A maid and two brats

7

The next morning, we took the three-hour taxi ride and made a stop in front of what I presumed to be Mrs. Dalia's house. Okay, house was not exactly the best term to describe it. Mansion was a much preferable word.

"This is huge!" I gasped to my aunt after she paid the driver and moved to stand next to me. I took the next few seconds taking in the scenery before me, it was exquisite and expensive-looking, quite a contrast to the neighborhood I had lived in all of my life. I worried for a second if I would even fit into this life I was about to be thrown in.

"It's even larger than I remember it." she looked just as amazed as me, "and there have definitely been a lot of renovations since the last time was here."

"Now I'm not so sure I can handle working here as a maid." As much as I was used to working myself out on most days, cleaning this massive mansion every day was enough to send a shudder wracking through me.

"Oh silly girl," she chuckled, "You're not going to be the only maid here. If things are still the way they were when I left here, I assure you would only be given one wing or a room to clean. No more than that."

"Okay," I squared my shoulders and smoothed my hand over my hair quickly before following up behind her.

She stepped to the intercom and hit the button once before a stern male voice answered. "How can I help you?"

"I'm here to see Mr's Dalia Mcarthy."

"Do you have an appointment today?"

"No, but I used to work here as a maid."

"Name?"

"Agnes Jones."

"Give me a minute to check." the intercom buzzed out, followed by a small beat of silence before he returned. "Okay, come in."

The smaller gate slid open and I walked in following behind aunt Agnes. It took a few minutes to walk to get to the actual building. A fortified building, with more glass walls and a few white stones, four stories high and definitely worth more millions than I dared to imagine.

"Maria-Agnes!" a woman with a beaming smile cried as the door flew open when we knocked. The name tag on her white button-down, matched with a pencil skirt and some comfy-looking red heels read "head of staff." Her salt and pepper hair that flowed over her shoulders along with the few visible wrinkles on her face gave her away to be much older than her dress sense did.

"Miley," aunt Ages called, catching the woman in a firm hug.

"Look at you!" Miley cried after they pulled apart, "it feels like I have not seen you in forever."

"Four years." Aunt ages clarified, her smile matching the woman's

She turned her attention to me, gasping, "I did not know you had such a grown girl. Hello princess,"

"Hi ma'am," I said politely, managing to return her infectious smile as I stretched my hand out. She took it, but instead of shaking me, she gave me a firm hug.

"Your daughter is beautiful Agnes"

"Oh she's my niece," Agnes clarified, "we're here to see Dalia."

"Oh, then you're just in luck today. She had a bad headache so she's home today."

"Phew. Thank goodness." the words were long past my lips before I realized how weird it sounded. "What I meant is thank goodness she's in, I'm so sorry about her headache."

"It's okay sweetheart," Miley grinned, more amused than offended. "I know what you meant. Come on in."

My nerves shot up higher as we entered the house. Three words to describe it, massive, ornate, and luxurious. Agnes and Miley chatted the whole way, while I just followed behind them, forgetting to close my mouth as we walked past one mind-blowing thing or the other.

"Wait here while I inform you of her presence," Miley said as we stopped in front of a pair of white french doors. The glass was reflective so we could not see the inside. A minute later she walked out and we thanked her as she let us in, making Agnes promise to see her before we left.

"Agnes!" Mrs. Dalia Mcarthy said from her seat behind her desk. She had a smile on that did nothing to hide the grim expression on her face. Among the laptops, phones, and stacks of documents that lay on the hardwood table, there was a glass of water, and some pills too.

"Mrs. Dalia, it's so good to see you again." Agnes stepped closer, but frowned as she saw the pills."You don't look too well."

"It's just an awful headache. It will be gone once I take the next dose of Tylenol." she raised the bottle. "Please take a seat."

I joined my aunt to seat on the plush white couch opposite her, waiting patiently for a chance to speak first. Mrs. Dalia straightened in her seat, wincing. I could tell the headache had her really bad. "To what do I owe a visit to one of my favorite maids who decided to abandon me."

"Oh Mrs. Mcarthy, you know it's nothing of that sort," aunt explained, "It was a big move I had to take. I apologize."

"No apologies love, I have always said life should be without apologies or regrets, just new lessons learned. And you know I'm not really mad at you, I would never hinder you from going after something that would be most beneficial to you. Who is the child?"

"I'm Deborah," I said with a small smile, taking my chance to speak. "Agnes is my aunt."

"Oh, it's nice to meet you, Deborah. Would you both like some tea or juice?" she offered. 

"I'm good thanks." I was too nervous to stomach anything. 

"Thanks, Mrs. Dalia, but we'll pass," Agnes said too with a small smile. 

"Alright," she straightened in her seat and put on her pair of glasses, "Agnes, you haven't told me why you are here today. As much as I wish you only came here because you missed me, I know there's more."

"Well you see Mrs. Dalia, I needed a massive favor from you." Aunt Agnes straightened in her seat.

"I'm all ears," she said without any hesitancy.

She gave us her undivided attention as my aunt gave her all the necessary details on the reason we were here and when she finished speaking, Mrs. Dalia had a grim and empathetic expression on her face.

"Oh dear, you have had to go through so much," she got up from her seat and to my surprise and walked to where I sat on the couch. I watched quietly, trying to articulate my confusion as she took my hand and made me stand. "Has anyone hugged you in the last few days?"

Her question came to me as a shock, but I managed to mumble a "yes, sometimes."

"That's not nearly enough," she wrapped her hands around me before I could protest and gave me a big warm motherly hug. I stilled at first, wondering what was going on, but soon melted into her embrace as she ran a hand over my hair smoothly and whispered a few comforting words to me.

Her actions were even more surprising because she just met me and I worked to hold back from crying. We stayed like that for the next few minutes and when she released me, all I wanted to do was hug her again. "How do you feel now dear?"

Like a heavyweight was lifted off my shoulders for a few seconds. "Much better, much much better."

She gave me a small smile, before walking back to her seat. I looked at my aunt, but all she did was offer a small reassuring smile. She did not look in the least surprised by Mrs. Dalia's actions and that was enough to cancel any doubt that remained in my mind about this new phase I was about to step into.

But her next words left me stunned. "And, I want to help you niece, but you know I cannot give her a job as my maid. My conscience will not allow me to employ her as your maid. Moreover, she's still very young."

"Please Mrs. Dalia." I said quickly, "please don't say that. I'm willing to do anything you need me to. I need a place to stay and a job if I have to stay here in New York. Please, ma'am."

"I think you misunderstood my dear. I'm not sending you away. Your aunt here was one of the best people that ever worked for me, I'm not going to turn her down when she needs my help." her eyes were full of concern and sympathy as she spoke.

"So she can stay here?" Aunt Agnes asked.

"Yes Agnes, she can stay here at my house for as long as she decides to. But not as a maid."

"Oh," I tried to articulate my confusion. "Would I need to pay rent now? I was kind of hoping to do that by working for you as your maid." I blurted, having been used to receiving nothing for free and so easy.

"Oh no child." she looked almost insulted and I made a mental note to clamp my mouth shut.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Dalia, she's just not used to..."

"Nice people..." she completed. "I would have been offended if you have not gone through enough sweetheart. My husband is always away on shore and he spends only a few days back at home, My son is never home, only at night and my daughter is on another continent with her family. This house is always really empty save for the staff. So I am thrilled to have someone live in as a member of my family."

"Your family?" I asked, eyes wide.

"Yes, love. At least until you can stand on your two feet again."

"Thank you so much, Mrs. Dalia." Aunt Agnes said happily, "this is a lot more than I expected, I really appreciate your kindness."

Her kindness left me stunned and my eyes watered, so I worked to keep a straight face and normal voice as I thanked her too—immensely.

"You embarrass me when you thank me so much. It's the least I can do to play my part as a proper human being. It's Friday already, so I'll let you take the weekend to organize yourself, while I get the staff to clean up your room. It should all be settled by Monday."

"Monday?" aunt repeated.

"Yes, on Monday."

I worked to keep the tears away and more thanks were ready to spill freaky but a small commotion outside the office door caught everyone's attention.

"Why do you not understand that you cannot go in there?" Miley's annoyed voice yelled, followed by a familiar voice yelling back.

"I'll see my mother when I want to, you should even retire soon Miley. Get your old ass some rest and stop bothering my life." the doors burst open and I could not hold back the shocked frown that plastered my face.

Mrs. Anderson looked worried as he walked in and she rubbed her forehead lightly as he strode past us without even a glance and headed straight for his mother's desk.

"Mom we need to talk," his annoying voice spoke harshly as he banged a fist on the table.

She answered in a calm tone that did nothing to hide how pissed and embarrassed she was. "How many times have I told you never to barge into my office, Damien?"

My heart thumped in my chest at the sight of him, more out of fear and confusion than the usual anger and disgust I usually felt whenever I saw him.

More than 1 million buildings in this city, more than 8 times that amount of residents, and the one place my very bad luck decided to make me stay for probably the next few years was right in his house?

You have got to be kidding me.