Page 87 of Bad Nanny

The bell rang a few seconds later, and Delaney took Gabriel’s hand. “Is it time for school to start?” Her voice was a little shaky, but she hadn’t grabbed onto Gabriel’s suit jacket or started crying, so that was a win.

“It is.” He looked over at me, apprehension on his face.

“Let’s get in line.” I walked next to Delaney as we joined the line to go inside the classroom.

A little girl standing off to the side with her mom caught our attention. “I don’t want to go,” she whimpered. She was crying and clinging to her mom, who was trying to calm her down.

Delaney looked up at me, then at her dad before she pulled her hand free of his grasp and walked over to the littlegirl and her mother. “Hi, I’m Laney. Do you want to meet my friend Penny?”

The little girl turned, still clinging to her mom’s arm, but her crying calmed down enough to speak. “I’m Giselle. Who is Penny?”

Delaney held up her puppet and spoke in her own voice with an occasional word being high pitched. “Hi, Giselle! I’m Penny. Do you want to be my friend? You can hold me for a while until your worries go away.”

Giselle looked up at her mom, who nodded. “I’d like that. Penny is very cute.”

Tears welled up in my eyes as Delaney handed the puppet to Giselle, and the two girls started giggling. She had such a kind heart, and seeing her push aside her own anxiety to comfort another child was amazing.

“Delaney and Giselle, are you ready to come inside?” Ms. Goodwin stood at the door, smiling, not showing an ounce of nervousness about it being the first day of school.

Delaney turned to us with a grin on her face and waved goodbye. She took Giselle’s hand, and they walked into the classroom, undoubtedly bound to be best friends for life.

“She walked right in like she’s been going to school for years.” Gabriel sighed and entwined our fingers as we headed for the exit. “Before you know it, we’ll be dropping her off at college.”

“I should start buying tissue now to mop up all your tears.” I laughed as he bumped his hip into me.

It was so natural talking about the future together, and I couldn’t wait to spend it with him and Delaney. Who would have thought that the grumpy single dad who hired me as ananny would be the man I was going to spend the rest of my life with?

Last Day of Kindergarten

The room was a flurry of excitement as parents and family members filled the seats in the school’s auditorium. Almost forty kindergarteners sat on stage risers, all dressed up for the big celebration. A balloon arch in the school colors framed the stage, and a large banner that read “Congratulations, Kindergarteners!” hung across the back wall.

A hush fell over the room as the principal, Ms. Lewis, stepped up to the podium in the center of the stage. “Good morning, and welcome to our kindergarten promotion ceremony. We are excited you could join us in our celebration as these fabulous learners move on to first grade. Ms. Goodwin and Mr. Aguilar have a special treat for you, and we’d like to thank Alexander Badden for his generous donation to create this video.”

I leaned forward and looked over at Lex, who was on the other side of Gabriel. He slid down in his chair, his cheeks turning pink. Laughing, I sat back, and Gabriel took my hand, our fingers intertwining as if they were made to fit together.

The lights dimmed, and on the screen, the school logo appeared. The video started with a drone view of the school and panned out to the surrounding neighborhood and back down to the playground, where kids were playing. It wasvery professional looking, but I’d expect nothing less from Lex.

The first of the kindergarten students appeared on the screen, sitting in an armchair with their teacher across from them like they were on a talk show. The interviews were probably the cutest thing I’d ever seen.

Each little interview was less than a minute long, and when the video got to Delaney, Gabriel brought our hands to his lips and kissed right under my engagement ring. I smiled over at him, marveling at how this man who loved me with his whole heart was going to be my husband.

Ms. Goodwin asked her first question. “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

Delaney tapped a finger over her lips, as if she was thinking. “The CEO of a glitter factory.”

Gabriel groaned, and I laughed, along with the rest of the room. Delaney took great joy in reminding her father of certain things that would ultimately cause him gray hairs.

“What was your favorite part of school this year?”

“Art!” Delaney grinned at the camera.

“Who do you want to thank for helping you have a successful kindergarten year?”

Delaney didn’t hesitate. “I want to thank my daddy and Josie, who is like my mommy. She makes everything better, and when she’s around, I feel like the happiest girl in the world. I want to call her Mommy, but I don’t know if she wants me to call her that.”

My eyes burned as they filled with tears. I’d known Delaney loved me, but hearing her say she wanted to call me Mommy brought on a wave of emotion I wasn’t prepared for.

Gabriel’s thumb gently rubbed the back of my hand, and I glanced over at him to see tears in his eyes too. “I love you,” he mouthed.

I nodded, unable to speak past the lump in my throat.

Delaney’s eyes scanned the audience, looking for me. When they found me, I gave her a little nod. Her face lit up, and she danced a little in her seat. She waved before turning her attention back to the video that had moved on to the next student.

I let out a shaky breath and pulled a tissue from my purse. Before I could use it, Noah grabbed it from me and dabbed at his eyes. I loved how the Badden men weren’t ashamed to show their emotions—but then again, the women in their lives did help with that.

With a snort, I pulled another tissue out for myself.

Gabriel wrapped his arm around me and leaned in to whisper in my ear. “You were meant to be her mom...and my wife. Our family wouldn’t be whole without you.”

My tears spilled over, because how could they not? Without a doubt, I’d found my home with Gabriel and Delaney. My family.