A Different Divergent: A Better Tomorrow

~seventy-six~

Chapter 76

The journey to the Pit floor turns out to be a long one. We are stopped at every turn by Dauntless members wanting to catch a glimpse of our little peanut who is fast asleep against my chest or asking for an update on Tori's whereabouts. We tried to keep her disappearance under wraps but after 24 hours, rumors are running rampant. I can tell that Tobias is anxious to talk to Mrs. Wheeler but he's doing his duty flawlessly and amicably talks with each person who approaches. We finally get to the daycare center nearly a full hour later.

"Where's Mrs. Wheeler?" Tobias asks the moment we cross the threshold into the daycare center. One of the other teachers stands before us somewhat flustered.

"She's not on the schedule today," she stammers.

"Call her," he firmly says. "Now. I want her in my office in one hour."

"Yes, sir," she says. "I'll do it as soon as I get Tessa down for her nap."

"We won't be dropping the kids off today," he says. Oh! This is news to me. "One hour. Come on, guys." I look down at Tyler, and he smiles up at me. After we walk back onto the Pit floor, Tobias stops me and quietly says, "I'm sorry, love. I just couldn't leave them there."

"I understand. I didn't want to leave them either," I say. "What are we going to do with them?"

"We'll bring them to work with us for today," he says. "Peanut will sleep most of the time, Tessa looks about ready for a nap, and Tyler can draw. How does that sound, Buddy?" He smiles up at him.

"And our meeting?" I ask.

"I'll ask Avery to watch the kids, and we'll take our meeting in your office. Av is running diagnostics on your computer this morning."

"Alright," I say. "Good plan. After our meeting, I'm going to call Christina and talk to her about a nanny. I've been procrastinating."

"We," I say.

"We've been procrastinating."

"Daddy, can you give me a wide?" Tyler asks. "My legs are tiwed."

"They are?" he asks with an easy smile on his face for our son. I hold out my hands and he gently puts Tessa in my arms. I balance her on my hip as he puts Tyler on his shoulders. It's moments like this I realize we are truly outnumbered. Tessa smiles then leans over and looks at Peanut. Please don't start, little one. I watch as she reaches out and touches her sister's face. For a split second I'm concerned that she'll hit her or scratch her, which reminds me I need to trim her nails again very soon, but she just looks at her and starts babbling.

"You love your sister don't you, little one?" I ask as I kiss her cheek, which makes her laugh. "Do you still think my kisses are silly?"

"Daddy doesn't," Tobias quietly says under his breath and I'm not sure if I was meant to hear or not. I look up at him and wink when I catch his eye and his cheeks turn a pale shade of rose. He looks good with extra color. Flashes of my dream play in my mind, and my bad mood threatens to return so I instead look down at my girls, one asleep against my chest and the other yawning as she lays her head against my shoulder, and I know I'm blessed. The next two weeks won't be easy but it will be worth it in the end.

Our return trip to the Pire doesn't take half the time our first one did, probably because of the scowl on Tobias' face. No one dares to look at him let alone speak to him. As irritated as I am with the daycare director, I wouldn't wish the wrath of Four on anyone. When we enter his office, Tobias puts Tyler on his feet and takes Tessa from me and lays her on her back in the travel sleeper then I put Teagan right next to her. I momentarily wonder if Peanut will always be smaller. Tobias excuses himself to go talk to Avery as I dig out some blank sheets of paper and colored pencils from a drawer in one of the filing cabinets. I have Tyler kneel in a chair at the corner of the desk so he can draw, which he loves to do.