Envelope 33
Author's Note: We're jumping ahead soon, but I had to deal (in my own non-direct way) with the 1 yr anniversary of Liz dying. I also had to write a scene that showed the degree of vetting an overprotective dad, tech savvy uncle, and surrogate grandfather would do before allowing anyone to take care of Agnes and Christopher.
SSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Don walked in the back door of his house with Christopher squirming and crying in his hands and Agnes pouting behind him with a tear-streaked face.
"Welcome back!" Aram said as he turned to face them, and his face fell. "What happened?"
"Agnes, head up to your room," Don said sternly before he put Christopher on the ground and he started to toddle away.
Agnes walked up to him and said sadly, "Hi, Uncle Aram."
"Hi sweetie," Aram said as he looked between her and Don.
She walked past him and up the stairs to her room.
"What happened?" Aram asked.
"I had to pull over a few times between here and the airport because Agnes figured out how to undo her seatbelt and thought it was a game," Don said as he secured the baby gate for the basement and walked into the living room to secure the gate for the upstairs. "I was not pleased by the fourth pull over and she through a flying fit."
Aram looked at the angry man in front of him, "You didn't…you don't believe in corporal punishment, do you?"
"What the hell Aram?! No!" Don said adamantly. "But I raised my voice and she's now on time out until I can think of a better punishment. Great way to come back from Disney, huh? Sorry, I'm late. When's the first interview?"
"In ten minutes," Aram said. "Want me to re-schedule? I was expecting to go over their background checks, resumes, and previous work experience with you before…"
"I guess we're winging it," Don said as he watched Christopher playing with his dolls.
Aram heard the back door open and walked to the kitchen to see what was happening.
"We thought we'd help," Kate said as she dropped Agnes' backpack inside the back door and some other bags.
"That's nice, thanks," Aram said, knowing the security detail that had been with them at Disney had witnessed the shitty car ride home, the multiple pull-overs, a child throwing a temper tantrum, and a very angry and frustrated dad.
"It sounds like it was a great week?" Aram asked, knowing his friend had purposefully taken his family away on the first anniversary of Liz's death.
"It was," Don smiled. "The suite was beautiful, my mom hadn't been there since we were kids, and Robby wearing mouse ears seemed to go a long way toward Agnes not being scared of him."
"And you? Did you relax?"
"I did, yeah," Don smiled at his friend. "It was nice sitting on a chair and watching someone else run after Christopher and swim with Agnes for some time everyday. It was nice getting away from work and laundry and cooking and school runs."
"Good," Aram smiled at him. "I think that was Mr. Reddington's plan when he gave you that gift."
"I think so too," Don smiled. "Let me go up and see if Agnes is okay and then we can get this ball rolling."
Don mounted the steps to find her sitting in her room still in her jacket brushing her doll's hair.
"Hey," he said as he walked into her room.
"Hi," Agnes sniffled.
Don went and sat on her bed. "Are you okay munchkin?"
"I'm sorry daddy!" Agnes wailed as she launched herself at him.
"Oh sweetie," he said as he hugged her, and she cried against him. "I can't have you do that ever again, okay?"
He felt her nod against him.
"It's dangerous and I don't ever want anything to happen to you," Don said as his voice cracked. He felt badly about the yelling, but they were at the side of a highway the last time and he needed her to stop thinking it was a game.
"I know," she wailed.
"Okay," Don said. "Do you want to come down and see Uncle Aram and tell him about Disney and show him your bracelet?"
She shook her head in the negative against him.
"A little embarrassed?" Don asked her.
She nodded yes.
"You never have to be embarrassed in front of him, he does embarrassing things all the time," Don said as he pulled back to look at her. "Falls off his bike at least once a week."
Her eyes went wide, in her mind, Uncle Aram was an expert cycler.
"Come on," Don said as he pulled on her hand. "He wants to hear all about it."
He helped Agnes wipe her eyes and blow her nose and walked with her downstairs where Aram was talking with a woman in her 30's.
"Who is she?" Agnes whispered at the top of the stairs.
"We're interviewing people who will pick you and Christopher up from school, remember?" Don asked.
"Oh, yeah," Agnes nodded.
"Tell me who you like after they leave, okay?" Don asked.
Agnes nodded and they went to their first interview.
Five people later, Don, Aram, and Agnes sat around the kitchen table eating shwarma and talked about the interviewees while Christopher swished mashed potatoes between his fingers and some made it to his mouth.
"I liked Kate, she was the first one and she has her first aid and…" Aram said.
Don watched Agnes make a face.
"Not her?" He asked her.
Agnes shook her head in the negative. "We have a Kate."
Don chuckled.
"We do, but we can have two," Don said. "Aren't there two Ethan's and two Claire's in your class?"
Agnes nodded in agreement. "I didn't like her."
"Okay," Don said. He hadn't got a particularly warm feeling from her either, so he was happy to pass on her.
"I wasn't as taken with Laurel," Aram said.
"She seemed serious about childcare," Don said. "Was good with the security information we shared without asking too many questions."
"Yes, but she seemed like a colonel," Aram said.
"Not such a bad thing," Don said under his breath.
"Agnes, what did you think of her?" Aram asked.
Agnes gave them a thumbs down.
"Okay, candidate three…" Aram started.
"Nope," Don said dismissing her entirely.
"Why?" Aram asked.
"She was funny," Agnes said.
"No," Don said simply. In reality, she was perfectly fine, but an incredibly good-looking woman that Don did not want to see in a bathing suit, shorts, or tank top. He didn't need more complications in his life.
"Okay," Aram said, not sure why she was dismissed. "Candidate four, Sheila…"
"I liked her," Agnes said with a smile.
"You did? Why?" Don asked.
"She likes crafts, and she likes to play games," Agnes offered.
"What do we know about her?" Don asked Aram as he picked up her resume.
"BPSS clearance at the Bureau," Aram said. "Works in employee training as an admin assistant. Taking a break from doing her Phd in…."
"Anthropology…did I read that right? Do people still do degrees in that?" Don asked as he looked at her resume.
"Mr. Reddington has had his people tailing her for a week and nothing out of the ordinary," Aram said. "She seems to belong to a knitting group, which I think is pretty cool, but…"
"Did we verify her references?" Don asked.
"Yes, all happy families that have employed her in the summers," Aram said. "She's a little young…"
"Twenty-three?" Don asked.
"Yeah," Aram said.
Don huffed, that was young.
"I like her," Agnes implored them.
Don reached into a bowl of cheerios and put some on Christopher's tray absently. Christopher clapped in delight.
"Any driving infractions? She have her own car?" Don asked, knowing she would be driving his children.
"She does own a car, no driving infractions," Aram said. "It was her grandma's car before she died. It's a 2015 Nissan that has passed it's latest inspection…"
"How'd she get into the Bureau?" Don asked.
"I like her," Agnes said again.
"Her mother works in Payroll," Aram said.
Don nodded.
"She finishes at 4?" Don asked. "Does she ever do overtime?"
"No, it looks like she's out the door at just after four everyday according to her security pass," Aram said as he pulled up a file on his laptop. Every candidate they were interviewing worked for the Bureau in some capacity; it was easier having them in the building with Christopher for pick up, not just anyone could walk into that building and get a child from the daycare.
"Hello?!" Agnes called to them.
Don and Aram looked at her.
"I like her," Agnes said clearly.
Don took a deep breath, it was a big step trusting his children with someone else and, although he was ready for it physically, he was not ready for it mentally.
"We'll give her a try," Don said. Agnes cheered.
"The contract says 4-7 Monday to Friday, with possibility of more hours, as agreed, and five hours on Sunday at…$22.00 an hour with a vetting period of 2 months."
"Okay, I'll give her a call," Don said as he rose from his seat and walked into his living room with his cell phone to his ear.
"What was your favorite part of Disney World?" Aram asked.
"Mickey Mouse pancakes," Agnes said with a toothless smile.
"Good choice," Aram said. "You go on any rides?"
"Lots!" Agnes said.
"Daddy go on rides?"
"We went on a safari and saw lions!" Agnes said excitedly. "And daddy and uncle Robby went on a roller coaster and daddy thew up!"
"He did?" Aram asked.
"Yes, uncle Robby laughed," Agnes giggled.
"You go swimming?"
"Yes!" Agnes yelled.
Aram handed Christopher a sippy cup.
"And did daddy relax?" Aram asked.
"He went away one day and came back with this," Agnes said as she showed Aram her gold bracelet with a mickey charm on it and a couple of others.
"Ohhh," Aram said as he looked at it closely.
It had a charm that said daughter and another that said sister. Aram flipped the charms over and the daughter one had love mommy and daddy engraved on it and the sister one had love Kit engraved on it. Aram was wondering if the day daddy went away was the day Liz had died, if he just needed to be alone.
"It's beautiful," Aram said softly as he looked at the little girl that would grow up without a mother.
"Daddy said seeing me wear it makes him happy," Agnes said absently as she picked out the tomatoes from her salad.
"That's good," Aram said with a nod. "You and Christopher make him very very happy."
"Kit," Agnes said.
"Kit?" Aram asked.
"Mommy said to call him Kit, so we are," Agnes said as if it was a conversation she'd overheard her parents having.
"Oh, okay," Aram said, not sure if he should ask more. "Are you happy you got a vacation?"
"Yes," Agnes said. "Daddy said we can go to the cottage next weekend."
"Wow, the fun just keeps coming!" Aram said.
"It's the last time before the winter," Agnes said sadly.
"But then you get to go back in the spring again," Aram said trying to keep her happy.
"And I get to fish," Agnes said happily.
"Cool," Aram said as he watched Don walk back into the kitchen.
"She starts Monday," Don said, worry caking his happiness.
"Yay!" Agnes cheered before getting up from the table and going to the living room to play with barbies. A move that automatically made Christopher want to get down to play as well. Don wiped him down and picked him out of his high chair and let him lose with his sister.
"So Disney?" Aram asked.
"It was great," Don said. "I'm not sure Kit got much more then the spectacle of it, but Agnes had a blast."
"Kit?" Aram asked.
"Yeah, we've gone with that," Don said, not elaborating.
"Agnes shared her bracelet, it's very sweet," Aram said, waiting for his friend to talk some more.
"I bought it on November 1st," Don admitted. "I thought I could forget the day, but I couldn't. I needed some time, and found myself at a jewellery store…stupid huh?"
"No, it seems like Agnes liked it," Aram said kindly.
"She loves it," Don said. "And it's nice for her to have something from both of us."
Aram nodded.
"How are you doing?" Aram asked.
"I'm okay," Don said honestly. "My life fell apart at this time last year. I feel good about where we are one year later. I think I'll always want Liz, but I have two great kids that are hers, so that's pretty amazing too."
Aram patted him on the arm.
"Thanks for today, for all the background checks and arranging, I owe you big time," Don said. "I'll have to call Reddington too and thank him."
"We're all happy to help," Aram said with a smile.
"Well, thanks, it's really, really appreciated," Don said. "I hope this goes well."
"I think it will," Aram said as he reached for his bike helmet.
"Hey, we're going up to the cottage next weekend," Don said. "You are welcome to join us, and I'm happy to drive you, but it takes a lot longer and is a lot louder with two kids, so it's your choice, if you can come."
"I'd love to," Aram smiled at his friend.
"If you drive with me, you can tell me all about Bianca," Don smiled at Aram. "The PG version at least."
Aram laughed and nodded. "I think I can PG it for little ears."
"And then you can tell me the NC-17 version after they go to bed," Don joked.
Aram laughed with his friend and nodded.
Later that night, Don helped Agnes take off her special bracelet and put it in Liz's jewellery box that they'd brought with them from Georgia.
Don looked at the knick knacks in the box and saw some macaroni necklaces Agnes had made Liz when she was younger, Liz's engagement ring and wedding band from Tom, a couple of necklaces she liked to wear, some earrings, and one cufflink. He hadn't noticed it earlier when he glanced at the contents before he put it in Agnes' room.
Don picked up the cufflink and smiled. It was his, his cufflink that went missing from a time they were working a case at an Embassy and he had to wear a tux. She had stripped the tux off him later that night, and when he went to return it the next morning, one cufflink was missing, he got charged $20. The whole time it was here; she had it. She always had something that reminded her of him with her.
To be continued….