The Doctor's Fake Nanny(9)

His mom kind of reminded me of a pitbull. I had the feeling that if he  hadn't stepped in she would not have let this thing go until she got to  the bottom of the matter. What on Earth would I do if she realized where  she recognized me from, if she told David everything she could  remember? She was back to frowning at Sophie's scattered toys, however,  so it seemed like I was probably safe for now.



"Don't you think you should have the child put up her toys before we  dine? The toys should never be in the dining room to begin with, my  dear."



She was looking at me. I didn't exactly like the way she called me dear  or the way she referred to Sophie as "the child" instead of using her  name, but I held my tongue. I didn't want to start a fight with David's  mother before dinner even got started. I knew he was already dreading  the whole thing without me making it worse. I looked over at Sophie,  still sitting silently in the corner, and gave her a friendly grin. She  seemed unsettled, but smiled back. We were a team and she knew it. She  knew I was going to look out for her.



"Come on, sweet girl. Let's put these things away so we can eat. Mashed potatoes and peas. Yum, right?"



"Right!" she crowed, her confidence clearly beginning to return. She  jumped up with a renewed vigor and began to scoop up her blocks and  dolls. I joined her, getting down on my knees to help her clear the  area. If it was up to me I would have just let her keep everything the  way it was, but there was no need to make waves.



"Don't you think you should let her clear them herself?"



"Why?"



I didn't mean to say it. It just sort of slipped out before I could stop  it. I wasn't trying to cause trouble, really I wasn't, but she was  talking about Sophie like she was some kind of irresponsible thirty year  old. She was only four, for Christ's sake. What was wrong with helping  her put away her things? That kind of disdain for a child didn't exist  in a vacuum. It sunk into their makeup, helped to form who they became  as they got older. Making a child feel like they had a comrade was  important to me. Especially this child. I just liked her.                       
       
           



       



"Why? What do you mean, why?"



"I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to be rude. I just don't see the harm in  helping her put up her things. Besides, it'll help us get to the eating  faster, right, Sophie?"



"Right. Tater time!"



"Exactly."



Dr. Elizabeth Wyatt didn't say anything else so I quickly helped Sophie  gather her toys and hurried her out of the room so that we wouldn't  cause any kind of significant delay in the flow of the evening. Still,  as we left I glanced back to see David receive a severely disapproving  look. It was clearly meant for me and I felt bad for putting him in such  an awkward situation. Hopefully I wouldn't do anything else to make the  situation tenser. As we walked, I felt Sophie's warm little hand slip  into mine and give it a light tug.



"What's up, sweetie?"



"Grandma is mean, huh?"



"No, she's not mean. She's just serious."



"Nope," Sophie said with a tone of finality that made me chuckle, "mean. Really mean."



I hoped sincerely that Dr. Wyatt hadn't heard that. I was pretty sure it wasn't going to improve things between the lot of us.





"So, David, dear, tell me how things are going at the hospital. Are you  happy with your work? Are you feeling challenged enough?"



"Mom, you know I don't like talking about the hospital when I'm out of  work. And I particularly dislike doing so when Sophie is in the room."



"And you know I detest it when you call me ‘mom.' It sounds so crass."



"I'm sorry. Mother. I would really rather not talk about work, if it's  all the same to you. I'm trying to lower my stress level a little bit."



His mother rolled her eyes at that, an exasperated and maybe a little  bit disgusted look on her face. Sophie looked from one of us to the next  with cartoonishly wide eyes. She was obviously aware of the tension in  the room and she didn't like it one bit. I felt terrible for her. I  wished there was something I could do to make things a little bit  better, but I had a feeling that the only way for me not to make things  worse was to keep quiet. Sophie, however, did not appear to share my  opinion.



"I gotta giraffe," she said matter of factly, just as casually as if she  was letting us know that it was going to rain later on. David smiled  and I bust out laughing, but Dr. Elizabeth did not look even a little  bit amused.



"Excuse me? What did you say? I'm not sure that I heard you correctly."



"I gotta giraffe," she said again, sounding slightly annoyed that  Grandma wasn't keeping up. "He lives up in my room but nobody sees him  but me. Cus I'm his most favorite."



"Dear, we do not fib in this family, and we certainly do not do so  whilst at the dinner table. Perhaps your father hasn't taught you the  appropriate behavior for a child at the table with adults."



"What was I supposed to teach her?"



"David, children are to be seen but not heard. I know it's an old  fashioned belief these days but it is absolutely true. Children should  not be allowed to speak such nonsense at the table."



I could see the muscles in David's jaw clenching and unclenching as he  ground his teeth together. He was angry about what she had said. What I  couldn't possibly know was whether or not it was because he didn't like  his authority being challenged or if it was because he didn't want her  talking about Sophie that way. I realized that I sincerely hoped it was  the second one. As confusing as it was, I was really starting to like  David. I wanted him to be better than I had expected him to be when this  whole thing began. I wanted Dr. Johnson to be wrong.



"I'm sorry you feel that way, Mother. I'll work on that with her."



"Alright, that's just fine. And perhaps the nanny can assist you in the  endeavor. What do you think? Do you feel up to the challenge?"



She was looking at me with slightly narrowed eyes, already disapproving  of an answer I hadn't even given her yet. It seemed almost funny to me  that she was so upset about Sophie's manners when she couldn't be  bothered to call me by my name instead of "the nanny." I bit my tongue,  though, determined not to let her get to me. She was his mother, after  all, and this was his house.



"Sure, of course I am. We're learning all sorts of things, aren't we, Sophie?"



"I don't think I'm sposed to talk now."



Sophie whispered the words, making my heart clench a little bit in my  chest. She wanted to do what she was supposed to, she just wasn't sure  what exactly that meant. Personally, I felt like she did a pretty  fantastic job, especially for a four-year-old dealing with hyperactivity  and focus problems.                       
       
           



       



"That's alright, sweetie, I already know the answer. You're doing such a good job."



I reached out and smoothed her soft blonde hair down and out of her face  and she beamed up at me with a smile full of love and gratitude. She  didn't need to say one word for me to know that she was grateful to  receive some praise in an otherwise hostile environment.



"Now, David, are you sure we don't know this girl from somewhere? She really does look so familiar."



"Mother, her name is Kayla. And I already told you, I think she just has  one of those faces that makes you feel like you already know her."



"Yes, yes you did. That doesn't mean it's true, though, and I'm not entirely convinced that you are correct."



Shit. I thought we were off of this topic. She was obviously a really  smart woman or else she wouldn't be in such a powerful position in the  hospital. At this point I felt like the only thing I had going for me  was that she was so busy and powerful that she wouldn't remember the  details of our meeting and so could be convinced that we had never met  at all.



"Mother, stop. It isn't some big conspiracy, okay? She applied for the  position, she was more than qualified, and I hired her. She has done an  unbelievable job with Sophie. I haven't seen her this happy in a long,  long time. She's made just about everything easier so let's not make her  feel uncomfortable. I want her to actually stay here. I need her here."



I felt slightly dizzy listening to him. David had never expressed  anything close to that kind of sentiment to me before. He needed me?  Needed me? I didn't think a man who said that kind of thing could be the  same man who let a pill addiction get in the way of doing his job.