Temporary Nanny

Chapter 10

I wake at the crack of dawn, blinking sleepily at an unfamiliar wall. It takes me a minute to register things - where I am, Michael's room. What I'm wearing, a peek under the sheets reveals, nothing.

How I ended up here - a terrible decision to let things play out. Why I was awake - the babbling, squirming baby on the monitor resting on the bedside table next to me.

From the snores filling the room I can register Michael is still heavily asleep which I was kind of expecting with the drinks he got in him.

Weighing my options and filling with immediate regret I get up with a sigh and pick up the first piece of clothing I find on the ground along with my underwear.

I work my messy hair into a bun on my way to Stella's room, trying not to think too much about where this leaves Michael and I.

"Morning sleepyhead." I coo softly. She sits up and reaches out with a happy little giggle. "Let's see what you have for me this morning shall we?" I swiftly take her into my arms and over to the changing table.

"Oh, not too bad. And look at that, no rash." I nod, impressed with both myself and her sensitive bum.

Quickly wiping her down and switching her dirty diaper for a new one I rid her of her nighttime onesie and look for another.

"What should we wear today?" I hum thoughtfully, looking through her drawer of onesies. "Cat onesie." I decide after a few minutes of searching. Once she's buttoned up I slip on her favorite pair of rainbow socks and we head downstairs for breakfast.

I'm trying to go about things normally. Like I would any other day. That's proving to be slightly more difficult when I'm in nothing but Michael's shirt from last night and a pair of underwear that hardly covered the breeze.

I sit Stella in her high chair and lay some Cheerios out for her while I prepare the kitten's breakfast. Stella likes to watch, although she was slightly confused the first couple times why you were mixing milk formula if it wasn't for her.

Eventually she understood she got Cheerios and Sarah got kitten milk in the morning. At least I think she got it. She stopped reaching for it so I assumed she understood that much. As always she erupts in giggles when she hears the tiny little kitten meowing for its food as I bring it over to its pen.

With the cat's food down I go to retrieve one of Stella's many containers of baby food - going with banana this morning. She usually prefers the peaches for lunch and I try to get some greens in for dinner.

The radio plays as background noise while I sit and feed the eager to eat baby.

With nothing distracting me, I find my mind coming full circle back to my original worries. What this means. I love Stella, I love taking care of Stella. I love hanging out with her and Michael but a kid?

I'm barely making it on my own how can I go from having nothing to having a boy, a baby, and a kitten? The only serious thing I've ever been apart of went to shit and that was only one other person to worry about.

I couldn't even handle one person. How could I split the time for three living creatures? It just wasn't in me. I'm just not built for it.

Michael clears his throat, startling me out of my thoughts. "I'm uh, I have to go to work." He stumbles awkwardly, looking anywhere but me. "Oh, sure, yeah, that's why I'm here right?" I try for a light chuckle but it comes out forced and awkward.

"Yeah, um, I'll...be back later." He rubs the back of his head. "Sure." I strain out a smile. The airs uncomfortably tense and nothing I'm used to with him. Not even the first time he knocked on my door as a stranger and begged me to watch his baby.