NANNY FOR MENDES.

Hundred-fifteen

𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗪𝗡'𝗦 𝗣𝗢𝗩

All day long, Soph is...not being Soph. I got her to eat something, but she still didn't eat as usual.
All day long, she's always in a corner, with her legs pushed to her chest, and her arms around them. Crying, sobbing, or just sitting like this.

At night, she cried herself to sleep. But I was with her. She gave me her back again, but I wrapped my arms around her from behind and held her as she cried.

Now, it's 6:00 AM. Time to get up. I sigh and get out of bed.

She instantly turns around and looks at me. She didn't sleep that much. I sigh and rub my face.

"What time is it?" She asks.

"6:00."

She nods.

"I slept by the way. A little... but I slept, at least."

I nod.

"I slept for two hours."

"I know." I turn around and go get some clothes from my closet, and put them on the bed.

Then, I go to the bathroom to shower. I emerge, a few minutes later, from the bathroom and start getting dressed.

She's silent. I take a deep breath and turn around to look at her. She's sad. Broken.

"Soph."

"Yes?" She looks from her lap, to me.

"I figured you'd want some time alone."

She nods. "Thank you."

"If you need anything—"

"I'll call you."

I nod, then.

As I'm opening our door, she calls my name.

"Shawn?"

"Yes?" I turn around to face her.

"Did you see Noah...?"

"Yes."

"How is he?"

I shrug, and say, "He's... dealing with it."

She nods. "Okay."

When she looks at her lap again, and doesn't say anything else, I leave.

***********************************************
The office's phone rings. I answer.

"Mr. Mendes."

"Dana."

"Sorry for interrupting you, sir, but someone's here. And they would like to see you."

"Who?"

"Anthony Johnson."

The fucker.

"Let him in, Dana."

Two minutes later, Dana lets Anthony in.

I stand up. He offers me his hand, and I debate shaking it. But I shake it, anyway.

"Sit, please." I wave my hand at the chairs across from my desk.

"Thank you for having me today."

I nod.

"Shawn, there's a paper you need to sign—" Noah walks into my office through the door that connects our office, and sees Anthony.

"Noah." Anthony acknowledges him.

"Anthony. I'll talk to you later, Shawn." He doesn't even look at his stepdad and leaves.

"I think you know why I'm here." Anthony says when his stepson leaves.