Page 22 of The Fiancé Hoax

In the living room, the girls were chasing each other around the sofa and laughing hysterically.

“Okay, you hooligans,” I said. “Come sit down next to me.”

I patted the couch cushions, and they plopped down on either side of me.

“Did you have fun at the park?” I asked.

“Uh-huh. I went down the slide fifteen times!” Eva exclaimed.

“I went down six times, Daddy.” Lily said. “But I like the swings better.”

“I jumped out of the swing when it was really high,” Eva said.

“Be careful doing that, little duck,” I said.

“I thought I was a goose!” She broke into belly laughter.

Lily looked at me, her blue eyes round. “When’s Felicity going to come back?”

“That's what I wanted to talk to you two about.” I swallowed. “I have some good news for you. Felicity is going to come stay with us for a while.”

Lily's eyes grew large, and Eva sprang to her feet.

“Really?” Eva asked.

“Yes. She'll move in tomorrow.”

Eva and Lily let out a chorus of cheers and shouts.

“OMG! Yay!” Eva exclaimed. She and Lily high-fived each other. “We love Felicity.”

Lily nodded her head in agreement.

“She's so cool and funny and pretty,” Eva said.

“And nice,” Lily added. “Do you think she'll take us to the park?”

I shifted in my seat. I knew the girls liked Felicity, but I wasn't expecting this much enthusiasm.

“I’m not sure about that yet. We'll have to see when she gets here.”

“Will she stay with us forever?” Lily asked.

“No, not forever,” I said gently. “For a few months.”

“Oh,” Lily said, thinking it over. “Is she going to be our nanny?”

“No, Felicity won’t be your nanny,” I said. “Inga is still your nanny. Felicity will be… spending some time with us.”

How could I explain this to them? I didn't want to lie to my daughters.

“I care for Felicity very much. I like her,” I told the girls. Somehow, that part came naturally. “Even though I haven’t known her very long.”

Lily seemed to decide that was acceptable, and she nodded. “What room will she be in?”

“The spare bedroom next to mine,” I answered.

Eva was strangely quiet, and she studied me.

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