Terri depressed the doorbell and the door was opened almost immediately by a smiling young woman wearing a white apron over a maid's uniform.

"Come on in." The woman said with a soft and polite voice.

The faint scent of oranges and fresh flowers that greeted her was a welcome smell after the smell of exhaust fumes and sweaty bodies.

She sank gingerly into one of the very expensive couches, her hands folded in her palm as she waited patiently for the people she came in search of to attend to her. She looked around the grouping of comfortably arranged pieces of high class furniture appropriate tables and lamps and decided that whoever lived in the mansion had a very good and very, very expensive taste.

"Would you care for something to drink?"

Terri looked up at the maid and smiled at her. "Water would be fine, thank you."

"I'll be right back, and madam would be with you shortly."

"Thank you." Watching the Hispanic maid disappear into the kitchen, Terri started to relax, having a good feeling about why she was there. There was no harm in trying was there?

The maid returned with a tray carrying a glass of water. She handed it to Terri and Terri took the glass with care, in awe of how beautiful the crystal looked with water inside. It must have cost a fortune, she thought; heavens, it probably cost more than her daughters monthly pay. Terri lifted the glass to her lips and took a hearty gulp. It was hot outside so she appreciated the way the cool liquid sloshed though her mouth to her throat and to the insides of her body. She felt satisfied with the water, and something told her it had a lot to do with the expensive glass.

"Mrs. Terri Allen?" Someone called.

With great care, Terri placed the half full glass back on the tray and stood as two women entered the sitting room, one older than the other.

"Yes, ma'am."

The older one indicated at the seat. "Please."

The three sat.

"I'm Angel Walberg and this is my daughter Regina. The father of the boy isn't home, but he's the one that will make the final decision, were only here as forerunners."

Terri nodded. "I understand ma'am."

"So," Regina Walberg started and continued, "Do you have any experience with kids?"

Terri smiled and nodded. "I have two kids so -"

"That doesn't count." She interjected smiling stiffly.

"Oh, then no, I haven't been a nanny before. Its pretty hard to get a job like that around here." She laughed nervously, regretting why she let on about that. It was totally not necessary.

"We understand." Said the older woman. "However, experience is a major factor in getting the job, as the boy in question is one stubborn and restless boy, can you deal with that?"

Terri smiled. "He and my son are like two peas in a pod then. Yes, I can deal with that, in the best way I can."

Angel Walberg turned to her daughter and said. "What do you think Reggie?"

The blonde ignored her mothers question and gave Terri a look that unsettled her. "Where are you from Mrs. Allen?"

"I was born in San Diego but I and my children moved here because of my daughters job." Her heart swelled in pride. "She works as a -"

"Mrs. Allen have you ever hit your kids?"

Terri was taken aback by the question. "Excuse me?"

"Regina." Her mother said.

"What? I need to know if we can trust her with your grandson and my nephew. You know we cant trust these blacks sometimes."

Terri felt her heart sink in hurt. It wasn't a new thing to be exposed to discrimination, it was something she had had to endure for all of her fifty-one years on earth. She knew that the best way to deal with it was to keep quiet and look on as if she hadn't heard her.

At least her mother was nice enough to look embarrassed. "Not in front of her." She whispered.

Regina ignored her mother once again and looked at Terri. "I mean no offense but I have to say the truth. You blacks harbor hatred against the whites because of the years of slavery you were put through. You have to understand where I'm coming from."

Doesn't mean I'll chop the little boy into pieces and cook him, now will I? Terri asked herself ruefully. She nodded slowly at the woman.

"Regina."

The three that were in the room all turned to look at the person who had entered but had not noticed. It was a honey brown haired man who was very tall and well built. He had on cop uniform that was unbuttoned at the neck area. The three women stood.

"Regan, hey." Angel Walberg said. "Thank God you could join us."

He stayed put, his grey eyes flashing angrily at his sister. "I'm sorry I'm late, Regina can we talk?"

"Why?"

"I said let us talk." He said through gritted teeth. He threw his car keys on the table. "In the library."

"If you want to call me to the side and complain about us bringing a black into this house, I understand and apologize -"

"What? Are you delusional?"

"No I'm perfectly sane." She replied sweetly. "Don't pretend, Regan. You don't like colored people, it's not a crime to say how you feel."

He clenched his jaw, his grey eyes reflecting angry shards of ice. "Lets go talk somewhere else. Now."

She folded her arms. "No. We will say all we want to in front of her."

"Really? Okay then." He faced Terri. "Mrs. Allen? Am I correct?"

Terri nodded dumbly, too scared to speak. She braced herself for the impact of the hurtful words that were surely to come.

"You're hired."

"WHAT?!" Regina Walberg screeched. She lunged at Walberg, cuffing him on the side of his face. "How dare you humiliate me like this you sick fuck?"

"Shut the fuck up!"

"Why should I? First you throw your wife away now you want to kill your son?"

"That's right he's my son! My business! Where's yours?" He shouted back.

Mrs. Angel Walberg looked from her daughter to son, unsure of what to do to stop them from tearing the house down with their screams. When she was tired, she gave Terri an apologizing look and walked out the room, tears in her eyes.

Terri stood there, unsure of what to do, if she should leave or -

She jumped, startled when Regina Walberg smashed a very expensive flower vase that could pay her rent on the floor, sending the tiny crystal pieces about. The duo moved to the next room, their voices still audible, their shouts earsplitting. Terri decided she had ogled enough and should leave but as she was about to, she saw a tiny face that was peeking from the stairs. He came out of his hiding place and started walking down the stairs, stealthily, like a cat that was wary of its new owner and Terri decided there and then that she had fallen in love with the little angel.

"Don't," She said, moving towards him when she saw he was barefoot.

He backed off and eyed her warily. "Where's my daddy?"

"He's - a little busy." That was one way to put it. Terri wondered if this was the kind of abuse the boy endures and wished she could call social services. But in the world she was in, the rich would always win.

The broken glass crunched beneath her shoes as she made her way towards him. She bent to his height and smiled warmly at him. "I'm Terri and I'm your new nanny. Whats your name?"

He lowered his huge grey eyes and the corners of his lips turned downwards. "I want my mommy." He muttered.

Terri sighed. It would take a lot for her to win him over but she would not stop. Terri and the little boy's heads snapped up as the arguing siblings returned to the sitting room. They were still arguing and once again Regina Walberg lifted yet another vase and smashed it. The boy shifted automatically towards her, clutched her hand and burying his face in her skirt. He looked so frightened and that angered Terri.

"Mr. and Miss. Walberg!" Terri roared with all her might. They paused to look at her and she breathed, letting her lungs receive air. "The child." She whispered, her voice parched.

They stood back from each other but Regina Walberg still looked poised for attack. Her brother on the other had had a remorseful look on his face. He raked his hand through his hair.

"I didn't know he was back from school," He said, more to himself than to any other. "I'm sorry Blaire." He reached out for the boy but he shrank back against Terri. Regan Walberg straightened and grabbed his keys from the table and then looked briefly at Terri. "You start today." With that, he was gone.

"No you don't." Regina said to Terri as soon as the door slammed. She looked at the door with disgust. "He's probably gone to drink and get wasted as he usually does with his miserable life, every fucking day."

Terri stood and scooped Blare into her arms. "Do not swear in the boys presence, please." She pleased when he looped his arms round her neck.

The blonde regarded Terri with wide eyes as if she had grown two heads. Her lips thinning, she roughly yanked Blaire from her arms as if he were some ragged doll. The boys face twisted in anguish and his eyes filled with tears.

"Get out. If I see your motherfucking ass around here I swear I'll have you thrown in jail. Now, out."

Terri gave the boy a sad look which mirrored hers. All she wanted to do was to hug him and sing him to bed or something, as he looked really haunted. But it was not her house, neither was it her family which equaled to the fact that it was not her business so without looking back, and her dark eyes shimmering with tears, Terri walked out, shutting the door with a silent heartbreaking click.

~

"MARISA!" Reggie bellowed, a glass of brandy in one hand, a cigarette in the other.

Marisa ran out, her hand behind her and her head bowed, "Yes ma'am?"

"Clean this up." She ordered, referring to the broken glasses scattered about.

Marisa nodded. "Yes, ma'am. I'll get to it right away." She turned to leave.

"Wait." She pointed at the glass that the meddling Negro had used to drink with her hand that held the cigarette, the smoke coming out of it moving in the direction of the wind. "Throw that away."

"Right away ma'am."

Regina took a hearty pull of the cigarette and made a perfect O with the smoke. She left the messed up sitting room and went out to the drawing room. Just as she sat down on the couch, the doorbell rang and she sighed. She was in no mood to deal with visitors, besides, she was not expecting anyone.

Her friends at the club would always call before coming, while her three closest friends were not in town - they had taken a girls trip without her. Not that she was mad at them, no, she had been the one who insisted they go ahead, that she would join them in three days - which was tomorrow - because she had some things to take care of. They just didn't know that those things were just one: her stupid husband hadn't given her permission yet.

"What in the world happened here?"

Regina groaned as she recognized the voice of her sister in-law.

"In here Erin." She said dryly, sipping from her glass.

Erin took over a minute to come to the drawing room and when she did, her brat was clutched in her arms. He was blabbing some gibberish to her.

Erin Walberg gave her a surprised look. "Is that true?"

Regina rolled her eyes and stretched on the couch. "What is the holy terror saying now?"

As Erin sat down and transferred Blaire from her hips to her laps, Regina eyed her from the corner of her eyes. She would rather die than admit it but the truth was that she envied Erin a lot. From her average 5'10 height to her curvy body to her blonde hair with dark roots, Erin was perfection to her.

She envied the way she was poised and hardly used a swear word, and how she had dimples which displayed itself like the sun itself whenever she smiled, she envied her tanned skin whereas she had pale skin that one would think she was vampire that never went under the sun. Regina also hated her height which was a huge disadvantage as she was taller than all the men she had dated and eventually her husband. She hated her athletic and straight figure - not a single curve around her hips, she also hated her natural brown hair - hence the blonde dye, which she also wasn't satisfied with because instead of the perfect kind of blonde she was after, she ended up with spiky blonde.

Erin also had something that Regina might never have - a child, and one that loved her dearly. She blew out another puff of smoke as she watched the duo talk to each other like adults and she couldn't help but wonder how Erin could understand what the boy was saying when most times it was unintelligible to her.

"Regina what is he saying about a nanny?"

She was brought back to the present. "Oh," she waved it off with her hands. "Regan said he felt Blaire should have someone to take care of him."

"Something I can perfectly do myself." She said angrily, "He has no right to, at least not without consulting me."

Did she fail to mention that Erin has sexy blue eyes that Regina wished she had? She hated her grey eyes with passion, and if not that her eyes were sensitive to contact lens, she would be blue eyed and living the dream by now. The day she stubbornly decided to go ahead and put contacts, her eyes had turned red and hadn't stopped tearing up for days. Oh well, she would have to make do with this.

"I want you to know that I vehemently opposed to the idea of a nanny, much less a black one."

Her eyes rounded in horror and she clutched the boy to her chest. "A black nanny for my son? Heavens forbid. Tell me did she have scars running through her face and a twitching eye or something like that?"

Regina laughed. Did she add that her role model had a sense of humor? Just to be sure, she asked, "Are you serious?"

Erin laughed. "Of course not, but I'm curious. How did she look?"

Reggie shrugged. "She was okay," Now that she thought about it, the black woman had been more than okay; she had been pretty - in a way. She also had beautiful eyes that had been full of kindness for Blaire, and that was the point in it all, but of course, she would rather die than admit that. "But I didn't like her and, as you know me, I didn't fail to express my dislike."

"Hence the upheaval in the sitting room." She shook her head from side to side. "You need to learn how to control yourself Regina, especially around Blaire. Is this how you'll behave when you have kids of your own?"

Regina turned her eyes away, hurt welling up inside her. Erin would never know, neither would her family and friends, that she would never be able to give birth, ever.

~

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