Page 21 of Protecting My Nanny

Nicole turns to the chair behind her, where Jaime is asleep. His small form is peaceful, his left middle finger wrapped in a splint. There's also a black bruise on his right eye, which I hadn't expected.

"Was he fighting?" I ask, my voice edged with concern. "Why's he all beaten up?"

She exhales, her expression serious. "From what Jaime says, some of the other boys have been bullying him and a friend. Today, they finally stood up for themselves."

"They've been being bullied? And no one knew—not even the teacher? Did Jaime tell you any of this?"

"No," Nicole snaps, her tone defensive. My questions have clearly agitated her. "If he had, I'd have told you."

"How could no one notice? Not you, not the teacher? What do I pay you all for?" My frustration spills over, my worry for Jaime turning into misplaced anger.

"Shane, you're upset. Calm down," she says, trying to soothe me.

But I can't shake the guilt. "I should have noticed," I mutter, more to myself than to her. My mind races with the thought that maybe I've been too distracted by Nicole, or maybe she's been by me. Perhaps boundaries need to be reestablished—for Jaime's sake.

"Can we go? Let's get him home," I suggest, eager to put this behind us.

"He's got one more doctor to see, then we need to pick up his prescription, and then we can go," Nicole replies calmly. "Shane, go get some air or something to snack on. Let him sleep awhile, okay?"

I nod, her words finally breaking through the fog of anxiety. As I step away to get some air, I can't help but replay the events in my head, wondering if I could have done more or if there was more I should have seen.

When I return, Jaime's seat is empty, and Nicole is nowhere to be found. I feel a knot tighten in my stomach, until a doctor steps out of a nearby room, spots my confusion, and approaches.

"You with Jaime?" she asks.

"Yes, I'm his uncle," I respond.

"Shane Matthews," she says, recognizing my name. "I read an article about you in the Daily. They're in there," she adds, gesturing to the room she just left. "Jaime's going to be fine. It's just a minor fracture, which should heal in about four to six weeks. Just ensure he goes easy on that hand, and give him some children's ibuprofen if he feels any pain. Bring him back in six weeks so we can check up on him and make sure everything's healing properly."

"Thank you, doctor. We'll do that," I say, relieved as I head toward the door.

As I push open the door, I see Nicole sitting by Jaime's bedside, speaking to him softly. I pause for a moment, listening to their conversation.

"Jaime, you could have told us about this," Nicole says gently.

"I wanted to, but I also wanted to handle it on my own," Jaime replies, his voice small.

"Why did you think fighting was the solution?" she asks, her tone filled with concern.

"I tried talking first, but they wouldn't stop. They said my parents were drunk driving and that they were in hell. Theypicked on Nick, too, and he's like, my only friend. So... I remembered a story my mom told me about how she and Uncle Shane stood up to some kids who were bullying them because their parents weren't home. I just wanted to be strong like them, so I pushed one of them. Then they all jumped on us."

"Jaime, I know you just wanted to stand up for yourself, and I know bullies can say really mean things that make you angry or hurt. You should always defend yourself, but you can't start fights."

"Are you mad at me?" Jaime's voice wavers with worry.

Nicole instantly embraces him in a way that reminds me so much of Claire. "No, not at all," she reassures him.

"What about Uncle Shane?" Jaime asks, looking toward the doorway.

Nicole glances at me knowingly—she's been aware of my presence the entire time. I step into the room, making my way over to them.

"I'm not mad at you either, bud. I know it wasn't your fault," I say as I squat down and gently lift his chin to examine his bruised eye. "That's not so bad," I add with a smile. "You know, your mom and I only fought when we had to. But when we could walk away, we did. We never let their words make us angry, because we knew that if we did, they would win. Maybe you and Nick can try ignoring them next time. Bullies sometimes stop once they realize their words can't hurt you."

"Okay, Uncle Shane," Jaime agrees, nodding.

"So, what do you say, slugger? Bricktop's Burgers?" I suggest, lightly tapping his jaw with my fist.

"Shane!" Nicole huffs, her expression clearly disapproving of the gesture.

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