“Here.” Kelly arrived in the doorway, holding her hands out for the babe.
I shook my head. “Take the money and go,” I told her.
“I thought we were going to get married,” she pouted.
“I won’t marry you,” I replied. “And I won’t let you take my child.”
“You can’t do that,” she snapped.
“Why did you come back here, Kelly?” I demanded.
In my arms, little Seanan redoubled her efforts to get my attention, balling her hands up into fists.
Kelly ignored her, focusing on me instead. “Because you’re her father.”
“And as her father, I am officially relieving you of your responsibility.”
Kelly turned around and kicked the diaper bag, sending it sprawling out into the middle of the room. “Keep your kid,” she spat. “I’ve got better things to do.”
She stormed out the door, taking her payout with her. I turned to Hud, who shrugged. Seanan’s wailing grew even louder, and I realized the magnitude of what I had done. I was alone in the home with a newborn. I had rescued her from what was sure to be a horrible life, but I had no idea how to take care of her.
Hud went back to the foyer, retrieving the bag full of baby items from the floor. We opened it up on the kitchen table as I attempted to calm Seanan by rubbing her back. There were four diapers, two full bottles of formula, a changing pad, and a selection of lotions. I picked up one of the bottles and stuck it in the baby’s mouth. She calmed down immediately, reaching up to help me hold the container.
I looked up at Hud and smiled. For a moment it seemed that my anger had abated. All my problems were solved, but the work had only begun. We hired a nanny that same day, but she wasn’t very good. She knew a lot more about infants than I did and was a big help for the first few nights.
Later that week, I found her gone along with half of the silverware. At least by that time, I had learned how to change a diaper. We hired another nanny, and another. One of them stayed for three years. Seanan grew close to her and cried when she left my employ to marry and start a family of her own.
The rest of the women had commitment issues. I caught one of them smoking in the back yard, and another one drinking in the pantry. One of them had a boyfriend that she invited into my home while I was at work. Another couldn’t be bothered to look up from her daytime shows.
The result was that Seanan became a little rowdy. I could provide her with a home and an education, but I couldn’t be a mother. She acted out to get attention and threw temper tantrums when she thought the nannies weren’t listening.
I had my hands full with my company, and I wasn’t able to be there all the time. Though I loved her more than life itself, I needed help. Occasionally, my parents were able to watch her. Seanan did far better with my mother than she did with any hired assistant. They bonded over ice cream and walks through the park, but then my father retired and my parents moved away.
They were starting their third age, the time in life when they shed responsibilities and acted like kids again. I didn’t want to hold them back. My mother cried at the airport, promising to come back to visit. I told her not to worry. Seanan would be in good hands.
Another two nannies later, and I was ready to throw in the towel. There had to be a better way. Why was it so difficult to find competent help? After the last staff member resigned, I moved into my home office, doing as much work as I could while keeping an eye out for my daughter.
“Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!” Seanan screamed, running into my office with a piece of paper held high in the air. “Daddy! Daddy!”
I was on the phone with an investor, trying to iron out the details of the latest project. We were buying a tech firm, a little-known startup that was disrupting the online space. I knew that with the right financial backing and a little bit of guidance, they would make millions. It was a delicate process, one that I didn’t want to interrupt.
“Daddy! Daddy!” Seanan climbed up into my lap, presenting me with a page from a coloring book.
“That’s nice,” I said, kissing the top of her head. “Where’s Hud?”
“I dunno,” she replied, gazing at her work with satisfaction.
“Yes, I’m still here,” I told my investor. “Go find Hud,” I instructed Seanan.
“But I’m bored,” she whined, leaning forward to pick up my pen.
“Hud!” I yelled. “Give me one moment,” I begged off my phone call, picking my daughter up and walking her toward the door. “Hud!”
A moment later, the servant appeared, reluctantly accepting the wiggling child. “May I look for another nanny?” he asked.
“Fine.” I waved a hand, disappearing back into my den.
I finished up the call and moved on to other things. There were emails to answer and documents to read. I liked to keep up on the filings of all my companies, to make sure that nothing was amiss. Even though I was physically at home, mentally, I was at work. I needed a solution to the problem that would work for both me and my daughter.