Isabella and Jake arrived in Las Vegas a few hours later and quickly checked into their hotel. Jake had made sure they were staying in high style. Isabella checked out the bathroom and decided that at some point this weekend she was going to take a bath in the whirlpool tub.
"So Isabella what do you want to do first?" asked Jake pressing her into the wall and kissing her neck.
"You" said Isabella with a wicked smile. Isabella pushed herself away from the wall forcing Jake to walk backwards towards the bed. On the way Isabella managed to remove his shirt and get his pants half way down his legs before he pulled her dress over her head. They fell together on the bed touching and caressing each other, relearning what the other liked best. The sex was passionate and slightly rough as if they were making up for lost time. They finally emerged from the room a few hours later, redressed and ready to hit the tables. Jake had been to Vegas a few times with friends, but had never taken a girlfriend there. Isabella had been to Vegas twice before, both times for rowdy bachlorette parties. Jake was about to find out a very well kept secret about Isabella, she was incredibly lucky. They sat down at a roulette table and Isabella cashed $100 into chips, Jake watched as she deftly placed the chips on the numbers. The dealer spun the wheel and Isabella sat back and waited, she watched the wheel spin and the ball eventually drop into the number 12. She smiled to herself and Jake realized that she had just won. She collected her chips and made sure to leave the bet on number 12 before selecting a few new numbers. She won again and again each time the number changed Isabella miraculously had selected that number. Jake was astonished and after an hour of playing Isabella had won enough to take them to dinner at the most expensive restaurant in the place. Jake steered her over to the craps table to see if she would be just as lucky there.
"Have you played craps before?" he asked.
"I played last time I came, it was a few years ago though" said Isabella.
"The rules don't change sweetheart" said the guy next to her. Isabella and Jake both dropped $200 on the table to start. When it was Isabella's turn to shoot the dice the whole table came to life, she had nicknames for everyone at the table and she was once again incredibly lucky. She rolled the dice for almost an hour making everyone at the table a lot of money. When she finally crapped out the pit boss came over and presented Isabella with a comp night. The table didn't want their lucky shooter to go, but Isabella's feet were hurting and she wanted to see more of the casino. As Jake and Isabella walked away from the cashier cage almost $1,000 richer they stopped to get a drink at one of the casino's many bars.
"You are really lucky" said Jake.
"It happens every time I've come" said Isabella with a smile.
"Are you lucky at every game you play?" asked Jake.
"I guess, although really I only bring money I'm willing to lose. Gambling is all about fun to me" explained Isabella.
"I think we should test the theory that you are the luckiest girl on the strip" said Jake with a smile.
"Sounds like fun" said Isabella. They duo spent the rest of the evening trying to see if Isabella could win at every table she sat down at.
Sitting in a very private booth at Bouchon later that evening Jake and Isabella went over how much they'd won. Total they were both about 3 grand richer than they'd been when they arrived. Jake had tried Isabella on every single game he could find, the only one she didn't win on was keno. Isabella's favorite was still craps although she was starting to get the hand of blackjack.
"You are amazing" said Jake.
"It's just luck" said Isabella quietly.
"I think it's more than that, some of those games require skills" said Jake.
"Like counting, which I learned when I was really young" said Isabella with a smirk.
"True, you are very good at addition" said Jake. Their meal had been comp'd by the casino and Isabella was pretty sure that security was probably following them to see if they were cheating. The dinner was sumptuous and they were both sated and slightly buzzed by the time the meal was over. Deciding to go clubbing they went up to the room to change clothes for a night on the town. Jake and Isabella went to quite a few clubs finally emerging from Dre's at 6 am. The sun blinded both of them as they stumbled back to their hotel room. Spending the rest of the day at the pool left both slightly tanned and very relaxed. That night they saw the Beatles tribute show Love and went down to old Vegas. The weekend continued with both Jake and Isabella falling for each other more and more. By the time Jake dropped her off at home on Sunday night he'd decided that maybe she was the one.
Isabella walked into the Hansen home and noticed that everything seemed to be a little different. The kids were all there studiously doing their school work, Edgar was in the garage and Louise and her mom were having tea in the living room. The excited atmosphere which usually filled the house seemed to be missing. Isabella said a quick hello to everyone before excusing herself to her room to take a shower. Once she was showered and changed she made her way back downstairs to check on the kids and see how the weekend had gone.
"Hi guys, how's the homework going?" she asked.
"It's going" said Alexander glumly.
"Did someone get in trouble or something?" asked Isabella.
"No" said Alex. Isabella helped Daniel with some of his writing homework before moving to the kitchen to get something to drink. Edgar was sitting at the table with Louise and they both looked at Isabella sadly when she walked in.
"Ok, what's going on?" asked Isabella.
"We need to talk to you" said Louise.
"Ok" said Isabella taking a seat across from them.
"After the kids go to bed" said Louise. Edgar just rolled his eyes and walked out of the room. Isabella had a sinking feeling in her stomach. Her mind was going a mile a minute trying to figure out what could possibly have happened in the 3 days that she was gone. Had Edgar confessed what they'd done together? Suddenly the grim realization hit her, she was going to fired. The rest of the evening seemed to alternate between time passing painfully slow and horribly fast. Isabella put the kids to bed like she normally did and by the time she got to Alexander's room she noticed that none of the kids would look her in the eye. Walking downstairs after the last kid was in bed Isabella felt as though she was walking to her execution.
Edgar and Louise were sitting in the living room with Isabella's contract on the table in front of them. Isabella hadn't seen that particular piece of paper in over 5 years. Edgar looked at her sadly while Louise attempted to keep her face carefully neutral. Isabella took a seat across from them and folded her hands in her lap.
"You sat almost the exact same way when I interviewed you" said Louise. Isabella didn't trust her voice and merely nodded. "I don't know exactly how to say this" continued Louise. Edgar looked at his wife with mild disgust and then turned to Isabella.
"We are letting you go because Louise believes that her mom is more than capable of taking care of the kids" said Edgar plainly.
"Edgar, for God's sake that is not what I wanted to tell her" said Louise.
"Why does it matter how you are going to tell her, that's exactly what you think, you should at least be honest with her and the kids" said Edgar.
"I understand" said Isabella her voice straining slightly.
"Bella, it's just that since my mom's here, she wants to spend time with the kids and feel like she's needed you know has a job of sorts" said Louise.
"I understand" repeated Isabella. "When is my last day?"
"Not until I leave" said Edgar. "And for the record I think it's a horrible idea, you are a central part of this family, you've been here Daniel's entire life and the other two kids depend on and trust you. I think it's ridiculous to push you out because someone else wants to feel needed." Isabella sat quietly in her chair, Edgar's outburst seemed uncharacteristically bitter. She wondered how many discussions Louise and Edgar had about this subject over the weekend. Louise merely sighed and looked sadly at Isabella.
"I haven't really told the kids what's going on" admitted Louise.
"I think they already know" said Isabella softly. Louise just nodded, got up and left the room. Edgar sighed and ran his hand through his hair.
"I'm sorry Isabella" said Edgar sadly.
"I knew I wouldn't be here forever" said Isabella. "Only until the wind changes." Edgar chuckled at her Mary Poppins reference then reached across the table and grabbed her hand.
"Please don't move too far, in case Louise's mom doesn't work out" said Edgar.
"I guess it depends on where I get my next job" said Isabella. Edgar's face darkened at the implication that Isabella would be working for another family. Isabella excused herself from the table and went up to her room.
Sitting on her bed she looked at all her things wondering how many boxes it would take to move it all out of the house. She wondered if Nana would take over her room, she hoped so because Daniel liked to come in and cuddle in the mornings some time. Isabella couldn't stop the tears from falling, she didn't bother to wipe them away instead she welcomed them enjoying the way they made everything look blurry. There was a soft knock on her door and she got up and opened it. Alex was standing in the hallway looking mildly shocked at Isabella's tear streaked face. Moving to the side she invited Alex into her room.
"So when are you leaving?" he asked sitting down on her bed.
"I guess when you dad leaves for his trip" said Isabella. "Although that might change."
"They've been fighting about it all weekend" said Alex. "Dad doesn't really want you to leave at all."
"You guys are growing up, you'll graduate at the end of next year" said Isabella. "I guess my time here is over, I knew it wouldn't last forever."
"Daniel and Elise still need you" said Alex. "I still need you" he whispered. Isabella sat next to him on the bed and gathered him into her arms.
"I'll always be a phone call away" said Isabella.
"It won't be the same" said Alex. Isabella knew what he said was true, she would have a new family and new responsibilities.
"Changes happen Alex" said Isabella.
"Where will you go next?" he asked quietly.
"I suppose wherever I get a new job" answered Isabella. Alex yawned and laid his head on Isabella's shoulder. Isabella laid her head on top of his. He'd changed so much since she met him as a quiet 11 year old unsure if he wanted a nanny.
"You should get to bed" said Isabella.
"Good night Bella" said Alex as he loped out of the room.
Isabella filled her bathtub and decided that a good long soak might cheer her up a little. As she lay amid the bubbles she reminisced about all she'd been a part of in this family. She remembered Daniel's birth, driving Elise and Alexander to the hospital to meet their baby brother then taking them to ice cream afterwards where they both poured out all their concerns about the newest family member. Taking Elise to her first slumber party and then picking her up in the middle of the night because someone tried to play a prank on her. She and Elise had spent the next week discussing all the pranks that could be played on another person and how to avoid them. Later that year Elise hosted her first slumber party and declared it a prank free zone, instead Isabella had painted all the girls toenails and they'd colored their hair with kool aid. Elise was the hit of the slumber party circuit and her parties are still a coveted invitation. And Daniel, she remembered changing his diapers, watching him roll over, getting up in the middle of the night with him when he cut his teeth and watching him take his first steps. She was even there with Louise for all his doctor's appointments, his skinned knees, his nightmares and his triumphs. Isabella felt like he was hers too and now she was loosing him. She was loosing her family, her confidants, her responsibilities and her perfect job. Dropping her head underwater she sobbed until she couldn't hold her breath any longer. The fun of the weekend seemed to disappear, she suddenly felt like it was a huge mistake to leave the house, perhaps her absence allowed the family to see that she wasn't really necessary. Isabella stayed in the bathtub until the water had gone cold and she had started to shiver. Falling into bed she closed her eyes and fell into a fitful sleep.
The next morning Isabella got up with her alarm, got dressed and tried to keep to her normal morning routine. She was the first one downstairs as usual and quickly put out the kids breakfast cereals and scrambled some eggs. Going upstairs she roused Elise and Daniel and got them dressed for school. She knocked on Alexander's door and told him it was time to get up. The kids were downstairs and eating breakfast when Louise walked into the kitchen.
"Morning kids" she said happily. Elise and Daniel chirped their greetings but Alexander remained stonily silent.
"Isabella would you mind driving the kids to school this morning?" asked Louise.
"No, not at all" said Isabella. Herding the kids out the door and dropping them off at school took on a bittersweet feel for Isabella. She wondered how many more times she would have the privilege of taking them. She arrived back at the house and went up to her bedroom. She pulled out her suitcases and packed up some of her seasonal clothes that she knew she wouldn't be wearing before she left. Next she made a short list of things to buy for the move like boxes and tape. Finally she took out her computer and started working on her resume. While working she realized that she would need a letter of reference from Edgar and Louise. Figuring there was no time like the present to ask for one she walked downstairs to find her employers.
Louise and her mother weren't home so Isabella walked into the garage to find Edgar. He was exactly where she thought he would be, hunched over his work bench making something.
"Edgar, I was wondering if I could ask you something" said Isabella.
"Sure, what do you need" said Edgar turning around.
"A letter of recommendation for my references" said Isabella.
"Are you looking for another job already?" asked Edgar.
"Just starting to update my resume and get some things in order" said Isabella.
"I guess I didn't think you'd already be doing that kind of stuff " said Edgar.
"If I don't do something I'm just going to spend all the time feeling sorry for myself" said Isabella.
"Have you told Junior yet?" asked Edgar.
"No. I guess I should" said Isabella.
"I just want you to know that I totally disagree with this whole idea" said Edgar adamantly.
"I know. But you know the rule: Happy Wife Happy Life" said Isabella. Edgar chuckled then walked over and pulled Isabella into a hug.
"I'm going to miss you Isabella" said Edgar.
"I'll miss you too" said Isabella, tears already falling from her eyes and splashing on Edgar's t-shirt. As Edgar pulled away he wiped the tears from Isabella's cheeks.
"You should call Junior, I'm sure he could find a way to cheer you up" said Edgar. Isabella nodded and walked out of the garage.
Walking back into the kitchen she saw that Louise and Nana had arrived home from what appeared to be a big trip to the supermarket. Isabella didn't hesitate to help unpack the groceries before making tea. Louise, Nana and Isabella all sat down around the island with their cups.
"How did the drop offs go this morning?" asked Louise.
"Fine, everyone made it on time with all their homework and lunches" said Isabella.
"Great" said Louise.
"Louise, I was wondering if you could write me a letter of reference" said Isabella.
"Of course. I didn't realize that you were going to be looking for another job so quickly" said Louise.
"Well, I probably only have another month here and I'll need to interview" said Isabella.
"Right, I guess I just wasn't thinking it all through" said Louise her voice tinged with regret.
"I'm sure you'll have no trouble finding another position" said Nana with a smile. Isabella just smiled not knowing a proper response.
"Would you like me to pick up the kids this afternoon?" asked Isabella.
"No, mom and I are going to get them" said Louise.
"Ok" said Isabella getting up and placing her tea cup in the sink. She walked upstairs to her room, making sure to close the door she dialed Jake's number. He didn't answer so she just left a message asking him to call her back. After that she spent the rest of the day sorting through her clothes, making a pile for donations. Her organization was interrupted by the slamming of the front door and the sounds of yelling from downstairs.
Isabella quickly walked into the kitchen and saw that all three kids were home and Alex was apparently yelling at his mother.
"We only get to see her for another few weeks and you can't even let her pick us up from school" yelled Alex. "She's been here for the last 5 years, we see Nana once a year. You think she can do as good of a job as Isabella?"
"Alex, please you are insulting your grandmother" said Louise.
"You are insulting us, by not telling us the truth" spat Alex.
"Mommy, where is Isabella?" asked Daniel.
"I'm right here Daniel" said Isabella walking into the room. "Why don't we go play upstairs?"
"Are you leaving?" asked Elise. Isabella looked at Louise who looked completely distraught.
"Why don't you and Daniel come upstairs and I'll explain everything" said Isabella. The two children followed her upstairs and into her bedroom. They saw the piles of clothes on the floor and the suitcases pulled from the closet and they both started to cry. Isabella quickly herded them onto the bed and pulled out a photo album.
"Elise, do you remember the first day you met me?" she asked. Elise shook her head.
"Well you were only 3 so I suppose that's not really surprising. I interviewed with your mommy when she was pregnant with you" said Isabella poking Daniel in the tummy. "This is our first picture together" said Isabella pointing to a picture of her and a very young Elise at a park. Isabella flipped through the photo album showing the kids her history with them in pictures. She came to the end of the book, which held pictures of Isabella and kids at a picnic taken just a few months prior.
"Now, my time here is over. You have your Nana who is going to take care of you. And I'm going to go to a new family" said Isabella. "It's not because I don't love you any more or because you did something wrong, it just happens to nannies. I knew it would happen eventually and I'm sad because I'm going to miss you but it will be a new adventure for both of you and for me."
"I don't want you to go Bella" said Daniel.
"It can't be helped" said Isabella stroking his hair. Elise wasn't saying anything just clinging to Isabella and staring at the photo album. They stayed in Isabella's room until it was time to go down for dinner.
Dinner was very tense. Alexander still wouldn't make eye contact with his mother and the other two children looked as if someone had purposely run over their puppy. Isabella for her part ate quietly and added to the conversation when appropriate. After dinner she helped the kids with their homework until it was time to get ready for bed. Giving Daniel his bath she made sure to tell him about all the great memories they'd shared and that even though she was leaving he'd still have his memories. Elise was still quiet and after Isabella read her a bedtime story she finally asked her what was wrong.
"Elise, tell me what's wrong" said Isabella.
"I don't know if I can do this without you" said Elise.
"Do what?" asked Isabella.
"Grow up. I don't want to do it by myself" said Elise.
"You won't be by yourself, you have your mom, dad, Alex, your cousins and I'm only a phone call away" said Isabella reassuringly.
"I can call you whenever?" asked Elise.
"Of course" said Isabella with a smile. Elise settled down into bed with a small smile on her face.
"I guess that will be ok then" she said closing her eyes. Isabella dropped a kiss on her forehead before walking out of her room. She ran smack into Alexander who was in the hall waiting for her.
"Can I talk to you?" he asked.
"Of course" said Isabella. He walked into his room and Isabella followed him inside. She cleared herself a spot on his bed and sat down.
"I just wanted to say thank you" said Alexander solemnly.
"For what?" asked Isabella confused.
"For everything. For helping me with school work, for helping me get a girlfriend, for always being nice to me even if I wasn't nice to you, for sticking up for me. For being my friend." said Alex in a rush.
"You are very welcome" said Isabella, tears shinning in her eyes. "You are an amazing young man, you've changed so much since I first met you. You've grown into such a great older brother, I'm so proud of the person you've become."
"It's thanks to you" said Alexander.
"No, you did it by yourself. I'm just happy I got the chance to get to know you" said Isabella. Alexander gave her a fierce hug then abruptly let go. Isabella smiled and showed herself out of his room.
"Sweet dreams Bella" said Alex softly.
"You too Alex" replied Isabella.