"Vicky asked about Luci specifically, she couldn't remember the last time she saw you, it would make the event so special and who knows how many more she..." Rachel begins to mumble, the thought of her friends advancing age seeming to weigh on her.
"I like greens, yellows, and browns" I mutter under my breath, pouting a little as I shuffle towards the door. Catching my intention Rachel immediately perks up, the older woman cooing excitedly as she quickly minces to catch up to me.
"Earth tones, they'll suit you dear, very mature" she remarks, jotting down more notes in her notebook. As we reach the door I find her wrapping her arms around me from behind, my heart melting for a moment as my body reacts to the affection.
"Don't you worry on second dear" Rachel coos, reaching up to open the door. "Let Nana organize everything, you just head down to the office."
My stride stumbles a little as my prancing gait strains against the elderly woman clutching at me from me behind. As I emerge into the hallway I hear the keys in the door jingle and Rachel snags them in her liver spot dotted hand and pockets them from pull the large aging wooden slab shut behind us.
"Luci" coos a familiar voice, the drained and tired tones of Haley immediately making me jump in place as she stands in her apartment's doorway. Dressed in in a set of dark brown sweatpants and an old sweater from her college volleyball team, her hair hanging about her head is a messy tangle as she nurses a small bundle of pink and cream-colored blankets in one arm and a cup of coffee in the other.
"Hi Mrs Mitchell" I squeak, flashing the woman a smile as I look down at her from my tall slender frame. "And hell-oo you widdle cutie" my greeting continues, growing quieter as I fawn over the baby.
"Thank god I caught you, can you look after..." Haley begins to ask, stopping as she stops Rachel standing behind me. He relieved smile slowly slip from her lips, a defeated expression creeping across her face. "Oh, hello Mrs..."
"Good morning Haley" Rachel coos, walking out from behind me and approaching the young mother. "How you finding life with this sweet little blessing?" she asks, smirking almost knowingly as she gently strokes the bundle of blankets.
"Great!" Haley chirps with no small amount of straining in her voice. "Couldn't be better... but..." she continues, pausing for a second as she bites her lip. "I was wondering... if your lovely granddaughter might be willing to babysit this Friday? We can pay for..."
"Of cour..." I begin to chirp back before I can even think of what I'm saying, my mouth moving on it's own before Rachel cuts me off.
"She's busy unfortunately" the older woman mutters with a little shake of her head, "perhaps Kelly or Annabelle might be able to, I'll call Anna today and ask if you'd like?"
Haley looks to me for a second, perhaps worrying about the young young and her overbearing grandmother, before shrugging in resignation. "Could you please?" she asks, sipping carefully at her coffee. "We'd die to be able to have a night out, even just a dinner without..."
"I understand dear" Rachel coos, seemingly tickling at the sleeping baby in the blankets. "How do you think I got so many grandchildren?" As if on cue she quickly looks to me, nodding towards the stairs. "Lucinda, come on, if' you're skipping school you're at least helping in the office" she states, flashing one last smile at Haley before walking off towards to stairwell.
"R...Right!" I chirp, skipping along after her. "Bye Mrs Mitchell, maybe next time!"
"Why can't I..." I begin to mutter to Rachel as we begin to descend the stairs, my words slipping out in more of a petulant grumble than expected.
"Because..." she simply replies, slowly moving down the steps as she uses the handrail to keep her aging frame steady. "Firstly, you'll be busy. Secondly, you have enough money thanks to me. Thirdly, if you want to spend more time as Luci I'd expect you'd be spending it studying rather than playing babysit..."
"Busy?" I chirp back in confusion, flouncing down the stairs as my skirt puffs out with each step. I'm forced to hold one hand to my leg to keep the skirt from flying up too far, while the other rests across my generous chest to keep it from bouncing too wildly in the tight button-up shirt. "I don't have any..."
"Luci will..." Rachel begins to snap back, catching herself as her stern matronly tone begins to take over. With a deep breath she pauses at the landing, sighing slightly before pulling out a small cheap phone from her pocket. "Why don't you head down to the office ahead of me? I'll get you your new things and will meet you there later."
"Uh... Are you sure Nana?" I ask softly, the older woman's lips quivering as they appear to fight back a smile.
"I'm sure dear" she responds with a warm soothing tone. "Just answer the phones, chase up that email from Douglas and... oh and make that little you know what on floor five pay her rent" she explains, grumbling as she refers to my upstairs neighbor.
"Gracie is good for it" I state, cocking my hip and placing a hand on it. "I mean... I think, she at least has a steady job and..."
"Do what you think is best dear" Rachel sighs, walking past me and wandering down the stairs. "I trust you can run things while I'm gone." The older woman slows for a moment at the last few words, pausing for a moment before continuing her walk down the stairs.
I on the other hand bound down multiple steps at a time, my morning coffees playing havoc on my youthful and already over energetic form. "Sure thing Nana!" I call out, leaving her in the dust as I race down to the next floor and then the one after that in search of the lobby below. Overwhelmed with energy I barely consider just what had been going through Rachel's mind, instead quickly skipping into the small back office as I quickly dive into the plush and comfortable office chair with a giddy spin.
The back office is positively tiny, having been used solely by Rachel prior to the accidental creation of her helpful school-skipping granddaughter. The slender rectangular room is flanked to the right side with a long desk, an old LCD display and piles of papers yet to be filed sit resting atop the flimsy and disposable piece of furniture. A phone hangs on the back wall, the old device and it's aging yellow plastic having been mounted there decades ago only to never really get updated.
The seat is the only nice piece of furniture in the office, the large and extremely well padded black leather seat being comfortable enough to sleep in and large enough to not be constantly bumping into the armrests. The cushioning along the back careful contort the spine, providing support and promote good posture. Rachel had originally bought it to help with pain and discomfort brought on by sitting all day with her slouched back, however, more recently it had simply been training 'her granddaughter' to set with perfect posture and with her chest press outward.
Booting up the aging computer beneath the desk, the white plastic shell and the purple buttons showing a multitude of scuffs and scrapes along with a mounting layer of dust, the screen flickers to life. Crossing my legs daintily I spin to look at the screen, shuffling myself closer as I try to navigate the cramped pace of the back room. With undo speed I quickly begin to tap at the keys, logging into the account Rachel had set up after my first accidental day as her youngest granddaughter. Navigating the old system had become second nature in this body, my delicate digits quickly whipping the mouse around to open up a multitude of programs and webpages in preparation for the day.
"Alright" I chirp, brushing some of my long and wild hair behind my ear. "Time to get to work."
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