Alien Architect Needs a Nanny (Alien Nanny Agency 1)

“I think you’ve all gone mad,” he said.

But he was smiling, and he didn’t turn off the music.

They continued to prepare dinner as they danced, and even tried singing along.

Emilia showed Dyrk how to brown the meat for the stew while Ra’as and Mimi took over chopping vegetables.

Suddenly the music stopped, replaced by a loud chime.

The kids dropped what they were doing and turned to Ra’as, both of them looking a little dejected.

But he frowned at his bracelet and flicked it.

The music came back on, and he turned to the kids. “What are you guys doing? Let’s cook.”

“You didn’t answer your comms,” Dyrk murmured in wonder.

“You always answer your comms,” Mimi said.

“It was just work,” Ra’as said firmly. “But right now, we’re having family time.”

“With Emilia,” Mimi added seriously.

“Yes,” Ra’as amended. “Right now, we’re having family time with Emilia. We’ll handle the work problem during work time. It’s not going to get solved tonight.”

The kids blinked back at him, amazed. This must be unprecedented.

“What kind of work problem?” Emilia asked quickly, hoping to get them all back on track rather than make him feel self-conscious.

“Oh, just an issue with windows and privacy,” Ra’as said. “The leader likes plenty of sunlight and ancient Greco-Roman architecture, which means huge windows. But the local government dictates that windows must be fully transparent. We’re having a hard time figuring out how to have the windows but still allow for privacy.”

“You need natural screening,” Emilia said, ready to be shut down instantly. Surely Ra’as’s firm had already thought of and discarded natural screening for some reason.

“What?” he asked.

“Natural screening,” she said, feeling excited. “Come on, let’s go outside and I’ll show you.”

He looked uncertain, but he put down his knife and followed her outside, the kids trailing behind them.

“So long as there is lawn, or at least soil outside those windows, you should be able to design a natural screen,” Emilia explained.

When they reached the garden, the kids ran to the trellis she had set up earlier.

“Emilia, you made something new,” Mimi yelled accusingly.

“I just wanted you guys to see how it would look,” Emilia said. “And now your father should look at it too. See how I’m training these seedlings up the trellis?”

He frowned and bent to look at the tiny seedlings, their unfurling shoots already beginning to cling to the wood.

“There are many kinds of ivy that grow lightning fast,” she went on. “You just need a framework for them, and they provide a natural screen. But keep them at least a foot away from the walls, and maintain carefully, because you don’t want ivy on the building itself.

“Emilia,” he breathed. “This is genius.”

She smiled, wanting to hug herself.

“How did you think of this?” he demanded.

She hesitated for a moment, but everyone was looking at her, as if waiting for an answer, so she decided to give them an honest one.