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It wasn’t until my parents grounded me and then wouldn’t budge the next night, no matter how much I begged and cried that I realized how much I’d messed up. They wouldn’t let me go, even for what I was sure was love, and my mystery guy was never going to see me again.
*
I woke with a start, heart pounding over a recurring dream of a memory a decade old. My chest rose and fell too fast, my panties were damp, and the strange sense of loss was still as present as ever.
9
***Ada***
MiloandIarrivedat breakfast bright and early. We met Chef David at the kitchen island and were promptly directed to sit in the dining room to be served. I took Milo’s hand and we walked into the dining room together. The massive wooden table was large enough to feed a family of fifteen and it felt too formal for a simple breakfast. Plus, there wasn’t a booster seat for Milo.
I looked down at the still sleepy boy and frowned. He was still in his pajamas and he rubbed at his eyes before looking up at me and lifting his arms for me to pick him up. Which, of course, I did. Holding him in my arms, I walked back into the kitchen and smiled brightly at David. He seemed taken aback to see me again.
“I think Milo and I are going to eat breakfast in here. That table is a little intimidating.” I pulled out one of the stools across from the man and sat down on it with Milo still in my arms. “Do you need any help? I’m not the best cook ever but I can handle toast. I pour a mean glass of juice, too.”
David frowned at me. “What are you doing?”
I laughed. “Are all of you men cranky in this house?”
He scoffed. “What? No. I’m not… I just… Fine. You can eat here.”
“Thank you!” I glanced up as Collin came into the kitchen like a big gray cloud. “Good morning!”
His steps faltered and he stared at me like he couldn’t quite make sense of what he was seeing. Before he could put his thoughts together, two boys trailed in behind him. They both looked like they were still asleep and they grabbed plates of food without ever noticing me.
I was one of those gross morning people once I got up and got going. My voice was a little too loud and I sounded a little too chipper as I greeted the boys. “Hi! You must be Andy and Alex. I’m Ada. I’m the new nanny.”
The twins looked up at me and they both lifted a single hand in a wave before leaving with their plates. I looked from the doorway to Collin and tilted my head at him in a silent question. I knew from the email he’d sent me that the twins were his sons.
He rolled his bottom lip into his mouth and shook his head. “They’re not morning people.”
David pushed a plate towards me and a bowl towards Milo. Without waiting for help, Milo reached into the bowl and grabbed a handful of dry cereal. He shoved it into his mouth and munched away, dropping crumbs all over me.
“He can sit on his own.” Collin frowned at Milo. “He’s too big to be held while he’s eating.”
I shrugged and kept right on smiling. “Do I hear a hint of jealousy, Collin?”
David coughed suddenly and I was saved from Collin’s response by a lanky teenage girl appearing. Kendall. Fifteen and absolutely stunning, she stopped short when she saw me and then frowned. It was an exact copy of her father’s frown, who appeared behind her, as if summoned by my thoughts.
“Hi! I’m Ada, the new nanny.” I dusted Milo’s crumbs off my chest and looked at Joe. “Good morning, Joe. Sit. Eat.”
If he thought my joke was funny, he didn’t show it. He grimaced, grabbed a plate of food, and then disappeared. Kendall smiled awkwardly at me and did the same. Before I could think of anything else to say, Collin vanished with his breakfast, too.
I glanced at David. “Was it something I said?”
He pressed his fist to his mouth and choked on a stifled laugh. His eyes watered and he ended up snorting. “You’re never going to last here and that’s too bad because I think I could like you.”
I shrugged. “I guess we’ll see.”
David worked in silence as I talked to Milo about what we were going to do with our day. I complimented David’s cooking and cleaned my plate before attempting to clean up the mess Milo had left behind. I was immediately shut down by David and pushed out of his kitchen.
It was nice to not have to clean everything for a change but that left me standing in the middle of the house, holding Milo and wondering where everyone had gone. I trailed around the house and finally heard the kids inside their bedrooms, doors closed tight. Milo was growing restless by that point so I carried him back to his room and let him pick out his outfit for the day before leading him outside.
Milo and I played with a big blue ball in the soft grass for an hour and then we played chase while he shouted my name over and over again. It was lunchtime before I knew it and we sat at the kitchen island again and ate all alone after the Carrington ghosts grabbed their plates and vanished again.
I’d let Milo sit next to me on his own and as he crunched on chips that I was pretty sure were homemade, I rested my elbows on the counter and stared at David until he sighed and asked me what I wanted.
“What did the other nannies do?”
