Surprised Ever After

Ch. 17: Saturday Bliss

Ashton

Char has always been an open book to me since her expressions and gestures tend to give away her emotions. Unlike me, she's comfortable with people knowing what she feels, even when she's not ready to receive reactions from others.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a mind reader. I don't always know what's going on inside her head, but it's not hard to tell when she's happy or sad or if something is bothering her. And she seems distraught lately.

Since our food truck surprise date a few days ago, she's been acting weird. She's more distracted and gets lost in her thoughts, even though she's engaged in a talk. I suspect it's because of the talk about my mother. The topic always bothers her, given how often she's thrown the idea of fixing my relationship with my mother, like a broken record she is. But I know my mother more than she does, and I know Danielle Knight is irreparable. Maybe it'll take Char a little longer to see it.

However, besides my girlfriend's mood shift, the date night has triggered another reaction from our daughter. Chloe hasn't been a happy camper since she heard about the food truck festival, and she makes sure I'm aware of it every single morning.

"I still can't believe you two got to visit the food truck festival without me. I was home and available and alone with my phone." Her teenage face scowls at me, not at Char, because she knows I was the one who initiated the surprise date.

"You weren't alone. The sitter was here. Who's her name again? Rudolf was also here," I say as I take a big gulp of my fresh orange juice. Char makes more homemade juice during this time of the year. She said it has something to do with the fruit availability and the level of sweetness during summer.

"Domina," Chloe replies. "And she didn't talk. She just sat there and read her book. Rudolf was in his room. So, I had no actual company."

Such a dramatic kid. I've known Chloe as a critical and smart kid since the day she entered my office for the first time. Char brought her to work because nobody could watch her. Lately, though, Chloe's become a complainer and is a little edgy sometimes. At least, according to the children's development book I read, it's a normal occurrence for a kiddo at her age.

"We were home pretty early. It wasn't even nine yet," I say.

So frowns at her cereal bowl. "So, why did I still get a sitter?"

I raise an eyebrow. "Because you're not yet eleven."

"And?"

"You still need an adult presence when your parents aren't around."

She gives me a deadpan look. "Rudolf was here."

"True, but that's different."

"How's that different?"

"His job isn't to monitor you, and he doesn't live in our main house." I point at the window, which overlooks the swimming pool and the sauna room. "Rudolf lives there."

Our butler has been with us since last spring, but instead of occupying the room next to the kitchen area, he prefers to take the garden house next to the sauna room. It's practically a room, but big enough to put extra furniture besides his bed and the wardrobe. It also has access to the sauna's bathroom. It reminds me that we need to install extra insulation for the cold days if he stays longer with us.

"Actually, we can install CCTV for every room if you want to monitor me. We don't need to hire a human camera for that. I'm not a baby," Chloe keeps pushing.

"Not saying you are. It's just for safety reasons."

"What Ashton means is," Char chips in as she places Chloe's lunch box on the breakfast counter, "if something happened, and Rudolf didn't find you in time, at least the sitter would know what to do because she's the adult. It's something the CCTV can't do. Plus, I'm not a fan of having CCTV all over the house."