My Neighbor's Husband

Turning to my dog, I shake a finger at him.

“You be good, okay Buster?” I admonish. “Mommy will be gone for a few hours, but you stay put and be a good dog okay?”

My golden retriever smiles at me and thumps his tail on the floor loudly.

“Okay. Your water is where it always is, and I promise there will be treats when I get back. Salmon-flavored baked whoopies. Does that sound good?”

At the word salmon, I swear Buster’s tail gets even more enthusiastic. Most times, I think Buster’s IQ is a bit below the doggie average, but some days, I’m not so sure. Maybe he just wants me to think he’s dumb so that I don’t get incensed whenever he does something he knows he shouldn’t.

I shake my head while heading for the door. Dang. I’m getting into this animal psychology shit too much. Buster is a dog. Period. He doesn’t think about anything except chasing squirrels and his next meal.

With that, I head down the block to where the party’s being held. It’s mid-afternoon and my neighbors have done a great job with the decorations. Folding tables are set up with heaps of food on each one, and there are balloons tied to lamp posts, giving the block party a festive feel. Kids run around, squealing and laughing, and I see they’ve even set up several kids’ games like hopscotch, a water balloon toss, and some game with a bunch of bouncing balls. It’s cool that the kids are outdoors and playing happily. You hear so much about how children are addicted to their phones now, so it’s good to see that at least today, it’s not true.

I stroll over, smiling at Jane McKenna, who’s in the process of wrangling her two year old daughter Jilly.

“Jilly, please,” Jane says, pulling firmly at her daughter’s hand. “You can’t do that. We need to save them for the water balloon toss, so you can’t keep throwing them on the ground. Hey Margot, how are you?”

I see from several round wet splotches that Jilly has probably already smashed quite a few water balloons on the pavement. The four-year-old is so cute with her curly blonde hair and big blue eyes, even if right now, she’s currently struggling to get away from her mom’s hold. I decide to step in.

“Here Jilly,” I say. “How about a water balloon toss with your Aunt Margot? Would you like that?” I ask, grabbing a green balloon from the bin.

Jilly squeals and hops up and down from one foot to another.

“Yes, I like!” she giggles. “Toss me the balloon!”

Jane sighs and lets go of her daughter with a smile.

“Thanks Margot, you’re a life saver.”

Carefully, I kneel in front of the little girl and mime tossing the water balloon to her, although I’m basically handing it off straight into her small palm.

“I caught it! I caught it!” she squeals. “Mommy, did you see?”

Jane grins at me again while Jilly and I “toss” the balloon between ourselves. She’s so cute and I don’t mind at all. I’ve always seen myself as someone kid-positive and family-friendly, destined for a large brood with five to six children. Of course, I don’t even have a boyfriend right now, so I’m not sure how that’s going to come true.

Regardless, the little girl and I play for about ten minutes before she gets distracted by a bouncy house my neighbors just finished inflating, and rushes off to throw herself in with the other kids.

“Thanks Margot,” Jane says to be apologetically again. “You’re a lifesaver. Kids can be such a pain. Don’t ever get a kid of your own,” she jests.

I merely shrug and laugh.

“I don’t know. Jilly’s pretty cute. I wouldn’t mind having one just like her.”

Jane rolls her eyes.

“Please girlfriend. Jilly looks cute with her blonde curls and energetic ways, but wait until she’s in the middle of a tantrum. The sobs and screams will keep you up all night, I swear. Speaking of which, if you want to borrow her, be my guest. We’re always looking for babysitters on Friday nights.”

I laugh because I’ve babysat for Jane and her husband Henry multiple times. They’re a young couple and deserve a date night every once in a while, so why not? I just head over after I’m done with my job and spend a few hours with Jilly. It’s fun, and no skin off my nose.

“You know me,” I say with a smile. “I always love watching Jilly. By the way, are you expecting again?” I ask, eyeing Jane’s stomach.

She goes red, and then her hand cradles her tummy in a way that tells me the answer by itself.

“Yes,” she says. “We just passed the three month mark, so the baby will be here in about six months. Henry and I are so excited because we have a feeling it’s going to be a boy!”