Page 23 of Watching Henry

Emily nodded.

“Well, let's find Hadley to take you,” said Florence looking around again and not seeing the blonde. Honestly, what was the point in even bringing her along when she upped and disappeared?

“But,” started Emily again and she stopped.

“But what?” Florence snapped.

“But that's why I'm here,” Emily finally said, the words tumbling out of her mouth. “Hadley said to come and find you because Charlie ate too much ice cream and he went green and then sick came out of his nose and Hadley said I had to get you because she's with Charlie and I have to go to the bathroom and please, I really need to go.”

Florence looked up and saw that Henry had disappeared. Her stomach dropped but she sprang into action.

“Where's Hadley?”

Emily pointed.

Florence picked Emily up, hurrying over to Hadley who was wiping Charlie's face next to a conveniently placed trash can. “Take them both to the toilets,” she said. “I'm going after Henry.”

And then she was gone.

“THAT WASN'T SO bad,” Hadley said, stretching out her legs and taking a sip of wine.

“Not so bad?” Florence said. “One child threw up, one child nearly wet herself, one child ran away.”

“Yes, but we got them all back safely,” said Hadley. “And now they're tired out and fast asleep. So it wasn't that bad.”

“How many ice creams did Charlie have?”

“Two,” said Hadley. She cleared her throat. “But, um, you did say they could have ice cream.”

“I did,” said Florence. “Ice cream that I'd already bought them whilst you were off having lunch. So in actuality he had three ice creams, because you didn't bother to communicate.”

“Hey, that's unfair,” said Hadley, sitting up.

“No, it's perfectly fair,” Florence said, aware that her anger was starting to get the better of her. “You don't seem to realize that children need limits, they need rules and discipline. It makes them feel safe and gives their lives structure.”

“Oh, come on,” said Hadley. “You don't seem to realize that kids need fun. I mean, honestly, who the hell gives hand-outs to be completed at the zoo? They're little kids on school vacation.”

“Which is probably why we shouldn't be sharing the job. Obviously we have irreconcilable differences here, this isn't going to work.”

Hadley sighed. “It's been one day.”

“One day too many.”

A day that had been chaotic and that Florence hoped never to have to repeat. In all her experience she couldn't remember a day that had been so... messy.

“We're just working out the kinks,” Hadley said with an infuriatingly big smile.

Florence practically growled. “I'm going to bed.”

“Give it some time,” said Hadley as she turned to leave.

Florence turned back and Hadley was all stretched out in the pale moonlight and her heart skipped and she thought she was angry. So she said nothing and melted back into the living room before going up to bed.

What would it take to get Hadley to leave? Agreeing to this had been a mistake.

Chapter Eleven

Taking a nap was easier said than done when three children were shrieking outside her window. Hadley groaned and pulled the pillow over her head. Whatever Florence was doing with the kids, it certainly wasn't quiet.