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“Chen, why are we doing this?”
“Babe, we’ve been married three years, I am literally the mother to your child, any chance you could stop calling me Chen?”
“I like calling you Chen.” Tim says going to kiss her neck “It reminds me of when I fell in love with you.”
“Shouldn’t I just remind you of that?” Lucy turns into his arms “I haven’t changed that much since I was your cute sassy little boot now, have I?”
“Lu, why are we doing this, and don’t try distract me with your devious behaviour…”
“It’s Gerald's birthday…” Lucy reminds him “And we’re having a party.”
“I know it’s his birthday, but why are we having a party?”
“Because he deserves one?”
“Lu, I love you, and I love our traumatised strays, but baby, we have Mike turning one in three months, do we really need to host a party for a goat?”
“Gerald!”
“Does Gerald need a birthday party?”
“Yes, and I need to do something fun, please Tim…I just need this.” Lucy sighs “I really need to just let off some steam with our friends but still be around our babies okay.”
“You know Smitty will be here.”
“Yes…well Mrs Smithina”
“And all our friends will meet him.”
“They’ve met him before babe.”
“Not in drag!”
“Oh hush, Angela has, and she plays along just fine.”
“Because he babysits for her, for free! She’s not giving that up.”
“Well, she always said that Smitty was surprisingly maternal.”
“I’m not winning this am I?”
“Do you ever?” Lucy kisses him softly “Do you even want to?”
“No and no…but I draw the line at wrapping him gifts!”
“They’re on your desk waiting, with your favourite tape dispenser and scissors”
“Fine, but I’m not adding bows”
“Understood” Lucy smiles “No bows, no ribbons.”
“Mrs Smithina!” Lucy opens the door with a smile “You’re first to arrive.”
“Of course my girl, I need my quality time with the children.”
“You see them all week.” Lucy hands him Mike
“And yet it’s never enough isn’t it my dear boy.” Smitty takes him with ease “Send your young man out to my car, there are some gifts.”
“You really didn’t need to bring gifts…”
“I made some good sales this week, the lawyer has friends…”
“Oh Smitty no…” Lucy blanches slightly
“Mrs Smithina today young lady, now send him out and show me what I can do to help.”
“Tim, Mrs Smithina is here, you need to go and get some gifts from her car.” Lucy calls out and then laughs as all their pets come running up to greet Smitty, Mike joining her with his adorable giggle.
“Smitty…” Tim nods, his arms full of gifts he had wrapped – and yes with bows on them “Sorry, sorry, Mrs Smithina, good to see you…again.”
“Hello young man, you did a good job wrapping those.”
“Yes well, Lu, where am I putting these?”
“There’s a table outside for them.” Lucy says and shoos the animals “Now outside all of you, Mrs Smithina will join you in a moment.”
“Lucy, seriously, anything I can do to help?” Smitty asks softly
“Not a thing, you are here as a guest today, as part of our family, you snuggle our boy and just enjoy yourself.”
“You’re a good girl.” He pats her cheek “Thank you for making an old man…I mean woman feel welcome.”
The party was in full swing, all the children running around with the animals and Smitty, Mike trying to crawl fast enough with them, Smitty then flying him around to catch the others.
“Look, I get it.” Nyla agrees while watching the scene before them “He’s good with the kids, if the man wants to put on a dress to look after them, far be it from me to argue.”
“And he does babysitting for free.” Angela adds “and well, we come home to a clean house, happy children, and they are always asking after him, I mean her.”
“Chen, you don’t pay him?” Nyla frowns at her.
“Of course we pay her! And a good rate, these are our children! We would never skimp” Lucy says, almost insulted
“We didn’t hire her because she was cheap, but honestly, who else would we ever trust with our babies.” Tim says “He’s proven himself time and time again, we needed someone willing to kill to protect them, and well, other than you lot…”
“And he’s not doing anything illegal” Wesley contributes “he’s got his business registered as Mrs Smithina industries…everything is above board.”
“But how do you explain it to Mike when he’s older?” James questions
“We tell him that he has a fabulous Aunty who loves him very much and would do anything to look after him.” Lucy says firmly.
“We plan on teaching our children that love is not what’s on the outside.” Tim adds “And Mrs Smithina is loved in this house.”
“Oh babe.” Lucy leans over to kiss him “God you’re sexy…”
“Reign it in you two!” Angela laughs just as they hear
“Knock knock” John says “hope I’m not too late.”
“John!” Lucy stands up “No not at all, it’s so good to see you!”
For the last few months John had been avoiding all gatherings, after Bailey left him, and her crimes were exposed, well clearly the shame he felt kept him away from the family who loved him.
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely Nolan.” Tim hands him a beer “Make yourself at home, our son hasn’t spent nearly enough time with you.”
“Thank you.” John nods, looking out over the garden “Um who?”
“Oh, that’s Mrs Smithina, our nanny.” Lucy offers “we were just talking about her.”
“She seems familiar?” John frowns “Have I met her?”
“Not that we know of…” Lucy bites her lip, waiting for the moment John realises “But she’s so good with the kids, human and otherwise, she even babysits for Angela”
“Wow, must be very trustworthy.” John nods his approval, because he knows the type of background checks they all would have done on someone who looked after their children, the Bradfords most of all.
“You have no idea.” Nyla smiles as they all continue to watch, right up until when Smitty walked up to the group with Mike.
“Mrs Lucy, I think it’s time for his nap, I’ll put him down if you’d prefer to stay with your friends.” Smitty holds a slightly cranky Mike “I assume his bottles are ready?”
“That would be lovely, thank you so much.” Lucy agrees
“His bottles are in his fridge.” Tim nods “Thank you.”
“Sorry, I’m sure the little guy is grumpy.” Nolan stands up and holds his arms out for Mike, Smitty passing him over after a small nod of approval from Lucy and Tim “I just wanted to introduce myself, I’m sorry we haven’t met, I’m John, Nolan.”
“Nice to meet you Mr John.” Smitty smiles “Walk with me, while I get the little man’s bottle”
“Sure, I’d like that, I really haven’t seen him enough.” John tucks Mike into his arms perfectly while the two walk to the kitchen.
“Well, she is just delightful.” John says as he joins the others again “A truly amazing find, which agency did you use?”
“Um?” Lucy frowns at him “John?”
“No, you’re right, there’s no reason for me to ask that, it’s not like I’ll be having anymore babies…”
“I don’t think that’s what she meant Mr John” Smitty comes up “He’s fast asleep, do you need anything else my dear?”
“Mrs Smithina, we told you, you are here as a guest, sit down, Tim will get you a drink.”
“No need!” John stands up “I’ll get you one, do you want some food as well? I can put a few things together.”
“I’ll take a piña colada if Mrs Lucy doesn’t need help with the little ones anymore.”
“You enjoy Mrs Smithina, you’ve more than earned it.”
For the rest of the day the group watched slightly bemused as Nolan flirted, and basically waited on Smitty hand and foot, playing with him and the children, until…
“Um…Mrs Smithina?” John approaches her shyly at the end of the day “I was wondering, if perhaps, I could take you out for a drink?”
“Call me Queenie dear.”
“Queenie…just perfect.” John smiles “But um, drinks? With me? Maybe dinner?”
“You do know who I am right?” Smitty says as they walk to his car
“I know you’re The Bradford’s nanny, and honestly that that makes you so much more appealing, they are least trusting people I know, well Tim is, and well he’s rubbed off on Lucy, but anyway, you seem…I mean there is something about you, something captivating, something familiar and safe.”
“Nolan…it’s me.” Smitty frowns “Can you seriously not see this?”
“So, we have met before then?”
“Yes…think really really hard now.”
“College? Did we hook up or were we in a study group together?”
“I’ve taught you some lessons for sure.” Smitty nods
“No way you are old enough to be one of my teachers.” John laughs “Although I’m sure I would have had a schoolboy crush if ever you were.”
“John! It’s me, Smitty!” He stares at him “We worked together…”
“Smitty? My Smitty?” John frowns “Um, I mean the stations Smitty?”
“One and the same…”
“Right, and Tim knows?”
“Obviously.”
“Okay…well then, drinks? You me tonight?”
“Um, sorry?” Smitty asks confused
“Come on my Queen?” John holds his hand out for him “Let’s get to know each other.”
“And they call me odd.”
“Is that a no?”
“No…no it is not.” Smitty slides his hand into Johns “Lead the way.”