No Shame (Book 2 - No Regrets)

Chapter One - Do You Truly Understand?

8 Months Ago

DOMINICK'S POV

Sunny-Fisher Children's Center, a daycare and preschool, is not where I planned to be at one forty-seven in the afternoon on a Tuesday. Nor is it where I should be. I should be at the university thirty-minutes away in my art history class. However, when the director of your child's daycare calls saying you need to come pick up your child, you go.

"Mr. Benji, thank you for coming." Ms. Maxwell, the daycare director, greets me. She holds out her hand and I take it.

"Of course, over the phone you mentioned you needed to speak with me." I say as I shake her hand.

"Yes, please let us step into my office." Ms. Maxwell says.

We enter a small office that feels cramped. The only furniture in the room is a desk, three chairs in front of it and a roller-chair behind. A closed laptop sits on the desk among nearly stacked papers. There are a few decorative touches to the room. A man and a woman are seated next to each other taking up two of the three chairs in front of the desk. "Mr. Benji, these are the Lynsans." Ms. Maxwell says as she takes a seat behind the desk.

"Dominick Benji." I say holding out my hand to the Lynsans.

"Josh Lynsan." The man says shaking my hand. "This is my wife, Millicent." He says as his wife holds out her hand for me to shake.

"Nice to meet you." I say as I shake her hand. I take a seat in the empty chair and face Ms. Maxwell. "What is this about?" I ask.

Ms. Maxwell clears her throat a bit, "Mr. Benji, earlier today during morning snack break, your daughter punched and then bit Mr. and Mrs. Lynsan's son."

I tense in response and close my eyes, taking a deep breath. To say I'm shocked and upset, would be an understatement. I open my eyes and turn to face the Lynsans. "I am so sorry for my daughter's unacceptable behavior." I apologize. I look to Ms. Maxwell and back at the Lynsans as I say, "I assure you, this conduct is not tolerated by me and there will be consequences."

Mrs. Lynsan's dismissively waves her hand in the air a bit. "I can't tell you how many times this one here," she gives her husband a gently nudge with her elbow, "and I have talked about how our son was going to run into trouble with other kids. He is a real toot." Mr. Lynsan looks at me and nods his head in agreement.

Ms. Maxwell keeps her professional expression. "Please accept my apologies on behalf of Sunny-Fisher Children's Center." She says to the Lynsans.

"No worries, these things happen with children. Thank you for letting us know." Mrs. Lynsan replies. She looks over at me, "Truly no worries."

Ms. Maxwell says a few more things before thanking the Lynsans for their time and asking me to stay for another minute. "It was wonderful to meet you, Mr. Benji. I hope next time we see each other it is on better circumstances." Mr. Lynsan says shaking my hand.

His wife smiles and says goodbye. They leave the office, shutting the door behind them. I turn back to face Ms. Maxwell. She folds her hands on her desk, she clears her throat. I can't help but recall on my memories of being a teenager sitting in the principal's office being reprimanded. "Mr. Benji, as you aware this is not the first issue we have had with this type of behavior from your daughter." She says.

I let out a sigh and not my head. "I know and I am so very sorry."

"Have there been any changes in Mollie's life? Anything that might be stressing her out?" Ms. Maxwell asks with concerned furrowed brows.