Begin Again (Bucky Barnes)

3

Lily

Life has become slightly more settled over the last month, with me having found child care for Ruby and starting a new job.

Despite the area I live in being far less desirable for most people my neighbours are all actually super friendly. Mrs Jones the elderly lady who lives on the same floor as me is an absolute god send in helping be an extra pair of hands for childcare for a Ruby.

She absolutely adores Ruby and says it brings her joy to be able to look after her and that it has become a well looked forward to time of her day.

Her husband was an alcoholic who drank most of their money away before he passed away a couple of years ago. Her only son cut her off after she refused to leave her husband because despite his ways she said she loved the bastard more than anything and would never have left him. She said he was her soulmate.

He was never violent towards her but she did admit that he would spit hateful words at both her and their son when he was drunk and then always try and apologise the next day when he was sober.
She would always forgive him as she knew it was an illness but her son had enough and walked away when he was old enough to know better.

Guess I find it kind of comforting that some people do find theirs and I was just unlucky and happened to find an absolute waste of space instead.

My job is not a corporate job like I hoped but instead I work as a waitress in the prestigious Winter Hotel, they pay more than other hotels but it's not enough for me to live comfortably.
It doesn't help that I can only work the morning and early afternoon shifts as the tips are always better in the evening.

With the help of Mrs Jones I have managed to do the occasional evening shift but the travelling back and forth isn't easy.

I decided to get a second evening job in the bar a few blocks over from where I live, they give me shifts when they can and drunk people definitely tip better. It's not exactly ideal walking the streets by myself that late at night but I know some self defence so I'm not too worried.

After dropping Ruby off I make my way to work, it's getting colder and the hotel is becoming busier as the holiday season approaches.
Apparently the hotel is known famously for its Christmas decorations and I am beyond excited to see what they come up with this year as apparently it's more elaborate each year.

Walking into the staff entrance at the side of the hotel, I can't help but smile to myself.
It may not be the corporate job I was hoping for but I do actually enjoy working here, the staff are friendly and it definitely pays better than some other jobs.

Placing my coat in my locker I go to the mirror to do one final check that my uniform is neat and clean. The other morning before I was walking out the door Ruby flung her cereal at me because she decided she no longer liked that cereal and I didn't have a dry clean shirt so had to scrub milk off myself as best I could.

Wasn't the best stat to the day but Peter was nice when I arrived and had a spare one I could borrow so I didn't have walk around smelling like gone off milk.

Ruby is always well behaved but lately she does have her moments, I've put it down to a lot changing in her life. I mean it's hard for myself to adjust must be even harder for a three year old who suddenly wonders where daddy's gone.

The bastard calls maybe once every two weeks if he remembers to check in on her at all, I wish I could just cut all communication so she didn't have the inconsistency but unfortunately I can't due to the very little child maintenance he pays.
Which he pays begrudgingly.

The uniform at work consists of a white shirt and black skirt that stops just above the knee and black pumps, thank god it's not heels because my feet couldn't handle that.