Chapter 5 5

Jason was stunned. When he thought of home, his nanny feeding his children in the kitchen did not come to mind. But that was what greeted him when he went to get a drink after work. His children were happy to see him, waving their hands up but his nanny was less so.

He didn't know what to feel. They were Halloways and Halloways never ate in the kitchen. In fact, he'd never seen his mother ever enter the kitchen. So he should feel indignant and anger. However, he saw how happy his twins were. They beamed up at him, melting his heart, but once their mouthful had been swallowed, they'd demand more from April. She obliged but sent him a nervous look.

'Can you explain?'he finally asked.

'I was feeding the twins their dinner but they didn't like it. They spat it out the moment it entered their mouth. So, out of curiosity, I tasted it and it was awful!'she cried, scrunching her face to show her displeasure. He felt his lips curve up but pushed it down. He hadn't decided how he felt about the scene in front of him.

'I can't possibly feed them that horrible concoction so I decided to look up homemade baby food and came up with this.' She showed him the food even as she fed Tanner some of it. 'I brought the twins into the kitchen since it was going to take a while for me to get their food ready. I did plan to feed them in the dining room but I made the mistake of letting them taste some. They wouldn't wait for me to move them. They insisted on being fed the moment their mouth was open. I'm soo sorry, Mr Halloways. It wouldn't happen again, 'she finished in a rush.

He sighed. He wasn't angry but he didn't like the thought of his children eating in the kitchen. On the other hand, he liked that April thought of a way to resolve his children's eating issue instead of forcing it down their throats. And the twins didn't look any worse off. Instead, they seemed to be enjoying the food, despite their surroundings. So he didn't have much ground to stand on if he objected to her method. He would still have a talk with her about using the kitchen. His housekeeper was very particular about who used it.

'It's alright, April. The twins look like they like it. Why don't you get them ready for bed and come to see me after? We'll talk about your first day, 'he said with a tired smile. She nodded bashfully but he saw the pleased twinkle in her eyes. It made him feel three times bigger. It made him uncomfortable, too, at how much pleasure he took in pleasing her so he was harsher than he had to be when he said, 'I'll be in my office.'

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April tried, for the hundredth time, to suppress the grin that was creeping into her face as she headed to his office. She didn't have a strong sense of approval in her life. Her mother tried to uplift her self-esteem but when continually faced with everyone else putting her down, it's tough to keep that lone light in mind. She didn't know why but Mr Halloway's approval meant meant the world to her.

Mr Halloway was on the phone when she entered. He waved her to a chair but continued talking. She studied the interior of the office. It was totally different from his work office. There was a warm, homey feel to it, different from the cold, powerful feel from work. The theme was a mixture of dark red, mossy green and mahogany that worked well. As usual, he had a huge table that dominated half the room and was situated right in front of a floor-to-ceiling window. The mossy green carpet on the floor was soo thick, she could literally sleep in it. His walls were a dark red but the white trimmings stopped it from being too overpowering. She was surprisingly comfortable in the room.

'Thank you for waiting, Ms Saunders. Work cannot wait for a man like me, 'Mr Halloway finally said after 20 minutes. She sent him a smile and waited for him to continue. She knew he was planning a hostile takeover so he was understandably busy during this period. 'How was your day with the twins?'

'It was fine. They're full of energy and like to explore. They went through the entire house this morning before their nap. Luckily, they waited for me to catch up before they scrambled away again. After the nap, we went for a walk, as you know. And then, we bathed and had dinner, 'she told him with a bright smile. He nodded with a blank expression. 'Um, would it be overstepping my boundaries if I asked for a few changes in the house?'

'Please go on, Miss Saunders, 'he just said, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. She felt her lips twist slightly in indecision.

'Could I put away some of the fragile and more valuable items in some rooms so that we could possibly buy a walker for the twins? They expressed interest in walking but it seems that they had not had much practice with it. They wobbled precariously on their feet. I do not want them to hurt themselves or accidentally break something, 'she mumbled, finding great interest in the carpet.

'And how about the walker?'he asked.

'I was thinking one afternoon, the twins and I could go to a store and grab one. It'll be a great adventure, 'she said, her voice expressing her enthusiasm for it. She was looking forward to looking at all the cute baby stuff and it'd be great fun for the twins.

'How are you going to bring the walkers back, then?'

'We'll call a cab. Or the store could have a delivery service. I'll look it up.'

Mr Halloway was silent, making April very nervous. She looked up at him and was caught in his intense green eyes. The feelings they evoked disconcerted her so she looked down again.

'Will the day after tomorrow be a good time?'he finally said.

'Um, sure. It'll give me time to look things up.'

'Good. I'll get Janice to rearrange my schedule and we'll go after their nap.'

'Wait. You want to come along?'she asked incredulously.

'Yes, Ms Saunders. I want to be a part of my children's upbringing. Every aspect of it, 'he said in a tone that expected her to argue. However, she was amazed.

'That's a great plan. Most parents have a bad time managing their work and children. I hope you can enjoy every step of their lives with them, 'she said. She hoped it didn't sound so much like a praise. It's not like she was somebody. She was just his nanny but she could applaud his efforts. She hoped she could do the same thing when she had children.

'Lovely. From what I have seen, Ms Saunders, I am very pleased with your first day. The twins like you and are not giving you much trouble. In return, you anticipate their needs and give them a good environment to grow up in. I hope you will continue after the trial period.'

April didn't know what they talked about after that, something about being careful to put the utensils back where she found them after use and his housekeeper. She was just basking in his approval. This was the second time in 4 hours he'd praised her. She was walking on air. She wished she knew of a way to repay him.

Wait, had he eaten dinner?