6.5: Moving Fast

   I sat sniffling on the bench, waiting for Booker. This was our... I wasn't sure what number date. It was our fifth since we began dating a month ago, but we had gone out on things that vaguely resembled dates before he asked me to go steady. He was such a romantic, sending me roses, complimenting me on the little things, and tonight he invited me out to the beach for a sunset picnic. I was waiting in the park for him to get off from work, then we would travel to the beach.
    I suppose it would be very easy to say my life was perfect. The thing about perfection is that it always seems so close. Your life plan is a quilt missing a few threads. If only it had those threads, then it would be the most beautiful thing ever created. This was my life, so wonderful, but not perfect. I felt guilty that I had been crying earlier... I had a wonderful life. I shouldn't be wishing for perfection.
  "Hey, beautiful."
  "Booker." I giggled, as my heart sped up.
  "You alright?" He looked into my eyes with concern. "Your eyes are red."
   "I'm fine." I shrugged. "You know."
   "Come on, you can trust me." I wasn't a very open person. I wasn't one to give my trust to anyone. I wasn't the girl who was helpless without her boyfriend. I was someone who trusted Booker completely, though. I knew he wouldn't hurt me.
    "I just... I want to have a daycare, right? Well
in Appaloosa Plains you have to have a home inspection and receive a license before you can legally open and advertise yourself as a daycare. Some dumb act, CCSA or something, enforced these super strict standards your ho
use has to meet. "
    "The Childcare Safety and Protection Act, CSPA. I remember that, it was one of the first things I voted on to pass."
   "Oh." I could feel my cheeks heating up. "It isn't dumb. It helped shut down one daycare that was in some guy's basement and had, like, broken cribs and one kid ended up in the hospital with an infection from the mold growing down there... it was cheap, so parents who worked earning barely minimum wage could afford it. I just..."
   "Tell me what happened.When did the evaluation person come?"
   "This morning."

That Morning...
 
  I hurriedly sat my oatmeal bowl in the dishwasher. I was anxious for the government worker to get here, so we could begin. I need to meet the proper qualifications so I could be a daycare owner. As soon as I slammed the dishwasher door closed, I heard the doorbell ring. I rushed to open the door. A lady with glasses, and a few wrinkles beginning to etch her face, with her hair tied back in a tight bun was standing on the porch. Her clipboard was attached to her arm and a pen tucked neatly behind her ear looked as if it was about to fall out.

  "Hello, hi come right in."
  "I am Miss. Elisabeth Crinklesworth."
  "Miss. Crinklesworth, I'm Kayleigh Janes. Kayleigh's fine."
  "Number three on the list for my to inspect today.'"
  "Number three? There's a lot, isn't there?"
  "We shalln't be distracting with small talk, Ms. Janes. I tolerate no small talk."
  "Um, of course. Want to begin the tour?"
  "It isn't about if I would want to begin the tour or not, it is my duty to take it and preform an evaluation. Asking me if I would want to is a pointless question, you're much better off asking if I am ready."
   "Are you ready to begin the tour?"
   "You talk a bit too much, don't you think? I assume this is why you prefer children over adults, they can handle the gibberish you spout well, I'd presume."
   "I apologize." I said, embarrassed. This snooty, uptight lady was going to be evaluating me? I took a deep breath. This only I was going to have to try even harder then what my best was, I was going to have to be incredible. "Right this way, please. First there's the living room."
   "Sitting room. Any proper young lady should know that. You live in every room."
   "Sitting room." I clenched my teeth as she began prodding at the cushions on the chairs, picking up the nick-knacks and pictures on the mantel, and using her finger to look around for a speck of dust. Anything to complain about."I'm planning on taking out the couches-"
   "Sofa. Dear my, you didn't have a raising that was very good, did you?"
   "My parents did fine." I mumbled under my breath. "As I was saying, I'm planning on removing the sofa, coffee table, and chairs and buying some child friendly furniture and toys to place down here. This will be the main room; I don't plan on keeping any children upstairs, since they could fall down the steps and it might be a hazard, also the bedrooms are upstairs and-"
   "Isn't ever piece of furniture child friendly? They can sit on it, can't they? It may have corners that are sharp, but that doesn't mean they cannot sit upon it, does it?"
   "Of course. I just meant some plastic chairs and bean bags, maybe a small table for them to draw and play at."
   "Ugh."
   "Excuse me?"
   "This is simply horrid. A fireplace is a deathtrap, don't you think?"
   "I was planning on using a child safety fence and placing it around it, so nobody would get hurt. I have everything upstairs, the fences and all. I'd be using some for the steps, too."
   "No, no, no! It's a dusty mess. Child safety fences? There's another word I dislike! Every fence keeps a child out of something, doesn't it? So that means every fence can be used to keep a child safe, doesn't it?" I heard her scribble something down on a piece of paper firmly attached to the clipboard. I wonder what she wrote.
    "Miss. Crinklesworth, I didn't name the product. Maybe you should write a letter or something, but don't lecture me. I just want my license!" I immediately felt the regret fill me up, as Miss. Crinkleworth's face began to twist up with displeasure. Her nostrils flared, her eyes became black and beady, and the wrinkles on her reddening forehead became much more pronounced.
    "I'm afraid I've seen enough." Her shrill voice snapped.
    "I'm sorry, but it's my house you're here to judge, not me."
    "Ms. Janes, please see me out." She demanded, the pen on her clipboard making tapping noises. Tap, tap, tap.
    "Yes, miss." I slowly dragged my feet to the door, trying to keep my head held high. I was meant to do this, wasn't I? It wasn't me who was so bad, was it?
    "I have one more examination to complete. She tapped her pen on her clipboard, as we stood on the front porch. Tap, tap, tap. "No one received a license so far and I doubt they will. Girly, you should go to college and stop being foolish about a daycare. You're home isn't for it."
    "What could I fix? Could I remodel or-"
    "No, no. It's dreadful. There's no fixing it."
    "Renovations? Anything? Please, I really want this. Look, I had some trouble as a kid... a month or two ago, really. I feel passionate about little kids and I really want this, okay?"
    "Give up."
    "No! What could I do? I'm sorry if I'm abrupt or whatever, but I'm tired of this. I asked a question, why won't you tell me?"
    "You would have to move. Your home's older. The steps don't fit code, the fireplace would have to go, everything. The pond is safety issue, Ms. Janes you seem like a nice young lady who would be very good with children."
    "Thank you."
    "But, you're home will not work."
    "Okay." I took a deep breath.
    "I must go."
    "Alright..." I stood on the porch, as she walked away in her pinstriped suit. I was a nice girl?  I would be good with kids? I'd have to move, though. Why couldn't my home just be up to code? Why? I didn't want to move. I lived with my parents for eighteen years and didn't want to move out. I would when I had money saved up, but now? I'm be going into debt up to my eyeballs and a daycare couldn't take care of it. I felt a tear creep down my face. I was so confident. It wasn't the worst of things, I could move. How, though?  I spent a good portion of my money that was meant for college on children's stuff for the daycare. I just... I took a deep breath. I would have to move, if I wanted my dream to come true. It was a harsh reality  that I had to face.

Back To the Park...

   "Kayleigh... I'm sorry." He wrapped his arms around me.
   "Promise me you won't pull some strings and end up changing laws for me."
   "Since you said so." He took a big, over dramatic sigh. "You know I'd do anything for you, right?"
   "I know, you would... I'm still a citizen, though. The rules still apply to me."
   "I want you to be happy."
   "I'm happy obeying the law you worked so hard to put in place."
   "The Miss. Crinklesworth  lady sounds horrible. But she's right about one thing."
   "What?" I asked, shocked.
   "You're going to be great with kids."
    "Really? You think so? Booker, will you help me find a house?"
    "What did your parents say?"
    "Oh, you know. They want me to stay and they'll help me get enough money. They say anything that'll be decent and fit code will be too expensive for my on my own."
     "You know that they're probably onto something."
     "Booker, I wan this so badly. I know that I;m broke, but I want to inspire kids. I want to take care of them and help them. Sitting at home or working at some fast food joint won't let me do that. I need to get out there and go."
     "Move in with me."
     "What?!"
     "Move in with me. You need a home and you can't afford one of your own. Kayleigh, I love you. You'll take this risk, moving out, regardless of what anyone says. My house isn't even a decade old, it has a spacious first floor for the daycare. It's everything you'd need for a center and nobody could say otherwise."
    "It's so fast though... I mean. I love you, too Booker." It felt odd to say when I knew he loved me back. "And I want to... yes."
    "Yes? That's great! I'll do anythingt o help you be happy, including sharing my home with you."
    "Thank you."
    "Least I could do."
    "You could do a whole lot less. You're... a girl's dream, really."
    "You don't know that." He chuckled.

    "I do, too." I slowly leaned over to kiss him. "I do, too." I whispered. It all moved so fast. He was saving my life, I was madly in love with him, we kissed, he asked me out, we were moving in together. All in not even two months. It was moving so fast that I didn't see how anything could be bad, I was blinded. It all seemed so, so good to me.