I happened to come across them at exactly the right time, and became Maverick’s full-time nanny and caregiver.
I didn’t ask for much pay beyond room and board because I had fallen so deeply in love with the small child. I just wanted to help him.
But now that Maverick was five, it was becoming clear that he needed more support than I could give. There were so many great programs out there available to special-needs children like him—places capable of helping him grow so much more than I could. There was a school not too far from Ember Hollow that might be a good fit for him that I had been so excited to share with his parents.
However, when I sat them down to have that discussion with them, they weren’t receptive to the idea. They were proud people and had a hard time accepting that Maverick needed more help.
I realized now that I could have tried a different approach, could’ve been gentler and less pushy, but it was too late.
They were more insulted by my suggestion than anything else. They thought I was trying to worm my way out of taking care of their son. That I was no longer a good fit for him.
And so, they asked me to leave.
A soft knock on the door sent a shot of anxiety through me. I took a deep breath, and forced myself to sit up.
“Come in,” I said softly.
Stephen—Maverick’s father—poked his head inside. He was a slight man with glasses and a bushy beard. I’d always gotten along with him, but now he avoided my gaze.
“Got everything packed up?” he asked in a tone more quiet and somber than his usual.
My one suitcase sat in the middle of the room. Even after three years of living here, all my belongings fit into it alone.
“Are you sure I can’t say goodbye?” I asked.
Stephen shifted on his feet.
“Kayla doesn’t think that’s a good idea.” He scratched the back of his balding head. “She thinks it’ll be easier on Mav if it’s a clean break. It’s already going to be hard enough on him.”
I nodded, even though it felt like he’d punched me in the gut. I had never been close to Maverick’s mom, Kayla, but she was always uncomfortable around me—as if she were simply tolerating me.
It didn’t matter how well I took care of Mav. It didn’t matter how much I cleaned the house or prepared dinner for their family—Kayla always looked at me like I was an intruder in her household.
Though I was used to that feeling, to not being welcome in the place I called home, I could never stop myself from trying to fit in. To earn my place.
Now, it felt like Kayla was punishing me.
I wasn’t sure what for, though.
“Do you need help carrying your bag?”
I blinked over at Stephen. He had walked deeper into the room, pointing toward my suitcase.
I had known this was coming. I’d been preparing all morning for it, but now that I was expected to walk out and never return—never hug little Mav ever again—tears welled up. I fought them back as best I could.
“I’ve got it,” I said as I stood.
I trudged toward my suitcase.
“Kayla took him to the park.”
Stephen said the words so fast I almost missed them. Another pang hit my chest. He was probably telling me so I didn’t get any hope of catching a glimpse as I was leaving.
I nodded, but barely registered doing so. My body and mind started to slip into autopilot. I was numb and simply going through the motions.
One of my hands reached for the suitcase. The other—the one clutching Maverick’s stuffy—moved slowly, as if every inch was agony, toward Stephen.
He took the stuffy back. “Thanks.”
