Because Axel can do this. This is a piece of cake. And Jens texts him to say that he is on the airport train and misses them all terribly. Saying, “thank you,” repeatedly.
They get off at the right stop and Axel does all the right things with Mikki crossing the road. Making him hold his hand and look right and left. Look and listen. Cross carefully.
He drops Mikki at the door with a nod to the teacher and Mikki shouting, “Bye bye, Axel!”
Axel smiles. He just smiles. He loves this fatherhood stuff, even though it’s just pretend.
The woman at the door at the nursery looks Axel up and down with a disapproving look, and Axel decides he doesn’t like her. Straight away. Just like that. She just looks cold, and her face is in that permanent scowl of disappointment that drives Axel mad. His mother wore it all her life and it makes Axel shiver.
“Where is Marthe’s Pappa today?” She asks. Like it would be any of her business.
“Marthe’s Pappa is on a business trip today so I will be collecting Marthe later. My name is Axel.” He reaches out to shake her hand. Professional smile on his face. Work mode on.
The woman doesn’t even pretend to smile. Just stares at him and shakes his hand with the limpest of handshakes.
“If Marthe is to be collected by someone who is not on the approved list of adults that Marthe’s guardians have submitted, then we cannot let them collect Marthe on their behalf. I don’t believe that we have had the form submitted to allow anyone else to collect Marthe, so I am afraid that you will have to get Marthe’s Pappa to come and collect this afternoon.”
“As I said, Marthe’s Pappa has left me in charge of the children, so I will be dropping off and collecting Marthe and Mikki today and tomorrow. Their Pappa is away so he will definitely not be collecting.”
Axel sounds like an arsehole, he knows that. But this woman is rubbing him up the wrong way.
“I am the manager of this nursery, and I know that Marthe’s Pappa is aware of the rules and if he meant for you to collect the children, he would have submitted the online form.”
Axel is gritting his teeth. He knows, okay? He wrote a really good article on child protection routines in public institutions a while back. He does the bloody Child Protection refresher course every year. He is well aware of the actual form that Jens probably should have submitted. He knows. He still can’t control himself.
“I am Marthe’s Pappa’s partner, and I will be collecting her later. I am dropping her off and I will be collecting her.”
Axel is doing his stern voice. His ‘I am the professional here and you will do as I say’ voice. He uses that voice on the arsehole fathers who won’t let their partner get a word in when they should have the final say. He uses that voice on the ridiculous birthing-partners who are so out of line that Axel can’t help but mess with them. He uses that voice on himself when he is ridiculous. He is ridiculous now. He knows it.
“I have known the Sommerfeldt family a long time, and I knew Marthe’s mother. I do not know who you are, but you are not being quite truthful now, are you.” The manager is looking very pleased with herself. Speaking to Axel like he is a child.
“I have known Jens Sommerfeldt since we were teenagers. And he is my partner. You are being disrespectful about Marthe’s family, in front of Marthe, and I think you and I both know that you are very much out of line.”
Axel is staring at the woman, who suddenly looks a little bit unsure of herself. Letting her fingers grasp the necklace around her neck.
“Marthe’s father is not… like that.” She snarls, with a tiny bit of desperation in her voice, and Axel doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He doesn’t know whether to be angry, or back the fuck down.
“I am not getting into this discussion with you. You are being insensitive to Marthe, and you are insulting me as her stepfather.” Axel is definitely nobody’s stepfather, but he is on a roll, and the woman is taking a step backwards. “I will be having words with Jens about Marthe’s care here, I am sure he will be saddened to hear your views on Marthe and Mikki’s family.”
“This nursery has a very clear policy, we welcome families of all varieties and we have several parents within the LBGQT community. I didn’t mean to be insensitive, but I am sure Marthe’s Pappa would have mentioned a new partner and filled in the correct forms if this was the case.”
The woman is clearly backtracking and Axel can see that tiny flicker of fear in her eyes. Yup. She knows. She is so out of line it’s not even funny. And Axel is an idiot.
“I won’t be leaving Marthe with you today, and I will be having words with my partner.” Axel turns around to leave.
“But you must leave Marthe here, we are contractually obliged to care for her. She is already on the premises so we can’t let you remove her!”
If Marthe had been trying to get down, if she had been reaching out for this woman wanting to be left at nursery, then Axel would have figured something out.
Axel knows he can just ring Jens and get him to sort the form. He can get this woman to ring Jens. There are ways to fix this. But Marthe is clinging to him, her little arms wrapped around his neck and she is saying, “Pappa Axel,” with a stern little voice behind him and Axel just won’t. He won’t let this woman win.
“I am sure Marthe’s Pappa will fill in all the necessary paperwork for tomorrow, but for now we are leaving.” He says and tips his head to the woman. Who just stands there with her mouth hanging open as Axel slams the door shut behind him. “I’m sorry, Marthe, Axel is being silly.”
“Silly Solveig,” Marthe singsongs in his ear.
“Is that her name, Marthe?”
Marthe doesn’t reply. And Axel starts to panic. He now has to entertain a two-year-old girl who is in her pyjamas, for the next eight hours. Oh fuck.
Axel can do this. He has to.
AXEL: Malena I think I have fucked up.
MALENA: Are the kids OK?
AXEL: Yes, they are fine. I might have been intolerably rude and stupid at nursery.
MALENA: Did Solveig say something?
AXEL: Is that the Manager with the permanent pissed off look on her face?
MALENA: That’s her. Evil woman.
AXEL: Glad it’s not just me.
MALENA: What did she say?
AXEL: Gave me grief and told me I wouldn’t be allowed to pick up Marthe this afternoon. I got pissed off and told her some bullshit and walked out of there. With Marthe.
MALENA: You didn’t! (shocked face emoji) What kind of things did you say?
AXEL: I might have lied and said I was Marthe’s stepdad and that Jens was my partner and called her insensitive and rude.
MALENA: Oh shit, now they will have a go at me and ask me all kinds of weird questions.
AXEL: If they say anything, and I mean ANYTHING to you Malena, then they are breaking all kinds of confidentiality rules and I will have them reported before they can even close up for the day. I promise you. If they say anything to you, please tell me.
MALENA: You kick ass when you want to, don’t you?
AXEL: I do. *proud*
MALENA: Solveig has a crush on Pappa.
AXEL: NO WAY!
MALENA: I heard them talk when I picked up Marthe last week. They call Pappa ‘HOT DAD’. They get disappointed when I collect and it isn’t Hot Dad. Stupid women.