Nanny Undercover

Chapter 4: Subterfuge

Goldie's first few days in the Ormonde household were a whirlwind of  activity and learning the routine. The babies usually woke up between six and seven, and got breakfast and baths, then playtime until around ten. Then it was naps, then lunch and playtime, then naps around three, then bottles, then playtime, then dinner around five, then baths, then playtime bottles, then bed around eight, with story time.

After about a week, she felt she had it down, and was being an actual help to Jeff, instead of just an extra pair of hands.  As she tottered off to bed, she said, "I can't believe you actually attempted to do this on your own, let alone accomplished it, for how long?"

Jeff considered. "Four months? Their mum passed four months ago."

Goldie shook her head. "You're crazy, Jeff. I'm exhausted just helping you."

"You know, it actually wasn't terrible. It took the edge off of Maggie's death. I didn't have time to miss her, to think about her being gone. I was too busy." He looked thoughtful. "Now, even though it's only been a few months, the pain has already mellowed a bit. It's like it happened to someone else, almost."

He looked around the nursery at the sleeping girls. "I'm glad Maggie got to experience those first few months with them, though. We had fine times, figuring out how to change them, how to fix their formula—we were afraid to even touch them, you know? We felt like we'd break them when we put their clothes on."

Goldie nodded. "I remember when my cousins were little. They were like tiny dolls. When my Aunt Jamie let me hold them, I felt like I was holding a bowl of eggs while I was on roller skates or something, I was afraid to move. I just sat on the couch and stared at them."

"But they're sturdy little things, aren't they?" Jeff mused. "Only last week Pippa rolled right off the sofa while I was getting their bottles. Thought she was going to scream the neighborhood down."
"Really?"
Jeff nodded. "Got a knot on her head the size of a walnut where it hit the floor. I called the pediatrician, but she said that the fact that there was a knot meant that the pressure had been relieved and she was probably fine. I was just to watch her to see if she seemed odd or impaired in any way over the next couple of days, and bring her in if she seemed off. But the lump was gone the next day, and she's obviously fine."

"What day was that?"

"God, seems like forever ago, doesn't it?" Jeff turned and they headed down the hall toward their respective bedrooms. "It was just a week before you came to us, so that would make it the twentieth, I guess." He turned to Goldie. "You ready to do it all again tomorrow?"

She nodded tiredly.

"Thanks for everything, Goldie, good night." He leaned forward and pecked her forehead.

"Good night, Jeff."

Goldie went into her room, opened her laptop, and began typing into a document.

6/20 Pippa rolled off sofa, knot on head, pediatrician notified

She sighed, closed her laptop and got ready for bed. Normally she slept in a T-shirt and her underwear, but she had to actually wear something normal, because sometimes she had to get up in the night to tend one of the girls, and Jeff might see her. She pulled on a pair of sweat pants and crawled into bed, reveling in the feeing of being horizontal, hoping no one woke up tonight.

She slept until about one thirty, when, sure enough, Genie's crying woke her up. She met Jeff in the nursery, where he waved her back.

"Go back to bed, I've got this," he said in a soft voice.

He was happy to see her, no mistaking that. To him, Goldie looked glorious, sleepy and beautiful in her sweats and T-shirt, hair in a fat braid that hung over her shoulder.