Jenny (Babysitter's Club 5)

My heart beat like a thundering drum as I made my way over to the house. As far as I know, Lauren was still missing, and no one had heard a peep from her in the almost half a day that she’d been gone. It had taken me that long to set up an emergency supply of milk for the girls for the next few days while they got used to formula.

I could hear screaming coming from inside as soon as my feet hit the driveway of the Master’s house, and I thought for a second how strange it was to be back here under these circumstances.

There was a time I used to dream that Derrick and I would get married and live here, bring our children up together here not far from the home I now called my own. That’s when I was too young to understand the dynamics of married life and the fact that the newly wedded usually found a nest of their own.

I shook my head to dislodge such unnecessary thoughts; there was no point to them now. The door was opened by a very frazzled looking Mrs. Masters who looked like she hadn’t slept in days, nothing at all like the sophisticated society maven who’d come to my door just a few short hours ago.

I looked beyond her, my eye searching out that wild head of hair that makes my heart thump even now, and hid the bitter disappointment when I didn’t see him. “Oh come in Jenny, come in, come in. I’m sorry. It’s been a while since I’ve done this.”

“I’ve kept the girls for a few hours here and there since they were born, but that was nothing like this. I think I might be out of my depth here; it’s been so long since I raised my own.” She apologized with a weak smile as I walked over to the girls who were lying on their backs and their playpen taking turns screaming.

I think they might be overtired, but I don’t dare take them up to the nursery. Derrick only just went back down, and I’d hate for them to disturb him.”

“Oh? How’s he doing?” She shrugged her shoulders as I reached for one of the girls, Sara, I think.

Since she’s the quieter of the two, I figured her sister would see the way she was behaving and follow suit. She was only in my arms for less than a minute when she quieted down and just stared up at me with her little mouth pouted and her arms moving as if trying to grab ahold of something.

“He’s fine. He got up too soon once we came back with the girls and forced himself to spend time with them, but he crashed not too long ago. I made him take some more pills for the pain, so he should be out for a while. What’s all this?”

She finally noticed the little insulated bag I held in my hand. “I got some milk for the girls and set up something with some of the mothers in the neighborhood for more for at least a week. I just told them that Lauren had taken suddenly ill, but I don’t know how long that lie’s going to last. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of them came by with gift baskets and stuff like that.”

“Oh dear, I don’t know, I mean what’s going to happen when they find out the truth?”

“We’ll worry about that when that time gets here, for now, it’s more important to get the girls fed.” She looked around as if it took her a few seconds to figure out the logistics, and I realized she was exhausted.

Her husband was already passed out on one of the stuffed side chairs, softly snoring with a burping towel over his shoulder. “I’ll go warm up some of the milk.”

“Thank you, that’s what all the screaming is about. I sent Harold to the store for the right formula after asking around, but the girls aren’t having it, and we already used up the last of the milk that was here.”

I set about heating up some milk that a couple of the mothers in the neighborhood had generously offered. Mr. Masters woke up from his nap full of apologies, and I could see that the day had already taken its toll on both of them.

It couldn’t have been easy, first the phone call, then the mad dash to the hospital, the hours of waiting for the news about their daughter in law, the fear of where she might be, and their son pretty banged up. That was a lot to take for anyone.

After I got the girls to take their milk, I should’ve just gone home, but each time I even had the thought, I saw the desperation in Mrs. Masters’ eyes, and that’s what led to my offer. “Why don’t you two go have a bite to eat? The girls don’t usually wake up after this time, not for a few hours anyway. I’ll stay here and keep an eye on them…”