The Babysitter

Home Sick

MaryGrace woke up to the knocking on the door, and her daughter shaking her shoulder.

"Mommy, wake up. Someone's at the door" Hazel whispers. Still vigorously shaking her mother. But she got tiered and began coughing again.

"Ok, I'll go check." MaryGraces groans, getting up from their bed. She walked to the door, and opened it. Justin stood there with a green smoothie and a brown bag.

Justin was surprised by her looks, she had on a vintage Guns n Roses shirt and pajama shorts on. Her hair was in a pony tail, and her face was still fresh. She somehow managed to still look beautiful.

"Hey- why aren't you ready?" Justin asks, gesturing to her attire and inviting himself inside.

"Hazel is sick, so I have to miss today." MaryGrace explains, and lets out a big yawn.

"Wait, don't you have that Econ test today?" Justin asks, setting the food down on the counter.

Before MaryGrace could answer, Hazel starts coughing up a storm in the next room, sounding as if she were about to vomit. 

Instead is answering his question, she grabs rag and wets it with cold water. She rung it out and brought it to the room. Where she sat back down in bed with her daughter.

"Justy?" Hazel calls, her voice groggy from coughing all night.

"Right here short stack." Justin says sitting on the other side of the bed to hold her hand. "She's burning up." Justin notes, feeling her forehead. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead.

"Mommy?" Hazel asks, her eyes still tiered.

"Yeah baby?" MaryGrace asks, gently stroking her daughters hair

"My tummy hurts." Hazel says, holding her stomach. The mother feels awful that her daughter is in such agony but she had been up all night trying to ease the pain a little.

"Alright, I'll get you some more medicine." MaryGrace says, standing up with Justin following her.

"Can't you drop her off at the nannies?" Justin asks,

"Georgia, quit. I can't afford her and I still owe her money. So I'm just dropping out of school and Cosmo just offered me a full time manager position." MaryGrace says. Grabbing a bottle of medicine and a spoon. Then filling a glass of water.

"No you can't drop out, what about Hazel? All those late nights for nothing?" Justin protests,

"I have to Justin! I'm about to get a second job and I don't have time for school anymore." MaryGrace raises her voice.

"What about your parents?" Justin asks, thinking any of possible solution. "Grandparents love watching their grandkids. And they do it for free!"

"Yeah... Not happening" MaryGrace says, grabbing the medicine and the water. She walks back into the room and gives Hazel the dose.

"I'll watch her." Justin blurts, MaryGrace turns to face him.

"What?" She asks

"I'll watch her, for free. As long as you need. Just please, don't give up on school." Justin begs.

"Justin, I can't let you-"

"MaryGrace, shut up and go get ready for class... You'll be a little bit late but-" Justin says looking at his Rolex, but MaryGrace cuts him off with the biggest hug she's ever gave someone.

She went to her closet and changed. She applied a little eyeliner and mascara and undid her pony tail. All while explaining to Justin how to care for Hazel. "There's ginger ale in the fridge, mix some emergency with water for her. Give her a spoonful of this every four hours." MaryGrace rambles, while throwing stuff into her bag.

"It's okay, I raised two younger siblings. I know what I'm doing." Justin says,

"Alright baby, I love you. I'll be home right after school." MaryGrace says. Kissing Hazel on the forehead. She grabs her bag and heads towards the door. "Thank you so much. You have no idea how much I appreciate this."

"MaryGrace." Justin calls, she turned once more. "Here" he says handing her the smoothie and bag he was holding earlier.

"Thanks." MaryGrace says, kissing his cheek and leaving the apartment. He can feel his cheeks start to flush with blood and his stomach flip. He grins when she's out of sight and closes the door.

"Justy?" Hazel calls, she stands in the middle of the living room looking at him. She was still in her princess pajamas from the night before

"Yeah princess?" Justin says, crouching down beside her.

Before she can answer she covers her mouth and coughs more then before. "Take a seat on the couch," Justin says. She does and Justin returns to give her a blanket.

"Justy, I'm hungry." She says.

"Alright." Justin says and goes to the kitchen he warms up some soup for her on the stove. He turns on the tv for her while he waits on the soup. When it's done he has her sit on the floor and places her soup on the coffee table so she can sit and watch tv while she eat her soup.