Four
Sophie wasn't sure about Maddie being the one to take her to Sunny Days every morning. Rob convinced his daughter it would allow him to leave work earlier, thereby picking her up sooner. She finally decided it might be okay.
She was very cooperative with Maddie on Monday morning, and they got to the center right on schedule. Frances noticed the child arriving with Maddie, and had questions. Maddie explained about the construction worker schedule, and how Sophie's father needed to drop the child off a couple hours early. She left out other pertinent details.
" Well you know," Frances said with a look of concern, "the center insurance will not be in effect until you arrive here each day."
" That's no problem," Maddie assured her.
" I hope he's paying you to do this."
" He's paying me very well," Maddie agreed, and smiled.
Rob was cornered by Frances when he arrived to pick up Sophie that afternoon. Maddie eavesdropped as he got the speech about 'no center insurance until they arrived there each day' and the admonition about 'remunerating Madison for her time'. He assured Mrs. Bergman that he had his own insurance, and that Maddie would be well taken care of.
Maddie grinned when he said that, and he winked at her as he left with Sophie in tow.
" Hi honey, I'm home," Maddie called as she entered his kitchen after work.
" Hello, gorgeous." He greeted her with a kiss. "Here to collect your remuneration?"
" Definitely." She tossed her purse in the corner and held her arms out to him.
Before he could kiss her again, Sophie ran into the kitchen. "Maddie! Maddie! Daddy bought me a movie!"
" What?" Maddie looked at Rob with surprise.
" The Little Mermaid!" Sophie hollered.
Maddie chuckled. "He's gone over to the dark side."
" Yeah." Rob shook his head. "I felt like I was lining the pockets of the Corporate Capitalist Machine when I bought it, but I wanted to give the munchkin something to do so we could talk tonight."
" Talk?" The word made her slightly nervously.
He grinned and patted her arm. "It's all good. Why don't you go change and I'll start her movie? I'm dying to tell you what I did today."
Maddie smiled at his excitement, and went to change into her shorts and tank top. Sophie was engaged in the movie as Maddie passed through the living room, so she kept going to the kitchen. "So, what's up?"
" Come on." Rob grabbed two beers from the fridge and led her out to the back porch. He positioned himself so he could see if Sophie approached, and settled back into his chair. "Cheers." He raised his bottle in toast to her.
" Yeah, whatever." She raised her bottle and took a sip.
Rob laughed. "Okay, okay, I'm dying to get this out. We're getting a pool."
" What?" She blinked.
" Let me start at the beginning. You know Sophie's birthday is coming up."
Maddie nodded. "She talks about it non-stop. I keep forgetting to ask you when it is."
" One week from today. Monday, July fourth."
" Oh, that's neat!" Maddie smiled. "So you're getting her a pool for her birthday?"
" Sort of. Not exactly. I'm getting the pool for us. All of us. I knew I couldn't afford an in-ground model, but I talked to a sales guy today and he showed me this really big, really cool above-ground pool. Wait 'til you see it. I bought it."
" Wow." She wasn't sure what to say.
" Here's what I've figured out. This is Sophie's weekend with her mom."
" I wondered about that." Maddie nodded. "Something tells me we're not going to have another weekend like we did before."
He shook his head. "Sorry, no. But this will be fun in a different way. I'm going to take Sophie to her mom's Thursday night, and I'm taking Friday off. I talked to the guys on my crew, and they're going to come help me put the thing together."
She raised her eyebrows. "You can just take the day off like that?"
He nodded. "We're ahead of schedule. One day won't hurt anything. I figure we can get the ground ready and the pool halfway assembled on Friday.
Sophie wasn't sure about Maddie being the one to take her to Sunny Days every morning. Rob convinced his daughter it would allow him to leave work earlier, thereby picking her up sooner. She finally decided it might be okay.
She was very cooperative with Maddie on Monday morning, and they got to the center right on schedule. Frances noticed the child arriving with Maddie, and had questions. Maddie explained about the construction worker schedule, and how Sophie's father needed to drop the child off a couple hours early. She left out other pertinent details.
" Well you know," Frances said with a look of concern, "the center insurance will not be in effect until you arrive here each day."
" That's no problem," Maddie assured her.
" I hope he's paying you to do this."
" He's paying me very well," Maddie agreed, and smiled.
Rob was cornered by Frances when he arrived to pick up Sophie that afternoon. Maddie eavesdropped as he got the speech about 'no center insurance until they arrived there each day' and the admonition about 'remunerating Madison for her time'. He assured Mrs. Bergman that he had his own insurance, and that Maddie would be well taken care of.
Maddie grinned when he said that, and he winked at her as he left with Sophie in tow.
" Hi honey, I'm home," Maddie called as she entered his kitchen after work.
" Hello, gorgeous." He greeted her with a kiss. "Here to collect your remuneration?"
" Definitely." She tossed her purse in the corner and held her arms out to him.
Before he could kiss her again, Sophie ran into the kitchen. "Maddie! Maddie! Daddy bought me a movie!"
" What?" Maddie looked at Rob with surprise.
" The Little Mermaid!" Sophie hollered.
Maddie chuckled. "He's gone over to the dark side."
" Yeah." Rob shook his head. "I felt like I was lining the pockets of the Corporate Capitalist Machine when I bought it, but I wanted to give the munchkin something to do so we could talk tonight."
" Talk?" The word made her slightly nervously.
He grinned and patted her arm. "It's all good. Why don't you go change and I'll start her movie? I'm dying to tell you what I did today."
Maddie smiled at his excitement, and went to change into her shorts and tank top. Sophie was engaged in the movie as Maddie passed through the living room, so she kept going to the kitchen. "So, what's up?"
" Come on." Rob grabbed two beers from the fridge and led her out to the back porch. He positioned himself so he could see if Sophie approached, and settled back into his chair. "Cheers." He raised his bottle in toast to her.
" Yeah, whatever." She raised her bottle and took a sip.
Rob laughed. "Okay, okay, I'm dying to get this out. We're getting a pool."
" What?" She blinked.
" Let me start at the beginning. You know Sophie's birthday is coming up."
Maddie nodded. "She talks about it non-stop. I keep forgetting to ask you when it is."
" One week from today. Monday, July fourth."
" Oh, that's neat!" Maddie smiled. "So you're getting her a pool for her birthday?"
" Sort of. Not exactly. I'm getting the pool for us. All of us. I knew I couldn't afford an in-ground model, but I talked to a sales guy today and he showed me this really big, really cool above-ground pool. Wait 'til you see it. I bought it."
" Wow." She wasn't sure what to say.
" Here's what I've figured out. This is Sophie's weekend with her mom."
" I wondered about that." Maddie nodded. "Something tells me we're not going to have another weekend like we did before."
He shook his head. "Sorry, no. But this will be fun in a different way. I'm going to take Sophie to her mom's Thursday night, and I'm taking Friday off. I talked to the guys on my crew, and they're going to come help me put the thing together."
She raised her eyebrows. "You can just take the day off like that?"
He nodded. "We're ahead of schedule. One day won't hurt anything. I figure we can get the ground ready and the pool halfway assembled on Friday.
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