Noelle (Babysitter’s Club 4)

Before I could ask, if I had the guts to, he stood to his feet once again and headed for the door.

“Take your time, you can come down when you’re ready.” I nodded an okay when he looked back at me. Are all of his looks going to be that intense the whole time I’m here?

If so, I don’t think my heart can take it. His eyes always seem to be seeing more than just what’s on the surface. Like he sees something else when he looks at me as well.

And that smile. I went flying back in time again. We were standing under a large tree, the kind of which I couldn’t make out, because the night was growing dark and all I could see was his smile. But I could smell the sweet scent of magnolia.

I felt, I could feel the moment, the joy the excitement that crackled in the air around us. And when he drew me into his arms in the moonlight that danced through the leaves I knew that I was safe, that I was loved.

Noelle

He left the room with the promise of grabbing my stuff from the car and bringing it up, but I barely heard a word he said.

I sat on the bed in a daze, trying to make sense of what I’d just seen and felt. Wondering what was happening to me since I arrived here.

The feelings didn’t let up by much with his absence, only I felt like I could breathe a little easier now and my body wasn’t trying to betray me.

I looked around the room once more as that same feeling of familiarity assailed me. I realized that from the moment I drove up the long driveway I’ve felt a sense of listlessness.

Not sure from one moment to the next if my mind was playing tricks on me. Or if this was all just a leftover from the accident.

The longer I sat there thinking, the more I felt compelled to run. Just walk down the stairs, get into my car and drive away.

But just as strong was the need to stay. There was a new sense of excitement awakening inside me. And I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was supposed to be here. Almost as if there was something very vital waiting for me.

I stood to my feet at the first sound of a baby crying and followed the noise to the room next door. Now my heart beat wildly for a different reason.

The nursery felt warm and welcoming as I made my way to the old fashioned cradle. It was one of those really cool ones that you could swing back and forth to rock the baby to sleep.

There was a mosquito net over it that protected the little one, who stopped crying as soon as I lifted it back and looked down at her. My hands, seemingly of their own volition, reached down and lifted her.

Taking her into my arms, she laid her head on my shoulder as if she’d done it a million times. For some reason I smiled as I paced the room with her, rubbing her back in that way you do with a fussing babe.

She was only ten months old, but she was heavy. Not big just heavy. A sign that she was not commercially fed. That means someone made her fresh food instead of the bottled crap that’s found on every supermarket shelf.

I remember her grandmother telling me that part of my job would be to take care of that. Cook and puree her veggies. Mash her fruit in the food processor or blender.

At the time it sounded like a lot of unnecessary work to me, but now that I was holding the evidence I could see the value. This was one healthy little girl.

I laid her on the changing table and made quick work of changing her wet diaper. It was one of the things I’d had to teach myself, but between YouTube and Google it hadn’t been the disaster I’d thought it would be.

When I heard pounding footsteps coming up the stairs I didn’t have to wonder who that might be. Trudy seems to have only two speeds. Cowering, and stomping.

And when I heard a bullet being moved into the chamber of a rifle and those footsteps retreating, I once again asked myself just what had I gotten myself into?

I made a funny face at the baby, whose eyes were following me. Even the kid’s eyes seemed all knowing, like she could see right into me. I laughed off my fanciful musings and picked her up, intending to go in search of food. She must be hungry by now.

I left the room and headed to the top of the stairs, looking down at the trio below. Two people wore approving smiles as I made my way down, but the third looked like she wanted to commit murder.