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Tilly
“Will you marry me, Tilly?”
I smile as I look over at him. “You’ve asked me that question three times this weekend, Coop. My answer hasn’t changed.”
Cooper Gallo’s mouth dips into a frown. “The answer is still no?”
I crouch down until I’m almost eye level with the six-year-old. “One day when you’re older, you’ll meet someone who will steal your heart away. When that happens, you’ll be happy that I said no.”
“What if it’s you?” His small hand rests on my cheek. “If I’m older and you don’t have a husband yet, will you marry me then?”
“Why don’t we make a pinky swear promise to always be friends? I could use a really good friend like you, Coop.”
His pinky on his left hand juts out. “I like that. Let’s do it.”
I wrap my finger around his gently. “We solemnly swear that we’ll always be friends.”
“We do,” he affirms with a sharp nod of his head.
His blue eyes catch mine. “You’re the best babysitter I ever had. Can we look on my mom’s laptop at more stuff about the moon?”
I glance over at the clock hanging on the kitchen wall. “We can do that for twenty minutes and then you’ll have to get into bed. There’s school tomorrow.”
“You sound like mom.” He giggles. “Can we call her so I can say goodnight to her?”
Even though his mom, Carolyn, left their apartment less than an hour ago, I know how important it is to Cooper to hear her voice before he falls asleep.
When Carolyn started working at Premier Pet Care as a veterinarian she kept mainly to herself. I didn’t know she had a son until she brought Cooper to work one day last summer when her nanny was a no-show.
Coop and I hit it off right away. I spent part of my shift with him in the break room. We discovered our mutual love for science and ever since, whenever Carolyn has been in a pinch for a sitter, I’ve stepped in.
She’s a single mom with a demanding career and an ex-husband in another state. I see the stress she’s under on a daily basis.
Her new nanny is great, but she came down with the flu two days ago.
Since Carolyn is on call at the clinic this weekend, she sent out a group text yesterday afternoon to all of her New York City contacts. She was looking for someone willing to watch Coop if a pet emergency came up that needed her attention.
I offered immediately since I knew the reassurance of having someone in place to watch her son would take that load off her shoulders.
This is the second time I’ve been at their apartment since then.
“We’ll try and call her right before bed.” I watch as he settles into a dining room chair. “If she’s busy, we’ll leave her a voice message, but I know she’ll try her best to answer.”
His gaze slides from the laptop screen to my face. “I heard you and mom talking last night before you went home.”
I move to where he’s sitting. Carolyn and I are friends. We don’t hang out after hours because her time is devoted to Coop, but at work we regularly share coffee breaks. She’s confided in me about her painful divorce and I’ve shared horror stories about my search for Mr. Right. We’ve formed an unlikely bond.
“What were we talking about?” I sit in the chair next to him and reach for the laptop so I can pull up the solar system website he loves exploring.
“I heard you tell mom that you live with a policeman.”
I did tell Carolyn that I have a new roommate. I’m grateful now that I didn’t mention seeing Sebastian naked.
“I do live with a policeman.”
A smile lights up his face. “Does he have a badge?”
I pat my hand over the front of the waistband of my jeans. “He wears it on his belt. I’ve seen it a couple of times.”
“Is it shiny?” His eyes widen.
“It is.”
“Cool.” His gaze darts to the laptop screen before he looks back at me. “I don’t know any policemen. What’s his name?”
“Detective Wolf.”
His face lights up. “That’s the coolest name I’ve ever heard.”
I can’t help but laugh. “I guess it’s a pretty cool name.”
He plays with a button on his pajama top. “Can you bring him with you the next time you come over?”
I hate that I have to be the one to wipe that hopeful expression off his face but I can’t exactly ask Sebastian to tag along the next time I babysit. “He’s really busy.”
“Catching all the bad guys, right?”
“You know it.” I smooth my hand over the top of his head.
He turns to look up at me. “You’re the luckiest person in the world, Tilly. You get to live with a real life hero.”
“I am very lucky.” I smile softly. “I get to live with a real life hero and you’re one of my best friends.”
“We’re both lucky, aren’t we?” he asks through a toothy grin. “Can we call my mom now?”
His smiles are like sunshine. “You bet. I know nothing makes her happier than hearing your voice.”
He’s up on his feet racing to where I left my cell phone before I can get in another word.
