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I smiled, my heart full. "Yes, we do."
Chapter Twelve
Mitch
With an easygoing vibe, Amy and I slipped off the couch and gently placed Ava in her crib.
"Should we change her first?" Amy wondered.
"Nah, that'll just wake her up. And then it'll be forever before she sleeps again."
"You mentioned she's not quite sleeping through the night yet..."
"She's getting there... usually wakes up around two. But all I do is change her diaper and make sure she has her binky. Then she's good till six when I get up."
"Cool, good to know," Amy chuckled, enjoying her new role.
We adjusted the mobile to play Ava's favorite lullaby and tiptoed out of the nursery.
"I'm craving some pasta. How about you?" I suggested.
"Yeah, sounds good. I'll whip up a salad."
We headed into the kitchen and started getting dinner ready when Ava's muffled cries caught our attention. I smiled and started for the nursery, but Amy grabbed my arm. "I got this. You work on the food!
I could tell Amy found Ava's binky when the cries stopped, and I heard the nursery door close.
"Mission accomplished," Amy snickered as I began boiling water for the pasta while she rummaged through the fridge for sauce ingredients. "Can we use this leftover chicken?" She asked, holding up the container.
"Sure, let me see what else we have," I replied, keeping my voice low as I searched the cabinets. "Ah, here we go. How about a creamy tomato sauce with some heavy cream, canned tomatoes, and a bit of parmesan?"
Amy's eyes lit up, "Yum! Let's do it!"
As we cooked, Amy started a conversation. "So, we're making Italian food, and it reminds me of my parents. How should I tell them about us living together and me being Ava's full-time nanny?"
I glanced at her, "How do you think they'll react? You know, since your dad's changed his opinion of me."
"I'm not sure. They might be hesitant at first, but I think they'll come around eventually," Amy replied, biting her lip.
"I hope so. But we can take it slow and talk to them when you're ready," I reassured her. I smiled at Amy, glad I could make her feel better.
She seemed nervous about talking to her parents, but I knew it was important to her to be honest with them. If not, things would be tough for her, me, and ultimately, Ava, if Elana and Giuseppe didn't support what we were doing.
"Look, the first of the month will be here before I know it, and I'm worrying about paying the rent. With the lease in Papa's name, it’s up to him to navigate a solution with the landlord."
"We need to sort this out and fast," I muttered, furrowing my brow.
A thought crossed my mind, and I grinned. "What if I paid you for the entire month upfront?" I asked, twirling a forkful of pasta.
Amy's eyes widened. "Well, Ella's gone now... but how much could you manage without putting yourself in a bind?"
I whipped out my phone and tapped away at the calculator app. "This should work," I said, showing her the number. "It's just a start, but we can find more ways to make ends meet. I’ve put my chalet on the market, so hopefully it will sell soon. I could use the extra income just in case…”
Her face lit up as she hugged me. "How did I get so lucky?" she murmured into my shoulder. "That's twice what I made at Rosedale."
I feigned shock. "Should I take it back?"
"No way! But listen, if you can advance me that amount, I can use it to pay next month's rent, so Papa won't breach his lease. He can tell the landlord he's not renewing, penalty-free. Then you can pay me the same as Rosedale did. I'll be living here, so I won't need much more... Plus, aren't you saving on security now?"
