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He smiled and sighed. “Yes. I’m hoping you feel something like that for me, because if you don’t, I’m just going to have to work harder to make you fall in love with me.”
Thrilled to hear those words, I threw my arms around him and kissed that beautiful mouth. “I love you too, Nico.”
As we stood there in each other’s arms, I knew I’d never been happier than at that moment. I’d get to continue living with my two favorite people in the world. I loved Nico, my job, and most of all, I loved being Grace’s nanny.
“So what happened with Grace’s father?”
Nico shrugged. “Not sure. The person from child services called a little while ago to say he wouldn’t be coming. I guess he changed his mind. I told her she and he would be in for the legal fight of the century if he tried this again. I don’t plan to have some surfer dude think he can simply cruise into my niece’s life any damn time he wants.”
“You sound like you like Grace. How did that happen?”
With a smile, he nodded. “It turns out she reminds me a lot of me when I was young. You were right. She’s a smart kid. I like that.”
“Let’s go tell her we’re all staying here together. She’s going to be so happy,” I said, pulling him toward the hallway.
“Okay. I need to deal with Louis DeVille first, so I’ll meet you in her room.”
All of a sudden, I remembered she expected her father to show up tonight. How would she feel when she heard he didn’t?
“What are we going to tell her, Nico? I don’t want her to feel like her own father didn’t want to be bothered to come get her.”
He thought for a moment and kissed me. “Tell her I didn’t want to lose my two favorite girls. Don’t worry. She’s going to be so happy you’re staying with her that she won’t care anything about him. Now go tell her the good news.”
“Okay! Don’t be long. I’m thinking we should have a tea party, and you’re invited!”
I ran down the hallway, past Mr. DeVille still staring up at that silly chandelier. “I’m staying, Mr. DeVille!” I called out as I ran to the other side of the house. “Thank you!”
Grace sat in the middle of the floor coloring her letters and looked up in shock when she saw me run into the room. “Guess what? We’re both staying. Your uncle didn’t want to lose his two favorite girls, and your father said he’d wait, so you and I are staying right here! Let’s unpack your things.”
She dropped her crayon on the beautiful picture of the letter T and ran over to her suitcase. “We’re staying! Yay!”
We were all staying together. Grace, Nico, and me. And he loved me.
Everything about the three of us was complicated. Just like Mr. DeVille said, the most beautiful things in this life were just that.
Complicated.
Nico Allen caredabout nothing but money and his comfort when he came to me looking for a nanny for his niece. For one of the few times in my career, I actually gave a client what he wanted.
But he needed something much more.
That’s where Tia came in. Sweet and caring, she showed him there was more to life than just business and whatever selfish things he wanted for himself. She offered him a different way, one that let him see all work and no love made Nico a miserable man.
A way that combined her love of Grace and her youthful love of life.
Human beings get so lost in possessions that they forget what really matters is love. Tia showed Nico that lesson through her caring for little Grace. But he didn’t fully understand how much he cared for either of them until the little girl’s father threatened to take them both away.
I often find that men need a little push in the right direction, so I made sure Nico got that push. As for Joshua Groves, he’s more than happy being a single, childless man.
Maybe if he comes to me looking for help someday, I can give him the happiness he hasn’t found yet. That’s what I do, after all.
The person who impressed me most in all of this was little Grace. Normally, people get frightened when I suddenly appear in front of them, but not her. She simply looked up at me and asked if I was an angel come to help her. With a smile, I shook my head. She’s too young to understand the particulars of who I am.
But she never cried the whole time I stood in that bathroom and told her everything would be all right and that she just had to trust me. I believe that little girl has a strength the world will have to reckon with in the years to come.
I wonder how long it will take before Nico and Tia have a baby of their own. I think they’d be wonderful parents. Don’t you?
