Scream For me

Jade took the change of topic in stride, and I listened to their conversation. The more they talked, the more I decided that this looked like it would work after all. Ben needed someone to give him every minute of every day they were together. Jade seemed invested in all their conversations, talking to him on his level, and she didn’t seem to care that he asked her the same things twice. She was patient and positive, and I could work with that.

When we got home, I pulled Jade aside.

“I have to run out. You’re okay to do the afternoon?”

“I think we’ll be just fine,” Jade said with a smile. “He’s a good kid. We’re going to have a ton of fun.”

I nodded. “I’ll be back just after four, and tomorrow we’ll do a full day. If you need to find anything, Ben will help you. Get acquainted with the house and make yourself at home. Call me if you need anything.”

Jade nodded. I hesitated. I didn’t know what I wanted to say. I just didn’t want to leave them behind alone. I wasn’t worried or anything. It was more that it looked like they were going to have a good time. Rather than leave, I wanted to be a part of it. I wanted to get to know Jade betterher energy was magnetic, and I’d never seen Ben this chatty and upbeat unless he was in a good mood and it was just the two of us.

“I’m out, then,” I said. “Come here, big guy. Hug me.” Ben ran to me, and I kneeled to hug him.

“Be good.”

“Always,” Ben said.

I grinned and ruffled his dark hair. “I’ll see you later.”

“You can work late if you want to; I’m okay here with Jade,” Ben said.

I laughed. “Thanks. I’ll be back earlier today…try not to look so disappointed!” I said it when Ben started pouting. “Jade is going to be around every day, so you’ll get more than enough of her.” Ben grinned at me before he turned away from me.

“We have cookies for dessert when we watch TV,” he announced. “But Dad says we have to eat food first, so let’s get sandwiches.” “Your dad is very wise,” Jade said.

She waved at me before they disappeared into the kitchen, and I turned to leave the apartment.

I didn’t have to go back to workI’d taken the afternoon off so I could be at the house if either of them needed anything. Instead of driving back to the office, I drove to Noah’s apartment.

Ava opened the door with a grin. She had Warner on her hip.

“Look! It’s Uncle Aaron!” she said. “Say hi, Warner.”

Warner said something unintelligible and offered a toothy grin.

“Hello, big guy,” I said and pinched his cheek. “Are you guys busy? I don’t mean to impose.”

“We should be, but we’re not,” Ava said with a grin. She hooked her shoulder-length dark hair behind her ear. “Working from home isn’t all it’s chalked up to be. Noah and I spend more time relaxing than we have in years. Come on in. Excuse the mess.”

“I have Ben. I know what life with kids is like,” I said.

When I walked into the living room, Noah had the TV on sports, a playmat, and toys scattered at his feet. He had case files on the couch next to him.

“You work too hard,” I said with a chuckle.

“Hey, man, what are you doing here?”

“I’m giving Ben and the new nanny some breathing space, so I thought I’d stop by. You know, since you mentioned you’re working from home this week, and I know how hard you work, you need a distraction.”

Noah burst out laughing. “Yeah, I’m working myself to death, can’t you see?” He collected the case files and moved them to the coffee table so I could sit down.

“To be honest, Ava loves working from home, so we can spend time with Warner. We’re at the office so often I get scared his first word won’t be mom or dad. It will be Chrissy.”Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“She’s good with him, though, right?” I asked. “How did you find someone you like?”

“We were lucky. One of Ava’s friends gave us the number of a woman who was already too busy and referred someone else…it was a long grapevine thing, but we only interviewed Chrissy and liked her. She’s been a godsend and Warner loves her. Although, at his age…he’ll love anyone.”

I nodded. “Ben was never like that. I would never have to worry about him because everyone is Stranger Danger to him if it’s not me or my mom or the sitter who helped me out until now. He’s different with Jade, though.”

I told Noah about the new nanny, how Ben was with her, and how her interview was awful, but I cared more about how he responded than what I thought.

“You’re an inspiration, man,” Noah said.

I frowned. “What?”

“You’re the perfect example of putting your child first. When I grow up, I want to be like you.”

I laughed. “I can’t tell if you’re fucking with me or not.”

“I’m not,” Noah said with a grin. “You’re a good dad. You’re how I aspire to be with Warner. I’m glad you found someone.”

I nodded. Ava came in with Warner and let him sit on her lap while he drank his bottle. His eyes started to roll shut while he drank.

“It looks like we’re headed toward naptime,” Noah said to Ava. “Aaron found a nanny.”

“Oh, good,” Ava said. “It makes all the difference when it’s someone you can trust. Does she have good references?”

“I’m not sure…she forgot them at the interview.” Noah whistled through his teeth. “But Ben loves her. He responded so well to her, so I’m trying it. I feel like I owe it to him to give him someone he feels comfortable around. You know how shy he can be.”

Ava nodded. “If Ben is happy with her, you have no choice but to try it. If something big is out of place, draw a line, but if he likes her and she works well…references aren’t the biggest deal out there. We wouldn’t be here if Noah and I insisted on formalities,” she said with a twinkle in her eye.

“Getting married to pull one over on Archie Forger isn’t nearly the same as getting a new nanny,” I laughed.

Ava giggled and held her hand out to Noah. They looked at each other with so much affection that I felt like I had intruded on a private moment. Seeing the two of them together made me jealous. Most of the time, I was fine not having anyone in my life. I was happy being single, and it worked for me. Especially now. Jade watching Ben could free up some time for me and I didn’t have to worry about him. I could focus on doing what needed to be done.

Sometimes, though, I wished things had worked differently for me. If Sabrina had told me she was pregnant, I would have done the right thing and married her. Not that it would have workedwe wouldn’t have been good for each other, but sometimes I wished I had a woman in my life, someone who could be a mother to Ben, and our family could be complete.

“She just can’t resist bringing that up,” Noah chuckled, bringing me back to the present.

“It’s a hell of a story,” I said. I’d been the best man at that Vegas wedding, and it had been a hell of a ride, especially when Noah’s dad had waited for them at the airfield when they got back.

I pushed the thoughts of love and marriage away. I was happy that Noah had what he wanted and that he and Ava were so good together. He deserved happiness, and after he’d fucked his way through most of Seattle, we’d all been shocked when he’d made it clear he didn’t only want to be with Ava to spite his dad but because he loved her. His story had a happy ending, but happy endings didn’t always look the same, and mine didn’t have to be with a woman just because Noah’s was.

What mattered was that Ben was taken care of, that he was happy and safe and secure, and so far, it seemed like Jade was the right woman for the job. She could always show me her credentials at a later point.

For now, Ben was the one who mattered, and we would see if he stayed this happy in the next month. If he did, I would let Jade stick around. If not…we would cross that bridge when we got there, but a big part of me hoped that she would stick around.

For Ben’s sake, of course. The fact that I wanted to get to know her better was beside the point.