Part 6: The Policy

The employment adviser met with the household staff without me present. She asked what made scheduling difficult and what changes might help. The staff requested advance notice of changes where possible, a clear way to report emergencies, and written information about leave and temporary coverage.

Martin drafted a policy with the adviser. We reviewed the cost, checked the applicable requirements, and offered the staff another chance to comment before adopting it. The final version did not solve every childcare problem. It did mean that a person did not have to guess whether asking a question would put their job at risk.

Lena read it at the kitchen table. “Thank you for asking us first,” she said.

“You should have had a clear policy before.”

She nodded. “Yes.”

I appreciated that she did not soften the answer for me. An apology was useful only if it made room for the truth.

At the station shop, the trial reached its midpoint. Evening hours brought in customers, but Tuesday mornings remained quiet. Farah suggested opening later on Tuesdays and using the paid time to prepare orders for collection. The finance team modeled the change. We agreed to test it for the remaining weeks and tell customers well in advance.

A local school asked whether the shop could host a class visit. Farah checked the capacity and offered two smaller groups on separate mornings. She also asked the teacher whether any students needed materials in a different format or a quieter introduction. The teacher sent questions from the children, including one about how books were delivered.

Poppy heard about the visit and asked why she could not go with the school group. Lena explained that it was for a different class, and that she could visit another day. Poppy was disappointed. She put her badge in a drawer and announced that she was retiring.

“Already?” I asked when she told me.

“Bodyguards don't get invited to everything.”

“That sounds like a sensible reason to retire.”

She considered this. “Can I come back if there's an emergency?”

“Only if your mother agrees.”

Lena helped her make a paper sign for her room: Poppy's Office. She drew the letters with guidance and added a crooked star. The sign did not create a real job, and nobody pretended it did. It gave her a place for play that did not require her to manage an adult's feelings.

A few days later she visited the shop with Lena and chose a book about a mouse who built a house. She asked Farah whether the mouse needed a door handle. Farah turned the pages with her until they found one, very small, beside the mouse's window.

At the end of the trial, the numbers showed improvement but not enough to cover the full rent increase the landlord had proposed for a new lease. Martin brought the figures to my office. I could have signed the closure papers that afternoon. Instead I asked him to arrange a meeting with the landlord and the shop team.

The meeting might not produce an agreement. It would at least let everyone understand the choices before a decision was made.