The Sea Witch's Alpha Wolf

The Perfect Nanny

Echo

The room is cold and the breeze from the open window dances around me as I make my way to the bed which sits in the center of the room. The screaming is coming from the bed and I assume its Jessie who’s screaming. I can hear crying and hiccupping too. My heart goes out to Jessie. “Jessie? Are you alright?”

“Who are you? What are you doing in here?” The voice that answers me is that of a young girl. Her voice is scratchy from crying but the anger and pain behind it can clearly be heard. I approach the bed and pull back the drapes surrounding the four post monstrosity. I can make out Jessie as she sits curled against the headboard. She’s young maybe nine years old with wild blonde girls like her brother. Her eyes are a flashing green that stare up at me in fright and defiance.

“I’m Echo your new nanny,” I reply my voice soothing and soft as I can make it as I sit on the edge of her bed. “Would you like to tell me why you were crying?”

At my words Jessie’s eyes begin to water and she screams again in frustration, “NO! Go away everyone should just go away! Nobody loves me and I hate everyone!” She continues to rant even when I try to sooth her.

My head begins to ache and I grow tired of her screaming tantrum. Standing I go the bed side table where an empty pitcher of water sits. Grabbing it up I place my hand in it and wait as water begins to bubble up around my hand filling the pitcher. Taking the now full pitcher I turn and judging my distance and aim throw the water all over Jessie. Instantly she goes silent as she sits there stunned and covered in water. I place the pitcher back on the table and walk over to sit on the bed again. “How about instead of screaming you talk to me about what your problems are. Yelling and crying will get you nowhere and if you scream again I can gladly get more water to throw on you.” For a moment it looks like Jessie may do just that but then her face crumples and she throws herself into my arms sobbing and clinging to me.

We sit like that for several minutes as she cries into the crook of my shoulder. I pull her into my lap and cuddle her close whispering quiet reassurances to her as she cries herself out. Lydia used to have temper tantrums like this right after our father left. She felt so alone and unloved because she wasn’t young enough to need constant care but neither was she old enough to shoulder the responsibilities that I did. When she threw her tantrums I was the only one who could calm her and no matter how busy I was I always went out of my way to go to her. I would sit and hold her for as long as she needed and would sing her a lullaby. Rocking Jessie back in forth in my lap I begin to sing my sister’s lullaby to her.

As I sing the closing words I hear the soft click of the door being unlocked and then opened. Jessie has fallen asleep in my lap and is currently snoring softly with her head resting on my shoulder. I turn to see Jack tiptoeing into the room when he spots us he stops and stares a dumbfounded look on his face. Holding back my laughter I slips out from Jessie’s hold and tuck her into the bed. Jack comes over and stands next to me as I tuck his sister into bed and lean down to kiss her forehead before dragging him out of the room before she wakes.

When I’ve firmly shut the door behind us he turns and grins at me, “How the hell did you do that? Normally when Jessie has a fit like that she doesn’t calm down for anyone except Asher! And he always has to strong arm her into stopping not coddling her.”

I smile in response as I follow him downstairs, “My younger sister used to have break downs like that and I learned quickly that all she wanted was to be held and shown that somebody loves her so that’s what I did for Jessie. She seems like a sweet kid that just needs to be shown more attention and love. Not that I think you don’t do that!” I add on the end slightly panicked. Here I am offending my potential employer by saying that he doesn’t love his sister enough. Genius, Echo. Pure and utter genius.