Page 159 of The Perfect Mistake

“Yes, but we don’t know if the classes will fill up, or if there will be… actually, you know what?” she asks. There’s a wide smile on her lips, and it lights up her features, making her brown eyes glitter.

God, I love that expression. Ensuring this woman is happy has become my vocation. Maybe it’s not Contron. Maybe Contron is just an occupation, but this is my passion in life. If I do nothing else but make her and my kids happy, I’ve lived a good life.

“What,” I ask.

“I’ve decided that it doesn’t matter what happens. I’m still happy I tried. And if this doesn’t work out… I guess I’ll find something else. Become an oil painter. Learn to race horses. Become a marketing executive.”

“Go to business school and join the family business,” I say.

She laughs. “God, can you imagine? Absolutely not. I’ll leave that to you and Connie and Nate. I love you, but we’re not working together again.”

“Is that criticism?” I ask, but I’m smiling too. She’s officially no longer my children’s nanny. I’d understood her concerns. Honored every single one. I’ve hired a new nanny, a woman in her sixties without a single degree in child psychology but with twenty years of experience. Isabel had joined me for the interview. I’ve also talked to Willa. Explained that it’s not the nanny that keeps me away, but my work.

Hearing Isabel tell me of Willa’s words had been hard. Hard, and heartbreaking, and important. I’ve vowed to make sure both Willa and Sam will always know they come first.

“Me? Critiquing the great Alec Connovan? I would never,” she says. Her smile is crooked, and teasing, and I want to kiss it off her.

“Are you guys coming?!” Willa yells.

Our walk has slowed to a crawl.

Once we’re home, it’s only an hour until the doorbell rings again. Isabel is still in the shower and I head to open the door. Two kids flock at my sides as I pull it open.

“Hi!” Connie says. She’s smiling wide, her arms extended. Gabriel is at her side with two large grocery bags.

Willa grins at Connie. Sam tucks close to my leg, but he’s peering out at both his aunt and his new uncle.

“Hello,” Willa says. “What’s in the bags?”

“So, I got this idea,” Connie says. “How about we make homemade pizza? I brought the dough and all the ingredients. You can each make your own, and you get to choose the toppings.”

Gabriel’s eyes meet mine. They’re amused. “Neither of us knows how to cook,” he tells me matter-of-factly. “We might end up getting pizza delivered.”

“There’s a place down the street,” I tell him. “One Hawaiian and one margarita, and the kids will be golden.”

He grins at me. “Thanks for helping me out.”

“Anytime.”

Connie frowns at us both. “No, we’re cooking. It’s a great activity. Okay, let’s find the fridge… Sammy, can you show me the way?”

The kids hover around Connie and Gabriel for ten minutes before they fully relax. Willa loves Connie, and Sam has the disposition to be happy just about anywhere after he gets over his initial shyness.

Isabel comes out of my bedroom a few minutes later. She’s in a beautiful green blouse and black jeans, and her hair falls softly around her shoulders. Connie and her hug, and she’s pulled into the kitchen, to where Connie wants to have a private word before we leave.

Seeing them together is odd. Shouldn’t be. But it’s reconciling the two worlds—Isabel as Connie’s friend and Isabel as mine—and I know it’ll take me a little while. I suspect it will also take a bit of time for Isabel and Connie to get used to the new dynamic too.

But somehow I’m not worried about that. We’ll solve it.

Gabriel hands me a beer he must have swiped from the fridge. “You might need one,” he tells me.

“Most likely. Thanks. And it was great you two could come over and babysit tonight.”

“Anytime,” he says. “Connie wants to spend more time with her niece and nephew, and I like kids. Odd to think we might have some one day.”

I slide my gaze to his and he chuckles. “Not yet, don’t worry. That wasn’t me implying anything.”

“It is odd,” I say. “Having kids. But then you have them, and it’s the most natural thing in the world.”

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