I smile into my coffee. She's a little feisty this morning, but I like how she has liked being around. I feel happy at the thought of continuing to see her. I hope she does too. If I admit it, she's like a breath of fresh air around the house. I feel confident once again about her being here with me.
I quickly finish my coffee, put my mug in the sink, and leave the kitchen. I have a lot of things I need to get done before I head to work. The first thing I do is go to the home office and clean up. Removing all the broken pictures and glass, I throw them away. There isn’t any hesitation in my actions. I should have done this years ago. I organize my desk, which was still a mess from our night of passion. Looking around the now clean room, I give a nod of satisfaction. It’s time to move on.
Afterward, I go upstairs to shower and change. After I'm ready, I grab my briefcase and walk back through the house. Cece and Katie are already having breakfast.
“Bye, daddy,” Katie says through a mouthful of food.
“Bye, sweetie, see you later,” I say, smiling at her.
Cece gives me a small smile as well before I walk out of the house. I'm happy that she is still here. I can't get over the new way that I am feeling about everything. Maybe she was right about what she said last night. I do feel like I got something out. Whether it was anger or some other emotion, I don't know, but I feel different. I feel lighter.
I'm in a good mood as I drive to work. My phone rings loudly. I put it on speaker, so I can keep driving.
“Hey, Sis, how's the trip?” I ask, talking to my sister on the phone.
Her voice sounds loud but a little choppy. “Hi, Ben! It's great. How are things with you?” she asks, making small talk. The conversation is a little halting because of the static.
“Same as usual. What's on your mind?” I ask.
“Ha, you know me like a book,” she says, laughing. Liz never calls unless she has something to ask me, and it’s even more likely she’s looking for a favor today because she and my mother are on a cruise.
“Of course, I do. You're my sister, now what's up?” I ask again while trying to concentrate on the road.
“Well, Mom and I are thinking about extending our trip by a couple of weeks. I hope that's not going to be a problem. We're just having so much fun here in the Bahamas,” she admits.
I almost laugh. That isn’t a big deal at all. “No, not at all. In fact, I think four weeks would be a good extension time,” I reply, taking her by surprise.
“Are you sure? Are things okay at home?” Liz asks, concerned.
“Yes, I'm fine. I have someone that can watch Katie until you get back. Now enjoy your trip,” I assure her.
“Okay, great! Take care, Ben!” my sister says before hanging up.
I enjoy the rest of the quiet car ride to work. This is excellent news. I'm smiling as I imagine going home later that night to tell Cece that she will be able to work for me longer. I hope the information makes her happy. I'm sure it will. It has certainly made me happy today. In fact, I don't know that I have ever felt like this. I hope it's not too noticeable when I walk into work.
Chapter 11 - Ben
The workday is finally over, and I am preparing to leave the office. As I close my suitcase and walk out of the building, I realize I am looking forward to going home. I know Katie will be happy, but most importantly, Cece will be waiting there for me. The thought of that pleases me so much.
As I get into my car and drive off, I decide to do something to make her as happy as I feel. To let her know that I am glad she is still around. I pull over and run into a flower shop that is not far from the office and buy the most beautiful bouquet they have, then drive home. I can only imagine the look on the nanny’s face when I give her the flowers and the good news about her being able to stay on longer. I keep smiling as I think about that.
Cece certainly is changing things the longer she is around. When I get home, no one is in the kitchen. I look at my watch and realize it is later than I thought. I hadn't intended to stay so late at the office.
I put my briefcase and flowers down on the kitchen counter. The house is quiet, so I walk upstairs and pause outside of Katie's room. I hear Cece in there reading her a story. I don't want to interrupt, so I walk to the bedroom and start to unwind. I slip out of my work clothes and into a relaxing shower.