Chapter 108
Iris
Before I can think better of it, I pull my phone out of my pocket and send Alice a quick text.
“I’ll come with you tonight. What time?”
She responds within a minute: “The event starts at eight, but you should come to my place beforehand! We can get ready together.”
I hesitate, then agree to do just that; honestly, the idea of getting ready together with a girlfriend excites me, harkening back to my high school days.
Alice sends me her address, and I gather my gown, makeup, and accessories in a bag to go. Miles finds me as I’m packing the bag, his little brow furrowed with confusion as he stands in the doorway.
“Where are you going, Mommy?” he asks.
I turn, crouching to his level, and offer him a tender smile that I hope will soften the blow of what I’m about to tell him. “I have to go out tonight, sweetie. You’re going to stay here with Mrs. White. Is that okay?”
Miles‘ face pales, and he quickly shakes his head. “No. I don’t want to. I don’t like her.”
Hearing him say that breaks my heart. For a moment I almost consider flaking on Alice, but I decide against it. The networking opportunities at this event are too great to pass up, and besides, Miles will have to get used to being around the nanny eventually. We went through the same rough patch with his babysitter in Bo’Arrocan, and by the time we moved, he was practically attached to her at the hip.
“Come here, buddy,” I say gently, opening my arms to him.
Miles pouts, refusing to move for a moment, but finally shuffles forward. I gather him into my arms, propping him on one of my knees so he has to look at me. “Hey. You and Mrs. White are gonna be friends someday. I just know it.”
He blanches. “I don’t think so. She’s not nice.”
I can’t help but agree, but I don’t say that out loud. Instead, I brush a strand of dark hair away from his forehead, and say softly, “She’s just from a different generation. Sometimes older people are more strict, that’s all. But that just means they care a lot.”
Miles pushes his lower lip out. “I don’t think she cares. I think she’s just mean.”
Finally, I offer, “How about this: Cliff will come and check on you at some point. You like Cliff, don’t you?”
“Yes. Why can’t he be the one to babysit me? We always have fun.”
“Because Cliff has another job,” I say. “His job is to watch the front door, so no one bad can get in. Mrs. White’s job is to stay here, with you.”
Miles huffs, glancing around. His eyes catch on the small pet bed in the corner of the guest bedroom, where the little orange kitten is currently curled up, sleeping soundly. “Scout gets to stay with me?” he asks.
I can’t help but chuckle, and nod. “Yes, of course. Scout always stays with you.”
Finally, Miles nods firmly. “Okay. Scout will tell you if anything goes wrong.”
“I’m sure he will,” I laugh, standing. I ruffle Miles‘ hair and send him on his way to play, then finish packing my bag. Once I’m ready, I make my way downstairs, where Mrs. White is bustling around the kitchen. She glances up
+25 BONUS
Chapter 108
as I enter, her gaze flicking down to the bag in my hands.
“Going somewhere?” she asks.
I nod and set the bag on one of the stools. “Yes. I’m going to an event tonight. Can you stay here with Miles?”
“Of course.”
“Thank you, Mrs. White. By the way, I usually give Miles a shack around three o’clock; he likes an apple with peanut butter. Oh, and if he wants to watch a movie, he’s been asking about the new superhero movie that just came out on streaming services. Since I won’t be here, maybe you could order a pizza and he could watch it while he-”
