smiled and showed each child the slip of paper.
Addison looked at her paper carefully, "Are you going to tell my Daddy I didn't share my doll this morning?"
Aubrey smiled, she was clever, "Well, I think we talked about sharing enough that I don't need to mention it to your Dad but it's something you have to practice ok?" Addison nodded and gave her brother her juice.
"Miss Aubrey, what do you on the weekend? Do you stay in the daycare?" asked Paxton.
Aubrey chuckled, "Well let's see, I go to the library and to the park. I go to the store to buy food for the daycare. I visit my parents sometimes but no I don't live in the daycare."
"Told you!" said Addison excitedly, "Nobody lives in a daycare."
Paxton looked sheepish, "Well she's always here."
"Well I own the daycare sweetheart I have to be here a lot but I do have a house right down the street."
The sound of a car parking outside and a door closing a few seconds later made her jump, "Alright guys! It sounds like your Mom is here. Grab your coats and bags."
The door opened and in stepped Paxton and Addison's mother.
"I am so so sorry that I am late."
Aubrey smiled, "It's no problem Mrs. Lowman. They were fantastic as always."
Both kids rushed over to their mother and hugged her tight. It was a chorus of I missed you and other small details of what the kids did during the day.
"I'll be sending the report cards home Monday with field trip slip. If you're free we're looking for volunteers to help chaperone."
"I would love to! I'll make sure to request the day off of work. Did the kids give you the invitation?"
"Yes they did, I'd be more than happy to go their party. Is there anything I should bring?"
Mrs. Lowman shook her head, "Nope, just you and your appetite. These two have a lot of family who likes to cook."
"Fantastic. I'll see you then."
They all waved and said goodbye leaving Aubrey alone with a very quiet daycare to clean. She sighed and picked up the leftover bits of their snacks. It was the quiet times like this that she both loved and hated. She could think when it was quiet, but then again sometimes she thought too much.
She checked her watch and bit back a curse. She needed to run to the store for her dinner tonight and pick up birthday gifts for the twins. She made a mental checklist of the leftover things to clean and promised herself she would be back tomorrow night to finish up.
Grabbing her keys and jacket she stepped out of the daycare and locked the door behind her. She had just enough time to run to the store if she left now. She would get Paxton a book about motorcycles, he loved to read. And she would get Addison a new coloring book, she was always coloring. Content that she had made good choices for both kids she walked to her car quickly and got in. The sooner she got shopping done the sooner she could eat and go to bed.