The Nanny

Chapter 21

I wasn't sure how Haley would react to a random woman being in her apartment. "Don't...freak her out or anything."

"What are you talking about, Nattie?"

"You know what I mean. You aren't always that friendly around little kids."

Haley was so absorbed in Robin Hood that she hardly noticed Mom had arrived. I cleared my throat, which barely got her attention. "Hey, Hales. I'd like you to meet my mother."

She jumped up so fast that Mom nearly fell over in surprise. "Hi Natalie's mom! I'm Haley." She then wrapped her small arms around my mother's legs.

Mom held back whatever she was about to say—good thing—and decided to hug her back. "Just call me Layla, sweetheart."

Sweetheart? I had heard her call me that maybe twice growing up. Where had that kind of comfort come from all of the sudden? Perhaps aging added a fair amount of sympathy to a person.

"Natalie, is she staying with us? Please, please, please!" Haley begged, curling her lip. She sure knew what faces to make when she wanted her way.

"I don't know, Hales, we'll talk to your dad when he gets home." I assumed Andrew wouldn't mind at all—my room was now open—but this wasn't technically my house and I didn't make the rules. It wasn't my business to infringe on his plans.

Haley crossed her arms and sighed. "He'll say yes."

"Oh, what makes you so sure. Huh, little girl?" I grabbed her waist and pulled her onto my lap, sending her into a laughing fit.

Once she was settled into the couch and watching Robin Hood again, Mom tapped my leg with her foot. "I'd like to hear more about this...Andrew. Angie kept rambling on the phone so I didn't really catch all the details."

I placed my hands in my lap. "Well, he's an entrepreneur and mainly works with eCommerce. He's..." When it came to describing Andrew to my family, I could only find one word to sum him up. "Perfect."

Mom nodded. She didn't believe me when I said I loved Jack, but perhaps this time would be different. Andrew wasn't Jack; within her first ten minutes of meeting Andrew I knew she would stand in awe at his maturity compared to Jack. She probably would think he was too good for me.

"Well, we will see how perfect he is when he meets me."

"I already have Angie's approval," I warned, pointing my finger. "So it's just you I'm worried about."

I began making fettuccini Alfredo for dinner, at Haley's request. It was when Pooka ran from our room and to the front door that my nerves arrived and I suddenly lost my appetite.

This was it—the moment my judgmental mother would meet the man I was deeply in love with.

"Pooka, back up," he said, lightly nudging him away. He flashed me a comforting smile. "Hey, Nat. That smells really good."

He kissed my cheek and set his computer bag on the counter. "I have someone for you to meet," I said, preparing myself to walk to the living room, but Mom had already stepped into the kitchen. "Andrew, this is my mother, Layla. Mom, this is my boyfriend, Andrew."

They shook hands and Andrew smiled. "Pleasure to meet you, Miss Olson. Will you be joining us for dinner?"

Normally, she would have already sat down and helped herself to anything—that's just the type of person she was—but she stood at the counter, minding her own business. I lied before when I said she hadn't changed a bit—she was a completely different person. "If that is alright with you. After all, it is your home and I don't want to intrude."