Nana

“…is the most advanced bio-engineered monitoring system ever created.” The pleasant woman said, smiling at Millie and baby Joe. Millie instantly liked her, reminded of a favorite aunt whose arrival was always welcome. Relief washed over Millie the moment she met the woman, which persisted despite Millie’s anxiety over Joe’s fussing. She held Joe tighter against her bosom, hoping to calm his agitation.

The daycare was called Nature’s Embrace. Millie focused on the sign as she gathered her nerve to enter. She took several deep breaths and listened to Joe squirming in his car seat. He wasn’t quite crying, but he was clearly distressed. Guilt washed over Millie. The idea of leaving her son in someone else’s care disgusted her. But the idea also excited her a little. The relief filled her with more guilt. Joe moaned. Millie breathed.

Nine weeks. That’s how much maternity leave she was given. Now it was gone. Joe had only been hers for nine weeks. He’d been insider her, a part of her for longer than that. And yet here she was, getting ready to hand him over to complete strangers. She had to work, though. With Joe’s father out of the picture, Millie was the sole provider. Strangers were her only option. Not by choice, though. At least that’s what she told herself. She had asked her parents first.

“Your father barely participated when you were a baby,” Her mother said, taking a sip from her martini. “His absentmindedness is getting worse with his age.” She looked away from Millie, leaving the conversation there. The next day she sent Millie a text message with a link to Nature’s Embrace Daycare.

Millie read the sign again and exhaled. She admired the unique shape of the building. The walls curved up into sweeping points that overlapped. The design formed a pod like structure. More pods, shaped similar, attached to the first. The architectural design was genius, evoking an organic aesthetic.

Taking deep, steadying breaths, Millie collected Joe in her arms, along with her guilt and relief. She carried all three into the daycare. The air inside was humid, but not unpleasant. The fresh aroma of spring flowers put Millie at ease. Despite no obvious windows, the room lit up with the natural warmth of sunlight.

“You must be Millie,” The pleasant woman said, smiling. “And this must be Joe. We spoke on the phone yesterday.”

At the sight of the woman, some of Millie’s anxiety subsided. Even Joe seemed to stop fussing as much.

“Nana is the most advanced bio-engineered monitoring system ever created.” She said, indicating soft glowing lights. “She’s fully integrated into every room in the building, giving her the ability to monitor the children at all times.”

“Her?” Millie asked, shifting Joe from her tired right arm to her left. Joe let out a distressed moan and buried his face under Millie’s chin.

“We refer to Nana as her to help invoke the maternal nature of care provided for our children.” She smiled again, and Millie felt more anxiety fade. If she were being honest with herself, this was the best she’d felt since before Joe’s birth.

“What are these?” Millie asked indicating large round pods that emitted a warm red glow.

“Nana’s most innovative component and the secret to our success.” She gave Millie a sidelong glance with a conspiratorial grin. “Let me show you.” She beckoned Millie to follow her into another room.

The pod in here was open, unfolded like butterfly wings. A warm red glow emitted from below soft translucent cushions. Long thin strands decorated the edge of the pod, like elaborate eyelashes. It reminded Millie of something, but she couldn’t quite place it. Joe whimpered and Millie’s anxiety crept back in. Soon the wailing would start. Undisturbed, the woman pointed to the pod, indicating Millie should lay Joe in it.

“It’s a napping chamber, designed to remind the child of being in the womb.”

Millie hesitated, holding her baby boy against her. His little body radiated so much heat, burning with vibrant life. It warmed her up. Joe had filled every moment of her life for the last nine weeks, hell for the last year. And yet the idea of laying him down, abandoning her burden, even for a little while, was a massive relief. The guilt of leaving him so soon struggled with the guilt she had for feeling relieved.

They never told Millie how tired she’d be. She never conceived how much time a baby would demand of her. They didn’t tell her how exhilarating the first time breast feeding would be, and how quickly it became a chore. One minute Millie marveled at giving nourishment from her body to Joe’s. The next, She’s thinking about how much he drains her. All these thoughts intersected at the precipice of sleep, robbing Millie night after night.

She took another deep breath, inhaling the unique smell that was her baby, her Joe. He whined and squirmed as she laid him onto the soft red cushions. To her surprise, he immediately stopped fussing. He peered up into her eyes, serenity and love in his twinkling gaze. Millie felt as though her heart would burst. The relief of letting him go was overwhelming. Millie stumbled back awkward, feeling like a drunk person standing after becoming intoxicated. As she turned to follow the woman out, she glimpsed the pod closing, enveloping her son completely. The long eyelash like fingers folded together.

The woman led Millie back through the daycare to the front. As they went, Millie felt her guilt lift, only to be replaced with an overwhelming positive feeling. By the time they reached the front door, Millie felt better than she could ever remember.

“How do you feel?” The woman asked. Millie grinned at her. She felt amazing.

“Good, really good.”

“That’s Nana hard at work.”

Millie tried to focus on the woman, but she couldn’t. It was odd, but Millie could see through the woman. Millie laughed, a ridiculous loud outburst. The colors were more saturated more vivid, ready to burst and engulf her. The fresh floral aroma filled each breath she took, pouring cleanliness into her.

“Nana releases a soothing agent. It helps to relax the clients. When you leave here, all of your burdens will be forgotten. You’ll go off to work and forget about this place.”

“Sure, I will,” Millie said, a silly grin invading her face. “There was something,” she began, raising a finger. Unable to remember what she was going to say, Millie shook her head and laughed again.

She stepped out into the morning sunshine, leaving the woman behind. The woman who wasn’t even there, she thought and giggled. And the thing she’d been trying to remember, not remember, that wasn’t right. Millie rubbed her eyes. She was having trouble focusing her thoughts. The pod, the bed, with the eyelashes. An image of a Venus flytrap briefly formed in her mind. She giggled again, what a silly thought. By the time she got to her car she’d completely forgotten about it.

As Millie started her car, she looked around. The area was massively overgrown with bright green and red vegetation. She saw another girl, around her age, giggling and stumbling drunkenly through the parking lot. She didn’t know why she was here, but it didn’t matter. If she didn’t get moving, she’d be late for work.

End

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