Xander

Telling Tori she was getting a temporary nanny for a week went about as well as I expected it would. She cried, and when that didn’t help, she yelled, and then she kicked me in the shin and hid under the coffee table.

You have to love kids. It’s been almost a week, and we’ve had a new nanny every day until today. Felicia was here the first day, and she has agreed to come back and give it another try. Tori cried the entire day she was here before, and when she locked herself in the bathroom, I had to come home and relieve her. She was nearly as frazzled and traumatized as poor Tori.

“Sweetheart, you need to get dressed. Felicia will be here soon, and she doesn’t know where your things are. You want to look pretty, don’t you?”

“No, I wanna be ugly. I don’t wanna nanny. I want my Zion!” she yells, her voice hoarse from an hour of loud protesting.

“Felicia is only here for a few days to help out until Zion can come home from the hospital,” I lie. It’ll be at least another week until she’s released and who knows how long until she’s able to take care of someone else. Tori doesn’t need to know that, though. If she would just give Felicia half a chance, she’d be fine.

“Zion’s not coming back,” she says in a small voice that puts a crack in my armor.

“Bug, you know she will. She loves you, and she can’t wait to come home, but she has to be healthy first.”

She crawls out from under the table dressed in a peach and white princess nightgown with her big eyes brimming with unshed tears. “Daddy, please take me today.”

I sigh and drop my chin to my chest weary of arguing with this sweet girl. She’s afraid of strangers, and I know it’s enabling, but I can’t help it. I love her so much, and what she went through with her mother wasn’t her fault. She needs one parent to stand up for her and be her protector, and that’s me.

“Okay, princess, come on, we have to get you dressed and call Felicia.” A spoiled child would cheer out loud when they got their way, but Tori isn’t spoiled, she’s afraid. I scoop her up in my arms and carry her clinging to my body to her room to pick out her clothes and fix her hair.

There aren’t as many volunteers to watch Tori today. I guess ninety dollars an hour isn’t enough to chase after a five-year-old and get bitched out by the boss when you lose her. But one brave soul is up for it, and her name is Millie. Millie is new, she started two weeks ago shortly before Zion got sick, and I think she was in a training class the day Tori spent terrorizing the clinic. She doesn’t know what she’s in for, she’s just trying to rack up brownie points with the boss at her new job, and for that, I feel a tiny bit guilty.

Guilty enough to tell her Tori’s a handful ahead of time, though? No.

The rest of the staff knows what’s up, and if they know what’s good for them, they will lend a hand when needed. If they don’t, they will have to deal with me, and nobody wants that.

“Okay, princess, I’m going to be seeing patients today so be good for Millie.”

“Okay, Daddy, I will,” she says, and for the first time since Zion went into the hospital, I believe her.

“If you need me between patients, that’s fine, but keep her out of the exam rooms, understand?” I say under my breath to Millie, and she looks scared.

“Yes, sir. Of course, sir.”

Amazingly, the morning goes off without a hitch. Not a peep from Millie or Tori, and I stayed on schedule finishing with my patients thirty minutes early. Tori and I ate lunch together, and she didn’t even complain when she had to go back with Millie. I wonder if Millie might consider delaying her nursing career to nanny for a few weeks? Can’t hurt to ask.

I’ve been secretly counting down the days and more recently the hours until my 2:30 p.m. appointment today. It’s Wednesday, one week from when I did Sasha’s surgery, and she’s coming back today for a follow-up. I don’t know what it is about that woman, but I can’t get her out of my head. She’s feisty yet innocent at the same time. And she can be warm when she lets her guard down, especially when a certain five-year-old is in the room. It’s pure coincidence that Tori ended up at the clinic today, but I wonder if Sasha will still be open to the idea of having Tori in the exam room for the unveiling of her nose? I hope so.

My 2:00 p.m. consultation canceled. I take the opportunity to see what my child is up to and find her with Millie outside on the sidewalk playing hopscotch. Millie was creative and used masking tape to make a hopscotch grid on the ground, and Tori is hopping all over the place. She hasn’t mastered the game yet, but she’s got the hopping part down pat.

“Hey, ladies, how’s my favorite princess?”

“Daddy! Look, Millie and me are jumpin!”

“I see that, what a good idea, Millie,” I say approaching Millie at one end of the grid. “Thanks for keeping her busy today.”

“Oh, she’s the one keeping me busy for sure. And it’s no problem, she’s a good kid, a little extra cautious, but good,” Millie says.

“Yes, she is that for sure. She likes you, though, and that’s saying something. While we are on the subject, I have a proposition for you.” I’ve been watching Tori while we chat. When I turn and find her bug-eyed, mouth hanging agape, I have to chuckle.

She hasn’t been around long but apparently long enough. She thinks I’m going to ask her out. I hold up my hands, palm out, and shake my head. “Not that kind of proposition. I was wondering if you’d like to come and nanny for me for a couple of weeks until our permanent nanny is released from the hospital. I would hold your job here at the clinic, of course, and the nanny position pays well.”

She relaxes, and her lips turn up into a sweet smile. “I’d love to, but I’m enrolled in three classes for new employees next week.”

Shit, those are mandatory with the state, and as a new nurse, she can’t skip them. “That’s right, I forgot.”

“If anything happens, I’ll be sure to let you know. I wouldn’t mind at all,” she says with the tiniest side-glance that includes some lash fluttering and a smile. I think Ms. Millie is flirting with me. Usually, this would be excellent news what with her liking Tori and us needing a nanny, but I’m not the least bit interested.

Now, if it were Sasha smiling and batting her eyelashes at me, that would be a different story. But Sasha would never do that. She would probably roll her eyes and tell me to take a hike, and I would love it.

“Hey there, doc, long time no see.” I turn around and find the very person I was daydreaming about walking toward me. She looks different today dressed in a pretty yellow sundress with strappy sandals. Her long, wavy dark hair hangs down her back, and she’s wearing lip-gloss and perfume that fills my nostrils when she reaches me, instantly making me hard.

“Hello, Ms. Rivers,” I say and look at my watch. She’s early. I wonder if that’s on purpose, and if it is, could it be because she’s anxious to see me the same way I’m anxious to see her?

“I know I’m early, but I had to take the bus.” She hitches her thumb toward the street.

“Your insurance doesn’t provide a rental after an accident?” I don’t like the idea of her on a bus, no particular reason. I’m sure she can handle herself, I just don’t like it.

“Only for a week…” She opens her arms and drops them at her sides. “And the week is up.”

“No luck finding a new car?” It’s none of my business, but I can’t help asking.

“No luck with my job is more like it. They let me go, so now I can’t afford a car. It’s cool, though, I’ll figure it out.”

“Sasha!” Tori yells when she spots her new buddy. She’s halfway through the hopscotch grid when she abandons it to tackle Sasha. I take her arm when she’s almost to Sasha to keep them from colliding.

“Hey there, bug, you have to be careful. Sasha just had surgery, remember?”

“Oh yeah.” I pull her back against the front of my legs and keep my hands on her shoulders.

“I’m fine. Hey, you wanna hug?” Sasha asks holding out her arms. I want to say I do, I do, but I know she’s talking to Tori, so I let her go and hold my tongue.

Tori hugs her carefully and takes hold of her hand. “You can’t hop, huh?” Tori asks, her voice full of disappointment.

“Nope, not for a while. But, we can go inside and see what my nose looks like if it’s okay with your dad.” She looks up at me for an answer.

“Yes, my last patient canceled so we can head inside now.” I’m speaking, but my concentration is all over the place. She doesn’t have a job or a car, and now she probably doesn’t have any insurance either. It’s the perfect storm. I know it’s not cool to be thankful for other people’s misfortune, but damn, I’m glad she lost her job and her car in that accident.

If she hadn’t, I would have missed out on knowing her.

Tori takes hold of Sasha’s hand and pulls her toward the doors of the clinic.

“Should I take a break or do you want me to come with?” Millie asks when we are in the lobby. I almost forgot she was with us.

“Yes, that’s fine. I’ll find you when we are done.”

“I’ll be in the break room studying.” I nod and lead Tori and Sasha to Exam Room 6. “How is your nose? Do you have good airflow? Tender? It looks like the bruising has gone down nicely.”

“It’s good, tender sometimes, but I’m only taking one pain pill a day.”

“Really? You shouldn’t need those anymore. Have you tried Ibuprofen?” She slides up onto the table, and I remove her bandage. Her nose looks perfect. I’m not sure what it looked like before, she only showed me a driver’s license photograph pre-surgery, and those suck. But now, now it’s a work of art.

“No, but I will tonight if you think it’s better.”

“I wanna sit with Sasha,” Tori says interrupting and holding her arms up. Sasha scoots over, and I pick Tori up and sit her on the table.

I continue looking at my work turning her chin from side to side. “Yes, you should be past any severe pain by now.”

“To be honest, I think I only take it to relax and sleep.”

I pull my head back and look into her eyes. “You can’t sleep?”

“Not since the wreck. I can’t sleep when I’m worried.”

“I can give you something for sleep if you need it.”

“No, I don’t want to take any more pills.” No, I don’t have any insurance or any money is more like it.

“I have some samples from drug reps if you change your mind.”

“Thanks, that’s okay. I don’t like medicine.”

“Daddy, you made her so pretty,” Tori says getting up onto her knees next to Sasha for a better look. Sasha smiles and taps Tori on the nose affectionately.

“Thank you, Victoria, that was very nice of you to say,” Sasha says. She remembers her full name. Tori mentioned it when Sasha was under anesthesia, but I didn’t think she’d remember it.

“Nobody calls me that.”

“It’s a beautiful name. So is Tori, though. I like them both.”

“I got another.”

“A middle name?”

“Uh-huh, wanna know it?”

“Sure.”

“It’s Serephina. Daddy says it was his mommy’s name, but I never met her.”

“Wow, that’s so beautiful, Victoria Serephina Sullivan. I love it, truly I do.” Tori is positively beaming with pride. I see love swimming in her eyes for this stranger, and it causes me to do something rash and unplanned.

“Sasha, will you be Tori’s nanny for a couple of weeks?” I blurt out. Tori’s eyes practically pop out of her head before she starts squealing. “Oh yes, please, please, please. Be my nanny till my Zion comes home!” she gushes.

I know it’s wrong and unprofessional to ask in front of Tori, but I don’t give a shit. These two are magic together, and I can’t let today be the last time I ever see this woman.

“Sorry, I probably should have asked in private, but you mentioned not having a job and needing a car, and I think we could help each other out. Her nanny is out for at least another week, and when she comes back, she will need some help as well for a while. I have a car you can drive, and the job pays great.”

Sasha is stunned and speechless. She sits looking back and forth between Tori and me, and for a moment and just when I’m worried she’s about to decline the offer, she agrees.

“Yeah, sure, why not?”

“Yay!” Tori yells, and I mentally high-five myself for being a brilliant fucker.

“Perfect, do you have anything going on this afternoon?” I ask.

She shrugs and lifts her eyebrows. “Nope, not really.”

“I only have one more appointment, and I’m done for the day. You can come home with us, and I can show you around. You’re welcome to go back and forth between home and our house if you want, but it’s probably easier for everyone if you just move in.”

“Move in? Like, live with you?”

“Yes, I run at 4:30 a.m. every morning, and I need someone there with Tori while I’m gone.”

“Oh, uh, okay, then yeah, I guess it makes sense to stay at your place.”

Tori’s shaking with excitement, she can hardly contain herself. “We can go swimming and watch Dallas and read books and play with my little ponies…”

“Okay, bug, settle down. We are going to have to show Sasha around and let her get her things. There will be plenty of time for all that later this week.”

“Dallas? Like the one from the 70’s?” Sasha asks.

“Yes, she and her nanny, Zion, have a strange obsession with the show.” I shrug apologetically.

“That’s so weird. Dallas and Knot’s Landing were my mom’s favorite shows when I was little. I’ve probably seen every season.”

Good God, that makes me feel old. When she was little? How old is Sasha anyway? I watched those shows, too, but not in syndication.

Tori takes Sasha’s hand and holds it up to her cheek. “We’re gonna be friends.”

Sasha smiles. “Yep, I think you’re right. You’re a cool kid, Victoria, and we are gonna have lots of fun.”

Sometimes life hands you lemonade instead of lemons.