I winced a little as I pulled the last of my things from the topmost dresser drawer and placed it into the stuffed cardboard box. I hadn’t expected to feel sentimental about a dresser. Now it was all set for Vince when he arrived. I carried the last box to the basement bedroom that would be my new room. The old dresser in my new ‘maid room’ had been painted a delicate light pink. It actually looked kind of stylish despite my mediocre painting abilities. I got to work making sure everything was in order. I knew Vince would enjoy touring the new space, and I wanted to be sure he approved.

“Maid, the kids need lunch!”

I scampered up the stairs. Kate was already getting accustomed to the idea of having a domestic servant. Fourteen months ago it was all a fun little fantasy as she messaged with Vince from bed. Then his visits became a regular thing, and the idea started becoming a little less far-fetched.

This new chapter though was going to be a leap I was getting more and more nervous about. The girls loved him, and already thought of him as an uncle more or less, but now he would be living with us. Or maybe we would be living with him. Kate loved thinking of him as a masculine, dominant head of the house. It was a role I had never satisfactorily filled for her.

We had an official story we would tell acquaintances, that he was renting from us while he adjusted to living in the area, and the kids had already repeated it to their friends.

I turned on the range to start making grilled cheese for the impatient six and four year olds.

“Is the bedroom all ready for him?” Kay asked, looking at something on her phone.

“Yes Miss.”

I had started referring to her as Miss a few months prior at Vince’s command, and it seemed to have a psychological effect on all four of us.