Chapter 1
“Ma!” She screamed crawling towards the limp body. “MAMA!” She continued, curling her body around hers. Her eyes were blank; nothing was there. She’s gone.
She heard a cough and a wet gasp behind her. “Ri,” the weak voice called as she turned around.
“Daddy,” She cried, her eyes blurring with tears. “Please don’t leave me. Please don’t leave me all alone.” She wept.
“Love you babygirl.” He smiled, gasping with each word. “Make me proud, Rianna.”
His chest was still, no longer rising and falling with the life that filled them. “NO! Dad! Daddy please! NO!”

She shot up quickly, heart pounding in her ears. It’s just a dream. You’re safe. You’re fine. Just a dream. She reminded herself as she forced her lungs to fill with air. So much for getting a full night of sleep. She scoffed as she rolled over and looked to see what time it was. 2:39 a.m. The phone light almost blinded her, making her even more frustrated than before.
As she laid in her bed, she went over the answers she would be giving in her interview later that day. It certainly wasn’t the most lucrative option, but hopefully she would get the job. If everything goes as planned, she would be babysitting a two and five year old within the next three days.
From the short conversations she’d had with Ayo and Aneka Buhle, they just needed childcare for their little ones as Aneka was going to be returning to work. They would be meeting at some coffee shop called Verve, which sounded too expensive, but they wanted to pick the location, so Riri agreed to the first thing they offered.
When the sun started rising and the rays began to peak through Riri’s crappy blinds, she forced herself to get up and find an outfit.
The Buhle’s had said that this was a casual interview, just to be sure that Riri was the right fit. She pulled out a pair of black skinny jeans and a black turtleneck. To add some color, she went with an oversized hot pink cardigan and a pair of white Converse. She took down her Bantu knots and fluffed them out, deciding on a side part. She finished her look with some gold jewelry to compliment the chain and wedding rings she never took off.
Once her phone dinged to notify her that her Uber had arrived, Riri swiped on some Carmex, put her AirPods in, and walked out the door.
The ride to the coffee shop wasn’t too bad, in terms of LA standards. Despite it not even being 7 a.m., there were still lots of people on the roads. As they pulled up, Riri left a five star review, noting that the driver was friendly, even though he said nothing to her.
She walked in quietly, taking in her surroundings; incidents from her past had left her extremely scarred and constantly on edge.
“Ms. Williams.” She heard a voice call out. Riri turned her head to her left, and there they were. Ayo and Aneka were seated at a table with four chairs, looking as poised and regal as one could in a coffee shop.
Riri walked to the table wearing a small smile before she took her seat. “Good morning,” she began cheerfully, “I am happy we are finally meeting in person.”
The couple smiled at her warmly, “As are we.” One said with an accent. “I am Aneka, and this is my wife, Ayo.”
Aneka had a warm accent, like she was from the Caribbean or maybe Africa. Riri wondered if her wife shared the same accent.
“Thank you both so much for taking the time to meet with me.” Riri wore a bigger smile this time.
Ayo smiled lightly and straightened her back. “We were pleased with what we saw in your application. We just wanted to get a few answers before we officially offered you the job.”
Same accent! Riri thought to herself. “Well I am happy to provide you with a bit of background if you’d like.” When the women gestured, she continued. “My full name is Rianna Williams. I am 20 years old. I was born and raised in Chicago. I was previously studying chemical and mechanical engineering at MIT, but tuition was too steep to continue my education there. I am looking to save up so that I can finish my degree. I really love children, so I thought that being a nanny would be a good way to make money and help others.” Riri paused as she tried to think of anything else that would be necessary to the conversation. “I don’t have any allergies, that I know of. I love throwback shows like Living Single and Martin.” Why would you talk about your favorite shows??? That’s so dumb. Stay on topic and be professional.
“Martin is my favorite show!” Aneka exclaimed. “We have to hire her Ayo. I need my kids to be with someone who has taste.”
Ayo looked at her wife with fond eyes before turning back to Riri. “We will have to do a trial run with the children, but I believe you will be a great fit. We have two children, as you know. Our son’s name is Olufemi, Femi for short. He is two, though he is much calmer than his sister. He likes to read and cuddle, like me.”
“Thandiwe is five. We often call her Thandi or Love. She is loud and funny. She can be sneaky, at times, but she will never lie. She will want to play dress up to get out of her schoolwork, so you will have to be firm, or she will walk all over you.” Aneka describes her daughter with pride.
“Their names are beautiful,” Riri says with a smile. “Would I be able to meet them at some point this week? I want to make sure they are comfortable with me before there are any job offers or accepting.”
The two make eye contact, speaking in some sort of telepathic way, the same way Riri had seen her own parents communicate before they told her no.
“Of course,” Ayo began. “We could go now, if you are free, and discuss some of the other components of the job.”
The only thing Riri had planned today was to wallow in self-pity and figure out how she would be paying her rent if she different get this job. “That sounds great!”
The three women walked to a blacked-out Escalade parked on the side of the street. Before she could open the door to get in, another bald women opened the driver door and came around to welcome them into the backseat. Aneka slid into the front, while Riri and Ayo got into the back.
“Thank you, Nosipho.” Aneka addressed the woman. “Home, please.” She continued before she turned to Riri. “So, if you are a good fit with the children, and decide to accept the job, Nosipho will be your driver. Driving is already stressful enough, and we want our little ones as safe as possible at all times. If you agree, you will also be staying with us. Our jobs have unforeseeable issues that need our immediate attention at times, and it will take away the hassle of having to call you in. You will not be expected to do any of the cooking, cleaning, or other errands, unless you wish to do so. We will pay 1,000 dollars per week if you work from 8 to 6, but 2,500 if you decide to be a live-in nanny. You will have one day off each week if you desire. We will provide you with a new phone and anything else that you feel you may need to be happy.”
By the time Aneka had finished with her speech, Riri was reeling. $2,500 a week? That’s 10 grand every month! I can go back to school in no time! She’d thought to herself.
“We will be at our home shortly, so think on that while you are getting acquainted with the children.” Ayo spoke softly.
Riri could only nod her head as she replayed everything in her head. There has to be a catch. People are not like this for no reason. She thought. So what. You have good instincts. If this goes badly, you know how to get yourself out of sticky situations. Just wait a few months, stack your bread, and you’ll be free of it all before you know it.
They lived at that fancy Four Seasons apartment building, or Private Residences as the sign called them. The “apartment” was incredibly beautiful. It had the most amazing views. The children were adorable. Thandiwe showed Riri all of her favorite dresses and costumes, even forcing her little brother in them sometimes. Despite sticking to his moms, Olufemi eventually pulled a book out of the basket and wordlessly gave it to them.
“I would love to work for you.” Riri stated confidently. “If the offer is still on the table, I would like the fulltime option.”
Ayo and Aneka smiled at each other again sharing the same thought. Riri would be perfect for her. She would be perfect for them.
“Welcome to the family, Ms. Williams.”
A/N: super nervous and nauseous about posting my first fic. If you have any suggestions lmk pls!! I hope you enjoyed :)