Dropping Ty off was rougher than I expected, and I’m second guessing the decision I made to send him back to school. Is it too soon? Will he do okay? I make life altering choices every single day, but somehow being the sole person to make them for my son feels impossible. I don’t know how you ever know what’s right.
For now, I put it out of my mind, but switch my phone on just in case the teachers need to call. Until then, I’ve got plenty to occupy my time and I’m so close to retribution I can almost taste it.
Myshiftatthehospital is short today, and I told Roman I’d pick Ty up from school. He was in the middle of something and was worried about being late on Ty’s very first day back, so I offered to step in.
I’m anxious to hear how his day went following the trouble he had this morning. Ty is so mature for his age, and sometimes it’s hard to remember that he’s still so young and the poor kid has been through a lot. This morning perfectly illustrated that, but hopefully, his day improved.
His school isn’t far from the hospital, and I head straight there. I follow Roman’s directions about where to park and which door is Ty’s and find my way pretty easily. There is a big group of parents waiting to pick their kids up as well, but I stand back from the crowd a bit.
When the bell rings, a line of children comes out of the door and I search the faces for Ty. When he sees me, his face lights up and he runs toward me.
“Maddie!”
A few pointed, jealous glares from the group of moms greet me when they realize I’m here for Roman Molanari’s son.
“Hey! How was your day? As bad as you thought?” I smile, reaching down and giving him a big hug.
Ty rolls his eyes as I take his backpack from him. “Worse. The only good thing was that my teacher and my friends were happy to see me.”
“I bet they were. You’re like a real-life superhero.”
“I know.” His grin fades. “But Dad said I can’t tell them what happened so everybody just thinks I had the chickenpox. It’s not fair.”
“I’m sure it’s hard not to tell them, but your dad is right. He just wants to keep you safe.” I give him a sympathetic smile. “Did they like your new shirt?”
“Yeah.” He nods. “Can we get ice cream on the way home?”
“Mmm, I think we could manage that.”
“Hi Ty.” A woman waves at us, a superficial smile on her face as she walks towards us with her little boy in tow. “We’re so glad you’re back. Elliott really missed you. What happened?”
Ty glances up at me before responding as if considering telling her the real story, but thankfully, he decides better of it. “I had the chickenpox,” he mumbles.
“I’m sorry to hear that. I’m sure your dad is so busy taking care of you.”
Ty shrugs.
“Maybe I’ll drop off a pot of my famous chicken noodle soup and take some of that work off of his plate. It’s got to be so difficult.”
I bite back my laughter at the woman who hasn’t even acknowledged that I’m standing here yet. It’s clear she’s interested in Roman and using Ty as a gateway. If it wasn’t so repulsive, I might admire the creativity.
“That’s okay. Maddie has been cooking for my daddy.” He grins up at me. Apparently, Ty could see right through the woman, too.
“Oh, Maddie.” The woman turns her attention to me for the first time, sizing me up. “You must be the new nanny.”
I open my mouth to speak, but I’m cut off by the sound of Roman’s voice behind me.
“Actually, Jill, this is my girlfriend, Madison.” He presses a kiss to my lips, effectively silencing her. Ty beams up at us, thoroughly enjoying the moment as well.
I don’t know if it’s the kiss or the word girlfriend that makes my stomach flutter like it does, but either way, my knees feel weak. Roman’s hand settles on my waist, drawing me in and positioning me against him.
“Oh.” She stares at Roman in disbelief.
“Thanks for your offer for the soup, but like Ty said, she’s been taking great care of us.” His face is flat, but I see the satisfaction in his eyes. He loves that he has both Jill and I flustered—her, because he just shut down her very overt attempt to get to him, and me, because his hand keeps inching lower and lower as he holds onto me.
“Glad to hear that.” Jill gives us a tight-lipped smile. “Come on Elliot. We’ll set up a playdate soon.”
Jill turns on her heels, dragging poor Elliot behind her.
