14. The Friend
14
THE FRIEND
WYATT
I sat on a bench—fighting tears, watching Theo play with another child on the slide. Odette may not have known how much asking Isla’s name meant to me. Having someone acknowledge that she existed felt validating. Every day, I thought about what life might look like with Isla here.
Most people danced around emotional subjects. Instead, Odette didn’t hold back. Her kindness wasn’t soon forgotten as I packed Theo to his art and music class. Whenever we were in Neandia, we made it work. He thrived with art—not unlike his beautiful, brilliant mother.
When we finally returned home, I saw Odette had already texted.
Odette
So, not to impose, but I heard you mention you have childcare issues. Do you mind if I make a recommendation?
Was she already thinking about my predicament? Had I mentioned it in passing?
Me
No, not at all. Please.
Odette
I’ll send you the contact info for Alex and Rick’s agency. Rick said they won’t send you a “stuffy Neandian” if you tell them you don’t want that.
I chuckled heartily. Stuffy was a kind way to describe the average Neandian nanny.
Me
Send it. Thank you. And thank them for me.
Odette
Sure. Text me when you are ready to work on the big project and we can work on it.
My phone rang with the shared contact information for the new agency, and I was smiling when my mother arrived in the living room.
“What is so exciting?” Mom asked.
“Oh, nothing. A friend texted with a new nanny service rec. I mentioned in passing that I was up shit creek.”
She laughed. “It’s not that bad. You have me.”
“And you are the best . But this is not how I wanted your retirement to go, Mom.”
“I don’t mind,” Mom said. “Theo, how was your morning?”
Theo ignored her, absorbed in a colouring book.
“I’m about to try and force a nap,” I sighed.
That got his attention. “Papa, no!”
“You’ve had a busy morning.”
“Gramma! I saw a girl who looked like Barbie,” Theo declared, spotting Mom.
“Who?”
“Papa’s friend,” Theo answered.
I needed to say something, registering my mother’s surprise first. Suspicion took hold.
“A friend of mine,” I said. “We ran into her.”
“She had a puppy!”
“She did. Grieg,” I said. “Her name is Odie, Theo. She’s the one whose sister has a nanny service. That was what the text was about.”
“Uh-huh. ”
“Mom, I know what you are thinking,” I said. “But we’re just friends. We’re serving on a charity board together for the transportation projects.”
Her expression indicated she was still unconvinced, but I was trying. Odette was a friend. Couldn’t a man have a friend? Even a pretty blonde young princess for a platonic friend?
“Well, when are you working on this project ?”
“I was going to ask if it was okay if I invited her over to discuss it later this week. Are you okay with her coming over after Theo goes down?”
“Sure, of course. Wyatt, sweetheart, this is your house. You can have people over. You should have people.”
“It’s hard to have a social life.”
Mom sighed, “Wyatt, you need to try, okay?”
“Sure. And I’ve made a friend. She’s an honest friend. Is that not good enough?”
“Well, invite her over, and I’ll believe you.”
I rose to the challenge. I’d put it into the universe. Now, I needed to produce results. Odette was the first non-staff and non-family member I’d had to go to the house for anything other than business reasons since Isla died. Almost three years passed since I’d lost my wife. Perhaps Mom was right? It made sense to move forward. It was time. If Odette could be so kind, couldn’t others?