While the maintenance workers cleaned up the ink, I stood at my window and watched Josie walk to her tiny house. She could not stay here. I would have to fire her. She was the worst assistant in the world.
I shook my head. I couldn't keep wasting time on Josie. I was behind schedule. I sat back down at my desk to go through my notes for the big address to the company that I made every quarter. It was in a few days, and I wanted to have everything prepared.
I barely made it through the first page when a little voice shrieked, "Mace!"
"Hi, Henry. How was your first day?"
"Terrible," my little brother declared.
Donna, one of the daycare workers, came in behind Henry and handed me a slip of paper.
"This is his report card," she said.
I scanned it. "Henry, you got Ds and Fs on everything! This says you don't play nicely with others, that you bit someone,andstole a toy that someone else was playing with." I looked down at him. "You can't do that."
My brother ignored me and stomped around the room, pretending to be a T. rex.
"Listen, Mr. Svensson," Donna began.
"Mace is fine."
She pursed her lips. "I know you own the company and pay for the daycare but—" She clamped her mouth shut.
"You can tell me the truth," I said, setting down the report card.
"Henry needs more individualized attention than I think we can give him," she said carefully.
I sighed. "He had a bad childhood."
"I know about your situation."
"He's younger than any of the other kids who are shipped to us," I explained.
Donna's expression was carefully neutral.
"Can you bear with him for a little longer?" I pleaded. "Give him another chance. Please?" It was not in my schedule to find Henry his own private nanny, and he was too young for school. If the daycare thatI ownedwanted to kick him out after only one day, I was positive no other daycare in town would take him.
"We'll try, but be aware, Henry is on probation. If there is another incident, we will have to kick him out. It's a liability issue," Donna warned me. "The lawyers will back me up."
"I understand. I'll talk to him about it. Thank you."
"I think—" She sighed before she left my office. "I think he needs to spend more time with you and your brothers. This is a big change for him. He needs some assurance that his world isn't going to fall apart again."
Henry waved goodbye to Donna as she left then ran to plaster himself against my leg. I needed to work on my presentation, but Henry wasn't having it. He complained he was hungry but wouldn't eat any of the seaweed crackers or drink the VitaMeal smoothie.
"I want pizza!" Henry whined.
"Have you ever even eaten pizza?" I asked him. They hadn't served it on the compound when I lived there.
"Yes! On the train!" he said, nodding. "It was tasty!"
Archer waltzed in, Greg following behind, the ever-present look of annoyance at the world in general on his face.
"Henry!" Archer yelled.
"We're heading back to New York City," Greg said as Archer picked up Henry and tossed him up and down. Henry shrieked in glee.
"Can't you stay and babysit him?" I begged.
