"I may have saved her from the monsters that crawl through the dark, but she saved me from the worst monster of all. She rescued me from who I would have become without her, the monster that would have easily conquered my body."
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Reese Chambler...
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"HURRY UP, MJ!" I holler, trying to catch up with the little toddler.
She screams and runs even faster, leaving behind a trail of wet footprints on the hardwood floor. My eyes widen as she turns the hallway to the stairs, nearly tripping down the first step. I catch her arm just in time and lift her off the ground. She shrieks again and kicks her legs, trying to wiggle out of my grip as I run down the stairs. I set her on the ground once we reach the first floor, and like a shot she takes off again, her thin little legs floundering as she runs into the kitchen.
"Naked baby! Naked baby!" I squeal as I round the island in the kitchen.
MJ responds with a high pitched fit of giggles. I stop for a moment, then turn around to come from the other side of the island, surprising the child. She screams again as droplets of water run down her face. Her hair is still wet from the bath.
She shakes her bare butt at me as she runs away. Her feet slap against the floor so fast it almost sounds like a pony galloping. She laughs again.
"I'm going to get you! You'd better run!" I laugh with her.
She takes a sharp left and heads for the front door, just as it is cracking open.
"Look out, there is a naked baby on the loose!" I yell to the unknown person on the other side of the door. The door suddenly swings open fully, revealing Mr. Grimes. He is wearing a genuine smile.
"A naked baby?" He asks, looking down at MJ. The child freezes, a look of faux horror takes over her face as she looks up at Mr. Grimes.
"A naked baby?" Her father repeats again, using an overly animated voice to show his mock surprise.
He quickly scoops her up into his arms and pretends to nibble on her stomach. She laughs and screams out in joy, wiggling her naked body around to loosen his grip. I smile as I watch the scene unfold in front of me, but after a moment, that light feeling in my chest is replaced with a heavy one. This is what it should be like. I am not needed.
"Did Ms. Chambler give you a bath, monkey? Hmm? Are you all clean?" The voice he uses with MJ is so unlike the voice he uses around anyone else. When he mutters just one word or simply walks into the room, you instantly know that he is in charge. The only time I ever see him smile is when he is with MJ.
He finally puts her down, and she comes running back to me, using my legs as a hiding place. I am still needed after all.
"Hi Reese," Mr. Grimes says, his smile fading.
"Hello Mr. Grimes," I say, trying to keep myself from trembling in front of him. He scares me sometimes, and I try to avoid contact with him at all costs. Since I take care of his daughter, though, it never works out in my favor.
