It seemed like days before the toddler that wouldn’t let me go finally fell asleep. With April’s help, I gently placed her in her carrier so she’d be ready for her parents to pick her up. Her sister was already asleep. Thirty minutes later, their parents retrieved them and thanked both April and me for watching over their little ones. In all honesty, I did enjoy playing with her and laughing at her giggles when I tickled her.

Smiling, April said after the toddlers had left, “Next time I sit for them, I’m going to ask Mom to call your mom to see if you can come over.”

I smiled slightly. “Let’s not get carried away.”

Thirty minutes later, April’s parents returned. After giving April a hug, I heard Claire whisper to her husband, “I hope Dede doesn’t forget her daughter’s over here.” I thought you and me both, sister.

While waiting, I absentmindedly picked up one of April’s Barbie dolls that was laying on the floor. A movie was playing, but I was bored with it and April was reading something on her tablet.

I looked at the doll as I rotated it in my hands. I wonder just what the hell was the appeal of these things? Not sure what I expected to see, I pulled off the top the doll was wearing. A box suddenly bumped against my foot as April had scooted it towards me.

April grinned. “Her clothes are in that box.” She returned to her reading.

I changed my position to sit cross-legged on the floor and set the box of clothes on my legs. I picked up a pink dress from the box and just looked at it. I couldn’t believe there was a whole industry set up to make tiny clothes. Bored, I put the dress on the doll. I chuckled when an old memory surfaced of an ad with some guy saying to toss some shrimp on the Barbie. Probably not what he meant.

I hadn’t noticed an hour going by when I saw April look up from her tablet and grinned. She was looking at something behind me. I looked around and saw Dede standing over me. How had I not noticed?

She grinned and asked, “Are you ready to go, honey?”

I set the doll on top of the clothes box and stood up. I simply said, “Yep.”

Dede asked Claire, “I hope she was a good girl.”

Claire, who had changed into sweatpants and a t-shirt and standing beside Dede said, “Yes she was. She bonded with one of toddlers and April was happy to have someone who could say more than ‘goo goo’.” She chuckled. “Other than that, she’s just been quietly playing with April’s Barbies since Roger and I got home.”

Dede smiled. “Maybe we can arrange a play date with her and April sometime.”

April exclaimed, “I want to give her a make-over next time!”

I groaned slightly at the thought of a make-over. Dede either misunderstood my groan or did so on purpose. “You know you can’t wear make-up just yet, but we can always make exceptions.” She grinned at me. Was that an evil glint?

Claire said, “Well, April is having a sleep over next Friday. But they’re all older girls.”

Dede nodded. “Maybe we should wait on that. But thanks again for keeping her for a few hours. It took a load off my mind!”

Claire said, “No problem, girl. By the way, how was your date? Anyone I know?”

Dede laughed. “Not yet. It went well though.”

We left Claire’s house and got into Dede’s car. As she started the engine, she said, “How did it go? Sounds like you made a new friend.”

Rolling my eyes, I said, “That one kid wouldn’t leave me alone. She’d only stop crying if I held her.”

Dede chuckled. “Looks like you’re mommy material.”

I frowned. “You’re not funny.” Dede laughed.

“Would you’d like April to babysit you again?” asked Dede seriously.

I shrugged. “Sure. It was okay. I don’t really think I need it. But I did like her, if that’s what you’re getting at.”

Dede nodded. “So you’d be okay with just going over there to play? Maybe we can just call it a play date and not babysitting.”

“You’re just playing semantics with me,” I frowned and folded my arms against my chest.

Dede looked at me sideways as she drove. “Aren’t you going to ask about my date?”

Actually, no I wasn’t. But okay. I looked over at her and asked, “How was your date, mom?”

Dede smiled broadly. “It was good. I really like Oliver.”

“That’s good,” I said. “Always good to like the person you’re on a date with.”

Dede nodded. “That’s actually true. I think you’ll like him too. He wants to get to know you better.”

In all seriousness, I stated, “I’m not dating him!”

Dede laughed. “That’s not what I meant. But you’ll be going on your own dates before long. Anyway, Oliver suggested next Friday night, he’d take us both out for pizza and a movie. What do you think?”

Shrugging, I said, “I’m always up for a free pizza. What movie?”

Dede parked her car in our driveway. “That new Pixar movie. Whatever it’s called.”

I frowned. “That’s a kids movie.”

Rolling her eyes at me, Dede said, “And you’re a kid.”

Grunting, I said, “Maybe in body, but not in spirit.”

Shaking her head at me, she said, “Lighten up, brat. You’ve been given a gift! A chance to be a kid again!”

We got out of the car and started walking towards the house. I said, “I may be a kid, but that just means I’m financially dependent on you. For like everything.”

Dede paused in inserting the key in the front door. She just gave me a long look. “You were financially dependent on me when you were a sixty-five year old man. At least now you’re not drooling on yourself.”

I scowled at Dede. “I didn’t drool. And besides, I was retired.”

Dede laughed as she opened the door. “I guess you were also retired at twenty-five?”

“I had that job as a sacker,” I said defiantly. “They were about to make me full time. But then I got switched.”

Dede knitted her brow. “I forgot about that. Okay, go get your jammies on and get in bed. I’ll be there in a minute.”

I sighed and ran off to my room. It was how I had last left it, but somehow different. My thoughts got foggy. I was surprised that mom had made my bed and put my nightgown in my dresser. I got undressed and slipped on my nightgown. I couldn’t get over how cool and soft the nightgown was. I climbed into bed and slipped between the cool sheets.

I found my stuffed bunny and pulled it under the covers with me and hugged it.

A minute later, mom came in and adjusted my covers. She kissed my forehead. She said, “Good night, sweetheart. Have sweet dreams.” She then turned to leave the room.

As mom turned out the light, I said, “Mom?”

Turning to look at me, she said, “What is it honey?”

“Can I have a drink of water?”

To be continued…