The babysitter

A piece of paper

Tim sat on the couch, absentmindedly twirling the small piece of paper between his fingers. The neat handwriting on it stared back at him, a tangible reminder of the day at the beach. He sighed and leaned back, staring at the ceiling, his mind restless.

Lucy walked into the living room, her footsteps light as she approached. "What are you up to?" she asked, her voice cutting through the quiet.

Tim quickly shoved the paper into his pocket. "Nothing."

Lucy crossed her arms, arching an eyebrow. "Uh-huh. That didn't look like nothing."

"How's Emma?" he asked, deflecting.

"She's asleep," Lucy replied, leaning against the doorway. Her eyes narrowed as she studied him. "Was that a phone number?"

Tim hesitated before finally nodding. "Yeah. The lifeguard from the beach. She gave it to me."

Lucy smirked, walking over to sit across from him. "And what was her name?"

"Ashley," Tim admitted reluctantly, his fingers fidgeting with the edge of the paper still tucked in his pocket.

Lucy tilted her head, her smirk fading into something softer. "Are you...fond of her?"

"Lucy," Tim said, his tone carrying a hint of warning, but she didn't back down.

"Come on, Tim. Emma needs a mother. I can't be her babysitter forever," Lucy said, her voice gentle but firm.

Tim's jaw tightened. "I'm not asking you to babysit her forever."

Lucy leaned forward, her eyes searching his. "I know you're not. But you and Emma... you deserve more. She deserves someone who's going to be there for her, as more than just her dad. And you deserve someone who's going to be there for you, too."

Tim glanced away, his shoulders stiffening. "It's not that simple."

Lucy let out a quiet laugh, shaking her head. "It literally is that simple. She gave you her number, Tim. Of course, she's interested. Text her, ask her out, see if it works out. What's the worst that could happen?"

Tim let out a deep breath, running a hand through his hair. "What if it doesn't work out?"

Lucy shrugged. "Then it doesn't. But at least you'll know. And who knows? Maybe it'll be exactly what you need."

Later that night, after Lucy had gone to bed, Tim sat at the kitchen table, the piece of paper in front of him. The house was quiet, save for the occasional soft snore from Kojo, who was curled up near the door.

Tim stared at the number, his phone sitting next to it. Every part of him resisted the idea. He wasn't sure if it was pride, fear, or a mix of both, but the thought of reaching out to someone he barely knew felt foreign.

He picked up his phone, his thumb hovering over the keypad. What would he even say?

Finally, he typed out a message:

Hi Ashley, this is Tim from the beach. Just wanted to say thanks again for helping out today.

He stared at the words for a moment before hitting send. The message disappeared into the void, and he set his phone down, exhaling deeply.

The next morning, Tim was pouring himself a cup of coffee when his phone buzzed. He glanced at it, his stomach twisting slightly when he saw Ashley's name on the screen.

Her reply was short but friendly:

Hi Tim! Great to hear from you. How's the little boy doing?

Tim smiled faintly, typing back:

He's doing fine. His mom was really grateful for what you did.

Ashley responded almost immediately:

Team effort! You were great out there. You ever think about being a lifeguard in your spare time?

Tim chuckled, shaking his head. He typed back:

I think LAPD keeps me busy enough.

As the day went on, their conversation continued sporadically. Ashley was easy to talk to, her messages light and teasing but never overbearing. By the afternoon, she sent another message that made Tim pause:

Hey, I've got a few days off this week. Want to grab coffee sometime?

Tim stared at the screen, his mind running through every excuse he could think of. But Lucy's words echoed in his head: Just text her, ask her out, see if it works out.

Finally, he typed back:

Sure. How about Thursday afternoon?

Ashley replied with a thumbs-up emoji and a message:

Sounds perfect. Looking forward to it!

That evening, Tim sat on the couch with Emma while Lucy worked on her laptop nearby. Emma was doodling in a notebook, her tongue sticking out slightly in concentration as she colored in a picture of Kojo.

"Daddy," she said suddenly, looking up.

"Yeah, honey?" Tim replied, glancing at her.

"Are you happy?" Emma asked, her big, curious eyes studying him.

The question caught Tim off guard. He hesitated, unsure how to answer. "Why do you ask?"

Emma shrugged. "You just look tired sometimes. Like when Kojo runs too much and needs a nap."

Lucy snorted from her spot across the room, but she didn't look up.

Tim smiled, leaning over to kiss Emma's forehead. "I'm happy, kiddo. Especially when I'm with you."

Emma grinned, satisfied with his answer, and went back to her drawing.

Lucy glanced at Tim, her expression unreadable. "So...did you do it?" she asked after a moment.

"Do what?"

Lucy raised an eyebrow. "Text Ashley."

Tim sighed, leaning back against the couch. "Yeah. We're getting coffee on Thursday."

Lucy's lips twitched into a small smile. "Good. I'm proud of you."

Tim rolled his eyes, but a hint of a smile tugged at his own lips. "Yeah, yeah. Don't make a big deal out of it."

Lucy chuckled, returning to her work. "I won't. But for the record? You deserve this, Tim."

Tim didn't reply, but her words stayed with him long after the conversation ended.