to settle the baby over her shoulder in hopes that she’d fall asleep more comfortably. Gabriella liked this time best. Nina got her undivided attention. She desperately wanted Nina to know she was loved.
Softly, Gabriella sang her favorite Christmas Carols. First Away in a Manger , then Silent Night , then Oh, Come All Ye Faithful . Nina’s eyes drooped during the last refrain.
The door opened and Gabriella looked up to find Mindy standing in the doorway. Nina stretched and started cooing.
So much for naptime.
“You’re back early. How’d the job interview go?”
“You aren’t going to believe me,” Gabriella said. She untangled Nina’s tight fist that had knotted her bangs, and gave her an affectionate kiss on the forehead. She relaxed Nina in her lap, then brushed her hair aside.
“Try me,” Mindy said. She took Nina’s hand. Nina clutched Mindy’s hand in a tight fist with her pudgy fingers and held on tight, then proceeded to gurgle and coo. “She’s such a darling.” Mindy smiled, and raised her eyebrows at Gabriella in question. “Come on. Give. What happened?”
Being in the Hempstead’s home this afternoon had brought back melancholy memories reminding Gabriella of her own family. She missed them so much. The love and warmth the Hempsteads shared with her was overwhelming. Tears sprang to her eyes.
“Things are looking up. Sort of,” Gabriella said. Mindy wasn’t convinced. She continued. “You know about the first two interviews not going so well. And that I wasn’t looking forward to the last one. And it didn’t help when I arrived rather late because of the darn traffic.”
Gabriella wrestled with the baby, who wiggled, now wide awake and ready to play. Bouncing her on her knee wasn’t an option so soon after finishing a full bottle, so Gabriella pacified her by letting her try to stand. Which proved to be more wobbly, so she put her over her shoulder again and rubbed her back.
“When I got to the last interview, things were going great. Mr. and Mrs. Hempstead are a wonderful couple. They offered me the job and even invited me to move in with Nina.”
“That is so cool, Gabby. Wow.”
“Yeah, too good to be true.”
“You took the job? Right?”
“I almost didn’t. At first I did, but then I turned it down.”
“ What?”
“It was the strangest thing. I was having tea and being offered the job when this man who rammed into the back of my car the other day showed up. Of all people, he just so happened to be the Hempstead’s son. Chad, short for Chadwick—he’s a junior. And, the cretin accused me of being after more money.”
“Wait a minute. Whoa. Back up. What’s this about someone ramming into the back of your car? When did this happen? You never mentioned anything about an accident?”
“Must have slipped my mind after the break up with Charles.”
“So tell me more about this man who bumped into your car.”
Gabriella gave Mindy the low-down of the accident.
“The jerk stuffed two-hundred dollars in my hand and took off without exchanging insurance information. Apparently, he’s home for the holidays—staying with his parents. He accused me of tracking him down to extort more money out of him. Like I said, at first I was going to refuse the job. Actually, I did turn down the job. But Mrs. Hempstead ignored me. And, well, I guess I got a little indignant with their son and refused to let him intimidate me. Especially, after what I went through with Charles. I had Nina to think about, so I made up my mind to take advantage of the Hempstead’s offer and to heck with their cranky son.”
“Good for you. Did you inform him you weren’t after his money?”
“Who cares what he thinks. Mr. and Mrs. Hempstead remind me of my parents. They made me feel like I was coming home again.”
“Are you sure you can handle this? You’ve been through so much lately.”
Gabriella gave Nina a gentle pat. The baby nestled her head in Gabriella’s neck. She
Softly, Gabriella sang her favorite Christmas Carols. First Away in a Manger , then Silent Night , then Oh, Come All Ye Faithful . Nina’s eyes drooped during the last refrain.
The door opened and Gabriella looked up to find Mindy standing in the doorway. Nina stretched and started cooing.
So much for naptime.
“You’re back early. How’d the job interview go?”
“You aren’t going to believe me,” Gabriella said. She untangled Nina’s tight fist that had knotted her bangs, and gave her an affectionate kiss on the forehead. She relaxed Nina in her lap, then brushed her hair aside.
“Try me,” Mindy said. She took Nina’s hand. Nina clutched Mindy’s hand in a tight fist with her pudgy fingers and held on tight, then proceeded to gurgle and coo. “She’s such a darling.” Mindy smiled, and raised her eyebrows at Gabriella in question. “Come on. Give. What happened?”
Being in the Hempstead’s home this afternoon had brought back melancholy memories reminding Gabriella of her own family. She missed them so much. The love and warmth the Hempsteads shared with her was overwhelming. Tears sprang to her eyes.
“Things are looking up. Sort of,” Gabriella said. Mindy wasn’t convinced. She continued. “You know about the first two interviews not going so well. And that I wasn’t looking forward to the last one. And it didn’t help when I arrived rather late because of the darn traffic.”
Gabriella wrestled with the baby, who wiggled, now wide awake and ready to play. Bouncing her on her knee wasn’t an option so soon after finishing a full bottle, so Gabriella pacified her by letting her try to stand. Which proved to be more wobbly, so she put her over her shoulder again and rubbed her back.
“When I got to the last interview, things were going great. Mr. and Mrs. Hempstead are a wonderful couple. They offered me the job and even invited me to move in with Nina.”
“That is so cool, Gabby. Wow.”
“Yeah, too good to be true.”
“You took the job? Right?”
“I almost didn’t. At first I did, but then I turned it down.”
“ What?”
“It was the strangest thing. I was having tea and being offered the job when this man who rammed into the back of my car the other day showed up. Of all people, he just so happened to be the Hempstead’s son. Chad, short for Chadwick—he’s a junior. And, the cretin accused me of being after more money.”
“Wait a minute. Whoa. Back up. What’s this about someone ramming into the back of your car? When did this happen? You never mentioned anything about an accident?”
“Must have slipped my mind after the break up with Charles.”
“So tell me more about this man who bumped into your car.”
Gabriella gave Mindy the low-down of the accident.
“The jerk stuffed two-hundred dollars in my hand and took off without exchanging insurance information. Apparently, he’s home for the holidays—staying with his parents. He accused me of tracking him down to extort more money out of him. Like I said, at first I was going to refuse the job. Actually, I did turn down the job. But Mrs. Hempstead ignored me. And, well, I guess I got a little indignant with their son and refused to let him intimidate me. Especially, after what I went through with Charles. I had Nina to think about, so I made up my mind to take advantage of the Hempstead’s offer and to heck with their cranky son.”
“Good for you. Did you inform him you weren’t after his money?”
“Who cares what he thinks. Mr. and Mrs. Hempstead remind me of my parents. They made me feel like I was coming home again.”
“Are you sure you can handle this? You’ve been through so much lately.”
Gabriella gave Nina a gentle pat. The baby nestled her head in Gabriella’s neck. She
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