The Meeting

Charlotte

Nicole achieved a feat that I considered impossible: we both had a day off on the same day. She would have the entire weekend free, as her birthday was on Sunday, and I was also given time off starting Saturday evening, returning to Mackenzie's residence on Monday morning.

As planned, I met Nicole at the subway station near her house in Bronxdale. I was introduced to her sister and her nieces and nephews, and I felt very welcomed by Nicole's family. Her sister was younger than I had imagined, considering she had mentioned that her nieces and nephews were a five-year-old twin couple. I had deduced a woman in her thirties, but Emily was only twenty-four and was extremely kind, treating me as part of her own family.

They were very close, and I loved sharing those family moments with the two sisters and the adorable children, Benjamin and Karen. It was a completely new experience for me to be in a family environment where love was evident among everyone, and it touched my heart deeply.

Upon returning to my employers' residence on Monday, I felt a strange discomfort after two wonderful days, discovering what a home was like where love prevailed among its members. Being in that house was unpleasant. The only person I truly liked in that place was Eloá, and I made an effort to show her the love I already felt, just as Nicole also showed her immense affection for the girl since her mother was completely absent from her daughter's life.

One week after our exceptional day off, on Sunday afternoon, Mr. Mackenzie asked me to get Eloá ready as we would be going on an outing with her. Nicole was off, so I would accompany them since Mrs. Martina claimed to have an unavoidable commitment. It would be the first time I participated in an outing with the family, and I was very excited to do something different.

We went to the American Museum of Natural History, and for the first time, I saw Eloá truly excited, which genuinely made me happy. It was rare to see her so relaxed, and I could perceive how much that house and Martina's presence were harming the girl.

"You need to walk slower, Eloá," I said, raising my voice as I noticed the girl was almost running ahead of us.

"Charlotte is right, honey," Mr. Mackenzie said to his daughter, but there was a smile on his face.

Eloá quickly stopped walking and approached her father, holding his hand and smiling happily. She was a very calm child, always obedient, and it was very easy to take care of her.

"Where are my uncles, Daddy?" Eloá questioned, and I looked at her intrigued. "You said they would come too."

"They're already coming, sweetheart. Aunt Melanie is coming too," Mr. Mackenzie replied.

"Really, daddy?" the girl practically exclaimed with joy.

I paid close attention upon hearing Eloá's question because I didn't know we would be meeting other people, and I felt shyness taking hold of me. But I quickly reprimanded myself mentally because Mr. Mackenzie's friends wouldn't give me a second glance.

"Look, there they come," Mr. Mackenzie said, gesturing with his head, causing both of us to look in the indicated direction. I noticed two men and a lady coming toward us, all looking in our direction, and I understood they were the people he was referring to.

"Auntie Melanie!" Eloá let out a little shout of joy as she embraced the elegant lady who approached.

"Hello, my dear," the lady responded, her joy evident in her voice. "I missed my little one."

"I missed you too, Auntie," the girl said, smiling with satisfaction.

A content smile remained plastered on my face as I saw how different Eloá was from her usual self, truly resembling a normal child and not a little robot, as Martina demanded her to behave.

"And what about us, Eloá? Weren't you missing us?" one of the men jokes, feigning indignation, and I couldn't contain the smile growing on my face.

"Of course, I missed you, Uncle Douglas!" The girl smiled even wider, and he lifted her from the lady's arms, hugging her and planting a kiss on her hair.

I was so engrossed in the unfolding scene that I didn't pay attention to the second man, who maintained a serious posture, simply observing the interaction between Eloá and the other two.

"Have you been at the museum for a long time?" the man asked after discreetly clearing his throat, addressing Mr. Mackenzie.

"Yes, we've been here for quite a while, Uncle Brian. You took so long!" Eloá said, eliciting laughter from everyone.

Seeing Eloá so comfortable and talkative was completely unprecedented, and I'm sure if her mother were there, she would have reprimanded her for "interrupting" the adults' conversation. But everyone seemed to really like her and didn't mind at all.

"We were so focused on Eloá that we ended up being rude," Mrs. Melanie spoke at one point, addressing me and making me look at her inquisitively. "We didn't even introduce ourselves to the lovely young lady," she explained her statement.

"You're right, Aunt Melanie," Mr. Mackenzie quickly agreed. "This is Charlotte Thompson, Eloá's nanny."

"I'm Douglas Carter, Oliver's best friend," the seemingly friendliest of the three men spoke and extended his hand to me with a handsome smile still on his face.

Everyone smiled, and I didn't quite understand the joke. I simply accepted the polite greeting and nodded while smiling shyly. Mr. Carter was a very interesting man, appearing to be quite easygoing. He was tall and blond, almost resembling a Norse god with his bright blue eyes.

"I'm Melanie Taylor, the official aunt of these three handsome men in front of you," the lady jokes, extending her hand to me but pulling me into a quick hug accompanied by a kiss on each cheek.

I then looked at the last person to approach, who was the complete opposite of Carter, with a serious and focused expression, seeming to smile rarely.

"Brian Taylor," he said simply, and briefly shook my hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you," I said, mustering all the willpower within me, as I felt quite embarrassed, especially after noticing how Mr. Taylor looked at me.