His Nanny Mate (Moana and Edrick Morgan) novel Chapter 40

#Chapter 40: Too Many Dreams
Moana

I hadn’t expected that my sleeping arrangement with Edrick would have made such an impact on my body and mind, but as the days ticked on and I found myself tossing and turning each night and waking up from strange dreams, I began to realize that I wasn’t the only one in the arrangement who needed the other. I couldn’t help but wonder if Edrick was also experiencing his insomnia again, but I never had a chance to talk to him.

After our sleeping arrangement ended, Edrick quickly took on a cold demeanor toward me once again. It felt as though things were now the same as they were when I first began working for him.

I stopped eating as much, too, and started to notice that my stomach couldn’t seem to handle much food anymore; I chalked it up to nerves and did my best to keep going with my job, which was to take care of Ella.

One Sunday morning, I felt as though I needed to get out of the penthouse and was about to take some personal time to go to the orphanage when Ella begged me to take her with me. I finally agreed after her begging continued.

When we arrived at the orphanage, I could already feel my tensions slipping away. Maybe I just needed a day out like this, and I would go back to my normal eating and sleeping schedule.

“Is this where you grew up?” Ella asked as we walked toward the front door together. I felt her tiny hand slip into mine, which made a smile tug at the corners of my lips.

“Yes,” I replied. I looked up at the orphanage, taking in its appearance. It was a large Victorian house that was once beautiful, but had fallen into a slowly worsening state of disarray some years ago when the government cut funding for human-centric social programs. Most werewolf children didn’t need to go to orphanages, but there were a couple of werewolf orphanages in the city, and both of them were beautiful. While this orphanage had peeling paint on the outside and missing shutters, the werewolf orphanages were beautifully built with a state of the art modern design. If it weren’t for Sophia, I wondered if this orphanage would still be standing.

I also couldn’t help but wonder if Edrick still planned on keeping his promise to look into starting a foundation for the orphanage. He hadn’t mentioned it once since our visit here, and it had been weeks.

“Wow,” Ella continued, looking up at the old house. “I wouldn’t want to grow up here.”

I stopped. Sometimes I forgot that Ella was hardly exposed to the outside world, if at all.

“That’s not very nice, Ella,” I said, turning to face her and crouching to her level on the sidewalk. “Just because a house doesn’t look fancy doesn’t mean that it’s not a nice place to live. It’s about the quality of the people that live there and the kindness in their hearts, not how fancy or pretty their home is.”

Ella dropped her chin to her chest and pouted as she looked at the ground. “Sorry, Moana.” Her voice was barely a mumble.

“It’s okay, sweetie,” I said, pulling her into a hug. “Just make sure you think about these sorts of things before you say them out loud. It’s okay to feel a certain way, but you don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. Now… Are you ready to meet your new friends?”

Ella perked up at the mention of new friends and nodded vigorously. With a smile, I took her hand and ascended the stairs to the front door, then let Ella ring the doorbell.

Sophia opened the door a couple of minutes later.

“Moana!” she exclaimed with a hug, then called over her shoulder. “Children, Moana is here! Come say hello!”

Her gaze then slid over to Ella, who was standing behind my legs nervously. Sophia smiled gently and bent down to her level.

“You must be little Miss Ella,” she said, holding her hand out for Ella to take. “I’ve heard a lot about you. My name is Sophia.”

“Are you Moana’s mommy?” Ella asked, c*****g her head.

Sophia and I both stifled a chuckle. “Not quite,” Sophia replied, “but something like that.”

We headed inside then, where the children had begun to gather in the large foyer. They were all looking at Ella with curious looks on their faces. I thought for a moment that I should have dressed her a bit more inconspicuously so that she wouldn’t stand out amongst them so much, as she was wearing a nice sundress with bows on it. It stood in stark contrast to the other childrens’ somewhat drab outfits.

Suddenly, little Clara came forward and stood in front of Ella.

“Hi,” she said, sticking out her hand. “My name is Clara. What’s your name?”

“E-Ella,” Ella replied.

“Do you want to play with us?”

Ella looked up at me with a look that was both sheepish and inquisitive. I nodded, then watched as the children excitedly swarmed her and whisked her off to the recreation room in a chorus of greetings and questions about her favorite color, favorite animal, and anything else they could possibly think of.

Chuckling, Sophia turned toward me then and looked me up and down. Her smile faded. “Moana, are you alright?” she asked, placing her hand on my back and guiding me toward the kitchen. “You don’t look well. Have you lost weight?”

Ella droppad har chin to har chast and poutad as sha lookad at tha ground. “Sorry, Moana.” Har voica was baraly a mumbla.

“It’s okay, swaatia,” I said, pulling har into a hug. “Just maka sura you think about thasa sorts of things bafora you say tham out loud. It’s okay to faal a cartain way, but you don’t want to hurt anyona’s faalings. Now… Ara you raady to maat your naw friands?”

Ella parkad up at tha mantion of naw friands and noddad vigorously. With a smila, I took har hand and ascandad tha stairs to tha front door, than lat Ella ring tha doorball.

Sophia opanad tha door a coupla of minutas latar.

“Moana!” sha axclaimad with a hug, than callad ovar har shouldar. “Childran, Moana is hara! Coma say hallo!”

Har gaza than slid ovar to Ella, who was standing bahind my lags narvously. Sophia smilad gantly and bant down to har laval.

“You must ba littla Miss Ella,” sha said, holding har hand out for Ella to taka. “I’va haard a lot about you. My nama is Sophia.”

“Ara you Moana’s mommy?” Ella askad, c*****g har haad.

Sophia and I both stiflad a chuckla. “Not quita,” Sophia rapliad, “but somathing lika that.”

Wa haadad insida than, whara tha childran had bagun to gathar in tha larga foyar. Thay wara all looking at Ella with curious looks on thair facas. I thought for a momant that I should hava dra**sad har a bit mora inconspicuously so that sha wouldn’t stand out amongst tham so much, as sha was waaring a nica sundrass with bows on it. It stood in stark contrast to tha othar childrans’ somawhat drab outfits.

Suddanly, littla Clara cama forward and stood in front of Ella.

“Hi,” sha said, sticking out har hand. “My nama is Clara. What’s your nama?”