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Chapter One
JOYCE
Thedayissunnyand bright, and the cloudless sky is a gorgeous blue, but I’ve barely seen any of it because of this job interview.
I’m just one of many candidates. I look around and see eager women of various ages. We’re all here wanting the job of nanny to the child of some rich real estate tycoon.
“Jones?” A woman from HR starts to call our names. She had explained that we’d be doing initial interviews with her first, then a select few would interview with the boss, Mr. Bardin, directly.
I’m nervous with anticipation, so I just close my eyes and remind myself why I’m doing this: To give my mom and little sister a better, more comfortable life.
I watch and wait as we are called, one by one.
“Andrews?”
Hearing my last name makes my heart thump even harder, but I stand up from my chair with a cheerful smile on my face. Now it’s my turn to shine, and I feel like a rockstar walking by so many people.
I read Pollyanna when I was a kid and ever since I started to only see the good side of things. I imagine what the other candidates are thinking as I walk by, and I prefer to think they are wishing me luck, just as I did for them.
“How are you?” the woman from HR asks, smiling and welcoming me into her office, her brown eyes looking tired but kind. She looks to be in her mid-thirties.
“Doing great, thank you,” I reply, enthusiastic and smiling.
“Please, take a seat,” she says with a nod.
“Alright!” I make sure to sit up straight and look her in the eye.
I read the plaque on her desk and see her name is Samantha Evans right before she reaches a hand over and says, “Nice to meet you, Joyce. I’m Sam.”
I shake her hand with a smile and then her eyes go to a clipboard.
I see she has my resume on it in one hand and a pen in the other. She reviews it for a moment, and I remind myself to take deep breaths as I wait patiently.
“You’re twenty-four?” she asks.
“That’s correct,” I nod in agreement.
“I see you are in college. May I ask why you haven’t graduated yet?”
I answer quickly, “My mother is sick and I’m taking care of her. I’ve been taking just a few classes for the past year, but I should be graduating next semester.”
“And do you think taking classes will affect your ability to work?”
“Absolutely not,” I say it politely, but shake my head emphatically. “I have a support system for my mom so it’s not just me helping out, and my classes are only at night three days a week.”
“And when would you study?” She asks, taking notes as I answer.
“When I have free time. Mostly in the evenings,” I smile.
She smiles back, then turns her attention to another item on my resume. “You have three years of experience already as a nanny? That’s impressive!” She says, her face lighting up.
I feel the smile on my face deepening as I nod.
She continues, looking at me with interest, “Could you tell me more about that?”
“At first, it was my aunt and uncle who hired me to help with my nephew, all through an agency and everything, just so I could have the experience. The other two jobs after that were for different families. I had to take a break last year when things got worse with my mom, but the experience was amazing. I learned I love working with kids, which is also great since my major is in education.”
Sam is nodding with enthusiasm when there’s a hard knock at the door. She opens her mouth to say something, but the knocker immediately opens the door before she can even speak. My eyes open wide when the most handsome man I’ve ever seen steps in.
