Chapter 7
On the fifth day, things finally started to settle into a routine.
I hung out with Leo in the morning, drawing pictures, stacking blocks, and spinning stories for him.
In the afternoon, we wandered around the estate together. Leo started slipping his hand into mine, like he was finally letting himself trust me a little more.
At night, I told him a bedtime story, and he wouldn't close his eyes until I'd finished every last word.
Leo was opening up, talking a little more every day.
He still wasn't exactly chatty, but it was a big step up from before.
The butler mentioned that Charles had been coming home earlier lately.
He used to get home way past midnight, but these days he was usually back by nine.
The first thing he did when he got home was check on Leo.
If Leo was already asleep, Charles would just stand in the doorway for a moment, peek in, and then head upstairs.
That day, I was in the kitchen, helping get Leo's afternoon snack ready.
My phone rang.
The caller ID showed [Dad].
I hesitated for a couple of seconds before picking up.
"Sophia," Richard said, his voice carrying that familiar tone, humble one moment, bossy the next.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Your sister's wedding is set for the fifteenth of next month. Are you coming?" he asked.
"No," I replied.
"Why are you so stubborn? Claire is your sister, she..." Richard started.
"She's just the kid your wife brought into the family, not really my sister," I cut him off.
There was a brief silence on the other end.
"Sophia, how can you talk like that? Your mom left because of your temper..." Richard snapped.
"Left because of what, exactly?" I laughed. "Because you abandoned her! Richard, my mom's lying in the hospital, and you haven't paid a single dollar. What right do you have to talk to me?"
"How am I supposed to have any money? You know how things are at home..." Richard protested.
"If you're so broke, did Claire just magically get the money for that Porsche?" I shot back.
"Jason bought it for her!" Richard snapped.
"Oh, that's even better. Using my ex-fiancé's money to show off a fancy car in front of me? You guys are unbelievable," I said.
"Sophia!" Richard's voice rose. "Are you coming or not? If you don't show up, your mom's surgery costs..."
"Don't bother. I already paid for her surgery myself," I cut him off.
I hung up.
My fingers were trembling a little.
It wasn't fear. It was pure disgust.
"Your father?" Charles's voice came from behind me.
I turned to find Charles standing in the kitchen doorway.
He was holding an empty glass, probably here to get some water.
"Yes," I said.
"Bad relationship?" Charles asked.
"No," I said, letting the words hang in the air. I meant it both ways. There was nothing between us, not even a relationship.
Charles held my gaze for a moment and didn't say anything else.
As he walked past me, he set the glass down.
It wasn't actually empty.
Inside, he'd left a single piece of candy.
I stared at the candy, stunned for a few seconds.
The butler told me later that Charles never touched candy.
The candy in his study drawer was always for Leo.
But Leo never liked that kind.
So the candy just sat there, untouched.
Until that day, when he gave it to me.
I wasn't sure if it was meant to comfort me.
But that night, I ate it.
It was really sweet.
On the seventh day, I officially survived my first week of probation.
The butler said none of the nannies before me had ever made it past seven days.
I was the first to do it.
Charles came home especially early that day. He was back by six.
Leo ran over and grabbed his hand.
"Dad, Miss Winters taught me how to fold a rabbit today!" Leo said excitedly.
He pulled a lopsided paper rabbit out of his pocket and held it up for Charles to see.
Charles took the paper rabbit and studied it for a moment, a gentle smile flickering across his face.
"Good," Charles said.
Leo ran over to me.
"Miss Winters, can you teach Dad how to make one too?" Leo asked.
Charles and I both froze for a second.
"Your dad's probably super busy..." I started.
"It's fine," Charles said.
To my surprise, he sat down and grabbed a sheet of paper.
I showed him how to fold a paper rabbit.
His hands were big and kind of awkward for origami. He fumbled with the paper, looking totally out of his element.
He tried three times, but still couldn't get it right.
Leo was laughing so hard he could barely sit still.
It was the first time I'd ever heard Leo laugh out loud.
The butler stood in the corner, secretly wiping his eyes.
Charles finally managed to fold a rabbit that was just barely recognizable.
One ear was way longer than the other.
Leo took it and placed it right next to his own.
"Rabbit dad and rabbit baby," Leo said, grinning from ear to ear.
Then Leo took a piece of paper from me and pressed it into my hand.
"Miss Winters, you fold one too!" Leo said.
I folded one.
Leo placed all three rabbits side by side on the windowsill.
"It's a rabbit family," he said.
Charles cast a look at me.
I couldn't tell what that look meant.
But the corners of his mouth twitched.
It wasn't obvious, but I caught it.
That night, after I'd put Leo to bed, I went downstairs to get some water and bumped into Charles at the stairway.
He was leaning against the railing, phone in hand, looking like he was deep in thought.
"Is Leo asleep?" he asked.
"Yeah, he's asleep. He actually laughed quite a few times today," I said.
"That's good," Charles said.
We stood there in silence for a moment.
"Sophia," he said.
"Yes?" I replied softly.
"You don't have to finish the whole month of your trial period," Charles said.
My heart jumped into my throat. I braced myself, thinking he was about to let me go.
"Starting tomorrow, you're officially hired. Your monthly salary is 200,000 dollars," Charles said.
I was standing on the stairs and nearly lost my footing.
"Mr. Landon..." I started.
"You deserve it," Charles said.
With that, he headed upstairs.
I gripped the railing, just standing there for a long time, trying to process it all.
Two hundred thousand dollars.
Two hundred thousand dollars a month.
I wouldn't have to stress about Mom's surgery bills anymore.