novelxo Kingpin’s Nanny: Chapter 13
“Ohhhh.” I look at my little niece and the weight of guilt is immediate. Like with Bella, I kept Ivy out because I thought that was best. I thought I was unfit. It’s only now I can see that I hurt us both unnecessarily. “I’m sorry you two. I’ve been a terrible gift giver.” But I’m going to make up for it.
“You haven’t,” Bella protests.
“But you’ll need to help me.” I have a plan, and it can’t wait until I have the correct items bought. “Ivy, could I borrow two of those friendship bracelets you got for Christmas, please.”
She got a whole box of them from a friend from her school and has already put some on the unicorns.
My niece tilts her head thoughtfully. “What colours?”
Amusement flares in my chest. Why did I think this was the easy way? “Gold would be ideal, but—”
“I don’t like gold,” Ivy declares. “I prefer green.”
“Understandable,” I reply with the seriousness this topic deserves. “Perhaps you could give me a gold one and a green one?” Blue is my favourite colour since a certain blue-eyed woman came into our lives, but I’ll allow green in this case.
Ivy narrows her eyes, clearly reluctant to part with a green bracelet, but sorts through them until she finds two she feels she can spare. With solemn gravity, Ivy hands them over. I rise from the sofa and take them from her, pocketing the green one.
The friendship bracelets are designed for a child’s wrist, and tiny, made with plastic beads and not exactly the classy and outrageously expensive jewellery I’d prefer to do this with.
Never mind. I take a deep breath and lower myself to one knee before Bella.