Nanny Series - Andy Barber 💜

Chapter 31

Andy and Juliette were woken early the next morning by a knock on the door. Andy opened the door to find Peter standing in front of him.

Peter entered their room, "Eddie just called to say mom passed a bit ago. I'm going there now. But you can sleep and come by when you get up. Okay?"

Juliette nodded, standing up to hug Peter, "okay. Thanks. Are you okay?"

Peter sighed, kissing the top of her head, "I'm okay. I'll take care of everything. Just get some sleep little one."

"I'll try." She watched him leave before Andy turned back to her.

"Are you okay Jules?"

She shrugged, "I think so. I said goodbye to her a long time ago Andy."

He nodded, "I know. Still. If you want to talk, we can." He sat back on the bed, patting next to him as she sat back down.

"I don't know Andy. Maybe Derrick was right about me being like my mother. You know Jacob and Emily have the same age difference as Pete and me?"

"I noticed that, yeah. But love," he pulled her into his lap, making her straddle him, "you are nothing like your mother. You heard Jacob last night, him and Emily love you. I've never met anyone as sweet or compassionate as you Jules. You're going to be an amazing mother because you already are one."

Juliette nodded as she felt her chest tighten, her eyes welling with tears, "thank you Andy."

"I love you so much Jules." He rested his head against hers as she buried her face into the crook of his neck.

~~~

Juliette stood with Andy and Peter two nights later as a few people trickled in and out, offering their condolences at the wake. She sighed as she watched Dan come up to her and Andy.

"I'm really sorry about your mom Julie."

She nodded as she felt Andy squeeze her hand, "do you even care?"

"Of course I care." He scoffed, "I don't know what she told you, but," he looked at Andy and back at her, "can we talk?"

Juliette shook her head, "I don't think so."

"Please Julie."

She looked at Andy who let go of her hand. He nudged her forward, "go."

She sighed, nodding as she followed Dan out into the hallway.

"I heard you left for college. Did you finish?"

Juliette nodded as she crossed her arms, "yeah. I have a bachelors in psychology and I just graduated from law school and passed the bar."

Dan grinned, "an attorney. I'm proud of you."

She sighed, "what do you want Dan?"

He shrugged, "to know you? What did your mother tell you?"

"She told me you wanted nothing to do with me."

He shook his head, placing his hand on her arm, "that's not true at all. I wanted nothing to do with her, but I wanted you. Linda, my wife, and I even offered to adopt you and raise you as our own. Your mom refused just to spite me. She wouldn't let me see you. Please, you don't know the whole story. Will you come over to my place? So we can talk?"

Juliette just stared at him for a minute, "I don't know."

"Please. Think about it. You can come over for breakfast in the morning? Bring your boyfriend if it makes you feel more comfortable. Just think about it. Okay?"

Juliette nodded, looking at the floor. "Okay. I'll think about it." She stared looking at the floor until he walked away and she went back in to find Andy.

"Are you okay? What did he want?"

Juliette gripped his hand firmly, "to talk. He invited us for breakfast at his place in the morning."

Andy nodded, "do you want to go?"

Juliette groaned, "not really. No.

"I think you should go."

She looked up to see Peter in front of her, "I don't know."

Peter nodded, "I know. But if your father wants to get to know you, you could at least give him a chance little one." He brought his hand up to her cheek, "give him a chance."

~~~

"What do we do about all this?"

Juliette looked up at Eddie as he walked through the house after the wake, "do what you want. There is nothing here I want."

"Are you sure about that?" Peter set a box in front of her with her name on it. "I found this in the attic."

Juliette sat on the ground in the living room as she opened the box with Andy sitting next to her. She sighed as she started pulling stuff out. "What is all this?" Inside the box she found unopened envelopes with her name on them. She opened one up to find a birthday card from her father. She set it aside to open more, all from her father; letters, birthday cards. "She kept all this from me? She resented me so much that she kept me from knowing my father?!"

Andy watched her get up and pace angrily in front of him as he started pulling more letters from the box. "Jules. I'm so sorry."

She looked at Peter, "did you know?" She pushed his chest as he shook his head, "did you know about this Peter?!"

"No! Of course I didn't. I had no idea. I swear. I'm so sorry little one."

She shook her head, "I can't believe this! 26 years! All this time I could have gotten to know him."

Peter nodded as Andy stood up. Peter pulled Juliette to his chest as she started to cry, "I'm sorry Julie."

"Of course she gets the rich father that wants to connect after ours died."

Peter scoffed as he released Juliette, approaching Derrick, shoving him in the chest, "what is your problem?"

Juliette pushed Peter out of the way. "You have no idea what I've been through! Why I left! I don't know how you can possibly even begin to think I've had the easy life you like to paint. Our mother hated me, so much she kept me from knowing my father! Don't you get why Peter slept in my room whenever she brought men home? You were a kid so you might not have understood, but you can't be so stupid now! More than one of those men found their way into my bedroom as a kid. A kid! Far too young to even know what was happening to me."

"Julie, don't."

She felt Peter grab her arm but she pulled it away, "not to mention it was only 4 months ago I was drugged and taken and raped, losing a baby in the process. You have no idea what you're talking about! I don't know why you hate me so much. You have no idea who I am or what I've been through!"

"Jules." Andy grabbed her hand, pulling her to him, resting his head on hers as she cried into his chest. "Love. It's okay."

"I'm sorry Julie." Eddie pushed Derrick out of the living room, leaving her with Andy, Peter and Aimee.