Nanny Series - Andy Barber 💜

Chapter 29

Juliette giggled as she felt Andy kissing her neck as she stood at the stove, making breakfast. She turned off the stove, setting the cooked eggs on a cold burner. She turned around to face Andy, placing her hands on his chest, "Mr. Barber. What are you doing?"

He grinned, shrugging, "I love you. That's all."

She nodded as she pulled his mouth back to her neck, "I love you too." She giggled as his beard tickled her neck when she heard her phone ringing, "I have to get that."

Andy hovered his mouth over her neck, "no you don't."

She laughed, pressing her hands on his chest, "I do. That's Peter's ringtone."

Andy sighed as he pulled away, "fine."

She shook her head as Andy plated the eggs while she answered the phone, "Pete. Good morning."

'Hey little one. I'm sorry for calling so early. How are you?'

She sighed, "I'm fine Pete. Just spit it out. I can hear it in your voice that something is wrong."

'Yeah. Well, Eddie called me about an hour ago.'

Juliette turned to look at Andy, "okay? What did he want?"

'Mom is sick Julie.'

"Yeah? She's been sick. So what."

Peter sighed, 'no. They don't think she'll last the week. We should go say goodbye little one.'

Juliette groaned, "and if I don't want to?"

'I'll make you? Not for her, but for you. You should say goodbye and get closure for yourself.' He heard only silence for a minute before continuing. 'For me then?'

She sighed, "fine. Can you come here so we can fly together?"

'Of course I can. I'm bringing Aimee with me. Are you bringing Andy?'

Juliette looked up at a confused Andy, "only if he wants to. I'll be ready when you get here." She hung up before Peter could say anything else as Andy approached her.

"What was that about? What's the matter love?"

She sighed, "Peter is on his way here with Aimee. Our mom is sick and not going to last much longer, so they think. He wants me to go and say goodbye. Closure and what not."

"Oh Jules. I'm sorry."

She let him pull her into a hug, resting her head on his chest, "we weren't that close and my other two brothers are dicks."

Andy chuckled, "you want me to come with you?"

She sighed, resting her head against his, "yes and no? Yes because I love you and I need you. No because my family is crazy and I don't want you to think less of me."

Andy laughed, "well I would never think less of you because of your family. Trust me." He hesitated, taking a deep breath. "I wasn't completely forthcoming about my father either." He sighed, "he was around until I was like 6 or 7. He was abusive to my mother and me. He was arrested for raping and killing a college girl in the town I grew up."

She rested her hands on his chest, looking up at him. "Andy. Why didn't you tell me when I brought up my father?"

He shrugged, "I didn't want you to think less of me. Or that I could ever be like him."

"Oh Andy, I love you. I see your heart and I know that you could never be like him."

He nodded, running his fingers through her hair, fiddling with the ends. "I never even told Laurie about him. You're the only one I've ever talked to about him before."

Juliette smiled, "I guess we were both fucked up by our parents."

Andy laughed, "looks like it."

~~~

"It'll be okay little one."

Juliette sighed and nodded as she grabbed Peter's hand while they stood in front of their mother's house with Andy and Aimee following close behind. She let Peter enter before her as she followed. She saw one of their brothers come out from the hallway as the front door shut.

"They made it! The big shot, college educated spawn have graced us with their presence!"

"Fuck off Derrick!"

Peter laughed, but grabbed Juliette's hand, "don't let them get to you little one."

Derrick pretended to gag, "little one? Still babying her I see. Probably still a spoiled brat too."

"Hey!" Andy stepped in front of Juliette as she groaned.

She grabbed his hand, feeling the anger radiating off him, "let's not have a fight right away please."

Derrick approached them, standing in front of Andy who was more than a few inches taller than him, "who is this? Looks like you did inherit something from our mother; her love of older men."

Juliette felt Andy squeeze her hand as he started to take a step towards him but Peter pushed Derrick back.

"Don't be a dick. This isn't why we are here Derrick. We are here to see mom. Where is Eddie?"

Derrick rolled his eyes, "he's at work. He'll be around later." He pointed down the hall, "mom is back there in bed."

Juliette nodded, turning to Andy, "stay here with Aimee, okay?" She side eyed Derrick, "and try not to kill my brother while you do, yeah?"

Andy laughed, "I'll try."

Aimee chuckled, "I'll keep an eye on them."

Juliette smiled, "thanks." She turned back to Andy, resting her head against his chest as she sighed with her eyes closed.

"It'll be fine. I'm right here if you need me."

She nodded before following Peter down the hallway to where their mother's room was. Her mother was propped up in bed on pillows. Juliette grabbed Peter's hand, shocked at how different she looked. She hadn't been home since she graduated high school. The woman in front of her no longer looked like her mother, but just a shell. She found it hard to be angry at the woman that laid in front of her that had obviously been suffering for a while.

Their mother turned her head towards them, "Peter? Is that you?"

He nodded, stepping towards her as he released Juliette's hand, "yeah mom." He sighed, "I brought Julie too."

"Julie?"

Juliette took a deep breath before walking around the other side of her, "I'm here." Juliette watched her mother looking at her, bringing her hand up to Juliette's cheek.

"You look even more like him now. You have kids?"

Juliette shook her head, "not yet. I just graduated law school."

Her mother nodded, "good. Don't be like me, get a ring first." She dropped her hand, "don't want to end up with a daily reminder of your mistakes."

"Mom!"

Juliette shook her head at Peter, "it's fine Pete."

Her mother turned away from her back to Peter, "you look too much like him, please go."

Juliette looked up at Peter before storming out of the room and out the house as she heard Andy follow her. "Jules?" She only shook her head as he pulled her to him, letting her cry into his chest.