Day one of her two-week notice was strangely relaxing.
As the two little diamonds showed the nanny their colourful drawings, there was a sense of serenity that lingered around them.
"What do you think it is, Lovey?" Janessa asked seriously, holding her paper in her hands and jutting it out further in her face. "And be honest! I won't be sad if you think it looks like a dinosaur with big feet because that's what it is."
Her mousey brown locks were left down and framed her freckled face. Her clear frames were slipping down her button nose as usual.
Both of the girls were still in their pyjamas, since it was the start of the weekend, they had full reign to do whatever they pleased. Thankfully, they wished to do nothing all weekend.
Rika pursed her lips, taking in the sight of the green dinosaur with awfully large bright red boots on. She couldn't help but grin, finding the artwork somewhat adorable. "You can't ask me what I think it is and tell me before I've even had the chance to guess, sweetheart. That ruins the fun."
"Oopsies, my bad. I got too excited." Her guilty face made her laugh harder. She turned her head a little, sighing in defeat. "Lia, it's your turn."
Lilia bounced up from her seat on the floor, waving over the piece of paper glued in her hands. "Yes, my turn! Look at mine!"
Shoving the paper towards her, she let out a small laugh. Now, the drawing placed in front of her was interesting, to say the least. The five-year-old, bless her cotton socks, had made a poor attempt at sketching a prince and princess on a magic carpet.
"Something tells me that this might be the magic carpet ride scene you're currently watching on the TV. I don't know though, that's just my guess." She said, oh so, nonchalantly.
It had become her newest obsession of the month, the same movie that was streaming behind her.
She earned a toothy smile. "Wow, Lovey. You're really good at this game."
Then, she climbed onto the sofa and crawled under the fluffy blanket, joining the nanny.
"Hey. You too, missy." Rika said out loud. Grabbing ahold of the out of place Janessa, the older woman made sure they were both placed next to her and under the blanket.
They snuggled up to her, giggling at the television every so often when they had a silly joke.
They didn't do this every weekend, but typically when they felt overwhelmed from a busy week of school and extra curriculum activities. She was proud of them for being able to wake themselves up in the mornings, every Monday to Friday, the two well-behaved youngsters brushed their teeth, got dressed and even packed their school bags.
So on the weekends, if they wanted to be lazy, then so be it. They were so young, and yet so talented.
"My head hurts," Lilia whispered, causing her to flicker her attention down onto the agitated blonde wrapped in her arms.
"It does?" Rika asked soothingly. She pressed her hand against the young child's head and could feel her skin starting to burn up.
She winced. "I think you might be catching a cold." Fearing it would get worse the longer she left it, she started to shuffle out of the covers.
"Ca-Can you stay with me?" Lilia hastily expressed, scared and needy that she would leave her alone.
"Of course, I just need to go get some medicine for you first," The nanny said regretfully. "Jan, you'll look after your sister, won't you?"
"Sure." She wasn't paying much attention, too busy focused on the scene unfolding on the plasma screen.
Gathering the blanket, she wrapped them around the both of them and encouraged them to cuddle.
Lilia simply looked up at her through watering green eyes, her lower lip stuck out in a pout. "Hurry back." Her broken baby voice made it harder for her to leave, pronouncing the would hurry as 'huwwy'.
"Great," She muttered once both the children were left in the living room together. The guilt was washing over her in waves.
Even though she was doing the right thing for herself and her mental health, she couldn't stop thinking about the innocent girls she looked after.
How am I going to leave them? She thought, distressed.
Her mind was in constant turmoil, the thought of leaving with no explanation would destroy them.
Heading into the kitchen, she started to rummage through a few of the cabinets. There was medicine in a lot of the rooms in the house, due to allergies and sudden spurts of random illnesses, the entire place was equipped with many emergency first aid kits and medicine.
Once she found what she was looking for, she determined that soup would remedy the situation.
She was in the middle of stirring her chicken soup when the kitchen door opened. It hadn't even been ten full minutes and she was already being interrupted.
Not bothering to turn her head, knowing who the intruder would be, she sighed. "Lilly girl, I'm making you soup so you can feel better. Go back to the movie, I won't be long."
"I don't feel so good." She heard a whine, and the door swung open yet again.
"I know you don't, that's why I'm trying to be super quick. I promise I'll come and give you big cuddles if you can be a good girl for me and go back to the living room."
Janessa tried to catch the nanny's attention, but failed to do so as she rushed around, opening another drawer and getting out bowls. "Lovey, I don't think Lilly is feeling well, she said she was fuzzy and her arms felt tingly."
"Tingly?" Alright, she was worried now.
Before she could question her any further, she heard a loud thud.
Her doe eyes widened, the choking sounds grew in volume causing her to drop everything in her hands.
The sounds of metal clinking against the floor did not seem to faze her as her one priority remained on the small child before her.
"Lilia? What's wrong, darling?" Rika rushed out, grabbing her little arms and pulling her towards her kneeling figure.
Janessa followed suit, rushing to tug at her nanny's dress roughly, letting out a loud yelp. "Lovey! She needs to go to the hospital! Daddy says she needs to go when she starts shaking like that!"
The hysteria was evident in her tone, she was fearful for her younger sister. The last time she had seen her this way, they ended up in a large hospital bed with mother and father right beside her bedside.
A seizure. She was having an epileptic seizure.
Going into flight or fight mode, her instincts kicked in and she placed her convulsing Lilia gently onto her side. She was careful not to stop the movements, and quickly turned her head to Janessa.
"Go and get your father, now." A calm instruction, she needed want to freak her out but it had been longer than five minutes and she was still bleeding.
She was already reaching into her pockets to grab ahold of her phone, dialling in the three most important numbers.
"You're going to be okay, Lilly. You're going to be fine." She promised, holding the phone up to her ear.
"9-1-1, what's your emergency?"
As she opened her mouth to spew out her current crisis and need for emergency help, rushed footsteps came bounding into the tense scene.
Expecting to see her boss standing there, she frowned when Janessa came back alone.
"Daddy's not home." She said, the worry etching onto her features. "And there's lots of paparazzi outside today."
If her day couldn't get any harder, she now needed to take the celebrity children out into the public in an ambulance without their father in tow.
She didn't know how to handle the paparazzi in a serious situation like this.
• • •
By the time he had arrived at the hospital, paparazzi were swarming the entire premises.
Slater couldn't begin to fathom the events of the day as he was led to the private hospital room by one of the many nurses.
He had been in the studio when the phone call came in, he didn't remember the last time she had a seizure as bad as this.
It was the phone call every parent never wanted to get. The call that their child was unconscious and in the emergency room.
Opening the door, the blonde haired nurse gave him a tight lipped smile. "Your little girl is asleep but she is completely fine. We're still monitoring her on the machine to make sure she stays that way. We're trying to deal with the press as promptly as we can so that you and your family can have the privacy you deserve. Your family are waiting inside."
Her small figure in such a large bed made his heart pain, he simply nodded, unable to form the words on his tongue.
Hooked up to a bunch of machines looking so small and pale in a big hospital bed. A big bruise marked the side of her face.
Fuck, she must've fell hard.
He mentally cursed himself for not being by her side sooner, he should've stayed home.
The room was empty, he didn't think too much of it as he walked into the room and headed straight to the bed.
He stroked her supple skin in a gentle manner, bending his head to press his lips to her forehead. "My strong girl."
When he didn't hear the sassy response he would usually receive, his steady hand dropped to hers, tangling their fingers together. Kisses were placed on each tiny finger, he swallowed harshly.
Slater's husky voice trailed down the echoey room. "I know you're still upset with Daddy right now, but he's sorry." He murmured, manoeuvring around to sit down on the arm chair that was next to him. "He's sorry, and he promises he will make it up to you if you open your eyes and show him that you're okay."
He sat down, repositioning himself so that he was still holding her hand and peering down at her. "Really, nothing? Not even a little peek?"
She kept her eyes shut, clearly fast asleep and not in the mood to deal with her overbearing father.
He sighed again. "What am I going to do with you?" Talking to no one in particular, he lost himself in thought.
She had scared him half to death, he nearly killed himself rushing to get to the other side of Manhattan to get to her.
Usually, if she was showing signs of a seizure, he would know. Oftentimes she was groggy and slow, she would say felt fuzzy and her head hurt.
Her mother had always known something was wrong with her the morning of the day she would have an episode.
For some reason, he hadn't kept his eye on her enough to know she had been showing signs.
"—That was really good, Nessie, well done. I'm so proud of you."
"No it wasn't. You're just saying that. I know they couldn't hear me and I didn't want to shout. I'm scared they will laugh at me."
Turning his head in time, the door opened to reveal the occupied familiar faces holding chocolate pudding in their hands.
Janessa was talking to her nanny, whilst clutching onto two pots of pudding. She seemed distressed with whatever they were deep in conversation about.
"Don't be so hard on yourself. I know it's scary but you have to try a little harder like we practised, otherwise you'll always be scared. No one will laugh at you, darling. Not when I'm right next to you."
Chewing on her bottom lip, the eight year old screwed her face a little. "So, I did well?" She inquired, full of hope.
"You did amazing. Who else would be brave enough to order four pudding pots on their own? Now, why don't you go give your sister her one?" The nanny directed her interest to the bed with a warm smile, however, the second she was met with his regard, it slowly lowered.
Janessa spotted him not long after, letting her feet take her to him. "Daddy, you're here! Sissy fell on the floor and banged her head real hard, we were so scared!" she cried.
Slater picked her up and placed her onto his lap, she held out the pudding pots for him to leave on the table, and shoved her face into his familiar chest.
"I heard." He kissed the top of her head, his eyes concentrated on the woman standing by the entrance. To say she looked tired would be an understatement, she had bags forming under her eyes, and was dressed in a baggy t-shirt and sweats. "I also heard that you've been looking after her whilst she's been asleep."
His voice controlled the anxiety they were all feeling, it grounded them and brought them back to reality.
Rika wasn't sure why but she felt compelled to respond. "It was Janessa's idea to buy chocolate pudding. She knows it's Lilia's favourite. Here, she got you one too."
She neared the bed, and stood on the opposite side. Pushing her hand out, she held a pudding pot and spoon out for him.
He hated chocolate pudding, nonetheless, he retrieved the items from her, accidentally grazing his free hand over hers.
"Thanks,"
"You're welcome."
He set the pot down next to the others on the table. The sound of excessive rustling took over his senses and he picked his head back up to find her putting her spoon into the chocolatey goodness.
When she felt eyes on her, a hot blush crept onto her pale skin.
She swallowed her mouthful before talking. "Sorry." It was all finished in one go.
After another beat or two, he furrowed his brow a bit as he confessed. "I don't like chocolate, you can take mine."
Without thinking, she turned her nose up, causing wrinkles to appear. "Why am I not surprised." Still, she reached over and waited for him to pass over more pudding.
The silence returned as she ate, it was strange to be in the same room when they both were well aware of the two-week notice period.
Rika was giving him side-ways glances, but when he made eye contact with her for the umpteenth time, she had to give him her full attention.
There was something in Slater's eyes that made her want to hear what he was going to say, and to believe it. She softly told him, "If there's something you would like to say, feel free to say it."
He rolled his lifeless eyes. "You have chocolate on your forehead." Blunt and straight to the point, he heard Janessa giggle from where she was.
"Lovey, you're silly."
"Yeah, so silly..." She announced dryly. Hastily wiping at her forehead, she hated the fact that she could sense her cheeks burning up again.
She could've sworn she saw the corners of his lips quirk up for a brief second.
She was here for Lilia, not him, she reminded herself.
13 days, 312 hours and 18720 minutes until she was officially free from his shackles.
Not that she was counting or anything, of course.