The days after Christmas had been uneventful and filled with lots of sleeping in, texting Percy, and trying my best not to be hit with Alice's new baseball bat.

Soon the break was over and the first day back to work I was awoken by being shaken by Thalia, which is not a great way to wake up.

"Annabeth, wake up!" Thalia's persistent voice nagged me. She groaned before shaking me again. "Oh, come on!"

I groaned and reluctantly sat up and stretched. I peered out my window, which revealed a pitch black sky. Then I looked at my alarm clock and my eyes widened. "What the hell?! Why are you waking me up at five in the morning?!"

Thalia nodded frantically. "I know that, Annabeth! Alice's daycare just called, and she can't come in today. They said something about being short staffed!"

Alice went to school regularly as she was nearly seven years old, but she had a longer winter break than either me or Thalia, resulting in her having to be sent to a daycare until she had school again.

"What, no!" I said as I stood up and rushed over to my phone. Sure enough, I had several messages, all of them trying to reach me and inform me that the daycare was closed. "You've gotta take her."

"Not until two," Thalia said while shaking her head. "I have classes nearly non stop all day; in fact, the first one starts in an hour! You'll just have to take her to work with you."

I can't take her to work, I thought to myself. Especially not with Percy there. We agreed not to sort through our feelings until once the project was done, and he'll be bound to be suspicious with Alice there.

"My dad," I persisted while nodding. "He can't be too busy, right?"

Thalia groaned. "No, you don't remember? Him and Helen left a few days ago for their trip to England. Remember he's doing some stuffy conference there?"

"Bobby and Matthew?" I suggested. Alice adored her uncles despite their immaturity.

"Bobby and Matthew?! God, you're desperate!" Thalia chastised me. "They're both in college, Annabeth. I'm sure they have classes all day long. Besides, even if they didn't, I don't think they can handle a human child."

I cursed under my breathe. "I can't take today off, not with the schedule we're working at now. We have to do so much per day just to barely be finished by April, and I can't lose this project!"

Thalia's eyes widened. "You sure?! It's that important?"

I nodded. "Yes, Thalia, it is! I guess I could try my mom, but I don't think she'd wanna come babysit, and even if she did a flight from New York to California would never make it in time."

"Now you're actually being crazy," Thalia barked at me. Then she checked the time and groaned. "I've gotta go, but I'm sure your boss wouldn't mind you bringing Alice in, she's a sweetheart. Just ask!"

When I'd first started working at the architectural firm I work at today, Alice had come in with me pretty regularly. Back then I'd just graduated college and all the money I had went towards the apartment, food, and clothes, so I couldn't afford any daycare.

Thalia was true, Alice was a sweetheart. All my co-workers adored her and had known her ever since she was a toddler. She was well behaved and usually didn't get in anyone's way, but bringing her in made me feel like I was more of a burden than an employee.

After several more minutes of frantically trying to think of anyone who could watch Alice for the day, I reluctantly dialed my boss's number and prayed he was already in the office this early despite the fact that he usually was.

Our conversation was brief. After I told him Alice's daycare cancelled and I needed to bring her in, he was thrilled. Maybe he liked her since he reminded him of his own grandchildren, but he allowed her to come.

So after I hung up the phone I quickly got ready for the day and prepared myself for the day ahead of me.