Nanny and the Alpha Daddy

#Chapter 49: Call the Midwife

Moana

After I hung up with Ethan, I felt a bit lighter with the prospect of enjoying dinner with a friend. I met Ella out in the foyer after that, and we went over to the farmers’ market.

“Come on, Moana!” Ella yelled excitedly, pulling on my hand as we crossed the street to the park that was bustling with people.

She looked absolutely adorable in her little blue and white checkered sundress and her big, floppy sun hat with the blue ribbon that wiggled when she moved her head.

The stone pathway around the park was lined with various vendor stalls as we entered. Much of it was produce and canned goods, but there were also stalls with soft pretzels, face painting for children, handmade toys and clothing, and more. I had just deposited my first paycheck from Edrick, and had some money put aside after paying off a large chunk of my student loans. I double checked before we left the penthouse this time to make sure that I had my wallet, in order to avoid a repeat of the theme park.

As the morning marched on, Ella and I slowly made our way around to all of the stalls. I bought us both soft pretzels to eat on a bench together, smiling as I watched Ella happily swinging her legs next to me, then took her to get her face painted. After that, we stopped at the stalls with the handmade toys and clothing, where I bought Ella a little handmade stuffed duck. At this stall, there was a rack of womens’ dresses for sale.

Ella reached out her little hands and tugged on one of the dresses. It was a long, flowy dress in a sky blue color.

“Moana, this is so pretty!” she said, pointing. “You could match me!”

“I take it that blue is someone’s favorite color?” the attendant asked, looking at Ella with a big smile.

Ella nodded matter-of-factly. “Mhm. I love blue.”

“I’ll tell you what,” the attendant said, standing and coming over to check the price on the tag before looking at me. “If you want to try it on, I’ll give you a twenty-five percent discount. I think this color would be lovely on you.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” I replied, feeling my face get red. “I don’t really have anywhere to wear something like that.”

“It’s just a cotton dress,” the attendant chimed in with a wink. “Besides, a pretty girl like you probably goes on plenty of dates with your husband.”

feel like correcting the attendant, and between her affectatious smile and Ella’s pleading look, I finally agreed. “Okay,” I said, to which Ella squealed excitedly. “I’ll

the dress off of the rack, then led me over to the back of the tent, where there was a curtain in the corner. She

I was inside and held the dress up to myself; it was a pretty color, and the shape was nice. Maybe I could dress it down a bit

widened as I looked at myself in the mirror; it really was beautiful on me. It reached down to my ankles and the skirt flowed when I moved, but the

stepped out of the dressing room and

do you think?”

lovely on you!” the attendant said as she clasped

you wear it today?” Ella asked, jumping up

else on but my tote bag, my sandals, and my

…

on the elevator. I hardly made it to the bathroom before I began to retch. When I was finished,

throat. I jumped and whirled around on my feet to see Selina

voice shaking slightly from the recent vomiting spell in

me and brusquely cupped my breast

shouted, jumping back and smacking her hand away as my face

are heavy. Are

my head vigorously. “I already told you I have food poisoning. Why do

“I was a midwife for many years, you know,” she said. “I

turned on her heel and left

not now that Edrick had been so blatantly cruel to me over the past several days. I still wasn’t sure whether

with mouthwash, I walked back out to my bedroom and paused in front of the mirror. The blue dress really was beautiful. I turned this way and that in the mirror, admiring how the bodice fit so perfectly and how the skirt twirled when I moved — and then, without thinking, I turned to the side to look at my belly, and I imagined how it would look and feel eight months from

one inside of me. I wondered if it would be a little girl like

always wanted children. Just… not

didn’t know if I could