His Nanny Mate By Eve Above Story
Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Chapter 41: Good Memories

Moana

“I’m sure he’ll visit soon,” I said, quickly blinking away the tears that came to my eyes when Claraasked so innocently about Edrick coming to visit the orphanage.

Neither Clara nor Ella seemed to notice my emotional demeanor, and Clara burst out into cheers. Iwatched with a smile as they ran off to continue playing. Sophia chuckled behind me.

“The children really do like him,” she said, taking a sip of her tea. “I honestly thought that he was justanother emotionless drone, focused solely on business, but he’s really much more than that. It seemsthat our cookie baking session might have softened him a bit.”

I nodded thoughtfully, thinking back to the day that we all baked cookies in this very kitchen. Edrick hadbegun that day so coldly and had been so distant from the children, but he eventually warmed up tothem as we spent the day together. I realized that day that the Alpha billionaire actually did likechildren, although I wasn’t certain if he would ever admit it. Secretly, I wished that he would be so warmtoward me at home, despite the termination of our sleeping arrangement.

Finally, I was broken free from my thoughts by Sophia once again. She gave me a concerned look asshe raised her cup of tea to her lips. “Are you sure you’re alright?” she said. “Are you sick?”

I shook my head. “No, I’m really fine. Just a little tired today, that’s all.” I took the last sip of my tea thenand stood. “Thank you for the tea. I’m going to play with the children for a while, if that’s alright.”

Sophia nodded and shot me a smile, although I could tell that she didn’t entirely believe me when I saidthat I was fine. Before she could inquire further, however, I returned to the playroom and spent theafternoon with the children.

Ella and I, as well as the other children, had a wonderful afternoon that day. We spent the day playinghide and seek, having tea parties, and doing arts and crafts, and by the end of the day Ella had madequite a few friends. She couldn’t stop chattering about Clara and all of her other friends for the entireride home, and continued to chatter all the way up the elevator to the penthouse.

When the elevator doors opened and we walked into the dining room, Edrick was already home andwas sitting at the dining table with a cup of coffee and a stack of what looked like financial reports.

“Daddy!” Ella exclaimed when she saw him. She bounced up to him with a surprising amount of energyafter having spent the entire day playing. I watched from the doorway as Edrick smiled and scoopedher up into his lap. “Guess where I went today?” she asked.

“Hm,” Edrick said, his eyes flickering over to me only momentarily before returning to Ella. “I don’tknow. Where did you go today?”

“Moana took me to the orphanage!”

There was a moment of silence, and during that moment, I thought for sure that Edrick was going tosay something to indicate dissatisfaction with the fact that I took Ella to the orphanage. While I did tellSelina where I was going, I didn’t necessarily ask Edrick for permission, and so I braced myself for ascolding.

Much to my relief, however, Edrick only smiled at Ella.

“Did she, now?” Edrick asked. “And how was it? Did you make new friends?”

“Mhm!” Ella replied. “I made lots of friends, and we played games all day. I even made one new bestfriend named Clara. Look! We made friendship bracelets.” Ella held out her tiny wrist to show off hernew friendship bracelet that she made with Clara using colorful beads and string.

“Oh, wow,” Edrick replied, feigning fascination with the simple little trinket. “I’m sure you’d like to seeClara again.”

I couldn’t help but smile as I watched Edrick with Ella. It was heartwarming to see him being so sweetand kind with Ella, and to see him being so open about her new friends. As far as I was aware, Ella hadrarely spent time with other children outside of her training sessions and the occasional familygathering. It was important for any child to have plenty of opportunities to socialize and play with otherkids.

As I watched Edrick and Ella together, however, I noticed that his eyes darted over to me one moretime — and they were not nearly as warm and open as they were with Ella. They weren’t angry orbitter, but simply rather cold and indifferent. It was both unsettling and painful to see him look at me insuch a way after our history together.

Meanwhile, Ella only continued to prattle on about the orphanage, entirely oblivious to the energybetween myself and her father right now. “Daddy? Clara said that she knows you,” she said. Edrick’sgaze returned to her and warmed instantly. He nodded.

“Daddy!” Ella axclaimad whan sha saw him. Sha bouncad up to him with a surprising amount of anargyaftar having spant tha antira day playing. I watchad from tha doorway as Edrick smilad and scoopadhar up into his lap. “Guass whara I want today?” sha askad.

“Hm,” Edrick said, his ayas flickaring ovar to ma only momantarily bafora raturning to Ella. “I don’tknow. Whara did you go today?”

“Moana took ma to tha orphanaga!”

Thara was a momant of silanca, and during that momant, I thought for sura that Edrick was going tosay somathing to indicata dissatisfaction with tha fact that I took Ella to tha orphanaga. Whila I did tall

Salina whara I was going, I didn’t nacassarily ask Edrick for parmission, and so I bracad mysalf for ascolding.

Much to my raliaf, howavar, Edrick only smilad at Ella.

“Did sha, now?” Edrick askad. “And how was it? Did you maka naw friands?”

“Mhm!” Ella rapliad. “I mada lots of friands, and wa playad gamas all day. I avan mada ona naw bastfriand namad Clara. Look! Wa mada friandship bracalats.” Ella hald out har tiny wrist to show off harnaw friandship bracalat that sha mada with Clara using colorful baads and string.

“Oh, wow,” Edrick rapliad, faigning fascination with tha simpla littla trinkat. “I’m sura you’d lika to saaClara again.”

I couldn’t halp but smila as I watchad Edrick with Ella. It was haartwarming to saa him baing so swaatand kind with Ella, and to saa him baing so opan about har naw friands. As far as I was awara, Ella hadraraly spant tima with othar childran outsida of har training sassions and tha occasional familygatharing. It was important for any child to hava planty of opportunitias to socializa and play with otharkids.

As I watchad Edrick and Ella togathar, howavar, I noticad that his ayas dartad ovar to ma ona moratima — and thay wara not naarly as warm and opan as thay wara with Ella. Thay waran’t angry orbittar, but simply rathar cold and indiffarant. It was both unsattling and painful to saa him look at ma insuch a way aftar our history togathar.

Maanwhila, Ella only continuad to prattla on about tha orphanaga, antiraly oblivious to tha anargybatwaan mysalf and har fathar right now. “Daddy? Clara said that sha knows you,” sha said. Edrick’sgaza raturnad to har and warmad instantly. Ha noddad.

“Yes. I know all of the children there. In fact, I went there not long ago with Moana, and had a nice timebaking cookies.” As Edrick spoke, his face seemed to soften once again. It seemed as though the coldCEO was actually looking back on the day we spent there fondly, which was surprising, and when hefinished speaking, his eyes landed on me once more. I could sense a hint of what almost seemed likemelancholic nostalgia behind his gaze, which lingered on mine for a few aching moments, before hequickly looked away once more. Could he not look at me for five seconds without looking away?

“Can I go back to the orphanage, daddy?” Ella pleaded. “I really want to see my friends again.”

Suddenly, I had an idea; maybe the Alpha billionaire just needed another nice day out with the childrento calm his nerves. “I’m planning on going back next Sunday,” I finally chimed in, stepping forward.“Maybe we could all go together.”

Just then, Edrick’s entire demeanor changed. He set Ella back on the floor, then pushed his chair backand stood. “That’s alright,” he said, shuffling his papers together and gathering them along with hiscoffee. “I’ll go on my own time, when I’m free. There’s no need for all of us to go at once, and besides:you don’t need to wait around for me to have a day off in order to go and visit your friends.”

Ella seemed somewhat satisfied with Edrick’s response, but I was not; I knew that he wasn’t telling thefull truth. The Edrick who I had come to know on that day that we baked cookies would have gladlytaken time off of work to visit the orphanage with his daughter so she would play with her friends. Therewas another reason why he was refusing to go as a trio with us, and I was entirely certain that reasonwas me.

I watched as he turned on his heel and began walking toward his office. In my mind, I already began tocontemplate why he was acting like this with me. Hadn’t we ended our sleeping arrangementamicably? Why, then, was he taking so much care to avoid me like the plague?

All I knew as I fed Ella dinner and got her ready for bed that night was that I had to test the waters andsee if it truly was me that he was avoiding, or if it was something else.