TENET: 74
Get to know your charges. Each one has something to teach you, and something unique they need from you.
- Dr. H. VynFleet, 132 Tenets of Childcare & Maintenance
APRIL
April watched as Bo scrolled through the beautiful pictures on her holo-reader.
After a busy day of building, shopping, eating and walking in the park, Bo was happy to curl up with a book for some quiet time.
And April was glad she had been able to make that happen. Bo’s quiet time should last just long enough for her to spend a few minutes with Minerva right after she got off the airbus.
The instructors had advised the nannies in training that right after school or activities was the best time to spend with teens and pre-teens. Moments of transition often got teens talking, even if their usual mode was to shut out parents and caregivers.
The airship hovered outside the balcony, looking somehow too big, like the image of something massive distorted under water.
April had to look away when Minerva came tripping out of the craft and onto the balcony. She knew realistically that the driver would never let a child fall, but the idea was so horrifying that she couldn’t bear to look.
Minerva alighted unharmed and strode inside, lugging a canvas bag that looked big enough to have a body in it.
“Hey Bo,” she said.
“Hi,” Bo said, looking up hopefully from her pictures.
“How was your day?” April asked.
“Fine,” Minerva said, striding past. “But I’ve got a ton of homework.”
And just like that, Minerva was disappearing into her room, and politely but firmly closing the door behind her.
“Wow,” April said.
She’d thought it might be tough to draw the girl out, but it had never occurred to her that she would be shut down so completely right out of the gate.
“Hey, Bo,” she said. “Does Minerva normally go right to her room?”
“Yes,” Bo said, swiping past another picture.
“So, it’s not because of me?” she asked.
“Why would it be because of you?” Bo stopped looking at her picture book and studied April curiously.
“Oh, because I’m a new person in the house,” April said.
“No, she likes it in her room,” Bo said.
“Is her room really cool?” April asked. “I haven’t seen it.”
“Oh yeah, it’s really cool,” Bo said, hopping up. “I’ll show you.”
“Well, she might not want us to interrupt her homework,” April said. “Unless…”
“What?” Bo demanded.
“Well,” April said thoughtfully. “I remember coming home from school when I was a teenager. I was always ravenous. Maybe if we brought her a snack, she would be glad to see us?”
“My new jam,” Bo breathed.