Night Life {Watty Awards Finalist 2012}

Chapter 6

"Hey, Nicky!" Jaime said when I picked the phone up Saturday morning.

"Jaime," I grumbled into the phone, wondering how on earth she was so awake and full of energy at this early hour. "It is 8 in the morning and I have been sleeping for one hour. This better be super important," I hissed.

"It is, I promise," she said in a hurried voice. She sounded like she was running around. Probably chasing after Taylor.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Remember how you offered to babysit Taylor if I ever needed you to?" she asked.

"Yes..." I mumbled, closing my eyes and leaning back into my pillows.

"Well, I kind of need you to," she said. I didn't say anything. "Nicky? Please? It's just, the babysitter went and caught a cold and she said she would be able to babysit still, but I don't want her spreading her germs to Taylor. The last thing I need is for my child to get--" she started babbling.

"Ok, I'll do it," I said, just to stop her from talking.

"Perfect! I'm coming over now," she said.

"Now?" I asked, opening my eyes wide.

"Yes! I'll be there in 20 minutes tops," she said. "Thanks, Nicky baby!" she cooed and then hung up. I groaned and sat up, rubbing my tired eyes.

Today was going to be a long day.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you SO much. You have no idea what a life-saver you are," Jaime said, bustling into my apartment before I invited her in. I shook my head slightly. Typical Jaime.

Taylor was holding her mother's hand. She was dressed in a bright orange sundress, her silky hair a darker shade of blonde than usual.

"Her hair looks darker," I said, smiling down at Taylor.

"I know! It's so exciting! It's changing colors," she told me.

"How?" I asked. She shrugged.

"I guess if I remember correctly, my hair was blonde when I was a little girl, too, but then it turned dark brown," Jaime told me. I nodded. I squatted down in front of her.

"Hi Taylor! Remember me?" I asked. She put her finger in her mouth shyly.

"Aww, come on! You don't remember me?" I asked her.

"Tay, this is Nicky, remember? She's the one that gave you Mr. Loopy," she said.

"Mr Loopy?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's that pink bunny rabbit toy you gave her," she replied. I snorted.

"She named a pink rabbit Mr. Loopy?" I asked. Jaime laughed.

"Kids and their imaginations," she said with a shrug. She nudged Taylor with her leg.

"Say 'hi', Tay. Nicky's a nice person," she instructed.

"Hi," Tay said in a quiet, shy voice.

"Hello," I said, pinching her cheek. I stood up, then, and faced Jaime.

"Ok. So she already ate breakfast, but she always drinks apple juice at 10. I have that in her sippy cup in her food bag. After she drinks that she gets pretty hyper and wants to play. I try to get her to take a nap at around 12:30, so I suggest occupying her with some vigorous activity to get her tired. She takes about an hour long nap before she wakes up. Then you have to give her lunch. That's in the square plastic tupperware in the box. It's just a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with some carrot sticks. You can give her orange juice or water with that. Oh, and there's a cookie in there that you can give her if she behaves. I should be back to pick her up around 6, but in the mean time, there's some fruit in her bag, too, which you can give her to eat. I usually feed her dinner at 6," she explained.