Perfect Pitch

Renee had been down on her luck for far too long. It was time to do something about it. She needed to make a change. Even at age forty-five, it was too young to give up on life. When her husband announced five months earlier that it was time to trade her in for a younger woman, she was devastated, though not surprised. But then she soon came to realize that anyone who felt she needed to be traded in as if she were an old, used tire or something simply wasn't worth the devastation. Renee was currently staying with a friend and figured that she would eventually have to get her own place. However, she hated living alone. It made her feel lonely, anxious, and depressed. Although she hadn't worked in a while since her married life had provided her the opportunity to work on her writing, she had quite a bit of experience as a nanny. She would love to be a long-term live-in nanny. The problem was that most people weren't looking for a nanny to move in with them, and it wasn't necessarily a long-term job either. Many parents were leaving their preschoolers in daycare and then taking care of them themselves once they got off work. There were only so many years one needed to be nannied, so more than likely, she was looking at a part-time job. As long as the child felt comfortable with her and she with the child's parents, and she could deal with moving from home to home if she couldn't secure any long-term positions, it may be fun and interesting. She had a few different interviews with a few different moms. There were two girls and one boy, ranging in age from three to ten. Renee decided to go with the first job she was given and leave the rest to fate. The woman who interviewed her to nanny for a six-year-old girl named Melanie was the child’s grandmother. Her name was Edith. She was in her fifties, short, stout, and seemed to adore jewelry. She wore a necklace with alternating emerald and sapphire gems with matching earrings. Gold rings and bracelets adorned her fingers and wrists. “My daughter is a medical specialist who is recently divorced,” Melanie's grandmother told her. The interview took place in the mother and daughter’s high-rise luxury apartment that Renee found absolutely beautiful. It had a breathtaking view of the city below. There were fifteen floors in all, with one apartment occupying a corner of each floor. Melanie smiled shyly from her seat on a nearby couch while the adults sat at the kitchen table by the glass exterior wall. She had a Barbie doll in her hand and shuffled between fluffing the doll's hair around and glancing curiously in her direction while she talked with Edith. “Mind if I ask about your current living situation?” Edith asked. She studied Edith and decided she wasn't someone she felt overly comfortable with, but she was likable enough. The woman wasn't that friendly, but she got right down to business and asked the right questions. “Sure. I'm recently divorced as well and staying with a friend.” “I see,” said Edith. “Although it's been a while since I’ve done any nannying, it's definitely something I miss doing, and I feel I need a change of pace after spending so much time working online at home.” “Oh?” Edith said, raising her eyebrows curiously. “And what do you do online, ma'am?” “Feel free to call me Renee. I write for some blogs. Promotional stuff and things like that.” “How long were you married?” “Almost twenty years.” “Wow, it must be strange being alone all of a sudden.” “It is. It's definitely something I don't think I could get used to. I think that's part of why a job as a live-in nanny would be good for me, as long as the child felt comfortable with me.” The six-year-old then jumped off the couch and virtually announced that she was hired. “I want her to stay! I like her best of all. She’s the prettiest and I like her shirt.” The two women laughed as Renee glanced down at her colorful tie-dye shirt. “You know the final decision has to be up to your mom, sweetie,” Edith told her. “Yeah, I know. Do you think she'll let her be my nanny?” “We'll find out soon. She should be home any minute now.” “Oh, that's right,” Renee said, glancing at her watch. “It's later than I realized.” “Well, the other interviewee was running a bit late, so I couldn't have you over sooner.” “No problem,” Renee said, hoping that the other prospective nanny’s lateness would be to her benefit. “Deanne will be home in about ten minutes. You wouldn't mind waiting that long?” “Not at all. That would give me a little more time to get to know Melanie better.” The two women rose from the table that was by the exterior wall’s floor-to-ceiling window, which let in a ton of light in addition to providing a magnificent view of Fort Lauderdale. The city took up the bottom half of the panoramic view, with the ocean and sky in the top half. Renee could see how one could easily get lost in such an amazing scene for hours at a time because there was so much to see. Twelve floors up, and she could barely make out the people down below, but she could see enough of the vehicles to make out their colors. Ships, sailboats, and speed boats decorated the scene’s background. Seagulls and other birds were visible as well, though just tiny moving specs that were barely visible. Since Renee had agreed to take on other tasks as well, such as cooking and cleaning, if she were hired, Edith gave her a quick tour of the place. The place was huge and spacious but simple. The living room and kitchen made up the center of the place. A large master bedroom and bath stood at the end by the kitchen, and two smaller bedrooms and a bath were on the opposite end. The women sat on the couch in the center of the spacious living room and chatted with Melanie. She started first grade not long ago, and Renee asked her about her teachers, fellow students, and what subjects interested her. Then one of the double solid oak doors to the apartment opened, and in stepped an average-looking woman with brown hair and blue eyes. Recognition clicked right away. “Dr. Robinson!” Renee said with surprise.