Adventures and Dramas in the Nursery

Chapter 3

Lunchtime had finally arrived, a much-needed break from the morning's flurry of activity. Charlotte found herself nestled in the staffroom of the nursery, surrounded by the cheerful hum of conversation and the clatter of utensils. Lost in her own thoughts, she was abruptly jolted back to reality by Carly's enthusiasm, which practically crackled with the promise of juicy gossip. Carly, known far and wide as the nursery's unofficial informant, was positively bursting at the seams to spill the beans.

"Carly, spill it," Charlotte urged, unable to contain her curiosity.

Seating herself beside Charlotte, Carly practically shook with anticipation, ready to dish out the latest scoop from the nursery.

"Okay, so you know how I'm basically a pro at eavesdropping, right?" Carly began, leaning in conspiratorially. "Well, this morning was prime gossip material. Marjorie walks in, and Autumn's practically radiating sadness vibes. Marjorie, ever the cool cucumber, asks her what's up, but Autumn's having none of it. She's giving off this whole 'don't mess with me' aura."

Charlotte listened intently, already hooked by Carly's dramatic retelling of the morning's events.

"Then, Marjorie pulls a classic move and calls Autumn out on her 'something's wrong' face. Talk about bold! Anyway, it turns out Winter popped the question to Autumn. Exciting stuff, right? But hold onto your hat, because here comes the drama. Autumn had to spill the beans to her dad, and get this, he goes ballistic when he sees the ring, even tries to attack them at Sunday lunch! Can you believe it?"

Charlotte's eyes widened in disbelief, mirroring Carly's astonishment at the unfolding saga.

"But wait, there's more," Carly continued, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Despite all the garbage her dad's put her through, Autumn still craves his approval. Marjorie gets it, though. Sometimes, you just want that parental nod, you know?"

Just as Charlotte was processing the rollercoaster of emotions, Carly seamlessly transitioned to the next bombshell.

"And then, out of the blue, Autumn's all chill again, inviting Marjorie and Reese out for dinner. And just like that, Marjorie's back to work, and I'm left here spilling all the tea to you. Man, office drama never disappoints!"

Charlotte chuckled at Carly's enthusiasm, marvelling at her ability to turn even the most mundane events into riveting tales.

But as she took a pause to process what had been said, a sudden realisation hit her.

'Wait...Autumn's engaged!?!'

Though, before Carly could interject her opinion in response, a stern voice interrupted them from behind.

"Yes, she is. And you are NOT to repeat that."

Startled, Charlotte turned to see Winter standing there, his expression stern yet tinged with a hint of amusement. Seemingly, he was curious to see how good Carly was at eavesdropping and hearing her recount of events.