Page 76 of The One I Want
“I think I’ll be going now,” Peggy says, giving me a kiss on the cheek before she goes to grab her jacket. “Good luck, you two.”
She kisses the kids goodbye, leaving me still standing, unsure how to answer this question. Then I happen to catch Emerson’s glance. Her smile says it all: She knows. And not only does she know, she’s happy about it. The nod of approval is all I need to calm myself and give me the courage for this conversation.
Damn, she really is my life coach.
“Well,” I say as I sit on the couch, patting the seat next to me for Magnolia. “I spent the night.”
“Why?”
I take a breath. Because I don’t know how I’m about to answer this. “So remember when we met and I started off as your friend, and then became your nanny?”
She nods. “And you started doing my hair.”
“I did.” I look over to Wes for some guidance, who is sitting on the other side of Magnolia. “Well, just like we got to be closer, so did me and your dad.”
“And you know,” Wes chimes in, “that your mom and I aren’t married anymore.”
“That’s why she lives in California, and we live here,” Emerson adds, looking directly at her siblings. I love how without talking down to them, she explains something that they might not put together. This kid is so damn smart.
“That’s right, Emerson.” Wes takes a breath and reaches across the couch, signaling for my hand. I give him a clear “are you sure?” look, which he just answers with a nod. When I do, Hank’s eyes double in size.
“Guys, you know how Uncle Oliver has girlfriends? How he goes on dates with them and they hold hands and maybe sometimes kiss?”
The two youngest nod as Emerson continues to just smile away.
“Well, what would you guys say if Betsy was my girlfriend?”
No one says anything for a second, which puts my panic level at fifteen out of ten.
“Will she still be our nanny? I like our get ready routine,” Magnolia says.
I stifle a laugh at my sweet girl’s question. “Yes, nothing will change when it comes to you guys. I’ll still be here every morning, ready to go for hair, food, and clothing duties.”
Wes looks over to Emerson. “What do you think?”
She shrugs, though I can tell she’s trying to hide her smile. “I like it. I think you two are good for each other.”
“Really?” I ask. “How so?”
Emerson comes over to the couch with us. “You bring out the fun side of him. I mean, he was always fun, but not all the time, because Mom wouldn’t let him. And he keeps you focused. When we met you, you were a bit of a mess.”
“Hey!” I say, playfully hitting her with a pillow. “I was figuring things out.”
“Sure…” she says. “But in all seriousness, I’m good with this. I like how everything is going, and if you two make each other happy, then we’re happy, too.”
I push back the tears as Wes opens his arms for Emerson. Out of all of the kids, he needed to hear that from her more than anything. She knows enough to know that things weren’t easy for him during all of this. She knows Cara’s true colors. She had to grow up more in these past three months than any eleven-year-old should have to.
“Dad?”
Wes looks down to Hank. “Yeah, buddy?”
“I have a question, if Betsy is now your girlfriend.”
“Ask away.”
“Are you going to ask Betsy to marry you?”
Wes and I look at each other, an equal look of terror and “way too soon” going through our eyes.
