A Sitter's Touch

Author's Note: I've updated to correct some issues based on comments. Also I'm still fleshing out the story. I'm trying to figure out how to move this plot faster?

*****

The summer days fell upon Leo, who sweated too hard to enjoy the vacations that all the "family men" of his quaint, quiet town left with their rowdy families. Leo was a tired black haired man and with charred middle-aged skin, everything he labored for could be found in his twin daughters, Anna and Irene. The two seven-year-olds took after their deceased mother with curly locks of blonde.

Leo was once a lucky and short teenage boy who charmed his late wife by being a hard studying student. And also being direct in answering for her popular hand in high school. He didn't have many friends years or ago or even now, but the few he had known him to be paradoxically shy and bold.

And both of them married young after high school, went to the same college for the sake of frugality then to the local university that was barely respected. Theresa could have went to the University of Alabama, but she chose the little town that Leo committed to coming back to.

But Theresa had faded from fate long ago when the twins were infants. Everyone went out in a spark of an anniversary party of theirs at a nostalgia venue. His kind mother and father went out with a whimper while Theresa's own parents burned. Leo ran through the fire and ignored many pleas for Theresa. Those haunting voices still guilt him til this day.

Leo pushed his way out covered in flames, he desperately pulled once vibrant wife lifelessly out. But he would forever be scarred from her passing and from his vain efforts. The twins were safe asleep at home with a babysitter, but only Leo survived with only a corrupt judge declaring the venue insolvent.

Leo was still a young man after the tragedy, but jobs were hard to come by and his young friends had their families to care for. All of them took turns to care for his daughters while he laid in the hospital full of scars and grafts, ashes seemed to fall out of his life for those months. Even his daughters would not approach. Some nurses gossiped and slowly his friends faded.

A bureaucrat came to his hospital bed and asked questions. Who could watch over his toddlers daughters? Leo knew reality was damning, and he would not give up what remained of his family. Immediately, Leo went into the forest. He knew wild fires were common in the ancient forests, but he intended to be employed as a logger, that was the most dangerous profession but the highest paying one in town.

Daycares, babysitters, and everything two-year-old daughters needed were expensive. Not even money could overcome his reputation as a melted and cursed man. Everyone in town seemed to charge Leo a premium. His daughters knew of his fatherly love, but their eyes were ashamed and children had ears too. Rumors and lies flew around while Leo labored. Only his fellow loggers had sympathy.

His engineering degree was worthless. Even in a suit, his face was leathered just enough to stand out. The flames that took his wife and family had raged everywhere on his body artificially, but Leo was still strong. But the damage was done. No white suit men would shake hands with leather hands. He toiled in the forests and leather soon became callouses, familiar nerves were rebuilt in his body that he felt were once killed.

Years had passed.

But words never stopped whispering. Leo still was factly financially ruined despite the gossip. He had never fully repaid the hospital debt because of thousands of dollars in daycares, summer camps, haughty teenage babysitters and discriminating home daycares ran by pretty housewives that charged him to dry tears. For his smiling and bright daughters, he worked inhumanely overtime and became the most senior logger within five years.

Most of his camaraderie of loggers rose to higher positions or left as transients to the oil fields west. But he remained close to the trees. Only other desperate bachelors and impoverished men joined him in the forests now. Eighty fresh workers out of a hundred stayed for a few weeks to a month, but Leo stayed for five years.

Everyone knew Leo now. His skin healed and his body was beastly. Would small Theresa recognize her short husband now from heaven? He was once so pale and thin, but now he was stout and tanned. His leathered skin showed him more of a menace and the sun whipped a stern character of him. However, little Anna and Irene only saw his forced smile in the past five years.

Five years, he sighed before beginning his dangerous twelve-hour workday once again.

The day ended past sunset, with him dazed and tired. He commuted a long way home in his financed beater of a truck and eventually reached that little well maintained house that Theresa and him chose so eagerly for their fairytale dream of a family. The lights were on and a young, irritated babysitter waited impatiently at the door.

"You're late again," she said factly. "Mr. Daniels, I cannot keep babysitting for you with how often you're so late!"

Leo took out his leather wallet, his sweat had dried, but he fumbled for the appropriate bills to respect her time. He handed her a generous wage. "I'm sorry, there's more for you."

She shook her head. "I earned it, but it's not about money, it's time."

He understood and nodded his head disappointedly. This babysitter was a college aged girl, she needed money and at least put a farce. Leo had somehow run through the whole town, he seemed to have another job sourcing out help for his daughters. It was difficult to find vetted help; it wasn't hard to pay.

"Thank you for the past few weeks," he said professionally. Leo had given this talk many times to many girls, women, and providers. "My daughters will miss you. Please don't hesitate to reach out again if you are available."

She smiled pitifully and left without a word.

Another babysitter was gone, that one was Stella, the daughter of an old friend.

Immediately, Leo went to his children's room to find them sound asleep. He chuckled at their spoiled bedroom and his terrible fate, but he was smugly happy to have this moment of peace seeing his daughters safely asleep.

In the dimly lit kitchen table, he rolled through a set note books. Leo seemed to had met and known many, many women. Not that he wanted to, but he had to. A single father like himself required other vetted eyes to watch over his children. He brooded as he ran down names and rebuilt branches of relationships in his mind.

Leo was at the end of the line now. He could not trust just anyone with his daughters, but not a single name rang in his mind and he desperately knew he needed someone by tomorrow. Work never stopped and he would not risk the bureaucrats poking through his windows for child abandonment. Nosey housewives gossiped behind his back, but Leo still called them for referrals and contacts for sitters.

Call after call to various women and family men late at night on his outdated phone was met with awkwardness, deflection, rejection and prayers.

He sat there quietly.

His face fell on his calloused hands, Leo knew he had to keep calling down the list. This house had a long mortgage. Theresa's fairy tale for two was now his lone prison. Tip toes cranked the wooden flooring of his hour and Leo turned to see Anna's curious round blue eyes.

"Daddy?" Anna rubbed her eyes.

Leo smiled and knelt beside his daughter. "My sweet Anna, did you have a nightmare?"

She nodded shyly, and he hugged her with what little energy he had left. Everything he had that was still good would be for her and Irene.

"The other kids were laughing at you," Anna whispered as Leo carried her small body back to bed. "And they laughed at me and Irene, too."

"Those kids don't know any better," Leo said confidently. "Stars like you and Irene shine too bright."

"Like mom?" Anna asked cheerily, pointing at framed photos on the walls.

Leo paused and smiled. "She's our silent moon, but you both are my radiating stars. I'm just a tree. I'll stay out of the way but I'm here for you and not them."

His more vibrant daughter giggled and touched her father's rough face. Her mind was more direct than her more quiet sister. "Irene said you keep scaring away our teachers and many misses!"

"I don't look that bad, darling," Leo insisted, showing a scary face. "Just a thicker skin."

"It's not your skin!" Anna rolled her eyes. She was bright, her teachers said so!

Leo raised a brow. "What is it then? What does everyone say about me?"

"It's your eyes. They're scary!"

Leo placed her on her bed and pulled her under her blankets. Irene played asleep, but Leo knew his other daughter snored just like her mother. "Does my eyes scare you then?"

"Not anymore, daddy." Anna admitted, covering her place. Leo kissed his daughter's forehead before exiting.

"Good night, my darlings." Leo said tiredly before returning to call numbers.

Strangely, one person did respond to his call.

"H-hello?" a raspy voice croaked over Leo's phone.

"Hello, is this Mrs. Wilson?" Leo spoke seriously. "This is Leo, ma'am. Leo East, if you remember."

A moment of pause went through the old woman on the other side. "Oh! Leo? It's been so long! Has life been treating you better? I heard your girls been well?"

"Yes, ma'am," Leo said. "It's been a while. Life is still turbulent for me and my girls."

"What's the occasion?" Mrs. Wilson asked sternly. "This must be a serious matter if my most serious student when I was still a teaching is reaching out so late at night. I have not heard from you since graduation, but news has reached even me of your life."

"Gossip does travel far," Leo shrugged over the phone. "But I do have a serious request for help. I hope I haven't bothered you, ma'am."

Leo knew the elderly Mrs. Wilson had retired to her estate, a former plantation, out in the west side of town on the opposite end of his. But he had no choice but to bother anyone at this point, including his former high school teacher.

"No, no," she insisted. "The least I can do is to see what I can do. God knows how many times you and your father helped me."

He smiled at memories. He was dependable, like his late father. Leo knew that there was no one else out there that could burden this responsibility for his daughters. "There's no debt from that. You were my kindest teacher, after all."

She sighed. "I never got the chance to give your wife any generosities or condolences, much less to your family. Tell me what you need, and this old ma'am will make it happen!"

He got to the point. "Mrs. Wilson, it's been hard to find trusted sitters or a place to care for my daughters. I urgently need someone for tomorrow and I'm out of options. Do know absolutely anyone or place that I can trust my twins to?"

Mrs. Wilson dug down memory lane despite her ailing mental state. The school forced her to retire early at seventy and now she lived with forgettable caretakers. Time had forgotten her completely, as did most of her students, companion teachers, and old bosses.

Her son had long passed for rural addictions, but her granddaughter was out there in a troublesome home of two. Mrs. Wilson knew that out there somewhere, a defiant and troublesome girl was still of a good heart. But she knew Scarlett always answered meemaw's call no matter where, when or why. Her son's wife was a troublesome just like her son, that's why Mrs. Wilson did not blame her. Scarlett use to take a break from a home.

"Leo East?" Mrs. Wilson asked to see if he was still there. She had a nasty habit of spacing out. Age did not spare her willingly.

"I'm still here, ma'am. Take your time," Leo said with respect, holding out hope.

Mrs. Wilson laughed a bit. "I know just the right sitter for your twins, and for you too."

For him? He smiled anyway. "Who do you have in mind? I would love to give them a call and make an arrangement."

Leo didn't need to be taken care of. He knew how to cook Anna's favorite Mac and cheese and Irene's favorite neat sandwiches. And other simple meals too. His twins were mature and responsible enough to clean and avoid messes, despite their imaginations. His parenting secret was a reward system was a mixture of candies and sweets, and keeping Sunday just for them.

"Well...she can introduce herself after I call her. Leo, when can you pick her up?" Mrs. Wilson asked.

Pick her up? Most women wouldn't even stand next to him!

"I can send a taxi or pay for the travels," Leo insisted. "I wouldn't want to inconvenience anyone, ma'am."

"Listen here, Leo East," Mrs. Wilson said in a soft, stern voice. "Do you want a reliable sitter for tomorrow and for the future? Scarlett has her own rules. When can you pick her up?"

Scarlett? Leo wondered. He had never heard of that name in this town. But he kept his mouth shut on that topic, Mrs. Wilson had been a confidante of his as a teenager and he trusted her impeccably. Surely, this Scarlett would be as kind, gentle and patient as her. Most importantly, trustworthy. "What part of town is she in? Work for me starts at eight and ends at eight."

Twelve hours, Mrs. Wilson shook her head. "She lives close to your father's old house. I'll have her ready by seven sharp."

"I'll be there seven sharp," Leo said firmly, ignoring memories of his childhood house. It was long gone. He had sold it in an act of depression to pay for years' worth of summer daycares. "How much should I pay her? I'm a fair man."

Mrs. Wilson laughed wildly. "Leo, I know you are fair and everyone does, too. However, Scarlett is my priceless ruby! I heard those twins of yours share a single sweet tooth between them, Scarlett needs sweetness in her life. I only ask for you to treat her with kindness and pay her kindly."

"I'm a dependable man," Leo grinned. "What's her address?"

"The address...well I'll have to give you more specifics. Get a pen and paper. It'll be an assignment to find her."

Leo was already ready and jotted down a strange array of streets and turns. Mrs. Wilson held him on for longer to talk more of his daughters and of their lives, but eventually she released him. Leo was willing to repay her with a lack of sleep, which was dangerous in logging. His appreciation for her was incalculable, and he had an engineering degree!

"Leo, seven sharp," Mrs. Wilson reminded him before they parted ways over the long phone call.

His gratitude was always calculable. "Seven sharp, and seven thanks to you."

Mrs. Wilson smiled before calling her granddaughter. Meemaw knew Scarlett and the night owl didn't even let the first ring go through before picking up.

Leo went to his empty marital bed and closed his eyes for a few hours of sleep.

Seven sharp, but the red sun was already rising.

*****

The sun was lazy in the morning, but Leo was already out and about in his faded truck. He had purchased it with a loan when it was still slightly blue, but the sun took its toll on the color. His old android phone beamed a video of his daughters through their nanny cam. A terrible quality and chopping connection was enough to keep the father assured of their safety.

Off some beaten dirt roads in the east, he entered a world of depression with a right turn of his truck. He once lived here and promised to only come back for his parents...but they were long gone and so was his childhood house. Small towns were sometimes full of life, but there was also the reality of rural addictions and poverty mixed with alcohol.

His little remnant of a family lived closer to the center of the town. Still sparse, but close to life, dreams, and security, at the very least. He only had to look once or thrice at the paper to map out a route in his brain. He was still an engineering major, after all, even if he had long appeared unrefined. His tire crushed a few glass bottles navigating the scene of depravity. Old dilapidated homes rotted and strange parks of RVs dotted the scene with dogs barking.

Not everyone here woke up at six sharp to go to work by eight, but Leo knew that from suppressed childhood memories.

His eyes found multiple parked trailers, RVs, and truly tiny homes. Which particular RV housed this Scarlett? The empty radio helped Leo concentrate. Mrs. Wilson said that Scarlett loved to garden. Leo thought that was an impossible hobby in this neighborhood. But a garden and a RV wrapped in vines appeared before him at the very end of this side of town.

The garden was a mess. Someone had trashed the families of planets and flowers. But wooden garden beds and regular pallets remained in the destruction. This was evidence of someone's passion, and now it was all ruined. Leo remembered his kind father and loving mother, but their vices had to be forgiven.

He stepped out of his truck and walked towards the flimsy RV door. The leaking window AC blasted hard and he could see weeds growing directly underneath. Gently, he knocked on the door, despite the deafening noise.

And no one responded.

He knocked once more, hesitating. Leo preferred more reputable sitters for his girls from the other parts of town. He paid them a premium for a good reason. He trusted Mrs. Wilson, but he didn't even trust himself sometimes for being born from this part of town.

His foot was planted firmly on the wobbly steps. He needed this Scarlett. Without her, he would have to make an embarrassing call to his foreman in the yard. No one ever thought about Leo's occasional absences, only his own pride ever asked.

The door creaked open slightly as if to hide the noise, but a smell of tobacco and alcohol mixed as a disgusting fume out of the interior of the RV.

Then Leo met Scarlett.

However, this wasn't a love at first sight. Leo felt utterly misled by Mrs. Wilson when the order met him and the green-eyed girl glared irritatingly at him. He saw not a single trace of fake doled-eyes most babysitters had. She was tall enough to his average height. A silent, pale finger touched her dry lips. Scarlett knew who this strange man was. Meemaw was clear that a serious gentleman would arrive at seven, but this foolish man was here at thirty minutes earlier.

In this part of town, earliness was far more disrespectful than tardiness. Her unwashed red hair dangled dryly all around, and she wore a thick black sweater of Christmas designs. Baggy and comfortable pants made her appear like a lazy college student.

He shouldn't have judged the young woman, but Leo had some reservations.

Leo spoke first to the thick browed woman. "Scarlett?"

She spoke with a soft, pretty voice. "You're the one who's going to take me out of this place?"

Leo was taken aback. Her low voice did not match her unkempt appearance. "This is for the babysitter's position. Are you the Scarlett that Mrs. Wilson spoke highly of?"

She nodded, her dry pale face quickly. Their introduction was quick. "We should go."

"Don't you want more details?" Leo asked curiously as Scarlett ran out the door to his truck. She carried a ridiculously large backpack instead of a purse or bag. As she ran past him, Scarlett's scent caught him off guard. She wore a little of perfume but her home reeked.

"No," she insisted, swinging the truck door open and turned to him. "We need to go now or you're not getting a babysitter for the week!"

Leo had no choice but to listen to his new baby sitter and buckled his seatbelt. Before the ignition ever took off, someone else ripped open the RV home door open. Quickly, Leo turned to this new stranger that appeared by the passenger window. Scarlett slumped and held her arms angrily together.

Aged and tired, the stranger pounded on the window. Her hair was gray and frizzled and her eyes were full of rage at the young girl.

Leo gripped the wheel. "Roll my window down, girl."