Free Together With You by Victoria Bylin Page A

and got in trouble, but his parents did everything possible for him. He’ll always need some help, but he’s seventeen now and works at the grocery store. Love can’t fix a damaged brain, but I saw the difference it can make to a child with special needs.”
    Denise looked down her nose. “That’s a lovely sentiment. You started in biology, though. Why the biology degree?”
    â€œI was premed for a while.” She focused solely on Ryan. “I had plans to save the world, but medicine wasn’t a good fit.”
    Ryan knew the feeling. His youthful ambitions had been different, but he recalled that naïve passion to explore the unknown and leave his mark, like the astronauts on the moon. Those dreams went up in smoke somewhere in college when he’d succumbed to his father’s pressure to go to medical school. He had also met Heather and become infatuated with her. When they eloped, Kyle was already on the way. Ryan had felt trapped at the time, not because of the baby but because of the lost dreams.
    Carly, it seemed, had escaped those regrets and he wanted to know more. “When you worked with FASD kids, what was a typical day like?”
    â€œTypical? There’s no such thing.”
    That was Ryan’s experience, too, but Denise interrupted. “That’s true, but we have to provide Penny with routine.”
    â€œAbsolutely,” Carly replied. “But we also have to rememberPenny has brain damage. Her mind works in unique ways, which means there are things she can’t do and things she won’t do. There are also things she can do, but only if the adults in her life communicate their expectations in a way she can understand. It’s all very confusing, especially for outsiders, because she looks perfectly normal. But she’s not.”
    â€œNo.” Ryan thought of the tantrums for no apparent reason; her hypersensitivity to noise, smells, tight socks, and bright lights; the storytelling and lying; her learning challenges. Most frustrating for him personally was her inability to understand the consequences of her actions. “She’s impulsive,” he said. “If she wants something, she takes it.”
    â€œThat’s typical,” Carly replied. “Raising children with FASD is a unique challenge. They pull your heart right out of your chest about a dozen times a day, either because you’re afraid for them, because you love them so much it hurts, or because you’re so grateful for a special moment.”
    â€œThat’s it exactly,” Ryan said.
    Denise had the annoying habit of huffing through her nose, and she did it now. “You’re certainly qualified to work with Penny. But don’t you think that leads to another question?”
    â€œOf course,” Carly said to her. “Hiring a nanny is a big decision.”
    â€œYou’re highly qualified, perhaps overqualified. Tell me, Carly. Do you really want to be Nanny Number Five?”

    Carly didn’t care for either Denise’s tone or the vaguely superior gleam in her eyes. “I’m not sure yet. I came here today to interview Dr. Tremaine—not the other way around. I didn’t expect to meet you, but I’m glad you’re here. Penny has strong family support. That’s a big advantage.”
    â€œYes,” Denise agreed. “I’d do anything for her.”
    Dr. Tremaine pushed his chair back a few inches, draped a leathershoe over his knee, and looked at her with an appreciative gleam in his eyes. “The job’s yours if you want it. What’ll it take for you to say yes?”
    â€œI’d like to know more about Penny, how she was diagnosed, and her early years with her mother.”
    The pool pump kicked on with a hum, and the water rippled to break the silence. Denise hid her face, pinched the bridge of her nose, then wiped away tears with her fingertips. “I’m sorry.