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“And caring. You should see her taking care of her princess doll.”
“Honestly, this whole time, I’ve been so caught up in trying to make sure they were all fed and clean that I don’t think I really saw their personalities.” Tristan paused, watching Jacob line up a tiger picture. “This was a good idea.”
“All my ideas are good.” Ria winked.
“I don’t want to mention the vase, but…” Tristan grinned, and Ria whacked him lightly on the arm, her eyes sparkling.
“I think we officially have to retire mentions of the vase. Honestly, it was ugly anyway.”
Tristan was so surprised that he let out a short laugh. “I suppose you’re right. It was a bit ugly.”
“Why did you have it, then?”
“I don’t know. Everyone was talking about how artistic it was, and I suppose I got caught up in the moment.”
“I can’t even imagine what that’s like. I don’t have anything in my house that I don’t love.”
“Really? Nothing?” Tristan couldn’t believe that. “What about your dishwasher or your vacuum?”
“I don’t have a dishwasher. I do have a vacuum, but obviously I love it. It helps me keep my house clean, and its much less work than sweeping. You don’t know the joys of vacuuming until you’ve cleaned a carpet that had glitter on it.”
Tristan wasn’t sure he’d ever used a vacuum in his life, but he decided not to mention that. Ria was clearly judging him enough because of the ugly vase.
Just then, Jacob began to wail. Ria was on her feet in an instant. She hurried to him and knelt down in the sand, patting his back. A few moments later, she handed him a cracker, and his wailing died down. Soon, he was playing with his animal pictures again, his half-eaten cracker clutched in his fist. He looked as happy as a clam.
Ria came back to the bench and sat down beside Tristan.
“How did you do that?” Tristan asked. “If that had happened and I’d been here alone, it would have ruined the afternoon.”
“Surely not. He was just hungry.” Ria leaned back, tilting her face up to catch a ray of sunshine.
“No, really, you have some kind of superpower or magic. It’s like I said before.”
“Yes, I’m Ria, the toddler whisperer.” Her tone was joking, but Tristan wasn’t kidding.
“Really. How did you get to be so good with kids? Was it all trial and error from nannying?”
“There was trial and error, but it wasn’t about the nannying. I told you before that I have four younger siblings, right?”
“Right.”
“Well, my dad passed away just after my youngest sister was born. My mom handled everything the best she could. She worked a bunch of jobs to take care of us, and she always made sure we had everything we needed — good food and warm clothes and school supplies every September. But that meant that she was away. A lot.”
Tristan nodded slowly. He had some idea of where this was going.
“I became like a second mom to my younger siblings. I practically raised my littlest sister, Nora, from babyhood. She still calls me first whenever she needs advice. That’s why I became a nanny, too — my siblings needed help paying for extracurriculars and college and everything, so I stepped up.”
Ria told the story in a bright, cheerful way, but Tristan’s heart ached for her. “That must have been so difficult for you, though. How old were you when your dad died?”
“I was ten.” Ria smiled. “It was hard, losing him, but he’d always been busy working, too. To be honest, my closest connection is with my siblings, not either of my parents.”
Tristan whistled. “So, at ten years old, you were already caring for younger kids.”
“Yeah.” Ria’s lips lifted in a half smile. “It wasn’t always easy, but my littlest sister is in college now. I promised myself that I would help all my siblings through college, if they wanted to go, and that I’d always be there for them. That’s what I’ve done.”
“That’s amazing. Truly.”
Ria shrugged. “In this life, I think we all step up to do the things we need to. I became a caregiver to my little siblings. You became a father to the triplets. You never know what hand you’ll be dealt — you just have to make the best of it.”