Page 71 of Nine Week Nanny

I park in the circular driveway and grab my briefcase, taking a deep breath before heading inside. The foyer is quiet, but I hear soft voices coming from the living room.

"That's right," Sloane says. "And what does this face mean?"

"When I don't like something," Lennon answers, his voice small but clear.

I round the corner to find them sitting cross-legged on the carpet, surrounded by emotion flashcards from the other day. Lennon looks up first, those watchful eyes finding mine immediately.

"Pope's home," he announces, turning back to the cards.

Sloane glances up, her smile hitting me like a physical force. "Hey, you. How was your day?"

"Long." I loosen my tie further, dropping my briefcase by the sofa. "Looks like you two are hard at work."

"We're identifying feelings," Lennon says matter-of-factly, holding up a card with an angry face.

"Oh, is that how you're feeling now that I'm home?”

He giggles. "No, silly."

He then holds up a card with a smiley face, and my chest fills with an unfamiliar warmth.

"Lennon, I need to borrow Sloane for a minute. That okay?"

He nods, already sorting through the remaining cards and organizing them into matching stacks.

Sloane follows me to the kitchen, close enough that I catch the scent of her shampoo. A tiny lump forms in my throat. I want to pull her against me, but I restrain myself.

"Wanted to let you know, Lennon and I need to fly to Jacksonville on Thursday. Can you please make sure the program he goes to knows he won't come that day?"

"Of course. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, standard stuff. We're meeting with the court-appointed agent."

The words are hollow as they leave my mouth.

"Oh." Her eyes brighten. "Do you want me to join y'all to help you with Lennon?"

"No, that's okay. We can handle it."

"I'll have the day off then?"

"Yeah. Sorry for the short notice."

"No problem at all." She smiles, completely unaware of what I'm not telling her. "I can use the time to prep for our homeschool that we are starting on Monday."

I nod, guilt settling in my chest like a stone. Her hand brushes mine as she turns to head back to Lennon, and our eyes lock briefly.

In that moment, the lie sits between us, invisible but heavy.

NINETEEN

Sloane

I cross my legs on the living room carpet, watching Lennon's face light up as he moves his blue gingerbread man around the colorful CandyLand path. His small fingers grip the card showing he gets to advance to the Candy Cane Forest.

"I forgot how much I liked this game." I nudge my yellow piece forward. "Thanks for suggesting it when we were talking yesterday. I picked it up while you were at Seabreeze today."

Lennon nods, his attention fixed on the board. "My turn again?"