The table was set as she climbed into the warmth of her house, closing the window after her. Arcadia immediately greeted her, hugging her around her waist. Dara patted her little sister on the back before she headed to where her father was sitting.
As she reached the place in front of her father's chair, she waited to be acknowledged. "Come sweets, let your poor father know. Have you found a job?" At his words, her smile crept across her face, her eyes twinkling in the low lighting. He smiled and chuckled, extending his arms out to envelope her in a hug. After a few moment's silence, he let go of her, smiling as a proud father would. "I always knew I had a good daughter on me hands."
She smiled, before swiftly placing a kiss on his cheek. "Now, tell me, what is this job you've found?" She grabbed some plates from the cabinet to set on the table before looking over to him.
"I've gotten a job at the Newsboys Lodging House. I'll be working the front desk, cleaning, checking them in and out, all that. The man is sick, so I figured I could do this until he's better, than find another job." She smiled contently as her sister began to carefully set the glasses with the plates. "Where's ma?"
Her father smiled and stood up to help his two children. "She's at the cloth store, buying some fabric for a new dress for Arcadia. Seems she's torn her good Sunday one." Arcadia blushed lightly before running off to her joined room that she shared with her sister. Dara laughed.
That night, as Dara helped her mother wash the dishes from that night's dinner, her mother cast a glance at her. "So, what's this I hear about you getting a job?" Dara smiled as she set the now dry plate in the correct cabinet.
"Da said it would be alright if I worked until he got his strength back." She set another plate down in the cabinet, next to the others, and accepted another from her mother.
"Well, I'm very proud of you Dara. And at a Newsboys Lodging House?" Dara nodded, smiling at her mom. Her mom wrapped her in a one-armed hug before going back to cleaning.
"Sweets, can you come here a moment?" her father called from her shared room with Arcadia. She looked at her mother, who motioned her to go, before setting the towel down and walking in to the room.
"Yes da?" she asked, fixing her hair a bit. Arcadia beamed up at her as Dara took a place in front of her father.
"Sweets, I need you to do me a favor. You know with your mother expecting soon, she can't be at work much longer." She nodded, finally sitting down on the bed next to her little sister. Arcadia attached herself to Dara's waist, her eyes still locked on her father. "But, since we'll need all the money we can get, we need another worker." He looked fondly at Arcadia. "That's why I need you to find Arcs here a job."
You looked at Arcadia, noticing her rather large smile. Dara smiled back, then nodded. "I can find her the best job. That is, if she doesn't mind working with boys."
A/N: Sorry it took so long to get another one up and for it being so short! I'm slowly working on posting more of my other stories as well, then I plan to work harder to get them all finished, since I'd like to start on a book I want to write. Thanks for being patient!
--renee--