Chapter 12

Honestly, Alan set his working hours at Will's company so that he was always on the first shift so he could make sure Maddie came home safely from school. Although working in a company with drones, including those belonging to his best friend from the university, was never my husband's best dream, but it allowed him to freely manipulate part of his job, so he could always be at home when the little one came home from school. Due to Maddie's staunch objections, Alan never waited for her outside the school door, only on the street, just outside the gate. He found a place where he could instantly see his ponytailed daughter out of the crowd, and even tried to convince Maddie that if she ran out of the gate with the first wave, he would be able to let her into the car unnoticed, but the girl still complained about her father's over-care. .

The real problem would only arise if one of the teachers asked the class to stay in their desks after the bell. Whether it was a collective punishment or some necessary clarification on the homework, Maddie would undoubtedly panic, not because her father would be worried about her, but for fear that Alan would be terrified of her delay. with the way out, he will storm into school and begin a vigorous search.

"Plus my telescope broke," Maddie said.

- What happened?

- The sticks that held the telescope tube on the stand broke. I fixed them somehow, but they'll probably break again.

- I'll take a look at them.

"I have to keep track of deadly asteroids," she added. "And I won't be able to do this through a broken telescope."

- I understand. I promised to be interested in him.

- Did you know that if an asteroid fell to Earth, the effect would be as if a million atomic bombs exploded?

"I don't think there are that many in the arsenals," I said. "But I guess you wanted to show me how terrible a cataclysm would be."

- When I have visions of an asteroid falling to Earth in my nightmares, I can easily get rid of it if I check through the telescope before going to bed that neither of them is coming. I nodded my head. The problem was we didn't buy its real telescope, on the contrary, one of the cheaper, more toy than decent

instrument. It was not even that it is not worth spending a lot of money on something that a child can get bored very quickly. We just didn't have the money to spend on this sort of thing.

- What about Dad? Maddie asked.

- I do not understand.

- She will normally go to school with me?

- I will talk to him.

- So with whom? Alan asked as he entered the kitchen.

He looked gorgeous this morning. Quite stunning. She was a really good-looking man, and I never had enough of staring into his brown eyes or looking at his smooth skin or pitch black hair. Was for

I was just as appealing as when we met, except without the youthful drama. Lots of people thought that he had to take special care of his body, but in my opinion it was the constant fear that kept him from gaining weight. He was burning excess calories by constant anxiety. He jogged but did not exercise in the gym. Honestly, we couldn't even afford all the fees associated with being a permanent club member that runs the gym. As I mentioned, I teach English in high school, and Alan works for a drone company, although he graduated from college and worked in the police force for a while. Either way, we don't have abundance. We have a house of our own, big enough for the three of us, situated in a family-friendly cottage estate not far from the area where Alan grew up. On the surface, you might think that he should stay away from his family home, but in my opinion, he wanted to settle in the neighborhood in case someone came back and wanted to renew the broken contact. Both our cars are ten years old, we buy holidays in the cheapest companies. Every year we go to my uncle's cabin near Montpelier for a week, and three years ago, when Maddie turned five, we went to Walt Disney World and stayed at a motel in Orlando.

However, I think we are doing well and are more or less a happy family. Most days, anyway. But at night, at least sometimes, it can be difficult.

- With teacher Maddie, I replied.

- What do you want to talk to her teacher about? Alan asked.

- I was just saying that on the next open day I would go to school and talk to Mrs. Sanders -

I said emphatically.

- Recently you were at the interview, because there was also an open day at my school. There is always something in the way.

"She's very nice," my husband explained. - In my opinion, much nicer than the teacher from last year. What was her name? ... Oh, Mrs. Phillips. I think she was too strict.

"I hated her," said Maddie.

- She made us stand on one leg throughout the lesson, when someone was misbehaving.

"I have to go," I muttered, taking my last sip of the cool coffee. - Al, I suspect we need to get ourselves a new infuser.

"I'll have a look," Alan promised.

I hadn't had time to get up from the table yet when Maddie gave me a desperate look. I knew what that look meant: "Talk to him. Please try to convince him.

- Kate, don't you remember where the spare key is? her husband asked.

"Hmm," I muttered.

He nodded at the empty hook on the wall behind the kitchen door that opened onto the tiny back yard.

- He's not here? - I was surprised, because it was the key that we reached for when we went for short walks, so as not to take the whole bunch, including work keys and car remote controls.

- I have no idea where he is.

Maddie, didn't you take it? Maddie wasn't carrying her own key yet, and she didn't need it, since Alan always walked her off and picked her up from school.

The little girl shook her head, still looking at me pleadingly.

I shrugged my shoulders.

- Maybe I took it myself. Perhaps I left it on the bedroom table.

- I stopped next door

Alan to breathe the scent of his hair into his nostrils.

- Will you walk me out? -I asked.

He followed me outside the door.

- Something happens? - he began. - Are you okay with Maddie? She was strangely reticent this morning. I grimaced and shook my head.

- Same as usual. He is eight years old, Al.

He took a step back, slightly bristled.

- She was complaining to you about me?

- She needs a little independence.

- So that's it. She wanted you to talk to me, not the teacher.

I smiled hesitantly.

- She says the other kids are laughing at her.

- He'll make it somehow.

I wanted to add something else, but I reflected on it, because we have already started a discussion on this topic so many times, that I have exhausted all arguments.