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“Good luck. You’ll need it, these kids are impossible. I don’t know what’s wrong with them, but I’m so glad I’m out of here.”
The previous nanny brushed past Nanny Ashtoreth as she rushed out of the door, leaving Nanny Ashtoreth with a clear view of the home in front of her. It was well maintained but small—clearly the family could have done better for their children, but chose not to. The furniture was good quality but old, and some could use repair. But it was the children who captured her attention.
They were not the usual kind of children. In fact, she hadn’t even been around yet the last time these particular beings were actually children, and she was no spring chicken. And where were the other four? This family came in a set of seven, but only three seemed to be playing whatever this game was.
The youngest were twins. One sat in the corner, surrounded by toys but ignoring them in favour of staring morosely at her. The other had abandoned its toys in favour of coming up to her and staring intensely. She could feel its loneliness and craving for love pulling at her heart strings. The impulse to bend down and hug the little thing was checked by the older brother standing protectively in front of it.
“If you be mean to Toomy I will hurt you.” He swung a hard plastic toy on a string at her, snapping her leg painfully. “I am the Batman!”
She took a knee, to be more on his level. The shock of black hair had clearly not seen a comb for days, and the pale skin showed a lack of sunlight for a much longer time. Clearly, these children were difficult—how could they not be? But they so desperately needed someone to care for them.
Nanny Ashtoreth took a deep breath. Not to forget who she was dealing with, but these were still human children with human needs, and she knew how to deal with that.
“Hello, Batman. I love your black cape—look, it matches mine! Of course I will be kind to Toomy, do you think a hug would help?”
Batman looked suspiciously at her, then at his sibling, then back at her. He put an arm protectively around the little one, then grudgingly admitted, “Toomy likes cuddles. But only from me and Sissy!” He glared at her again, sparing only a quick glance at the sad little girl in the corner. But Toomy was wiggling out from under his arm, holding out little hands towards her. She opened her arms, holding carefully still, and waiting until the poor baby had toddled over and cuddled against her before wrapping her arms slowly and gently around it. Toomy sighed in contentment, and Batman’s eyes gleamed with tears of betrayal and jealousy.
“There’s room for you too, Batman. And Sissy if she wants.” Nanny Ashtoreth opened one arm welcomingly towards them. Sissy just looked sadly at her toys, desultorily picking one up and then letting it fall in her lap. Batman angrily snapped her knee with his toy again, but then sidled a step closer. He put his hand on her wrist. She waited. He stepped in to hug Toomy from the back, and she gently, slowly wrapped her arm around him too. He stiffened as he felt it close around him, then suddenly melted.
The tears flowing down her cheeks joined the ones sparkling on his. These poor children had gone aeons without affection, and damned if Nanny Ashtoreth was going to let that continue. No matter what it cost her.