Episode 8

Alice: I wake up a little later to the sound of the baby monitor. Theo is awake and I haven't prepared his breakfast yet. I rush to get dressed and brush my teeth and find him coming out of his room. He jumps into my arms and gives me a tight hug.

Good morning, little one.

Theo: Good morning, Alice.

Alice: I just woke up too and you'll have to be patient and wait for me to prepare breakfast, alright?

We walk downstairs hand in hand, and I see several uniformed people around the house. The breakfast table is being set.

Maid: Good morning, are you the lady of the house?

Alice: Good morning, no...

I am interrupted by Lorenzo's deep and firm voice behind me, making me shiver.

Lorenzo: After me and Theo, Alice is the person you should listen to and follow orders from in this house. She is Theo's nanny and she will tell you how his meals should be.

Alice: I feel quite embarrassed, the nanny telling the employees what to do. They'll hate me right away!

Maid: Yes, Mr. Lorenzo. Has breakfast been served correctly?

Lorenzo: Did you not hear me? Alice will decide the menu and you can talk to her if you have any doubts, only speak to me if absolutely necessary.

Maid: Yes, sir.

Good morning, Alice. Is the breakfast to Theo's liking?

Theo: No, it's not. I like Alice's breakfast!

Alice: Good morning, what's your name?

I sense the contempt in the girl's voice who is talking to me.

Lina: It's Lina.

Alice: Lina, nice to meet you. Regarding breakfast, let's include some of Theo's preferences. I'll make a list and pass it on to you. Is it possible to make pancakes?

Lina: I'll talk to the cook, Maria, she's in the kitchen.

Alice: Great, I'll accompany you and talk to her. This way I can explain how he likes them.

I'll be right back, little one, I'll set this table the way you like it.

I kiss the top of Theo's head and go to the kitchen with Lina.

Lina: Maria, this is Alice. She's the boss in this house!

Alice: I look incredulously at Lina.

Good morning, Maria. I'm not the boss. I'm just Theo's nanny. Mr. Lorenzo gave me the role of deciding the menus because I know his preferences.

(Maria, 35 years old. Lina, 26 years old)

Maria: It's a pleasure, Mrs. Alice. It's good that you know his preferences. How can I help you?

Alice: Just Alice, Maria. I'm just Theo's nanny here. I would like to ask you to make pancakes for him, he likes them in the shape of cars, accompanied by honey or strawberry jam. Oh, before I forget, Mrs. Daniela informed me that Mrs. Julia is allergic to strawberries, so whenever she's here, don't serve anything with strawberries.

Maria: I'll prepare them right away, thank you for letting me know, Alice.

Alice is simple and sweet.

Alice: Now, Lina, it was very disrespectful of you to talk about me like that to Maria. I am an employee here, just like you, but with a different role. I hope we won't have any problems. We can all have a good relationship and get along well, it's up to you!

Lina: Alice storms off with an air of superiority. Disgusting woman.

Maria: She could have done without that, Lina.

Lina: Shut up, Maria. You're nothing but an old gossip.

I leave the kitchen in anger and start the cleaning.

Lorenzo: I hear the whole conversation in the kitchen and I'm bothered by Lina, but I can't fire anyone else right now. I'll keep an eye on her. Alice comes back from the kitchen smiling with Theo, and I can't help but notice how much he likes her. She stops again next to him.

Sit down, Alice.

Alice: Mr. Lorenzo, with so many new employees, it might be odd for me to sit at the table.

Theo: Please, Alice, sit.

Lorenzo: Alice, from today onwards, you sit with us and eat at every meal.

Alice: Alright, excuse me.

I sit down and Lina passes by, staring at me with a bucket in her hands. I feel embarrassed and I notice Lorenzo watching.

Lorenzo: Is something wrong, Alice?

Alice: No, nothing. Everything's fine.

Lorenzo: Alice lies, I simply observe. She's a terrible liar, she gets embarrassed and can hardly look at me.

You're not a good liar.

Alice: I don't know how to lie and I don't like lying. Well, everything is fine, Mr. Lorenzo, I had a situation in the kitchen that I managed to handle. Nothing that could be strictly necessary to bother you.

Lorenzo: Sharp-tongued woman.

We will have lunch in the property's banquet hall today.

Theo: Are you going to the family lunch?

Lorenzo: Don't you want me to go, son?

Theo: I want you to go.

Lorenzo: Then the three of us will go. We'll leave at 11:50 am.

Alice: Do I need to wear something specific?

Lorenzo: No! It's just a family lunch and you'll be responsible for Theo.

Alice: Okay, thank you.

Lorenzo doesn't look at me or respond anymore. The pancakes arrive, we have breakfast, and I take Theo to the pool. I spend an hour teaching him how to swim, and I already notice Theo improving. I play with him for a while, and his laughter is loud and beautiful, he has a great time in the pool.

Lorenzo: I put on swim trunks, but then take them off. I pace back and forth, wanting to go down but unable to. I hear Theo's laughter, and even though I want to go down so badly, I can't, I don't want to disrupt his happiness. I lay down, feeling uneasy, and decide to review the security cameras. I watch the day when I fought with Theo. I see how upset he became, and I listen carefully to Alice's words. She manages to calm him down by singing and holding him in her arms. I notice her laying him down, kissing his forehead, and caressing his hair. She goes downstairs, and I notice her surprise when she sees the mess I made in the dining room. She starts cleaning quickly, always looking at the top of the stairs, I believe she's afraid of waking up Theo. I notice her cutting her hand and ignoring it, Julia arrives and helps her. Then they talk, and I listen to every word Julia says. Julia takes Theo, and I notice Alice hesitating to enter my room. She cleans everything quickly without touching or moving anything. I stop watching because what comes next is embarrassing. I go back to the day she arrived here and see how she treated Theo from the very beginning. She took over the kitchen and the house without anyone asking, and when my mother mentioned increasing her salary, she refused. I see the day I grabbed her arm, the way she talked to my mother about grief, I'm certain she knows this pain up close based on everything she has said since she arrived here.

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