Episode 14

Helena had just set the coffee on the table when she looked up and realized that Nicolas wasn’t there.

"Well, buddy... did you sleep well?"

"I was sleeping until a certain someone woke me up..."

Helena smiled...

"What's your school like?"

"A bore."

"And your teacher?"

"Even worse... they think I'm a kid..."

"Nicolas, but you are still a child..."

"Ah, the nanny too?"

"You're eleven, Nicolas... what grade are you in?"

"The fourth..."

"Do you have many friends?"

"Only the necessary ones..." Nicolas finished his milk and headed for the living room to wait for Jonh.

Helena followed him to the outside of the house. Jonh was already waiting.

"Good morning, Miss Helena."

"Good morning, Jonh."

As he approached the car, Helena called out to him.

"Hey, Nicolas, wait..."

"What is it?"

"Take... your snack..."

"Snack???"

"Yes... after all, you need to eat..."

The boy took the package and, despite finding it strange, stowed it in his backpack. He then looked at her and said,

"Thanks, nanny, but Blake will have the devil to pay if he finds out about this..."

Helena then looked at him and gave one of her best winks.

"And who said he needs to know, huh? Secret between friends... have a good class, Nicolas."

Jonh started the car and left... Nicolas waved to her... Helena turned to enter the house again. Her day would be busy... If she was to take care of both, understanding each one's little world was necessary...

Throughout the morning, Helena was busy moving baby Elisa's crib to her own room so she could take better care of the little one.

Then, nearing lunchtime, while Gloria was preparing the food, Helena was outside with the baby in her arms, enjoying the fresh air.

From a distance, she noticed a car parked on the other side... She saw the exact moment when Blake got out of the car and walked towards his house.

Still holding Elisa, she quickly went inside, sure that he hadn't seen her.

She went to the living room, where she sat on the plush carpet, placing the little one seated there as well with some toys.

Blake entered his house, removed his suit, and hung it on the coat rack near the door.

On passing the living room, he merely glanced at Helena, who was playing with Elisa, eliciting laughter from the child...

"What's all this mess, Miss Helena?"

"Goodness, you startled me... Mr. Blake, sorry... we were just playing..."

"I don't care what you were doing... this is no place to be like this... clean it up now. She has her own room to play in."

Helena promptly placed her in the nearby stroller and began picking up the scattered toys from the floor.

Elisa looked at Blake and smiled... he appeared mesmerized, briefly looking at the child before asking,

"Is Gloria home?"

"Yes, sir... she’s in the kitchen finishing lunch."

"Great."

Without a word, he left the living room for the kitchen.

"Hi, Gloria..."

"Oh... Mr. Blake... I thought you wouldn't be home early as you said this morning..."

"My early meeting was postponed till late this afternoon... and as I have a headache, I decided to come home to rest a bit."

"Do you need anything?"

"I’d like two painkillers and, if possible, have my lunch sent to my room."

"Will do, sir..."

He left the kitchen and headed to his room. As he passed Nicolas' door, he noticed everything was neatly arranged, which surprised him... Passing by Elisa's room, the enormity of the void struck him when he realized her crib was gone...

As soon as he entered his room and closed the door, he began shedding his work clothes and stepped into the shower.

Minutes passed, and now wrapped only in a towel about his waist, he was surprised by three knocks at his door.

Thinking it was Gloria, he didn't bother dressing, since his housekeeper was used to seeing him freely around the house. However, this time he was mistaken.

"Come in..."

The door swung open, and Helena appeared, holding a tray with his lunch and painkillers on the side.

As she entered and saw him in such attire, a sudden flush of warmth swept instantly through her body...

"Oh my God... Mr. Blake... I'm sorry... your lunch..."

He turned to look at her... There, for a brief fraction of a second, he wanted to take her and throw her on his bed... but he quickly shook his head in denial and said,

"Thank you... you may go..."

Helena said nothing and was leaving his room...

Blake followed her closely, and almost breathing down her neck, he whispered.

"Wait..."

She turned and faced him.

"Yes?"

That's when Helena realized something seemed very wrong about all of this...

Blake came closer to her, yet he was pale...

"Mr. Blake, are you alright?"

Struggling to look at her, Blake was about to reply when suddenly everything spun before his eyes, and he collapsed to the floor...

"Yes.... oh my God.... Gloria, I need help here..." Helena shouted...

Downstairs, Gloria heard Helena calling and quickly ran towards her.

Opening the door to Blake's room, she was confronted with a somewhat unusual scene.

"What does this mean?"

"Gloria... help me here... he's not only rude but heavy too...."

Blake was unconscious on the floor, with only a towel around his waist. Helena was now kneeling on the ground, cradling his head in her lap.

"Helena, what happened here?"

"I brought his lunch as you asked, and as I was leaving the room, he followed and then fainted out of nowhere."

With considerable effort, Gloria and Helena managed to get Blake, still unconscious, onto his bed.

"Stay here, I’ll get a cold compress from downstairs and be right back, okay?"

"Of course, Gloria..."

Helena observed the man before her... Now, he appeared so fragile and harmless... so different from the always arrogant and petty Blake...

With some audacity, she brushed her hand over his face... and felt his forehead burning with fever, which presumably caused his fainting.

Armed with a cold compress on his forehead, Blake slowly began opening his eyes.

The room spun around him, and a terrible nausea overwhelmed him...

"Hello, Mr. Blake... how do you feel?"

He just stared at the small nanny of his children who was before him...

Her hand remained on the compress on him... Blake removed her hand and said weakly...

"What... what happened?"

"You fainted, sir Blake... but I hope you feel better..."

Helena rose from the chair, attempting to leave the room when he grasped her hand.

"Wait, please..."

"Yes?"

"May I ask a favor, Miss Helena?"

"Yes, sir..."

"Stay with me for a bit..." he pleaded.

There she realized that even this man made of impressive muscles and flawless posture could easily break.

She said nothing, and like a mother covering her child in the night, she fetched a blanket from the cupboard and, returning to where Blake now lay curled up, simply covered him...

"Try to rest, Mr. Blake... it will all be okay..."

Curled up in a fetal position, Blake closed his eyes and soon fell asleep...

Helena still stood there for a few seconds, watching him; and only when assured he was truly sleeping, did she exit his room and return to her duties.

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