Never Say Never

been a morning person, and it took some effort to drag herself out of bed and into the shower.
Still not awake, she picked up a coffee on her way to the subway, and by the time she stepped into Camila’s building at a quarter to eight, she felt a little more alive.
She was nervous about spending the day alone with Jaime for the first time. Even though the kid already adored her and she had looked after countless other children before, it was always nerve-wracking the first time.
She had the key to the elevator that Camila had given her the week before. The security guard clearly knew she was coming because he nodded politely at her as she pressed the elevator button.
She also had a key to the front door, but Emily decided to knock instead this first time. From inside Camila yelled, “Just come in, Emily!”
Camila was standing in the kitchen with her hands on her hips. Jaime sat in the middle of the floor with a stubborn look on his face, still wearing his pajamas. He brightened when he saw Emily.
“Jaime,” Camila said to Emily through gritted teeth, “decided that he was not going to get dressed or eat his breakfast until you got here.”
“I missed you.” Jaime looked up at her. Emily tried to be stern as she knelt down to look him in the eye.
“Are you being naughty for your mom, little man?”
“I wanted you to help”—he looked up at her, his lower lip protruding slightly—“because I missed you.”
“Okay, well, how about this: I’ll help you get ready this morning, if that’s okay with your mom, but I want you to behave better tomorrow, all right?”
“Okay.” Jaime sighed dramatically.
“Why don’t you go to your room and Emily will join you in a minute,” Camila suggested, and he scurried off down the hall. Then she turned to Emily. “Thank you.” She looked tired before the day had even really begun.
“I didn’t overstep there, did I?” Emily always worried about crossing the line from nanny to parent.
“Oh no, by all means. Whatever it takes to get him to listen, you should do it.” Camila’s phone rang. She looked at the caller ID and sighed. “I have to take this. Can you get him ready and I’ll meet you back here in a few minutes?”
“Sure.” Emily found Jaime in his room. “What do you want to wear today, buddy?”
“You pick.”
“All right. Where do you keep your clothes?” He pointed to the chest of drawers, and she riffled through to find a pair of jeans and a T-shirt with a dinosaur on it.
Once he was dressed, he ran back to the kitchen to show off his dinosaur shirt. Camila hoisted him up to sit at the breakfast bar where she had set out a bowl of cereal.
While Jaime ate, Camila showed Emily around the apartment. “It goes without saying that my bedroom is off-limits, and so is my study. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen. I shouldn’t be late home, but it looks like it’s already a crazy day. If it gets late, please eat here. I have a chef who prepares meals that I freeze and eat throughout the week. I told him to make double portions of everything from now on, so please take anything you want.”
Emily’s mouth watered at the thought of eating professionally cooked food.
“And as for Jaime’s meals, I made this for you.” A chart on the refrigerator listed days of the week and meals for lunch and dinner. “You don’t have to stick to it exactly; it’s just to give you an idea of his usual foods.”
“I appreciate it.”
“What else…?” Camila tapped a finger against her lips. Emily caught herself staring and quickly looked away. “Feel free to leave the apartment too; you’re not locked in here. There’s a park down the street that he likes, and there’s a coffee shop across from it. Just…just be careful.”
Emily recognized the apprehension that flickered in Camila’s eyes; she had seen it countless times before.
“We’re going to be fine, Camila.” It still felt weird to call her that. “I can text you hourly updates, if you like. Photos and everything, so you know he’s doing okay.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I know, but I also know that it’ll reassure you.”
Relief washed over Camila’s face.
The clock in the kitchen caught Emily’s eye. Eight fifteen. “Aren’t you going to be late for work?”
“Shi—oot!” Camila turned to Jaime at the breakfast bar. “All right, sweetheart. You be good for Emily, you hear me?”
“I will,” he promised.
She kissed the top of his head and turned back to Emily. “Let me know if you have any problems.” She shrugged into her coat, and Emily reached for the bag sitting on the breakfast bar, holding it out to her.
“Will do. And I’ll send you updates. Have a good day, Camila.”
“You too.” Camila looked at Jaime once more, then stepped through the front door. It was the first time Emily had seen her hesitate. The door clicked shut a moment later, leaving her alone with Jaime.
“So, buddy”—she lifted him off of the stool and set him down on the floor—“you ready for our first full day together?”
“Yeah!” He clapped his hands, then reached for Emily and dragged her toward his toys.
* * *
It was a busy Monday at CEBC. What got Camila through the day was the hourly pictures Emily sent of Jaime beaming at the camera. The photos chronicled their day together—their first true test, and Camila marveled at how happy and at ease her son looked in every single one.
She finished working at six, a record of late. She collected her things with a spring in her step and took the elevator down to her waiting car.
She arrived home to the sound of laughter. Camila shrugged out of her coat with a smile, kicked off her shoes, and stepped into the living area to find Emily helping Jaime off the couch so he could greet his mother. She bent down and