“I never intended to become an au pair,” she admitted. “I was two years into my elementary education program at Oregon State when I realized I was burying myself in student loans that would take about a hundred years to pay off on a teacher’s salary. I was thinking about taking a break from school to get a job and build up my savings account so I wouldn’t need to take any more loans when my grandmother mentioned a wealthy Belarusian family in San Diego looking for an au pair. The next thing I know I’m on a Zoom call with Mr. and Mrs. Rybak being offered the position.”
“Okay. That’s a lot to unpack,” Lennox said with a laugh. “Let’s start at the top. You went to Oregon State, so I’m guessing you’re from Oregon?”
“Yup.” She nodded. “I grew up near Salem, which is just south of Portland. My father also grew up there so when he met my mother in Belarus and married her, they decided to go backthere. But since he traveled a lot and didn’t want my mom to be left alone in a country completely foreign to her, he brought my grandma and grandpa over from Belarus as well. It was Grandma who taught me to speak Belarusian, which is probably what got me the job with the Rybaks.”
“What kind of work does your father do?”
“He’s been working in Microsoft’s International Division since the late 80s,” Talia said, trying to keep the usual anger out of her voice. “He’s traveled around the globe for thirty years.”
“It must have been difficult moving down here to San Diego when all of your family is up in Oregon,” Lennox remarked.
“My grandparents are getting older, and my mom spends way too much time alone, so yeah, it was kind of hard,” she said quietly, surprised at how honest her answer was. “But it was too good of an opportunity to pass up, so my family insisted I go.”
He nodded but didn’t say anything, instead gazing at the dinosaur-shaped coaster as it tipped over the first drop and rattled along the track. Maria and Beverly were in the front seat, holding their tiny hands over their heads and screaming in delight. Katrina was one row back, looking like she’d rather be at the dentist getting her teeth cleaned.
“I noticed you didn’t mention how your father felt about you taking a job as an au pair or if he was unhappy about you leaving college,” Lennox said softly, not taking his eyes off the ride in front of them.
“My father and I don’t get along very well so I didn’t think about including him in the discussion about my becoming an au pair,” she said, trying to sound casual.
Lennox nodded, then continued without batting an eye as if she hadn’t made that comment about her father. “Do you like being an au pair?”
“I do like it,” Talia admitted, appreciating that Lennox had obviously recognized that her father wasn’t a subject she wantedto talk about. “Honestly, I took the job without much in the way of expectation. The pay was good, not to mention the private cottage on the property and the food available to me in the main house. With almost no expenses, I thought that if I kept the job for even a year, I’d be able to save enough money to cover a good portion of my remaining degree program.”
“I think I hear abutin there somewhere,” Lennox said with a smile. “Maybe there’s something about the job you didn’t factor into your careful calculations?”
With comments like that, Talia wondered if Lennox had been talking to Katrina lately. Because it seemed like another hit on her reasoned, careful approach to life.
“I ended up falling in love with the Rybaks, especially Maria and her older sister, Sofia,” Talia said. “They’ve welcomed me into their lives and made me feel like I’m part of the family.”
“So you think you might like to keep working for them?”
“I’ve thought about it but if I’m going to be a teacher, I can’t keep putting off college, regardless of how much money I’m saving.”
“Have you given any thought to staying in San Diego to finish college?” Lennox asked casually, tracking Maria and Beverly with his gaze as they ran through the loading corral for another trip on the roller coaster, Katrina at their heels.
Talia almost laughed. Lennox might be a SEAL, but he definitely wasn’t that covert when it came to his interest in where she’d be a year from now.
“Yes, I’ve thought about it,” she told him. “Katrina is on me all the time to do just that. Heck, even Mrs. Rybak has brought it up a couple times. Maria will be starting first grade in the fall, which means I could go to college and still be an au pair. But it isn’t a simple decision. Out of state tuition in California is stupid expensive and while starting teachers in California and inOregon make about the same, the cost of living is much higher here.”
“That seems like a practical approach to the situation,” Lennox agreed, although she wasn’t so sure he meant it as a compliment. “But what about what makes you happy? Where does that comes into your calculations?”
Maria came running their way then, giving Talia a reprieve from answering.
“Did you two have fun talking?” Maria asked precociously as she stopped in front of them, grabbing at their hands and hurrying on before Talia even had a chance to think about replying. “Great! Let’s go on the Ninjago ride!”
Urging them to their feet with a tight grip on their hands, Maria led Talia and Lennox through the park, babbling nonstop about all the rides she wanted to do today and how much fun it was to come to the park with both of them at the same time.
“We could all come back here every day this week,” Maria suggested, looking over his shoulder at them hopefully. “I bet Lennox would like that a lot, wouldn’t you, Lennox?”
“I’m sure he would,” Talia said, throwing a sideways glance Lennox’s way. “But I’m pretty sure Lennox will be busy doing his Navy work, so I think another visit to Legoland will have to wait until he has another day off.”
Maria’s lower lip pushed out for a few seconds in disappointment, but then she gave them a wide smile. “Okay, we’ll come here then, just the three of us. It’s a date!”
Before Talia could attempt to correct her, Maria pulled away from them and took off after Beverly and Katrina toward the Ninjago ride.
“Once again, I think Maria played us,” Lennox said with a deep chuckle. “Though I guess I can’t complain too much since I’d love to come here with you guys again. If that’s okay?”
For all her talk with Katrina about not wanting to get involved with Lennox, Talia realized she wouldn’t mind coming back here to Legoland with him and Maria. In fact, she looked forward to it.
