Chapter Nine

I stopped at the bedroom door and watched the children inside. The twins and the older boy ran while trying to throw balloons at each other, while the older one was still entertained at the computer and the youngest was chewing on crayons.

The place where they were looked like a mix of a toy room with a study room, because it had a small shelf with books, sheets and a pencil and pen holder, a table with six chairs, ottomans, a TV with a video game, apart from the toys that were scattered all over the place. It was too much of a mess for one place, I don't know how he could handle it.

— Will you be watching us from there? — One of the twins asked.

— Are you dating my dad? — The boy asked. — Because we hate his girlfriends.

— Not! Of course not. — I made a face and he looked at me, crossing his arms. — What's it?

— It's just that we don't want a new mother, so stay away from our father.

— Wow! I don't even have anything with him and I ... — They ignored me completely, going back to playing.

As if. Christopher and me? Only not! I closed the door and went over to the little one, who was now chewing the red crayons without thinking and took it out of his hand. He looked at me, crying and I wanted to die. I didn't know anything about children, how to make them stop crying?

— You can't eat that, little boy. Lucas, your name, right? — He looked at me and then started to cry scandalously.

I walked away and watched him cry, not knowing what to do. — Give him some toys, he'll stop. Natalie rolled her eyes. — That's exactly what we needed; my father finds us a nanny who doesn't know how to take care of a child.

She left things aside and came to us, made the boy stand up and wiped his mouth. — I really don't know, but if you tell me what to do, I'll learn.

— Do you really think I will teach you to take care of my brother? Get out, you are crazy.

— Hey!

— Come on Lucas, let's go downstairs to drink water and take this thing out of your mouth.

— You will fall on the stairs with him.

— Hello! I am nine years old; I know how to manage.

— Oh, sure, said the adult. Have you seen your size, girl? — She rolled her eyes. — If you were that responsible, your father would not have brought me here.

— Who do you think takes care of them when we make the nannies quit? I've taken care of this brat since he was born, and I was only seven. — She went to the door, practically pulling the little one in long strides, and then stopped and looked at me. — You can leave, we will survive.

— Your proposal is very tempting, but no. I have a job to look after.

— Is up to you. — She kept walking, while Lucas was almost falling behind her, because she was walking too fast.

It irritated me deeply, so after thinking for a few seconds I left the room and went after her, taking her boy and picking him up.

— What do you think you're doing?

— He barely knows how to walk and you're making him run. If he falls and hurts, who is to blame? Go back there to your social networks and let me manage. I may not know how to take care of children, but I am more responsible than you, you can be sure.

I went down the stairs, irritated while she stood up there looking at me silently, but with an angry face. I started walking, lost in those giant rooms, in search of the kitchen. I entered the dining room first, but there was a corridor with some doors in the corner of it and then I had to open door by door, the last one finally came into the kitchen. A huge kitchen, as you would imagine, and everything in stainless steel and porcelain.

— Can you stop crying?

— Daddy!

— I know, I also wish he was here, but he's not, okay? Collaborate with Aunt Dul, please. — I sat him on the sink counter and took a glass of water from the filter. — Take a little, your mouth must be all dirty.

He pointed to the refrigerator and I looked at it. What did that boy want? I said I wasn't going to make any food, and having said that, Christopher ordered food to arrive at dinner time, however, it was still early.

— Are you hungry? — He nodded. — Let's do that. I'll give you a bath and then try to find something for you to eat, okay?

— Fine.

He spoke? He didn't even walk well and speak. Then the little one wiped his own face and held his arms out to me. — Show your aunt where your room is? — He nodded. — Then come on.

I picked him up again and went up the stairs, and when we passed the right door, he pointed. I opened and came across a blue and white bedroom, a crib and a bed, as well as two dressers, a TV above and a wardrobe integrated into the wall.

— Where are your clothes? — I put him on the floor, and he went to the dresser, opening the drawer.

Everything was very organized, whoever arranged it there, it seemed to have a touch, because the fold of the clothes made everything the same size, in addition to being very well separated. I picked up a stroller-print jumpsuit, then a diaper and I asked him to take me to the bathroom.

There was a bathtub in the bathroom, which would be a good thing, given the fact that he would need to soak for a while for the paint on his skin to soften, so I left it filling with some soap and then I took his diaper off, that luckily, I was not surprised, then I put him in the bathtub that was still filling, and I sat on the edge, watching him play with the water, all distracted.

While looking at him, I noticed his features. Like the brothers, he was blond, with blond hair and extremely straight, besides the skin being a little ruddier and everyone, without any exception, had clear eyes, contrary to the physical profile of their father, which led me to believe that they had taken their mother, but who was their mother? Where she was? Christopher did not wear a ring, were they separated, and did he keep the children? That was really strange, who, in their right mind, would abandon five children, knowing that the father hardly stays at home?

I waited for him to get tired of being in the water and then I started scrubbing it like it was dirty dishes, because that paint didn't want to come out and he even complained about the pain, but what could I do? After I finished, I wrapped him in the towel and went back to the bedroom and put him to bed. — And now? I don't know how to put diaper on.

I opened it and thought a little, did I need to pass something? I looked around for some ointment or talcum powder, but I found nothing, so I just dried it and put the diaper on, but it was very, very strange.

— You're dumb? The diaper is backwards.

— What? — Natalie came into the room and pushed me aside, taking my place. — You didn't even powder it.

— I didn't see any.

— Did you look under the bed? He always plays with the bottle.

I bent down and looked. Down there was a can of talc, a shoe that probably belonged to Henrique and a doll. I took everything out of there and put it on the bed.

— Ah, is that where Sofia ended up? Gabi almost killed Henrique, thinking it was him.

— Wow. — She took the baby powder and passed it to her brother, then put the diaper on the opposite of what I had put.

— See? The drawing is forward, and the tape that grows too.

— Sorry if I never needed to take care of any babies. — She rolled her eyes. — Let me finish, I think I can put on overalls.

— As you wish.

I really managed to put it on, but on the first attempt I missed the buttons, and they were completely crooked, which made Natalie laugh at my face, but on the second attempt I managed. — See, it wasn't that hard. — I picked up the catch, and he laid his head on my shoulder. — What does he eat? Dinner hasn't arrived yet.

— He's sleepy, not hungry. I had just finished eating when you arrived.

— But does he sleep at this hour?

— A little, then he dines, makes a mess, gets his diaper dirty and after they change him, he sleeps.

— Wow! Nice routine.

— Right. Leave him in the crib and turn off the light and close the curtain, he sleeps alone. At least that is usually the case.

— Fine. — I put him in the crib, and he hugged a teddy that was there.

I watched him for a while, while he also looked at me silently and when I turned around, Natalie was already gone, and I let out a breath. Not knowing if I needed to do something, I left the room and left the door pressed against it.