AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Oh.” I repeat.
I follow Sylvia up a flight of stairs to the first floor.
“This is Ryan’s room. Mine is next to it on this side and Lucan’s is on the other side. I have access to Ryan’s room through a connecting door in case he needs me in the night. There will be a guest room for you if you choose.” She gestures to a door facing Ryan’s room which happens to be next to Lucan’s.
“May I see his room just to get a feel of how his space is organized?” I ask.
“Certainly. But please don’t touch anything.”
I follow her into the space. It is decorated in a style that would suit the average six-year-old boy. But it is immaculately kept.
“He is a very peculiar child and quite particular about where his things are kept. I’m sure you saw his playroom.”
“I did.” I nod as I look around. “He keeps things very well organized.”
Sylvia looks at me curiously. “How did you know he organizes his space himself?”
I shrug and smile. “Just a hunch.”
I walk toward a desk at the far end and am shocked to see a huge jig-saw puzzle in the initial stages of the edges being completed. I turn to look at Sylvia. “Isn’t this way above his age range?”
“I think it is. But it’s what he wanted. And I am amazed that he has reached as far as he has in four days.”
“Four days?” My brain is working a mile a minute as I collect data on Ryan.
“Yup.”
“How long have you been his nanny?”
“I came when he was about six months old. So, basically, all his life. And he needed me even more when his parents—” Sylvia cuts herself off.
A cloud crosses her face and I place a hand on her shoulder. I nod understandingly. “Divorce tends to be something that kids get over easily, especially at his age.”
She looks at me and smiles. Then gives a slight shrug. “It’s not my business to tell, really. Our aim is to keep Ryan happy.”
I recognize an avoidance when I see one and drop the subject.
“So you know him pretty well, huh?” I look at her, curious.
“Yes. I know all his little quirks. I’m still surprised how quickly he took to you yesterday.”
I smile. “It’s a teacher’s touch, I suppose.”
She smiles back. “That must be it. It’s a pity you already have a job. We’ve decided to go the route of home schooling Ryan for the coming school year and have been trying to find a daytime nanny that is more a tutor than a nanny, really. You would fit the bill.”
I look at her curiously. What are the odds that they were thinking the same thing I was thinking a few hours ago?
Sylvia waves it off. “But I guess we can have that conversation another time. Ryan should be almost done now.”
We leave the room and she points out other random rooms. As I take one last look at Lucan’s door, I force my thoughts to remain on track and not to drift to the man sleeping beyond the doors. Worse, I do not want to know if my dream matches the reality.
We head downstairs to the playroom and find Ryan rummaging through his toy box. He looks up when we enter and gives me shy smile. We approach slowly.
“Good morning, sweetheart. Did you have a good breakfast?” Sylvia asks him.
Ryan nods and flinches slightly when Sylvia attempts to stroke his cheek. She does not seem to be put off by his resistance to her touch.
“Do you remember Summer? You met her yesterday and played soldiers with her.”
