The next morning, Grace came in early. Jonathan called her into the study.
She looked startled, almost worried. “Yes, Mr. Hale?”
He looked at her for a long moment, then gestured for her to sit. She hesitated, then obeyed.
He opened his mouth, but nothing came.
So instead, he turned the laptop toward her and played one of the videos.
She gasped.
The footage showed her cradling Oliver’s hand, telling him a bedtime story, her voice low and melodic. She immediately looked up at Jonathan, guilt flashing in her eyes.
“I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “I never meant to overstep. I know I was just hired to clean, but he—he looked so lonely and I just—”
Jonathan raised a hand. “Stop.”
Grace fell silent.
He closed the laptop.
“I didn’t call you here to reprimand you,” he said slowly. “I called you here to thank you.”
Grace’s eyes widened.
“I watched you… for hours,” Jonathan continued, his voice raw. “You did more for my son in the last month than I have in the last year. You made him smile again.”
Grace lowered her gaze. “He’s just a little boy. He needs love. Not just medicine.”
“I forgot that,” Jonathan whispered.
Silence settled between them.
Then Jonathan said something unexpected. “Would you consider staying… not just as a maid, but as Oliver’s companion? As his—” He hesitated. “As family?”
Tears filled Grace’s eyes. She nodded. “I already think of him as family.”
