Caffrey Envoy

Chapter 2 - Adventures in Babysitting

In mid-March, the Caffrey siblings, their spouses, and their children filled the living room of Trent's D.C. townhouse to capacity. It was rare for all three siblings to be in town at the same time. They wanted to hang out together, and Trent Lombard had volunteered to babysit their children so the adults could have some grownup quality time. Or in other words, hit some bars. It was Saint Patrick's Day after all, and Caffrey was an Irish name.

"You're sure about this?" David asked one more time. Like his sisters, he had dark hair and green eyes. "I can't believe any bachelor in his right mind wants to watch these kids. I mean, my little girl's an angel, but the boys are almost as evil as their mothers were growing up."

"Yeah, I'm sure. You know that hot kindergarten teacher who keeps refusing to go out with me? She finally said she's only interested in men who want a family, and she sees me as just a party guy. You should have seen her expression when I mentioned what I'm doing tonight."

David's grin showed he understood and approved. His sisters, Noelle and Meredith, chattered advice and warnings at about a hundred miles an hour. Trent kept nodding until he could close the door behind them.

He felt a brief moment of doubt after turning around to face the kids. He couldn't remember being that small. They seemed almost alien. He could still see the reaction of Polly, the hot kindergarten teacher. Her expression of amazement that he was going to watch three children had been followed by peals of laughter. But he shook off the doubt. Everyone said David was great with the kids, and Trent could master anything his best friend could do.

The oldest, five-year-old Henry, was already exploring the living room. Fortunately his mother had moved anything breakable or swallowable beyond his reach before she left. The kid seemed intent on picking up and inspecting everything Trent owned. It struck Trent how much Henry and his cousins contrasted with the townhouse. The space was basically beige and medium brown, with light carpets and walls and dark cabinetry. Even the sofa and ottoman were brown leather. Trent faded into the space, with his blond hair, brown eyes and neutral wardrobe. But the kids introduced a world of color.

Henry's hair was brown, his eyes hazel, and his clothing red and black. The other two had even darker hair with mahogany highlights. They also wore primary colors. The youngest wore yellow and green, her eyes green like David's. The middle cousin wore shades of blue and had his father's blue eyes.

Nine-month-old Angela sat on the sofa with a stuffed animal that appeared to be a bunny with one ear torn off. She threw the bunny on the floor. Then she looked at Trent. He looked back. She screamed louder than a fighter jet.

Trent jumped. "Jesus!" Of all the kids, Angela scared him the most. What did he know about babies? Mostly that David would kill him if any harm came to his angel. Talk about false advertising. Who called a screaming kid angel?

The middle child picked up the bunny and placed it in Angela's lap. She shook the poor toy by its remaining ear and was silent again.

Neal would turn three in a few days. This kid was Trent's godchild. Trent wasn't Catholic and hadn't really understood what being a godfather meant until he was at the christening, where a priest asked him to make vows to look out for the infant in Meredith's arms. It had sounded daunting at first, but Meredith and James had everything under control. Neal hadn't needed anything from Trent, yet.

But this evening, something had seemed off. Like maybe Meredith and James had been fighting. And Robert and James, cops from Baltimore and D.C. respectively, hadn't been as friendly as usual. Trent would have to ask David what was going on, in case it was time to step up as godfather to Neal. Trent wasn't sure what that would entail, but trusted that David would know.