Page 140 of Worst Nanny Ever
“I like it,” Ollie says. “I can see your face better.” Then he squints up at the ceiling and points his little finger. “What’s that?”
One of the balloons has strayed into the foyer from the living room like something out of a horror movie.
“Ollie,” I say, releasing him and crouching down so we’re on the same level. “Your mom?—”
Lilah steps into view through the archway to the living room, Hannah hot on her heels. And I’ll be damned, Lilah is holding that stupid koala again.
“I’m back from my trip!” she announces sunnily, as if it’s no big deal. As if she went to the corner store. “Here’s the koala I got you. Isn’t he fuzzy?”
My heart hurts so much worse right now than it did yesterday, when the band Rob and I had built from nothing was on the verge of breaking and I thought it might be forever. He’s going to run to her. He’s going to ask to leave.
I’ll still have to tell him no, but it’ll break my heart.
But he doesn’t. He pushes the koala away and bursts into jagged sobs. “I don’t want it. I hate koalas, and I hate Australia. I don’t want to go anywhere with you. Please don’t make me leave.Please.I want to stay with Dad.”
It’s the first time he’s called me that. A sense of wonder steals over me, but Lilah looks like he just struck her. “Didhetell you to say that, Ollie? Did Travis tell you which words to use when I came back?”
“No,” Ollie says through tears. “Dad’s never told me what tosay. I like it here.” He turns to me. “Don’t make me leave.Please.I know what I said when I first got here, but it’s not true. I don’t want to go.Pleasedon’t make me go.”
I’m still crouching down, so I pull him close and hug him, feeling his tears against my neck. Something breaks inside of me and is rebuilt stronger. No matter what happens, I won’t allow him to leave my life again. I won’t allow him to be ignored or mistreated by anyone, including myself.
“Don’t you want to hear about my trip?” Lilah asks, still holding the koala.
“No,” Ollie shouts. Directly into my ear. I nearly fall over, but I’ll happily risk the hearing deficit, because my son’s clinging to me now. “I want to go to school,” he says quickly in an undertone. “Mrs. Applebaum doesn’t like it when I’m late, and I have to talk to Mickey. I don’t want to disappoint him.”
“They’re friends now,” Hannah says softly, watching us with a reassuring smile. I know she’s putting on a front for me, though. I can tell she’s scared too. Scared and pissed off.
“How about you stay here and spend time with me, Ollie?” Lilah says.
“I don’t want to miss school.”
Lilah gives a bitter laugh. “Well, he certainly sounds like your son, Travis.”
“I’m going to take him to school,” I say, not letting go of him. “We’ll talk when I get back.”
“Splendid,” Dottie says, clapping her hands, and I’m taken aback by the reminder that she’s still here. “We’ll let Travis bring Ollie to school, and I’ll make some tea for us girls. Won’t that be a lovely restart to the day?”
“Who are you?” Lilah says coldly.
Dottie gives her a surprisingly stern look. “I’m someone who cares very deeply about the well-being of both of these young men. And Hannah, of course. But something tells me that myconfused old bones aren’t the reason for my visit this morning after all. I was drawn here because I’m needed.”
I’m not so sure I believe in that. But I do believe in her.
I glance at Hannah. “Are you okay with this, or would you like to come with us?”
“I’m staying,” she says, but she walks over to Ollie and gives him a hug. “You say hey to Mrs. Applebaum for me, okay? Let me know if she has that hedgehog back up and running.”
Ollie casts an anxious look at Lilah, then detaches from Hannah for a second to walk over to his mother. He gives her a quick hug, but his face is full of a pain I can feel in my own chest.
“Goodbye, Lilah,” he says.
Maybe I’m not a good man, because I hope that fucking hurts.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
HANNAH
“Well, aren’tyoua pretty young thing,” Dottie says sweetly to Lilah, who gives her first genuine smile of the day.
