“Uh, . . . sure. If she’ll go to you. She’s finicky sometimes.” I warned him.
It was priceless to watch Nicholas extend his arms and wait to see if Bella would go to him. She was tricky with strangers, so I was curious as to what she would do.
“Ven a mí, linda,” he urged.
I had no clue what he’d said. Bella, on the other hand, reached out to him, almost stunning me into silence. Nicholas didn’t even flinch when she grabbed his finger and allowed him to pull her into his arms. He kissed the top of her head as he looked up, returning his attention to me.
“Come inside, baby. Amira is excited to meet y’all in person. She’s about to worry me to death.”
Although my nerves were shot with thoughts of officially starting my new assignment, I was in awe watching Bella lay her head on Nicholas’s chest as he headed for the house. I followed a step behind him as he led the way inside.
“Ven al salón, princesa. Ellos están aquí.”
Whatever he said caused a scurry of little feet to patter on the floor until I was met with the sweetest smile. When Amira appeared in the living room, she was so focused on me that she ran right past her dad.
“Are you Miss Jameela? You look just the same as you do on the phone. Your hair is pretty. Did you bring your little baby?”
“Despacio. Slow down, princesa. Say hello to Miss Jameela first, then come over here and say hello to Bella,” Nicholas instructed.
“Oh, hi, Miss Jameela.” She waved.
“Hi, Amira,” I greeted, returning her infectious smile.
“Your baby is so pretty. Can I play with her? I’m painting on this water thing. It’s not real paint. It’s pretend.”
“Sure. She loves to make a mess.”
Nicholas walked over and placed Bella on the mat where Amira joined her and tried to teach her how it worked.Bella wasn’t interested in the rules and just wanted to play, but it was cute to watch Amira try to show her what to do anyway.
“Dinner is almost ready. I decided I would do dinner and a movie this time.”
“Oh, that sounds good. What did you order?”
Apparently, my question made him chuckle. Nicholas asked about our allergies before we got off the phone last night. Still, I had no idea what to expect. Hearing him mention dinner and a movie made me even more curious.
“What do you mean what did I order, habibti? You don’t think your man can cook?”
“Actually, I hadn’t thought about it until now, but no, I actually don’t.” I laughed.
“Well, I can show you better than I can tell you. Let’s get started. I have an appetizer ready. Can you set up those little pink chairs for the girls? Amira, show Miss Jameela where I put the chairs.”
“OK,” she said, popping to her feet in an instant. “My daddy got a chair for Bella just like mine. She’s little, but that’s OK. I will help her.”
I picked Bella up from the mat, then followed Amira further into the living area while Nicholas headed for the kitchen. When we made it to our destination, I found two child-sized recliners with cup holders built into the arms. I didn’t have to tell Amira to get in her chair, because once I set them up in front of the gigantic TV, she plopped down in one of them.
“See, Miss Jameela. Bella has a chair too. Can she be my little sister? I asked my daddy if I can have a baby sister, and he keeps saying maybe one day, princess.”
I could easily see why Amira had Nicholas wrapped around her tiny, little fingers. Seeing her pout about wanting a baby sister was probably the most adorable thing I had seen all day. As an only child, I understood her desire to have a companion. On the other hand, she just didn’t know she had it made, getting to be her daddy’s only princess.
“Bella can be your sister. Your dad wants to let you be his favorite girl for a while.”
“My mama said he’s getting old, though. Soon, he can’t give me a baby sister.”
“In that case, he might need to hurry up,” I told her, unable to stop myself from laughing.
“Can you put Bella next to me?”Amira requested once she was comfortable in her chair.
“Yes, I can. I don’t know how long she will sit down though.”
