She was supposed to be in Boston.
Instead she was descending into Paris wearing yesterday’s clothes with less money in her account than the handbag Alexander’s fiancée probably carried.
She groaned softly.
Alexander looked over.
“What?”
“My employer.”
“You can call them.”
“And say what? Sorry I can’t make tomorrow’s shift, I accidentally went to France with a billionaire?”
“When you say it like that, it does sound unlikely.”
“It is unlikely.”
“I can confirm it.”
“That might make it worse.”
He almost smiled again.
Then he became serious.
“You aren’t paying for any of this.”
Estelle looked at him.
“Any of what?”
“Hotel.
Clothes if you need them.
Your return flight.
The work you miss.”
“No.”
His eyebrows rose.
“No?”
“You can pay for the flight home because your plane kidnapped me.”
“My plane did not kidnap you.”
“Your plane left the country with me asleep in it.”
“You boarded it voluntarily.”
“While barely conscious.”
“That remains a troubling defense.”
Despite everything, Estelle laughed.
Then she shook her head.
“But you don’t owe me wages.”
“You cared for my daughter for most of an international flight.”
“I helped a sick child.”
“That is work.”
“To you, maybe.”
Alexander looked at her for a long moment.
“I suspect people have made that distinction around you before.”
The sentence hit closer than she expected.
Families praised her for loving their children like they were her own, then negotiated over an extra hour of pay.
They called her indispensable until a grandmother became available or a vacation ended.
They trusted her with fevers, nightmares, first steps and emergency contacts, yet sometimes spoke about her as though she were another appliance in the house.
Estelle looked toward the window.
Paris appeared below them.
“Maybe,” she said.
When they landed, the consequences began quickly.
Medical staff examined Sophie before anyone left the airport.
Estelle remained nearby because the child cried whenever she moved too far away.
Alexander’s fiancée arrived expecting to meet them.
She stopped when she saw Estelle sitting beside Sophie.
Her attention moved from Estelle’s worn clothes to the stuffed rabbit in Sophie’s arms, then to Alexander.
“What is she doing here?”
Alexander’s expression turned cold.
“Helping my daughter.”
His fiancée crossed her arms.
