Where the Streets Have No Name
Chapter 58
Esme pulled off a miracle and managed to interview fourteen candidates within the week before recommending Nina Roswell; a forty-two year old mother of three with extensive experience in caregiving and child rearing. Her references were solid and she was willing and able to start right away.
Edward met her and had to admit that he couldn't have hoped to find a more competent person at such short notice. He got a good vibe from the woman and knew he would rest easy knowing Ella was in her care while he worked.
The only issue he had to compromise on was the fact that Nina was not available to be a live-in. She was willing to work around the irregular work schedule of his residency, but she insisted that she returned to her home for the night.
Not having too large a pool to pick from, Edward relented.
He wasn't sure how much he ought to reveal to Nina about Carmen's condition. After mulling over it with his parents, he realized that he had little choice but to divulge at least some of the underlying problems, if for nothing then to explain to Nina why the child's mother wasn't present for the interview.
So, he gave her an abridged version of his family situation: Carmen, his wife, was struggling to adjust to parenthood and might not be very welcoming to Nina's appointment as the designated caregiver of their daughter. Angry outbursts were to be expected, but Nina was not to take Carmen's attacks personally. Her responsibility was to care for Ella during the hours Edward was at work. Throughout that time, she was not to burden Carmen with Ella's care unless it was absolutely necessary.
Carmen, once she came down from her wrathful episode against her mother-in-law, was riddled with shame and guilt. The realization that she had needlessly lashed out at the woman who had never been anything but kind to her, not to mention the very person who had bought and decorated the house in which she lived, left her inconsolable. Even though Edward told her that Esme was not holding a grudge and all she needed to do was reach out and apologize, she couldn't bring herself to face the person she had so blatantly wronged.
Edward hoped to take advantage of her self doubt to introduce Nina into their household, and initially, he was successful.
However, Nina's length of tenure at the Cullen household didn't survive past the three month mark, leaving a hard-pressed Edward back where he started the day Ella was born.
Thank you Lulabelle98, HeidiJoVT, and Dinx.