The widowed millionaire’s twin sons wouldn’t eat anything until their new nanny did something unexpected that changed their lives forever.
When Mariana gets out of the car in front of Ricardo Navarro’s enormous mansion, she feels a tingle of nerves and excitement. It’s not like any ordinary house; it’s a house filled with…
Silence.
Upon entering, she sees it: a long hallway, large paintings, tall windows that let in light without warmth.
The employees barely respond with a curt hello, as if everything were normal, but she senses something strange in the air. Just then, Ricardo appears, a tall, well-dressed man, with a…
His face was slightly furrowed.
He didn’t offer her his hand, just said good morning, and that was enough to understand he wasn’t in the mood for conversation.
She introduced him to the children, Emiliano and Sofía, eight-year-old twins. He pointed them out without emotion and told them she would be their nanny.
She looked at them closely, he with a vacant stare, she with her arms crossed, the two of them
They were dressed alike, like mirror images. Mariana gave them a shy smile and asked what they wanted for dinner. The children looked at her and shrugged. The girl said nothing.
The boy repeated the word nothing. Mariana’s heart sank a little because it meant her job wouldn’t be as she had imagined.
Ricardo watched her and nodded, as if approving of something, but without emotion. Then he took them all on a tour of the house. They entered the dining room, and she saw fine plates and silverware.
Silver, a huge table with no food.
Then they go to the living room with armchairs that look comfortable, but no one seems to have sat there for a long time. In the garden there are old toys and a round table for eating outside that also hasn’t been used.
The children walk past without glancing in.
The idea of making cookies, which Mariana had been planning two seconds ago, vanishes from her mind.
As they walk, the nanny writes down photos on the shelves. Ricardo and his wife Lucía together. Smiling, embracing. The children are just like Lucía, especially Sofía. Mariana feels a lump in her throat. When
The tour ends, Ricardo tells her to start at 8 tomorrow and leaves her alone with the children. Silent, alone with them for the first time.
She speaks to them again in a soft voice.
She asks how they are. Nothing, she only hears the echo of their voices in the hallway. That confirms for her that it’s not just a matter of hunger. Something happened at home.
She leaves the room and sees Ricardo sitting in his office in the distance. He doesn’t look at her, but she feels his gaze. She goes downstairs
She glances down for a moment and continues toward the kitchen, wondering what to do to feed those children.
Outside, as the sun sets, shadows lengthen around the mansion. And Mariana wonders if those threads of silence can be broken by her.
She stares for a moment at a cookie someone left unfinished on the counter. She puts it to her mouth and tastes it; it’s bland, but there’s a spark of
Complicity in the simple gesture. Close your eyes.
This is just the beginning. Mariana changed quickly. No uniform, no looking like a nurse or a strict teacher.
She chose comfortable jeans and a light blouse. She tied her hair back and went down to the kitchen. There she met Chayo, the cook, a woman of about 60, serious with a deep voice.
Mariana introduced herself with a smile, but Chayo barely looked up from the vegetables she was chopping.
« Why are you getting so dressed up? The kids here won’t even notice you, and the old man even less, » she blurted out. Mariana just chuckled softly. She didn’t like the tone, but decided not to take the bait. Meanwhile, Chayo
As the meal was ending, Mariana asked the children how they liked their food.
They liked rice with plantains, but that was when Lucía was alive, Chayo said without pausing.
Mariana noticed that they liked it as if they didn’t like anything anymore. « And what did you eat yesterday? » she asked. « Nothing. » Mariana remained silent. Chayo didn’t seem worried.
« That’s just how they are. They don’t eat. Ever since their mother died… »
No one had made them eat. Five nannies had already come and gone. They’d all left.
Mariana felt a pang of curiosity, but she didn’t want to seem nosy.
She went over to the table, tidied up a bit, and started setting the table. The dining room was enormous, with a hanging lamp that cast more shadow than light. She put down napkins with animal figures that she’d found in a drawer.
Nothing too flashy, just an attempt to make the moment more pleasant.
Ricardo arrived on time, dressed the same as in the morning, elegant but soulless, greeted them curtly, sat at the head of the table, and checked his cell phone.
Mariana set the plates and called the children. They came downstairs unhurriedly, holding hands.
They sat facing each other. No one spoke. Chayo served
rice, roast chicken, and hot soup. The smell was good, but the children didn’t even look at it.
Mariana sat next to them, watching their every move. Ricardo glanced up for a second. « You can eat if you want. You’re not obligated, » he said. Then he looked down at his phone. Mariana leaned slightly toward
Sofia. “Do you want me to help you with the chicken?” The girl shook her head.
Emiliano just stared at his plate as if it were a blank sheet of paper.
Mariana thought about her nephews, how they liked to make shapes with their food. “What if we make a face with the rice?” she suggested quietly. Sofia rolled her eyes.
“We don’t want to eat,” Emiliano said without emotion. Ricardo looked up,
But he said nothing. Mariana smiled at the boy. «
Okay, you don’t have to eat, but you can tell me about your day. » The children remained silent. Chayo watched from the kitchen with a « I told you so » look. Ricardo got up before 10 minutes had passed. « I have a call. Excuse me. »
He left without another word. Mariana was left alone with the children. The silence
It was heavy, but she didn’t give up. She stood up.
She went to get an apple. She cut it into wedges. She arranged them in a star shape on a small plate and placed it between them.
« It’s not real food, it’s just a star shape to see if you can guess what it is. »
The children looked at the plate. One second. Two. Sofia reached out and placed a wedge. Emiliano did another.
movement.
They didn’t eat it, but they had already touched something. Chayo clicked her tongue. « That’s not dinner, » she muttered from the kitchen. Mariana ignored the comment.
She sat there without saying anything else, just watching as the children, without speaking, arranged the segment by segment, making a kind of flower. When
They finished, and Sofía pushed the plate toward Mariana. «
It’s a sun, » she said. Emiliano nodded. Mariana smiled. It wasn’t food, but it was a first step.
A sun made of apple in Milanciente, a house where everything was cold. Dinner ended with full plates, but for the first time, someone spoke, even if only briefly.
Mariana cleaned everything, washed the dishes, and as she was about to go upstairs, Chayo approached her. « Don’t get attached, nothing changes here. » Mariana just looked at her.
« We’ll see, » she replied without raising her voice, and slowly climbed the stairs, knowing that what was coming would be more difficult than she imagined. The morning began
With the soft sound of birds outside, but nothing could be heard in the mansion—not a voice, not a laugh, not a complaint.
Mariana woke up early and went straight down to the kitchen. Chayo was already there grinding coffee and cutting fruit, with the same unfriendly expression.
Mariana said, “Good morning,” but Chayo only raised an eyebrow. Mariana wasn’t intimidated; she prepared hot milk with a little cinnamon, toast, and
She put everything on a tray.
She walked briskly upstairs to the bedrooms, knocked on the twins’ door, waited a second, and then went in.
They were already awake, sitting on the bed, watching TV with the sound off. Mariana placed the tray on a low table. « There are no rules today, » she told them. They both turned to look at her. « Let’s go
» To do something different.
» No one answered, but they didn’t ignore her either. Mariana gestured for them to follow her. They went downstairs in silence, past the enormous dining room, and straight into the kitchen. Chayo saw them and let out a dry laugh. «
You can’t be here. » Mariana looked at her calmly. « You can today. »
Chayo looked at her, eyes wide. « That goes against the rules, sir. » Mariana took a deep breath. « Then kick me out. »
And she continued on her way with the children following behind. The kitchen was spacious, full of light, and had a large island in the center.
Mariana took out flour, eggs, milk, and sugar. She put everything.
on the table as if it were a game. Emiliano approached without touching anything. Sofía watched him curiously.
Mariana gave each of them a bowl. « We’re going to make pancakes, but you’re the chefs. I’m just helping. »
They looked at each other, as if wondering if they could really do it. Sofía was the first to get her hands in the flour. Emiliano dared to crack an egg, although he did it so hard that
She got some on her face. Mariana didn’t laugh, she just offered her a towel.
That’s what happens when you’re in a hurry. It’s nothing. Little by little they relaxed, laughed softly, mixed things, tasted them.
The kitchen began to fill with a delicious, different smell. Chayo watched them from the stove with her arms crossed. She didn’t say anything, but she didn’t leave.
When they finished cooking, Mariana put the pancakes on the stove.
She placed the food on small plates and took it to the kitchen table, not the dining room.
She sat down with them, gave them honey, banana slices, and a little whipped cream. Sofia looked doubtful.
Emiliano twirled his fork in his hand. Mariana wasn’t looking at them directly, just eating her own. Calm, as if everything were normal. Sofia went first. She took a tiny piece. Mariana
She pretended not to notice. Then Emiliano did too. They didn’t say anything, but they chewed.
Mariana almost burst into tears right there, but she held it in. She just said, « They turned out really good. »
They didn’t reply, but they finished half of it. Just then, Ricardo came in. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the scene.
The three of them sitting in the kitchen, dirty dishes, flour on the table, children eating. Mariana
She stared without moving.
“Good morning,” he said. Sofia lowered her fork. Emiliano remained still. Ricardo approached, serious.
“What are you doing here?” Mariana stood up. “We’re having breakfast. The children cooked. It was my idea.” Ricardo looked at the children. They didn’t speak.
“Did you cook?” Emiliano asked. He nodded. Sofia lowered the
A look. Did they eat? This time they didn’t say anything. Only Mariana answered.
Yes, for the first time.
Ricardo took a deep breath, looked at the table and then at Mariana. That wasn’t part of the plan. So what if it was?
she asked without raising her voice. Chayo chimed in from her corner. They went where they shouldn’t. This isn’t a diner. Ricardo looked at her. Okay, Chayo. Just leave us a
Just a moment. The woman pursed her lips and left.
Mariana didn’t know if they were going to fire her right then and there. Ricardo stared at the plates. Then at the children.
« Did you like it? » he asked. Sofía made a barely perceptible gesture. Emiliano said softly, « Yes. »
Ricardo didn’t know what to do with that answer. Neither did Mariana. He straightened his jacket. « It’s fine, but I didn’t… »
Make it a habit. She left without another word.
When the door closed, Mariana sat down again. Sofia handed her her fork. « Can we cook again? » Mariana nodded.
« Whenever you want. » The kitchen filled with noise once more. Plates, soft laughter, spoons clinking. It wasn’t a formal meal; it was something else, something more alive, something more real.
The golden rule was simple: no forcing anything, just letting them decide. For the first time, it worked.
The routine in the house was no longer the same, even though no one said it out loud. Mariana noticed it as soon as she came down the stairs.
The hallways no longer felt so cold, and the children didn’t lock themselves in their rooms all day. Now they came out, even if it was just to see what she was cooking or to…
Ask her something silly, like if pancakes could be made in the shape of dinosaurs.
That morning, Sofia appeared in the kitchen with messy hair and a stuffed animal in her hand. Mariana was washing the dishes. The little girl didn’t say anything, she just sat at the counter and looked at her.
Mariana gave her a banana, just like that, without saying a word. Sofia took it and carefully peeled it. Mariana almost didn’t
I couldn’t believe it. It wasn’t much, but it was something. Emiliano arrived two minutes later. «
We’re going to cook today. »
Ariana dried her hands and turned around. « If you want. » He nodded and sat next to his sister. Both silent, but there they were, together, present. Ricardo watched them from the doorway without entering.
He only observed them for a few seconds before continuing on his way, but Mariana…
She noticed.
He was passing by the children’s room more often, always with excuses—that he’d forgotten something, that he was looking for a piece of paper—but Mariana knew that wasn’t it. He was watching.
She didn’t know what to make of it yet, but she let him. That same day, Mariana took them to the backyard. It was the first time.
See? She opened the door with a key she found in one of the kitchen drawers.
It was a large garden with tall trees and a dry fountain. There were old toys in one corner, some rusty, but the grass was green. The children hesitated to go out. Sofia stayed in the doorway.
Emiliano looked at her as if asking permission. Mariana walked on without turning around, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
When she reached the center of the garden, she heard them running after her.
They played with a deflated ball they found among some bushes. Mariana taught them a game from her childhood: tossing the ball in the air and catching it without letting it fall.
Sofia laughed every time she missed. Emiliano imitated her. Mariana let them win. It had been so long since they had laughed that she felt the
The atmosphere had changed.
In the afternoon, Mariana took them to the playroom, one that had been locked for a long time. Ricardo had ordered it closed because, according to him, it brought back painful memories.
But Mariana found the key in a toolbox. They went in slowly. Dust covered almost everything. There were dolls,
Books, a miniature wooden house. A rug with painted paths.
The children said nothing, they just looked at everything with a mixture of surprise and sadness.
Mariana shook the rug vigorously, opened the windows, and let the light in. This room is yours. You can do whatever you want here. Emiliano went to a bookshelf and took a book. Sofía sat down on a
She went to the corner and hugged an old doll.
They didn’t speak, but their bodies said more than a thousand words. At dinnertime, Mariana let them choose the menu. « Today is your day, » she told them. Sofía ordered quesadillas and Emiliano wanted rice with plantains.
Mariana got to work. Chayo watched from afar with her arms crossed. « I had never
“I’ve never seen those children begging for food,” she murmured. Mariana smiled at her. “Me neither.”
When they sat down to eat, the plates weren’t empty, but at least the food wasn’t left untouched anymore.
It was as if the ice was slowly beginning to melt. That night, Mariana stayed a little longer after putting them to bed, reading them a story while they settled under the covers.
When she finished, they didn’t say anything, but they didn’t ask her to leave. She remained silent for a while longer. Sofia turned toward the wall. Emiliano lay on his back staring at the ceiling.
Mariana gently stroked their hair. Neither of them moved. When she left the room, Ricardo was waiting for her.
In the hallway.
His hands were in his pockets, his face tense. Mariana looked at him, unsure if he was annoyed or curious. He broke the silence. « What did you do to them? » Mariana frowned. « Nothing, I was just with them. »
Ricardo nodded slowly. He hadn’t seen them in a long time. Mariana wanted to say something more, but she didn’t.
She did. She just looked him in the eyes.
He lowered his gaze as if he felt guilty.
Every step they took was small, but real, and that was beginning to show in every corner of that house, which finally seemed less like a house and more like a home, even though no one said it aloud.
The sky was partly cloudy, but the weather was perfect for
Being outside. It wasn’t hot, it wasn’t cold.
Mariana went downstairs with the children after lunch. Emiliano had a ball under his arm and Sofía carried a notebook where she drew sad faces with big eyes.
Mariana didn’t say anything about it, she just opened the garden door without asking anyone. Chayo looked at her from the window again with a face
She told him he was going to get in trouble, but he didn’t say anything.
The three of them went out into the garden. There was a long table with wooden benches in one corner.
Mariana went over, wiped it down with a rag, and put some juice she had prepared in jars with straws on it.
« Today we’re going to do something different, » she said. Emiliano left the ball on the grass and came over. Sofia sat down
Without putting down her notebook,
Mariana pulled out a cardboard box. It contained round-tipped scissors, colored pencils, tape, old buttons, yarn, dried leaves, and a bunch of other things.
« Let’s invent something, » she said. « A monster, a robot, a strange animal, whatever you can think of. » Sofia looked up for the first time all day.
Emiliano took out some buttons. « This is trash, » he asked. « Mariana? » She laughed. «
Yes, but great things come from trash. »
They spent more than an hour there. Mariana was making a bird out of cardboard tubes, Sofía a dog out of bottle caps, and Emiliano a robot out of cans. None of them talked much, but the atmosphere was relaxed, even cheerful.
Every now and then, they could hear soft laughter.
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