He was different.
He was so much more than them.
And I was in so much trouble.
I was five minutes early, so I waited for the bell with a group of nannies. I smiled at some of them I recognized, but none of us knew each other that well yet. I did have a playdate planned for Elliot and his best friend, Charlie, with another nanny, Lisa, a small redhead with the prettiest blue eyes I had ever seen on anyone and a kind smile. When I saw her, I walked toward her, happy to see a friendly face.
“Hey,” I greeted.
Her smile widened when she looked at me. “Hey, you. How is your day going?”
I nodded. “Good.” While Elliot was at school, I didn’t have much going on. I knew some of the nannies looked forward to that time alone, but I didn’t like it. I was running out of things to keep myself busy while I waited for Elliot’s school day to end.
“What about you?” I asked.
She shrugged. “I read. Then I planned some stuff for Charlie to do when she gets home if she manages to have any free time.”
Lisa shook her head, and I knew she was frustrated about the way Charlie’s parents had filled up her schedule with piano practices and tutors and what not, leaving her very little time to be a kid.
I knew that was generally the case with these kids, which is why it was surprising when Jace told me I was going to be in charge of Elliot’s schedule and that I was to do what I thought was best for his growth and development.
It made me thankful that I had Jace as my employer.
I shot Lisa a sympathetic smile. I knew Lisa loved Charlie and wanted what was best for her. It was hard not to fall in love with the kids you nannied.
“I’m sure you’ve fit in some time for fun before dinner.”
“Yes, but I don’t want her to feel like she constantly has to move from one activity to the next. It’s pretty stressful for kids to have such a jam-packed schedule. And they shouldn’t be stressed at this age.”
I nodded in agreement. “There’s still the playdate on Saturday. That should be fun.”
Her eyes lit up at that. “Yes. Though I’m sure Charlie’s parents only agreed to the playdate because Elliot is a Reed.”
“Is being a Reed really that important?” I asked.
“Yes. Jace Reed is like a god in the business world. Whatever he touches turns to gold. And I know he helped Mr. Carlisle keep his business.”
I nodded, though I didn’t really like to get into any kind of gossip. The doors opened moments later and a burst of chatter boomed.
Fifteen little kids in one classroom were bound to be chaotic.
A good kind of chaos, but still chaos.
Lisa and I shared a smile, and we waited for Elliot and Charlie to come out.
They always came out together, having been close since their first day, and it was really fun to watch them interact with each other. They were the last ones out, with Charlie in front and Elliot happily following behind with a wide smile, showing a row of small white teeth, and carrying two backpacks.
He noticed me in the crowd, and I could feel myself getting emotional when I could see excitement and happiness on his face at the sight of me.
I had been dropping him off and picking him up from school for three weeks now, and still, he acted like he hadn’t seen me in years and that he missed me.
And hell, I missed him, too.
My day felt empty without his constant chatter.
“Evelyn!”
He ran toward me with his arms wide open, and before I could bend down and catch him, he was there, hugging my knees, the second backpack—Charlie’s backpack—hooked to his front squished between us.