I spent all night writing a list for Valerie of everything that I noticed needed doing around the place, but
it was a little challenging, considering I didn’t know what half the place looked like. I also spent a good
chunk of time listing ways to advertise the site once it was up and running. I didn’t even know this place
existed until I drove past it in the taxi on my way back to my car. Lived in this city my entire life, and I
never realized there was a hotel on this side of the City and on the main street. Valarie would not need
this information until the place was ready to open, which was a long way off. And that is if it passed the
health and safety inspections first because this place was literally falling apart at the seams.
I managed to get a hold of Macey and Zoe; they were keen to find work. Both of them were floored with
the amount Valarie was willing to pay them, making me realize it wasn’t just me that was under paid
and overworked when I was working, but rogues in general. Macey said her mother would watch her
daughter, and Zoe said she would have to bring hers but had a baby carrier and pram she could use.
Sixteen -year-old Zoe, I felt terrible for her being so young. Her mother was a rogue but died when she
was a child, and she has spent her entire life in and out of child orphanages and refuges. How lonely it
would feel to be entirely on your own all your life. I spent over an hour on the phone with her. She
sounded miserable where she was. So I ended up going down and speaking to Valarie and asking if it
was alright if Zoe shared the room with me. It had a fold -out bed; if Zoe would feel weird about sharing
the double with me, Valarie nicely agreed and seemed excited about someone Zoe coining here.
The following day, I woke up to Valarie calling out to me, her voice faint as she called out from
downstairs. Sitting up, I see Valerian is still asleep, and my mouth falls open when I realize it is nearly
10 am. We slept in. Usually, I am up as soon as the sky lightens when sleeping in my car, around 6 am.
”Everly wakey, wakey, ” comes Valarie’s voice from the other side of the door as she knocks. I quickly
rushed to the door, embarrassed that I slept so late. Opening it, Valarie was standing there with smoke
between her lips, wearing jeans and a tank top, with a vest that was open, and she had steel cap boots
on. She looked ready to kick ass, hopefully not mine. She was one tough lady with a heart of gold.
”Finally, you are up. Did you have a good sleep? I didn’t want to wake you, ” She says.
”I am so sorry— ” I go to tell her, but she waves me off.
”Don’t worry about that; I turned your alarm off and came in with the master key, come, come. I need
your help unloading my truck, ” She says, walking off toward the stairs. I look back in the room.
Valerian sleeps peacefully, and I leave the door open before following her down the stairs in my
pajainas.
”I have been shopping, couldn’t have Valerian sleeping on that dirty mattress, and now Zoe is coining
with her baby. I thought I would grab some things, it turns out I have a shopping problem. Everything
was so cute and reminded me of when I went shopping for my son when I had him, ” Valarie gushes,
her sparkle bright with her excitement.
Pointing to the tray of her truck. I blink, shocked. She had indeed been shopping.
My hands go to my mouth ”Valarie, ” I was gobsmacked. I didn’t know what to say; I couldn’t believe
she had done all this for two rogue girls she barely knew and one she hadn’t even met yet. There were
two cots, two of everything. And everything you could possibly think of, including baby toys, both
babies would be a little too young to play with, even baby mobiles and cot sheets and blankets.
”Oh, check this out ; this even has a camera so you can watch them while they sleep, ” Valarie says,
holding up a baby monitor. “Didn’t have these when mine was a youngin, “
”I don’t know what to say, this is seriously the nicest thing someone has done for me, and you have
already done enough, and I just met you, ” I croaked out, becoming emotional. Big fat tears roll down
my face. How could one woman be so kind? She has shown more kindness in the last 24 hours than I
received in the year I have been rogue.
”It takes a village to raise a child; we are going to build our own village, ” Valarie says before clapping
her hands.
”Now, let’s get this stuff up to the room before the delivery truck comes. We also need to get that bed
out; two new ones arrive around twelve ; what time will the girls get here?”
“They said ten this morning, “
“Well, we better hop to it, then I need a coffee and about ten more of these to build up the motivation,“
She says, holding up her smoke. I chuckle, and we start undoing the straps holding everything in place.
I was exhausted when I ran the last of it up, the room looking more like a baby store. I shook my head,
trying to figure out where the heck Zoe and I were going to put it all. Valarie was having a rest and
feeding Valerian a bottle. She was very fond of my son and commented about four or five times already
about his eyes. Her fascination with them confused me. Hearing a truck reversing, Valerie hops up,
looking out the door and over the balcony.
“Now, please tell me that is your car. Otherwise, I have just stolen someone else’s from the train
station“ She giggles.
“What?“ I ask, getting up and walking over to see a tow truck with my car on the back.
“Yes, that is my beast; I would have walked back and got it,“ I told her, feeling bad she wasted money
getting it towed.
“Nonsense, Phil owed me a favor anyway, picked him up one time when his truck broke down, said he
owed me one, and I simply collected,“ She said.
The truck door opens, and a big burly trucker gets out with a beard and balding head.
“Val, where do you want it?“ He calls out to her. “Anywhere, Phil, we have the keys to move it, “ She
calls back to him. Looking at the time, I see it is nearly ten in the morning. I told the girls I would meet
them out front near the curb so they could find the place easier; they were also unaware there was a
hotel here and were confused when I mentioned the address. ”Girls should be nearly here, ” I tell
Valarie , and she waved me off, going back to feeding Valerian and fussing over them. I smile at her.
Valarie’s whole attitude seemed different since yesterday. Valarie seemed almost happy. It was almost
like she had found a new lease on life.
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