Nanny For Her Child

CHAPTER FOUR

Audrey stared at the pregnancy test in her hand, shocked.

"You're pregnant," the doctor said, smiling.

Audrey felt like her world had been turned upside down. "How far along am I?" she asked.

"About three months," the doctor replied.

Audrey nodded and stood up to leave. “Thank you, doctor,” she said, a sense of panic washing over her.

She wasn't ready to be a mother and she certainly wasn't ready to raise a child on her own.

Audrey sat at home, staring at the pregnancy test in her hand. She felt like her world had been turned upside down.

Sarah, her friend from the café, came back home and saw her lost in thoughts. She sat next to her, a concerned expression on her face. "Audrey, what's wrong?" she asked.

Audrey took a deep breath, trying to process her emotions. "I'm pregnant," she said finally.

Sarah's expression softened. "Oh, Audrey," she said. "Who's the father?"

Audrey hesitated, unsure of how to answer. But Sarah's kind eyes encouraged her to be honest.

"It's David Gates," Audrey said. “The same man I told you about, the one whom I slept with for money.”

Sarah nodded, her expression understanding. "What are you going to do?"

Audrey shook her head, feeling overwhelmed. "I don't know," she said. "I'm not ready to be a mother."

Sarah put a hand on her arm. "You don't have to do this alone," she said. "I'm here, so you don't need to worry. Audrey looked at her, curious. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Sarah smiled. "I mean, you should consider keeping the baby. Since you've already taken a job you can fend for yourself and the baby as well. Besides, I am also here.

Audrey thought about it for a long time, weighing her options. She has always been pro-life, and even though she wanted to consider it, she knew that she couldn't end the life of her unborn child.

She thought about her mother and the values she taught her while she was alive, then she made a decision.

"Okay," she said to Sarah. "I'll keep the baby.”

Sarah smiled, hugging her tightly. "I'm so proud of you, Audrey," she said. "You're making a brave decision, and I know it will pay off in the end.”

As the pregnancy progressed, Audrey began to feel the weight of her decision and struggled to cope. She quit her job as she was always feeling sick and tired making her job suffer.

Sarah supported her and provided her with everything she needed but she was still a little worried.

"I don't know how much more of this I can take," Audrey said to Sarah one day, as they sat in Sarah's small apartment.

Sarah rubbed her back. "You're doing great, Audrey," she said. "Just a few more weeks."

However, as the due date approached, Audrey began to feel a sense of dread. She was scared of the pain and the uncertainty of childbirth.

Then, one night, her water broke.

"Ahhh!" Audrey screamed, as she felt the first contractions.

Sarah rushed her to the hospital, where Audrey was quickly wheeled into the delivery room.

The doctor was calm and reassuring but Audrey was terrified. She was sweating and crying, and the pain was getting worse and worse.

And then, just as the baby was about to be born, the doctor's expression changed.

"What's wrong?" Audrey asked, feeling a surge of fear.

"The baby is in distress," the doctor said. "We need to get it out now."

Audrey felt a sense of panic as the doctor rushed to deliver the baby.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the baby was born. It was a baby boy.

Audrey looked at her child and sensed that something was wrong with her child. He was looking so small and fragile.

"What's wrong with my baby?" Audrey asked, feeling a sense of desperation.

The doctor's expression was serious. "Your baby has a heart condition," he said. "It will need special care and surgery."

Audrey felt like she had been punched in the gut. She was scared and overwhelmed, and she didn't know what to do.

She looked at her baby and felt a sense of sadness and regret. She had been so convinced that she couldn't take care of her child and now it seemed like her worst fears had come true.

“What are we going to do now? We need to get help as soon as possible,” Sarah asked worriedly. How about contacting your baby's father? I mean he's a wealthy man and he'll be able to care for the child better,” Sarah suggested.

Audrey's eyes widened, “What are you saying? He's not even aware that I was pregnant for him so how can I just meet him and tell him about his child’s condition? He could even take me for a golddigger? Besides, we only met once and he may not even recognize me again.”

“True though,” Sarah said thoughtfully. As they sat thinking of what to do, an idea formed in Audrey's head and she sat up immediately.

“Sarah I think I know how to get David to care of his child unknowingly,” she said sitting up immediately.

“Unknowingly? How? Sarah asked curious. I will take the baby to David's house and leave him on his doorstep with a written note. I believe he'll have compassion on the child and take care of him,” Audrey replied.

“Hmmm, but what if he doesn't?” Sarah asked. “I don't know but I hope he does,” Audrey said and rested her head on the wall.

She would do what was best for her child, even if it meant giving him up.

A week after Audrey and her child has been discharged from the hospital,she decided to implement her decision.

Audrey stood outside David Gates' mansion, her baby boy sleeping in her arms. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she was about to do.

"I'm sorry, little one," she whispered to her baby. "I wish I could keep you, but I want you to have a better life."

With tears streaming down her face, Audrey walked up to the doorstep and gently placed the baby down. She attached a note to his blanket, gave him one last look and turned to leave.

As she walked away, Audrey heard the sound of the door opening and quickly hid herself. David's mother, Mrs. Gates, came out and was surprised to see a baby at her doorstep.

"Oh, a baby!" She exclaimed. She looked around, “where is his mother?” She wondered. She lifted the baby up and the note which Audrey left fell off but she didn't notice.

"David, come quick!" Mrs. Gates called out, rushing inside with the baby.

David Gates appeared at her side, a look of surprise on his face. "Where did he come from?" he asked.

"I don't know," Mrs. Gates replied, "but we need to find his mother. She must be frantic."

David nodded, taking the baby from his mother. "We'll do everything we can to find her," he promised. Just then he noticed the note on the floor and picked it up curious to know what's in it.

The note read:

"Dear David Gates,

I'm so sorry to leave my baby on your doorstep like this. My child has a heart condition and I have no money to take care of him. I know that you have the means to provide for his medical needs and I want what's best for my child.

Please take care of my baby.

Sincerely,

A”

“Oh dear, poor little thing. Let's take him inside,” Mrs Gates said. As they took the baby inside, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.

She wished she could see the mother of the child. Being a mother, she could imagine just how the child's mother felt.

David on the other hand, wondered about the mother who had left her baby on his doorstep. Who was she, and why had she chosen him to care for her child?

Days turned into weeks, and the Gates family grew to love the baby. But as much as they loved him, they knew they needed help caring for him.

"We need to hire a nanny," Mrs. Gates said to David one day. "Someone who can care for him full-time."

David nodded, making a note on his phone. "I'll put an ad out today."

Audrey was sitting at home, browsing through job ads online. Sarah was sitting next to her.

"Hey, look at this” Sarah said, pointing to an ad on the screen. "Live-in nanny for the Gates family. It says here they're looking for someone to care for their infant son."

Audrey's heart skipped a beat as she read the ad.They were looking for a nanny for her baby. She felt so grateful as she has been worried about her child.

"Do you think I should apply?" Audrey asked Sarah.

Sarah looked at her, "Why not?" she said. "You'd get the chance to be close to your child and who knows, it could be a fresh start for you."

“What if he recognizes me?” Audrey asked skeptically. “I don't think so because you only met him once and it's been almost a year since you met with him. Besides he's a busy man and he has met with several people so I doubt if he'll recognize you, you just give it a try,” Sarah responded.

Audrey nodded and applied for the job.

Audrey walked into the interview room, her head held high and a smile on her face. David's mother, Mrs. Gates, was sitting behind a desk, a warm smile on her face.

"Hello, Miss Reynolds," Mrs. Gates said. "Thank you for coming in today."

"Thank you for having me, Mrs. Gates," Audrey replied, taking a seat.

"So, tell me a little bit about yourself," Mrs. Gates said, leaning forward.

"I have a degree in early childhood education and I'm confident in my ability to care for your grandson,” Audrey said.

Mrs. Gates nodded, her eyes sparkling with interest. "That's wonderful," she said. So do you have any experience working with infants?

Audrey smiled, feeling confident. "No ma'am,I don't but I took care of my younger sister when she was younger,” she said. "I'm comfortable with feeding, bathing, and soothing children.”

Mrs. Gates nodded again, making a note on her pad. "Excellent," she said. "Finally, can you tell me why you're interested in working for our family?"

Audrey hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to answer. She looked into Mrs. Gates' kind eyes and knew that she had to be honest.

"I'm interested in working for your family because I'm passionate about caring for children," Audrey said. "And I have to admit, I'm also drawn to the idea of working for a family that values love and compassion."

Mrs. Gates smiled, her eyes shining with warmth. "I think you'd be a perfect fit for our family, Miss Reynolds," she said. "Welcome to the Gates' estate."

Audrey beamed with joy, a sense of relief washing over her. She had finally gotten the job.

Audrey caught a glimpse of David standing in the doorway and her heart skipped.Their

eyes met and she shuddered.

David's eyes narrowed slightly as he gazed at Audrey, a look of confusion on his face. Audrey's heart sank, wondering if he had recognized her.