Page 43 of Dark Endures

“Well then, I’ll see you in seven days, and we’ll talk.”

Day 1

Everett storms into my office. “You sent me to a stupid daycare center.”

Everyone turns to face him.

The mottled cherry color of his face should be concerning. “Guys, can you give us a second?”

They all nod.

“Can I whap him upside the head?” Pit stops in front of Everett. “Just once?”

He’s just grumpy because Brie has been throwing up all day from one of her weird pregnancy cravings, and she kicked him out because he was hovering. “Maybe next time.”

Pit growls at him, then walks out, closing the door behind him.

“What’s with that?” Everett turns back to me.

“His wife is pregnant.”

“Ohhh.”

Sympathy, in cases like this, must be a reflex reaction. “What do you need, Everett?”

He shakes his head. “Why did you send me to a daycare center?”

“You tell me.”

“Huh?”

“This is your lesson, not mine. Why did I send you there?”

He just stares at me.

“I’ll see you in six days.”

“That’s it. You aren’t going to explain anything to me?”

“Nope.”

“You’re crazy, old man.”

Most men are too afraid to tell me that to my face. “Goodbye. Everett.”

Day 2

Everett stomps into the room again. “All they do is eat, scream, and poop.”

Don’t laugh.

Whatever you do, don’t laugh in the kid’s face. “Really?”

He stalks across my office to the venomous wall. “Mostly. At least the little little ones. But the others don’t do much more. Why did you send me to watch kids scream and poop? It makes no sense.”

I can’t fight the smile.

“You think this is funny? It’s not funny. I have a headache. And every hour it gets worse. Why did you send me there?”

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