Page 26 of Nanny for the Damaged Ex-SEAL

I'd been given Ethan's schedule late last night by Connor. I look at my bedside clock. It'll be 5 a.m. in 15 minutes. I sit up and slide my legs to the side of the bed, the tile floor sending a cold chill through my feet. I lift them off and look for my slippers, then shuffle my feet into them. I open my door and enter Ethan's room across the hall. He's still asleep. I walk over to his bed and watch him for a moment. It’s dark, but the dim light coming in from outside gently illuminates parts of his face.

I kneel down and put my hand on his arm and shake him gently. He rolls over to the other side of the bed. I smile and get on the bed to shake him again. He rolls to face me then opens his eyes slightly. When his eyes adapt, he opens his eyes more and yawns.

"Good morning."

"Good morning," he says back. He pronounces good as "goo" in a sleepy voice and I chuckle.

"Are you ready to get ready for school?"

He shakes his head no.

"We'll be late if we don't get started now.” I straighten up and stretch my hand toward him. He takes it reluctantly and I pull him up and carry him to the bathroom.

"It's cold," he complains.

"I'll turn on the heat."

He nods and I turn on the heater and proceed to undress him.

"Will you take me to school, Aria?"

"Yes, I will. I'll be taking you to school every day."

"Every day?" he asks with wide eyes.

"Yes, every day. I'll also pick you up every day."

He giggles and steps out of his pajamas.

Twenty minutes later, he's in his chair at the dining table, having breakfast. He insists on eating cereal. The multicolored one, rainbow Krispies.

While he eats, I quickly go upstairs to have my shower. "Don't get off your chair. Keep eating. I'll be back in a jiffy."

He giggles at the word jiffy and nods to say he understands.

When I get back, the front of his uniform is soaked with milk. Oh my God, I forgot to put a bib over his shirt. How could I have made such a mistake? We go back upstairs and I pray that we find a spare uniform. Thankfully, there's another clean shirt. I don't want to look incompetent to Connor.

Just as we're coming out of Ethan's room, Connor's coming out of his.

"Good morning, Daddy. Sleep good?" he asks.

"I slept well. And you?"

"I sleep, um, slept well. Aria woke me up this morning."

"That's nice. I see you're all dressed up."

"Yes. I poured milk on my shirt," he starts before I can stop him. "And Aria changed my shirt," he finishes and laughs.

So much for being discreet. Connor stares at me but says nothing. He has on thin sweatpants that ride low on his hips and highlight his bulge, with a white undershirt that shows off his muscular chest and shoulders. His tattoos are on full display. There's a scar on his upper arm; it's been covered almost totally by tattoos, but I can still see it and I wonder how he got it. When I notice he's watching me watch him, I clear my throat.

"Umm, we're ready when you are," I say and take Ethan's hand to lead him downstairs. When we get downstairs, I go to the dining table to gather up his books and put them in his bag.

"Are we waiting for Daddy?"

"We are."

"Oh God!" he laments.

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