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“Talk about being at the right place at the right time,” I mumbled.
“Tell me about it. Jonathan offered for me to be Nori’s live-in nanny. I jumped at the opportunity. I was desperate. I’d do anything to be reunited with my child, even if that meant living under the same roof as the man who took her from me.”
I swallowed roughly. I didn’t want to judge because it was clearly a shitty thing to do, but….
“How did you forgive Anthony after that? Personally, I couldn’t do it.”
Simone blew a raspberry before biting into her coffee cake again. She chewed, swallowed, and then wiped the crumbs from the corner of her lips. “Anthony was there for me throughout my entire pregnancy. I knew his heart and how excited he was for Nori. He’d already lost his wife, then a year of his life, his child’s birth, and the moments after that. On top of that, he became disabled from the accident. Anthony isn’t a bad man, but he’s stubborn and made a bad decision. He was selfish and only thinking about himself, but trauma can sometimes do that. Trauma can take a superhero and turn him into a villain.”
“Harvey Dent.”
Simone chuckled. “Yeah…Harvey Dent.”
“Did Anthony want you to be Nori’s nanny?”
“Anthony initially was looking for a nanny and tasked Jonathan with the job. However, Nori was giving him hell, and he could see the trauma he was causing his daughter and decided to return her to me. It just so happened the same day he planned on giving her back was the same day I arrived for the interview. I ensured it was in writing that Anthony would give me legal joint custody of Nori if the nanny arrangement didn’t pan out. I forgave Anthony because he was remorseful and apologetic, and when it came to Nori, he followed my lead, respected me, and acknowledged me as her mother from day one. He never once treated me like the nanny or attempted to challenge decisions I made when it came to Nori. This might sound a little silly, but…I think Anthony and I were supposed to be together because it wasn’t until I arrived that Nori truly gave Anthony a chance. She became less combative and warmed up to him rather quickly. It didn’t take long for her to become a daddy’s girl.”
“And now you’re pregnant and engaged.”
“And now I’m pregnant and engaged,” she confirmed. “I don’t know exactly what you’re going through because I haven’t lost my husband, and I can tell you love Rory very much. I never met him, but I think he’d be very proud of you and what you’ve accomplished since his passing. You have a job, you’re fighting for justice for your husband, and you and Kiyah have a support system. You don’t have to walk through your grief alone. I’m here for you if you want to talk or just need to have a good ol’ cry. If you need some time to yourself, then you’re more than welcome to drop Kiyah off with me if you’re comfortable. She’s a sweetheart, and she doesn’t cause any trouble. Now, mine? That’s a different story.”
I laughed and wiped away my tears. “Nori’s not that bad.”
As if the universe was playing a cruel joke on me, crying echoed from the slide, and both Nori and Daisy were in an entangled pile on the rubbery playground floor. I jumped up from the blanket and ran to render aid. “What happened, Kiyah?” I asked as I pulled the girls to their feet.
“Daisy was taking a long time to go down the slide, and Nori made them go down together.”
From what I could see, neither girl was injured. Daisy was crying the loudest, but that was most likely because her ego was hurt. Nori was crying but must’ve caught her mother’s face as she stormed over. I couldn’t blame Nori. If I were her, I would run in the opposite direction because Simone didn’t play. Daisy didn’t settle down until I scooped her up. She rested her head on my shoulder and patted my back as if it were me who needed comforting.
“Mommy, I got the first aid,” Kiyah announced, running up to me with the little kit I kept in her backpack.
“Oh, Ki. That’s so helpful. You’re so sweet,” I gushed, showing her some love.
“Can we have the fruit snack Mr. Jonathan gave us?”
I’d forgotten about that. I was impressed by how Jonathan addressed Kiyah when she had her mini meltdown. Some might’ve become defensive that another adult was “parenting” their child; however, the phrase ‘it takes a village’ was coined for a reason. He spoke to her compassionately and handled her like I’ve seen him handle his children.
“Oh, my God,” Simone gasped. I looked up and shook my head when I saw Anthony limping toward us.
Now that I know Simone is pregnant, Anthony’s clinginess makes sense.
“What are you doing here?” Simone asked. I held back a laugh when Nori ran towards him to escape her mother’s wrath after she was being a goon on the playground.
“What? You’re in the neighborhood park. I had to pass by on my way home from therapy,” Anthony explained.
“You don’t exit your vehicle when you’re passing by. Next time, we’re going to the playground in my old neck of the woods,” Simone huffed.
I bet he won’t get out then.
My watch vibrated on my wrist, alerting me that I needed to pick up Grant and Casey. “Simone, I have to go pick up the kids. This was nice. We should do it again. Nice to see you, Anthony.”
“You too, Kierra. Bye, Ki.”
“Bye, Uncle Ant,” Kiyah replied, waving before running back to the picnic blanket to retrieve her backpack.
“How about we ditch the kids with Anthony next time and go to the spa? His treat, of course,” Simone suggested. Anthony’s mouth gaped in disbelief.
“That sounds wonderful. Have a good one, y’all.”
