Page 87 of Marrying the Nanny

“You still have your knickers in a twist about Christmas? You know what it’s like with Kev’s parents. Get over it. It’s time to quit playing house with strangers and get back to the real world. Come on.” He used the brisk tone he used on his children. “Mum and Dad want you home.”

“Do they?” She flung around again. “Why?”

“What do you mean, ‘why?’ To see you.”

“They see me on the tablet every week.”

“But you’re not there.”

“What do they need me there for?” She already knew. To entertain the kids and help with Sunday dinner, run errands, and figure out why the printer wasn’t working.

His mouth tightened. “Mum is putting a lot on Sheryl.”

“How is that my problem?”

“Don’t be dense, Em.”

“You’re the one being dense, Ed. If your wife doesn’t want to look after your parents, step up and look after them yourself.”

“Sheryl and I work.”

“Sheryl has two days at the tourism office. I was putting in fifty hours a week when I was Mum and Dad’s errand boy.”

“You didn’t have kids, did you?” Eddie was exactly like their father. A natural athlete with the accompanying competitive spirit. An academic and therefore smarter than anyone else. He was never wrong.

Emma stared him down, refusing to look away first. Waiting to see if he could connect the dots on how far offside that remark was.

For long moments, the hiss and gurgle of the coffee maker was the only noise.

“No, Ed,” she finally said, anguish burning deep in her belly. “I don’t have kids. I can’t have babies because you didn’t warn me that my husband was sleeping with other women.”

“I didn’t give you the clap. Quit putting that on me.” He took such an aggrieved tone, it should have been funny, but it was far too tragic and depressing.

She wouldn’t let him get away with pretending he was the injured party, either. Not this time.

“I’m putting it on you because you knew. Why did you even push me to marry him, knowing he wouldn’t be faithful?”

“I pushed you? You started mooning after him before you grew tits. I did you a favor by talking him into dating you. Mum and Dad, his parents, they’re the ones who thought you two marrying was such a great idea. You’re pissed I didn’t tell you not to marry him? Well, I’m telling you not to marry this guy. Happy now? Get your things.”

“No.” The single word arrived without a shred of hesitation from the very depths of her soul. “You think you can show up and find the same doormat pleaser you turned me into with your bullying and ‘I’m the favorite because I’m older and I can sport and math’?”

“Grow the fuck up.”

“No, you grow up.” She was shaking, she was so furious and hurt and forsaken. “Accept responsibility, Ed. You made your choice. Kev’s your guy so you didn’t tell me I should get checked for an infection that changed my life. Do you understand that those little christers you complain about are something I wanted? I’m not pouting about being sterile. I’m grieving.”

He finally looked away but made a choking noise that said he couldn’t believe she was being so unreasonable.

“Let me put it another way,” she said tightly. “It’s like the anger and frustration you’re experiencing right now, when you’re not getting what you want. Except you can go home and pay someone to look after your kids. I’ll have to hire someone to be pregnant with my baby.”

“And you’re going to marry some wanker who’s taking advantage of that? He walks around with a baby strapped to his chest, Em. A kid that isn’t yours or his.”

“She’s his sister. I can see how that would be a shock for you, witnessing a man caring for his sibling. What a bizarre concept.”

“I’m here, aren’t I?”

“You’re not here for me. You’re trying to look like a hero to Mum and Dad while taking a vacation from Sheryl and the kids. Wear a condom,” she advised.

He glared. “I’m not cheating. Or planning to.”

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