His Daughter's Nanny, His Heart's Obsession

gainst the windows like nature's lullaby. The world out

leeves rolled to the elbow as he reviewed documents in s

found t

in a pink coat, her little hand clutching the bunny that never left her side. Aria k

the chi

il

didn't know wh

o grand gestures. No child psychology jarg

entle. Un

ven he didn

fe had never tri

e calls waiting. A contract to review.

l, he st

chi

tly she had started mak

-

re cling to her cheeks and eyelashes, bu

l watching the drops fall like they were magic. The

ndrops were the sky crying happy tears. My mom told me that when the

. But she shifted closer, her sh

at meant more th

econd afraid even her breat

d gently rested against he

e girl's hair and whispered, "You don't have to ta

sery to find the shelves already restocked wit

e hadn't reques

tossing a small pack of col

ked drawing, but I fig

. "You bough

e kids," he said with a shrug. "Damon doesn

y, placing one of the new books on th

ted his head. "You're g

r I

." He paused. "You're softening D

ng once against her ribs.

vious. But I know my brother. And when he

read into it. He hired me

quietly, slipping his

steps came pattering in. She clutched a c

her arms i

on, climbed into her lap a

, impressed. "Well

his time," Aria said sof

said with a gentle smile.

ngered even

nger than usual. The rain still whispered against the

rner. A stack of picture books

ead and whispered, "Goodnight, little one," Isla

or a s

h to mean

wly... s

-

sat in his dim office, a stack

m the rest - cream-colored

ed it over. Held it f

w that

r scent of cus

written on it, he knew

didn't

st st

ment, slipped it ba

pen

ked

ured a

, the leaves beaded with water. But the sky had cl

he had once

d with someth

os. Not

rm

- quiet, steady, soft - was beginning to un