His Nanny, His Unplanned Love

POV: Naomi This heat was going to end my life. I was standing just a few feet away from the entrance gates of the amusement park when I came to this perfect conclusion that I was officially going to die today. I removed my mascot head and stretched a little, trying to get some air. “You can't get on the ride without a parent or guardian, kid.” “Sorry, she is with me.” A man's voice responded. I turned towards the voices and that's when I saw the child. I watched as the man tried to hold the child's hand, but she took a step back. “Let me go. I don't know who you are.” The child began crying instantly. “Stop throwing a tantrum kid and let's go.” The man sneered at her. I had seen her when she walked in a few hours ago. I was sure of it. A little girl, about four years old, had now moved and was standing a few feet away from the crowd. She wasn’t laughing. She wasn’t running like other kids. She wasn’t holding anyone’s hand. I let out a small sigh. My baby would have been the same age as her. The thought crossed my mind even before I could stop it. My eyes remained on her. She was holding a small white bunny bear, its ear frayed like it had been loved a little too much. Her ginger hair caught the sunlight, and her emerald green eyes looked… beautiful yet empty. Quiet but very sad. She reminded me of myself. Of how my hair looked a few years ago. Of how I had always imagined my child would look. I forced myself to turn away. But then I noticed something again. The man. “Let me go. I don't want to go with you.” She cried. I watched as the girl managed to free her hand from the man's grip and then ran as fast as her tiny legs could take her. It was the same man I’d seen earlier when she walked into the park and he had not been with her. I wasn't sure then but now I was certain. He was following her. And this time, he had gotten closer. Too close if you ask me. Didn't he just say he was with her? Why was he claiming to be her parent? Something about him felt off. Even the way he had followed her into the park had felt off too. Was he—was he trying to kidnap her? My heart began to pound. The little girl finally stopped at one of the game stands, staring at a unicorn toy hanging just out of reach. The man stopped too, standing behind her, watching. Observing. He wasn't playing anything. He wasn't even smiling. He just stood there watching the girl. I kept the mascot head on the floor. “That bastard,” I whispered to myself. “What are you doing following a child around?” As the girl started walking again, he followed behind her—slowly, deliberately, like a shadow that didn’t belong. I didn’t know why, but I couldn’t look away. “She’s not your daughter, Naomi,” I said but still couldn't take my eyes off.. But you can’t just ignore her just because she isn’t yours, my conscience whispered back. “f**k,” I breathed. “You really need to learn how to mind your business.” But my feet were already moving. I reached her at the exact moment the man stretched out his hand. I bent down in front of her quickly, my voice bright and playful. “Hey, Ginger,” I said. “Wanna spend the day with the Dragon Warrior?” Then I looked over her head at the man. An ‘I know what you're trying to do look’ pinned on him, I saw him stiffen immediately. For a split second, he just stood there looking at me. Then he turned and walked away quickly. I let out a shaky breath and looked back at the girl. “Don’t worry, ginger,” I said softly. “You’re safe now, dear.” She just stared at me. Okay. Maybe she didn’t talk much. “Where are your parents?” I asked gently. “If you’re lost, I can help you contact them. Just give me their phone number.” Her hold on the bunny tightened. “I don’t want to go home,” she whispered. I raised a brow slightly. “What?” “I don’t want to go home,” she repeated, a little bit louder this time. “Daddy is always busy. He doesn’t have time for me. I don’t like being home alone.” My throat tightened. Was she being abused? Or neglected? Did she escape from home? So many thoughts were rushing through my mind. Naomi, you should have stayed away. What are you going to do now? Maybe I should take her to the admin office. And then they'll call the police and they can sort everything out. But one look at her green eyes made me pause. “Okay, fine,” I said slowly. “How about this? You will be my sidekick today.” Her eyes widened. “Then we’ll ride all the rides you want and eat whatever you want. What do you say, Ginger?” For the first time since I’d seen her today, she smiled. And, oh my God, it was the brightest smile I had seen in years. “Really?” she began bouncing in her spot. “I always wanted to ride the rollercoaster! And then we can go to the haunted house! And then we'll take a break and eat apple pie before going to the race cars!” I scoffed, laughing. “Wow. You have a full schedule planned.” Today was definitely going to be fun. **** Thank God when I had offered to play with her, it was already time for me to clock out. I took her to the staff room so I could change out of the mascot outfit, and then we played nonstop. That had been three hours ago. Who knew four year olds had that much energy? Now we were back at the ice cream stand again, cones in hand, sitting on a bench. “So,” I said, taking a spoonful, “what’s your name, Ginger?” She smiled. “My name is Sophie.” “That’s a beautiful name,” I said warmly. “I’m Naomi.” As I took another spoon of ice cream, I heard her sigh loudly. I turned to her. “What’s wrong, Sophie?” She looked at me, her eyes had turned sad again. “I wish you were my mommy, Naomi. You're fun to be with.” I held my breath. That came out of nowhere. I opened my mouth, but before the words came out— “Who the f**k are you,” an angry voice snapped behind us, “and what are you doing with my daughter?” I turned quickly. And standing there was a very angry man in his mid thirties with black hair, blue eyes and fury written all over his face. My heart dropped.