"Get up!" I felt my bed move as a tiny fifteen kilogram weight jumped on my bed. "Monty, wake up!"

"I'm awake!" I groaned as I rolled over and put the blanket over my head.

"Get out of bed." Cody wailed at me. "I'm hungry!"

I rolled my eyes and smiled as I sat up. "Is Uncle Ollie awake?" I asked him as I tickled his ribs.

Cody squealed in delight. "I don't know."

"That's right you don't know because you always see me first!" I laughed. "Well guess what sport?"

"What?"

"It's my day off. I don't have to get out off bed today if I don't want to." I bragged as Cody's face dropped.

"Who will make me breakfast then?"

I scrunched my nose up as I fixed up a button on his pyjama shirt. "Go wake Uncle Ollie and ask him."

Cody sighed as he slid off my bed. "Very well." He said as he left the room.

I sat there, wide eyed at where he was. He sounded just like Oliver then.

I shook my head.

"I tried Uncle Ollie!" Cody yelled out through the vast room. I frowned at the sentence. Tried what? I slipped out off bed and followed the sound of Cody's voice.

"Tried what?" I asked Cody with a smile. He giggled as he went down the stairs. I chased him in to the kitchen and stopped at what I saw.

My eyes wide with surprise when I saw Oliver and Cody at the bench with a stack of pancakes. "Happy Birthday!"

Oh my. I felt my cheeks heat up. "How did you know?" I whispered towards my boss.

He shrugged as he dished some up for me. I eyed him suspiciously.

"Did you cook?" I half laughed at him.

"What?" He grinned at me. "I can whiz up any thing in the kitchen."

I shook my head. "No you can't."

"How would you know?" He teased as he put some pancakes on to Cody's plate.

"One, I distinctly remember you saying you can't cook. Two, if you could cook, I wouldn't have to make you breakfast, lunch and dinner and three." I opened up the cupboard the bin was hidden in and pulled out the empty packets the pancakes came out off.

Oliver laughed. "Okay. You caught me."

I took the plate off him. "Thank you. It's a very nice gesture." I smiled as I sat on the bar stool next to Cody.

"So what are your plans for the day?" Oliver asked me casually.

"I have nothing planned till about five." I was going out with Percy for dinner.

"Good. I was thinking the three of us could, you know, hang."

I arched an eye brow at him. "Hang?"

"Yeah. Go to a theme park, eat junk food, very long walks..."

Both Oliver and I jumped at Cody as he fisted the air. "Yeah!"

I laughed. "Okay. But as long as I am back here by 4 at the latest."

"I thought you said five?"

I looked over at Oliver. "I'm not that quick to get ready!"

After breakfast I got dressed in to some jeans and flat sole boots and pulled on a singlet then a long sleeved off the shoulder jumper. I brushed the knots out off my hair and put it in a low pony tail then helped Cody get ready. We were all in Mr Blacks car within the next hour and on the road.

We did some roller coasters much to Cody's disgust and then a couple rides more suitable to him. We went through a mirror maze and I refused for Cody to let my hand go and ate some greasy burgers.

I was having a blast. I helped Cody put balls in the clowns mouth and he won a stuffed puppy. We turned to show Oliver and found he won a giant teddy bear. "Here." He mumbled as he shoved it in my hands.

"Aw," I cooed at the teddy. "Thank you."

We did some dodgem cars and Cody convinced his uncle to go on a merry go round with him.

I had a good laugh as Oliver was on the plastic pony. Cody dragged us everywhere in the place till both Oliver and myself were complaining about all the walking.

We ate cotton candy as we left the park, Cody asleep against Oliver's shoulder.

He buckled Cody in and we got in the car and headed home again. "Thanks for today." I said quietly to Oliver. "I had fun."

"I did too." He smiled at me before looking back on the road.

"I see that." I gloated at him. We got home and Oliver carried Cody to his bed as I went for a shower. I washed the day away and dried myself before wrapping a dressing gown on me and heading to my room.

I moved everything from the unit to this room while the boys were away. Saves me going back and forwards all the time. I went through my dresses until I pulled out a sparkling red halter neck dress that was gorgeous.

I slipped it on and the dress hugged me. It was quite comfortable despite all its sequins. I did my make up and winged my eye liner and placed on a bright red lipstick.

I whipped my hair into a large loose fish braid and curled the loose strands before slipping on some plain gold pumps. I picked up my lacy cream shawl and wrapped it around me.

There. Ready. I looked at the time. It was nearly five.

Then my phone tinged.

Hey you. I'm running late. Meet me at the restaurant xx

Okay no problems

I sighed. I didn't want to drive. I left my room and the echo of my shoes surrounded me. I heard Cody downstairs I didn't even know he woke up as he laughed at something.

I went down the stairs with my clutch purse and car keys and knocked on the door to Oliver's study.

"Come in." He sounded like he was in a good mood.

I stepped in. "I'm heading off now." I stated as Cody ran to me.

"Wow! Look Uncle Ollie. Look at Monty."

I wanted to hush the kid but there was no point. I couldn't even face Mr Black. I kissed Cody goodnight and out of the corner of my eyes I saw Mr Black.

He was staring at me. Did I have something on me? On my face?

"Monty, are we going?" I heard Cody's little voice.

I shook my head at him. "No Cody, sweetheart. I'm going to meet a friend."

"Why can't I come?"

"Because no children allowed were I'm going." I squished up my nose and rubbed it against his.

"Cody." Oliver warned him.

"If Uncle Ollie take you out, then I can come?" I smiled at him.

"Uncle Ollie isn't taking me out. A friend of mine is."

Cody's face fell.

"I promise I will spend the whole day with you tomorrow."

I stood up straight and closed the study door. I heard Cody crying and it broke my heart, but I couldn't go rushing back in there.

****

"This is wonderful." I gushed at Percy as we sat at our table.

"I'm glad you like it." He flashed me a smile.

I grinned back at him as I sipped on my water.

"How's work?" I asked him as I pushed around some lettuce leaves.

"Always there. But it's good. Yourself?"

Before I knew it, I was babbling about Cody, how smart he was, how observant he was, the cute things he says.

"It sounds like it's going to be difficult to separate you too."

"It already is. He was screaming a storm when I left." I noticed my boss's nephew wasn't the smartest topic to talk about.

"But it's okay. Mr Black and I already started taking steps."

Percy looked up at me. "Steps? What do you mean?"

"To help Cody be separated from me." I frowned. "What else did you think I meant?"

"Nothing."

We sat in silence for a few minutes. I didn't know what else Percy meant? I shook the thought out off my head.

I excused myself and went to the bathroom. I leaned against the bench and turned my head to the mirror.

Take a breathe. I told myself. I felt like crying. I don't know why, but it wasn't appropriate.

I joined Percy just as dessert was being served.

"Yum." I smiled at him as pavlova with Berry puree and fresh fruit were placed in front of me. Percy looked at me and stood up.

"Monty, I know our schedules are hectic," yeah, mine way more than yours. "And we don't always have the same times off." I didn't correct him about my hours decreasing.

"I know you have a demanding boss," he isn't that bad really. Once you get to know him, his rough side disappears. "And I know how demanding a child can be." Cody isn't that demanding. He just adores me, or as Oliver put it, imprinted.

"But I would really like for you to cut back on your hours," still, I didn't correct him about my hours dropping. "Spend less time with that child." That child is precious. Even though Oliver said the same thing, I felt sad when Oliver said it, but I was feeling angry that Percy did.

"Plus you won't be working as a nanny or a maid" housekeeper, I wanted to snap at him. "Forever, kids do grow up. Your boss will soon find no use to keep you there and before you know it, ten years have passed, the best years of your youth," What is he babbling on about. Can't we just finish our dessert, go back to his place for a couple hours then I drive my sorry butt home?

"I guess what I'm trying to say is, we should stop beating around the bush here, focus on your future," I am focused on it. "Have your own family," I have Oliver and Cody for that.

"Montana," oh he called me Montana, I thought to myself, pay attention, "will you marry me?"

I stared at Percy, a smile plastered on my face. Oh, is this what that speech was about? I did not see that coming. This changes everything, my life, my career, my relationships.

"Monty?"