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I don’t know though. I’m just the nanny, right?
“Do you remember last year when you came into school right before it started and you met your teacher and me? You’ll do that again this year. Were you nervous then?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
“But it turned out great, right?”
She gives me a more enthusiastic up-and-down motion with her head.
“Okay, okay,” I say, placing my hand behind her neck with a laugh. “Don’t hurt yourself.”
Ivy giggles and does it one more time.
“You’ll get to meet your teacher ahead of time again this year, and even if you are nervous, I think you’ll have a wonderful school year.”
“Will you go with me?” she asks.
My heart sinks. I know I’ll be there, meeting with parents and children in my own classroom, hopefully as a head teacher but more likely as an assistant.
“If I have a break, I’ll pop in and check on you. Is that all right?” I smooth her hair down a little and smile at her.
“Yeah,” she says with a small smile back.
I know she’s still nervous, but she’s an amazing little girl, and she won’t have any trouble adapting. I just need to let her dad know so that he’s aware.
I start to think about the new school year, and a pit forms in the bottom of my stomach when I realize that everything will have changed for me again by then. I won’t be a nanny for Ivy, I won’t be living with them, the show will be over, and so will my fake relationship.
So will my fake relationship.
Simon
“Hey, pumpkin,” I say, bending down to one knee so I can look her in the eyes.
She’s smiling wide, a cupcake in one hand as she watches me, and I grin back at her.
“Are you having a good party?”
“The best party,” she says, glancing around at all the people who are here today to celebrate her.
Alice did a wonderful job with the decorations, streamers, and balloons. The tables are colorful with confetti and rainbow designs on the tablecloths. My heart warms when I think about all the extra effort she went through for my daughter. To make this the best party for her. How could I have ever thought she could just be a nanny? She was made for this.
“I have a little surprise for you,” I tell her.
She bounces on the balls of her feet. “What is it?” she asks and then takes another bite of her cupcake.
Rainbow frosting gets stuck on her chin, and I swipe it off with my thumb.
“You have to wait just a second. I’m going to bring it in through the side gate, okay? You stay right here.”
“What’s going on?” Alice asks, walking up to stand beside Ivy, and I climb back to my feet.
Ivy twirls in a circle, her rainbow dress flaring out and then back down as she stops to look up at Alice. “Daddy has a surprise for me,” she says with an excited shriek.
I didn’t tell anyone about this, not wanting them to be upset if I couldn’t pull it off, but never underestimate a single dad with a little girl he’d do anything for to make her happy.
“I’ll be right back,” I tell them and head around the pool and into the house. I check my phone to make sure the guy is here and smile when I see his confirmation text. Right on time.
My eyes find the trailer as soon as I step out the front door, cringing a little when I see the bright colors decorating it. I don’t get the obsession with using every shade of the color wheel to decorate something, but kids seem to like it.
