Contract To My Happiness

Chapter 4

After touring the entire property, which is quite large, we went back to the kitchen, waiting for little Bianca to arrive.

I am nervous. I don't know what the girl will say about me or what mischief she will make with me, but I know I must endure and try to understand her.

Her short life has been marked by pain and loneliness. She has never had anyone who really cares for her and gives her that family warmth she longs for.

I don't know her, but just from what I heard, I already know what the girl lacks, and my first mission is to earn her trust.

It won't be easy, she must distrust everyone, but that doesn't deter me now that I have a new goal ahead.

Minutes pass, and the time for the little one's arrival is approaching. I see the curtain hanging on one of the kitchen walls, and I see that there are only a couple of minutes left.

"Come on, Isa, Miss Bianca should be arriving soon," Maria told me and took me to the entrance of the house.

In the distance, I can see a vehicle entering. I think that the girl must be in there, and I'm not wrong when, a few seconds after the vehicle parks, a very beautiful little girl gets out. Her blonde hair falls like a waterfall down her back, she has fair and delicate porcelain-like skin, perfectly groomed, with impeccable clothing, a small backpack on her back, and her green eyes looking at me carefully.

I feel that she is analyzing me with her gaze. She seems just as intimidating as her father.

God, what does this family have that just by looking at me, they make me feel insignificant in their presence?

"Miss Bianca, let me introduce you to your new babysitter Isabella Davis. Isabella, meet the girl Bianca," Maria introduced us with her characteristic kindness.

I put on my best smile and approached the little girl. I crouched down to her level and stood in front of her with a radiant smile on my face. She looked at me as if I were some kind of strange creature or experiment.

"Hello, little Bianca. As Maria told you, my name is Isabella, and it's a pleasure to meet you," I said as kindly as possible, despite my damn nerves.

I extended my hand for a handshake, but she just kept looking at my face, then my hand, but never takes it.

"Another one? Doesn't Mr. Sebastian get tired?" the little girl said with a bad attitude. A shiver runs through me as I hear how she refers to her own father, but considering how he refers to her, I said nothing.

"That's right, your father hired me to be with you," I told her, trying to sound as calm and loving as possible.

But her posture and gaze tell me to be careful. How is it possible that this girl is so intimidating? Without a doubt, she takes after her father.

"Mr. Santorini only does it because he can't put me up for adoption. He has no other options," she said a matter-of-factly, rolling her eyes. She walked past me, ignoring me, and entered the house.

I was left speechless by her words. This girl appears to be older than she really is, her responses worse than an adult would give, even worse than how I would respond.

It is clear that any "Father-Daughter" relationship between these two people is non-existent. They hate each other to death.

I think I have a more difficult task ahead than I thought, but I won't give up. I will make them get closer and be what they should have always been... a family.

"You must have patience, please, I think you can be of great help to both of them," Maria said with a sad tone.

"I'll do everything I can and more," I assured her with conviction and a determination that I don't recognize in myself.

It will be difficult, but I won't rest until I achieve my goal.

I quickly entered the house and started searching for the little girl. I don't see her anywhere until I felt Lorena by my side.

"Miss Bianca is in her room."

I thanked her with a glance as I rush to her room, the only one I memorized during the tour.

"Miss Bianca, I am here to help you."

I knocked on the door a couple of times, but no one responds, so I decided to enter cautiously.

I searched for her with my eyes, but I don't see her anywhere. It's not like she got lost, the room is big but not Narnia's closet big to not find her.

I decided to check the bathroom, and she's not there. I looked in the closet, and nothing... hmm, what other place am I missing? Ah, I know...

I approached the balcony silently and see her sitting with her knees to her chest, looking straight ahead.

I don't know why, but seeing her in that state hurts me. It makes me very sad to see how lonely she is.

This little girl lacks a lot of things, but mainly... love.

She has never received love from anyone, or at least not from the people who truly matter to her.

Just by standing here and observing her, I can feel her pain. Many times, I have been in her same position, trying to understand what I had done wrong to deserve all the abuse I had been suffering at that time. Even today, I still wonder why? Why me? Why did I, who hadn't done anything wrong to anyone, have to suffer? If I hadn't left, would I still be suffering the same way?

I imagine she must ask herself the same questions every day, especially when she arrives at a house where she is completely alone, with no one who truly loves her, no family, no friends, and above all, without her parents.

A brilliant idea comes to mind, I hope the little one cooperates, but if not, I will keep trying.

"Will you tell me why you're here or will you stand there all night?"

I jumped as I hear her voice, sounding like a teenager. How did she realize I was here? I cleared my throat and composed myself, finishing entering the balcony.

"Miss Bianca, I..." I said almost in a whisper, but I don't get to say anything when she turned her face and looked at me.

I could see the pain and loneliness reflected in her little, beautiful face. She is a child. She should be playing, not alone here.

"Save it, they all have the same speech. They all say the same thing."

I don't understand what she means. My face must be expressionless. God, it's difficult to talk to her.

"I don't know what others say. I can only speak for myself and yes, you're right, they'll pay me to take care of you, but that doesn't change the fact that I want to be your friend, because I understand your pain. I also suffered the scorn of my parents... my whole life," the last thing I said surprised her and a glimmer of hope appeared in her eyes. She didn't expect me to say that, but I also saw how she quickly composed herself. I saw how she doesn't want to show weakness or other feelings towards other people.

"I don't care. It's not part of your job to talk to me about your problems and I'm not interested in hearing them," she said arrogantly and sharply. She got up from the couch and entered the room.

I saw her getting straight to the bathroom. I hesitated to follow her, but in the end, I did.

"Miss Bianca, do you need my help?" I said, turning my back once I entered the bathroom. I don't want to interrupt her privacy.

"No, it's not necessary," says the little one, who despite her attitude, is earning a little corner of my heart.

"Well, I'll be outside the bathroom waiting for you," I said kindly and so she would understand that even if she wanted me to disappear, she won't get rid of me that easily.

I decided to kill time by looking for pajamas for her. After searching for a few seconds, I found them. She has many but they're all... hmmm, how to describe them?

"Cold?" "Boring?" "Lacking shine?" "Dull?"

Maybe for adults, they're... nice. But for a child, they the most boring. I think I'll have to go to the mall for new pajamas for the little girl.

Minutes go by slowly, I can feel the artificial rain inside that bathroom running until it stops. I imagine Bianca has finished and is about to come out.

While I wait, I left a pajama on her bed for her to change into. I hope my choice pleases her.

"Still here?" says the little one when she comes out wrapped in a children's robe and a towel around her hair.

Her face tells me she's already fed up with me, but I'm sorry, you'll have to put up with me.

I gave her a bright smile before speaking.

"Miss Bianca, here's a pajama for you to change into. Do you need my help?" I asked, standing at the foot of her bed, always being very kind.

"No, it's not necessary... what were you told to do?" she asked annoyed and tired of my presence.

"Yes, I was told my duties," I responded calmly. I know what this little one is trying to do.

"Then what are you doing here?" she said, crossing her arms and facing me annoyed.

"I already told you, doing my job and trying to be your friend."

She scoffed when she heard the last part, took the pajama I left and went back to the bathroom to change.

"I already told you it's not necessary. I don't believe in any of you.”

She's such a difficult child, but come on, Isabella, you have to get this girl to lower her walls of coldness.

"I know, but I won't rest until I achieve it," I said, convinced and with a dazzling smile.

She just looked at me suspiciously, but doesn't say anything else. She sat at her little vanity and I saw her starting to dry her hair.

What the hell were her other nannies doing? She does practically everything herself. I shook my head and approached where she was. I saw the hairdryer. I grabbed it before she does and positioned myself behind her, taking her hair with my hands along with a comb and started untangling it while I comb it.

I could see through the mirror in front of us how her eyes widened at my audacity of what I'm doing, but as long as she doesn't say anything, I will continue with my task. I could see from the surprise and tension in her small body that she was not used to any of this. But I'm not sure if it's about what I'm doing or the physical contact with another person.

Everything in this little girl is like a puzzle, which I will have to solve little by little every day.

I continued with my task, and Bianca doesn't say anything and just lets me do my job without any problems.

Her sharp tongue was kept quiet for now. It surprises me that she didn't say anything, because from what little I know about her, I realized that she has a very strong character and is not afraid to speak her mind.

Apparently, she is just like her father in that aspect. It's incredible how similar they are despite not having any kind of relationship.

I have a feeling that her mother possessed the warmth that this family lacks. I believe that when she passed away, she took away all the joy from this little family.

It will be difficult to recover it, but not impossible.

“Alright, hair is dry and ready for bed.” I braided her hair, so it doesn't bother her while she sleeps.

Bianca silently watched me. She doesn't say anything which somehow made me impatient.

I helped her get into bed, I tucked her in like a mother should, while she just watches me with a mix of surprise and confusion.

I approached her bookshelf, filled with books, and picked one at random. I saw that it's about economics, this one... WHATTTT? I widened my eyes surprised by what I’m seeing. I better not ask why she has this here. I shook my head and continued searching. I saw books about finances, English literature, World War II, and for a moment, I think I'm in Mr. Sebastian's library instead of a 5-year-old girl's library.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw how Bianca attentively watches my steps and her silence is killing me, but as long as she doesn't yell at me, everything is fine.

I searched and searched until I found some children's books. There are only 3, but enough for tonight... I think I'll have to go to a bookstore soon for age-appropriate books.

“I don't know if you've already read it, but tonight I will read it to you. Goldilocks and the Three Bears. At least I've never read it, so it will be the first time for me too,” I said excitedly and I'm not lying when I said that I have never read it before.

My life was so precarious that I didn't have access to anything. The little education I have is because I wanted it and I made the effort to learn it. The same was true when I learned to read and write. I knew that was essential to get a job at some point, so I learned on my own, with a lot of effort and patience, because it wasn't easy or quick.

I took a chair from the room and sat close to Bianca. She just watches me attentively, with a furrowed brow confused by my behavior.

"Once upon a time, there was a girl who everyone knew as Goldilocks..." I saw how she looked at me attentively but silently.

"The little girl loved to take walks and pick flowers in the countryside..." I heard her snort at my reading.

"One morning, Goldilocks wandered further than usual and got lost in the forest..." I tried to use a storyteller's voice, with drama.

"Suddenly, she saw a beautiful little house in the distance and decided to approach it for help..."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her adjusting herself, paying attention to what I'm reading, which encouraged me to continue. My dramatic reading elicits small smiles and if before she listened because she had no other choice, now she does so because she wants to. They were small smiles, but for me, they are valid smiles, for now.

And so, I continued until I finished reading it. At least I liked it. I was thinking of asking her what she thought, but when I closed the story, I realized that Bianca was deeply asleep.

I stared at her for a few minutes. She looks so beautiful and peaceful, like a little 5-year-old girl and not an embittered teenager trapped in a child's body.

I stroke her cheek and her beautiful hair. I know it's presumptuous of me, but I can't help it. She evokes many feelings in me and above all, an immense desire to save her from this hell of a life she has, to help her regain the childhood she has lost, and to see a smile on that beautiful face. But above all, to help her recover her father, that's my main goal.

It won't be easy, but I will do the impossible to see them smile.