One Shots 'The nursery nurse'

The Shadow that follows Part II

When the alarm clock went off in the morning, Reece quickly realised that he was alone in bed. He got up and got ready, when he entered the kitchen. Marjorie was already standing at the kitchen counter, making herself a coffee to go.

She looked over her shoulder and smiled warmly at him. "Good morning, darling."

Reece stepped behind her, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her neck. "Morning, gorgeous. How are you?"

He felt Marjorie tense slightly. "Good? Thanks for asking. But everything is fine."

"Really?"

Marjorie turned round in his arms. "Yes, why wouldn't it be?"

"I heard you yesterday," Reece said carefully.

Marjorie immediately freed herself from his arms and grabbed her to go cup from the counter. She tried desperately to look calm. But the uncertainty was clearly visible in her eyes. "Okay."

"Marjorie, what's going on?" Reece asked again. He reached out his hand and wanted to stroke her cheek. But Marjorie pulled away. "Nothing!"

"Marjorie, please, you pushed me and Aut to talk about our feelings. So please do it yourself too."

"I don't want to right now! And I want you to accept this boundary of me!" She stormed out of the kitchen.

As soon as the couple had entered the Nursery, Marjorie had run off to her office without another word.

Reece stared out of the window, he and his sister were only ones in the assistant manager's office. He heard the typing of the keyboard from Autumn's computer.

"Aut?"

"Big brother?" Autumn replied promptly without lifting her eyes from the screen.

"Can you do me a favour?"

Now Autumn looked up, she immediately raised her eyebrow.

"It's Marjorie. Something is bothering her, but she doesn't talk about it."

His sister rolled her eyes slightly and returned to her work. "Maybe everything's fine, and you're just exaggerating again?"

"She sneaked out for a smoke yesterday, she only does that when something is wrong. Or do I have to remind you, what went on when she and Char had they fall out?" said Reece, now a little more tense.

When Marjorie and Char had their argument. Marjorie was awake every night. Reece had come to her flat and slept there every night, just to be there for his girlfriend.

Reece still remembered well when he went to get a glass of water in the middle of the night, and Marjorie sat at the kitchen window and smoked out of it. She'd smoked her way through three packs in the short time the argument had lasted.

Autumn sighed. "Very well. But I can't just go to her office and ask her. Then she'll know you sent me. And besides, Marjorie usually talks to Char about things like that."

"But Char is on a trip with Mia and won't be back until next week. Please Aut...," begged Reece.

"Fine."

Autumn waited until lunchtime to pay Marjorie a visit. But when she entered the manager's office, it was empty.

Autumn could already guess where she was. She made her way to the back of the building, where the rubbish bins were. She could see smoke rising from between two of them. "Here you are."

Marjorie looked at her, startled, and immediately threw the cigarette away.

"Marjorie, you don't have to throw it away. I smoke occasionally too," said Autumn, crossing her arms.

Marjorie immediately adopted a defensive stance. "I don't smoke! I gave it up a long time ago!"

"Of course, a lie that every smoker tells themselves. So can I have one?" Autumn spoke unimpressed.

Marjorie sighed and took out the metal box.

She handed one to Autumn and then held the lighter out to her. After hers was lit, Marjorie lit another one herself.

"Can I ask you a question?" Marjorie whispered.

"If I say no, you ask anyway," Autumn said, grinning slightly at her.

The manager also had to grin slightly but immediately became serious again. "Does Reece... so do you know if he wants children?"

"I don't know. We've never talked about it."

"Oh." Marjorie looked down.

Autumn saw how much it seemed to bother Marjorie. "I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't want any, though. Reece had to take on a parental role early on after our mum left. And I don't need to start about my father. Is that what's bothering you, Marjorie?"

The manager took a puff and then sighed loudly. "Yes... I just don't know if I can give Reece everything he might want... and before you say anything, I know it's a woman's job to have children."

"Oh God, you sound like my father. Where did that come from, Marjorie?" Autumn asked in surprise, this was something she had never expected from her friend. But when she saw the look in Marjorie's eyes, she had her answer. "Your mum, right?"

"Yes."

"Our parents really are alike. My father told me the same thing. It's just important to him that the Knight name lives on. I guess it's the same with the Van Goulds?"

Marjorie agreed again, but this time, her voice was even softer. "Yes...."

Autumn knew how difficult it was to be a part of the high society. So she tried to change the subject a little. "What was your surname before she married your stepfather?"

Marjorie smiled slightly. "Evergreen."

"Has a nice ring to it." Autumn said and took a puff.

"Autumn, what am I going to do? What if this becomes a point of contention in our relationship? Maybe I do want children after all... ", the desperation was clearly audible in Marjorie's voice.

"Ok, stop. I'm asking you directly now. Do you want children?"

"Yes... no... I don't know." Marjorie leant back and rested her head against the brick wall behind and closed her eyes.

"When you become a mum. You have to take care of another living being. 24 hours, 365 days, until they grow up and even beyond that. You have to sacrifice your body. Your free time and also part of your personality. So I asking you again, and now just forget what your mum said to you, or any of the parents here, and forget about my brother for once."

Marjorie looked at her in surprise. Autumn put her hand on the manager's forearm.

"Marjorie Evergreen, do you want children?"

She took a deep breath and threw the cigarette away.

"No."