chapter 175

Thaddeus Magic was in my system still and hadn't subsided, yet I did manage to sleep only to

be awoken by a tiny body climbing over me and sitting half on me and half on her father. Opening

my eyes I find Mara had climbed out of her cot, I don’t remember Orion coming back but it was

obvious he had because here she was trying to pry her father's eyelids open with her tiny fingers.

Thaddeus rolls at her actions.

Mara jumps up and down her bottom hitting my hip as she excitedly tries to wake him. “Dad

shower, shower” She squeals, prying his eyelid open and gazing in his eyeball. He smiles half asleep.

“Ask mumma poppit” He tells her as she continues forcing his lids open. I laugh as she then

rolls over me doing the same to Ryland trying to wake him but he was snoring loudly, dead to the

world until she stuck her finger up his nose making him jump and his eyes fly open.

“Shower” She demands her bottom lip jutting out. I sit up climbing over Ryland.

“Have one with mum, she is up” He says yawning brushing her curls from her face. I walk into

the bathroom hearing the racing pitter patter of her feet. Turning the shower on, I strip my pyjamas

off adjusting the taps and waiting for the water to heat up. Mara comes racing in with her clothes

stripped running in with an armful of toys.

“Do you really need all those toys?” I ask her, looking at the death contraptions she wants to

bring in to shower. She pouts looking up at me and I hold the shower door open for her.

“At least leave this one out, it has batteries” I tell her when she tries to bring her robotic dog

that aunty Amara got her. I take it from her placing it on the bench as she arranges her toys in a

booby trap for me to step on. I wash her little body of chubby rolls with soap while she plays before

washing myself. Halfway through my shower a panicked Orion races in before sighing realising she

was in the shower with me.

“I told you to wait,” He tells her as she gazes up at him.

“You know she thinks she needs to shower with everyone,” I tell him. Usually as soon as she

hears water running, no matter how sneaky you are trying to have a shower by yourself, she will run

in with her towel and naked demanding to hop in with whoever is showering, sometimes it can be

frustrating especially when you are trying to shave and have to walk out with half a shaved minge or

leg. Orion leans on the basin, he looks tired considering he doesn't sleep.

“You sorted everything with Thaddeus” he asks. I nod and feel his relief through the bond.

“Where did you go last night?”

“Inside didn’t want her to wake up and be scarred for life with the images of her fathers and

mother in bed” He says chuckling.

“Yeah, we need to find a place soon,” I tell him.

“If you can take her today, I will go find something” He says and I nod.

“You want to come to work with mummy and nanny?” I ask her. She nods.

“Well then you need to let me wash your hair” I tell her.

“Goodluck with that” Orion says walking out knowing washing her hair is like performing an

exorcism. Today is no different she screams bloody murder as soon as the shampoo touched her

head and I had to pin the writhing child beast to wash it out. Her screaming forced Ryland and

Thaddeus up as I tried to wash the soap from her head.

“Why all these tears?” Ryland comes in, staring down at her now drenched hair still with

bubbles in it.

“It burns” She says,

“Well if you would let me wash it out it won't get in your eyes” I tell her, grabbing the shower

head off and trying to wash it out again while Ryland distracts her by pressing his face against the

glass.

Once we are both showered we hop out and I wrap her towel around her. Thaddeus was

getting dressed pulling his shirt on as we walked out. He raises an eyebrow at his daughter for her

screaming meltdown in the shower.

“Where are you going?” I ask him, seeing him all dressed up.

“Council, been asked to come in”

“I need to go in to work but I am taking Mara while Orion house hunts”

“Did you still want to go home?” He asks and I nod.

“Well when you finish ring me, I will come grab you” He says and Ryland clears his throat loudly

grabbing our attention.

“What's this talk of going home?” He asks while dressing Mara while I get changed.

“We are going to see if we can find anything” I tell him buttoning up my blouse.

“That is going to be an issue” He states and I hear his worry smash into me. Thaddeus looks

over at him. “Why is that an issue?” He asks him.

“Because the place was bulldozed yesterday, there is nothing left”

“What?” I ask burning anger bubbling within me.

“Evelyn, Mara!” Thaddeus warns as he feels my temper rise. I press my lips in a line biting back

the profanities I wanted to scream at him.

“I told you I would clean it up” Ryland tells Thaddeus.

“Yeah but I didn't think immediately, I thought like a week or so”

“Great, fucking great Ryland” I tell him and Thaddeus glares at me swearing.

“If you're going to argue, do it outside, not in front of her” Thaddeus says glaring at both of us.

I pick up Mara grabbing her shoes before storming out of the little studio toward the main

house. Imogen steps out dressed for work.

“So you coming in again?” She asks and I nod handing Mara off to her.

“What's wrong?” She asks.

“Nothing, everything is fine" I tell her.

“That new girl we hired won't be in today” Imogen says, making me look at her.

“Why?” I ask, she had only just started just before I left on maternity leave.

“Stealing from the til, I fired her that's why I am coming in today” I nod, great now I need to

find another person.

Getting to work Imogen and I set to work while Mara draws behind the counter watching

everyone. We were completely run off our feet, the day filled with commuters and workers from the

main street. Towards the end of the day just as we are closing a woman walks in around her mid

twenties. I smile at her as she enters walking to the counter. Mara watched her with a strange look

on her face that I hadn't seen before. She put down her pencil to openly stare at the woman.

“Hi what can I get you?” I asked her, hoping it wasn't a big order seeing as we were about to

close.

Imogen comes out wiping over the last few tables and clearing them.

“Oh nothing, I saw in the window you're looking for a kitchen hand?” She says holding out her

hand for me to shake. Imogen stops looking her over.

“Can you pass a criminal check?” Imogen asks now paranoid. The girl nods holding her hand

out to Imogen. Imogen shakes her hand gently. “I'm Laura” She introduces herself before handing

her resume to Imogen who quickly reads it. “We do need someone desperately” Imogen says under

her breath so low I could only hear.

“Can you start tomorrow?” Imogen asks her. The girl nods eagerly.

“Be here at 7" I tell her and she agrees before giving us her contact information before leaving.

“Her resume is impressive. I wonder why she wants to work here” Imogen says.

“Resumes could be faked, do your checks and we will see if she shows up tomorrow” I tell her

and Imogen nods in agreement. Mara however runs over to the window peering out looking at the

woman, I thought her behaviour strange, she doesn't usually show such a keen interest in customers

and something about the way Mara watched her, had me on edge.

“What's wrong?” I ask her, turning the closed sign on the door before scooping her up and

walking back out the back with her.

Mara shakes her head but I could feel her looking over my shoulder out the front of the store

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