few more weeks before her visa expired. But she couldn’t tell him this soon, tell him that she might have to go back home just as the kids had nicely adjusted to her presence. It’d been a month now. A month of organizing and cleaning, getting all their schedules in order. And now this. How could she have missed the deadline? Worst of all, the safe back at home in Sweden had all her paperwork.
She didn’t have time for this, but if she didn’t take the time, she’d be sent home, eventually. Tossing the paper on her table, she turned and made her way to the main quarters. She needed to get back to the children and dinner before it burned. She’d deal with this later.
Garret had informed her last night that her grace period was over for holding her accountable for her behavior — and her submission. She needed to be on her toes now — any infractions would be punishable. He’d just texted that he would be home soon, so she needed to tie up loose ends so she’d be able to greet him at the door in the manner he required.
She had ten minutes to change out of her pants and get into a sundress. She still wore the shorts and tank top she’d put on before she’d gone outside to play in the sandbox with the kids. It was easier to crawl on the ground with shorts on. She knew the rules stated she was supposed to call him or text him asking for permission, but it was only an hour in the shorts.
By the time she’d brought the kids inside and cleaned them up, it had been time to cook dinner. She’d never gotten around to changing out of her shorts.
Starting down the hall to change, she heard a blood-curdling scream from the playroom. Upon entering the room, she found Liam with his little fists full of Madalyn’s raven hair. He pulled with all his strength, his face red with rage. Madalyn continued to scream, flailing her arms at him, trying to beat him off her.
“Hey! Liam, let go now!” Inga pried his fists open one at a time, freeing the now hysterical Madalyn.
Before Inga could say a word though, Madalyn took over. “Liam Garrett Anderson! Bad boy! You don’t pull hair. Ever!” She stood with her little hands bunched at her hips, looking very much like her father — who was due home any minute.
“Madalyn, sweetheart, I’ll handle this.” Inga stroked her fingers through Madalyn’s hair trying to straighten it. She wiped the tears off the angry girl’s face while a more subdued Liam sat in Inga’s lap. “Tell me, Madalyn, why do you think Liam did this?”
“We were playing with his cars, and having a race, and my car knocked his tower over.” She pointed at the pile of blocks strewn across the floor.
“Madalyn. Look at all those blocks there.” She paused for effect. “How long do you think Liam worked on those blocks? I’m thinking he worked on them for a long time.”
Madalyn stared at the mess for a while, then her voice rose. “But he pulled my hair. Look he has my hair in his hands!” And she began crying again.
“I see that, and I’m going to talk to Liam about that too. But I would like you to apologize for knocking the blocks over. Then I want you to go to the living room to watch TV until I’m done talking to Liam.”
“I’m sorry, Liam. I’ll help you make a building again, okay?” Madalyn rubbed Liam’s arm.
He smiled through his tears. “Okay.”
Madalyn left the room to watch TV. Inga turned Liam in her lap so that he faced her.
“Liam. You don’t pull hair. You hurt Madalyn.”
Liam frowned, his blue eyes so similar to his father’s. He furrowed his eyebrows, pointing at the blocks.
“Yes, I know. Madalyn knocked over your blocks. But you do not pull hair. No! No pulling hair. It’s a no-no.” She stood up, sliding him off her lap onto his feet.. “You’re going to sit on the time-out chair for that. Two minutes. Miss Inga will set the time-out timer.” She placed him in a chair, setting the timer. “No pulling hair. It’s not nice. It is not
She didn’t have time for this, but if she didn’t take the time, she’d be sent home, eventually. Tossing the paper on her table, she turned and made her way to the main quarters. She needed to get back to the children and dinner before it burned. She’d deal with this later.
Garret had informed her last night that her grace period was over for holding her accountable for her behavior — and her submission. She needed to be on her toes now — any infractions would be punishable. He’d just texted that he would be home soon, so she needed to tie up loose ends so she’d be able to greet him at the door in the manner he required.
She had ten minutes to change out of her pants and get into a sundress. She still wore the shorts and tank top she’d put on before she’d gone outside to play in the sandbox with the kids. It was easier to crawl on the ground with shorts on. She knew the rules stated she was supposed to call him or text him asking for permission, but it was only an hour in the shorts.
By the time she’d brought the kids inside and cleaned them up, it had been time to cook dinner. She’d never gotten around to changing out of her shorts.
Starting down the hall to change, she heard a blood-curdling scream from the playroom. Upon entering the room, she found Liam with his little fists full of Madalyn’s raven hair. He pulled with all his strength, his face red with rage. Madalyn continued to scream, flailing her arms at him, trying to beat him off her.
“Hey! Liam, let go now!” Inga pried his fists open one at a time, freeing the now hysterical Madalyn.
Before Inga could say a word though, Madalyn took over. “Liam Garrett Anderson! Bad boy! You don’t pull hair. Ever!” She stood with her little hands bunched at her hips, looking very much like her father — who was due home any minute.
“Madalyn, sweetheart, I’ll handle this.” Inga stroked her fingers through Madalyn’s hair trying to straighten it. She wiped the tears off the angry girl’s face while a more subdued Liam sat in Inga’s lap. “Tell me, Madalyn, why do you think Liam did this?”
“We were playing with his cars, and having a race, and my car knocked his tower over.” She pointed at the pile of blocks strewn across the floor.
“Madalyn. Look at all those blocks there.” She paused for effect. “How long do you think Liam worked on those blocks? I’m thinking he worked on them for a long time.”
Madalyn stared at the mess for a while, then her voice rose. “But he pulled my hair. Look he has my hair in his hands!” And she began crying again.
“I see that, and I’m going to talk to Liam about that too. But I would like you to apologize for knocking the blocks over. Then I want you to go to the living room to watch TV until I’m done talking to Liam.”
“I’m sorry, Liam. I’ll help you make a building again, okay?” Madalyn rubbed Liam’s arm.
He smiled through his tears. “Okay.”
Madalyn left the room to watch TV. Inga turned Liam in her lap so that he faced her.
“Liam. You don’t pull hair. You hurt Madalyn.”
Liam frowned, his blue eyes so similar to his father’s. He furrowed his eyebrows, pointing at the blocks.
“Yes, I know. Madalyn knocked over your blocks. But you do not pull hair. No! No pulling hair. It’s a no-no.” She stood up, sliding him off her lap onto his feet.. “You’re going to sit on the time-out chair for that. Two minutes. Miss Inga will set the time-out timer.” She placed him in a chair, setting the timer. “No pulling hair. It’s not nice. It is not
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