“Shit, I had all the confidence. You’re the one being hypercritical like you’re not the top-rated person in your company. I don’t trust many people but I trust you. I trust Billy and she trusts you. She said that you are the person she would’ve picked to watch her own kids if she didn’t have so much family support. Now, if we’re done with this lil come to Jesus meeting, can we get baby Ami so we can go?”
“Ami?” Now I was the one fighting a grin and he was the one frowning up like I was irritating him.
“Did you think I was gonna call her by her government name the way you do me? Everybody has a nickname, Sterling. Even you.”
My head tilted as I tried to remember if he’d ever called me anything but my name. “But you call me Sterling.”
“Yeah, for now. When I think you won’t cuss me out for it, I’ll start using it.” He shrugged as he walked over to her bassinet, which had been swapped out a few days ago for the incubator. Her last test had been keeping her body temperature steady and once she passed that milestone along with gaining some weight, she had been cleared to come home.
“Is it that bad?” I’d had plenty of nicknames growing up and only liked the one Dalton had given me. The rest were cruel. I didn’t think Aldrich was that type of person, but who knows.
“Nah. Not at all.”
I watched as he picked her up tenderly. It was easy to see that he was uncomfortable but he was also determined. The look on his face was hesitant contentment. As though he were guarded about relaxing around her. He’d taken time to watch videos on how to put her in the car seat and how to place her inside. I’d offered to get a medical doll for him to practice with but he told me he just needed a refresher. He’d helped his parents with his younger siblings by putting them in car seats, but I knew they couldn’t be that much younger than him and a lot had changed. Instead of stressing him out with it, I let him do what he needed to.
The nurses had already gotten Ami dressed in her going-home outfit and I needed to speak to him about setting up a newborn photoshoot. He’d allowed the hospital to take a few once she didn’t need to be hooked up to anything, but they were very basic. I wasn’t sure if he had the desire to put her on social media, but in case he needed to make an announcement, he needed to have them. And to document her coming home. I slyly snapped photos of him with her because he would probably want these moments commemorated when the dust settled.
Once he got her buckled in he shook the hands of everyone that had been there for her and even hugged one nurse. The lady was giving him pats on the back like she knew him so I could only assume she’d taken extra special care of Amisha while she was in the hospital. Aldrich had food delivered to the staff almost daily and someone — I’m sure Billy — had set up a snack cart for the parents who were visiting their kids so they wouldn’t feel the need to leave in order to eat. No matter what, it was an extremely touching gesture because so often those parents worried themselves sick over their babies.
“Who is this?”
All eyes went to the door of the NICU. It had been held open as we walked out with baby Ami and I was immediately on alert.
Aldrich handed the baby off to me, and I held her slightly behind my body. The car seat wasn’t much heavier than it had been empty because Amisha was just now over six and a half pounds. I think the delay in her leaving the NICU was more on Aldrich’s part in making sure he and the house were ready before she was released besides her hitting her milestones. Her car seat had a blanket covering it so no one could take photos of her. It was a precaution he’d requested just in case reporters or someone had been lurking around the hospital. Seeing this couple standing just beyond the doorway, I understood why he had to move like this.
We should’ve had security with us.
“There isn’t a reason for you all to be here. Please don’t make a scene in the hospital. Especially not in the NICU. All these babies are vulnerable and they shouldn’t be affected by what we have going on.” Aldrich’s voice was low, but it was filled with tension. The couple standing in front of us were obviously known to him. Based on the situation I would assume it was the parents of his daughter’s mother but I wasn’t going to say anything since it wasn’t my place.
We stepped through the door and closed it behind us. I ensured I stayed behind him because although these two older people seemed harmless; they looked pissed. And it was my job to ensure this little girl was well taken care of. Her father got hit for a living so if anyone could take a beating it was going to be him. I got paid well, but not to be taking part in public brawls.
Apparently my movement drew too much attention, and the woman’s eyes went to me. “And who is this? One of your whores that you think is going to be around my grandchild when I can’t be? Oh, just wait until our lawyer gets ahold of this information!” She started snapping photos of me so I put my hand up to shield my face. I’d been smart enough to wear a ballcap over my head and kept it pulled low so it wasn’t as if anyone would recognize me.
She lunged toward the baby as though she were going to snatch her out of my hands and I pushed her back. “Do not touch this baby. I don’t know what your issues are, but you aren’t going to put her in danger because you’re angry. I’ll call the police on you so fast you won’t know what to do with yourself.”
That only set her off and her olive skin flushed red with either anger or frustration and my keeping her away. “You can’t keep me away—”
“I can and I will. Try me.”
“Only you would get an ugly, fat girl to take care of my beautiful daughter’s child. I can see why he cheated on you with my daughter. You couldn’t hold a candle to her.”
“This is my daughter’snanny. Someone who will be a far better mother figure to Amisha than your offspring would’ve ever been. Now, please don’t make me call security. I’m trying to get my family home and out of this hospital. Neither of you is going to stop me from doing that.” I was happy that he clarified who I was but I couldn’t lie that his not refuting my being ugly or fat kinda hurt.
And this is why we're not calling his ass Money.
“Is that a threat?” The man stepped forward again and I was two seconds off going back into the locked NICU ward so that they could call hospital security to escort us out.
“No, you’ve already been warned away from here once. You’re clearly not going to stop until I have to get the courts involved in this. As much as I would hate to, you’re not leaving me much of a choice.”
“You didn’t even come to her funeral. What type of monster are you that you wouldn’t come and pay your respects to the mother of your daughter? You didn’t even offer us the money to bury her when she died having your baby!”
I tugged on Aldrich’s arm because he shouldn’t have to hear this type of vitriol being spewed about himself to people that had no connection to him. He’d flinched and I knew they’d found his weak spot. When the woman started to cry I could tell he was on the verge of losing it.
“You’ve interrupted our day far longer than you should have. If you come near us again, that paperwork will be filed. As it stands, you’ll be hearing from Mr. Dinero’s lawyers. I’d advise you not to follow us out or cause a scene. It will just be more ammunition for him down the line.”
“A nanny giving legal advice. You wipe asses of other people’s children for a living. Your value is very low.”
“She takes care of people in their most vulnerable points in life. Something the crazy bitch you raised can’t say. Forget about my daughter. This is your final warning.” He took my hand and damn near pulled me to the elevators. We were buzzed through by security at the front of the floor who scanned the badge that we needed in order to take Ami out of the hospital. I thought it was strange they would allow people to roam through the hallways but not the area where patients were. It seemed an easy way for people to have access to vulnerable patients or to overtake staff entering the area. It was no longer my issue since Ami was coming home with us.
