Episode 3

In Lorenzo's mansion...

Daniela: Come on, let's go inside. It's a bit messy, don't mind that. The maids don't come here often.

Alice: That's okay.

Theo: Grandma.

Daniela: Theo runs to me and hides behind my legs, feeling shy around Alice. I think of a way to introduce them, and Alice takes the lead by stooping down to his eye level.

Alice: Hi, my name is Alice. What's your name, little one?

Theo: I'm not little. Dom is little.

Alice: Little is just a term of endearment for you.

Theo: Who are you?

Alice: If you like me, I'll be your new nanny.

Theo: I can't like you.

Alice: Why do you believe you can't like me?

Theo: Lorenzo is mean and he'll make you go away.

Alice: Is Loren zo your father?

Theo: No! Yes! But now he's just Lorenzo.

Alice: I see, can I give you a hug?

Theo: Only if you promise not to leave afterwards.

Alice: Theo, I want to stay and I will stay for as long as you allow me.

Theo: Okay, you can hug me then. But don't squish my cheeks like the other nannies, I'm not a baby anymore.

Alice: Agreed.

I hug Theo and he invites me to see his room. Daniela stays downstairs, and I follow him.

Theo: You can come in.

Alice: Your room is beautiful.

Theo: Mommy chose everything here.

I pick up a photo of my mother and show it to Alice.

Alice: She was beautiful, Theo.

Theo: Her name is Suzi.

I say, hugging the photo.

Alice: The people we love never truly die, Theo, they just leave before us. Think about everything she wanted for you and make it happen, make it happen for her, little one.

Theo: You're different, Alice.

Alice: I give a smile to Theo.

Have you eaten yet?

Theo: Not yet.

Alice: I'll make a special breakfast for you. Would you like to come with me?

Theo: Can I?

Alice: Of course.

I notice that Theo is sad, and I think of something to cheer him up. We go to the kitchen together, everything here urgently needs to be cleaned. I sit him on the counter, and with some difficulty, I find all the ingredients to make pancakes. He helps me, while Daniela sits on the counter and reads a magazine, observing us. The mess gets a little out of control.

Lorenzo: I wake up with a hangover, staggering from the amount of whiskey I drank last night. I freshen up and get dressed, glancing at the clock and realizing I'm late, very late. I descend the stairs and hear laughter in the kitchen. I enter and find Theo having fun like I haven't seen in a long time, with a complete stranger. Everything is messy and I get irritated.

Mom, take Theo upstairs.

Daniela: Son, this is...

Lorenzo: Go upstairs!

My mother leaves, and the unknown woman stares at me with an unreadable look in her eyes.

What the hell is this in my kitchen?

Alice: These are pancakes, Mr. Lorenzo.

Lorenzo: Who do you think you are, making this mess in my kitchen?

Alice: Alice, Theo's new nanny. I was just trying to cheer him up.

Lorenzo: Cheering him up? Cheering him up by making a mess in my kitchen?

Alice: There's nothing here that water and soap can't solve. Did you not hear his laughter? Did you not notice his smile disappear when you entered here shouting?

Lorenzo: Impudent girl, who do you think you are?

I approach that clueless little woman and grab her tightly by the arm, staring into her eyes and seeing no sign of fear.

Alice: I'm just the nanny, Mr. Lorenzo, and it's my job. A child develops by playing, and here we train fine motor skills, following commands, sharing, among other things that will aid in his development.

I try to free my arm in vain, Lorenzo tightens his grip, this time so strong that I flinch, letting out a squeak of pain. He realizes what he's doing and immediately lets go, visibly out of control, consumed by anger, not even realizing how hard he was squeezing my arm.

Lorenzo: I want you to clean up this mess.

I look at Alice's arm, filled with anger towards myself. I don't know what the hell possessed me to squeeze her arm like that. She seems unfazed, and I walk away without waiting for her response, already too frustrated for the day.

Alice: Lorenzo leaves and I release the breath I was holding, I look at my arm and rub it, it's going to bruise. He's worse than I imagined, and I need to stay away from him. Daniela comes down without Theo.

Where is he?

Daniela: He didn't want to come down. Oh my God, Alice, did Lorenzo do this?

Alice: It's nothing. I'm going upstairs to be with Theo. I just need to grab a sweater first, I don't want to scare him.

Daniela: I'm sorry, Alice, I'll talk to him.

Alice: Don't be sorry and don't say anything. He's in the anger phase of grieving, he won't listen and he might push me away from Theo. I need to do what he asked of me and prioritize Theo, I'll be fine.

Daniela surprises me with a hug and I respond, as a mother I know it must be difficult for her.

Daniela: As I said, an angel. Thank you, Alice.

Alice: I reply with a smile to Daniela, grab my sweater and head to Theo.

Theo: I want to be alone.

Alice: But I don't want to be alone. If we're going to be friends, we have to take care of each other. I'm hungry and I don't want to finish the pancakes alone.

Theo: So you didn't come to tell me you're leaving?

Alice: I came to invite you to finish the pancakes and I'm not going anywhere.

Theo runs into my arms and we head to the kitchen. We finish the pancakes and have breakfast. He plays while I clean up. I make lunch because it seems the cook quit. I finish and serve his food. I quickly get him ready for school, even though he says he'll go with the driver, I go with him, I drop him off in the classroom and notice his happiness. I go back and start cleaning that huge mansion, avoiding Lorenzo's room and the office. Hours pass and I change clothes to pick up Theo from school. When he sees me, he runs towards me and we play on the way home. We arrive and he goes straight to take a bath while I start preparing dinner. I make something simple, sauteed vegetables, rice, beans, beef stew, and salad.

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