Ronit
I woke up in the morning to my alarm, the gentle notes quietly teasing my eyes open. The mornings were darker now; winter had arrived. Soon it would be Christmas, my first Christmas in England for many years. My first Christmas with Esti; I knew already that I had to make it special, but what could I do? Perhaps I could book Paris...
Esti stirred next to me, slowly waking herself. We had a routine on these cold mornings, I can't remember when it had started but it involved either me pressing my chest against her back, or her pressing her chest against my back; holding each other for ten or so minutes before getting up.
'I never want to leave this bed.' Esti had whispered one morning; my arms had been around her, my face buried in her sweet smelling hair.
'But who would make my breakfast?'
She had dug me, rightly so, in the ribs with her elbow.
This morning was sluggish, neither of us really eager to start the day; it was always like that on Mondays. I had a long, cold day ahead of me in Brighton, fortunately I didn't need to leave until later in the morning. I received an email from Lucas the receptionist around midnight explaining I would be picked up by a chauffeur mid-morning. I'd read it just after my shower; I immediately offered to help take Daniel to nursery and accompany Esti to school.
'That would be lovely.' Esti yawned. 'But you don't have to walk me all the way to school.'
'No, I'd like to. I don't know what time I'll be back tonight.'
'Okay.' She'd smiled. 'If you're sure.'
The sky didn't brighten until we were leaving the house, when the navy transformed into dusky blue. Esti had wrapped Daniel in a thick coat, a thicker hat and mittens; he looked like a puffy barrel waddling to nursery.
'Is Ronit coming to nursery?' Daniel asked Esti as we all walked together.
'Why don't you ask Ronit?' She said, sniffing slightly as though she were getting a cold.
'Ronit, are you coming to nursery?' Daniel craned his neck to look up at me, almost tripping over a crack in the pavement.
'Unfortunately, I'm too big to be allowed in.'
'Oh.'
'But I will go all the way to the door, and wave goodbye to you as you go in.'
'Okay.'
'Is that okay?'
'Yep.'
'Good.'
I did exactly that when we got there. Esti signed him in with an electronic pass, hugged and kissed him goodbye, and told him and the nursery attendant she'd be back to pick him up later, but he had already run off. Ripping his coat off and throwing his backpack down and diving into the ball pit.
'That nursery is so extravagant.' Esti said as we walked the short distance to her school.
'Only the best for you both.'
'Are you sure you want to keep paying for it? We can find another one, I just feel so-'
'Esti, it's fine. As long as he's enjoying it, and you're happy with it.'
'But it must be so expensiv-'
'I've told you not to worry about that.'
'I can't help it.' She said, I felt her gloved fingers weaving in between my bare ones.
'Well try not to, won't you? Let me worry about money. You worry about keeping him clean, fed and healthy... all of the practical stuff.'
Esti smiled. 'Thank you.' She said, humbly.
