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Maxwell Sheffield headed for the dining room in a depressed mood. His mind went back to the previous night. With a bad feeling in his guts, he realized he had overreacted way too much and had been pretty unfair to Fran Fine. He still couldn't get used to the idea; his little Maggie at an age where she wants to date boys, but he had to admit to himself that Miss Fine was absolutely right, Maggie was about to transform into a young woman.
His mood sank even lower when he stepped into the dining room and saw his children sitting at the breakfast table with drooping shoulders, their heads bent low over their plates. No one spoke a word and everyone poked around at their food with no appetite. A deep sadness was howling the room. Even Niles, who was standing at the buffet as usual, looked rather dejected and didn't have his usual smile on his face.
Inevitably Maxwell Sheffield had to think of the breakfast from the previous day, he smirked as he remembered Fran Fine had snowed into the room in an inappropriate bathrobe and conjured up a mood of exuberance with her cheerfulness. With a smile he remembered when she had just grabbed a chair to sit down at the table, because she couldn’t even imagine the idea that the nanny should not sit at the table with the family. The contrast between these two breakfast scenes couldn't be more dramatic.
Maxwell Sheffield took place at his seat, wished his children good morning and waited for Niles to serve him his eggs and make him his tea as usual. He registered that none of his children had returned his good morning greeting and it almost broke his heart to see his children in this depressive mood. It was obvious they already knew about the resignation and were obviously very sad about it. Everyone sat in silence and the atmosphere in the room became more and more unbearable. Finally, Mr. Sheffield rose from his seat, said good-bye to his children, wished them a good day and announced he was going to the theatre.
He was almost out of the room when Grace suddenly spoke up and addressed him in a tearful, pleading voice.
“Daddy wait! I know you're angry with Fran for this kissing story”.
She cast a meaningful sidelong glance at Maggie, who was trying to make herself even smaller.
"But I really like Fran. She was the first nanny who really took care of us and really seemed to like spending time with us. She didn't just apply for the job to simply earn a lot of money with less effort or to secretly smuggle an application form to you for a part in your new show neither didn't she want to settle down here as a gold digger."
As she spoke, the first tears ran down her face and in a desperate voice she continued.
"Please Daddy can't you just go to her and ask her whether she would come back. Please! Please! Daddy."
Maxwell Sheffield stared at his daughter with wide eyes. It had not happened for a long time that Gracie had spoken so openly and honestly about her feelings and had pleaded with him so much. He could see, this was her dearest wish. The other two Sheffield kids also turned their gaze to their father and Brighton continued.
“Yes, Gracie is absolutely right. Fran is so cool and she will always take good care of us and if you bring her back, I swear I will never stage any suicide acts anymore.”
Maxwell Sheffield had to grin and eyed his son with a slightly disbelieving look.
Maggie felt it was now her time to say something and expressed her wish as well. She also asked her father to rehire Fran again because she need someone to talk to about girl stuff. Mr. Sheffield gazed at his children one by one, all were staring at him now and he realized that this was a crucial moment in his life as a father. Even if he doesn't always show his feelings openly, he loves his 3 children more than anything and he couldn't break their hearts so cruelly.
He stepped over to the table, put his arms around Brighton and Maggie and promised his children.
“Well, if it really is your heart's desire, I'll go to Miss Fine, talk to her and try to convince her to come back as your nanny."
As soon as he had finished these words, Maggie fell around his neck and Grace ran from her seat around the table and also snuggled up to her father. Maxwell Sheffield hugged all his children and for the first time in a very, very long time the whole family was in each other’s arms.
Niles, who had been watching the whole scene, got wet eyes. He was deeply moved to see the family he loves so much in this warm embrace. He realized that this was possibly the decisive turning point in all of their lives. The family, which threatened to fall apart more and more after the tragic loss of Maxwell's first wife Sarah, the mother of the children, was now about to grow together stronger than ever.
Maxwell Sheffield sat in his limousine towards Queens and glanced around with curiosity. He wasn't often in this area of New York that looked so different from the area around Park Avenue. When the limo stopped, he got out and walked towards the building where Fran Fine lives in an apartment with her parents. He was searching for the right floor and ran down along the doors to find the right apartment number when he finally heard a very high-pitched nasal voice behind one door, the voice was apparently offering someone chocolates. That voice reminded him all too well of the person who had stormed into his house the previous day. He stepped closer, rang the bell and nervously prayed to God, he may help him to find the right words.
Fran Fine opened the door and was more than surprised to see her former boss on the other side. She looked at him astonished and didn't really know what to say. Silvia Fine rushed into the room pulled Maxwell Sheffield by his sleeve into the apartment and offered him chocolates, cakes and pies. Fran rolled her eyes; her mother need less than 10 seconds to embarrass her. Fran went to her mother and made it obvious to her that she would like to talk to her former boss in private. After Silvia had withdrawn into the kitchen, Fran offered Mr. Sheffield to sit down and sat on an armchair opposite.
He sat down on the plastic-covered couch and gazed around the apartment in amazement. He felt completely overwhelmed by the strange surroundings and wasn't quite sure how to begin. He rubbed his hands nervously when he finally spoke to Fran in an uncertain voice.
“You are certainly very surprised to see me here, but I just had to come to clarify a few things. I'm not yet completely convinced that Margret should kiss a boy at her age, but I admit that my reaction yesterday was probably a little exaggerated.”
Fran grinned. She could definitely see, it was very difficult for him to apologize. In a forgiving tone she replied.
"I shouldn't have object you so harsh, I may also crossed a line and I really appreciate your effort to come here. So apology accepted."
Maxwell Sheffield sighed in relief, but he knew he had only mentioned the first part of his request.
"That wasn't all, Miss Fine. I had a very long and intense conversation with my children this morning and we all, the children and I want to ask you to come back and work as a Nanny in our house."
Fran's jaw dropped and she didn't know what to say. She never expected he would come here to offer her the job again. She beamed at the idea of returning to the mansion to take care of his children again. She had taken them deeply into her heart even after just one day. She had missed all three of them already in the few hours and the idea of spending everyday life with them sounds wonderful.
But she also felt an insecurity about her future boss.
“I am really very touched. But are you sure you entrust me with the job of your nanny again? I am really fond of your children, but you have to admit...we come from different worlds and an incident like yesterday is practically inevitable with our different views. Do you really think a stiff British gentleman and a funky Jew from Queens can live in harmony under the same roof?"
"To be honest, I don't know" replied Maxwell Sheffield. "All I know is that you are the first nanny the children were immediately attached to. In just one day you captured the children’s heart. They told me this morning how much they adore you. Since a long time my children were happy again and the happiness of them means more to me than anything else in the world.
Fran fought back tears of emotion. Maxwell Sheffield stood up to her and held out his hand.
"So, are you back on board?"
Fran stood up, glanced into his eyes for a long moment and said.
"Yes!"
The two shook hands when suddenly they were blinded by a bright flash of lightning. Silvia Fine stood in front of them with a camera.
"Cheese!"
Meanwhile, there was a great flurry in the Sheffield mansion. Everyone was in the living room and couldn't wait to find out if their father had managed to get Miss Fine back as their nanny. They all ran around impatiently, looking at the door over and over again and couldn't keep still.
Brighton tried to distract himself with his 'Game Boy', but when he failed the first level for the sixth time, he turned it off in exasperation and paced around the living room, always facing the door.
Maggie, who flipped through a magazine without reading a word, tossed it on the cocktail table and sat on the couch, nervously nibbling on her fingernails. Gracie sat on the stairwell, tapping with her feet. Every minute she stared at her watch.
Finally they all heard the sound of a limo and their father's voice, but couldn't quite understand what he was saying. All three jumped up, gathered in the entrance hall and prayed that their father would march through the door with Fran at his side.
Maxwell Sheffield stepped into the house, took off his coat, looked at his children and said in a cheerful tone. "Here I am!"
The children's hearts dropped when their father obviously came through the door alone. Sadly they started to turn around when they suddenly heard the sound of high heels. Her father put an arm around Fran Fine’s shoulders and announced.
“Oh yes, I brought someone with me!”
For a moment everyone stared at Fran and their father, until suddenly all three rushed towards their future nanny and hugged her so tightly that she almost fell over. Maxwell Sheffield stood there, extremely happy. It filled his heart with the greatest joy to see his children so cheerful and satisfied.
Even Niles, who was watching the whole scenario found his smile again. He felt a deep satisfaction, knowing Miss Fine was back. While the children alternately hugged Fan or their father, Maxwell put his arm around Fran's shoulders again.
Niles had a vision what a great family this group of people could make. Who knows what the future will bring and as he went towards the kitchen to prepare lunch he thought with a grin that he would have to give his boss a little push to lead fate in the right direction.