"Hello, Kendell," Michaela greeted, her tone noticeably less enthusiastic than when she welcomed her grandmother. Kendell leaned down to kiss Michaela on both cheeks, causing Michaela to tense at the young woman's touch and retreat towards Joana once Kendell straightened up.
Sensing the scrutiny from the two women, Joana decided to break the awkward silence and introduce herself.
"I'm Joana," she stated with a slight, polite bow of her head. "I'm Michaela's nanny."
"Ah, the babbysitter," Kendell remarked coldly. "I didn't expect a human, so I was uncertain."
"Mother," Elijah interjected, stepping forward to kiss her on both cheeks. He then turned to Kendell, who beamed widely at him, while giving Joana a cold glare over Elijah's shoulder during their cheek kisses.
Elijah graciously t
