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“We were lucky. One of Ava’s friends gave us a number of a woman who was already too busy and referred someone else…it was a long grapevine thing, but we only interviewed Chrissy and liked her. She’s been a godsend and Warner loves her. Although, at his age…he’ll love anyone.”
I nodded. “Ben was never like that. I would never have to worry about him because everyone is Stranger Danger to him if it’s not me or my mom or the sitter who helped me out until now. He’s different with Jade, though.”
I told Noah about the new nanny, how Ben was with her, and how her interview was awful, but I cared more about how he responded than what I thought.
“You’re an inspiration, man,” Noah said.
I frowned. “What?”
“You’re the perfect example of putting your child first. When I grow up, I want to be like you.”
I laughed. “I can’t tell if you’re fucking with me or not.”
“I’m not,” Noah said with a grin. “You’re a good dad. You’re how I aspire to be with Warner. I’m glad you found someone.”
I nodded. Ava came in with Warner and let him sit on her lap while he drank his bottle. His eyes started to roll shut while he drank.
“It looks like we’re headed toward naptime,” Noah said to Ava. “Aaron found a nanny.”
“Oh, good,” Ava said. “It makes all the difference when it’s someone you can trust. Does she have good references?”
“I’m not sure…she forgot them at the interview.” Noah whistled through his teeth. “But Ben loves her. He responded so well to her, so I’m trying it. I feel like I owe it to him to give him someone he really feels comfortable around. You know how shy he can be.”
Ava nodded. “If Ben is happy with her, you have no choice but to try it. If something big is out of place, draw a line, but if he likes her and she works well…references aren’t the biggest deal out there. We wouldn't be here if Noah and I insisted on formalities,” she said it with a twinkle in her eye.
“Getting married to pull one over on Archie Forger isn’t nearly the same as getting a new nanny,” I laughed.
Ava giggled and held her hand out to Noah. They looked at each other with so much affection that I felt like I had intruded on a private moment. Seeing the two of them together made me jealous. Most of the time, I was fine not having anyone in my life. I was happy being single, and it worked for me. Especially now. Jade watching Ben could free up some time for me where I didn’t have to worry about him. I could focus on doing what needed to be done.
Sometimes, though, I wished things had worked differently for me. If Sabrina had told me she was pregnant, I would have done the right thing and married her. Not that it would have worked––we wouldn’t have been good for each other, but sometimes I wished I had a woman in my life, someone who could be a mother to Ben, and our family could be complete.
“She just can’t resist bringing that up,” Noah chuckled, bringing me back to the present.
“It’s a hell of a story,” I said. I’d been the best man at that Vegas wedding, and it had been a hell of a ride, especially when Noah’s dad had waited for them at the airfield when they got back.
I pushed the thoughts of love and marriage away. I was happy that Noah had what he wanted and that he and Ava were so good together. He deserved happiness, and after he’d fucked his way through most of Seattle, we’d all been shocked when he’d made it clear he didn’t only want to be with Ava to spite his dad but because he loved her. His story had a happy ending, but happy endings didn’t always look the same, and mine didn’t have to be with a woman just because Noah’s was.
What mattered was that Ben was taken care of, that he was happy and safe and secure, and so far, it seemed like Jade was the right woman for the job. She could always show me her credentials at a later point.
For now, Ben was the one who mattered, and we would see if he stayed this happy in the next month. If he did, I would let Jade stick around. If not…we would cross that bridge when we got there, but a big part of me hoped that shewouldstick around.
For Ben’s sake, of course. The fact that I wanted to get to know her better was beside the point.
7
JADE
Amonthintothejob, I was ready to pull my hair out of my head. Not only was Aaron a pain in my ass, and we clashed all the time, but I also struggled to juggle my work at Hannah’s with the au pair job.
I’d told Hannah I had difficulty staying focused in the office and asked her if I could leave at lunch every day to keep working from home. She’d been sympathetic with me––she knew how much I struggled, and maybe she hoped it would make things easier for us if she gave me what I needed.
I didn’t tell her that I wouldn’t be working frommyhome, but Aaron’s. I didn’t tell her I wasn’t only trying to get away from the distractions. I was trying to fix my mistake.
I was relieved she’d allowed it. It was still tough to do it, and I worked hard to keep my head above water, but after a month, I still had my job, and neither Hannah nor Aaron suspected anything weird was going on.
I wasn’t in the office all the time, but I’d never done so much work before. When it came to my turnaround, she had nothing to complain about. It was another reason she allowed me to work remotely for half the day.
I did as much as I could while I was with Ben. Two afternoons a week, I took him to the chess club, where he learned how to play, and I sat outside, waiting. I answered emails and went over placement files while I waited for him.
