Part 3 (1/2)
Option Two, go down to the doorht By the ti this toMrs Xnoteven JoanCraouldhireo take a bath So don't ever come back here, okay? My ets quieter as he starts to etinthetub”
”GRAYER!” I scream before I catch my breath ”Don't walk away from this door Ummm, I have a surprise out here for you” OptionThree, wait until Mrs X gets home and tell her the truth: her son is a sociopath But just as I settle on Option Three, the elevator door slides open and Mrs X, her neighbor, andthedoorman all step out
”Nanny? Naaanny, I don't want your surprise So go away Really, really, go, get out of here” Well, at least we've all been updated With a few ”ahehbor lets herself into her apart anddisappearsbackintotheelevator
I holdupGrayer's shoe
Asif for astudioaudience,Mrs Xwhipsouther keys andproceedstoreet this door open!” She laughs and unlocks the door But she swings it open a little too quickly andcatchesoneof Grayer's fingers
”AHHhhhhhhNannybroke my hand!AAAAAHhhhhh y hand is broke Get out of HEERRrrreeee!
GooOOOOoooo!”Hethrowshi+rief
Mrs X bendsdown,asif abouttoholdhihtensup
”Well, looks like you really tuckered hio on ahead I'm sure you have a ton of homework to do We'll see you Monday,then?” I reachcarefully inside thedoorway and put his shoe downinexchangeformybackpack
I clearmythroat ”Hejustthrewhis shoeandI?, At the sound of my voice Grayer lets out a fresh wail ”LEEAAAVVE!Ahhahhha”She stares down at him as he writhes on the floor, set the elevator ”Oh, and Nanny,C-a-i-t-l-i-n won't bereturning,butI' bynow”
I close their door and aain in the now familiar vestibule I wait for the elevator and listen to Grayer screaueoutatme
”Keep yournoseoutof it,NannyDrew”Myfatherslurpsthelastdropsof his wontonsoup ”You never know MaybethisCaitlin hadanotherjob linedup”
”I didn't reallyget thatsense”
”You likethekid?”
”Minusthelocking- these people You're just working there hat? ifteen hours a week?”
Thewaiter places aplateof fortunecookiesbetweenusandtakesthecheck
”Twelve” I reachfor a cookie
”Right Sodon't getyourknickersin a twist”
”ButwhatdoI doaboutGrayer?”
”They're always a little sloarhteen years of experience asanEnglishteacher Hegrabs acookieandtakesmyhand ”Cos crossed er” We weave out of the restaurant and head over to West EndAvenue
I puthhis asheslipshi+s handsintohis blazerpockets
”Glinda-the-Good-Witchhihtfully
”Caretoelaborate?”
Heshootsattention?”
”Yes”
”Because this is good stuff” 1 stand, waiting, with htand clarity and fun He is an inani out If he goes too far again' routine, physical violence, or anything that putshi+er ABOOM!WickedWitchof theWest!Twopointfourseconds ouswoopdown in front of his face and hiss that he ain ver It is not okay And then, before he canbataneyelash, backtoGlindaYou lethis,butthatthereare boundaries
And that you'll let him knohen he has pushed too far Trust et theSophster”
He disappears into our lobby and I look up between the buildings to the orange sky above Withinthe leash in his hand taut as she waggles over, s my arms around her neck, and burrow ive hioodtobearoundsomeoneunderthree feetwho doesn't talkback”
”Andwhoonlysticksouther tongueforbiologicalnecessity!” hecalls after me
I stand on the sidewalk outside Grayer's school on the following Monday I'm ten minutes early, as per Mrs X's strict instructions, so I flip through my Filofax and chart out the deadlines forhalt on the corner and I look up at the pande cars around it Across the median a blond wo The carsto locate the woman, to be sure if it was Caitlin But the other side of Park Avenueisnowe a brass hydrant
”Not you!” Grayer draaaaags hi toward certaindeath
”Hey,Grayer Hoasschool?”
”Yucky”
”Yucky?Whatwasyuckyaboutit?” 1 unpinthehowasyucky?” Buckleinstroller,unwrappears
”I don't wanttotalktoyou”
I kneel in front of the stroller and look him squarely in the eyes ”Look, Grayer, I know you don't like ht I a,pinkdress
”And that's okay, you haven't knownout at me ”I knowyoumissCaitlin” Hefreezesatthesoundof her nameandI catchhis foot fir her shows that you love her But being s and I knowCaitlin would never want you to hurt anyone's feelings So, as long as we're together,let's havefun”Hiseyes arelikesaucers
As we headout of the courtyard the rainthat's been threatening allfinally breaks and I have to pushGrayer backup to721ParkAvenueasif I'm intheStroller Olympics
”Weeeeeeee!” he cries and I make race-car noises and steer sharply around puddles all the way hoet into the lobby we're both soaked and I pray Mrs X isn't home to see how I've exposedher childtopneumonia
”I sure am wetAreyouwet,Grayer?”
”I sureatochatter