Chapter 18: Madison

The sun bathed the backyard in a soft warmth, casting a golden hue over the vibrant garden roses and swaying trees. Thirty minutes after meeting five-year-old Chris, who kept looking at me as if I’d broken a favorite toy of his, I suggested we go out to the backyard to get some sun and fresh air.

Silvia hadn’t been kidding when she said he had a difficult temperament. From the moment she introduced me to him as his nanny, he’d started throwing tantrums and refused to listen to reason. 

With all the screaming going on right after the disturbing call from Gerald, it was like the house’s walls were closing in around me. No matter how big the place was, it suddenly felt very confining and oppressive. I needed to get out.

The instant I stepped outside, inhaling the floral scents in the morning air, I felt less likely to start screaming like the raven-haired kid next to me had. He also calmed down considerably the moment the gentle breeze dried his tear-streaked little face.