Free One Less Problem Without You by Beth Harbison

definitely always kind.
    Charles’s wife (she was Charles’s second wife, after what Elisa had gleaned from the other workers was an acrimonious divorce from his first) was very thin and fragile-looking, but Elisa suspected that to be an illusion. When she did smile, which seemed reserved for genuinely happy moments, it was a big smile that reached her eyes. It was most often directed at her children, Prinny and, of course, the other—Leif. That would be the woman’s, Ingrid’s, stepson. She was so warm to him, but he was so cold back.
    Leif was quiet and unsettling to Elisa. She couldn’t figure out why exactly; he was too old to need a nanny per se, so her job was primarily to take care of the toddler, Prinny. But Leif was still there; he was around a good percentage of the time, and Elisa had never felt the same kind of discomfort with any other child. Something about that pale complexion and his utterly colorless eyes mixed with his almost constant, yet somehow hostile, silence was deeply unsettling.
    If Prinny seemed oddly tuned in to her surroundings, Leif seemed strangely detached from his. Yin and yang. And frankly maybe a little too much on both their parts.
    The cook, Lena, whom she had grown to quite like over the past few weeks, had warned her not to get too close to the situation at all. Not from any angle. Apparently other nannies had tried and failed and ended up hurt and fired as a result.
    Hurt.
    That was definitely not the plan. Elisa just wanted steady work in this beautiful place until she couldn’t stand the bliss anymore. So far she expected that to be never.
    This was her first party at the Tiesmans’. She’d gotten the feeling it was going to be a pretty big deal, but had no idea how—and she knew the word made her sound like a rube— fancy it was going to be. She’d been to weddings far, far less extravagant.
    Elisa arranged the slices of white cheddar cheese and Ritz crackers in a neat circle on the blue plate. She’d learned upon getting the job that this was one snack both children could agree on. Both of them were hungry, and neither of them was allowed out into the party, where tables were filled with caviar, salmon, oysters, filet mignon, lobster, salads, and a bunch of other fussy non-kid food.
    To be honest, rather than building up a plate that would look like it was for herself ( nanny steals caviar, gets the sack ), she just went with what was in the fridge for the children.
    Plus, this way she got to gawk at the party from the swinging doors without being in the midst of it.
    She put everything away and took the plate back down the hall to where she had left Prinny quietly watching 101 Dalmatians.
    Walking up to the door, she could hear that Leif was in there with her, and whatever they were doing, they weren’t doing it quietly.
    She quickened her step and pushed open the door.
    Leif—fourteen years old and too tall and too old to have any disagreements with his toddler sister, much less physical ones—was standing above Prinny, who was on the ground clutching her face, her chest catching in silent sobs.
    â€œLeif!” Elisa exclaimed, rushing over. “What is going—”
    He smacked the plate and the sippy-cup of grape juice Prinny had requested from Elisa’s hands before she had a chance to stop him.
    She took him by the shoulders to calm him, but the effort lasted only a few seconds. As soon as she had a grip on him, his angry gaze shifted to behind her. He looked suddenly horror-struck.
    Elisa turned and saw Mrs. Tiesman.
    â€œWhat on earth is going on in here?”
    Leif wriggled away from Elisa and backed up against the wall to point at his nanny.
    â€œPrinny and I were playing—just kidding around! And then she smacked her and tried to wrestle me onto the ground!”
    The impossibility of Leif saying this, making up such a lie on the spot, struck Elisa silent.
    â€œLeif, again ?”