Nanny with Benefits

“Look who’s talking. You were ready to go to the office,” she replied.

It looked like I needed to find something else to do for a few hours.

I smiled. “I’ll take Alexis and wash the car or something while I’m waiting. You can relax.”

Karly glared at me. “There’s no need to treat me like I’m ready to break. All that will come later. I’m still me at the moment, you know.”

I smiled, knowing I was being a bit too cautious. “Either way, we’ll tell her together when she’s finished at Lisa’s, once we get home and she’s had a nap.”

Karly stood in the doorway of Alexis’s bedroom. Her hands clasped the doorframe. “You better have breakfast and get ready. I don’t think this little lady will take as long as usual.”

The pot on the coffee machine was full. I poured my cup and dropped the lever on the toaster. I leaned my back against the kitchen counter and clamed my hands around my mug. I could hear laughter and water splashing from the bathroom. I took the toast and sat at the dining table. Karly was right. Alexis was ready in record time, and she wanted to skip breakfast. Lisa’s mom had planned a morning out, and there was going to be a gigantic tea party with real tea, Alexis said.

It was a short drive to Lisa’s house, and all the while, Alexis had her hands on the sides of her safety chair. She raised her body and looked out the window. I stopped the car and managed to find the safety seat buckle in among her pink ballerina dress. Lisa stood in the doorway with her mom as Alexis walked up the path clutching her gift under her arm.

“Happy birthday!” Alexis yelled as I leaned my arms on the roof of the car.

The kids vanished into the house, and Lisa’s mom signaled one o’clock to me. I nodded and climbed back into the car and headed to the slowest carwash and polish place I could find. Karly had decided to stay home after all.

The car smelled of polish, so I opened the window and rested my head back. I dozed until a tap at the window woke me. “Damon, Alexis is ready,” Lisa’s mom said through the two-inch gap at the top of the door.

I took Alexis and fastened her into her baby seat. “Were you dreaming?” Alexis asked. I said I wasn’t. I did dream, though, about how lucky it was that I’d ended up with the best two girls in the world and another baby on the way.

We arrived home, and Karly stood to wait in the doorway. “I’m pooped,” Alexis said as Karly helped her out of her jacket.

“Do you want to know a secret?” Karly asked.

Alexis widened her eyes and whispered. “A real secret?”

Karly nodded yes.

“What about my nap?” she asked.

“You might not want a nap once you hear this.”

Alexis sat in the center of the couch. I stood next to Karly and crouched to be at eye level with Alexis. Karly gripped my shoulder and squeezed.

“Karly is going to have a baby,” I said.

Alexis looked at me and then lifted her head to look at Karly. “Does this mean you’ll be my new mommy?” she asked. Alexis scratched the side of her head. “I have to stop calling you Karly?”

I gave her a smile. “Not right at the moment. That isn’t to say it will never happen. For now, she’s still Karly.” Alexis sat silently for a moment. Her legs were crossed at her ankles, and she fumbled with her fingers and thumbs. Her mouth twitched as she decided what to say next. “So, what do you think?”

Alexis tilted her head and screwed up her nose in a cute way. “I’ll be a big sister?” Her eyes lit up.

“You’ll be the best big sister in the whole world,” Karly said, crouching next to me. “So are you happy?”

Alexis slipped from the couch and threw her arms around Karly and me. She kissed us both on the cheek. “You betcha I’m happy. I’m going to tell Clara.”

I stood. I was overjoyed that Alexis accepted the news so well. She was still young, but she sort of knew what made the world go around.

“Don’t be too long. How about we go and celebrate?” I asked.

“Whoa! Two parties in one day? I’ll be totally exaspered,” Alexis remarked as she headed to the staircase.

I let her pronunciation slip in my excitement. After all, a new word that meant exhausted might have been fun for us all. It was too cute. I took hold of Karly’s hand. “I know it’s super early, but do you want to buy a few things for the little one?”

Karly nodded, and then she smiled and squeezed my fingers. “I’d love to.”

We hit the mall, and it all started to go horribly wrong. I had never been the best of shoppers, and now there were two women to contend with. Alexis ran back and forth with clothes she liked—ones that were far too inappropriate for a toddler—and Karly held up the cutest outfits.