6. Savannah
Idon’t bother waiting for Aiden’s response as I walk away, thinking that I may have overreacted. After listening to Martha’s conversation with him this morning, Aiden could have simply wondered if she had anything to do with the act of kindness. I can’t really blame him for that. While it was Martha who informed us of the tough workout that he was sure to endure, it was in passing and without any ulterior motives, as far as I could tell.
I turn around to apologize to Aiden for my attitude, only to see his retreating form as he heads upstairs.
“How come you don’t like my dad?” Penny asks, picking up on the tension between Aiden and me.
“I like him just fine. Sometimes, I take things more personally than I should, which comes out in a snarky tone. It’s not one of my best qualities, but I promise I’m working on it,” I tell her.
Martha walks in, having overheard what I just said. “We’re all a work in progress, and no one is perfect. All we can do is ask for forgiveness, right? Lord knows I’ve asked Him for enough of it when I hit menopause. Those mood swings are a doozy.”
A handsome man who looks like an older version of Aiden walks in and introduces himself. “I’m Reginald Shaw, but everyone calls me Reggie. You must be Anna. Martha has told me so much about you.” The twinkle in his eye tells me he has been appraised of who I am and why I’m here. He offers his hand for me to shake, and I take it.
“Anna Blackwood, nanny extraordinaire! Mary Poppins has nothing on me!” I tease, and then I take the loaf of freshly-baked bread out of the oven to prove my point.
He laughs. “I don’t doubt it for a second. I apologize for not introducing myself as soon as I got here. I snuck in and spent a few minutes with this gorgeous woman while I could.” He puts his arm around Martha’s shoulders and squeezes lovingly.
I frown and pull out my phone. I didn’t get any alerts indicating that anyone had arrived, including Aiden, who had just surprised me by his presence.
“What’s the matter? Why do you look sad?” Penny asks.
“I’m not sad. This is my thinking face. I’m just a little perplexed why there wasn’t a notification that your dad and grandpa had arrived.” The comment was more for Martha and Reggie, hoping they might provide me with a little insight.
“Oh, that! You won’t as long as someone has the code to get in. The only time it pings is when security lets someone through the front gate and if the cameras are activated by motion,” Martha explains.
“Penny, why don’t you go get washed up for dinner? Then I’ll need your help to set the table,” I suggest.
Once Penny leaves to do as I requested, I ask Martha, “How many people have this code?”
She briefly thinks about it but then starts rattling off a long list of names. “Aiden, Reggie, me, Swank, Patricia’s parents, Paul, the maid, the gardener, our maintenance personnel, the bodyguards Aiden hired, and the security team. Reggie, can you think of anyone else I might have forgotten?”
He notices my arched eyebrows and shakes his head. “I think that’s all, but by the expression on Anna’s face, I’m assuming that’s more than there should be. Anna, every time a code is used, it’s registered in the system. No one can get through the gate without it getting recorded and logged.”
“Can you set it up so that an alert is sent every time the gate opens, regardless of who has the code? I need to know who is on the premises and when. There’s nothing to stop someone from compromising any of you or your employees to gain access. Aiden’s arrival surprised me, too, and that concerns me. I don’t have eyes in the back of my head, so I have to trust the security to some degree to keep me informed of what’s going on.” I really wish I had my team with me right now.
“Those are all people we trust, so we hadn’t thought that would be an issue,” Martha says, slightly chagrined. The sound of tiny footsteps approaching prevents us from discussing it further, but Reggie dips his chin once and silently promises to take care of the problem.
“Is dinner ready?” Penny asks.
“Almost. Do you want to help me set the table?” I grab five forks, butter knives, and spoons for her, not giving her the chance to decline. I reach for the plates and set them on the table, then the glasses. Penny puts everything in its proper place without argument. Martha and Reggie smile approvingly.
“Many hands make light work. Thank you for the help,” I tell Penny, who is more than satisfied with herself and a job well done.
“Did you know that saying was first used in Sir Bevis of Hampton, dating back to the 1300s?” she asks.
“I didn’t. But do you know that the idiom is an example of a synecdoche?” I ask in response.
“What’s a synecdoche?” Penny is adorable with her inquisitive nature and curious expression.
Turning toward the little genius, I say, “Since you have a photographic memory, why don’t you go look it up and then come back and tell us? This way, you’ll remember it forever!” Penny rushes out of the room and up the stairs, ready and excited to learn something new.
I expect to see her come down, but Aiden graces us with his presence first. “Thank you for the ice bath. It helped a lot. And Anna, I didn’t mean to sound condescending when I asked how you knew about that as a recovery technique. I apologize if it came across that way.”
“I’m sorry, too. I shouldn’t have assumed that you thought I was uneducated simply because I’m a nanny. That was presumptuous of me.”
“No. I would never think it’s because you’re a nanny. I thought it was because you’re blonde!” When he sees I’m about to retort with a snarky comment, he throws his hands up in surrender. “I’m joking! Too soon?”
“Yes! It should have waited until after dessert was served! Now, you won’t be getting any!” I try to keep my tone playful, and Aiden smiles when he understands I’m teasing. It’s absolutely glorious, and my legs wobble a little when all his pearly whites show.
“Sah-nec-dah-key is ‘a figure of speech by which a part is put for the whole,’ according to my Merriam-Webster dictionary!” Penny yells exuberantly as she comes down the stairs. Her smile matches her father’s, who is rather amused.
“Now that we all know what a synecdoche is, can you tell us why the saying ‘Many hands make light work’ is considered one?” I ask, doing my best to challenge her. Her tongue pokes out of the corner of her mouth as she thinks really hard about it. Her face lights up when she finally gets it.
“Because hands refer to a person, not just the body part!” she declares.
“That’s right! Great job, Penny!” Martha says.
“Anna made me work for that one!” Penny wipes her brow as if the task exhausted her.
Aiden tilts his head at me, taking me all in. He isn’t leering at me like some men would but trying to delve deeper and figure me out. I don’t want him to see further than my surface, so I say louder than I should, “Dinner’s ready! Who’s hungry?”
Turning away, I quickly grab the chicken from the oven, cutting out the larger pieces and putting them on a plate. I then put the fresh-steamed broccoli and cilantro-lime rice into separate bowls for serving. Aiden and his parents each place a dish on the table while I slice the bread, which is now dense enough to cut but still warm enough to melt butter.
“This looks wonderful and smells divine. Thank you both for doing this,” Aiden says, truly grateful.
“It’s nutritious, too!” Penny reminds him. “Anna said you would need protein and carbs for your game tomorrow. Did you know that broccoli has fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, iron, and po-tas-si-um in it? I looked it up,” Penny exclaims.
Aiden looks lovingly at his daughter. “I did. It’s an essential part of an athlete’s diet, as are many other green vegetables.”
Penny giggles, “It also helps you poop!”
Martha admonishes her but fails to keep the grin from her face, “Penny, that’s not appropriate talk around the dinner table.”
Reggie clears his throat, “Why don’t we say grace before the food gets cold.”
We all bow our heads and close our eyes. I’m startled when Penny’s hand slips into mine, but I take it for the welcoming gesture that it is. I crack open one eye and see everyone holding hands. Reggie is to my right and has his palm resting on the table. Not wanting to be rude, I lightly touch it to grab his attention. His gaze meets mine, and he grins before gripping my hand and bowing his head again.
His deep voice resonates throughout the room. “Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for the many blessings You have bestowed upon us. We thank You for bringing Anna into this home and making her a part of this family.” My eyes fly open, and I glance at Aiden, who is equally shocked by his father’s words. Reggie continues without missing a beat. “We thank You for this food and the many provisions that You provide us that sustain us in our time of need. In Your name, we pray, Amen.”
“Amen,” we all echo.
“Um, Dad,” Aiden begins to say while my face turns beet red, and Reggie raises his hand to stop him.
“I know what you’re going to say, Aiden, but I meant every word. Anna will be living here and should be considered part of the family until God sees fit for her to move on,” Reggie states emphatically.
Leave it to Penny to ask the tough questions. “Then why didn’t you pray that about Ms. Angela when she was my nanny?”
Aiden leans back in his seat and crosses his arms, waiting for his dad to dig himself out of the hole he’s in.
“Um. Well. You see…”
Martha gently places her hand over her husband’s and addresses Penny: “Your grandpa and I prayed for Angela every day, Baby.”
Aiden grunts but says nothing. The corner of his lip quirks up as he cuts into his chicken. After he chews thoroughly and swallows, he breaks the awkward silence.
“Anna, I’m curious how you knew to draw an ice bath for muscle recovery. That’s not usually someone’s go-to after a strenuous workout. That’s the reason why I asked if my mom had said something to you.”
“Would you believe me if I said I saw it on TV?” I ask while Martha speaks over me and informs him, “She has a degree in Sports Medicine.”
“Really? Why aren’t you doing anything with that? That’s a very lucrative position and certainly pays more than being a nanny.”
“Aiden,” Reggie warns.
“It’s okay, Mr. Shaw. It’s a fair question.” I face Aiden, “Money isn’t everything. If you don’t enjoy what you do, then you end up bringing it home with you and wallow in misery. I didn’t choose my college major. My mother did. I wanted something more.”
He rests his elbows on the table and leans forward. “And you think being a nanny is more?” he asks. I feel the temperature rise in my cheeks, but I pause and consider his words. He’s not saying anything in a condescending tone. He’s genuinely curious.
Taking a deep breath, I tell him the truth. “I love kids, Aiden. They bring me joy. I love interacting with them and watching their personalities shine through, making even the grumpiest of men smile with their infectious positivity.” If this assignment had been anywhere other than here, I would have begged for it.
“That’s good to know. It’s got to be hard to pay off your school debt for a degree that takes 10-12 years to get,” he says, trying to catch me in a lie.
“I didn’t go beyond getting my bachelor’s degree—which is actually in Health and Nutritional Sciences—though I passed the Medical College Admissions Test with a 517 and had my pick of schools. I funded my entire education through scholarships and have zero debt.”
The MCAT test was tough, and if working for the FBI didn’t pan out, I wanted to keep my options open. It didn’t matter that I loathed the idea of going to medical school. If I had been left with no other alternative, I would have done it.
“Dad, didn’t you score a 511 on your test? Ha! You got beat by a girl!” Aiden’s parents laugh at Penny’s remark and Aiden’s reddening cheeks.
Now that the tables have turned, I can’t help myself from being inquisitive. “You planned to go to medical school? Why did you stop?”
“Because I loved hockey and was signed as a free agent when I graduated. I declined entry into the draft because I wanted to finish my degree first. However, when I got the offer from the Savannah Rockets, it was too good to pass up. Not to mention, it allowed me to play in my hometown.”
“Just so I’m clear, you decided that you loved hockey more than becoming a doctor and followed your heart and your passion. How does that make you different from me, Aiden?”
He ponders the question for a long moment. “It doesn’t. I guess you win this round, Anna.”