Three years later.

I greeted Abrar with a hug. "This is a nice place you have here," I complimented my old college friend. "If I didn't hate the city so much, I'd come here more often!"

Abrar laughed and we sat down in two arm chairs next to an unlit fireplace at one end of the cafe. Spring was moving into summer and we certainly didn't need the heat right now. "You do realize this is a chain, now, right? And I do have a Cafe Om out there in Norville." He waved over a waiter. Or whatever they called them at these coffee places. A server.

I squinted my eyes as I tried to think where it might be. Had I seen a new cafe going up? "Surely you're just poking at me. Where is it?"

"Right on Main, two streets past your clinic. If you stepped outside for more than work or Chloe, you would have seen it."

That was...I wanted to say ridiculous, but Abrar had a point. If something didn't involve my veterinary practice or my daughter Chloe, I was a little out of it. "No shit. How long has it been there?"

"About a year," he said, not bothering to hide his amusement. The server reached us and we placed our orders.

I shook my head. "Okay, hit me. What else have I missed out on?"

"You realize my brother-in-law got hitched, right?"

We lost ourselves in the news of our friends and family. Abrar and I had roomed on the same floor in college. From the outside, we had little in common. I was a biology major, aiming for veterinary school, he was a business major with a million ideas on how to turn a buck. But we'd both participated on the debate team, and though we often as not held the same personal values, we preferred practicing against each other. No one else quite matched our depth and intensity. I took first and he took second in our regional competition, but when we reached nationals, we both placed in the middle of the pack, though he ranked higher than I did. And he never let me forget it.

"So what does bring you into town?"

I sighed. I couldn't really afford the time away from my practice. I had a couple vet techs who worked with me, but I was the only full veterinarian. At the same time, I couldn't afford not to take this trip. "I'm looking for a manny," I said. I had specified male on my applications. I had no interest in looking at anyone who might seem like a replacement for Jen in any way, shape, or form. But at this point in my search, I was really going to have to take what I could get. "My neighbor, Helen, has been looking after Chloe since, well, since. But she's moving to Florida next month to be near her daughter and grandchildren. Selfishly, I want her to stay. She's become family. But I understand. Blood is blood."

"Are you having difficulty finding someone local?" 

"A little. It's easy to find people who are willing to work consistent day hours, but I need someone who is willing to be on-call. I never know when I'm going to be called in on an emergency, and even though the clinic is literally out my back door, I can't leave Chloe alone, as little as she is. Honestly, I'm hoping I can find someone who would be willing to live in the house with us. There's plenty of room." Too much room. Jen and I had planned on having a whole bundle of children. Now... it was just Chloe and me.

"So are you talking to someone in town, then?"

"I'm talking with a couple different agencies right now. One of the problems, though, is they're not sure if they can find anyone who meets my qualifications in my time frame. Helen is in the process of selling her house, and once it's sold, she wants to be gone. Most of her stuff is already at her new place in Florida. I might be able to convince her to stay with us for a couple more weeks, but not beyond that."

Abar scratched at his beard. "You know what, let me talk to Naheed. You never know who is staying at Omega House that might just fit the bill perfectly."

Huh. I hadn't thought of that possibility. "Would you? If something like that worked out, it would be a huge weight off my mind."

Abrar was already texting on his phone. "Already on it. What time are you headed back home?"

"Well, my first meeting is at two, and the second one is at three-thirty, so I'm hoping to be headed back out before rush hour."

"I'll call him in an hour if I don't get any response," Abrar responded. "If you can at least start something, whether it's a conversation with Naheed or an interview with a possible candidate, that would cut down on you needing to take another trip out here this week."

I refused to get my hopes up, but that sounded glorious.

"Thank you so much, Abrar."

He waved off my thanks. "Seriously, it's not a bother. Now if you wanted me to nanny Chloe, that would be different."

I laughed. "I don't know. With those five kids at home, I'm sure you've got some major skills up those sleeves."

"True, but there's a reason my wife chose to stay home with the kids and sends me off to work every day, and it's not because of finances or need. Those kids have me wrapped around their every finger. We'd be eating cake for breakfast and skipping school to play in creeks if I were home all day."

I smiled at the image of Abrar soaking wet and piled with children. It was a bittersweet smile. That had been my dream, once upon a time.

"Well thanks anyway. I have to get to that first meeting, but I'll talk to you later?"

Abrar shook my hand. "You bet.”