All the stress I suffered during the divorce was centered around my daughter. The new, big lines between my eyebrows were from worrying about how Lucia would be affected.
“Excuse me?” Lori yelled.
I pulled the phone from my ear and smirked; leave it to my loyal cousin to be as upset as me.
“You heard me. I don’t even think he’ll ever want to see her. I think he’s going to relinquish his rights altogether.” I sighed and prepared myself for her reaction. “And don’t yell, but I didn’t ask for child support either,” I whispered. If he didn’t want her, I rationalized, then he shouldn’t have to pay for her. She was mine, and I would care for her just as I always had: on my own.
~*~*~
Lori and her husband, Chris, were visiting for a week. We had plans to barbecue at the regional park on July third, which was when our neighboring city put on the fireworks show.
We spent the day before making all of the typical picnic food. My dad was responsible for reserving us a spot at the crack of dawn and for barbequing. Dad and I didn’t spend a whole lot of time together, even though he lived in the same community I did. We both worked a lot, and when too much time passed without speaking, I’d call him and invite him over for dinner. He was a loner, and I was starting to believe I was turning out to be just like him in that regard.
When I’d first moved to California to live with him, we had gotten along just fine by staying out of each other’s way for the most part. The physical affection we shared from my infancy was long gone after he left. Once we were geographically close again, he tried for a long time to hug and kiss me, but stopped after I rebuffed him too many times. Regardless of how much I chastised myself for doing it, knowing it hurt him, I couldn’t stop. I just couldn’t make the effort to show him much affection at all. Sure, we laughed and joked a lot and even did some fun things together, but our everyday activities were often done alone. He would go to work, and I would go to school.
Susan and my work friend, Danielle, her husband, and their seven-year-old son were going to spend the day with us, too. I had met Danielle at work and had fallen into an easy friendship with her. Recently, Lucia and I had spent a lot of time with Danielle and her family doing different activities. I thought from the moment I first saw her that Danielle was very beautiful. She was at least six feet tall with long legs and torso. Her tiny waist emphasized her small, high ass. She had the type of body that made women seethe in jealousy, and her striking, yellowish-green eyes were so different from anything I had ever seen. They were accentuated by her short, curly, blonde hair. Her sweet demeanor only added to her beauty.
Danielle was the one who had trained me and shown me around the airport. As a part-time administrative assistant for the customer service department, she had been with the company for a long time and knew the ropes. She was quiet in general, but in a one-on-one situation she would tell you her whole life story with little hesitation. Danielle liked to talk, but she was also a great listener. After she trained me and I got my bearings, I managed to show how much I was needed there. In a short amount of time, I was promoted to the position of administrative assistant to the general manager, after which they promoted Danielle to full-time administrative assistant as well. If we had time, we would meet for lunch and would help each other out when one of us was busier than the other. With her selfless heart, she never worried whether I was out to take her job. Her main concern was always making me feel welcome.
Gary, her husband of fifteen years, worked on the ramp as ground crew. Danielle and Gary had gotten married against their families’ wishes when they were eighteen. They had made it a point to get their educations before they started to have children. From what I had seen with my own eyes and heard from Danielle, they were the envied happy couple. Gary was a nice, quiet man, though his large physique was a bit intimidating. He was at least six foot five, over two hundred pounds of sheer muscle. Big boned, he looked like a football player. He wore a crew cut that was already graying and had a mustache and goatee also sprinkled with white hairs. Gabe, their son, looked just like Gary. He was very tall for his age, almost as big as me, his head already reaching my shoulders.
It felt great to make more friends, and I couldn’t wait to introduce this great couple to my cousin and her husband.
Chapter 7
Red Rover, Red Rover
I felt a warm body climb into my bed to snuggle, and I turned around to look at the clock. It was six o’clock in the morning and time to get up. Lucia curled into a little ball against my chest and went back to sleep, so I stroked her hair while I relaxed with her for a few moments.
When I was sure she had fallen back asleep, I got up and made my way to the bathroom. In a rush, I washed up so I could make myself a cup of coffee.
I popped a pod of butter toffee-flavored coffee into my Keurig, heated some milk in the microwave, and pushed the button to start the flow for eight ounces of water. That coffee maker had become a favorite of mine, because it could make a cup of fresh java within a minute. There were no more pots of coffee wasting away just to be thrown out after they burned from sitting all day.
The coffee was ready at the same time as the milk, and I put in a packet of Splenda. The first sip was always the best. Taking my cup, I padded my way to the balcony to relax outside for a few minutes of me-time before everyone woke up.
I was flipping through a magazine when someone opened the sliding glass door. When I turned my head over my left shoulder, I saw Lori carrying her own cup of coffee outside. She stepped over to the lounge chair next to mine.
I smiled at her and said, “Good morning.” I was so happy to have her here.
Lori sat back and lay her head on the back of the chair. With a tired sigh, she said, “Morning,”
I laughed. “What’s the matter? You didn’t sleep well last night?”
She shook her head. “No, no, I did. I’m just not a morning person and still a bit jet-lagged. Oh, and Chris left around five this morning. Your dad picked him up so they could get us a good spot at the park,” she said, and I nodded.
“Cool. My dad knows the whole routine and where we like to camp out for the day.”
I considered their fatigue and the long day we had ahead of us. Fireworks wouldn’t start until eight that night, and we’d be cooking, eating, and drinking all day.
“I hope Chris can last the whole day. We’ll be there ’til about nine tonight,” I told her.
She waved me off like she was swatting a fly and said, “He’ll be fine. If he gets tired, he can just nap in a chair.”
“Last year we put up a netted tent beside the Easy-up canopy, and I took a nap in there. That’s an option instead of an uncomfortable chair.” I chuckled.
I was a worrier, and I noticed that when things were quiet, my mind would start working a mile a minute. The lack of knowing what my future held made me crazy. I tried to lose myself in the calming coo of doves and the chirping of the small sparrows.
I thought about what was in store for Lucia and me. She would be starting first grade in September, and she had mentioned wanting to take ballet lessons. I wasn’t sure how I would swing that time-wise.
I took one of my deep, sighing breaths, something I did when I needed to clear my thoughts.
“What’s wrong?” Lori asked, pulling me from my internal musings.
Closing my eyes, I tried to put my thoughts into words. “I don’t know,” I shrugged, turned to look at her, and said, “I guess I was just trying to figure out how I was going to swing this coming school year with Lucia.” I put my mug down on the small round table between our lounge chairs and turned to my side. “It’s just that I’m not sure I can handle everything on my own. With Lucia getting older, she’ll be busier. I’m beginning to feel overwhelmed, and I’m doubting my ability to continue to do this without help.” I sighed again.
Lori sat up in a flash. The coffee swooshed in her mug, spilling a few drops on her sleep pants. It was so quick and unexpected
that she startled me, and I jumped.
I put my hand on my chest and chuckled, out of breath. “What the hell, Lori? Are you trying to give me a heart attack? What is it?”
She put her mug down next to mine and was vibrating with excitement.
“Spill it!” I said, now curious.
“Oh, Mia, it’s so funny how things work out. I have the perfect idea.” She leaned forward to get closer, and instinctively, I leaned in toward her as well.
“Okay, so hear me out.” She smiled to herself. “Chris’s brother just lost his job on Wall Street. It’s a long story that I’m sure he’ll tell you himself, but he wanted a change. Something less stressful and more fun.”
A doubtful laugh slipped from my lips, and I asked, “Um, when would he tell me, Lori? I don’t know him.”
“You will. So, anyway, he decided he wanted to be — a manny.” She must have seen the confused expression on my face. “You know, a male nanny.” Her eyes widened, willing me to catch on. She then waved a hand as if dismissing the whole thing. Whether I understood or not, she was going to continue with her story. “He asked a local agency in New York what the requirements were and began taking CPR, first aid, and some childcare classes.”
I still had no idea why she was telling me all of this, but I sat and listened.
Lori jumped up to run inside. Before she got to the door, she began speaking under her breath in a muffled tone, “I need to call him before he signs a contract with that agency.” Then she was gone.
What in the hell was that? I laughed because she just left me sitting there with no idea what she was talking about. Grabbing the mugs, I went inside. Lori was nowhere to be seen.
It wasn’t until I was washing dishes that she came over and took a seat at the bar across from me.
“So, listen. This is a wonderful idea.”
I dried my hands and stood opposite her, resting my forearms on the counter. “What in the world are you talking about? I have no idea what is going on,” I said, a little frustrated.
“Well it’s easy, Mia. You need a nanny — or in this case, a manny — to help you around here,” she said with such conviction that I stopped mid-protest and began to think.
Did I need help? I hadn’t even thought of hiring a nanny. The thought of having someone around to take her to ballet, tennis, and help with dinner would be nice. But I always had prided myself on doing everything on my own. To me, that was an accomplishment, and the thought of asking for help made me feel like a failure.
“Dominic needs a change, and moving here would be a perfect idea. I just spoke with him, and he is open to the offer.” She clapped her hands together, and it was clear that she felt like her plan was coming together. “He is such a nice man who has had some unfortunate circumstances. He changed everything in his life because he was tired of the deceit and disappointment he dealt with on Wall Street,” she said with sadness.
“What happened to him?”
“All I know is he was some kind of corporate finance specialist, the market crashed, his clients lost everything, and he was fired along with hundreds of others who worked with him.” She shrugged.
“At first, he took it really hard. His fiancée left him. The money-hungry, gold digging bitch was just with him for his money and prestige. The minute he lost his job, she packed up and walked out.” Lori shook her head, disgust written all over her face.
“Well, how would this work? I would want to meet him before I just hire him. I mean, I trust you and everything, but this is my daughter we’re talking about!”
Lori sat up straighter and cut me off, mid-thought. “He can fly out here and meet with you, and if you like him, then he can meet Lucia. Dominic is ready to go anyway. He’s already sold his house and has been staying with Chris and me.” She smiled and continued. “He was going to put in an application with an agency called ‘Mary Poppins.’ After researching a bunch of agencies, he thought that one was the best.”
Her smile was mischievous, the same one I remembered from our childhood. The more we talked and I watched her, the more I could see she hadn’t changed much.
“So, you trust him? I mean, I know you said he’s your brother-in-law, but this is my child.”
Her eyes were soft, caring. “I would never put you in danger in any way. I love you both so much,” she said, touching my hand.
I lowered my head to think it over for a moment. The fact was, I did trust Lori and her opinion. “Go ahead. Set it up.” I smiled — with no idea what I was getting myself into.
Lucia woke up, and after a good breakfast, we decided it was time to bring the rest of the food to the park and join the guys.
Chapter 8
Miss Mary Mack
Lucia was excited for the day because some of her friends from school would be there.
“Lucia, help Momma carry this bag, please.”
She grabbed it with both hands, hoisted it up in front of her, and carried it all the way to the car from the elevator. I couldn’t help but laugh because I knew it was heavy, but my determined little girl still did it.
Lori, Lucia, and I found a parking spot far from our camp. The park was huge and was packed with many people, everyone dressed in summer clothes with some form of red, white, and blue on them. Some kids ran around with face paintings of fireworks and stars on their chubby cheeks. I was sure Lucia would want to join them.
We walked up and down the small hills on the way to our camp. The air was filled with the summery, delicious smell of barbeques; scents of hot dogs, hamburgers, and sunscreen filled my nose.
After a few minutes, we made it to our post and found the guys were already drinking beer.
I laughed. “Have you guys eaten anything yet?” I asked, giving my dad’s shoulder a backhanded slap.
He grimaced at my playfulness and said, “Yes, missy, we did.”
I nodded in approval. We didn’t need them getting drunk before noon.
I looked around at the progress the guys had made. They had set up the Easy-up tent and the screened tent and had placed fold-up chairs, like those you would bring to kids’ baseball games, all around in a circle. The barbeque was ready to go, and they had plenty of coolers to keep the food cold until it was time to start cooking.
“You guys did good,” I said with pride. “Thanks.”
I set all the salads and cold food into the coolers and surrounded them with ice. A long day in the sun would be bad for the mayonnaise, and I didn’t want anyone to get sick.
It was pushing eleven o’clock, and so I asked, “When do you guys want to start cooking?”
My dad answered, “In a few. Don’t worry; we’ve got it, honey.”
Danielle, her husband, and her son arrived at eleven-thirty, and Susan came right after them. My dad had invited a few of his buddies, so they stopped by for a while.
Other friends of ours that had their own camps going stopped by for a quick chat. The day was nice and relaxing.
A short distance down the hill, on the lone flat surface big enough to hold it, was a big blow-up slide. Lucia was dying to test it out, and Danielle offered to take her along with her son, Gabe.
The sun was shining, and it was quite hot. We enjoyed our afternoon in the shade of the tents eating, drinking, and chatting sociably.
~*~*~
Once the sun set, the air was brisk, and we all put our sweatshirts on. It was getting close to the time the fireworks would start. We had to break down our camp area and store it back in the cars. As soon as the fireworks were over, the park would get crazy and everyone would be scrambling to leave.
With everything gone except our chairs, we sat and waited for the light show to begin. The kids were tired but excited. Lori, my dad, and I were sitting close together.
“Dad,” I began.
He looked over at me.
“I was talking to Lori, and she made a good suggestion. I think I’m going to hire a nanny to help me with Lucia and some things around the house.” I waved it off
with my hand like it was no big deal. However, I still felt unsure about how hiring a manny would play out.
I wanted to tell him about my plan and get his opinion on the matter. I knew he cared about our safety, even if he came off as overprotective. I just needed support, another person to tell me this was the right thing to do. It didn’t matter because the whole thing was already set up, and I was nervous.
His forehead scrunched up, and his eyes squinted into little slits. “Where are you going to look for someone like that? And are you sure you want the trouble?” His eyes darted to Lori’s, then back to mine in a flash. “I mean, sometimes those things can be more headache than help.”
“I know, Dad. It’s just that I’m going to need help getting her from school and taking her to her activities and fixing dinner while I take her to ballet. I am always rushing to and from work so I can be where she needs me to be, and she is just going to get busier when she gets older. She wants to participate in all these activities, and I can’t deny her.” I hoped he would understand. “Lori recommended someone for the job, dad.”
I watched Lucia running around in the grass with a multi-colored, light-up fairy wand, happy and carefree. Her curly, russet hair was halfway down her back, and her eyes sparkled like the waters in the Caribbean.
“Uncle Paul, Chris’s brother lost his job and wanted a change. Dominic is who she’s considering for the position,” Lori broke in convincingly. “He’s a great guy — a stand-up guy. I would never have mentioned it if I didn’t think he was the best thing for Mia and Lucia.”
My dad’s eyes moved to Chris, and he asked, “What do you think about this?”
Chris stiffened momentarily at being addressed and then relaxed again. He was a reserved guy most of the time. “Well, my brother was dealt a shit hand and, without a doubt, wants a complete change. He’s an honest man, and we have a damn fine ‘pedigree,’ if you will.” He shrugged. “In my honest opinion, I think this whole plan will be beneficial for all of them. I have a feeling that they all will be better off in the long run. They can help each other,” he continued with sincerity.
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