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“Uh, sure! Anna is drawing now. I can talk a little!”
“Yeah, you told me. Listen,” I start, “you don’t have to send me messages every five minutes, okay? I’m a busy man. When I have the time, I will ask for news and pictures myself.”
“Oh,” Joyce takes a second to digest what I said. “That’s alright, Mr. Bardin, but she loves it when I send you pictures.”
Her voice sounds disappointed, and I believe her completely when she talks about Anna.
“She loves taking pictures…” I say, “But is she okay now?”
“She is, sir!” she says, and I roll my eyes at her enthusiasm. She continues, “She is playing quietly because her mouth is still a little sore.”
“Thank you, Joyce,” I’m feeling impatient, but I force myself to remember that this is all good intentions. “I’ll be home in an hour.”
I hang up, not leaving her time to say goodbye.
Chapter Three
JOYCE
I’mstartingmysecondweek as the nanny for the Bardin’s. I’ve been smiling and waving at the neighbors from day one, but now they are actually starting to wave back.
The security guard at the front gate already knows me by my name, and at school, the other nannies and moms are all very friendly.
The Lake Villas is a luxury gated community in the outskirts of New York City. I had no idea it even existed until I started working here, but now it already feels so familiar.
I still can’t believe I’m spending my days surrounded by McMansions though. The community has a large, dog friendly park, and a small shopping center filled with stores from luxury brands from all around the world. It’s like another planet.
When I dropped off Anna at school this morning, the sky was blue, and the breeze was warming up. But now the skies are gray, and the wind is chilly, which ruined my plans for taking her to the zoo after school.
Thinking of what to indoors instead, I wait in the pick-up room for the teachers to bring me Anna.
“And there she is!” I exclaim, arms open wide when I see her. Her smile is priceless. “The lover of pigtails, the boss of the crayons, Anna!”
Now half laughing with her adorably dimpled smile and bright blue eyes, she gives me a high five with one hand, then gives me her other hand for me to hold as we leave.
“How was school today?” I ask. It’s the first question I ask her every day after school, but I think she’s too young to be annoyed by the repetition.
“Good! My teacher taught us what sounds different animals make!” she says as I guide her outside.
“Oh, really? What does a cat say?”
“Meow!” she says, while mimicking a cat’s paw.
The cuteness overloads me, and I grab my phone to film her that exact same moment.
“Anna!” she looks at the camera, interested. “And what does a dog say?”
“Woof! Woof!” she barks.
“And a chicken?”
“Cluck, cluck!”
“Sheep?”
“Baaaaa!” she continues, “Goats do it too!”
“And what kind of sound does a donkey make?”
