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I watch as Margot visibly relaxes and the tension leaves her shoulders. “Okay, sure.” She nods and I note Sawyer giving her a look that I can imagine says,do not tell her anything.
“Well, that was boring,” Sawyer says as they leave the room.
“You, go see if your uncle needs help bringing her things in.” He pouts before moving toward the door. “SJ,” I call after him, and when he turns around, I nod toward the pool. “Be careful when you’re swimming out there by yourself, yeah?”
“I am!”
“No back flips off the side.”
His eyes widen because that’s never been a rule. “EVER!?”
“No, just…not when you’re alone,” I tell him, knowing that one of my son’s favorite things to do is to make up tricks to do off the diving board.
“Jeez, the nanny has been here five minutes!” he grumbles as he leaves the room.
“So, what do you want to know?” Margot asks as she plays with the pillow she placed in her lap.
She offered to give me a quick tour of the upstairs and we ended up in her room which is practically spotless. Not at all how I kept my room when I was sixteen which was like a tornado had ripped through it at all times. I get the feeling that Margot may be more mature than the average sixteen-year-old, and I wonder how she got this way.
“Well, first, I want you to know that I realize that you’re older and may not need the same level of supervision,” I tell her. “I also know that you’ve been doing a lot to help your dad with your siblings and I want you to know in case he hasn’t told you, that it doesn’t go unnoticed.” She nods and I continue. “I lost my mom when I was fifteen as well, so…I get some of the things you may be going through.” I clear my throat in preparation for her protest. “Or maybe I don’t, but I’m available to talk about that…if you want.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, but I don’t need another shrink.”
“And I’m not licensed to be one. At least not yet,” I tell her as I shake my head. “But in case you wanted to talk to someone who also went through her most important teen years without their mother, I can commiserate.”
“Is this the spiel where you tell me you want to be friends?” she asks and it’s the first glimpse of that signature sixteen-year-old girl attitude.
“No, I’m too old to be your friend, and I’m going to assume you are in no shortage of them.” I narrow my eyes at her. “You strike me as the popular type.”Genetics have been good to her. Naturally tan with a dusting of freckles and gorgeous glossy hair with natural highlights that women spend thousands of dollars trying to obtain.
A smile pulls at her lips. “So, what are you then…if not my nanny or my friend.”
My eyes meet hers and I can see the guard she has up. I wonder how hard it’ll be for her to let me in. “I don’t know yet. I’m going to let you decide the kind of relationship you want us to have.”
“Me?”
“Sure.” I shrug. The biggest pressing concern I think there is with Margot is the boyfriend and the possibility of her sneaking out, but if I’m living here, my presence will fix that on its own. I don’tneedto explicitly tell her I serve as her personal warden.
“Okay…” she says reluctantly, like she’s not exactly sure of my angle.
“So, your dad says that you’re a cheerleader and have practices every day after school?” She nods. “And until now, you’ve been coming home after school to relieve your uncle who picks up your siblings?”
“Right.”
“So, given that I’m here now and you aren’t forced to come straight home, what will you do with that free time?” I ask her.
Her eyebrows pinch together like she’s contemplating the answer. “I don’t know. I…like spending time with Isla and helping her with her little bit of homework.”
“Oh, well…that’s lovely. I’m sure she enjoys that time with you.”
“She does.”
“Are you close with your siblings?”
She nods. “We have to be. We’re all we’ve got.”
“Well, you have your dad.”
She chuckles. “Sure, but you’re here because a lot of the time our dad is not. Yes, we’ve got him in the general sense but not always for day-to-day stuff. I forge his signature on half of all of our things for school.” She clears her throat. “I mean, he knows,” she clarifies. “I tell him when I do. It’s just easier.”