Paige smiled. “Because the sun is saying goodbye, just like people do. It doesn’t mean it’s gone forever.”
Michael’s chest tightened as Ava nodded, taking in the words calmly, without fear.
Not everyone approved. Agnes Whitford, the longtime house manager who had served the Reynolds family for decades, watched Paige with barely concealed resentment.
“You’re overstepping,” Agnes warned one afternoon. “You were hired to help, not to raise her.”
“I’m not replacing anyone,” Paige replied evenly. “I’m just listening.”
The strain grew, leaving Michael torn between loyalty to the woman who had helped raise him and the undeniable progress his daughter was making. Then things escalated when Ava’s preschool teacher called, excitement clear in her voice.
“She spoke today,” the teacher said. “She played with the other children and told them stories about cooking and cleaning games at home. Whatever you’re doing—it’s working.”
Michael came home early that day to find Agnes reprimanding Paige in the backyard, while Ava clung to Paige’s legs, openly crying.
“I don’t want her to leave,” Ava sobbed.
Michael stepped forward and asked, “What’s happening?”
“She took the child outside without permission,” Agnes snapped.
“Ava wanted to see the flowers,” Paige responded softly.
Michael knelt down beside his daughter. “Are you alright, sweetheart?”
Ava sniffled, “Paige says flowers grow even when it rains. Like people.”
That evening, Michael confronted both women in his study. Agnes accused Paige of manipulating the situation and revealed she had looked into Paige’s background, discovering she held a degree in early childhood education.
“Why didn’t you share that?” Michael asked.
“Because people judge when they see education paired with poverty,” Paige admitted honestly. “I needed the job, not suspicion.”
A few days later, Agnes brought another complaint, claiming Paige had lied about her address. When confronted, Paige confessed she had recently moved into a shared shelter with her siblings after losing affordable housing.
“I was scared,” Paige said, her voice shaking. “I didn’t want to lose this job. Ava means a lot to me.”
Michael surprised himself when he said, “Then let me understand your life before I judge.”
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