His next sentence is even more shocking:Sorry, Elinor. We no longer require your services. You need to give notice to the Harrisons. As of next Friday, your assignment with them is over.
CHAPTER 76
WITH A MILLION THOUGHTS buzzing through my mind, I head back to the Harrisons’.
“I didn’t expect you home till later,” Amber says.
How can I tell her that I just learned my days here are numbered?
“But I’m glad you’re back.” She’s holding Lily in her arms, and she’s clearly distressed. She starts to babble. I’m only half listening. “Lily has been a little out of sorts today and I don’t know what it is.”
Sorry, Elinor…
“I brought her to Tumblestiltskin after you left and she seemed fine there, but I guess she might have picked up a bug or something—”
Our little experiment…
“I mean, I know that happens to little ones when they’re around a lot of other kids. And she looks pale, and she hasn’t wanted to eat either—”
… is not getting us the results we were hoping for…
“Not even raspberries. And you know how she loves raspberries, but today she just pushed them away. And she didn’t want her bottle—”
We no longer require your services…
“So maybe you could take a look at her?”
She hands Lily to me. She’s right. Lily does look pale.
As of next Friday…
Then Lily throws up on me. I start to cry.
“Oh, no! Carol, I’m so sorry!” Amber says. She thinks I’m upset about the vomit on my skirt, my shoes. If she only knew.
She rushes off and comes back with several wet paper towels. “Don’t worry. I’ve got a great dry cleaner,” she says as she tries to wipe away the vomit. “We can drop this off tomorrow.”
“It’s fine,” I say.
I hug Lily close. But I can’t stop crying. Could it be that I’ll never see her again after next week? That I won’t be around when she remembers how to sayCa?
“I’m so sorry this happened,” Amber says. “Especially on your day off.”
My day off. Pretty soon I’ll have my whole life off.
I need to think about all this.
“Would it be okay if I disappear for a while again once I put Lily to bed?” I ask.
“Of course,” Amber says. “I’ll watch her while you take a shower.”
So I do. I change into clean clothes.
Then get back in my car and start to drive.
CHAPTER 77
AS A KID, I HATED going to the beach. The sand was itchy. The water was cold. And my fair skin would always burn instead of tan.
