Unexpected

Babysitting

When Steve and I arrived home, pizza in hand, we bumped into Zita, the woman who lived on the floor below us, and her husband. Zita, being friendly as usual, greeted us instantly, pulling us into a conversation. I was happy to oblige, cordiality being a specialty of mine. As we talked the conversation moved to the fact that Zita and her husband's anniversary was tomorrow. Of course Steve and I congratulated them, asking what they were doing to celebrate, and they responded that they'd booked a place at a bed and breakfast along the coast a couple hours away.

"Aw! That sounds romantic!" I remarked.

"Yeah." Harry, Zita's husband, replied, his tone less than enthusiastic.

I furrowed my eyebrows, "Wow, your excitement is overwhelming!" I teased lightheartedly.

"It's not that I'm not excited." Harry rushed to explain once he realized how he'd come off. He swung his hand around Zita's waist, drawing her a little closer to his side, "It's just that the girls were going to stay at my mother's, but she has an appointment on Monday morning and won't be able to take them to day care, so we're going to have to cancel our trip."

"That's rough." Steve commented sympathetically, shifting the pizza from one hand to the other as his palm was being burned by the bottom of the box.

I bit the inside of my lip, hesitating before my mouth flung open, "I can take the girls."

Zita's dark eyes shot to me, gratitude filling them instantly, "Are you serious?"

I'd honestly been hoping for a quiet lazy day to catch up on cleaning and reading, maybe do a load of laundry or something, not babysit a pair of little girls. "It's your anniversary. I can take them and drop them off at day care before heading to work on Monday, no big deal."

"You're a life saver, Miss Penny!"

"You have no idea." I just barely heard Steve mumble out of the corner of his mouth. Quickly I jabbed my elbow into his side, causing him to make a small 'oof' sound.

"We'll pay you of course!" Zita continued, clasping her husband's forearm as she eagerly thanked me.

"Seriously, it's no problem at all!" I assured her, "When should I expect them?"

"Oh! Uh..." she turned to Harry before answering, "Around two maybe?"

"That's fine with me. See you then!" I excused Steve and myself before continuing up the stairs to our floor.

As soon as we were out of earshot of Zita and Harry I sighed heavily to myself. Why did I do that? I loved helping my neighbors, really I did, and the girls were so sweet, but at the same time I couldn't help but curse myself a little for how quickly I'd jumped in to take their kids. So much for my day of cleaning and relaxing, now I was going to play nanny.

Steve noticed my sigh and slightly drooped shoulders as I ascended the stairs ahead of him, pulling out my keys to unlock my apartment door for us, "Couldn't help yourself huh? Had to go and save the day Agent Catalyst?"

"You have no room to talk, Captain Save-Any-Damsel-in-Distress."

"Touche."

By two o'clock the next day, Sunday, I was ready and prepared for my young guests. Remembering last time I'd hosted the little girls I already had dug out crayons and papers for them to color on. I'd set up a selection of kid shows and movies, including a wide array of Disney, Pixar, and DreamWorks movies, on my Netflix. Besides that I had a few games ready, just in case the toys that little Ana and Lillian would no doubt bring with them didn't hold their attention.