Page 16 of Only You

George looked down, embarrassed, but Ana felt a warmth spread through her body. Raising her hand, she rested it against George’s arm.

“Thank you, George, that was kind of you. I appreciate it. Julie made my first shift...” Ana struggled to think of the correct word. A word her new friends might understand... accepted would sound strange. But Ana realised that for the first time in her life, strangers accepted her.

George saved her by blushing and shaking her head. “It was no problem. Julie liked you,” she mumbled, a small smile touching her lips.

“I want to know who the hot older guy was?” Millie chirped up, linking her arm through Ana’s and George’s before dragging them both towards the cafeteria.

The reprieve was brief. As soon as they arrived, Millie shot off again to get the coffees. George shrugged when Ana went to protest.

Millie returned in record time, almost throwing the coffee and snacks on the table in her rush to get seated. Unlike the previous days, the large space was almost empty. The white tables were ready and waiting for the student rush. Once again, they had taken up residence in the back corner.

“Older guy?” she spluttered.

Ana raised an eyebrow at George, who groaned. George had clearly not expected Millie to bring up what she had told her. Obviously, Julie had spoken to George about Andrew but not shared the details with her.

“What?” Millie said, looking offended. “Don’t tell me you are not dying to know Georgina Lawson.”

Ana couldn’t help but laugh. These two were a strange couple of friends, but Ana felt Millie wasn’t being salacious. Instead, she was asking out of interest.

Ana sat back, an unusual feeling of warmth infusing her body.

“He is, was, my ex-brother-in-law,” she started. The two girls stared at her, open-mouthed. “My sister is fourteen years older than me. They were married when I was thirteen and divorced when I was fifteen. I was at boarding school for most of the time they were together, so I hardly know him.”

The whole situation was surreal. Ana had barely known Andrew. He was a stranger who had married her sister. Ana had hardly known her sister. Ana had been four when Eva left home for university. Her big sister had been absent for much of Ana’s childhood, although she had been there for comparison. Ana had found out early on that she could never compete with her perfect sister. Eva had been the perfect student, the perfect sports person, and the perfect daughter. Ana had been substandard in every way. It had been a relief when they shipped her off to boarding school at age ten. Ana had hoped being away from home, her life would have improved, but her parents had dictated what extracurricular activities she could and couldn’t take part in, and if her grades slipped for any reason, they squirrelled her away until they rose again. They had refused to give their permission for her to leave the school grounds, and, as a result, it had made her an outsider looking in. Life had been as lonely at boarding school in a dorm full of girls as it had been at home in her own bedroom.

Ana had been twelve when she had come home for the holidays, and Eva had arrived with a new boyfriend in tow. The boyfriend had kind blue eyes that sparkled when he talked. She had overheard her father saying to her mother,he had a strong, determined jaw that would see him go far.

To Ana, all she had seen was his floppy blond hair.

Ana wanted to laugh as it kept flopping in his eyes, making him brush it back, unlike her sister, who didn’t have a hair out of place. He talked about their core surgical training and life at the hospital where they were stationed. He made it sound so interesting and exciting. Ana could have listened to him talk all weekend.

Both he and Eva were in their final year before they got to specialise. Andrew had talked about his desire to become a cardiothoracic surgeon, which had impressed her father, and for the first time in twelve years, someone had also been interested in her. Andrew had asked her questions, not that she was allowed to answer. Her father had always done that for her. Ana, like the trained monkey she was, had stayed quiet. But it had meant a lot to her that he had shown some interest. None of Eva’s other boyfriends ever had, and Eva stayed out of her way or would go out whenever she came home, leaving Ana alone.

Ana still remembered the day she received a school letter letting her know that Eva and Andrew were getting married. The wedding was being held in Cyprus, and Ana had never been abroad. Her parents had always holidayed while she was in school, citing that it was cheaper. When Ana had been called in to see the head teacher, she had felt like her insides were vibrating. She had bounced her way to the office expecting to be told her parents would collect her. Instead, she was told her parents were going to be out of the country attending her sister’s wedding and that they had made a neighbour her guardian in their absence. The head teacher had made it clear to Ana that she wanted no issues while she was their responsibility. Ana remembered swallowing hard, not wanting to let the head teacher see how upset she was. Her heart had felt like it was shrinking in her chest. When she made it back to the dorms, she had been violently sick. That day, a hollow feeling swept through her body when she realised she would never be as good as her sister or loved like her sister, and she was an inconvenience to everyone. At that moment, as Ana had sat alone in her dorm room, she promised herself she would do more, make something of her life. Try to be as good as Eva, and then maybe her father and mother would have time for her. Just maybe she could get them to love her.

Millie and George didn’t press any further, and the conversation returned to lighter topics. Topics that George and Millie included Ana in, like whose house party they would attend over the weekend and which shops they would frequent. By the time Ana made it home to prepare for her next shift, her heart felt lighter, her stomach fluttering.

Chapter Ten

Andrew

After a day of reviewing CVs, Andrew’s brain was about ready to explode. Rubbing the muscle knots out of his neck, he made a mental note never to go into an administration role. The only thing he could be thankful for was the details of the six potential candidates printed out in front of him. As he stared at the pile, the law of averages told him at least one out of the six would be a perfect fit for Olivia and him.

All the women he’d shortlisted were free or coming to the end of their current contracts. The agencies had promised the process would be quick and pain-free. After speaking to Suzie, Andrew decided he wanted Olivia to be part of the process, so he had arranged the first interviews for the following evening. He wanted to see how she and any potential nanny interacted.

Some women wanted live-in accommodation, but all of them had stated they would need a room to stay over in. Should he require them to work late. The mere thought of someone sharing his space sent shudders sweeping down his spine. It wasn’t ideal, but needs must. Thank god he’d had the foresight to buy a house with a basement annexe. He set up his gym down there and used it for storage, but with a light renovation and some new furniture, it would provide the nanny with their own space, whether they lived in or stayed over on Tuesday nights or at weekends.

A knock sounded at the door, and Suzie popped her head in.

“I’m leaving now,” she said. “How’s it gone?”

“Good,” Andrew said, waving the stack of printouts in front of him. “Six candidates. Interviews start tomorrow evening. I’m going to talk to Olivia about it tonight and get her involved.”

Suzie smiled. “Perfect. Having some ownership of choice will help her adjust faster. It has always worked with my children.” Suzie looked at her watch. “Speaking of which. I need to be going. See you tomorrow.”

Andrew waved goodbye as Suzie shut the door behind her. A minute passed before his mobile rang. It was his mother.

“Hey, Mum,” he said after hitting the accept button.

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