"I promise," I say firmly, meeting his eyes. "We're going to be absolutely fine."
Matthew nods solemnly. "Zoe's really mad."
"I know." I reassure him, "She'll be okay. It's just gonna take some time."
"But we'll always have each other, right? You, me, and Zoe?"
I smile. "Yes, hon. Me, you, and Zoe. Forever."
He seems satisfied with that and leans in to hug me. I bury my face in his hair, holding on to him just as fiercely as he's holding on to me. Then I get up and hold his hand again, turning toward the house.
Matthew squeezes my hand. One, two, three times.
Three squeezes means I love you.
Squeezing his hand back, I lead us into the house.
Chapter 2
Noah
Man,Ilovemyjob!
I clap my hands together loudly, tilt my head back, and unleash my signature "child-call," which is a sound somewherebetween an owl's hoot and a banshee's wail. I perfected it during my first nanny placement, and it's never failed me since.
It's ridiculous. It's also effective as hell.
And right now, it cuts through the giggles and whispered plotting happening at the back of the playroom like a hot knife through butter. Two pairs of dragon-bright eyes snap back to me.
Amethyst's purple scales catch the afternoon light streaming through the window, glinting like polished gemstones as she straightens in her chair. Her green eyes are wide with barely contained excitement. Next to her, Raelia's ivory scales shimmer as she fidgets, her blue eyes already darting toward the prize hanging from my outstretched hand: a glittery pink tutu that's seen better days but still holds legendary status in this household.
I grin, pointer in hand, and tap it against the dry-erase board.
"Alright, ladies. Time to earn your tea party privileges." I move the pointer along the word I've written in bright-purple marker. "To win the tutu—" I pause for dramatic effect, watching Amethyst lean forward in anticipation. "What letter is missing from this word?"
I deliberately emphasize each letter as I point: "U-N-I-O-R-N."
Amethyst's hand shoots up so fast her purple wings spread and shove a doll from a shelf behind her.
I suppress a smile. She's the most gifted of the three kids, sharp as a tack and twice as quick. I could give her the answer in Morse code, and she'd probably crack it. That's why I challenge her the most. She needs it, thrives on it. Raelia needs more encouragement, more gentle coaxing. And Reginald? At fourteen, he needs structure and accountability, or he'd spend all day on the soccer field and never crack open a book.
Different kids, different approaches. That's what makes this job so damn satisfying.
"Amethyst?" I point the marker at her.
"It's theC!" She practically bounces in her seat, her wings doing a little happy flap. "Between theIand theO!C! And I know it's not aK!"
I throw the tutu into the air with both hands and let out a roar of excitement that would make a dragon proud. Hey, I'm the nanny for a dragon family, after all!
"THAT IS CORRECT!"
Both girls shriek with laughter, their scales shimmering as they bounce in their seats.
I catch the tutu midair and, without hesitation, pull it around my waist. It joins the hot-pink feather boa already draped around my neck and the fake diamond earrings clipped to my ears. The ensemble is complete, and I am magnificent.
"How do I look?" I strike a pose, one hand on my hip.
Raelia giggles so hard she nearly falls out of her chair. "Beautiful!"
