Father Of My Child... Mr Hollywood

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

I follow after Mrs Ainsworth as she darts through the hall to the lift carrying a still Emma. She must be tired not be twisting and turning but then Mrs Ainsworth's movements do not give her chance to. As we wait for the lift to come, I look towards Alyssa's room wondering what she could have done –

"She is supposed to be at school." She speaks. My gaze leaves the shape of Alyssa's door and falls on Mrs Ainsworth. She has finally released Emma's head and stares at the opening lift as if it is a mouth ready to devour her. I step forward into the lift to alert her that we should be going and she follows still in a haze. As soon as the lift closes, I turn to her but I say nothing. Her face is so pale she almost looks translucent and she's trembling.

Once the lift opens into the hall, I wait for her to step out but she doesn't – I guess seeing Alyssa today has gripped her into this state of stillness.

"Are you alright Mrs Ainsworth?"

She jumps slightly and looks at me with the eyes of a stranger.

"Yes dear." She places Emma onto her feet and holds her pale hands together. "It looked like you had f- finished with Alyssa's room you can go now-." She utters and yet she hadn't stayed there long enough to inspect what I had done. With her left hand, she pinches the bridge of her nose and with her right dabs her forehead with a handkerchief she retrieves from her skirt pocket.

"Are you sure – I can stay-"

"No." she almost barks and it startles me. "I have to have a word with Alyssa."

I do not insist anymore since she seems taken by something and I am bright enough to know when I am not needed somewhere.

"Okay Mrs Ainsworth." I say a little too cheerfully as I step out of the lift holding Emma's hand, "I will see you tomorrow then."

"I – I t-think it will be best if you didn't come in tomorrow."

It takes a while for her words to settle into my brain and when they do my mouth drops.

"Mrs Ainsworth." I say but she's gone. I want to ask if I have done something wrong but I do not get the chance to and I would go upstairs but I get the feeling that she doesn't want me there. I look down at a silent Emma who just watches.

"Emma?" I call. I know it is a little peculiar to ask a three year old but it is all I have. "Is Mrs Ainsworth okay?" Even as I ask this question I feel silly but it would have been stranger to ask if her new found carer seemed odd to her.

"Yes mummy?" she furrows her eyebrows confused – I shouldn't have asked.

"It's alright honey." I smile. "Did you have fun today?" I question feeling the guilt of not asking over the lunch hour since I am always busy packing my face.

"I did." She nods. "But I got a tummy ache after lunch." She crunches her nose before giving me a smile. "I am better now... nana gave me mecicine."

"Medicine?"

"Yes mecicine." She repeats, clearly not understanding my correction. I should feel a certain way about Mrs Ainsworth dealing with her stomach ache and not informing me but I am only glad that I did not have to deal with such an anxiety.

"What else did you do?" I question taking my bag over my shoulder.

"Uh... I learnded how to mix colours and hmmm." She points her finger at her cheek, a sign that she is thinking hard at what she is to say next. Mrs Ainsworth has also been in charge of her education refusing to use the learning programme I'm paying for so that Emma doesn't lag behind. Her teaching centres on Alyssa's old books and I'm appreciative that Emma doesn't have to stare at a screen all day in order to learn.