The New Nanny

The First Meeting

                                                                                EMILY

The following Monday rolls around and I find myself sat in the opulent living room of the Hawthorne's again. This time, I'm waiting for Maria to return with Danny. 

"Mama, who is this?" I turn with a smile as I hear the little voice behind me. 

"This is your new nanny, Emily. Say hello." She seems to completely transform when she's with him, that hardness is gone. Still holding onto his mother, he turns to me.

"Hello Emily."

"Hello Danny, it's very nice to meet you." I crouch down in front of him and hold out my hand. He shakes it with his own and I notice just how much he looks like his mum, but he's tall for a 6 year old.

"You gonna look after me?" His southern twang is much clear than his mum's and he sounds adorable.

"I would like to...if that's okay with you?" Before Danny can reply, we all hear the front door slam close.

"Hello?!" I would know that voice anywhere; it was John Hawthorne. I feel my face heating up just thinking about meeting him.

"I'll be right back." Maria walks out of the room, leaving me alone with Danny.

"So, Danny, do you like London so far?" I ask, still crouched in front of him.

"I do...the queen lives here, you know." His matter of fact tone makes me smile.

"You're right, she does." I can hear his parent's voices raising in the other room. It seems that Maria isn't too happy that her husband is home. I decide to speak a little louder to try to drown out their voices.

"Have you been to the Queen's house yet?"

"Not yet, mama said she hasn't had time...would you take me?"

"Of course, I can." I can hear Maria practically screaming now and decide my best bet is to get Danny away from it. "How about you show me your room?" He grins and nods.

"My room is the best...come on!" I follow the excitable boy up the stairs. Once we get to his room, I'm relieved that his parent's voices were now barely audible.

We step into his room and I stop in shock at the massive model plane in the middle of his room.

"Cool right?" He stands next to it with a big grin on his face.

"It certainly is...you may have the coolest room I have ever seen."

"Wanna see my superhero collection?" He's already heading over to his shelves in the corner of the room, which are filled with action figures. I follow him over, happy to take his attention away from the fight happening downstairs.

We spend the next ten minutes or so going through all of the superhero's names and powers. I can already tell I'm going to love this little boy; he has such an enthusiasm for everything. The thought of his parents fighting like this is worrying and I hope this isn't a regular occurrence for him.

"Hey big guy, you showing off your collection?" I may have been facing away from the door, but I would know that deep southern drawl anywhere.

"Daddy!" He practically leaps over me sitting on the floor and jumps on his dad.

"Ouph, you're getting heavy, bud." I turn slowly, and see John Hawthorne stood in the doorway, holding Danny. He looks ruggedly handsome, wearing a distressed leather jacket with slim grey jeans on. His salt and pepper beard matches his hair and I'm having trouble taking my eyes off him.