Home is who you are

Part Twelve

12

Gabi arrived at Jen and Charles' place ten minutes early. It was one of those narrow three-story houses with steep stairs and tiny backyards. She had promised she would take care of their two girls so that they could celebrate their anniversary. They had to leave at four o'clock to be in time for their concert or theater or whatever. They would have dinner afterwards and be back in time for Gabi to catch the subway home.

She was nervous. She had taken care of children before, but the first time you meet two little girls and are left alone in charge of them is always unpredictable.

Claire and Victoria were nine and six and played in their room when Gabi arrived.

"Girls! Come and meet Gabi!" Charles called.

They stomped downstairs, Jen yelled "No running!" and then said almost in a whisper: "They're excited". "Me too," Gabi said, unsure.

Both girls looked a lot like Charles, the big brown eyes and broad smiles, but had Jen's thin blond hair. They approached and gave Gabi a kiss on the cheek. Victoria, the youngest, took Gabi's hand and said "Do you want to see my new dollhouse?" to which Claire replied "No, we are practicing gymnastic moves! Come on!"

Gabi looked at Jen, who said "Thank you so much for doing this. Dinner is in the oven, just warm it up. Bedtime is eight o'clock, they'll change and brush their teeth themselves."

"Okay, got it."

"And you girls, behave. Mom and dad will be home soon."

As soon as they left Gabi asked "So, what do you want to do?"

"I have an idea!" Claire promptly offered.

"Yeah? What?"

"We can go play in the park."

Shit. "I don't know, Claire. We should have asked your parents first."

"But we do that aaaall the time! It's just around the corner. Please?!"

"Yes, Gabi, pleeeease?!" Victoria added, looking up at Gabi with those big, irresistible brown eyes.

"Will you behave and listen?"

"Yes!" They said in chorus.

"When I say it's time to come home for dinner, will you come?"

"Yes!"

"No whining?"

"No whining."

"Ok, then. Grab some toys."

There was a little playground and lots of trees and flower bushes around. The first signs of spring were showing. The girls ran for the swings and Gabi sat on one of the benches next to another woman whose children played on the sand.

"Stay where I can see you!" Gabi shouted.

Victoria climbed the monkey bars and shouted every two minutes: "Gabi, look!"

"Be careful, ok?!" If you get hurt you mother will kill me.

"I am!" She replied, in a tone that implied "I know what I'm doing, stupid."

Claire was in one of the swings, talking to a boy. Gabi took her smartphone and went back to a book she had been reading. She glanced at the playground now and then to make sure they were playing nicely and safe. She read and glanced at Vicky on every "Gabi, look!"

Wait, where is Claire? "Vicky, where is your sister?"

"Dunno."

Shit. She was there a minute ago. Gabi got up and swept the playground with her eyes. No sign of the girl. "Claire!" Gabi called. Nothing. "Come on, Vicky, help me find her!"

"Claire!" They both called, looking behind bushes and under benches. Nothing. Silence. Nobody had seen her. Fuck, where is she? Did she cross the street? Is she hiding on purpose? Did someone take her? They're gonna kill me! Where can she be? What am I gonna do?

Gabi hesitated before calling Jen and just like that Claire materialized coming down from a tree, her little neon pink purse bursting with flowers.

"There you are! You scared me!" Gabi said, helping her jump down from a branch.

"Why? I was just picking flowers."

"You should have told me. We couldn't find you."

"Sorry. Here, it's for you." Claire gave Gabi a bunch of tiny yellow and white flowers with long stems.

"They're very pretty, thank you." Gabi smiled. "Now let's go home and have dinner, okay?"

"But we just got here!" Vicky whined.

"We can watch a movie later. The best behaved can choose which one." Gabi bribed.

"Okay!" They said.

Gabi warmed up the mac-and-cheese while the girls ran upstairs, got into their pajamas and came back shoving a dvd at her face.

"This one! This one!"

"Okay, okay. Let's eat and brush your teeth first."

They watched Tangled while brushing each other's hair, including Gabi. She managed to make them stop jumping on their beds, read a couple of books, turned off the lights and said, "I'll be downstairs if you need me."

Sure enough, five minutes later Vicky was there. "Where is mom and dad?"

"They're on their way, sweetie."

"I can't sleep."

"Do you want me to sit next to you?"

"Yes. And hold my hand."

Gabi sat on Vicky's bed listening to stories about school for twenty minutes. She wondered if she would ever have the chance to do that with her nephew. She got up and out of the bedroom really quietly and searched the kitchen for chocolate. She needed – and deserved – a treat. 

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