I wondered how many people it took to keep a house that size up to par. I could hardly keep my small apartment clean for a day. I wouldn’t even know what to do with a property the size of Oliver’s home.

I approached the front door and took a moment to catch my breath before I wiped my sweaty palms against my smoothed-back hair. After I rang the doorbell and waited a few moments, the front door swung open, and a beautiful woman stood tall in her heels. “Hi! You must be Emery. I’m Kelly. We talked on the phone. Come on in,” she said, opening the door wider.

Taking the first step into his mansion felt surreal. My whole apartment was the size of Oliver’s living room, if not smaller. A huge crystal chandelier sparkled in the foyer, creating specks of light that danced across the room from the beams of sunlight coming into the space. The house was well lit with natural light due to all the floor-to-ceiling windows. To the right of me was a spiral staircase made of wooden beams, and my mind couldn’t stop imagining where that staircase led to. The floors were made of a natural wood, too, and seemed polished to a T.

I was glad I didn’t tell Oliver I was a housekeeper, because keeping a home that size would’ve been the death of me.

“It’s a beautiful home,” I said, glancing around in awe. It looked as if I’d stepped straight into a home-decor magazine. Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. Everything was perfectly in place. A clear sign that Oliver didn’t have children.

“Isn’t it? Wait until you see all of it.” She smiled. There was something so kind about Kelly’s spirit. She seemed extremely welcoming, which made my nerves somewhat falter. She led me to the living room—the living room with white furniture. I couldn’t ever imagine such a thing. Reese would have Cheeto dust and Play-Doh all over it in a heartbeat.

“So, it’s my job to get you all squared away with your tasks and paperwork that needs to be filled out. I’ll show you around the property, too, one of our last stops being the kitchen, which will be your playground.”

Kelly was more than willing to take her time with explaining all the ins and outs of being a personal chef for Oliver. She went over how he’d need three meals a day, but dinner could be early so I could pick up Reese from camp. She told me that my spending for groceries was unlimited, and I’d be reimbursed for whatever I spent. Lastly, she informed me that if Reese ever needed to tag along for the day, that was fine, by all means.

“Oliver wanted me to make that very clear to you. He said you’re a single mom, and he never wants you to feel as if you have to leave your daughter somewhere else during the day. He even offered getting a nanny for her while you’re both here too. So that’s an option.”

He wanted to get help for the help?

Kelly smiled at my somewhat stunned expression. “He wants you to be as comfortable as possible. Which brings me to my next point.” She pulled out a check and handed it over to me. “Your first paycheck.”

I raised an eyebrow. “I haven’t done anything yet,” I said, stunned by the amount written on that piece of paper.

“It’s a hiring bonus. To help get things going before you’re paid in two weeks.”

Five thousand dollars.

Simply because.

I didn’t want to look like an emotional wreck, but man, did I want to burst into tears and cry. “I can’t take that.”

“Oh, you can, and you must. Otherwise I won’t hear the end of it about how I didn’t do my job. So, help a girl out,” she jested.

“Thank you. This is just . . . thank you.”

Kelly smiled. “I’m glad I could pass on the news, but trust me, it’s all Oliver.”

When we finished a lot of the main tasks that needed to be covered, plus NDAs and contracts, Kelly sat down with me on the sofa and gave me a halfway grin. “I’m going to say this now, just so you go into this situation with an open mind and heart. Oliver’s a bit different than he used to be. He’s always been a bit of an introvert, but now, after . . .” She took a breath and blinked away the emotions sitting at the back of her eyes. “Some days he walks around as if he’s so far away from reality. If he has his headphones on, he’s probably working through some of his emotions. If he walks into a room and ignores you, or if he comes off as cold or rude, don’t take it personally. He’s just trying his best, day in and day out, to be okay.”