Family of two

15 - New Beginnings

Tara's POV

It was midafternoon and the daycare was bussing. Tara loved her job here and couldn't picture herself working somewhere more typical dauntless like fence guarding or the tattoo parlor. Out of her peripheral vision she caught sight of an adult in the room, his huge form clearly sticking out and looking up she could see it was their youngest leader.

'What could he possibly want here?' She wondered walking over.

"Eric, what can I do for you?"

"Are you Tara?" Eric asked in is usual stern tone.

"Yes, that's me. I'm also in charge here." He knew her name? She never thought he would bother himself with learning names of people like her. People who had jobs that weren't very dauntless, that is. She always assumed he would feel far too superior for that.

"Good. I want to get my child enrolled."

'What? Did he just say he want to enroll his child?' She felt flabbergasted until it hit her. Eric had made a joke. Who'd ever know their ruthless leader had such a deadpan humor?'

Tara laughed out loud.

"I never knew you were one to joke around." Still laughing she added: "Seriously now, what do you want?"

"I want to get my son enrolled in daycare." Eric glared at her.

Tara sobered up.

'He was serious. But Eric didn't have a child. Or did he? Now she remembered a rumor she heard some time ago. Someone told a story of someone else who had claimed she saw Eric with a child. They all had laughed at that. But the story went even further apparently Eric had carried the child while it had buried his head into his shoulder. They had laughed even harder. As if Eric would ever show that amount of affection. After this first rumor there had been others. One time he had just been walking the corridors with a kid and some even claimed he had been seen at the playground. But apparently those rumors had been true. A part of it that is, for she still believed Eric would never show that amount of affection to anyone.

"Wait, those rumors are true?" She blurted out much to her embarrassment. 'Way to go, Tara.'

Now Eric looked truly incensed.

In an acerbic and iced tone Eric replied: "I don't know which rumors you are talking about, as I am well aware there are plenty."

Tara could hear he was slightly bitter.

"I'm sorry, Eric." Tare apologized.

His eyes bored into hers searchingly. Apparently he found what he was looking for, since he gave her a short nod to indicate her apology was accepted.

Feeling relieved she tried to stay on his good side: "Come with me so we can fill out the forms. I need his age, name and a way to contact you in case something happens."

At the last point he looked at her sharp.

"I mean if he gets sick or something like that."

Eric nodded. "His name is Ted. Ted Coulter."

'So it really was his child.' The last doubts of who this mysterious child might be leaving her mind.

Eric continued with his information: "He is three and a half. If you need to contact me just call the leaders office. If I'm not there they will know how to contact me."

Finishing the form Tara handed it over to him.

"Anything else, we need to know? Allergies or something?"