by Jenna Brandt
“You’re wrong, George. This is different from all of that. I’ve changed—my faith has changed me.”
George let out a snort as he shook his head. “You’ll come to your senses soon enough. This will go by the wayside like everything else you’ve tried and ended up discarding.”
“That’s not going to happen, George, and if you don’t like it, then it’s going to be a real problem for our friendship. You’re going to have to accept that I’m not the same man I used to be.”
Abruptly, George stood up from his chair and turned to leave. “I have to go. Call me once you’ve found the old Roger. I don’t like—” he turned and gestured to Roger, “—whatever version of you this is.”
Roger didn’t do anything to stop George from leaving. Perhaps it was time for them to go their separate ways. He was finding that sometimes God removed the old to make room for the new.
With the fall weather being perfect, Celeste decided it was an excellent day to go to the park. Besides, being cooped up in an apartment wasn’t good for a boy.
She packed a picnic lunch from the food she had brought with her making a note to go shopping later on in the day with Marcus. It would help her get to know him by letting him pick out what he liked.
As their driver sped through the surface streets of the Upper West Side of Manhattan, Celeste was grateful that Roger had left them the use of his Town Car. He explained he would take his Lamborghini to work and it would be easier for her to use his other car and driver.
They arrived at Central Park and Celeste thanked their driver before they exited the vehicle. The duo made their way to the playground first, knowing that Marcus would want to play before they did anything else.
As they reached the edge of the rubber mat underneath the climbing structure, the little boy looked up at Celeste. He seemed to be waiting for her to give permission. “Go ahead, Marcus. I’ll keep an eye on you from over there,” she explained as she pointed to a nearby wooden bench.
He nodded, handed Celeste his backpack, then took off for the nearby climbing ropes that were attached to the side of the play structure. Within seconds, he had made two new friends and was racing them down the slides and across the bridges.
After making sure he was all right, Celeste walked over to the bench and took a seat, never taking her eyes off Marcus. She knew how quickly a kid could disappear at a busy park.
The next ten minutes passed with Celeste watching Marcus play before a young woman with long brown hair and a friendly smile sat down next to her. She parked a stroller next to her, then adjusted the backpack and diaper bag that were attached to it.
“You’re new around here. Who do you nanny for?” the woman asked, pulling out a bottle of water along with a baggie of trail mix from the backpack.
“Oh, I’m just temporarily helping out a friend,” Celeste explained. “I’m an actress.”
The woman let out a small laugh, then shrugged. “Aren’t we all? I thought I would be starring on Broadway by now, but five years later, I’ve booked a handful of commercials and had two minor roles in plays. Being a nanny pays the bills.”
“Well, I’m not a professional nanny. I actually have two other jobs in the service industry that pay my bills. Like I said, this really is just temporary.”
“I started out the same way, but I found I much preferred being a nanny to anything else. Don’t be surprised if you end up wanting to stay with it. I’m Lily, by the way.”
Celeste wanted to argue that wouldn’t be the case with her, but she figured, what was the point. It didn’t matter; she didn’t need to justify her situation with a complete stranger.
The woman prattled on next to Celeste, talking about her charges. Apparently, she had her hands full with three children under the age of seven, including two toddlers and a first grader who was currently at school.
Another young woman joined them about fifteen minutes later, and a third woman a few minutes after that. It seemed the nanny circle of Manhattan was a tight group.
They continued to ask Celeste questions, but she managed to dodge answering them directly, knowing Roger would want her to keep their situation private.
When Marcus came running up to her, telling her he was hungry, she was grateful for the excuse to leave. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could avoid answering all the women’s probing questions.
“Excuse me, ladies, but we need to be on our way.”
“Will we see you tomorrow?” one of the latest arrivals inquired as she pushed her black bangs out of her eyes.
“I’ll have to see what Marcus’ father has planned. We’re still working out a schedule.”
“Oh, you’ll want to iron-out a routine as quickly as possible,” the oldest nanny of the group stated in an authoritative voice. “A routine is the most important part of being a nanny. It will keep you sane and him on task,” she said, gesturing with her head towards the boy. “Trust me on that.”
“Thank you for the advice,” Celeste said, turning around to grab Marcus’ hand.
As they walked away, she heard the women talking about them. They seemed to be in agreement that Celeste was in over her head and needed all the help she could get. Before she knew it, one of them was running up to her.
“We want you to have this,” Lily said, pushing a piece of paper into her hands. “Call us if you need anything.”
Celeste glanced down and was surprised to see a list of names and numbers. It seemed the posse of nannies had decided to take it upon themselves to take her under their wing. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that, but it wouldn’t be the worst thing to have in case of an emergency.
“Thank you,” Celeste said, placing the slip of paper into her purse. “It’s kind of all of you to do that.”
“We all watch out for each other. You’re one of us now,” Lily said, laying her hand on Celeste’s shoulder and giving her a gentle pat.
Once the other nanny moved away, Marcus asked, “Where we going now?”
“I have a special place I want to take you for lunch.”
“Where?” the little boy asked inquisitively.
“If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise. You’ll just have to wait and see.”
“Okay,” he said with resignation, kicking a rock out of his way.
Twenty minutes later, Celeste and Marcus crossed a stone bridge over a stream. She stopped just at the edge of the Ravine—the stream valley section of the North Woods. The area was quiet, with only the soft trickling sound of the brook cascading down and over a set of waterfalls.
“You ready for a picnic?” Celeste asked, pulling out a blanket and laying it by the stream. Next, she placed a wicker basket on top and she sat down and patted a spot by her for Marcus to join her.
Watching the water gush down the giant boulders into the dark pond below, it was easy for Celeste to forget they were in the middle of Manhattan.
“What do you think?”
“I like it,” he said with a grin.
“Have you ever been here before?”
Marcus shook his head as he picked up a chip and ate it. “Nope. We stay at home a lot.”
“Why’s that?” Celeste probed, before taking a bite of her peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwich.
“Mom had lots of friends.”
Quickly, Celeste realized by friends, he was probably describing his mother’s “clients.” Marcus wouldn’t know any different, and Brianna would have to call them something to explain them away.
Celeste’s stomach tightened with disgust at the thought of Marcus being forced into that environment. What awful things had this poor boy been made aware of in his short life? She suspected he was exposed to things no child should have to endure.
“What do you think of your dad’s place? Are you getting comfortable?”
The little boy’s brows furrowed together as he shrugged. “It’s okay.”
“Just okay? What could make it better?”
“My toys, my books,” he
said, “but in my old room.”
An idea sprung into her mind and she asked, “Do you know the address for your old house? Do you have a way of getting in when your mom isn’t there?”
Marcus thought about it for a moment and then his eyes lit up as he grabbed his backpack. “I stay with people and they get this.” He pulled out a small envelope and handed it over to Celeste.
She opened it and found a key inside as well as an address with instructions of when to drop Marcus off and when not to be at the apartment.
“This is good, Marcus. We can use this to go to your place and get some of your things. Will that help make your dad’s place feel more like home?”
Marcus nodded his head as he finished eating the last of his lunch. Once they were done, they packed up the supplies and headed to the edge of the park to meet the Town Car.
Celeste gave the chauffeur directions as to where to go. Several blocks later, they reached the mid-town apartment building.
“Wait for us here,” Celeste told the driver after she climbed out of the car with Marcus beside her. “We won’t be long.”
As they entered the building, the footman gave Marcus a smile and said, “Good afternoon, Marcus. It’s good to see you back.” Then his eyes drifted to Celeste and he gave her a curious stare. “You must be the new babysitter, but I haven’t seen Miss Bradley around lately.”
“She’s been detained with an urgent matter,” Celeste said, trying to avoid discussing the woman’s whereabouts.
“I with my dad,” Marcus volunteered. “Celeste my nanny.”
“Is that so?” the doorman questioned with a puzzled look.
“We need to get upstairs and get a few of Marcus’ items. If we need help, can we call down here?”
The man nodded as they continued past him. “Anything to help the boy,” he called out after them.
Celeste and Marcus exited the elevator onto the third floor and made their way down the short hallway. As they entered the small apartment, she noted the place was kept impeccably clean and decorated with high-end finishings. As they made their way through the dwelling, however, it was obvious that Brianna kept her son restricted to his room. There wasn’t a single personal picture or lick of proof of his existence anywhere else. It was as if she wanted to keep him a secret almost as much as Roger did.
A pang of sadness filled Celeste’s heart as she thought about what a solitary existence the boy must lead. “Do you spend a lot of time in your room?” Celeste probed, wanting confirmation that her suspicions were correct.
Marcus nodded. “My mom not like me come out.”
“Which one is your room?” Celeste inquired.
Marcus took her by the hand and led her to the last door at the end. The first thing Celeste noticed was that there was a lock on the outside of the door—the type of lock used to keep people from going in somewhere, or to keep someone from coming out.
Her eyes fell to the boy as her heart sank to her stomach. Brianna must have locked Marcus in his room to make sure he didn't come out. What type of mother did that?
As they entered the room, Celeste was at least grateful he had a nice area filled with the best toys, books, and decorations any boy could want.
Celeste found a few boxes in a hall closet, removed the few items in them, and brought the boxes to Marcus’ room.
“Why don’t you help me fill these with the things you want to take,” Celeste suggested.
They spent the next hour packing up clothes, toys, decorations, books, and various other items Marcus wanted to take with him. By the end of the time, Celeste felt like she knew Marcus better by going through his things, not to mention, she was happy to make him feel better about the tough situation.
“You ready to get out of here?”
Marcus took a final look around his room before saying, “Sure.”
By the time they reached Roger’s apartment a half hour later, Marcus had fallen asleep during the ride. Celeste carried the small child upstairs as the driver delivered the boxes.
As Marcus napped on the bed, Celeste pulled out his belongings and placed them around the room. Hopefully, this would help make him feel a little more comfortable, and not so out-of-place.
5
Artie Frankhurst was tapping his fingers on the edge of Roger’s desk as he waited for a response.
What was it with everyone? How did they all find out Roger was working at his father’s office today? Did someone put out a memo?
“Well, are you going to come out with us?” Artie asked a second time, shaking his head and causing his brown hair to flutter with the movement. “We’re going to The Luxx, if that makes a difference. I know how you love that place.”
Roger used to love that place, but he knew arguing that point with his friend wouldn’t make a bit of difference. Instead, he decided to tell him the truth; well, part of it anyway.
“I can’t. I already have plans with a beautiful blonde and curly brunette,” Roger explained, leaving out the fact it was his nanny and child.
As he said the words, Roger realized he would much rather spend time with both of them than another meaningless moment in a club.
“Now that sounds like the old Roger I know and love,” Artie stated with a chuckle. “But you can always bring them with you.”
“Can’t. They’re not into that whole scene. They’re more the stay in and spend time alone types.”
“Whatever, Roger. Sounds like just another excuse. You had me going for a moment, but George texted me and told me you blew him off. Not sure how or why it happened, but you’ve become a real stick-in-the-mud.”
“You wouldn’t understand, Artie, nor would you want to. If you ever want to try though, you can come to church any time with me.”
“No way, I don’t do religion; don’t see a point.”
“Suit yourself, but it’s a standing offer.” Roger climbed to his feet and pulled on his jacket before picking up his briefcase. “I have to get going.”
Artie stood up and made his way to the door behind Roger. “I can’t believe you’re passing up a chance to go to The Luxx.”
“I’ve changed, Artie. I know you and the gang don’t want to see that, but it’s true. I just don’t want to live my life that way anymore.”
“I gotta get away from you. I can’t stand listening to this anymore,” Artie said in irritation. “I can’t believe Roger Boswell has gone religious.”
As Roger watched his friend walk away, he realized he wasn’t sad like he thought he would be. A sense of relief flooded him, knowing he stood up for his faith and didn’t back down. Whatever happened, he knew his relationship with God was what would see him through anything yet to come.
An hour later, the delicious smell of cooking pasta filled Roger’s senses as he entered his apartment. He made his way into the kitchen where he found Celeste making dinner. He opened the fridge to get a sparkling water and found that she had also gone grocery shopping. The stainless-steel beast was filled with fresh produce, milk, and meats.
“Good evening, Roger, glad you’re home,” Celeste greeted him with a smile as she momentarily looked up from the cutting board where she was dicing cucumbers for a salad.
“Everything smells amazing,” Roger said, moving towards the stove and inhaling the fragrant aroma. “I honestly didn’t even know if this thing worked.”
“Oh, it does, and it’s great. I can’t believe you have this gourmet kitchen and you never use it.”
“I’m more of an order-in type of guy.”
“Obviously,” she said with a small laugh and a roll of the eyes, “but hopefully, we can change that—at least for Marcus’ sake.”
“Where is he, by the way?”
“I’m betting he’s playing in his room. Why don’t you go see?” Celeste suggested, but the way she did it, Roger suspected there was more than what she was saying.
Was Marcus having another bad day? It had to be tough being away from his mother and home, but Roger wasn’
t sure what he could do to make it better.
“Do I need to go in there prepared for anything?” Roger probed.
Celeste shook her head. “Just go see already.”
Roger padded down the hall and braced himself by sending up a silent prayer before entering the boy’s room. If this was going to be emotionally taxing, he wanted to be prepared.
To his pleasant surprise, Marcus was playing on the floor at the end of his bed. The little boy glanced up with a huge grin on his face as he said, “Look at my room!”
The guest room had changed since Roger left for work. The bedding now was covered in firetrucks along with several pictures that matched the theme hanging on the wall. There was also a trunk at the end of the bed that was open. Inside, there were dozens of various toy trucks and cars, superhero figures, and dinosaurs. He wasn’t sure how, but Celeste must have done all of this.
“What are you playing with, Marcus?”
The little boy looked up again and offered a red firetruck to Roger. “Rescue. This my favorite firetruck. I be cop car. We play.”
Roger accepted the outstretched vehicle and sat down next to Marcus on the floor. A piece of his heart melted at the sweet gesture. He had no idea he could care so deeply for someone so quickly, but here he was, wanting nothing more than to sit down and play rescue with his son.
A half hour flew by with Roger and Marcus rescuing cats from trees, dogs from fires, and people from car accidents. The soft knock at the edge of the doorframe interrupted their time together.
When Roger glanced up and saw Celeste’s smiling face, he didn’t mind the disruption. Their eyes locked for a moment, and his heart sped up in his chest. Suddenly, he had a deep desire to stand up and pull Celeste towards him into an embrace.
Before he could do it though, she said, “Dinner is ready. Why don’t you both come and join me?”
Marcus and Roger scurried to their feet.
“Yippee, spaghetti,” Marcus declared with glee as he rushed past his father and Celeste.