blind playdates (part 3)
part 1 | part 2
Summary: Daycare AU. Beth is taking care of Kira while Sarah and Mrs. S are away and she has to take her to daycare every day while she’s at the station. She was planning on going the first day just so Sarah doesn’t worry, ditch taking Kira to daycare for the rest of the week to hang out with her niece because she’s a Cool Aunt™. That is before she met Alison.
notes: ITS BEEN 84 YEARS. unprofessional things may have happened here
There are few things that Detective Arthur Bell has encountered through his nine years in the office at the Toronto Police Department that faze him. Usually, it startles him when an unsuspecting witness passes through security armed with a weapon or when an unlikely confession is given under his watch.
The only person that has been able to momentarily faze him is Beth. The rookie who had been put on his side six years ago and still is able to look out for them both as fresh eyes to any new development.
Art turned away from his own case file to look over to see what his partner was doing and only saw a dimmed computer screensaver and piles of paper surrounding Beth as if it was guarding her head from any unsuspecting boss that would otherwise pull her into even more boring work to do. Typical.
Noticing that it is now 10:45 A.M., Art decided that he’d be the one to wake up Ms. Childs to alert her of their lunch break.
Slyly, he reached into the waste bin that was full of useless copies that were full of errors. He took the first piece of paper, crumbled it up in a tiny ball, and set it on his table. He grabbed a second one and stuck that one in his pocket.
After he was done with the paper balls, he began to get his belongings together for his lunch break.
As he was almost finished, he quickly picked up the paper ball that was on his desk and under tossed it perfectly to hit the back of Beth’s head.
Almost instantly, Beth’s head popped up from her ‘pillow’ that was previously seen as ‘paperwork’. She shook her head to try to wake herself up without bluntly showing that she was just as sleep, but a yawn that escaped her mouth ratted her out.
She glided her chair out to give herself enough room to turn swirl it and turn to see Art leaning against the edge of her desk with a messenger bag slung over his shoulder.
After offering Art blank stares for a few seconds, Beth assumed that he probably asked a question. Probably.
“Um, yes?”
Art rolled his eyes and brought up his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose in faux frustration that Beth is all too familiar seeing. He reached out, gave Beth two hard pats on her shoulder, and turned around to walk away from her.
“It’s time for lunch, Childs!” Art called out while he began to walk away. He turned around to see if his partner has even moved at all. Dissatisfied with her lack of mobility, he reached into his pocket for his second paper ball and threw it to land perfectly at Beth’s forehead before he walked away, cackling.
Rubbing her face to wake herself up, she began to grab random papers that were around her without fully paying attention to what she is handling. However, she pulled a small paper that was sticking out under the pile which sent her tower of papers pulping down in front of her monitor.
Beth began to sort her files into a ‘done’ pile, a ‘do it at home’ file, and a ‘do it after lunch’ pile until her brain finally processed what Art said.
‘Lunch time already?’ Beth began to panic as she grabbed her bag from under her desk and started to throw essential items in it.
She checks her phone and sees that there is a text notification from her bank that states that she has spent $27.43 on an order and it has been processed and deducted from her account. ‘Did I order stuff while I was half-asleep again?’
She opened the email via her bank app to try to get the name of the place she spent her money on, but it only read ‘DISCLOSED – CANADA’S GREATEST NOR’ since it was cut off at the end. She groaned as she put her phone in her coat pocket that was hanging behind her chair.
She needed to get actual lunch to eat and then head on to Kira’s daycare. The food, in theory, very important thing to do before she does anything. Now she's kicking herself for waiting not ordering everything online and having it delivered.
Beth quickly put on her coat, sloppily wrap her red scarf around her neck, placed her half-eaten bagel in her mouth, and grabbed her bag to head out as quickly as she can.
This is not starting the way Beth thought it would go, but when there’s ungodly sweetened cupcakes in her midst - she really wishes Kira didn’t have a huge sweet tooth or Sarah’s genetic need to get her way in every situation.
-----
There are two things that Beth never imagined herself doing in her life: riding an elephant in full clown makeup and being a top finalist in an international Yu-Gi-Oh battle. Neither of these things are happening nor is expected to happen but now she is wishing she added ‘buying ridiculously overpriced cupcakes shaped as animals in order to comply with her dear niece’s order of rules to not embarrass Beth to Sarah.
Standing in line at North York’s Cupcakes Galore (NYGC) was never on Beth’s to-do list; yet, here is she is. Lost in her thoughts apparently as everyone behind her began to grumble impatiently as she looked up from her smartphone and saw a chipper counter girl waiting on her.
“Good morning, ma’am! What would you like to order?”
“Hmm, what?”
The woman behind the counter looked onto the detective who was previously spaced out in her own thoughts and held up the line. Still, she’s patient. Unlike the elderly woman who was waiting behind her and audibly groaning at every movement and breath Beth took.
Beth blinked and then returned to reality. “Oh, yeah –“she paused to tuck her hair behind her ear and smirk at the girl who must have been in her early twenties. Named ‘Laura’ if her name tag was correct.
“So Laura, do you still have those adorable little animal cupcakes by the dozen?”
Laura gave Beth a shy smile as she licked her lips, but still held eye contact.
“Yes, we had an order so I can sell mu-“
“That must be my order!” Beth suddenly blurted out. She pulled her phone up to Laura’s face to show as evidence. Grandma Cupcakes behind her groaned again and muttered ‘oh goodness gracious’.
“Okeydokey, then - I’ll go to the back and check in with my shift manager and get you straightened out!”
As soon as Laura stepped back and turned to leave, Beth’s phone chirped Kim Possible’s ringtone to alert her of a new text message. Unknown number.
UNKNOWN NUMBER
11:17 A.M
[1/2] Hello, it’s Alison Hendrix from the Dyad Daycare where your niece Kira is currently at. I’m not sure if I’m even allowed to text you from this number or if I’m texting your work phone (which would be embarrassing because I doubt that that it could even pick up text messages). I understand if this is bothersome but I forgot to ask what way to contact you if I had any questions or needed to provide you with information and I didn’t want to call and disturb you in any way that could interfere with your job. I wanted to know around what time you will be arriving with Kira’s food so I know when to schedule in lunch for all the kids to have it together instead of her eating alone. I would also want to know what we are having for lunch. I do understand that you offered to buy lunch, but I would like to know if
UNKNOWN NUMBER
11:17 A.M.
[2/2] it is healthy. I have a regimen to stay fit but I should assume that you do as well as you are a police detective. So have a nice morning and I hope to hear back from you! Toodles!
- *Alison Hendrix*, Childcare taker at Dyad Daycare
As soon as Beth finished reading the second message that was cut from the original, she received another message.
UNKNOWN NUMBER
11:20 A.M.
If this isn’t Detective Elizabeth Childs, please redirect this message to her and let her be educated on proper penmanship when it comes to writing down and proofreading her personal information. Have a beautiful day!
- *Alison Hendrix*, Childcare taker at Dyad Daycare
Beth couldn’t help but laugh as she imagined everything being said in Alison’s voice. Right down to the ‘toodles’, she couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped from her mouth. A chuckle that outright made the elderly woman behind her give an exasperated groan.
She looked back to give the woman a perplexed look and cautiously murmured “I’m sorry” as she did not want to set this woman to flames with anger. This woman must be really dedicated to having these damn cupcakes if she is getting this mad.
Beth decided to quickly text back as she began to hear Laura’s voice get louder as she approached
To: UNKNOWN SENDER
11:23 A.M.
1. Yes, this is Beth. 2. I pick lunch. No complaining or cute pouting. 3. I’m on my way. 4. My handwriting is severely offended.
As Beth hit ‘send’, Laura came back smiling brightly as she held out a box of dozen cupcakes.
She opened the box to reveal, incredibly sugary cupcakes that had the faces of various animals made out of pure, intoxicating sugar. It’s a child’s paradise and terribly embarrassing to be seen carrying when you are unaccompanied by any child.
“Is this what you ordered?” Laura offered a meek smile as Beth tried to measure exactly how much sugar is in one cupcake. Too much, too much.
“Sadly, yes.” The waft of the icing and the beady eyes of the small pastries were bearing down on her already. There were so many monkeys that it shouldn’t be legal to even think to consume. ‘I can’t believe I paid for this.’
“Alrighty!” Laura closed the box and reached under the counter to get a store bag. It was mint green with bon-bon sparkles everywhere.
Beth cursed her niece’s daring methods of sabotaging her dignity as she half-begrudgingly grabbed the bag of cupcakes.
Laura pressed what seems like three thousand buttons on the machine in front of her. Finally, she pressed the last button with a final ding.
She straighten her back as she recited, “As you know, your total was $27.43 so you are all set! Thank you for purchase and come again!”
Beth gave a meek smile as she quickly strolled out of the store, avoiding eye contact with killer grandma cupcakes and walked quickly to a corner take out restaurant that serves nice chicken salads and easy to-go macaroni bowls that Kira loves eating.
After she is done and has her arms filled with bags of different foods, Beth tries to steadily and safely walk to the daycare without tipping over the weight.
As Beth is waiting for the crossing light to indicate her turn to go, her phone vibrates.
She shuffles some of her bags from her left hand to her right hand so she can reach for her phone in her coat and read her new text message. Unknown Number.
UNKNOWN NUMBER
11:45 A.M.
1. Good. 2. Please no nuts. I’m a bit allergic. 3. Be here by noon or sometime today please!!! 4. I’m sure your handwriting will live. 5. My pouting is cute? I’m flattered and charmed. 6. Look at this picture that Kira did!!!!!!!!
[IMAGE ATTACHED]
- *Alison Hendrix*, Childcare taker at Dyad Daycare
Beth began to laugh as she opened to see a picture of Kira and Alison each holding up drawings of dogs, both looking mighty proud of themselves and even signed their names at the bottom like true artists.
Beth felt a tap on her shoulder by an elderly woman (thankfully, not the grandma cupcake) who then pointed to the pole to show the younger woman that she can cross the street now and not have to wait another five minutes standing with three thousand pounds of food in her arms.
As Beth put her phone back and walked cautiously to not accidentally spill anything inside the bags, a small smile began to spread across her face that began to make her check hurt as she tried to hold it in. Alison drew a police dog and it had ‘For Beth’ written across the top. Alison was thinking of her and now she can’t stop thinking of Alison.
Beth was in this deep.
