Page 8 of An Unexpected Match
“You must be Arden Glover. I’m Ella Robinson, Brendan’s sister. And I’m so glad you’ve come. We were running out of time. My husband swore we were leaving next Saturday no matter what, but I know he secretly thought I’d end up staying here until Brendan found someone.”
Arden scrambled to her feet and shook hands with Ella.
“Now you can leave without worrying. I’ll take great care of them. I understand you’re moving to San Diego?” she said.
“That’s right, clear across the country,” Ella said in a friendly tone. “Ever been there?”
“No. I was born here in Norfolk and I’ve never been anywhere outside of Virginia, except for a school trip to DC.”
“We’re from here, too, originally. But our father is Navy. I take it Brendan told you I married a career naval officer. I expect I’ll see a lot more of the world during the next couple of decades. My lot in life, I guess, constantly changing duty stations. I’m glad you didn’t have to give notice elsewhere so you could start right away. Brendan could have found day care somewhere close, but there’s always the chance he’ll be called away in the middle of the night.”
Brendan rose and headed for the archway.
“I’ll unload your things. Ella can show you your room and go over the schedule with you.”
Arden nodded, following Ella as she wound through the house to a spacious bedroom off the family room.
The two girls tagged along, each carrying her new book.
“This is it. Bathroom’s over there,” Ella said as she stopped in the center of the large room. “It’s separate from the rest of the bedrooms, so you’ll have some privacy. Brendan has a baby monitor in the girls’ room. When he’s not home, you can take the speaker and listen for them from down here.”
Arden nodded, dropping her shoulder bag on the bed and gazing around at what would be her room for the next three years. Windows lined one wall, overlooking a huge backyard where tall elms and poplars provided shade from the hot Virginia sunshine. There were no paintings on the walls, she noted, but she had plenty she could put up to feel at home.
Studying the furniture, Arden liked the light oak, and even though the bed was queen-size, there was plenty of open space in the room. Enough for her easel and paints. The windows would give her plenty of natural light.
For a moment she felt a regret for losing her old room. She missed the huge old maple tree that brushed against the house in the wind. Missed the flowers Aunt Love had so patiently tended. Missed the floorboards that creaked comfortably underfoot whenever she walked.
But it was gone, and there was nothing to be done about it. This was much better than the tiny bedroom she’d been using in Patti’s small apartment.
“Come on in,” she said to the girls who hovered in the doorway. “You can help me unpack and tell me all about what you like to do, which are your favorite games, and maybe tell me a story.”
By dinnertime, Arden knew the job would not be quite as she’d envisioned it with her optimistic imagination. The children were wonderfully behaved–maybe too good. Ella had gone over their schedule in great detail. Everything seemed outlined down to an exact science what time they got up, when they played, when they napped, when they bathed. Even meals were at specific times each day.
“Brendan doesn’t always get to eat with them,” Ella said when the girls had gone upstairs to play and she and Arden had moved to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
“Since they eat right at six each evening, if he’s delayed at the office, he gets something to eat before he comes home. He’s good about getting here before they go to bed. Of course, if he’s out on an assignment...” she trailed off and looked at Arden. “You realize he can be called away at a moment’s notice? If there’s a problem in Latin America or something, he’s often called in for hostage negotiations. Or if threats have been made and clients want instant security measures installed. Sometimes he goes, other times he delegates the assignment to one of the people who works for him. We never know when he’ll be called. That’s the price he pays for being one of the best in his field.”
Arden nodded, wondering how she could tactfully question the girls’ schedule. It seemed too rigid for young children. Structure was important, but flexibility had its place, too.
“You’ve written everything,” Arden said slowly. “Did Brendan tell you I’d be taking classes at ODU? I’ll put the girls in child care there when I’m attending class.”
“No, he didn’t mention it.”
Ella frowned and gazed out the kitchen window for a moment, tapping one finger against the counter.
“I guess he knows what he’s doing,” she said at last. Turning to face Arden, she continued, “You’ll be going to class at the same time each day, so that’ll be fine. Brendan runs a tight ship, and he thinks routine is important for children.”
“This is a ship?”
Ella laughed softly.
“No, sorry, that’s just an expression our father always uses. He’s an admiral. The entire time we were growing up, he made sure Mom kept our household on strict schedules. I guess Brendan picked it up from Dad. Anyway, with routines established, things run more smoothly. Making up for when they don’t, I suppose.”
“How did the girls’ mother die?” Arden asked bluntly, knowing it’d be far easier to question Ella than her formidable brother.
Ella looked surprised, then glanced toward the empty doorway as if to see if Brendan was there.
“We don’t talk about Lannie. Brendan hasn’t gotten over losing her. She had an embolism and died unexpectedly delivering Avery.”