Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 88841 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88841 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
Since I’m speechless, I simply nod and follow her with Violet by my side.
When we step inside the building, a blast of cold air hits us. The main lobby is beautiful and modern with a marble floor and gold trim. It screams wealth and sophistication, and while I can’t imagine this place housing a childcare facility, I thank the clothing gods I’m dressed in a button-down cream blouse and black slacks with my black Gucci pumps. It’s the only professional attire I own since it’s what I was wearing the day—
“Welcome to Kingston Limited,” Ana says, cutting off my thoughts. “This is Margaret Cole. She runs the front desk, and this is Mr. Vega.” She smiles at the security guard standing next to the desk. “He handles all the visitor passes. This is Kira …”
“Miller,” I say.
“Kira Miller will be interviewing with me. Can you get her a visitor pass, please?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he says. “May I have your ID?”
“Oh, um … sure.” I reach into my back pocket and pull out my ID and hand it to him. I knew if I got a job, I’d have to give my information, but I pushed it aside, telling myself that once I got hired, I’d deal with the rest later.
“Kira Williams,” he says, handing me my visitor badge.
I flinch at the use of my legal last name and force a smile. “Thank you,” I tell him, then turn to Ana, wanting to address my last name before it becomes an issue. “I’m in the middle of a divorce,” I explain, and she nods in understanding.
“Childcare is on the second floor,” Ana says as we get onto the elevator. “We have an indoor and outdoor playground, a full-sized kitchen and lunchroom, a naptime room, three playrooms, and a theater room.”
The bell chimes, and we get off the elevator and step into an empty hallway. Ana guides us toward a door that reads Kingston Childcare and swipes her badge, unlocking the door.
“Nobody can get in without a badge,” she explains. “And only employees with the special badges can get off the elevator and onto this floor. The children’s safety comes first.”
Unlike the opulence in the lobby, the walls are painted various primary colors with hand-painted designs. Ana takes us on a tour of the childcare facility, and I’m in awe at how welcoming and cozy it is while housing the most state-of-the-art equipment.
I meet two other teachers, who are very pleasant, and one offers to let Violet play with the other kids while I interview.
Before I can insist that she stay with me, Violet runs off in excitement to play, and I can’t tell her no since I know she’s been missing the stimulation from playing with other kids.
“At Kingston Limited, we want to make the environment more family friendly,” Ana explains. “By offering childcare to our employees, it allows them to work and know their children are taken care of. Many of them will come down during lunch to visit their babies.”
“Makes sense. A happy employee is a dedicated employee.”
“Exactly,” she agrees, opening the door to an office that only has the bare minimum—a desk and two chairs.
“This isn’t my office,” she says, rounding the desk. “But I’m too tired to walk all the way there.”
I laugh and have a seat across from her. “I get it. I loved being pregnant, but toward the end, I couldn’t wait to evict her.”
“I’m counting down the weeks,” she admits. “Now, Kira, tell me about yourself.”
We spend the next half hour chatting, and I find Ana easy to talk to. We go over my experience, and she asks me about various situations to gauge how I would handle them.
When it seems that she’s satisfied with my answers, she hands me an iPad so I can fill out an application with my references. I pray she doesn’t notice that I’ve been unemployed for the past year. Of course, she doesn’t miss a beat.
“There’s no mention of any workplace during the past year,” she says. “Mind if I ask why?”
“I was fortunate to be able to be home with my daughter,” I tell her, giving her a half truth. “But my financial situation has changed, and I need to go back to work.”
“And before that, you worked at a bar. Why not in the educational field?”
“Bartending pays better.” I shrug. “I worked in childcare for six years—two during high school and the four years I was in college as well as the months leading up to me giving birth. But after Violet was born, it didn’t make sense to work just to pay for her to be in day care. So, I worked nights while my mom watched her,” I admit truthfully.
She nods in understanding. “The position is only part-time. We already have two full-time providers on staff, but we need a third to meet the state requirements. So, if you need more hours …”