We chatted for another 20 minutes and then Kerry needed to get to bed, and so I watched a show on Netflix until I heard the doorbell ring. I went over to the hallway, a sudden rush of nervousness and a tingle of fear coursing through me, and looked through the peephole – something that I always did now before opening the door for anyone, even when I was expecting someone. I sighed with relief when I saw that it was Everett.
“Hi, Everett,” I said as I opened the door. “Jane's fast asleep. She and I had a fun time together. She's a real nice girl, very polite and well-behaved. You must be doing a good job as a parent because, believe me, not all three-year-olds are as well-behaved as she is! After the movie, she announced she was sleepy, and so she’s out like a light in my guest room.”
He smiled. “I try to be a good dad. I'm glad to see it's paying off.”
“How was your meeting?”
His face seemed to harden, and
it was almost as if a shadow passed across it as I mentioned this.
“It was, uh... Well, there are some pretty serious issues I'm going to have to deal with,” he said. “I think I'm going to have my hands full.”
From his tone, I could tell that he didn't want to elaborate too much, so I didn't push him for details.
“I can only imagine,” I said. “Running a daycare is tough enough; I can't imagine the stress and problems that must come with being in charge of a high school.”
“Oh, don't worry about me,” he said as we walked over to the room where Jane was sleeping. “I worked at a school in inner-city LA before this, dealing with gangs and guns.”
“Wow! Sounds like you were in a war zone before, huh?”
An odd look crossed his face, and he smiled strangely. A forced smile.
“War zone. Yeah, that’s actually a comparable analogy.”
Then, however, as soon as I opened the door and he saw his little girl sleeping peacefully on the bed, a look of joy appeared on his face, and he smiled warmly.
“Ah, there's my lil' sweet pea,” he said. “Sleeping like an angel. Thank you so much for taking care of her tonight, Vivienne.”
“It was no problem. Like I said, she's a sweetie. And she really likes bears.”
“Oh boy, does she ever! It's all I ever hear about: bear this, bear that!” he said with a laugh. “Other kids her age are into puppies and kittens; she's into bears. I have no idea where it came from, but that's my lil' Jane!”
I smiled. “She's a great kid. And any time you need someone to look after her, remember, I'm right across the road.”
“I appreciate that, Vivienne, I really do. Alright, well, I guess I'd better be getting back to my place now. I've got a long day ahead tomorrow, and I’m sure you do, too.”
“I do, yeah, and I've got an early start as well. But it was great meeting you. I'm glad you came over and said hi this afternoon.”
He smiled at me, and as our eyes met, I swear I felt a bolt of energy passing between us.
“I'm glad I came over to say hi as well. Very glad.”
He went over and picked up Jane carefully, making sure he didn't wake her, and then, cradling the sleeping child softly in his arms, he walked to the front door where I let him out.
He turned around and looked at me one more time from the porch.
“Thanks again, Vivienne. I'll see you soon.”
“See you soon, Everett. Have a good night. And welcome to the neighborhood!”
“Good night,” he said with a smile, and with that, he walked on across the street, his footsteps light and careful so that he wouldn't wake Jane up.
Well, this was nice, I thought. I had a new friend in the neighborhood, who just happened to be a single, attractive guy. It wasn't as if I wanted anything to happen, but on the other hand, Kerry was right. I couldn’t avoid men forever. I mean, I had old wounds – wounds that were very, very deep – but I was getting over them, slowly but surely. After all, I couldn't live in a state of fear forever, could I?
As I closed the door, I heard my phone's message tone ring. I half-wondered if it was Everett, and as I took my phone out, I couldn't deny that my heart was starting to beat a little faster. However, when I looked at the screen, I saw that it was Kerry.
“Hey, Viv,” the message said. “Could you go back on Skype really quick? I've got something important to tell you.”