The House Keeper

25.

I only had a limited time before I gave my answer to Percy. I did however tell him I had to tie up some loose ends first before I could give him my answer. I had managed to buy myself a month for working under Mr Oliver Black. Percy wouldn't agree with any more time.

I said I would ring him Monday night, but first, I needed to talk to Cody about it. It is Monday, and I need him happy before even thinking of starting the conversation.

In reality, I wanted to be one hundred percent sure and fully committed to Percy. Sleeping with him wasn't a problem. And we always used protection. Being with him wasn't a problem either. But something in me nagged at me. Gnawed at me.

Cody was sitting at the table, eating his dessert that I had promised him as I watched. He reckons he had a terrible day, but his teachers told me something different.

"Cody." I called out to him as he finished off the chocolate mint ice cream - my bribe - with chocolate topping.

"Yes Monty?" He looked at me with those big wide innocent blue eyes. Oh this is going to be painful.

"Cody, would you like to meet my male friend?" I quickly asked him.

"No thanks." He screwed his nose up at me. He answered me instantly, like he knew I would ask him.

"Cody, I'm thinking of getting married." I tried a different tactic.

Cody looked at me with narrowed eyes. "Who to? Uncle Ollie?"

I laughed at him as I shook my head. "No sweetheart."

His face fell. "Your male friend?"

I nodded in return.

Cody frowned. I saw him thinking about it. "That mean you leave me."

Ouch! "Yes sweetheart."

I saw Cody's eyes water up. "You don't like me?"

"Oh darling, I do. I adore you. But I can't stay forever." I could feel my heart breaking. This little boy had wedged himself in there quite deep.

"NO!" Cody jumped off the chair. "No!"

"Cody!" Time to put the strict voice on.

"No!" He screamed again as he threw his bowl. I stared at the shattered bowl with shock. Cody has never done this to me. Is this what Oliver meant?

"You can't leave!" He cried as he left the kitchen.

"Cody!" I called as I followed him. "How about tomorrow night, we will have dinner, the four of us?"

"No! I don't want to meet him. I don't like him! He take you."

"Cody!" I called out in a strict manner.

"No! You can't leave. You can't marry! I don't like him!"

"You've never met him!" I scowled him. "You can meet him tomorrow night. You might even like him?"

"I don't want to!" He yelled at me then ran up to the study door. "I won't like him!"

"Cody!" I warned him.

"No! I don't want to listen!" He placed his hands on his ears as he cried. His little chest heaved up and down. "You don't like me any more. You want to leave!" He screamed.

Oliver opened the study door and after a quick look at me, his eyes went straight to Cody.

"I won't eat! I rather go to bed! I don't want to meet him! I won't!" Cody stomped his little foot. "You can't make me! You not my Mummy! I don't have one!"

Ouch!

"Cody!" Oliver snapped at him and Cody put his arms around his uncles legs.

"Uncle Ollie! Monty leave! She don't like me! I don't her to marry! I don't like him."

I placed my hands on my hips as I sighed. I don't know what to do with him. I shook my head as tears threatened to come through. How can such a little person be so hurtful?

"She... She... She..." Cody heaved in his attempt to talk while crying.

"Cody, calm down sweetheart." I coaxed at him, kneeling down, but not too close.

"No! I'm not listening to you. You want to leave! Go!" He screamed.

Oliver pushed Cody off his legs and towards the stairs. "Go to your room!" He half yelled over the boys' crying fits.

Cody ran as fast as his little legs could go and went up the stairs.

"I'm assuming you told him?" Oliver sighed at me.

"Not exactly. It was more of I was trying to slowly wedge it in, asking questions." I felt so bad. "I'm sorry for the drama."

"Why did you say anything?" Oliver growled at me.

"Because!" I snapped at him. "You were the one that wanted to do this!"

"I didn't want you to get married!" He roared at me and I froze.

"I meant Cody." I whispered. What did Oliver mean by that?

"I'll handle him." Oliver snarled at me as he stormed up the stairs.

"You're not going to smack him are you?" I was horrified.

"No." Mr Blacks face softened. "I'm going to try and talk to him. Make him see some sense. But he is too much like my brother." I heard Oliver mutter as he went to Cody's room.

I sighed in relief as I followed him shortly afterwards up the stairs but went to my room instead. I think I will be the last person Cody wants to see.

Cody had left me a stack of drawings from the other day and I looked at them as I pulled my phone out and rang Percy.

One of the drawings had what resembled writing on them.

"Hello? "

"Hey." Percy answered.

I shifted the drawings to my bed and scattered them as a tear slipped down my face.

"How you doing?" He asked me.

I sniffed as I looked at the drawings.

The one with the scratchings had famllu on it. "I had a bad night." I sighed.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Percy asked softly to me. Yes! I really do.

"No. Not really." I know I bore Percy when I talk about Cody. I also knew that Percy didn't like me talking too much about my job, but I wasn't sure why.

Maybe I was getting really personal with this. It had hurt me so much to see Cody act the way he did. They way he looked at me and how he screamed at me. He has never done that to me before.

That was his spoilt side coming out. Now I understood why he had such a strict nanny at his grandparents. He had a mean streak!

It made me think of the small tantrum Oliver had today with Cody at the day care. I suppressed a giggle. Like uncle like nephew..?

"I just wanted to hear your voice." I said after a few seconds. But as the words left my mouth, a realisation had hit me. I wasn't smiling like I use to when I spoke to Percy on the phone.

"You sound exhausted." Percy spoke to me. Drained more like it.

"Yeah. Tough morning. Tougher night." I answered him. I gently touched the drawings on my bed as I frowned again at the scribbled words.

I had originally rang Percy to give him an answer. I still wasn't sure. But I needed to give him an answer. I can't leave him sweating on me to say yes or no. He deserves a reply to his proposal.

Oh... Familu no, family.

"Percy. I have my answer for you."

Last chapter from me for the night.

What do you think Monty will say?

Take care and till next time

xxx