Page 39 of Margo

“Do you understand the difference between a rule and a boundary?” he asked.

“Yes, sir,” they answered in unison.

“Okay, good. I am drawing a boundary. I’ve hit my limit for that phrase for the day. If I hear it again, whoever says it will get a spanking and get their mouth washed out with soap. Do you understand?”

Six little heads bobbed up and down.

“Use your words. I need to hear that you understand and that we are on the same page.”

“Yes, Mister Knox,” they sing-songed.

“Good girls. Thank you.” He stood and stretched. “I’m going to go inventory my supplies and make a list of what I’ll need to finish the room renovations on the west tower. Jade, you’re on cleanup. Clear the table and load the dishwasher. The rest of you get started on the puzzles. I’ll be back in a couple hours to start dinner. After dinner, if you have any naughties to report, you do it then. Naughties will be dealt with, then baths and jammies and brushing your teeth and bed. No movies or free time tonight unless it’s done.” The words felt bitter on his tongue, seeing as it was a holiday, and he knew he planned to let them have ice cream and a movie after dinner, but he was really hoping the mess would be cleaned up by then so it would be a non-issue.

His announcement was met with the expected groans and sighs of resignation, but nobody argued or questioned him. They really were, for the most part, good Little girls.

“See you later. Behave yourselves while I’m gone!” he called over his shoulder as he left.

Margo

As soon as Knox was out of earshot, she and her friends dissolved into the giggles they’d been holding back all through lunch.

“I feel bad that we actually upset him,” Jilly said, “but that was so fun and funny while it lasted.”

“Agreed,” Mariah replied. “I had no idea Knox was so strict. I’m a little worried for the safety of Margo’s bottom. I don’t know how she’s gonna survive with such a strict Daddy.”

“I’ll be fine!” Margo insisted, rolling her eyes. “Having a strict Daddy with weird rules is better than having no Daddy at all… isn’t it?” She’d had no Daddy for a long time and that had not been great. She’d only had Knox for two days, so while it felt better than having no Daddy, she really couldn’t be sure.

Her friends didn’t seem so sure either. They tossed their hands in the air and shrugged.

Margo didn’t want to make them feel bad because she sort of had a Daddy and they kinda didn’t, so she turned her attention to the wooden Hello Kitty puzzle in front of her.

“Done!” She exclaimed, laying the last piece. She handed the finished puzzle to Jilly who carried it over to the shelf and grabbed the next frame. Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Mariah took a Disney Princess one, and Jade worked on a dinosaur puzzle while Ellie and Tessa sorted pieces.

Mariah and Jade finished their puzzles within minutes, but Margo was missing a piece.

“It’ll turn up,” Jilly said. “Set it aside, and work on the next puzzle.”

She did, breezing through a Spider-Man puzzle, another Hello Kitty puzzle and a Sofia the First puzzle in record time. They reached the end of the wooden puzzles, and a piece was still missing.

“Crap on a cracker!” Margo yelled. She immediately clapped her hand over her mouth as if she could take it back while her friends stared at her with wide eyes. “Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no!” she chanted, tears filling her eyes. It wasn’t just about the impending punishment, but the idea that Knox would be upset. She hadn’t even managed to last two days! What if he gave up and decided she wasn’t worth the trouble just as she decided he was?

“Oh no,” she wailed, a tear falling down her cheek. Her friends looked worried and Margo knew why. She wasn’t usually quick to tears or upset when a rule was broken.

Jilly came up behind her and rubbed her back while Mariah scootched close and wiped her tears. “I was just kidding about the soap sucking. It’s not so bad.”

Margo scowled. “Don’t lie to me.”

“Okay fine. It’s gonna be awful. But then it will be over, and you’ll still have a wonderful Daddy who loves you.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Margo scoffed.

Jilly furrowed her brows. “Knox isn’t here to hear it. Do you have to tell him?”

“Jilly!” Mariah exclaimed. “I’m surprised at you!”

Jilly rolled her eyes. “Knox said he didn’t like to hear Little girls use that kind of language. He’s not here. He didn’t hear it. He didn’t say anything about if he wasn’t around to hear it.”

“Yeah he did. To me he did. Telling him is gonna suck and being punished is gonna suck, but not telling him would be even worse.” Realizing what she’d just said, she leapt to her feet. “Crap on a-uggghhh!” Before she could say another word, Margo ran from the room, managing not to burst into tears until she got on the elevator. She rode it down to the lobby, crossed the casino floor over to the west tower, and rode those elevators up to the third floor where Knox had said he’d be working.