The Woman with the Nice Smile

Daniel's smile stayed in place for a moment after Claire refused.

"You haven't heard the proposal."

"I've heard the name."

He glanced past her toward the bathroom. "Perhaps we could discuss it downstairs."

"You came to our room. You can explain it here."

Daniel lowered his voice. "Vivian has a sponsorship agreement for next season. She's making guest appearances this season to introduce that partnership. Noah is our strongest new personality. Pairing them makes sense."

"For whom?"

"For the audience. For the show. For your son's exposure."

"He has enough exposure for one day."

Noah emerged with wet cuffs and purple fingers.

Daniel immediately bent toward him. "There he is. Our little star. How would you like a famous friend to help with the challenges?"

"I already have Ben."

"A celebrity friend."

Noah looked at Claire. "Does Ben know he's being replaced?"

Daniel straightened.

Claire put an arm around her son. "We aren't agreeing to a dedicated storyline with Vivian. Send any proposed changes to me in writing."

The producer's expression finally changed.

"Your agreement includes guest participation."

"Then send me the relevant section."

After he left, Noah held up his hands.

"I think purple is permanent."

Claire fetched a washcloth. "We'll try oil."

"Was that man trying to sell us something?"

"An idea."

"You didn't like it."

"No."

Noah watched her rub his fingers. "Then we don't have to buy it."

She kissed the cleanest knuckle.

"That's the plan."

Tessa called after bedtime and spent the first minute saying things Claire was glad Noah couldn't hear.

"Did Adrian arrange this?" she asked finally.

"Daniel said the sponsor requested it. He also said 'investment partners' three times without naming anyone."

"Of course he did."

Claire sat on the edge of the bed. Noah had kicked one foot out from under the blanket. She covered it.

"They're going to bring her in either way."

"Then leave."

"And tell Noah we have to go because the woman everyone says is kind doesn't like me?"

"Tell him the adults broke their agreement. That's true."

Claire looked at the unopened grocery bag beside the desk. Noah had insisted on bringing the tomatoes back so they wouldn't be wasted.

"I need to know what they're actually asking us to do. If she rotates through every family, that's different from building an entire story around her teaching my son."

"You're allowed to change your mind if it goes wrong."

"I know."

"I'm saying it because you tend to think leaving means losing."

Claire didn't answer.

In the morning, Daniel produced a revised schedule. Vivian would join all six families. There would be no exclusive mentor designation, he assured her. Claire's objections had been noted.

Not agreed to. Not resolved.

Noted.

Vivian arrived just before lunch with flowers for the production office and a photographer who somehow happened to catch her handing them over.

Claire recognized her laugh before she saw her.

For a brief moment she was back outside Adrian's office, holding a folded hospital report while that same soft laugh came through the door.

Then Noah asked whether he could have another apple, and the memory lost its hold.

"After lunch."

"That's a long time."

"Twenty minutes."

"Long for an apple."

Vivian came into the lounge in a cream sweater, her hair falling in loose waves over one shoulder. Melissa rose to greet her. Ryan followed.

"It's so good of you to do this," Melissa said. "With your schedule."

"I wanted to come." Vivian's gaze found Claire. She paused, giving everyone time to notice. "Claire. I wasn't sure you'd be comfortable seeing me."

Claire set her phone facedown.

"We're at work."

Vivian smiled with visible relief. "Exactly. That's what I hoped. We can put everything else aside for the children."

Melissa touched her arm. "You're very generous."

Claire felt Noah shift beside her.

Vivian crouched in front of his chair. "And you must be Noah. I've heard so much about you."

"From who?"

"Everyone."

He considered the people in the room, apparently checking the claim.

"I'm Vivian. Can we be friends?"

Noah leaned toward Claire.

"Mom, her eyes aren't smiling."

The room went quiet.

Claire kept her face still with an effort.

Vivian laughed lightly. "I must be tired."

"He says whatever comes into his head," Melissa offered quickly.

"Children are wonderfully honest." Vivian reached toward Noah's hair.

He moved his head out of reach.

"I don't like that," he said.

Her hand stopped, then settled on her own knee.

"Of course. Thank you for telling me."

Perfectly done. Anyone watching would have seen a patient woman handling an awkward child.

Claire lifted Noah's lunch bag.

"Come on. Let's find somewhere to eat."

They ate on a low wall outside the studio, under a tree that dropped small brown leaves into Claire's lap.

"Was I rude?" Noah asked halfway through his sandwich.

"You can tell someone you don't want to be touched."

"The eye part."

Claire wiped mustard from his thumb.

"You can ask me things quietly when we're around other people."

"I thought I did."

"A little quieter."

He nodded, relieved by the practical instruction.

"Do you like her?"

"No."

"Why?"

Claire considered the answer.

"She hasn't been kind to me."

He looked toward the studio door. "Then I don't want to be her friend."

"You don't have to be. You do have to be polite while we're working."

"Polite isn't the same as friends."

"Exactly."

That afternoon, Vivian helped Lily decorate a cardboard bakery. Nothing happened. She praised the crooked windows, fetched tape, and let Lily place a paper crown on her head. The crew laughed. Melissa took pictures.

Claire watched longer than she wanted to.

Maybe, she thought, all Vivian wanted was the footage. Maybe she would behave while the cameras were on.

At the end of the day, a segment producer named Rachel brought the next call sheet.

Noah's task was a model city. Vivian would assist. Parents would watch from the observation room.

"I'll stay on the floor," Claire said.

"Parents aren't in the task area for these segments."

"I don't need to be on camera."

Rachel rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I'll keep you on the monitor feed. Ben will be right outside. It's forty minutes, Claire. We do this with all the families."

"If he asks for me, you stop."

"Yes."

"And if I ask you to stop?"

Rachel hesitated.

Claire waited.

"We stop," Rachel said finally.

That evening, Claire bought a children's watch at a nearby electronics store. She had meant to get one before the production began, then postponed it because shoes had mattered more.

Now she sat beside Noah on the hotel bed and fitted the strap to his wrist.

"This button calls me. Hold it down. Don't just tap it."

He practiced. Her phone rang on the pillow.

"Even if you're next door?"

"Especially then. If you want me, you don't have to wait for a break."

"What if they say I have to finish?"

"You can say no."

He pressed the button again. Her phone rang.

"It works," he said.

"It does. Now stop calling me. I'm very busy sitting beside you."

He smiled and leaned against her.

The following morning, he arranged blue and white blocks into careful rows while Vivian asked him what kind of city he wanted to build.

In the observation room, Claire watched three screens. One showed the main camera, another a wide fixed view, the third a close-up of the table.

"Somewhere people can walk," Noah answered.

Vivian placed a red block beside his blue ones. "What about a big shopping mall?"

"That's the hospital."

"We can move it."

"Then the ambulance can't get through."

He put the block back in the box.

Vivian smiled toward the camera.

For twenty minutes, nothing happened that anyone could point to. She interrupted his explanations. She moved pieces he had already placed. Once, reaching for a roof, she knocked over a corner of his building.

"Oops. You'll have to help me."

Noah rebuilt it without speaking.

Then Vivian glanced toward the main camera and touched her microphone.

The operator turned to film the completed bakery on the adjoining set.

On the fixed screen, Claire saw Vivian bend close to Noah's ear.

There was no sound on that feed.

Noah stopped moving.

His left shoulder rose toward his cheek. His right hand covered his watch.

Claire stood.

"Can you bring that audio up?"

The monitor assistant touched a control. They heard someone on the other set laughing.

On screen, Noah tried to shift away. Vivian put a hand beside his wrist.

Claire was already at the door.

A floor assistant stepped into her path.

"They're still rolling. If you go in now, you ruin the whole segment."