“Thank you,” he tells me. “You can start on Monday or sooner if you’re ready.”
“Sounds good.”
“Thanks again. I promise it’ll be worth it.”
Chapter 6
Oliver
Thenextmorning,Iwake up as the sunlight streams through my bedroom window, filling my room with warmth.
I stretch my arms out, the fatigue of last night slowly fading away. I almost don’t want to get out of bed, but it’s already almost nine o’clock, and Alice is likely going to wake up any minute now.
With a groan, I slide my feet to the floor and stand up. As if on cue, my phone blares. When I glance at my screen, it’s my mother calling.
“Hey, Mom,” I say into the phone as soon as I answer.
“Oliver, how’s the nanny hunt going?” she asks without skipping a beat.
I hesitate for a moment and then answer reluctantly. “I found one.”
“Really? Already?” Her voice is eager. “Who is it? Tell me all about her.”
“Actually, Mom, it’s Catherine,” I say.
There is a brief silence on the line before she responds. “Catherine? Erica’s best friend?”
I swallow hard. I still can’t believe it myself. “Yes, that’s her.”
My mother sighs deeply on the other end of the line. “Well, if you think she’s the right person for the job, then I’m in full support. It’ll be good to have someone reliable looking after Alice.”
“Thanks,” I say, eager to get off the phone. “I’m sure everything will work out just fine. I have to go, Mom. I need to make breakfast for Alice.”
As I walk into the kitchen, Alice is already awake and sitting at the table with her favorite stuffed bear, her eyes glued to her iPad.
“Good morning.” I smile fondly and quickly get to work preparing French toast, bacon, and scrambled eggs—Alice’s favorite breakfast meal.
She yawns. “Morning, Daddy.”
The smell of breakfast fills the air as I move about the kitchen.
“Do you want to hear some good news?” I ask, setting down a plate of toast in front of Alice.
She looks up and grins. “What is it?”
I take a seat next to her. “Remember how I said I was looking for a nanny?” She nods enthusiastically. “Well, it turns out that Catherine is going to be the one taking care of you.”
Alice’s eyes widen in surprise. “Really? Catherine is going to be my nanny?”
I nod, seeing the excitement on my daughter’s face. “Yes, Catherine. She’s going to start on Monday.”
Alice grins, taking a bite of her bacon. “This is so awesome, Daddy. Can we make her some breakfast too on Monday?”
I chuckle at Alice’s enthusiasm. “Of course, we can. We’ll make her a special breakfast to welcome her on her first day.”
Alice nods, already planning what she wants to make for Catherine. I smile, glad to see her happy.
As we finish our breakfast, my mind drifts to Catherine. I can’t help but wonder how everything will work with her now, living with us. I try to push the thought to the back of my mind and focus on spending time with Alice.