The Babysitter

The Loft

Samantha

Mitch comes over in the afternoons pretty regularly. We sit on the porch swing most of the time and don't really talk. There isn't much to talk about. Today is especially quiet.

"Hi," I finally say. I realize how awkward the words are as they tumble out of my mouth and I suddenly regret saying anything. Mitch just smiles. "Listen, you don't have to be here," I say. I figure if I give him a way out he will take it. I can just tell he doesn't want to be here today. I wonder if he is going to get cold feet about everything? I guess it doesn't really matter because, in another 3 weeks, we won't be having this conversation ever again. "I can talk care of myself. I'll be fine."

"It's not that," Mitch says. He turns in his seat and faces me and I see the concern.

"What? What's wrong?" I say.

"I know we've already had this conversation but are you sure this is what you want to do?" He says, "And please, don't get offended, I'm not telling you what you should or shouldn't do, I'm just trying to sort out the best thing to do."

"The best thing to do is take care of it," I say. "Mitch, you are going to Yale-

"Duke-

"On a football scholarship-

"Basketball-

"And I'm not ready to be a mother. Hell, I don't even know who I am. How am I supposed to all of a sudden know how to be a mother?"

"But isn't there a part of you that believes maybe everything happens for a reason? Maybe we're supposed to have this baby? Maybe you're supposed to be a mother?"

"What?" I say, "no."

"No?"

"Absolutely not."

"Not a chance?"

"Hell no," I say, "Nothing happens for a reason. It's just random that we interpret has meaning. Are you ready to be a father?"

"It would be a little change," Mitch says.

"It would be on the level of Caitlyn Jenner change man,"

"I get that things would be different and we would have to do different things."

"No more house parties,"

"I know, I don't have a problem with that," Mitch says.

"No more Friday night anything,"

"No problem," he says.

"No sleep," I say.

"When my cousin had his daughter, he said she slept through the entire night," he says.

"Bullshit-"

"And, he said she hardly ever cried," he says, "now he gets the best sleep of his life."

"Sounds like I should have had your cousins baby,"

"You should have. He's better looking too," he says. Mitch pulls out his phone and flips to his photos. "Check him out,"

"What's his name?" I say.

"Warren," Mitch says. He flips through photos, admiring each one. "He's a good guy and a good father." Mitch has the subtly smile just over his lips. "His daughter's name is Lucy, she's gonna be a badass." Mitch shows me a photo of a baby in a pulp fiction onesie. It's the one where the two guys are holding bananas.

"I'm not gonna lie, she's pretty badass," I say.

We look through photos and I can't stop smiling. We look at them for a little while longer before Mitch asks me out to dinner. I'm feeling pretty tired but Mitch really wants me to.