“Mr. Brooks—I didn’t know you were home. I can explain,” she said nervously.
The boys froze. Noah hid behind her. That reaction hurt Nathan more than anything else that day.
“You don’t need to explain,” he said quietly. “I just want to know how you did this.”
She explained that she’d arrived early to clean, found the boys alone and hungry, made lunch, and took them outside to play. Nothing more.
“You cooked for them?” Nathan asked.
She nodded. “Rice, chicken, vegetables. Mateo didn’t want the carrots, so I told him they give you superpowers.”
“It worked, Dad,” Mateo said proudly.
Lucas stepped forward. “She’s nice. She doesn’t yell. She lets us play.”
Noah ran to Nathan and hugged his leg. “Can she stay, please?”
Nathan lifted him up and looked at Sofia. “Do you have other jobs?”
She listed them. When he asked her income, she hesitated, then answered softly.
“What if I paid you double to work only here and take care of my kids?” he asked.
Her eyes widened. “Are you serious?”
The boys cheered.
“I’ve never seen them like this,” Nathan said. “They need you.”