A/N: PerpetualPathology gave me this idea after she reviewed so thank you lovely :) also thank you everyone for the lovely reviews on my previous story, it's been lovely to see so many happy readers! So thank you so much :)
Zosia March woke up around five in the morning, her throat was dry after crying herself to sleep. She kicked the blanket off her body and very quietly tiptoed into the kitchen. Zosia tried not to wake her boss or her boss's daughter. The sky was turning blue, the birds were chirping but for Zosia, her morning was rather dark. Not the outside world for Zosia but she had a dark mental state. Zosia turned on the television as an attempt to block bad thoughts, but as it happened when she turned on the news all was on was the news: the red scroll on the bottom of the television showed: EU Debate, farmer in crisis as his sheep escaped, women found dead in car park. Regardless, some news was better than quiet, she turned it down and attempted to wind down again.
If it hadn't been the sound of a door creaking Zosia probably would've fallen asleep, "Morning," Emma said still sounding half asleep, as Emma walked closer into the living room rubbing her left eye Zosia shot up not sure whether Emma should be awake.
"Emma," Zosia whispered then she stood up and folded her arms, the two year old looked up at Zosia with an innocent smile, "Should you be awake?" Zosia asked with a low tone voice.
"Uh-huh, Emma wake up every day at five," she said rather proudly Zosia tilted an eyebrow, unsure whether to believe her or not. As for Emma who had obviously been asked this before multiple times sighed heavily and walked over to the routine chart, Zosia laughed to herself because her heavy sigh and walk reminded her of Jac. Emma pointed to the whiteboard that had "Emma's routine" on the top with magnetic coloured letters. However the routine was wrote in multi-coloured pens:
5:00 – Emma wakes up
5:15 – Emma has breakfast
5:30 – Emma gets dressed and reads a few books
5:45 – Emma watches TV
6:00 – Emma brushes teeth
6:30 – Emma packs bag for crèche
6:35 – 7:00 – Emma gets to watch more TV if she's on time
7:00 – Mummy and Emma leave together
"Well you have your routine all set up don't you?" Zosia vaguely remembered something like this when she was a toddler, though Anya was the one who followed it. Guy was more lenient and allowed Zosia to get away with not doing her morning Polish.
"Uh-uh and then I go nursery," Emma walked over to Zosia and took her in for the second time, "Can you read me story?" she asked, Zosia then remembered before she went to bed Emma and herself had been reading Chicken Little.
"Don't you need breakfast first?" Zosia asked with a small grin, Emma looked at her routine and looked back at Zosia, "Don't look at me…I wasn't the one who wrote it," Zosia sat back down on the sofa and kept a close eye on Emma, it was only when Emma walked over to Zosia and put her hands on her knees Zosia looked down.
"Urmm…I have breakfast," Emma waited for Zosia to stand up and then Emma held onto her hand, Zosia questioned the toddler about what she wanted to eat, drink and why Jac wasn't awake. Emma replied in small sentences, that she usually woke her mummy up, that she was supposed to be up at six, Zosia placed porridge into the microwave whilst it heated up she got out extra milk, along with dried fruit.
"Didn't you want your mummy this morning?" Zosia asked as she took the Fun to Drink cup off the draining board and filled it with a tiny bit of juice and lots of water, she screwed the lid on tight and then strapped Emma into her booster seat. The microwave dinged indicating the porridge was ready, Zosia took it out added the extra milk to cool it down then she sprinkled raisons, dried bananas and dried strawberries.
"Wanted you," Emma answered quite matter-of-factly and then looked up at her current caregiver, "You make good voices," Zosia assumed Emma meant when reading the story, as Emma dived into her porridge Zosia had a cloth on standby.
After breakfast Zosia wiped the sticky gloop off the toddler's face, Emma giggled and squirmed, "Alright then what's next?" Zosia asked very upbeat, she checked the routine that was also on the fridge though it wasn't as creative, she assumed it was just a spare for Jac to check, "Time to get dressed and read some books," Zosia unstrapped Emma and put her on her hip.
Zosia had barely finished putting the white frilly socks on Emma's feet, when the toddler bounced with excitement, "You read me story now?" she asked.
"Of course," Zosia replied as she bundled the dirty laundry into the basket, "Come on then," Zosia held out her hand and Emma took it and back into the living room they went. Zosia got the book out of the book box then lifted Emma up for them to sit on the sofa together, "Alright…Chicken Little," Zosia shifted Emma further up on her lap then opened up the book to the first page, "Chicken Little likes to walk in the woods, she likes to look at the trees, she likes to smell the flowers and she likes to listen to the birds singing…."
Jac's alarm went off at six and she grabbed her phone, her eyes were blurry then she gathered her surroundings. As the theme song to Rizolli and Isles played she dismissed the alarm. This had been her alarm for a while and it was lucky that she lived on her own, the thought of someone knowing she watched American police dramas made her stomach twist. Then it clicked, why Emma hadn't woke her up earlier? Jac practically jumped out of bed and tripped over her dressing gown rope, she narrowly escaped a bang to the head. Composing herself Jac put on her dressing gown then went to find her daughter. Jac expected to find the living room empty and her daughter to still be asleep. As she got closer she heard giggles that only a child could make and Zosia's voice, "Ahh so that's where you got too," Jac leant against the wall and raised an eyebrow, Emma wiggled off Zosia and ran to mum.
"Morning mummy!" Emma raised her arms for Jac to lift her up. Jac put her hands under Emma's armpits and lifted her up onto her hip, "We been reading story," Emma played with her mother's hair and Jac nodded, pretending to be interested.
Jac walked over to the sofa and then sat down with Emma on her lap, "I hope she didn't wake you."
"Emma no wake up…Zo…Zoh…Zo-sha already awake," Emma declared her innocence, Jac supressed a giggle and Zosia looked at Emma then at Jac.
"I was already awake…Emma didn't want to wake you, so I hope you don't mind I got her breakfast and dressed," Zosia expected Jac to get funny about it, it was natural to Zosia to help out it had been like that when she was a kid. If it wasn't Jesse it was Colette, if it wasn't either of them her mama or biological uncles were there to look after her. It was very rare Guy got her ready for school or ready for bed. So it came natural to Zosia to look after Emma. Jac lifted Emma off her lap and put her onto the floor, Emma ran over to her toy-box and got out favourite cuddly toy – Ralph the Pig.
Jac got comfy by placing one leg under the other and then she turned to Zosia, "Well…I might need to make this a regular thing," Zosia's eyes went into panic, she could do it for one day but not every day, "I was joking…I do joke you know," Jac then silently panicked and turned to Zosia, "You did put a nappy on her right?" Emma was getting used to the potty but she still had minor accidents, Jac walked over to her daughter and a quick check Jac breathed a sigh of relief, "I'm going to make myself a coffee would you like a tea?"
"Yes please," Zosia answered Emma then walked over to Zosia, Zosia lifted her up onto her lap and rubbed her back, "I believe it's your teeth brushing time," Emma grinned she loved having her teeth done, it was fun to be a big girl and show anyone who would listen what she could do. Zosia was actually shocked at how excited Emma was as a toddler, Zosia hated having her teeth cleaned she would fight it, bite her parents and then run about the house until she was usually caught by Jesse. Of course for her behaviour she would get told off and still have to have then cleaned. Jac left the living room and Zosia took Emma into the bathroom.
Zosia logically placed a towel around Emma so none of the toothpaste would get onto her clothes, "I do it," Emma grabbed the toothpaste and the toothbrush but when she squeezed the Aquafresh Milk Teeth toothpaste some of it went on the floor and into the sink, "Opps."
"Do it slowly like this," Zosia held the toothbrush in one hand and the toothpaste in the other, she gently squeezed it onto the toothbrush and then asked Emma to open her mouth. Emma to the toothbrush and with Zosia's supervision she was able to brush her teeth. Five minutes later Emma's teeth were all cleaned and the floor was cleaned up.
…..
Jac was sat on the sofa with one leg crossed over the other, a cup of coffee in hand. Emma came running to the living room with a proud smile on her face, "I pack bag now?" Emma asked.
"Yes now what do you want to take?" Jac asked and Emma thought hard, Zosia found her cup of tea and watched as the toddler tried to think.
"Urmm Zo-sha?" Jac and Zosia tried hard not to laugh out loud, Zosia choked on her tea but Jac kept a straight face.
"How about you take a few books, cuddly toy and then you can say bye bye to Zosia before we leave?"
"Zo-sha no come with us?" Emma asked rather disappointedly, her bottom lip quivered.
"Zosia's not coming into work today," Jac explained and Emma screwed her face up, "Emma…do you need a wee?" Jac asked and Emma shook her head, "Emma I'm going to ask you again, do you need a wee?" Jac knew what that face meant and Emma shook her head, "Is that because you went wee-wee just now?" Jac watched as Emma nodded, "Alright…come on," Jac took her daughter by the hand and into the bathroom, "Emma, I have told you multiple times and you've actually done it before, if you need a wee-wee you tell me," Jac watched as Emma's eyes filled with pools of tears.
Emma walked back into the living room with a sad face, "Emma don't give me that face, you know to tell me and you didn't," Jac walked through the living room and into the kitchen, she washed her hand and came back into the living room where Emma was curled up on the sofa.
"Sorry," she squeaked and buried her head, Zosia walked over to Emma and knelt down to her level.
"Hey listen," she tickled the little girl's wrist to make her listen, Emma turned her head, "It was just an accident ok, you're not the first and you won't be last. However you can learn from it and next time you need a wee, you tell your mummy ok?" Zosia looked over at Jac who looked quite surprised at how well she had handled her daughter. Emma nodded her head and then sat up, "Go and give your mummy a cuddle and say a proper sorry ok?" Emma got off the sofa and ran to her mother.
"I'm sorry mummy," Emma apologised and after that she got a kiss and a cuddle from her mother.
The rest of the time involved Emma getting her bag ready, demanding to know why Zosia wasn't coming, both Jac and Zosia fobbed her off with 'Zosia's not on shift' 'Zosia's got to do adult stuff then mother and daughter were ready to leave, "Say goodbye to Zosia," Jac told her daughter and Emma ran over to Zosia.
"Bye bye," Emma said as she hugged Zosia's legs. Jac and Zosia had a short discussion to not mention anything about the previous night and the morning.
"Thank you Jac for…you know letting me stay," Zosia went to get herself dressed then her herself got ready to leave, as she shut the door behind Zosia sighed heavily, now she had the painful day of going back to the flat and figuring out what to do.
A/N: I have re-read this about twice but I can't guarantee there aren't any errors, I'm very tired and just writing to distract myself at the moment, but I hope to write more now I'm done with college for the summer :)