Noah frowned. “Outside the box?” he repeated. “But I’ve stayed in the lines.”
I smiled. “No, sweetheart, it’s an expression. It means that you’re very imaginative. You do things differently than other people, and that’s a great thing.”
“Really?”
“Really,” I nodded confidently.
He beamed, and I saw how much he liked talking to me. I realized how lonely it must be for Noah sometimes with a disinterested babysitter to look after him and a father who was constantly working.
“Why didn’t you come and see me, Krissy?” he asked. “I liked playing with you.”
“I liked playing with you, too, honey,” I assured him. “But… I was really busy. You understand, don’t you?” Noah’s face fell slightly.
“Everyone’s always busy,” he said, sounding slightly saddened by the thought.
I was trying to figure out what to say to him when the bathroom door opened and Jake walked out. He stopped short for a moment when he saw me there, but he regained his composure almost immediately.
“Kristen,” he nodded.
“Um… I needed to talk to you,” I said. “I came in here hoping to find you, and I found Noah, instead.”
“She found me,” Noah said, jumping over to his dad.
Jake ruffled Noah’s hair with his hand and looked towards me. “His babysitter canceled on me at the last second. Actually, she did worse than cancel—she quit.”
“She quit?” I asked, in surprise.
Jake looked down at Noah and gave him a little wink. “Why don’t you get back to your books, kiddo?”
Noah went over to his little play area and started coloring again. Jake took a step towards me. “Janet’s father took a turn for the worse, and she wants to spend this time with him and her family. She just up and quit without any notice, which basically leaves me high and dry. I didn’t have anyone to pick Noah up from school today, so I was forced to bring him to work instead.”
“Oh,” I said, glancing over at Noah.
“This ame at the worst possible time,” Jake complained, and I could see the stress in his eyes. “I have meetings for the rest of the evening and no way of getting out of them.”
I raised my eyebrows. “What are you planning on doing?”
“I honestly have no idea,” I said. “Every daycare within a ten-mile radius is full, and they require enrolments obviously, which I don’t have. I may have no choice but to take him into the meetings with me.”
“You’re going to take a four-year-old in for meetings that may possibly last hours?”
“What choice do I have?”
I should have just kept my mouth shut. I had no reason to make the offer, but I told myself that I was simply being a Good Samaritan. I was doing it for Noah because I didn’t want the kid to be stuck in meetings all night.
“I’ll take him,” I blurted out before I could really think it over by myself.
“What?” Jake asked, raising his eyebrows.
I suppressed a sigh. “I can babysit him this evening,” I said. “I don’t have plans tonight.”
“I… Would you really?” Jake asked, looking slightly surprised.
“I like Noah,” I said. “And, I have a hard time staying awake during those meetings when I sit in one them with you. I can’t imagine what Noah will have to go through.”
One corner of Jake’s mouth tilted upwards, but it still wasn’t quite a smile. “Thank you,” he said. “This is really nice of you.”
I shrugged and turned towards Noah. “I’m doing it for him,” I said, unable to keep the note of hurt from my voice.