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“Can you please go give this to Jenna? I need to make Austin’s breakfast so you can get him to school.”
“Of course.” He smiled, taking the cup from my hand, his fingers brushing against mine.
“I want eggs in a basket. I want eggs in a basket,” Austin loudly voiced as he slammed the fork on the island.
“We do not slam our forks on the counter,” I spoke softly as I took it away from him. Grabbing the iPad, I brought up a math app and set it on the island in front of him. “Practice your math while I’m making your breakfast.”
“I hate math!” he shouted.
“Math isn’t my favorite either, but you have to learn it. Go on. Show me how smart you are.” I smiled.
“Jenna took her medicine like a champion.” Mr. Kensington walked into the kitchen. “You do know how much we value you, right?” He walked over to where I stood, making Austin’s eggs.
“I know.” I smiled.
He placed his hand on my back, and I swallowed hard. He’d been doing that a lot lately, making me uncomfortable.
I had been working as a nanny for the Kensington’s for two years and had grown to love the children very much. Austin was eight, and Jenna was six. Becoming a nanny wasn’t what I had planned when I moved to New York City, but it was all I could find at the time. I loved children and had been babysitting since I was twelve. I also worked in several daycare centers over the years while going to college and earning my degree.
“Eat up, son. We have to go.” Mr. Kensington glanced at his watch.
“I’m going to call the doctor’s office and see if I can bring Jenna in,” I said as I walked out of the kitchen.
Luckily, there was an opening at noon.
“Come on, buddy. We have to go.” Mr. Kensington patted Austin’s head.
“I’m taking Jenna to the doctor at noon.” I handed Austin his backpack.
“I’ll have my driver pick you up and take you,” Mr. Kensington spoke.
“You have a good day at school. I’ll see you later.” I kissed Austin’s forehead.
“Bye, Stella!” He waved as he and Mr. Kensington stepped onto the elevator.
Picking up my phone, I sent a text to Mrs. Kensington.
“Jenna has a doctor’s appointment at noon.”
“Good. I’m going to need you to stay later than usual tonight. I have a meeting and don’t know how long it’s going to take. I’m sure my husband will be working late as well.”
“That’s not a problem.”
“I knew it wouldn’t be. Since you’re home with Jenna all day, I need you to do the children’s laundry. Gloria is off the next few days visiting her mother.”
“I’ll make sure it gets done.”
I waited for a simple ‘thank you’ but never received one.
Nadine Kensington wasn’t a warm and fuzzy woman. She was demanding, worked long hours at the law firm, and didn’t have a maternal bone in her body. Why she even had children was beyond me. I suspected it was for show and status. The Kensington’s were very well respected in the upper-class community, and they needed to maintain the image of the perfect family of four.
When I took the kids to the park after school, I sat on a bench and talked with the other nannies. We’d all become friends, and they would share stories—or, should I say, gossip—about the wealthy families they worked for. When they’d ask me questions about Mr. and Mrs. Kensington, I’d come up with something that made them look good. Gossip wasn’t my thing, and I was staying out of it.
CHAPTER 2
TWO WEEKS LATER
Stella
