Maddie

As expected, none of the other candidates came close to Nina.

So, Cameron called to let her know she could come over for the trial run. He had to leave for his away game, and, despite me telling him we would be fine, I was nervous. So nervous. What if Nina doesn't like us? Or what if she changed her mind in the past two days and decided not to come today? The thought makes bile rise into my throat all too quickly. My job starts on Monday. If this doesn't work out, I'm not sure what we'll do. Maybe we can fly Ethan out? Izzy hasn't seen her uncle in a while...

Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I'm scrubbing aggressively at the marble countertop of the island to clean a stain that more than likely isn't there. I can't help it. As soon as I knew she agreed to come over for the trial, I've been in a cleaning frenzy ever since. I didn't want her to think we were slobs or that she'd be signing up for more than she wanted to take on, so I dusted, mopped, and vacuumed my way through Cameron's luxurious home.

Or...our home?

We still haven't gone shopping for a permanent place, but we need to get a move on. Nina agreed to be a live-in nanny, and she can't do that here. There aren't enough bedrooms. Plus, didn't she say she was struggling with rent after graduating college? She's going to need a place to stay soon. If we don't buy a home fast enough, she might quit, and if that happens...

Heaving a sigh, I drop the sponge into the sink and grip the counters to try and steady myself. Izzy is at the table eating a banana and yogurt, happy as can be, and for a moment, the sight of her smile has all my anxiety filtering away.

No matter what happens, I just want the best for my little girl, and if this trial run doesn't go how I want it to, we'll find someone else.

Knocks on the door interrupt my thoughts, but having that final determination in mind, I'm much more relaxed as I walk to the door to let Nina inside. She has a tentative, shy smile on her face, holding a brown tote close to her side. Her hair is out of the bun today, flowing in long waves down her back, and she's dressed perfectly for the occasion: white sneakers, a pair of capris, and a striped tee.

"Hi, Nina," I say with the brightest smile I'm capable of making. "How are you? It's good to see you. Come in." I open the door wider, allowing her to pass by, and she pauses in the entryway, her eyes growing wide.

"Oh, wow," she breathes, her eyes focusing on the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking downtown. "This is..."

"Overwhelming?" I guess.

She nods, speechless.

"Trust me, I get it. When I first saw this place, I felt the same." I had woken up in the middle of the night to rain pouring down outside, the twinkling lights of the city being a dream come true. Then Cameron had taken me right against that middle window, and—

Okay, this so isn't the time to be thinking about sex.

"You aren't used to places like this?" Her cheeks turn red, almost like she didn't mean to say that. "I mean, not that I'm insinuating anything, I just..."

"Nina, it's okay. You're welcome to speak your mind freely. I'd prefer it. Communication is going to be key in order for this to work."

Relief flickers across her face, and I begin to wonder if Ryan's wife treated her differently or held her to other standards. "A lot of wives of famous football players stemmed from money themselves, you know? They're used to all of..." She waves her hands around the townhouse. "From experience, money can taint a lot of people. Cloud their judgment and sense of reality."

Izzy smacks her hand on the table, and a smile returns to Nina's face when she notices her. "Hi, pretty girl." She sinks into the chair next to her, pointing to her plate. "That looks so yummy."

"Yummy!" Izzy shouts excitedly, making us both laugh.

I sit in the chair opposite them, folding my hands together in front of me on the table. "You'll notice when you're here that Cameron and I aren't like most famous people in LA. It might be because we never grew up here or because we were never this wealthy. I mean, we had good homes, but it was nothing like this."

"Where are you guys from then?" She asks.

"Phoenix. We grew up together as kids."

Nina's eyes soften into a dreamy expression. "That is so romantic. I've always wanted a story like that to tell one day. You know, if I ever have kids."

I arch a brow. "You don't date?" Realizing how much I'm prying, I quickly backtrack. "That's really none of my business. I shouldn't have asked that. I apologize."

She waves her hand. "It's fine. Really. There's nothing to tell. Dating in LA is a waste of time—pretentious assholes who give off creepy car salesman vibes. Plus, I don't have time to date. I'm a firm believer in investing in myself a lot. Yoga, meditation, journaling. I'm sure at some point the right person will show up, but for now, I'm not looking."

Izzy is finished with her food, so I rise to get it, but Nina shakes her head. "Don't," she says with a smile. "This is a trial, right? If I were on the job, I'd be the one to do this."

"But you don't have to—"

"My job is to make your lives easier," she explains. "Aren't you going to be working crazy hours at a hospital? You should be resting and preparing for another tough shift. The last thing you should be worrying about is dishes."

I'm not sure what exactly this feeling bubbling inside of me is, but it's almost like, for the first time, I'm able to take a deep breath. I was so worried about moving here and being away from my family. Our support system doesn't exist here, but by hiring Nina, it'll be one step closer to building one here, too.

"Thank you," I tell her. "I, um, have a binder that has everything you'll need to know about Izzy. Her normal routines, favorite foods, medications..."

"That's perfect." Nina proceeds to wash the dish, then she grabs a wet paper towel and comes over to wipe Izzy's mouth and hands, being gentle while doing so. She even hums a tune that makes my daughter giggle, and my heart does a little pitter-patter at how well this is going.

I grab the binder from the countertop in the kitchen and pass it over to her. For the next few minutes, she flips through the pages, reading intensely as I bounce Izzy on my lap. When she's finished, she closes the book and asks, "Is it alright if I keep this on hand today? I read through it, but I'll be prone to forget things."

"Oh, of course. It's yours to keep. Since this is a trial run, I'm going to stay in the background today and see how you do with Izzy. I'll be around if you have questions, but I'm mainly just observing."

With a determined nod, she rises from the table and extends her hands to Izzy. "Alright, then," she says after I pass her over, holding her close to her chest. "Come on, pretty girl. It's time to show your mommy what I'm made of."

***

Three hours in, I've never been more certain of hiring someone.

Nina has the patience of a Saint. When Izzy threw a temper tantrum over her vegetables during lunch, she handled it with nothing but kindness and grace, stopping her cleaning to sit beside her and humming that tune. She picked up the broccoli and acted as if it were an airplane, and Izzy's crocodile tears faded, turning into a smile, which eventually led to laughter.

When it was nap time, Nina seemed to have memorized the binder by heart, rocking her as I instructed until she was calm enough to go into her crib. Then, when Izzy had finally fallen asleep, she kept the baby monitor by her side at all times while she put away any toys Izzy had played with earlier until the house was spotless again.

I couldn't find one fault.

Not one.

She was almost too good to be true.

"Well, I think that's everything," she says, hands clasped in front of her. "How would you prefer me to spend my downtime while she's sleeping?"

"I... What do you mean?"

Her brows etch together as if I should have a checklist for her. "Are there any tasks you need to be completed?"

Did Ryan's wife have her work while her children were sleeping? I know firsthand how stressful watching a toddler can be. Those two hours to myself are bliss. I would never take away that same haven from her.

"I want you to do nothing but relax," I tell her. "If you're to raise my daughter, I need you to be in good spirits, too. Despite what excuse you're about to give me, we all need an hour or two of rest. I need you to be at your best for Izzy, and if that's to happen, you need rest as well."

Her eyes grow wide. "Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. Do whatever you want while she's asleep. Turn the television on, grab something to eat, text on your phone... I don't care what you do. That is your time to yourself. In fact, I was about to order lunch to be delivered. Would you like something?"

Nina can't seem to speak for a good minute or two. "Um...yes, please. That would be great. Thank you."

"You're welcome. And Nina?"

She lifts her eyes to mine, and I can't be certain, but they almost seem glassy, as if she's on the verge of tears.

"If the rest of today goes as smoothly, you're hired."