Page 91 of The Manny

“All children need to play and have fun, whether they have both of their parents or not.”

“But they have everything and I don’t.”

I frowned. “Honey, they don’t necessarily have everything. Some people have very hard home lives, even though both of their parents are alive.”

“No. I don’t think that’s true.”

“It is.” I sighed. “Uncle Jack had both a mommy and a daddy, but you know what?”

“What.”

“They weren’t nice to him. He had a very difficult life.”

She blinked up at me, her mouth turning down. “Really?”

“Yes. I’m sure when he was little, he needed to laugh and have fun just like you. Even though he had a mommy and a daddy, he still needed to just be a kid sometimes.”

“Oh.” She glanced at the jumper. “You mean maybe some of those kids have bad mommies and daddies?”

“I’m sure some of them do.”

She sighed. “But I don’t want to wait. I really want to go back inside.”

I smiled. “I know. But part of growing up is learning to be patient. It’s learning to put other people first sometimes.”

“Growing up sounds bad.”

I laughed. “It can be a drag. Trust me, grownups just want to be selfish too. But if everyone was selfish all the time, the world would be a pretty horrible place, right?”

“Maybe.” She didn’t look completely convinced.

“Think of it this way, what if all those other kids just kept playing in the jumper, and when Percy arrived, he didn’t get to go in even once. Wouldn’t that make him sad?”

“They better,” she muttered. “He’s my friend.”

“I know. But my point is if we don’t all take turns, kids like Percy won’t get to have fun too.”

“Fine.” She slumped. “I’ll take turns.”

“That’s my girl.” I smiled. “Percy should be here soon. His dad texted me to let me know they’re on their way.”

“Really?” She perked up. “Maybe me and Percy can go in the jumper together.”

“I think that will work. But first, let’s eat something light. Just so you have a little something in your tummy.”

“Okay.” She took my hand, giving a longing glance toward the jumper. “It’ll be even more fun with Percy.”

“That’s right.” I led us to the picnic tables Jack had set up for people. There wasn’t much shade where his auto shop was located, but the tables he’d brought in were beneath the one large oak tree that sat smack in the middle of the parking lot.

Mia eagerly watched the street for Percy’s arrival, while I set an apple juice and half a peanut butter sandwich in front of her. I forced myself to eat the other half simply because I hadn’t had breakfast. I wasn’t hungry but knew we’d be at the party until dusk. I needed to keep my energy high so I could keep up with Mia.

When Percy and Aiden finally showed up, they weren’t alone. There was a fit-looking, silver-haired guy with a child, accompanying them. My heart sank when I recognized the man pushing the stroller. His name was Gus Armstrong, and I’d done a month-long assignment for him and his wife right before I’d come to work for Jack. He’d been a lecherous asshole and I’d ended the assignment early because of it.

His wife, Sheila, traveled a lot for work, but they’d somehow managed to conceive a child. Their son, Sammy, was a super sweet toddler, and if I hadn’t been so fond of Sammy, I’d have quit the assignment way earlier than I had.

Gus had been under the mistaken impression that simply because I lived in his home, I was there to pleasure him when his wife was out of town. He’d badgered me to give him blowjobs anytime he was horny, and even snuck into my room a few times. When I’d finally gotten up the nerve to end the assignment, I’d been upfront with my boss, Bernice, about my reasons why. I had no idea if he and his wife still used VIP Nanny Services. I just knew there was no way I’d ever work for him again.

Aiden smiled warmly at me. “You beat us here.”

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