“I can’t believe you’re going to have another baby.” Chelsea, Owen’s girlfriend, fiancée, whatever she is, smiles brightly at Fable as she reaches across the table and grasps Fable’s hand, giving it a squeeze. “Are you guys excited? When are you due?”
“More like I’m tired. The baby is due in April.” Fable’s smile is weak. We’re sitting outside on the back patio at one of the tables close to the pool, the giant umbrella above us providing plenty of shade against the warm August sun. “Though yes, we’re both excited, and more than a little surprised. This baby was unexpected, and I have to be careful. I don’t need any more complications.”
Chelsea’s expression turns somber. “I remember. That was so frightening, when you were in labor with Jacob.”
“Tell me all about it. I don’t think Drew can go through that again,” Fable says wryly.
I listen to their conversation about babies, covertly studying Chelsea. She’s pretty, but not what I pictured Owen’s girlfriend to look like. And I don’t even know why I’m thinking that, but I guess I had some presumptive thoughts. Besides, I’ve heard a lot about Owen Maguire since I’ve started working for the Callahans. I’ve seen photos, seen videos on YouTube even. He’s larger than life, with a charming, magnetic presence that draws people to him.
Chelsea on the other hand, is quiet. I can tell. Her long, dark brown hair is pulled into a side braid and she’s not wearing any makeup, though she looks great without it. She has beautiful blue eyes that remind me of the sky and clear, creamy skin. She’s wearing a simple black sundress that gently clings to her curves, showing off her tanned arms. Her face is friendly. Open. And that reassures me.
My mind starts to drift, my thoughts filled with grandeur. What if Wade and I can really make this work and have an actual relationship? He and Owen are so close. They make sure they’re involved in each other’s lives. This means Chelsea and I would most likely have to spend a lot of time together, too. Could we be friends?
I hope so.
“How long are you and Owen here for?” I ask Chelsea.
She smiles at me, revealing straight, perfect teeth. “Only until Tuesday afternoon. Owen has to get back to practice on Wednesday.”
“Aw, that’s so soon! I was hoping you guys could stay through the week,” Fable says, sounding sad.
“Come on, Fable. You know the drill. You’re a football wife.” Chelsea sends her a meaningful look. “Besides, I need to get back so I can go to class.”
“So you’re definitely going to school there?’ Fable asks.
“Yeah, I may as well. I need to finish up my master’s degree and Owen didn’t want me waiting any longer. So I’m enrolled in a couple of classes. I think I can finish everything in the next year if I stay focused, but we’ll see,” Chelsea explains.
Wow. Her master’s degree? I’m impressed. She’s smart. And I’m not. Great. We’ll probably have nothing in common.
“That sounds like a good idea,” Fable says with a nod. “Just don’t let Owen distract you, and you’ll be fine.” They both laugh.
Chelsea turns her gaze on me. “Do you go to college, Sydney?”
I shake my head, suddenly uncomfortable. This is the last thing I want to talk about. “No. Not right now.”
Fable frowns with concern. “Oh. Do you want to go? You never told me. You should enroll in a few classes. I’m sure we could work around your schedule.”
She’s always so nice, so accommodating. I don’t know how I lucked out with her as my boss. Even with the naughty nanny drama, I have no regrets. I can’t. I met Wade through them and he more than makes up for all the nanny stories.
“I can’t really afford to go.” There. That sounds like a perfectly good excuse.
“What do you mean? If you can’t afford college, you should look into scholarships. There are a ton of them out there,” Chelsea says.
“I probably wouldn’t qualify for any of them.” When they stare at me blankly my brain scrambles, trying to remember what my high school counselor told me. “Um, I’m still considered a dependent on my parents’ taxes, so that’s why I don’t qualify. They make too much money.”
Way too much money, but they don’t need to know that tiny fact.
“Ah. I get it.” Chelsea nods. “Yeah, that happened to me too, even though my parents weren’t contributing anything toward my college fund. Considering they couldn’t, since my dad was in jail.”
Wait. What? My eyes go wide. Her dad is in jail? I can’t believe she just admitted that.
“I’m so sorry.” I don’t know what else to say.
She shrugs. “He stole millions of dollars from his clients. He deserved to be in jail, though he’s out on parole now. Got out early for good behavior. My mom took him back too. I’m sure they’re very happy together.” The sarcasm in her voice is evident.
“Chelsea doesn’t really talk to her parents right now,” Fable says to me in a low whisper, making Chelsea laugh, though there’s not much humor there.
“Understatement of the year.” Chelsea shakes her head, her gaze sympathetic when it lands on me. “Sorry to dump on you the first time we meet. But this is as real as it gets around here with the Maguire-Callahan family.”
“No, I get it. I—” My voice falters. “I don’t get along that well with my parents right now either.”
“You don’t?” Fable looks surprised—and concerned. I’m learning this is typical Fable. She’s always watching out for others. “Please don’t tell me it has to do with all those false stories swirling around you and Drew.”
I shake my head. “No, what happened between us was before I came here, though I’m sure they’re pissed about the naughty nanny story, too.” I hesitate. They’re being so truthful with me, so should I do the same? I have nothing to lose here, I guess, except respect. “They’re mad at me because I lied to them.”
And then I decide to lay it all out. I launch into the story about my senior year, lying about how I got into college, and how my parents caught me in my lies. How they kicked me out of the house and left me on my own.
“How awful,” Chelsea murmurs when I finish.
“But look at how well you’ve done since you’ve been doing it on your own, Sydney. Maybe it was a good thing, what they did,” Fable points out.
I like that she’s trying to keep this positive. I can appreciate that. At the time my parents kicked me out, it didn’t feel like a good thing. I’d been terrified. Scared I’d fail, afraid I’d have no one to count on.
But now, I’m not scared. I feel…strong. Despite the disaster with the media and all the gossip, I’m with people who want to help me. Who are there for me. I don’t think I could say that before, when I was still at home and living a shallow, meaningless life.
In the short time I’ve worked for the Callahans, I’ve found some purpose. I’ve found meaning. I haven’t figured everything out yet, but that’s okay.
I still have time.