𝑻 𝑯 𝑬 𝑵 𝑨 𝑵 𝑵 𝒀 (18+)

five.

   D O M I N I C

"A new nanny huh? Seriously, Dom why don't you talk to the hospital about your hours? They've been abusing you for years now and it's not fair to you or the kids, it damn sure wasn't fair to your marriage. Are you certain she's even going to last? The last one ran out on you the second day of employment." My sister was unforgiving in her harsh criticism.

It was true, the hospital I worked in had been abusing my presence for years but I loved my job so for the most part, I didn't mind being thrown around like a rag doll. The input about my marriage was unwarranted but Tiffany wouldn't have said it if it wasn't true.

I removed a piece of toast from the toaster and shoved it in my mouth sighing. There was no time for butter and these days I liked a dry piece of toast over a soggy one. I should've gotten up earlier to make breakfast but I wasn't much of a cook. I could manage eggs. Oatmeal was questionable and pancakes were a fire waiting to happen.

"Remind me Tiffany, when the doctor told you to take it easy did he also mention something about minding your own business? Less stress for you and the baby." Tiffany was the OBGYN in the family which meant she was rather opinionated when it came to her personal doctors' visits. It was constant back and forth with every doctor and it had gotten to the point where David brought earplugs to their visits.

My sister was far from arrogant.

Outside of her familial berating when it came to working she happened to be one of the most inspiring and helpful doctors I'd ever encountered. When it wasn't me she was also one of the kindest most sincere human beings I'd ever met. It was fertility issues that made her so anal. After trying for a couple of years, she and David were finally expecting and she wanted to make sure she had a smooth and worry-free pregnancy. I could hardly fault her for that.

"Doctor Remini is wonderful but I just don't like having a man tell me how my reproductive organs work."

"Why not just switch doctors then?" A question I'd asked every time she brought Remini up.

"Because no one else was taking in new patients and I wasn't just going to treat myself. He's a fine doctor, just a bit traditional." As most doctors his age were. Medicine was a competitive field. When new blood and new practices came into play, it was easy for veterans in the field to feel threatened.

"And how is everything? Is my niece doing well?" There hadn't been another girl in the family since Tiffany so I hoped my assumption became reality.

"That niece you've been hoping for is actually a nephew. Don't tell mom! We're having a gender reveal for the family's sake and I want it to be a surprise."

So much for manifesting.

"You don't have to worry about me telling mom and either way, as long as the baby is healthy I'm happy."

I heard shuffling by the stairs so I held the phone away from my ear and listened out. Sometimes Jamie would wake up early and make his way downstairs to find me. Other times Josh would come down here and raid the snack drawer when no one else was awake.

To my surprise, it was Amara sneaking down the stairs. She rounded the corner in a University of California t-shirt with a pair of rolled-down sweatpants hanging lazily off her hips. I took a long drag from my coffee cup and nodded my head in her direction.

"Tiff? I'll call you back later," I hummed into the phone my finger already hovering over the end button.

"Wait! Mom wants me to ask you if you've decided on the—" I knew what she was preparing to ask so before she could get another word out I decided I'd save her some trouble.