Page 2 of Demon
Sammy grins, and suddenly I can breathe a little better. She’s always been independent.
Sandra stands. “Come on in, I’ll show you around.”
The living room is close to the front door. We go down the hallway, into the dining room, where little kids’ tables are set out around a four-seater dining table. One wall is adorned with drawings and paintings. “This is where they have lunch and do art,” Sandra explains.
In the back part of the house is a small kitchen and a back door. Sandra opens the door and we walk outside. “Wow!” Sammy squeals. She runs over and climbs up the steps to get to the trampoline.
Sandra giggles. “Here we have the children’s favorite place.”
And I can see why. There’s a small green metal swing set with a slide and a wooden kids’ playhouse and a sandpit next to it.
“Don’t worry, the kids must put sunblock on and wear a hat before they come outside.”
Seeing all of this eased some of the anxiety which had been festering by the hour. I blow out a deep breath. We’re going to be all right.
Back home, I get everything ready for work and childcare the next day. Sammy and I are so exhausted that we go to bed early. I lie awake in bed for a little while hoping that I did the right thing by moving here because there’s still this heaviness in my chest when I think about Sammy being away from her father permanently and moving her away from the friends she made. On top of that, I have work. I hope to God the people at the hospital are nice to work with.
* * *
“Sammy,”I whisper, gently shaking her shoulder. “It’s time to get up, sweetheart.”
She groans, burying her face deeper into the pillow.
“Come on,” I coax. “I can’t be late on my first day.”
She finally stirs, blinking sleepily. Her bedhead makes me smile—her curly brown hair sticks out every which way. Stretching her tiny arms, she yawns and swings her legs over the edge of the bed. “Hug first,” she murmurs, holding out her arms, so I wrap my arms around her and pull her close.
I walk to the doorway and turn. “Your clothes are laid out on the couch. I’ve got your drink bottle, lunch box, and hat in your bag. What would you like for breakfast? Peanut butter on toast?”
She gets up and drags her legs over to me, and we walk together into the kitchen. “Yes,” she answers and yawns again, then perches at the kitchen island.
I get to work making her toast, and then I hand it to her on a plate. “I’ve got to finish getting changed.”
She gives me a small nod, and I continue to the bathroom and finish putting on my makeup, adding eyeliner to create my signature cat-eye look. I tie my hair in a high ponytail and add styling products. Trying to keep my hair in place during a twelve-hour shift is nearly impossible, but that doesn’t stop me from trying.
As I walk out, Sammy is putting on her light-up sneakers. I press my lips together, trying not to giggle. “Hon, they’re on the wrong feet.”
“Aww... really?” she deadpans, then huffs.
“It’s okay, I’ll help you.” She tried, that’s the main thing. I crouch down in front of her and place her shoes on the proper feet. “What would you like your hair to be in today?”
She pauses, her mouth twists and her big brown eyes glance away. “I want my big pink bow today.”
“Pink bow it is.”
Once her hair is styled, she puts her light-pink bag on. It’s super cute because it’s half her size. It has a unicorn on the front because of her unicorn obsession.
I take my bag and put it on my shoulder. “Are you ready?”
“Yep,” she says with a big grin and places her small hand in mine.
After I take Sammy to her babysitter, I drive to the hospital and recall our interaction when I dropped her off. She gave me a quick hug and ran away, eager to play with the other children. My heart drops and my anxiety skyrockets. I miss her already, and I’m worried about leaving my baby with someone new. The woman seems great. She said she’ll give me updates and send pictures of Sammy throughout the day and said I could call her whenever I wanted. It made a little stress leave my body, but not all.
I arrive at my new place of employment—Crown Village Hospital—and park in the employee parking lot. When I approach the entrance, I peer up at the hospital. Even though it’s a rural hospital, it’s large, with four levels and twenty-four-hour emergency services and numerous other specialties, including the intensive care unit where I’ll be working.
As I walk in, I smile. My new role awaits, and I remind myself why I’m here. For Sammy. For us. For a better tomorrow. I also love working as a nurse. I’m passionate about helping people.
I stride to reception and wait until the receptionist is finished on the phone to speak. “Hi, I’m Ivy Clarke. Today’s my first day as an intensive care nurse.”
