Chapter 7 #2
I catch the way his eyes linger on me, a spark of something unspoken but electric hanging between us.
But just as we seem to drift closer in our little bubble, Ari’s innocent question slices through the thickening air.
“So, Ms. Kind, are you married?” She asks with a child’s straightforward curiosity.
The question jolts me, and I nearly choke on my salad, caught completely off guard.
“Uh, I used to be,” I manage to say, my voice a little hoarse from the surprise.
“Did he die like our mom?” Syd blurts out.
The table falls deathly silent, and I catch Vic’s look, laden with pain and discomfort.
He drops his fork, the clatter stark against the silence, and his face tightens.
“Syd,” he admonishes gently, his voice low and strained with barely held patience, “we’ve discussed keeping family matters private.”
“I’m sorry, Dad. I thought it was okay since Ms. Kind is gonna be a part of the family now. We’ll be complete again.” Syd replies, her voice small.
Silence befalls the room.
I glance at Vic, whose eyes shift away, unable to meet mine.
He abruptly stands, his chair scraping against the floor with a jarring sound that mirrors the sudden tightness in my chest.
“This was a bad idea. A very bad idea.” He groans, speaking more to himself than to the rest of us.
Without another word, he swiftly retreats to his study, leaving a gaping void behind him.
“Mr. Grimes, wait!” I call after him, desperation edging my voice, but he’s already gone.
I turn to the girls and the staff, my heart sinking into the pit of my stomach.
“I didn’t mean to cause any trouble.” I apologize, feeling the weight of the moment crush down on me .
Vicky places a comforting hand on my shoulder, her touch light but filled with empathy.
“It’s okay, Kerry. Victor may come off as hardened, but he has a huge heart. A huge broken heart. Just give him some time.” She advises with a knowing look that suggests she understands more than she says.
She and Ms.
Tina excuse themselves to check on Vic, leaving me to finish the meal with the girls in thoughtful, heavy silence.
My thoughts swirl with Vic’s sorrow and the Grimes family’s complex past.
After lunch, I shepherd the girls to the family library, a sanctuary of quiet and calm.
We select books to read and write reports on.
I choose one of my favorites, Their Eyes Were Watching God , while the girls opt for lighter YA fantasies.
The afternoon passes with us lost in the pages.
Vic doesn’t return from his study.
and his absence casts a long shadow over what was otherwise a beautifully unfolding day.
When 3:30 approaches, I hug Syd and Ari then give them a list of fun learning activities to complete in their spare time.
Then, I briefly pop into their classroom to add a touch of personality and improve its accessibility.
I adjust the chair and desk heights to accommodate Ari’s needs comfortably and add grips to the science tools to help Syd handle them more easily.
To brighten the space, I print posters of their favorite storybook characters and organize the bookshelves by themes they love.
I hope they like the changes, and I really hope this family hires me full-time.
I need this job, but most importantly, I want it.
I really want to be a part of their lives.
Afterward, with a mixture of hope and trepidation, I approach Vic’s study and knock firmly, waiting for his permission to enter.
“It’s open.” He replies in a chilling tone.
I push the door open to find Vic absorbed in his paperwork.
I observe him, looking handsomely studious and frighteningly serious.
This isn’t the Vic I’ve come to know over the past few days, nor the one I’ve started to care for more deeply than I should.
“Are you going to look up, or am I supposed to talk to the ceiling?” I ask, injecting a light tone to mask my annoyance.
He glances up, his eyes briefly meeting mine before returning to the documents spread before him.
“How’d the trial run go? It seems you’ve made quite the impression on my girls.” He comments, maintaining a professional distance that feels forced .
“They’re wonderful children, Mr. Grimes. I truly appreciate the opportunity to teach them today. I know I’m inexperienced in nannying, but I hope you can sense that I take my job very seriously. I’m a fast learner, and I’ll do everything needed to ensure I provide the best care and support for your children.” I respond, stepping closer, driven by a desire to bridge the distance he’s trying to enforce.
“Your ‘job,’ huh? Today was merely a trial, Ms. Kind. Nothing more.” He states flatly, his cold tone a cold splash of reality on the warm connection we’d been nurturing.
Slightly wounded by his demeanor, I press.
“What do you mean ‘nothing more’? The girls really took to me, and I took to them. I’d really love to work for you. I apologize for pressuring you to open up. I’d never try to pry into your life, and I hope it doesn’t influence your final decision.”
My palms are clammy, and my heart pounds with hope.
There’s a bitter taste of irony in this moment—my fate lies in a man’s hands yet again.
But this time, it’s not the cruel indifference of my ex-husband but the unreadable expression of Victor Grimes.
I hate that my dream of rebuilding my career depends so heavily on someone else’s decision.
But deep down, a flicker of hope persists that Victor, the man who has shown glimpses of kindness throughout our brief encounters, won’t turn out to be heartless.
Nevertheless, he chuckles softly, a sound that once would have warmed me but now only feels hollow.
“If circumstances were different, I’d gladly keep you on, Ms. Kind, but that’s impossible.”
“And what exactly are our circumstances? All you have to do is hire me to care for your children. That’s it. That’s all you have to do, and that’s all I want.”
“That’s all you want?” He probes with a hint of something deeper in his voice.
Of course, it’s not.
I want to continue what we started the other night, but my desires come secondary to my needs.
And I need this job.
“That’s the only thing I want, Mr. Grimes.” I lie because it’s simpler.
I lie because admitting the full depth of my feelings is a feat that both of us obviously can’t handle.
He sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Then, he pulls out his phone and taps a few buttons.
“This can’t work, Ms. Kind. I just sent you your payment for today’s work.” He says, and my phone pings with the notification .
Disappointed but distracted by my phone notifications, my eyes widen in amazement.
“$1,500 for a day’s work! That’s insane. I can’t accept this. It’s too much.”
“Well, you were told you’d be paid handsomely.” He responds, his voice tired, resigned.
“But I’d rather be paid a salary to be your daughters’ nanny.”
“That’s not gonna happen, Kerry.” He says, finality in his tone, then turns back to his paperwork, dismissing me.
Frustration ignites within me, and I lean in, reducing the space between us to mere inches, my voice a seething whisper that carries all my pent-up anger and determination.
“I won’t let you dismiss me! Not like this. I’m beyond qualified and more than capable of not only teaching but also loving and nurturing your daughters, as I’ve done for every student I’ve cherished over my career! Why won’t you hire me? Why would you tease me with my livelihood only to snatch it away?”
The intensity of my own words doesn’t hit me until I feel the hot tears streaking down my cheeks, landing on the cold surface of his desk.
Despite his tough exterior, I know the man I met on Saturday has a heart.
I’ve felt it.
I’ve seen it.
And he proves it as his hand gently caresses my cheek, his touch a soothing contrast to the storm of emotions within me.
He presses his forehead against mine, and we find ourselves engulfed in this shared moment of vulnerability in the quiet of his study.
His thumb tenderly traces my tear-stained cheek, and I let my eyes close, surrendering to the moment.
“Everyone in town says my name is so fitting, but life hasn’t always been so kind to me. I’ve endured so much, and I know your family has, too, but maybe that’s why we met, to bring some kindness into one another’s lives.”
His gaze locks onto mine, deep and tumultuous, a mirror to the raw emotions I feel.
“You’ve already brought that and so much more, Kerry Kind.”
“Then hire me, please.” I plead.
“What would I be hiring you as, Kerry? As a nanny for my daughters, or as something more?” He asks, his breath warm against my face.
“Both.” I breathe out, lost in the depth of his gaze.
“Fuck,” he swears softly, his lips brushing against my neck, sending shivers down my spine.
“You smell incredible. ”
“You could smell me every day if you hired me.” I reply, desperate to be hired, desperate to get my life back on track.
But he pulls back slightly, his eyes searching mine as he seems to battle against himself.
“I can’t mix business with pleasure. I can’t tangle my duties with my desires.” He says, his voice strained.
“I’m sorry, Kerry. I know the girls have grown attached in just a day. I watched you care for them, teach them, make them laugh, and even fix up the classroom. I know you’re who they need,” His hand trembles slightly as he reaches out and grabs mine with his fingertips, sending a shiver down my spine.
“Just, please give me a day to settle my feelings. I’ll call you with my decision soon.”
He gently kisses the back of my hand, a touch so tender it feels like a promise.
Vic then takes a deep breath and rearranges his papers, slipping back into his composed businessman persona, concealing the vulnerability he briefly allowed me to see.
I stand frozen and frustrated because while I understand his struggle between personal grief and professional duties, between being a single father and a single man, his indecision still leaves my future hanging in the balance.
Ms. Tina appears at the doorway, expressing sympathy yet still signaling it’s time for me to leave.
I nod, silently gathering the strength to walk away and continue on my path of rebuilding what was lost—no, what was taken from me.
I know this is just another rejection, but it’s also another missed opportunity for someone to experience all I have to offer.
My dedication to nurturing young minds, my unwavering optimism, and my deep-seated love to care for others is the essence of who I am
Soon, and very soon, someone will see that I’m the best at my job.
So, to hell with Mr.
Grimes and anyone else who can’t see my worth.