A tense silence followed, broken only by Hailey’s hitched breathing as she stared after her dad with wide, stricken eyes. Sunny gently beckoned her over and enveloped the little girl in a warm embrace.
“We all get a little angry sometimes, don’t we?” she murmured softly, stroking Hailey’s wild curls. “But you have to be careful.” Over the girl’s head, she caught Beth’s approving nod.
“He gets upset about Mama’s things,” Hailey explained meekly. “I think it’s because he misses her too much. I miss her, too.”
“I know, sweetheart,” Sunny reassured, tightening her embrace. “I know. But your dad loves you and your sister more than anything in the world. I could see how sad the broken vase made him, but not as sad as he will be for making you scared. He just needs a little time to calm down.”
Hailey pulled back to look at Sunny with her soulful eyes.
“You think so?”
“I know so,” Sunny affirmed with a wink. “Why don’t we make him one of those nice hot chocolates he likes, to say sorry for the vase? Maybe add a few of those pretty marshmallows. Hot chocolate is all the rage in Paris,” she added in a mock French ballerina accent, pronouncing “shocola” and “Paree.”
Hailey erupted into fits of giggles again, a sparkle returning to her eyes.
As they walked to the kitchen, Beth fell in step beside Sunny.
“Thank you for that,” she murmured under her breath. “I don’t know what to do in those situations. Liam gets so… haunted… by little things, especially if they’re connected to Kate. It’s been really hard on all of them.”
Sunny wrapped an arm around the older woman’s slender shoulders.
“It’s not easy for anyone,” she said. “As the hired help, it can be tough to know where to draw the line, as I’m sure you understand.”
Beth nodded in sympathy, as if she had experienced it herself.
“You’re a natural,” the cleaner said. “I think you’re just what his family needs right now.”
Beth reached down and patted her hand, wetness glistening in her eyes. The heaviness in the household was affecting her, too.
For now, the storm had passed, and peace had returned to the Anderson home. Liam received the hot chocolate from his youngest daughter with a warm hug and a genuine smile. Hailey beamed with pride as she handed it to him, all under Sunny’s watchful gaze. Small steps.
For Sunny, the rest of the day was a whirlwind of organized chaos — keeping the girls entertained, tidying up the epic messes that only little girls with oversized makeup sets could create, and sneaking in a few quiet moments to rest while the girls were distracted. Yet through it all, Sunny felt more settled and confident with her place and purpose here.
These sweet children were still grappling with immense trauma, and their dad was drowning in a grief Sunny couldn’t begin to fathom. If she could be a steadying presence, bringing a little affection and humor, then she didn’t care about the money. Well, no too much, anyway.
As evening settled over the elegant home, Sunny approached Liam’s study door, carrying a plate of snacks: cheese fingers with artisan crackers and a handful of grapes. She had noticed that his brooding left him hungry; who knew being forlorn and moody could expend so much energy?
The solid oak door was closed, but she could hear muffled sounds from within. She raised her fist to knock with her free hand, butcuriosity got the better of her. Sunny eased the door open just a crack to peek inside — and froze at the sight before her.
Liam sat in his plush leather armchair, cradling the shattered pieces of a vase tenderly in his large hands. Tears streamed down his chiseled cheeks as he gazed down at them, his shoulders shaking with quiet sobs. In that moment, the tough hockey star facade was gone; he was simply a man, overwhelmed by profound sadness he couldn’t process.
Embarrassed and suddenly very self-conscious, Sunny pulled away from the door, heat rising to her face as she retreated silently down the hallway. No one should intrude on grief like that; it was too private, too raw.
Her heart pounded in her chest, and her breathing quickened. She paused to catch her breath and organize her swirling thoughts. She would do her utmost to support the girls, but some scars ran too deep to heal. Liam’s pain was an ingrained part of him, and the girls, along with Sunny, would have to learn to live with it.
Sunny
Sunny awoke with a start to the sound of clattering pots and pans and muffled giggles echoing from the kitchen. She threw on a robe and padded downstairs, following the commotion to find utter chaos.
“What in the name of…” she gasped, taking in the war zone before her.
Every cabinet door hung open, contents spilling across the marble countertops. Flour dusted every surface like a winter wonderland, and splatters of milk decorated the formerly gleaming floor tiles. In the middle of the melee stood the Anderson sisters, giggling madly as they took turns flinging handfuls of flour into the air.
“Good morning, Sunny!” Maddie sang out in a sugary voice, her eyelashes rimmed with white powder.
“Girls! What… just what do you think…” Sunny sputtered, completely at a loss.
Peals of laughter greeted her incoherent protests as Hailey grabbed another fistful of flour, preparing to launch it. That did it. Sunny scooped the little girl into her arms and gently lifted her high into the air.
