I’M NOT asking you, I’m telling you! I want it, Theo, and I want it now!” I told my husband.
It was early morning and we were both getting ready for work. Thank goodness our baby girl, Neo, was still fast asleep, her dummy tight in her little mouth.
“But it’s such an expense,” my beloved complained as he buttoned a deep-blue shirt. “And it isn’t necessary. You’re overreacting, creating a drama where none exists.”
“But it is necessary, don’t you understand, Theo? I need it for my peace of mind.”
“It” was a spy camera system. I wanted it set up around the house. Just to check what Neo’s babysitter got up to when we were at work. I’m sure you’ve read all the horror stories in newspapers and on social media – babysitters do such dreadful things to their little charges. Surely Theo wanted his precious one-year-old daughter to be safe and well cared for? Surely he was as concerned as I was?
Theo was knotting his tie now. I watched him in the mirror – such a handsome man! But oh, so stubborn!
“Listen, I trust Lucy with my life,” he said. “I know she would never hurt Neo. Not ever! After all, she’s family! And Neo is always happy with Lucy. She cries when Lucy leaves. That’s proof nothing bad is going on.”
There was a knock at the front door – Lucy the babysitter had arrived. Theo went to let her in and I could hear the two of them chatting and joking together.
They always joked and teased each other. I went to join them and the pair looked a little embarrassed – as if I’d caught them red-handed. Or was that just my imagination?
“Neo’s still sleeping,” I told Lucy. “You can start with the ironing.”
This story is from the 30 January 2020 edition of Drum English.
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This story is from the 30 January 2020 edition of Drum English.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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