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Henry nods. “There was a car accident. Janie is in a coma.”
“What?” The news hits me like a punch in the gut. “That’s awful. God, I’m so sorry to hear that.”
“Yeah. It’s…not a good situation.” He looks down at the baby. “And Aria won’t stop crying. No matter what I do, she keeps at it.”
My mind is whirling—from seeing Henry, and hearing about Janie, and trying to figure out what I should do about this bizarre situation. I can’t possibly move forward with this job, can I? I’ll have to live here with Henry. I’ll have to abide by his rules. That sounds absolutely dreadful.
And yet my heart is full of sympathy for him. He’s desperate. I can see it in his face. I can’t just walk away and leave him.
Okay. I’ll stay today. But as soon as I get the chance, I’m going to call the agency, explain why I can’t work for him, and ask if there’s someone else they can send out. Problem solved.
“Here,” I say, extending my arms for the crying baby. “Let me take her.”
Henry looks relieved as he hands her over. As I take Aria into my arms, I feel my heart bloom with bittersweet warmth. Aw. Poor little thing.
Aria’s crying fades as she realizes she’s in a new set of arms. Her tear-streaked cheeks turn up at me as her big, curious eyes search my face. I smile at her, the rest of the world fading away for a few moments.
“Seriously?” Henry says. “Wow. Okay. Guess she likes you.”
I look up. “Do you want to show me around?”
“Right. Yeah. Come in.”
Henry steps out of the way, his imposing figure unblocking the door, and I walk into his house. It’s a large, modern home with all the kinds of finishes I would expect a man like him to like: wood, brushed metal, stone. He gives me a hasty tour, bringing me through the kitchen, the living room, the laundry room, and so on. One of his bedrooms has been set up as a nursery, but there’s no real warmth to it; there’s just a crib, a changing table, a floor lamp.
The last room he shows me is the room that I—or, I should say, his actual nanny—will be staying in. Once again, it’s been set up for the purpose of functionality: there’s a bed with plain white sheets, a side table, a closet full of empty coat hangers.
“Did you, uh…bring your things with you?” Henry asks.
Should I tell him that I don’t intend to move in? I probably should, but he already has so much else to be stressed out about. And I know how he gets when he’s stressed. It would probably be best to wait until I’ve confirmed that a replacement is on her way.
“Yes. I have a few bags out in my car.”
“I can bring them in,” he says.
It surprises me, him offering to do that. He’s not the sort of man to do things for others.
“Okay. Thank you. They’re in the back seat.”
Soon, he’s back, setting my bags just inside the door of this guest bedroom. As soon as he sets them down, he checks his watch.
“I have to get back to the office,” he says. “Are you all set here?”
Aria wriggles in my arms. I nod.
“All right,” he says. “I’ll see you tonight, then.”
He pauses, then takes a step toward me. My heart trips as he starts to bend down. What is he…? Oh. Right. I watch as he presses a quick, slightly awkward kiss to Aria’s forehead.
“Bye, Aria,” he says, and then he’s gone.
For the next few hours, I’m solely focused on Aria. I make her a bottle of formula, feed her, burp her, and change her. I laugh at the funny expressions she makes, have multiple one-sided conversations with her, and rock her gently until she falls asleep.
After setting her in her crib, I stay right there, watching her. I’ve only known her for a few hours, but it’s crazy how attached to her I already feel. I don’t remember this kind of bonding happening so quickly with the previous kids I nannied. Is it because I have a personal connection to her? Is it because she’s a newborn?
I guess the reason doesn’t matter. Either way, it’s a problem. I don’t want to get attached to her if I’m going to have to say goodbye to her soon.
I pull myself away from the crib and walk out of the room, softly shutting the door behind me. I’m not sure what to do with myself now. If I was staying, I would unpack all of my things and get settled. But there’s not any point in doing that.
