ask her what she thinks?”
Rose felt her cheeks flushing, ridiculously embarrassed by the
childish question. “Oh, Jill, honey, it doesn’t matter what I think. It’s a
matter for your Daddy and the two of you.”
“But Rosie matters too, doesn’t she?” Jill asked, suddenly
looking concerned. She turned to her father with a beseeching look.
“Of course, Rosie matters,” he said immediately. “She just
meant that it was a family matter.”
“But Rosie is family,” Julie said, her mouth full of another
bite. “Right?”
Rose felt incredibly awkward, and she had absolutely no idea
what to say. She felt bad for James, who had to somehow deal with this without
hurting his daughters’ feelings or giving them the wrong impression about her
relationship to them.
James tightened his lips for a minute. Then he said, “Rosie
is our nanny, and she’s very important. We care about her a lot, and that’s all
that matters. Isn’t that right?”
“Right,” Julie agreed, smiling in relief at this
confirmation.
“Right,” Jill repeated, reaching forward for another piece
of pizza.
Rose’s cheeks were still warm, but she gave the girls a warm
smile, and then she finally dared to look over at James.
His eyes were on her, and she had no idea what he was
thinking.
She dropped her eyes, so he wouldn’t think she was reading
too much into the words.
But it was nice that he’d said she was important and that
they cared about her. She hoped it was true—for all three of them.
Because she cared about all of them. A lot.
***
After they finished the pizza, they
played a board game, and then Rose sent the girls up to change into their
pajamas and brush their teeth. When they came back down, James suggested they
watch a movie, so they all piled on the big sofa to watch one of the girls’
favorite animated films.
It had been a long day, and Julie fell asleep during the
last half-hour of the movie, her head on her father’s lap. Even Jill was a
little groggy as the credits started to roll, so Rose helped her to her feet
and kept her hand on her back as she guided the girl up to her bed.
James carried Julie up, laying her down on her bed—in the
same room as her sister—and kissing her sleeping face. He leaned over to kiss
Jill as well, and Rose couldn’t miss the affection on his face, even though he
was normally so reserved.
He loved these girls, and he wanted the best for them. She
was so glad he’d realized that the best wasn’t Genevieve.
“Kiss me too, Rosie?” Jill asked sleepily, reaching out her
arms to Rose.
Rose went over to kiss her, and then she kissed Julie too,
although the girl wasn’t even aware of her.
She felt James’s eyes on her as she walked to the doorway,
but she was too nervous to check out his expression.
They both went back to the family room when they left the
girls’ room. James collapsed on the sofa with a low groan, and Rose leaned over
to pick up the empty pizza boxes.
“You don’t have to do that,” James said, noticing that she
was cleaning up.
“I don’t mind.” She carried the boxes into the kitchen, glad
of something to do. When she came back, she picked up the empty water bottles
and used napkins and threw them away as well. She felt jittery, like she
couldn’t sit still, but she didn’t want to leave James quite yet, so she
dampened a paper towel and went back to the family room to wipe off the coffee
table, on which Julie had put her pizza crust to get it out of her way.
She was folding up the blanket when James grumbled, “Why are
you cleaning up? You’re not expected to clean, you know.”
She was startled by his grouchy tone, since he’d seemed in
an easy, soft mood all evening. “I know. I just do it without thinking. I like
things to be neat.”
“I guess so.” He sighed and closed his eyes for a minute.
He suddenly looked so tired that Rose felt a flare of
concern. “You should go to bed early tonight. You look like you could use
Rose felt her cheeks flushing, ridiculously embarrassed by the
childish question. “Oh, Jill, honey, it doesn’t matter what I think. It’s a
matter for your Daddy and the two of you.”
“But Rosie matters too, doesn’t she?” Jill asked, suddenly
looking concerned. She turned to her father with a beseeching look.
“Of course, Rosie matters,” he said immediately. “She just
meant that it was a family matter.”
“But Rosie is family,” Julie said, her mouth full of another
bite. “Right?”
Rose felt incredibly awkward, and she had absolutely no idea
what to say. She felt bad for James, who had to somehow deal with this without
hurting his daughters’ feelings or giving them the wrong impression about her
relationship to them.
James tightened his lips for a minute. Then he said, “Rosie
is our nanny, and she’s very important. We care about her a lot, and that’s all
that matters. Isn’t that right?”
“Right,” Julie agreed, smiling in relief at this
confirmation.
“Right,” Jill repeated, reaching forward for another piece
of pizza.
Rose’s cheeks were still warm, but she gave the girls a warm
smile, and then she finally dared to look over at James.
His eyes were on her, and she had no idea what he was
thinking.
She dropped her eyes, so he wouldn’t think she was reading
too much into the words.
But it was nice that he’d said she was important and that
they cared about her. She hoped it was true—for all three of them.
Because she cared about all of them. A lot.
***
After they finished the pizza, they
played a board game, and then Rose sent the girls up to change into their
pajamas and brush their teeth. When they came back down, James suggested they
watch a movie, so they all piled on the big sofa to watch one of the girls’
favorite animated films.
It had been a long day, and Julie fell asleep during the
last half-hour of the movie, her head on her father’s lap. Even Jill was a
little groggy as the credits started to roll, so Rose helped her to her feet
and kept her hand on her back as she guided the girl up to her bed.
James carried Julie up, laying her down on her bed—in the
same room as her sister—and kissing her sleeping face. He leaned over to kiss
Jill as well, and Rose couldn’t miss the affection on his face, even though he
was normally so reserved.
He loved these girls, and he wanted the best for them. She
was so glad he’d realized that the best wasn’t Genevieve.
“Kiss me too, Rosie?” Jill asked sleepily, reaching out her
arms to Rose.
Rose went over to kiss her, and then she kissed Julie too,
although the girl wasn’t even aware of her.
She felt James’s eyes on her as she walked to the doorway,
but she was too nervous to check out his expression.
They both went back to the family room when they left the
girls’ room. James collapsed on the sofa with a low groan, and Rose leaned over
to pick up the empty pizza boxes.
“You don’t have to do that,” James said, noticing that she
was cleaning up.
“I don’t mind.” She carried the boxes into the kitchen, glad
of something to do. When she came back, she picked up the empty water bottles
and used napkins and threw them away as well. She felt jittery, like she
couldn’t sit still, but she didn’t want to leave James quite yet, so she
dampened a paper towel and went back to the family room to wipe off the coffee
table, on which Julie had put her pizza crust to get it out of her way.
She was folding up the blanket when James grumbled, “Why are
you cleaning up? You’re not expected to clean, you know.”
She was startled by his grouchy tone, since he’d seemed in
an easy, soft mood all evening. “I know. I just do it without thinking. I like
things to be neat.”
“I guess so.” He sighed and closed his eyes for a minute.
He suddenly looked so tired that Rose felt a flare of
concern. “You should go to bed early tonight. You look like you could use
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