I'd been a little doubtful of the agreed-upon amount I'd be paid, especially when Theodore had changed the contract to reflect $150,000 instead of $100,000 in the blink of an eye. Who threw that kind of money around? I didn't trust him and with good reason; he was extremely stingy with any information about Harry, he had already misled me about the job in general, and he clearly wasn't a loving and reasonable man.

Still, he showed up at the end of the first month and handed me $12,500 cash in US dollars. I'd never seen so much money in bills before. I stumbled and stuttered a bit before I said, "I...weren't you going to set up direct deposit for me? I was going to give you my account information, but I'm sorry I haven't had the chance-"

"No, that won't be happening," He interrupted. "I will pay you in cash. Once a month."

"Um, okay," I said. I didn't feel like arguing. Money was money. "Would it be okay if I take a day off next week? I'd like to go into town and explore a bit and find a place to wire the money to my parents so they can deposit it into my account." 

"Which day?" He asked impatiently.

"Saturday?" I ventured. Surprisingly, I wasn't too tired out from having worked for a month straight. Harry took naps often enough for me to get some down time and I really enjoyed being with him. I had been expecting to need much more rest because special needs kids often require a lot of patience due to their need for redirection and repetition, but Harry was very easy to teach and easy to be with. The only thing that was getting to me was being in the same space for so long. I couldn't understand how Harry didn't go crazy, but then again, he didn't seem to know there was anything different outside the four walls of his home and the expanse of his playground.

"Fine, Saturday will work. What is your expected departure and return time?" Theodore asked.

Always formal, at least I could count on that much from dear Mr. Styles. "I'd like to leave at 9 AM and return by 9 PM," I said confidently. Technically, it didn't even fit the "day off" profile since I would be back on duty when I returned, but I didn't feel like booking a hotel just to get a full 24 hours of respite. Harry would likely be asleep by the time I returned in the evening so I could still have some time to myself.

"Very well," he said and turned to leave but then stopped. "Will you need transportation?"

I hadn't thought of that, but I definitely couldn't get to the mainland on my own. "Yes, sir, if it's not too much trouble," I told him. Unless you let me drive one of your fancy sports cars, I added in my mind but I knew that was never going to happen. "And if you don't mind my asking, who will look after Harry while I'm gone?"

"I will take care of it," he said curtly. "Barrows will drive you into town at 9:00 on Saturday."

"Thank you."

I had my day planned out. I would go to a Western Union spot first and wire $10,000 to my parents to deposit into my account. I would take $1000 with me, just in case I wanted to do something really spectacular, but I doubted I would. It was the first time ever that I had a little "fun money" that I could even think about using on something superfluous. I'd keep the remaining $1500 at the house in a secure hiding place, just in case I wanted to save up for a longer getaway at some point.

At precisely 9:00 AM, Theodore showed up in our suite and informed me that Barrows was waiting out front to drive me to wherever I'd like to go. Harry was finishing his breakfast at the kitchen table and I watched his transformation when Theodore stepped in. He went from my sweet, cheerful charge to a scared little boy slinking down in his seat, hoping he wouldn't be noticed. I couldn't believe my own eyes, that Theodore refused to show his son any speck of affection. I felt guilty for leaving but I knew I had to get a break for myself or I'd be no good for Harry.

"Good morning, Barrows," I said, climbing into the back seat of the same imposing SUV.

"Ma'am," he said simply. "Where to?"

I gave him the address of a bank where I could do the Western Union wire transfer. From there, I told him that he could leave me to my own devices and return to pick me up at the same location at 7:00 PM, sharp. He seemed dubious, insisting I take his cell phone number in case I needed a ride somewhere sooner than that. We exchanged numbers but I wanted to explore for myself and not be driven from site to site. I didn't have an exact itinerary, so being on my own would seem to be the best way to move around freely.

I completed the transfer, had a light, late breakfast at a fabulous little French cafe, although I'd eaten some fruit when I'd made Harry's breakfast a bit earlier. Then I took a bus to Granville Island to check out the shopping. The first place I spotted brought Harry to mind, a colorful, welcoming building called The Kids' Market, a place that clearly had been designed with kids in mind. I wandered into the market and came across a chocolate company that made chocolate bites in a huge variety of flavors. They weren't all necessarily ones I'd enjoy, like blueberry, green tea, lemon basil, raspberry, and mango. Still, I bought several flavors, with the intent of sharing every single one with Harry. I hoped that I'd be able to bring him here some day; he would love it!

In addition to the chocolates, I bought Harry a beginners' magic set, an extensive set of Snap Circuits, and a map puzzle of the United States and Canada, thinking about his limited knowledge of geography. It was when I wandered into a bookstore that I truly lost control. I probably spent half of my shopping allowance on books and toys for Harry. Sure, he had plenty, but it would be easy to get bored with the same old things. I bought every single Eric Carle title that I could find since I was sure I hadn't seen any in the learning room, and then on an impulse, I decided to buy Harry a tablet of watercolor papers and some paints. Who knows? Maybe he would be inspired by Eric Carle's whimsical creatures.

After my many purchases, especially the books, I realized that I was kind of stuck with having to carry the heavy bags around. I texted Barrows and asked: Any chance you're still on the mainland? I bought too much.

He texted back: Be there shortly.

I texted him my location in front of the Kids' Market but he arrived within five minutes, which seemed a little suspect to me. Had he been following me? Maybe he really didn't want to drive all the way back to the Styles' home, but it was odd that he reached me so quickly. He took the bags from my hand and said, "Where to next?"

"Well, as long as you're here, I think I'd like to go to Kitsilano Beach," I said, wanting to enjoy some sun. When he dropped me by the beach, I told him, "You can come back for me at four. I will be waiting right here." I watched as he drove away, just to see if he actually disappeared. He did, but he drove awfully slowly as he headed out. I dropped my curiosity and went into a beachside restaurant called The Boathouse to grab a small lunch before changing into my swimsuit.

It was really a splendid way to the spend the day, shopping and eating out and of course, some relaxing in the sun. By the time I was finished with dinner, at around 5:30 PM, however, I was exhausted and ready to go home. I wasn't too shocked when Barrows arrived a few minutes after I texted him this time. He had only dropped me off an hour earlier after retrieving me from the beach.

On the way back home, I asked, "Barrows, do you have a first name?"

If I wasn't mistaken, the very serious Barrows chuckled a little. "Everyone's got a first name," he said. "Mine's Clive."

"Clive Barrows," I said. "That's a very dignified name."

"Thank you," he said.

"Can I call you Clive?" I asked.

"Everyone calls me Barrows," he answered.

"I understand, but it seems so stuffy. Heavens, even Mr. Styles tells me to call him by his first name."

"Who?" Barrows answered and then said, "Oh, right, Theodore." He didn't say anything else after that so I didn't attempt any more conversation. However, when he dropped me off in front of the house, he told me again, "Everyone calls me Barrows. But I'll make an exception for you." He gave me a clandestine wink and drove away.

Harry would probably be happy to see me, I realized. And I wouldn't have my quiet evening alone until after he went to sleep, but that was okay. I kind of missed him already.

When I got back, I went straight for the wing I shared with Harry. I didn't really have any other place to go, although it would be nice to hang out in the main part of the house once in a while. I put my groceries away first, having taken advantage of the first opportunity to shop for myself. Then I put the other items away in my room so I could surprise Harry with them when the time was right. I went to the TV room, thinking I'd find Theodore in there, probably doing some work on his laptop or phone while Harry watched TV, but I didn't find either of them.

Was it possible they would be outside? I wondered. I opened the back door and listened for any sounds of Harry's laughter, but I honestly couldn't envision Theodore doing anything remotely playful with Harry. I finally decided to send him a text. I'm back. Are you and Harry out?

The response came quickly. Harry is in bed for the night. I am in my office.

I went to find Harry and sure enough, he was sound asleep in his bed. At 7:00 PM. I sent Theodore another text. Was he sick?

His reply: No, he was fine today.

"Urggh," I grumbled under my breath, not like Theodore could hear me anyway. Would it kill the man to give me more than abrupt answers once in a while? I went to the doors of the suite and found, thankfully, that they hadn't been locked. Yet. I still hadn't figured out if they were locked every night, and perhaps they were, with Harry's safety in mind. In any case, I went straight to Theodore's office. I politely knocked, although I would rather have barged right in to confront this annoyingly unresponsive man; I knew that I had to tread lightly.

"Yes?" He asked with his usual impatience.

"Hello Theodore," I said and he finally saw fit to look up from his desk.

"Ms. McGill," he stated dryly. "May I help you?"

"I was just wondering why Harry was in bed so early," I said. "I'm just surprised. He usually doesn't get sleepy until he's had his night pills."

"He was very tired today for some reason," Theodore said. "And yes, he had all his medications."

"Did you take his temperature?" I asked, suddenly worried. "Did he complain about feeling sick?"

"No! I told you already that he isn't sick," he answered in frustration. "Why must you question me?"

"I apologize if it seems disrespectful, sir, but it just seems unlike him," I told him softly. "I care about him and I just wanted to make sure everything was okay."

"Yes, fine. Now is that all?"

"Have you had a chance to think about ordering some higher level curriculum for Harry? He is really advancing in math very quickly."

"Ms. McGill, you estimate him too highly. Don't be taken in by his tricks," Theodore said, almost seething.

"What tricks?!" I snapped, not caring anymore if I angered him. "Harry is very bright and his disability seems minimal, at best. I honestly think that he can do so much more than you or any of his other nannies gave him credit for. He needs to be challenged and encouraged. He needs-"

"Don't you tell me what that child needs!" His face was red with fury as he flew towards me and took an intimidating stance over me. "You will do as your told. That's how all my employees function and you will learn to do the same."

I was fuming, but I didn't dare say anything else. The man was impossible. "Fine," I said bluntly, and I turned on my heel and walked away. He had won this round but he hadn't seen the last of me.

When I returned to my suite, I called my brother-in-law Charlie on a whim. He's married to my oldest sister Katherina and he happens to be a pediatrician. I explained the situation to him and he listened intently.

"I'm so frustrated because Harry's disability seems mild," I told him. "He still acts like a child and plays like a child but my gut instinct tells me that he just hasn't learned how to grow up. Does that even make sense?"

Charlie was silent for a moment and then said, "Maturity is generally a learned behavior more than it is instinctive. There are some instincts that probably affect maturity like when people start to develop sexually and have the drive to have sex and procreate. It's largely influenced by the environment but some of it is just raw instinct, so it's a decent possibility that he just hasn't been taught the right way to respond to his environment as an adult."

"I'm glad I'm not just overthinking this," I said with a sigh of relief. "I just wish I knew what his exact diagnosis is and how severe it is. He must have some other conditions that coincide with the disability because he takes an awful lot of medication."

"What does he take?" Charlie asked.

"That's the other thing I wanted to talk to you about," I groaned. "I have no idea. Each week, they deliver a pill box already stocked with his medications for the week. I've asked his father about the medications and his medical reports but he keeps acting like it's none of my business."

"You're responsible for this kid's life. It is most certainly your business," Charlie responded emphatically.

"I know that," I said, feeling helpless. "But try explaining that to Theodore. The man is absolutely impossible."

"Well, keep at him," Charlie encouraged me. "You need to be informed."

"Thank you," I said, feeling better that someone agreed with me about Theodore's irrational approach to details about Harry. "I wish I could get Theodore to have him re-evaluated, but I have a feeling he would never agree to such a thing."

"You know, you could use the Vineland tests on your own, just to track your observations of what he's really capable of. Or I could send you some basic tests to do with him."

"Of course! Vineland sounds perfect," I said, wondering why that hadn't occurred to me. "Yeah, I think I'll try that." The Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales were tests that are completed by the adult in charge of the child in question rather than tests being given directly to the child. So I would observe Harry and fill out the questionnaires. "I'll let you know if I need any of the other things. But I don't think Theodore would accept my own observations seeing as I'm not a doctor."

"Well, good luck, Juliette," he said before ending our call. "Let me know if you need anything else." 

I found a site where I could purchase and download the Vineland scales with the intent of getting started right away. At least that would give me a better idea of what I had to work with. Maybe one day Harry could prove his intelligence to Theodore on his own.

* * * * *

Because you have all shown this story so much love already, this is part 1 of a Double Update! <3 <3 <3