My Cupcake Nanny

Episode3

CHAPTER THREE

JULIAN’S P.O.V - BEHIND THE SCENE

“Aimee, baby,” I said gently, keeping my eyes on the road but at her at the same time. She was beside me in the front.

My boys sat behind Abel and Ares. I drove slowly, glancing at them through the rearview mirror and then back at Aimee “You can at least give Daddy a happy face… even if you’re upset.”

She didn’t respond. She sat stiffly opposite me with her arms folded tight across her chest, staring out the window. Her little pink hoodie was pulled halfway over her head, and I could see the pout on her lips.

I sighed and my hand gripped the steering wheel tighter. The silence in the car was louder than any argument we could’ve had. And after what happened at the mall, I couldn’t blame them. They were upset with me, no, worse, they were disappointed.

But what hurt more was that they were upset over her. They were upset over that woman.

A woman who, from everything I saw, tried to take them. And I did what I had to do. At least, that’s what I kept telling myself.

“Ares… Abel?” I called softly, shifting in my seat and checking the mirror again.

The boys sat beside each other in their matching black coats. Ares was focused on his cupcake, licking the frosting like nothing had happened. Abel leaned back with his head against the seat, he had his arms crossed, his face blank.

But they didn’t answer.

“Come on, guys,” I said again, my voice became calmer this time. “Talk to me.”

Abel finally looked up, his eyes meeting mine in the mirror. “Dad… Aimee’s right,” he said, voice low but firm. “You embarrassed that lady. In front of everyone. You made those men drag her away like she was a criminal.”

I let out a breath and stared at the red light ahead, not knowing what to say at first.

“I asked you not to leave my side,” I replied, trying to explain. “I only stepped away for one call. A call that didn't even last for one minute. And when I turned back, I couldn’t find any of you. Do you know how scared I was?”

“But she wasn’t trying to hurt us!” Aimee burst out suddenly beside me. Her voice cracked with frustration. “She helped Abel when he tripped. She helped me find Ares when we couldn’t see him. She was… kind, she was a kind dad.”

“That doesn’t mean she had good intentions,” I said, trying to stay calm. “There are people who pretend to be kind just to get close. I had to make sure you were safe.”

“She was crying, Daddy,” Ares said, his voice quiet for the first time. “The lady was only trying to help us.”

I closed my eyes for a moment.

Damn it, I was shocked.

I thought I was protecting them. But maybe, just maybe, I’d gone too far. My instincts kicked in, sure. But had I been too harsh? Had I hurt someone innocent?

Still… she shouldn't have gone near them. That was the rule.

“Kids,” I started again, softer this time. “I’m sorry if I scared you… or her. I was just trying to protect you. You’re all I have. You mean the world to me.”

Aimee’s arms slowly dropped from her chest. She blinked hard, as if fighting back tears.

My hand gently moved across Aimee’s soft curls as I sat quietly in the driver’s seat, still folding her hands. She was beside me in the front, small and quiet, her legs swinging slightly as she looked out the window. I parted her hair with my fingers, brushing it gently behind her ear, trying to calm both her and myself.

I could see their reflections in the rearview mirror, Abel with his arms crossed, looking out the window, and Ares, still chewing slowly on the last piece of his cupcake, avoiding all eye contact.

Finally, Aimee’s little voice broke the silence.

“The cupcake lady found us, Dad,” she whispered. “

My chest tightened.

“Yes, Dad,” Abel added from the backseat, his tone a little firmer. “Aimee started crying ‘cause we were scared… and then the lady came. She helped us. She was really kind. She even bought us cupcakes.”

I closed my eyes for a second, letting out a soft breath. I wasn’t trying to be the bad guy. I was scared too. My heart nearly stopped when I couldn’t find them. But they were kids… and they saw the world differently.

“I already told you,” I said gently, opening my eyes again. “Aimee… Ares… Abel… I called the police already. I’ve made arrangements. She’s going to be released soon.”

There was a long pause.

“That’s not enough, Dad,” Abel said sharply.

I halted, my right keg pressing on the break. I turned around in my seat to face them properly. His eyes met mine, seriously hurt.

“We have to apologize to the cupcake lady,” he added, his voice quieter now.

No one spoke after that. The only sound was the soft hum of the engine.

Ares still hadn’t said a single word since we got into the car. He sat there, his cupcake now finished, looking down at his hands. That worried me more than anything. Ares was the loud one. The wild one. For him to be this quiet… he was definitely upset.

And Aimee? She folded her arms, still, across her chest, her lips pushed together in a pout.

“Not us, Abel,” she said firmly. “Dad needs to apologize to the cupcake lady.”

Her words hit me like a heavy stone. I looked at her, her little face full of seriousness, and I knew she meant it. To them, I had done something really wrong, something unfair. And maybe… maybe they were right.

I sighed and turned forward again, gripping the steering wheel loosely.

“I didn’t mean to scare her,” I muttered, more to myself than anyone else. “I just panicked. I thought someone was taking you away from me.”

Aimee reached over and touched my arm.

“We weren’t going anywhere, Daddy. We were just lost… but she helped us.”

I looked at my daughter, then shifted my eyes to the rearview mirror where the boys sat, watching me closely.

“Alright,” I said after a long breath. “We’ll go see her tomorrow… and I’ll say I’m sorry.”

Aimee’s eyes lit up instantly, as if the weight on her tiny shoulders had lifted. Abel gave a small smile, the kind that only comes when you know something good is about to happen.

But before I could start the car, Aimee’s soft voice cut in again, it was clear, firm, and unexpectedly bold.

“No, Daddy…” she said, shaking her head slowly. “Let’s go there now… and have you apologize.”

My hands paused on the steering wheel.

I turned to look at her, slightly taken aback. Her eyes, big, brown, and serious, locked with mine. There was no fear, no hesitation.

My brows lifted in surprise. My kids… they rarely spoke up like this. And they never defended strangers. They always stuck to themselves, since I've known them.

But now? Now they were united… for her.

Maybe they were right.

Maybe something special had happened between them and this woman. Something I wasn’t part of. Something I needed to understand.

Would I really apologize to this stranger that I'd gotten a wrong impression on?