When Delaney rang Ms. Roveen’s bell, the door creaked open slowly, and a tiny pair of blue eyes peeked out at her. She could see it was a toddler—there were pink princess slippers poking out as well.
“Um, hi?” Delaney said, trying to be very mature. “I’m Delaney. I’m the babysitter.”
“I Milly!” said a little voice. “You come play?”
Just then, Ms. Roveen opened the door. “Millicent McKenzie, what did Mommy tell you about opening the door to strangers?” She sighed. “She’s very excited to see you.”
“It’s Dee-Lay-Neeeeeee!” the little girl sang. She had wavy blond curls—just like Ms. Roveen—and dimples when she smiled.
“Tell Delaney how old you are,” her mother instructed.
Milly held up two chubby fingers. “I two! I big girl!”
“You are a big girl,” Ms. Roveen said, scooping her up in her arms. “She’ll be two in a month. And you’re going to be a big girl while Mommy does some work. Delaney is going to take care of you.”
“I am? I mean, by myself?” Delaney felt her stomach twitch. “I’m not sure I really know how…”
“There’s not much to it.” Ms. Roveen ushered her inside. “These are Milly’s sippy cup and her snacks. She loves Cheerios and applesauce. And this is her playroom with all her toys. She wears pull-up diapers, so you might have to change her…”
Milly squiggled free from her mom’s arms and raced over to get a pink wand.
“This my magic wand!” She giggled. “Bibby boo! Bibby boo!”
“She means ‘Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo,’” Ms. Roveen whispered. “She’s obsessed with Cinderella.”
Delaney nodded, trying to remember all the details: sippy cup, Cheerios, bibby boo…and what exactly was a pull-up?
“Okay, I’m off to do my work upstairs. You just hang out here with Milly for an hour, and I’ll see you later.”
“Wait!” Delaney called after her. “What if I mess up? What if Milly doesn’t like me?”
Ms. Roveen smiled. “Of course she’ll like you, Delaney. Just be yourself.” She waved to Milly. “Have fun! Bye, girls!”
Before Delaney could protest any further, she felt a little hand tugging on her pant leg.
“I Cindyrella and you Pwince Arming,” Milly insisted.
“Um, okay,” Delaney said. “What do you want me to do?”
“You Pwince Arming!” Milly stamped her foot.
“I get it. I’m Prince Charming. What does Prince Charming do?”
Milly’s cheeks flushed. She squinted her eyes and wrinkled her nose. “I want Mama!” she howled and began to cry.
“Wait! No! Just a sec! Don’t cry!” Delaney begged her. She took off her sneaker. “Cindyrella! I have your glass slipper.”
Milly only wailed harder: “Mama! Mama! Mama!”
Think! Delaney told herself. What would Prince Charming do?
“Would Cindyrella like to go to the ball with Pwince Arming?” she asked the screaming toddler.
Milly’s tears suddenly stopped. “I go ball. I dance.” She sniffled.
“Yes! Yes! We can dance! And we can have a tea party! And get all dressed up in pwincess, I mean, princess dresses!”
“Ooooh!” Milly squealed. “I like pwincess dress.”
Delaney had no idea where she was going to find a princess dress on such short notice. She looked in the hall coat closet, hoping to find one hanging in there. But Milly was losing patience.
“I want my pwincess dress!” she said, stamping her feet.
Delaney opened the linen closet in the hall and rummaged through it. Just then, an idea came to her. She grabbed a pink towel and tied it around the child’s waist. Then she grabbed a red towel and tied it around her own shoulders like a cape. “This is your beautiful princess gown,” she said. “May I have this dance, Princess Milly?”
She helped Milly stand on top of her feet. “Hold on tight,” she told her, as they waltzed around the room. Delaney remembered her dad doing this with her when she was little. She always loved the dizzy feeling of spinning as she clung to his knees.
“Whee!” Milly giggled in delight. “Sing me song, Pwince Arming.”
It had been a very long time since Delaney had watched Cinderella. She couldn’t think of a single song from the Disney film—so she improvised a little Katy Perry. “I am a champion, and you’re gonna hear me roar!”
“Woar! Woar!” Milly sang with her.
“Wow, you’re a good singer, Princess Milly,” Delaney declared. “What should we do next?”
“Tea party! Tea party!” Milly suddenly ran off to the kitchen, leaving Delaney in her dust.
Before Delaney even had a chance to search the cabinets and pour some snacks in a bowl, Milly had seized the box of Cheerios on the kitchen table and was throwing them all over the floor. She had also managed to unscrew the top of her sippy cup and was sprinkling apple juice in the air.
“It waining! It waining!” She laughed, pouring the cereal and apple juice on the tiles.
“Wait! Milly…let me help you!” Delaney raced toward her. She felt herself suddenly losing her footing, and she landed with a hard thud on her back on the kitchen floor.
“Deelaynee go boom!” Milly said. “That funny!”
Great, even a two-year-old thought she was a joke.
“Okay, Milly, let’s clean up these Cheerios. They’re a little slippery when wet…”
“Nooooo!” Milly wailed once again.
Delaney took a deep breath. “Okay, Milly. I’m in charge here, and we’re going to play a new game. It’s called Cindyrella Clean Up.” She found a small brush and dust pan under the sink and handed them to the little girl.
“You sweep, I mop,” she said.
Milly pouted. “I no sweep.” She threw herself down on the floor and went into a tantrum. “I no sweep! I no sweep!”
Delaney scooped the screaming toddler up in one arm and mopped with the other. She felt something wet trickling down her elbow.
“Eww! Milly, is your diaper wet?” she asked, wrinkling her nose.
“Milly go pee-pee,” she replied.
Oh, boy! Delaney sighed. Where exactly did Ms. Roveen keep the diapers?
“Let’s go look for some diapers,” she said, carrying the child into her nursery. “Where does Mommy put them?”
“No dipee!” Milly yelled. “I big girl! Pull-ups!”
“Oh!” Delaney exclaimed. That’s what her mom had meant. “Where does Mommy have your pull-ups?”
Milly pointed to a cabinet above the changing table. When Delaney opened it, a pile of diapers fell out and landed on her head.
“Pull-ups!” Milly suddenly said, pulling off her soggy diaper and dancing around the room.
“Okay! Let’s put on a nice clean one.” Delaney tried to coax her to stop jumping around. “Milly! Come back!”
Milly jumped on the bed, crawled under the changing table, and even ducked between Delaney’s legs.
There was no catching her, unless…
“Milly, wanna see Pwince Arming’s crown?” Delaney put the diaper on her head and grinned. “Like it?”
Milly stopped and stared…then burst into laughter. “You silly! You silly!”
Delaney scooped her up and pulled the clean diaper snuggly over her legs and bottom. “No, you’re silly! Silly Milly!”
They collapsed on Milly’s pink fuzzy rug, laughing and tickling each other.
Just then, Ms. Roveen walked in.
“Well, it looks like you two are getting along great!” she said.
“Mama! Deelaynee silly! I love Deelaynee!” Milly threw her arms around Delaney’s neck and squeezed her tight.
Delaney smiled. Maybe she wasn’t the most “serious” babysitter—but if you asked Milly, she was the most fun.