The woman took a breath. “My name is Grace Miller. And when I look after a home, I look after everyone in it. Lily is trying her best. She needs patience.”
“You’re fired,” Megan shot back. “Pack your things.”
Lily whimpered, and Grace instantly knelt beside her. “It’s all right, sweetheart. I’m right here.”
Something inside Ethan twisted sharply. When was the last time anyone had been that gentle with his child? When was the last time he had?
He knocked lightly on the door. “What’s going on?”
Megan immediately pointed at Grace. “She’s overstepping. She’s disrespecting me.”
Grace stood, calm even under accusation. “Mr. Walker, I only wanted to protect Lily from harsh words.”
Ethan’s eyes drifted from his trembling daughter to Grace’s steady posture, then to Megan’s anger.
“Grace, how long have you worked here?”
“Six months, sir.”
Six months. While he’d been traveling, this quiet stranger had become the person Lily depended on most.
“Daddy,” Lily whispered, “Grace helps me when you’re away. She teaches me things. She reads to me.”
A tightness formed in Ethan’s chest. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d read a bedtime story.