TENET: 30
Don't take or post photos of kids.
- Dr. H. VynFleet, 132 Tenets of Childcare & Maintenance
APRIL
April and Bo boarded the elevator the next afternoon. And April let Bo swipe her bracelet to send it to the lobby.
Bo was practically quivering with excitement, and April had to admit that she was feeling a little bit of it herself.
She hadn’t wanted to say so to Khall, but she had never been to a zoo before, and she was delighted to have the chance. She had spent half the night looking up maps and descriptions on her glass so she could be sure to plan the perfect day for Bo.
Once she had finished being shocked, that is.
In April’s experience, men like Khall Rivvor didn’t apologize. Let alone apologize and then do something thoughtful to show they meant it. She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it all morning, even though she had kept Bo busy doing quiet routine things.
After reading about the zoo, she was pretty sure they wouldn’t have bread and jam for lunch at the cafeteria there. And besides, they had a membership so they could go again another day. The most important thing was to ensure that Bo had fun. And in April’s opinion that meant a quiet morning on her routine and a good lunch leading into it.
So far, her plan had worked. Bo hadn’t given in to frustration once today, even when she ran out of starflower jam, her new second favorite.
“Can we get more?” she had asked April worriedly.
“Of course,” April told her. “We’ll probably go to the store again tomorrow.”
“Okay,” Bo had said agreeably and gone on with her lunch without missing a beat.
Now they were warmly dressed, with full bellies, ready to have an adventure.
The elevator doors opened to the lobby and April took Bo’s hand before they stepped out onto the polished stone floor.
“Mrs. Ginger,” Bo shouted across the lobby. “We’re going to the zoo!”
Sure enough, their new friend from yesterday was sitting on a bench in the lobby.
“Oh, how lovely to see you both,” the older woman declared. “And I’m so glad you’re here. My nephew is just stopping by to drop off something for me. Would you like to stay and meet him?”
“Is he a little boy?” Bo asked.
“Well, now, he was a little boy,” Mrs. Ginger said, with a twinkle in her eyes. “But now he’s grown up a bit. I thought he might especially like to meet your Miss April.”
April didn’t like the sound of that.
But before she could make her exit, the outside doors to the lobby opened and a tall Vystian man with blue tentacles and a camera around his neck strode in, holding out a bouquet of flowers.
“Hello, Aunty Ginger,” he said, smiling at her. “I see I’m not the only one to stop by to see you today.”
“Oh, Zyr, thank you,” Mrs. Ginger said, her pink tentacles wiggling with delight as she took the flowers.
They were swan flowers, white with beautiful black centers that sniffed at the air for moisture.
“I’d better get them into water,” Mrs. Ginger said. “I hate to see them thirsty. Would you like to chat with my friend, Bo, and her nanny, April? They were just heading to the zoo.”
“It’s very nice to meet you, ladies,” he said. “I’m Zyr Toxfylt.”
He gave a little bow, while holding his camera out safely from his chest.
“It’s very nice to meet you,” April said.