Live-In Position (3 page)

“You knew the way he ignores her would bother me.” I watched as she cringed. “Why did you put the request in at the service for me to replace you?”

She pulled over to the side of the road and twisted in the driver’s seat to face me.

“Sophia, you are the most loving, carefree, yet responsible person I’ve ever met. I think Victoria needs someone like you in her life.” She dropped her head and knotted her fingers together in her lap.

“Miranda…”

“Sophia, she needs to live like a child once in a while, but I’m just…I’m not the one who can do it now.” She brought her eyes up to my face. “Remember Violet?” I nodded, my heart warmed at the memory of her. “She was so quiet and withdrawn when you first started caring for her at the beginning of the summer, but by the end she was so full of life.” She released a sigh. “I was so jealous of the effect you had on her and wished I could do that for Victoria, but –”

“Miranda Murphy! You’re damn good with her and you shouldn’t doubt –”

“I don’t doubt it,” she replied with a small smile. “I just wish I could bring Victoria out of the shell she lives in.”

Unsure of what I could say next, I stayed silent. I think everything that needed to be said was already spoken.

That evening, after Victoria’s Spanish lesson, we said goodbye to Miranda. Victoria’s tears continued, and I stayed in bed with her until she’d finally cried herself to sleep. After tucking her in, I picked up her clothes and dropped them in her hamper on the way out of her room.

“Miss Ashwood?” His hard voice startled me. Dr. Bishop stood just at the top of the stairs.

“Yes, sir?”

“I take it Miss Murphy has gotten you up to speed on everything?” He raised his brow line.

I nodded. “Yes, sir, she has.”

“Good.” He paused and looked at his watch. “Is she well?”

I furrowed my brow.

“Victoria,” he explained. “It’s quite late, is she feeling well?”

“Oh, um…yes sir, she’s fine, just upset at Rand’s…at Miss Murphy’s departure this evening.” I smiled, but as his eyes bore into mine, my lips faltered. A chill formed in the space between us.

“I see.” His eyes didn’t leave my face.

I fidgeted, something I hadn’t done since I was a kid. Needing to get away from the discomfort, I blurted, “Is there anything else?”

He looked at me for a moment, and his fists clenched tightly at his sides.

“No, good night.” He stiffened and headed toward his bedroom.

Once I was in my room, I released a loud nervous breath.

“Geesh, he’s intense,” I groaned and contemplated splashing lamb’s blood over my bedroom door.

C
hapter
T
hree

THE FIRST WEEK alone with Victoria was a challenge. I tried to keep to the routine Miranda had set for her, but I wasn’t Miranda. There were certain things I did differently, and Victoria definitely let me know she was not pleased.

“I don’t get dressed in the bathroom,” she argued when I walked in with her clothes for school. “Miranda always lays them on the bed.” She marched out, stopping next to her bed with her arms crossed over her chest.

“I know Miranda did things a certain way and you are used to that, but things will be a little different with me, okay?”

All I got was a shrug as she pulled her clothes on over her head.

“Alright, well, meet me in the kitchen while I go get –” She spun around with wide eyes.

“Miranda always walked me to the kitchen.” Her words were a little harsh and demanding.

I wanted to be sensitive to her situation, knowing she was acting out because of Miranda leaving. However, I wasn’t about to become a doormat for a six-year old.

“If you would like for me to walk down with you, you can ask me nicely. If not, then I’m going to go start getting breakfast together so you aren’t late for school.” When she didn’t respond, I quietly left for the kitchen.

I was in the kitchen for about five minutes when she trudged in, clearly unhappy. Biting back my amusement at her attitude, I slid a bowl of cereal in front of her with a banana.

“Miranda always made me a warm breakfast.” There was a hint of whine in her voice, but mostly it was more of a “Miranda is better than you are” tone.

Leaning my forearms down to the cool marble countertop, I stared at her until she finally met my gaze.

“Well, if someone hadn’t argued with my time-saving ideas this morning then we would have had time for a nice warm breakfast, but…” I let my sentence die and focused on loading the dishwasher instead of her pouting. When I turned back around she was still staring at the bowl. “You’re going to be awfully hungry.”

With a huff and a drop of her shoulders, she leaned over her bowl and picked up the spoon. The moment the bite went into her mouth her face crinkled up.

“It’s all soggy,” she whined.

“You shouldn’t have been so stubborn.” The swish of the dishwasher filled the following silence when I pushed the black button.

That was the last we spoke until I dropped her off at school. When I offered her my hand to help her down from the backseat of the car, she snubbed me and “accidentally” stepped on my toe when she landed. Without looking back, she scurried off toward the school.

The same daily routine continued throughout my first week as Victoria’s nanny. Getting up for school, disagreeing about breakfast, practicing words or math, being told how Miranda did things, dropping her off at school, and afternoons of homework. Following homework Victoria always had an activity scheduled: piano, ballet, horseback riding, Spanish, and karate lessons. The poor girl really had a whirlwind of a day.

There wasn’t one moment – morning, noon, or night – during those first few days that Dr. Bishop was present. I didn’t even see him in my “Victoria-free” afternoons when I worked on my writing or visited with Mrs. Baker while making lunch and doing laundry.

The craziness of her schedule and being without a mother were the main reasons I tried really hard to give her the time she needed to adjust to Miranda’s absence. She was used to her regimented life and the way Miranda had done things. I approached things differently, and she had a difficult time with the change. The situation had become frustrating for both of us, and the tension was growing out of control. Something had to be done, and without her father to discuss the situation with, I was left to resolve it on my own.

Over ice cream at a local shop we hashed out the constant push and pull. We agreed that I was indeed a different person, which meant I wouldn’t always do things the way Miranda did. However, we also agreed to keep some of her ways in place. During the conversation, I realized this was a “trying not to forget Miranda” deal for her. With one more scoop of ice cream and a verbal promise to make plans with Miranda, I was sure progress had been made.

The weeks following were much easier. We would lay out Victoria’s clothes on her bed, as Miranda had done with her, and she wouldn’t complain if I put the peanut butter on top of the jelly instead of the other way around.

After receiving a phone call from Roberto stating he would not be able to make it for Victoria’s Spanish lesson that afternoon due to illness, I made mental plans, hoping our recent truce was still being upheld.

I was standing at the gate, waiting for them to release the bundles of energy locked up behind those school doors. My excitement so high, I was almost dancing around. I couldn’t wait to tell Victoria my plans for the afternoon.

“You must be the new Bishop nanny?”

Pivoting to my left, I looked into beautiful, dark as night eyes set against dark skin that was framed with long straight black hair. I would guess she was Hawaiian. Her skin was so striking. Her only facial flaw was a four-inch scar on her chin, but it was so light I couldn’t truly call it a flaw. It was more like character.

“Yes,” I replied, putting my hand out as I introduced myself. “I’m Sophia.”

“Hi, my name is Ella. I’m the nanny for the Wrights, Albert and Rebecca. They are good friends with Dr. Bishop.” She definitely noticed how my eyes had been drawn to her scar for a moment. She gave me a knowing but friendly look. “Car accident,” she explained.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude.”

“It’s no big deal. So, how is it so far?”

“She had a really rough first week. She was pretty sad about Miranda leaving, but she has started to get used to me. Plus we call Rand at least once a week.”

“Next time you talk with Miranda, tell her I said hello and she had better not have forgotten about me all ready,” she winked.

“I will pass along the message.”

Then the sounds of a tennis shoe stampede filled the air. The daily chaos of bows, hair, skirts, and backpacks everywhere. I spotted my little red head and smiled with a happy sigh.

“I see Victoria.” I gave a small nod to Ella. “It was nice to meet you. I’m sure we’ll see each other around.”

“Definitely,” she waved.

“Come on, girlie.” Victoria’s head popped up at the sound of my voice. “It’s time to go home!”

She ran toward me. I saw the mischievous gleam in her eye and knew what she was up to immediately. I put my arms out as she jumped up and wrapped her arms around my neck.

“I got you,” she laughed.

“Yes, you do.” I carried her to the car. “So, how much homework do you have tonight?”

She shrugged.

“Not too much, just some math,” she grumbled. Victoria had trouble with math. We worked on it every day. “I should have it done before Roberto arrives.”

“There will be no Roberto for you today.” I closed the door behind her after she was buckled into the back seat. I climbed into the driver’s seat and merged into the cloned herd of matching black cars.

“What do you mean?”

“Roberto is sick so he can’t make it tonight,” I smirked. “But I have other plans.”

“Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise.” I looked in my rearview mirror and saw the apprehension on her face. About twenty minutes later, I parked the car and opened her door.

“Come on,” I urged her.

She climbed out hesitantly and looked around the large open area covered with twisted colorful metal and plastic. Kids were hanging from bright yellow monkey bars and sliding down neon orange slides that came out of blue plastic towers. I knelt down in front of her and zipped her jacket up a little more before pulling her face to look at me.

“We are going to have some fun.” I grinned widely and put my hand out for her. She took it slowly, and I ran us to the large playground at the center of the park. “What do you want to do first?” I looked down at her. She shrugged.

“Come on, let’s slide!” I pulled her toward the bright red steps leading to the blue tower. The slide had to be almost ten feet high. We got to the top, and I pulled her in front of me in the line of kids waiting to go down.

“I don’t think I can do this.” She wrapped her arms around my waist tightly, burying her face in my stomach.

“We’ll do it together.” I stepped us to the edge and sat down with her between my legs.

“Ready, set, GO!” I laughed as I shoved us down the spiral slide. Her giggles bounced off the walls of the tub as we slid down.

Hopping off the slide to make room for the next kid, she spun to look at me. “That was…that was so cool!” She jumped with excitement.

After four more times down the slide, she finally went on her own. At the bottom of the slide I cheered for her as she popped out of the tube.

“Can we swing?”

“Of course we can.” I grabbed her hand, and we ran over to the red and yellow swings. “I bet I can swing higher than you,” I teased.

“Nuh-uh!” She laughed and pumped her legs harder and harder.

“Watch this!” I prepared myself and leapt from the moving swing, flying in the air and onto my feet. I took a bow. “Ta-da!” I put my hands in the air and she laughed loudly. Then with a serious tone, I warned her. “Don’t you do that!”

She slowed her swing and then hopped off, but her footing wasn’t secure and she slipped. I ran over. Her little body was now on its hands and knees against the ground.

“Are you okay?” Her eyes were wide and worried as she climbed onto her feet. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry,” she said.

“What for?”

“I’m going to get us in trouble now.” She put her head down and brushed furiously at her skirt.

“Huh? Wait…trouble for what?” I pulled her face to look at mine.

“Look” she motioned to a dirt mark on her skirt. “Daddy will be so mad I ruined my uniform.” She started to sniffle.

“None of that now.” She looked at me curiously. “That,” I pointed to her skirt, “is nothing. I’ll have it washed before you get into bed tonight.” The corners of her mouth began to turn up.

“You will?” She blushed slightly.

“Yep! No one will know but you and me.” I put my hand over my heart. “Nanny Swear!”

“What’s a Nanny Swear?” Her face scrunched up.

“A Nanny Swear means it’s our secret.” I winked at her and took her hand. “We do need to get back to the house though. I’ve got dinner to make, and you have math to do.”

At the mention of her math homework, she groaned.

“I promise we will make math fun tonight.” She nodded and we skipped back to the car together.

Victoria sat at the breakfast bar in the kitchen with her math paper while I cooked.

“Urghh! I can’t get them!” She pouted and tossed her pencil down onto the counter top.

“Let me see.” She slid the paper to me. “Ah I see. I know what you need.”

From the cupboard, I pulled out a bag of M&Ms and placed a handful in front of her. “Okay, so count out eight M&Ms for me.” She looked at me like I was crazy. “Go on.”

Her tiny fingers slid the multicolored circles into a pile of eight.

“Good. Your math problem is eight minus three. So, take away three M&Ms from the pile of eight.” She raised her eyebrow at me, and I laughed. I leaned forward on the counter and grouped her pile of eight in between us. “We have eight M&Ms here, right?” I looked up and she nodded. “Eight,” I took three M&Ms, “minus three,” I popped them in my mouth, “is what?”

She counted the remaining M&Ms. “Five!” she shouted with a hearty belly laugh. After that, she didn’t groan about her math homework.

Once dinner was finished, we curled up in her bed to watch her favorite mermaid cartoon. The next morning the bed shifted, bouncing my body around.

“Wake up, wake up, wake up!” Victoria was bouncing next to me. I pulled her down onto the bed and tickled her.

“You go brush your teeth, and I’ll meet you in the kitchen in five.”

In my own bathroom, I relieved myself, washed my hands and face, and caught my reflection in the vanity mirror.