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I paused at the top of the stairs. I didn’t want to do this. I didn’t want to introduce my baby to another woman who wouldn’t measure up. None of them had so far. What would make Briar any different? Why did I let Adam talk me into this?
Jaw clenched, I stomped down the stairs and passed Adam and Briar without a word on my way to the kitchen.
“Here’s Zoe,” Adam said behind me before laughing awkwardly. “Um, I guess she’s hungry. How about we join them in the kitchen?”
I wanted to yell at him, shield my daughter from her, and just get on with our day, but I knew I couldn’t. As much as I hated this, I had to see if she was a fit with Zoe. I needed a nanny if I wanted to work, especially given my upcoming insane schedule. Maybe it was time to retire. Stay home with Zoe and be hermits.
That sounded like heaven.
Unfortunately, I’d already signed way too many contracts with ridiculous exit clauses to make that my reality anytime soon.
I needed a nanny. And I needed a good one as soon as possible.
After plunking Zoe down in her highchair with Bunny on the tray, I went about making her afternoon snack. I had all of about five seconds before I heard Adam andhercome into the kitchen.
“And this is Zoe.” Adam’s voice had my spine snapping straight.
“Hey Zoe. I’m Briar. Who is this?” Her chirpy voice bounced through the kitchen and irritated the hell out of me.
I didn’t care what Adam said. She was too young. And too pretty. No doubt she’d be “accidentally” bumping into me in the hallway or magically appearing in my bed at night. Just another pretty face who didn’t give a crap about my daughter.
Zoe didn’t answer. Smart kiddo. This time I’d pay attention to Zoe’s body language and not the sweet face and cutesy voice promising she just needed some time to get used to another new person. I didn’t need to turn around to know that Zoe’s face was most likely buried in Bunny’s fur as she cringed away from the stranger.
But when I finally turned around, that wasn’t what I found. Instead, Zoe was just staring, wide eyed, at the strange woman sitting in the chair next to her.
Mychair to be specific.
Then my daughter did the most unexpected thing ever. She smiled at her, held Bunny out to her, and babbled away.
The sight did weird things to me. I felt both glad and bummed at the same time. I wanted Zoe to click with her nanny, but did it have to beher? And so soon? She couldn’t have madeherwork for it a little? Thrown a little fit or some mac and cheese at least? Why’d she have to click with a beautiful, young nanny? Why not an old, homely one? Maybe with a stooped back and a hooked nose?
I was an ass.
I listened to Zoe babble andher‘uh-huh’s as I set the mac and cheese on Zoe’s tray.
I wanted to see what little miss perfect would do. So I took a seat on the opposite side of the table and watched the show.
“Are you hungry, Zoe?” She asked.
“Cheez toes!” Zoe screamed, slamming her palms down on the tray.
“Huh.” She tilted her head and smiled conspiratorially at my daughter. “I don’t see any cheese toes. Looks like your daddy made some yummy mac and cheese. What kind of shapes are those?”
And then it happened.
Just as she leaned over to look at Zoe’s lunch, my daughter’s hand smacked the side of the bowl, sending it and the wiggly cartoon shaped mac and cheese flying—straight intoherface.
The bowl bounced off the wall behind them and clattered to the floor. Then there was stunned silence for a few beats while she wiped cheese sauce and pasta off her face.
“Zoe.” I sent her my best disappointed dad look. “That wasn’t nice. She—Briar—wants to be your friend. Is that how we treat friends?”
Zoe’s bottom lip quivered. “I wike Bwi-are.”
“I like you too, peanut.” Briar accepted the towel Adam offered and used it to pull some cheese sauce out of her hair. “How about me and you clean up this mess and then eat some lunch?”
“’Kay. Den cheez toes?”
“You gotta take that one up with your daddy.” Briar deftly disconnected the highchair tray and pulled Zoe out of the chair before settling her on her hip. “I’m not in charge of lunch.”
