McKenzie, the Hot Babysitter

"You know, McKenzie. I get that you were in school for a long time and that you're really, really smart. But you lost me with the other stuff."

McKenzie blushed. She wasn't trying to belittle him, not that Timothy took it that way.

"I know what prosthetics and artificial joints are, but 'R & D'?"

"Research and development."

"Oh, right."

The Asian woman was suddenly embarrassed. "What about you, Timmy? What type of work do you do?"

"Nothing nearly as cool or badass as you. I dropped out of college during my first year because it wasn't for me. I eventually got into personal training, and have been doing it ever since. My first job was at a local gym, but after a year or so I started my own travelling business. Now I do personal training in people's homes."

Timothy unconsciously looked down at the old concert T-shirt, ripped jeans, and sneakers he was wearing and suddenly felt inadequate before McKenzie, who was dressed suavely yet professionally and looked as though she could be on her way to a modelling shoot. There was such a disparity between their appearance and education as well. He suddenly felt embarrassed.

The Asian woman sensed the change in his demeanor. "Do you enjoy what you do?"

"I love it."

"And is it enough to pay the bills?"

"Barely."

"Then we're both extremely lucky to be doing what we enjoy for a living."

Her soothing words immediately made Timothy feel better, as if he was a child again, and he nodded in agreement before grinning boyishly. "One major benefit to my job is that I do get to work very closely with a lot of beautiful women."

"Oh, really? How many of them have you... um, dated?"

"None."

McKenzie was surprised. Though she had never been even remotely promiscuous, the woman still remembered what it was like to be young. And Timothy was young and very handsome to the point where he could attract any girl he desired. McKenzie found herself curiously probing him about his personal life, and he proceeded to discuss it openly.

Timothy, it seemed, had a healthy dating history.

Though McKenzie normally considered such topics distasteful, Timothy talked about his extensive love life in a modest way that most other men would've bragged about. Timothy recounted his past girlfriends respectfully, and excluded the graphic details, much to her relief. There was even something innocent about the way he described his casual flings. The woman didn't necessarily agree with that type of behavior, but found herself listening to Timothy almost wistfully.

Oh, to be young and carefree again!

Timothy abruptly felt self-conscious as he realized that he had been talking for a considerable amount of time. "What else about you, McKenzie? Are you married? Dating?" He did not possess any ill intent, and was simply curious and wanting to make polite conversation. But her expression immediately darkened. The young man quickly stammered, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I wasn't trying---"

But McKenzie's features became even more pained, and she began to sob.

Timothy was horrified!

But before he could apologize again McKenzie halted him. "It's ok, Timmy. Let me explain." She took a deep breath. "My husband passed away 10 months ago."

"What! Omigod, McKenzie. I'm so sorry!" Timothy didn't know what else to say.

McKenzie, however, reached across the table to squeeze his hand. "It's ok, Timmy. You didn't know." She sighed. "My husband's name was David, and we had been married for almost 7 years. One day, he complained of a headache that ended up lasting for days and, wouldn't you know, it turned out to be a massive brain tumor. A few short weeks later, he was gone. David was the love of my life." The anguish in McKenzie's eyes belied her matter-of-fact tone.

"I'm sorry, McKenzie. I'm really sorry."

That was all he could manage, but it was enough.

"Thank you, Timmy. I appreciate that. I try to take solace in the fact that his condition progressed quickly, and that he didn't have to suffer too much."

Timothy couldn't begin to comprehend such a tragedy or the inner strength it must've required for McKenzie to cope with her husband's death. "How did the two of you meet?"

McKenzie smiled fondly. "David and I met through mutual friends when we were both in postgraduate school. He was studying to be a physical therapist. He was really interested in math... stuff like angles and vectors... and so was I. And we were both passionate about pursuing a career in healthcare, too. It was a common interest that really drew us together." McKenzie suddenly chuckled. "God, we must sound like such nerds to you!"

Timothy was still holding her hand and squeezed it. "It sounds like you and David were meant to be together from the very beginning."

For a moment, Timothy feared that McKenzie might burst into tears. But she suddenly perked up. "Let me show you something." The woman withdrew her phone from her purse, pulled up a picture, and showed it to him.

Timothy wasn't surprised that David was the handsomest man he had ever seen. His hair was jet black and his Asian eyes were brown and almond-shaped like McKenzie's. And he was extremely fit and athletic-looking. At least outwardly, McKenzie's late husband appeared to be a perfect match for her. The young man studied the picture more closely. McKenzie and David were standing on a pier with the ocean and clear blue sky in the background.

They seemed so happy together, and the pic captured a perfect moment.

Then Timothy noticed that there was a little boy standing between the couple. He was making a silly face and grinning devilishly, and possessed striking features from both parents. Timothy was convinced that the 3 of them were the most physically perfect human beings he had ever seen.

He looked up.

"My late husband David... and our son Bradley."

"Wow, McKenzie. That is a beautiful picture. Handsome guys, both of them. Your little one is adorable! How old is he?"

"Almost 4."

Timothy looked at the picture again and grinned. "He looks like a handful."

"Bradley's almost the same age you were when I started taking care of you, but he's WAY more trouble than you ever were! He's always trying to climb stuff and is too inquisitive for his own good. But I wouldn't change him for the world and love him more than anything."

So not only was McKenzie a widow but a single working mother, as well.

Inner strength, indeed.

"It's like you're destined to be surrounded by little boys for the rest of your life."

McKenzie laughed, and she was suddenly feeling much better. "Well, what about you, Timmy? I know you've dated plenty of girls, but I can't believe not one has managed to captured your heart in the 15 years since I last saw you."

"Well, there was one girl whom I was really serious with, but it didn't work out. We actually broke up not that long ago."

"Oh, no! I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. She was nice... like, really nice, but after dating for almost 2 years, I didn't see our relationship going any further. She wasn't 'The One'. And I didn't want to stay in a relationship just to be in one, if that makes sense. It didn't seem fair to Renee... like, I'd be only using her until someone else came along. I hope that doesn't sound horrible or selfish."

"It sounds like you were trying to do her right, and not be horrible or selfish." McKenzie looked him more closely. "I can understand why she was upset that she broke up with you, though. You're a good person."

Timothy blushed at the compliment and pondered for a moment. "You know, it's weird. I've dated more girls than I can remember," he admitted modestly. "I'd basically been jumping from one relationship to another. This is the first time that I've been single for more than a month since I was 16, and it feels kind of nice."

A painful emotion washed over the woman. She dearly missed her husband, and his loss would always be a fresh wound. Since his death, she had felt very much alone. But she understood that Timothy didn't possess the insight to realize how badly his words hurt, and smiled ruefully. "That's a matter of perspective, I suppose."

Timothy nodded without realizing her point, and they both grew silent.

"So, what else, Timmy? What else has the sweet little boy whom I used to know been up to in the last decade and a half?"

After Timothy filled McKenzie in on the rest of his life story, she did the same for him.

They talked for hours.

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Day was beginning to turn to evening when the pair reluctantly stood up.

"It was so good to see you again, Timmy. I can't even explain how happy I was when I saw your message. It brightened my world and was the pick-me-up that I needed."

When McKenzie hugged him, it was as if her touch and scent acting like a pheromone on him again. But Timothy was experiencing something akin to panic. He didn't want their meeting to end, and he felt like he was losing McKenzie all over again.

However, when the woman pulled back, she looked at him shyly, almost expectantly.

Timothy licked his lips and swallowed hard. "It was totally awesome to see you, too, McKenzie. I... I've thought about you a lot over the years... where you were, what you've been doing... hoping that you were happy and well." The young man cringed and desperately hoped that he didn't sound too pathetic.

"Oh?"

"Yea... you just... you stayed with me. Always."

"I'm glad I made an impression on you." She was teasing him, but her voice was quiet.

"Can I see you again?" Timothy blurted. The words tumbled out of his mouth much more quickly than he had intended, but he was nervous.

"I'd like that, Timmy. I'd like that a lot."

An awkward silence followed.

"So, uh, what are you doing this weekend?"

"This weekend?" The woman blushed in surprise, but Timothy nodded eagerly. "Well, I'm not scheduled to work so I'm free, but I don't have a babysitter."

The young man thought quickly. "I'd love to meet your son. I can visit you and Bradley, if you're cool with that."

"I live 2 hours away from you," she reminded him.

Timothy grinned boyishly as he shrugged. "And?"

McKenzie's expression matched his. "Ok, then. If you don't mind coming to see us, that would save me a lot of time and effort."

"No problem! I know you're crazy busy as a parent. Not to mention, it's probably a hassle towing a little kid around."

"You have no idea." She glanced at her watch. "Speaking of which, I really need to go. I told the babysitter that I'd be home by 8."

Timothy swore. "I didn't realize the time! I have a party to attend."

McKenzie shook her head in amusement. It was Wednesday and, literally, the middle of the work week. Oh, to be young and carefree again, she mused once more.

The pair embraced one final time. After lingering, they eventually went their separate ways. And both left much happier than when they arrived.

McKenzie was happy as she hurried home to Bradley. Her life had been so dark since David passed away, and the only thing that kept her going was her son. But reconnecting with Timmy was such a wonderful thing, and she was eager to see him again.

But a sense of wrongness gnawed at her subconsciousness.

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Timothy rang the doorbell, and chuckled as he heard excited yelling and screaming. A young boy's curious face suddenly appeared in the window adjacent to the front door, and Timothy waved. The child studied him gravely, then disappeared just as quickly. Timothy then heard McKenzie's stern voice behind the door a few moments before it opened.

"Hi, Timmy. Welcome."

"Hey, McKenzie. Thank you for having me over."

A small boy stepped next to McKenzie and attached himself to her leg. She smiled down at him and placed an arm around his shoulder. However, the boy appeared distrustful and almost hostile.

"Well, hello there, little dude. What's your name?"

"My mother told me that I'm not supposed to talk to strangers" he replied bluntly.

"Bradley! I already told you, this is mommy's friend!"

But Timothy laughed as the little boy appeared as though he was guarding his mother and home from intruders. "Smart boy! Well, my name is Timothy. And like your mother said, I'm her friend. In fact, I've known her since I was 5."

Bradley's Asian eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yes, really. She used to take care of me. Hey, I have something for you." Timothy was carrying 2 items, and handed a wrapped package to the boy.

"Cool! Mom, can I open it?"

"Sure, Bradley. What do you say when someone gives you something?"

"Thanks, mister!"

"Yes, thank you, Timmy.

"You're welcome to both of you." Then the young man looked at McKenzie, and gave her the remaining item that he was holding. "This is for you."

McKenzie blushed as he handed her a single rose.

"Timmy... you didn't need to... for either of us."

Timothy suddenly wondered if his gesture was inappropriate. He was just so happy to see McKenzie again that he hadn't even considered if the rose was going too far. "I didn't want to come here emptyhanded." Perhaps it was too late or too lame, but he spoke the truth.

Regardless, McKenzie nodded appreciatively. "Please, come in."

Bradley had already unwrapped his present by the time Timothy entered. "Ooooohhh, a Spider-Man action figure! Thank you, mister!" He took a running start at Timothy and leapt into his arms.

McKenzie observed in amusement as Timothy held her son with his arms fully extended and eyed him cautiously. The young man suddenly appeared very uncomfortable. Though he seemed to know how to interact with children, judging by his awkward expression and the way he held Bradley away from his body, Timothy was clearly not used to handling them. "You know, Timmy, you don't have to treat my son like a sharp object. And he doesn't bite."

Timothy looked at her in confusion then at Bradley. And when the boy smiled at him, he finally understood. "Oh... right!" Slowly, he drew the boy closer to his body. But when Bradley began to laugh and squirm, Timothy immediately set him down. "Ok, then, little guy. Down you go before I drop you and maim you."

McKenzie shook her head. "Omigod, Timmy."

As Bradley ran off with his new favorite toy, McKenzie led her old friend into her home. Timothy was impressed as he took in his surroundings. The house was palatial! The huge fountain that he had to navigate around in the driveway that was more like a small road was the first indication that McKenzie didn't live in a tiny shack. Everywhere Timothy looked, he saw expensive-looking furniture that possessed a modern futuristic flare. There were works of art and vases that looked as though they belonged in a museum. And the floors, he noticed, were spotless. He couldn't detect even the slightest speck of dust anywhere, and humorously thought that that it'd be safe to eat off McKenzie's floor.

But despite the immaculate and modern essence of the home, what truly made it feel like a home were the numerous pictures of Bradley prominently on display.

Timothy was talented enough to cater his travelling personal training business to a fairly wealthy clientele, but none of his clients lived in anything this opulent.

The young man looked about ponderously. "Wow, McKenzie."

"Thank you. I've been very fortunate with my career. And when David passed, I was grateful that he had the foresight to plan for... the worse."

Timothy noted her forlorn expression. McKenzie's pain was palpable, and all he wanted to do was reach out and comfort her. But Timothy felt too inept. However, though he readily admitted that he wasn't the smartest man in the world, Timothy at least had sense to tactfully change the subject.

Inside McKenzie's mansion, the two talked well into the night.

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Like when Timothy was a child, time did not stand still for anything. Hours became days, days became weeks, and weeks became months. But the best thing about the passage of time now, though, was that it seemed to be rekindling his friendship with McKenzie. They still led separate lives, of course, but managed to find time to get together a few times a month.

Timothy understood that life as a single parent who was also juggling a professional career was all-encompassing, so he willing met McKenzie wherever and whenever she could. He was even growing especially fond of Bradley, whom his mother typically had in tow unless she was able to find a babysitter; Timothy found it somewhat ironic that his former babysitter now needed a babysitter of her own. Not that he cared that McKenzie sometimes brought her son whenever they met for coffee or dinner. He was growing fond of the boy, and was even starting to feel more comfortable around him.

Timothy was just glad to be spending time with them.

For reasons the young man couldn't articulate, seeing McKenzie and her son didn't just give him something to look forward to; it also gave him an odd sense of purpose. Timothy didn't consider himself old by any stretch of the imagination and realized that he had the best years of his life ahead of him. But he had to admit that his life currently felt rudderless. Sure, he had a decent job, but he didn't want to work as a travelling personal trainer for the rest of his life. There was something more that he should be doing, though what that was he didn't know.

But being around McKenzie had such a levelling effect on him. Though she was no longer the literal giant that he humorously remembered as a child, he still viewed her as a larger-than-life figure in the sense that she was smart and brilliant. She had become an even better version of herself, beyond even the ideal that he had idolized.

McKenzie was an inspiration.

On top of their increasingly routine get-togethers, McKenzie and Timothy found themselves texting and calling each other more frequently, too. The Asian woman was messaging him multiple times per day, from a perfunctory "What's up?" to more serious topics that were on her mind. McKenzie had to admit that she had initially underestimated Timothy. He was young and acted like an oafish frat boy at times, but she quickly discovered that he was more astute and insightful than he let on, and was extremely sensitive to the feelings of those around him. He also possessed the uncanny ability to know when to listen, and when to speak and offer advice.

It took some adjustment for McKenzie to stop viewing Timothy as a child.

And when she was finally able to come to those terms, the woman began to especially value their friendship. She would vent to Timothy about the stresses in her life... about her job, about being a single parent. And the young man was always there for her and gave her, literally and figuratively, a shoulder to cry on.

However, it wasn't just their own friendship that McKenzie and Timothy were rediscovering. To the woman's astonishment, her son and Timothy seemed to be forming a bond without either of them realizing it, too! Timothy was still clearly awkward around Bradley, but he was noticeably becoming more confident each time they got together. It meant a lot to McKenzie that Timothy was putting forth the effort with her son.

Though the friends were now at a point where they could talk to each other about anything, one thing the Asian woman avoided talking to Timothy about was her immense pain that still lingered from the loss of her husband. There were times when McKenzie woke up at night, still expecting David to be lying next to her. And she would grow so emotional that it was impossible to cry herself to sleep. But it didn't seem right to discuss it with the young man nor did it feel right to put in him that awkward position.