"Gina? Robbie won't give me my Mickey toy back," the precious little face said with a quivering lower lip.
The endearing five year old girl with blonde hair was close to tears.
"Don't worry sweetheart. I'll get it for you," I promised and picked her up.
Ashley put her little arms around my neck and looked at me affectionately. She knew I would successfully extract her toy from her older brother.
"Go sit with mommy and I'll take care of Robbie," I said with confidence and a wink.
After I deposited Ashley with her mother I waded toward Robbie in the deeper part of the pool.
"Go get em Gina!" Ashley cheered in a loud voice.
As I chased after Robbie using a comic growling voice, I contemplated my current situation as the au pair to two terrific kids.
There I was, Gina Saracino, former college jock, a freakin nanny and a good one too.
When I graduated college, my job prospects proved to be limited because my English degree guaranteed me a lot of unemployment. A fairly good athlete from high school thru college, I was undecided on teaching Phys Ed as a career.
My parent's encouraged me to continue my education but I was tired of school and the lack of money. On line job services proved fruitless and the ads in the local paper were useless.
One steamy July afternoon, my mother showed me a want ad in the church bulletin for a nanny position. I had no expertise with young kids or so I thought.
"Try it Gina. What do you have to lose? You just might like it," my mother insisted.
I had a little experience with kids via my nieces and nephews at holidays and special occasions. For six summers I helped coach athletics at the community center but only as an assistant.
The day of the interview I trotted downstairs wearing shorts, a tank top and a baseball cap; not very feminine and way too casual. When my mother saw me, she shook her head with a sad expression.
"What's wrong ma?" I asked with exasperation.
"Who are you trying to impress, the husband?" she answered with a scathing look.
My mother was "old school" and I followed her to my bedroom closet. She looked through my wardrobe with distaste but finally selected an appropriate outfit for me. In spite of the fact I hated it, she was right, it was the proper clothing for the interview.
As I drove to the address, I gaped at the upscale and very large houses in the neighborhood. I stopped in front of an enormous Colonial style with beautiful landscaping.
A very pretty woman in her early thirties opened the door and introduced herself. As we sat in her gorgeous living room, Fiona described the job in detail. I was looking around at the rich décor and lost track of her voice.
"Do you have any experience?" she politely asked for the second time.
"Oh...ah...yes, I do," I said unconvincingly. I had failed to bring a resume or references.
"What type of experience do you have?" she asked patiently.
"Ah...I worked at summer camps and did some coaching," I said flatly.
"Anything else?" she asked in a mystified tone.
I hesitated for a long time but I found it hard to carry on any kind of deception. Fiona appeared to be genuine and forthright.
"I'm sorry but my mother put me up to this. The truth is that I have limited experience," I replied a little crestfallen.
I explained my current situation to Fiona and got up to leave.
"Do you want to meet the children?" she inquired.
I was stunned by her question.
"But...but I told you I have very little experience," I stammered.
"My dear, I've interviewed quite a few young women for the position and you're the first one who's been honest with me," she replied with assurance.
Fiona led the way to the second floor playroom and I followed dumbly behind her.
"I judge a candidate by how the children react to her," She stated factually and continued.
"Oh, I admit it's a bit unorthodox but the children will be spending the bulk of their time interacting with the au pair," she said in the same factual tone of voice.
When I met Ashley and Robert Jr. or Robbie, I hit it off with them in a big way. I played with Ashley and her myriad of dolls then rough housed with Robbie in a mock football game.
Fiona announced that it was snack time and the children begged me to stay.
"If it's ok with mommy, I'll stay, I said with delight.
When the snack was over, I looked at Ashley and Robbie with affection. I had just met them and already I was taken with them.
"Please come back and play with me," Ashley begged with an adorable expression.
"Me too!" Robbie barked.
Before I left, I gave Fiona four references that she could check.
As I drove home, I was bowled over by my reaction to Ashley and Robbie.
"Gina? You've been gone for two hours. What happened?" my mother asked in a very inquisitive way.
"I guess I'm in shock ma. I really liked them, I said with a starry look in my eyes.
I described my visit in detail and my mother was beaming at me. She grabbed my face from under my chin and squeezed.
"See! I told you!" she declared with pride and kissed me on the forehead.
My mother knew that I hated having my face squashed in that manner but she was happy and that meant a lot to me.
"Gina. You didn't say anything about...you know..."
"Now ma, why would I bring that up?" I said with irritation.
My mother was the only person in my family who knew about my sexual orientation. After my freshman year at college, I had a long heart to heart with her. It was painful and at first, she didn't understand but her love for me overrode her confusion about same sex liaisons.
"But, I want grandchildren," she said with yearning.
"Ma, you've got eight already," I reminded her.
My older sister Teresa was a baby making machine. She was fertile to the point of absurdity. My brother Cosmo was the proud papa of two kids with another on the way.
"Gina, I have to listen to your Aunt Rose every Thursday at bingo tell me about her twelve grandchildren," my mother said with exasperation.
"Madonna mia!" she declared with her eyes to heaven and made the sign of the cross.
"Is it the grandkids or the amount that's important?" I asked her.
