The Kid, the Boss, and the Incorrigible Nanny

Part Thirty

The last day of vacation is always as distinct as the first, though it's far more jarring and the emotions far more negative.

Kid found herself mourning the loss as she buckled Aiden into his seat. Returning to the Lawson airplane was a bleak experience compared to their first journey on board.

She buckled herself in, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear, and tried to ignore the dull throb that had plastered its way across the back of her head almost forty-eight hours ago.

Unsurprisingly, she hadn't been able to fall asleep the night after the scene with Michele in the hallway. Instead, after she had hung up CJ's dress and taken a shower, she had spent the remaining hours staring at the bedroom ceiling until the sun rose.

Maybe it had been delirium brought on by lack of sleep, but Michele's words had been racing back and forth across her mind ever since the incident. For the rest of the night and the following day, Kid had found herself doing something she hadn't since she was eighteen: glancing sidelong into mirrors and any reflective surface, resenting what she saw there.

Stop, She told herself now.

She was an adult. Adults were supposed to have matured beyond this phase of vainly nitpicking their flaws like they had when they were teenagers. She would have hoped that she would have been more mature than this

Was someone's appearance really that important?

She closed her eyes. No, the insecurities hadn't gone away. Becoming an adult hadn't signaled some magic transformation leading to good looks and self-assurance for her, and likely not for anyone else. Her tired mind was simply going down old paths and nourishing forgotten weeds.

If she could have changed one part of the experience, it would have been to erase the effect Michele's words held over the last full day at the beach. The warmth of the sunshine which before had been a welcoming presence, had seemed overbearing. Her swimsuit felt too tight, her skin ablaze in the light of day. The children had been cranky, and she hadn't seen Adrian since dinner when she had worn the green dress.

To make matters worse, Kid had no earthly idea what or if she should tell CJ. The entire incident felt reminiscent of a high school dramedy. Would sharing with her friend turn the conversation into a larger problem?

Michele had deep-rooted feelings for Adrian. While Kid wasn't entirely sure how she felt about him, she had to admit that they shared a connection.

The memory of his fingers tracing circles on her hand sent shivers up her spine. She couldn't deny the thrill she experienced when he came close to her.

But what if Michele was right? What if "this"... as new and underdeveloped as it was... didn't really mean anything to him? Could a connection with her mean something significant to someone like him?

Or, worse, did Michele know something about Adrian that she didn't? Was he the kind of man who started things with women, just to drop them when he got bored?

No. Kid didn't know him well, but in the time since they'd met, he'd not once said anything about going on a date.

A sound pulled her from her thoughts.

CJ and her family were boarding the plane. She and her husband were speaking in hushed tones while Sam, in top form for the ride back, had immediately begun to run around the cabin. She was singing.

"Sam, come on!" John exclaimed. He rolled his eyes before meeting Kid's gaze. "We practically had to drag her out of bed this morning and now look at her."

She smiled, nodding her head in Aiden's direction. "I know what you mean."

CJ made her way over to sit by her side. "I'll let Dad handle this one." She sat. "How are you this morning? Did you catch up on some sleep last night?"

Kid hesitated before shaking her head. "A few hours. I put off packing until the last minute."

"Hmm." Her friend mused. "How about you move to the back row and try to grab a nap? I can watch the kids."

"Really?" Kid asked. A nap sounded great right about now.

CJ nodded. "Between the three of us, we'll be able to handle it."

The three of them. Kid bit her bottom lip. That, of course, included Adrian. If there was a right time to talk to him about her conversation with Michele, wouldn't it be now?

"Okay, fine. I plan on having the guys watch the kids while I take a nap." CJ winked. She looked her over. "You okay? You really seem like you could use a nap."

"Yes. Sorry." Kid stood and thanked her before making her retreat. They would talk about it when the time was right.

She was asleep in a few minutes.

...

author note:

Hey, guys! Sorry for the shorter update today. Much like Kid, I've been having trouble sleeping this week and today I decided to try to rest more and catch up on some missed hours. I hope to update on Friday!

Have a great day!