Page 2 of Fallynn West

“Thank you. Now, go get your rooms together. We only have fifteen minutes before we open.”

With that, I headed to my office to put my stuff down before going across the hall to Olive’s office. Not only was she my best friend, but she was also the director of Center of Love. I didn’t trust anyone with my business besides her. She was extremely knowledgeable when it came to business and children, which was a win-win for me all the way around. I got to spend moretime with my best friend and godson while knowing my business was in safe hands.

I munched on my oatmeal and avocado toast while looking over Olive’s plans for the day. She had a pretty light day, which worked out for me. It would give me time to get her things done and mine.

After I responded to a few emails, I made my rounds to check on the children. Since it was the summer, all the classrooms were full. Olive and I had to hire two seasonal employees to help us get through the high demand, but with how well they were doing, I would more than likely find them a permanent position if they wanted it. With how quickly Center of Love was growing, a second location would be needed soon.

I would never admit it out loud, but my favorite room was the three- to four-year-old room. They were all so funny and talkative. Their little minds were on go constantly, which meant there was never a dull moment with them.

“Ms. Miles! You’re here!” one of the girls, Kehlani, screamed and ran toward me. Her little arms wrapped around my legs, almost knocking me over. “I was hoping to see you today.”

Embracing her back with one hand and gently caressing her plaits with the other, I replied, “Good morning, Kehlani. You look so pretty, sweet pea.”

“Thank you.” Kehlani took a step back and twirled, showing me her purple dress that matched her bows. “My daddy picked this out for me. He knows purple is my favorite color. His is black. That’s why his truck is black. What’s your favorite color, Ms. Miles? Is it orange?”

“Yes, it is.” I snickered at how she seemed to talk without taking a breath. “Do you like my dress?” Mimicking her, I spun around to give her a better look.

“Iloveit! You look like a princess.”

“And so do you, Kehlani.”

Kehlani was newer to the center, but she easily became one of the kids I looked forward to seeing. On her first day, she was nervous. Usually, Olive or the teacher would tend to the child, but there was something about her that tugged at me. I decided to stick around the center that day to help her get acquainted, and we instantly became besties. She was such a joy to be around.

All the kids were. I’d never witnessed such happy, lovable, and well-mannered kids in my life. I wasn’t sure what was in the air in Maven Falls, but I loved it.

Pinching Kehlani’s peanut buttered-colored cheeks, I informed her I’d be back to check on her later, before going to finish my rounds. Just as I was finishing up, my phone rang. I didn’t have to look to know it was my sister, Serenity, calling. We were having a lunch date, and since my morning was so busy, I hadn’t had a chance to text her back.

“I swear, I was going to text you back once I made it back to my office,” I answered and closed the door behind me.

“Mm-hmm. You’re at the center?”

“Yes. Parker is sick, so I came in to cover Olive.”

“That was sweet of you. Is Parker okay?”

I sighed. “I’m not sure. Olive said she was calling the doctor when they opened, so I guess she’ll update me when they go. What are you up to?”

“Oh, nothing. I’m working from home today, so I’m going over a few things before I take Jacob some lunch. Did you decide where you wanted to meet at? Am I coming there, or are you coming here?”

“Do you mind coming here? I have double the work today, and I want to be close in case anything happens.”

“Of course. Just send me the location, and I’ll be on my way.” There was a pause before Serenity asked, “Have you talked to our parents?”

My threaded brows dipped from the way her voice sounded. “Uh, no. Mama and I usually talk later in the day to debrief. Do I need to call her now?”

“We can call them together when we eat lunch.”

“Serenity.”

“Colony.”

“Is it bad? If so, just tell me now, or I’ll be worried all day.”

The silence lingering between us ate at me. My stomach twisted as I immediately thought the worst. If there was something going on with either one of my parents, I wouldn’t be any good. I loved them more than anything. Living thirty minutes away from them was hard enough. I’d feel terrible for putting the distance between us if something was wrong.

Finally, Serenity spoke. “No, it’s not bad, so don’t be over there hyperventilating. It’s just something I’d rather they tell you than me.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s your fault I was about to hyperventilate. You had me over here thinking the worst when you got quiet.”