Even though I had to drive through traffic, I was cheerful. Finding Oliver had been a one in a million chance. He was smart, caring, loved kids, and had no issues with any of the parameters of the job. If I had time or options, I would have had him and Chloe meet before making a decision, but I felt fairly confident that they would get along well. Oliver seemed like the kind of guy kids would flock to, and who could resist my sweet Chloe? I called Helen and let her know I was on my way. I loved the woman, but she couldn't text to save her life, even though it would have made my life easier. That was another side benefit to Oliver; he was young enough that most technology, like cell phones, were second nature to him. It was much easier to dash off a quick text than hoping Helen could hear her phone and answer it, since she also had no idea how to access her voicemail, which, consequently, was full.

I whistled along to the radio. There were a lot of ways having Oliver could work out better than Helen. Did I have concerns about sharing a house with another adult again after nearly three years of it just being me and Chloe? I'd be lying if I said I didn't have any, but we were both adults. We would work it out.

The drive took an extra forty minutes, but even that didn't hamper my attitude. Helen professed her relief that I had found someone over and over. I knew that she felt guilty for leaving us, even if it was best for her. And maybe it was best for us too, in the long run. 

After Helen left I sat down to put together a puzzle with Chloe and talk to her about Oliver.

"So, sweetie, you know Ms. Helen is moving away."

"Yeah. She gonna go see her grankids."

"But not just for a visit."

"She sent all her stuff away, Daddy! Even her pictures of the kitties."

I'd forgotten Helen's obsession with pictures of cats. I wondered if anyone had ever introduced her to YouTube... Probably not. When my mother discovered YouTube, she spent three days straight watching cat videos. I suspected Helen would do the same.

"That's right, sweetie. We probably won't see Ms. Helen for a long time."

Chloe looked up at me, her eyes wide. "Does that mean forever?"

"Oh, I hope not!" I rushed to reassure her. "Maybe we can go to Florida to visit her. But it does mean she won't be here every day to play with you. But you're going to have a new friend. His name is Oliver, and I'll think you'll like him."

She looked at me curiously. "Do you have a picture?"

I...hadn't thought of that. But wouldn't it have been awkward for me to ask Oliver for a picture, anyway? But, I had a flash of inspiration, maybe they had a picture of him on the Omega House website. "Let me look, sweets. Just a moment."

She crawled into my lap as I found the website on my phone and typed Oliver into their search bar. The page for Child Care Services popped up, and I went to it. There was definitely a picture of Oliver, right at the top. But he was bent over, his face in profile only, helping a child. It seemed a little bit of a risque photo, with his butt sticking out like that and emphasizing the smooth lines of his slender form. I mean, it wasn't like he was wearing a mankini or anything. I was probably over reacting. But I wanted Chloe to see his face, get used to those eyes. I scrolled down the page and found what I was looking for: headshots for all of the child care staff. 

"Here he is, Chloe. This is Oliver."

She looked at him for a moment and then slid off my lap, saying, "Okay."

Well...I don't know what kind of reaction I had expected, but something a little more than that. But I had been closed in a small office with him, the pheromones swirling around us. It made sense that I would respond more positively to his lavender and honey scent than Chloe would to a picture. As edgy as I'd been it hadn't done much to calm me down until he accepted my offer. 

What would I have done if he had said he wasn't interested? Who could I have asked? I didn't have to wonder anymore, thankfully. Everything was settled. Helen could finish her move to Florida without worrying, I had someone who could look after Chloe pretty much whenever I needed, Chloe would have a new person to play with. And Oliver...he would be able to preserve that light spirit that so obviously drew so many people in. I could see why Marge wanted him to get out while he could. That had to be a hard decision, choosing between such a noble purpose and protecting your heart and sanity. He would probably be dealing with some guilt over the first few weeks. 

Chloe placed the last piece in the puzzle and looked up at me, beaming.

Well, I knew a little ray of sunshine who was good at banishing just about any negative feeling. I highly doubted Oliver would be able to resist her smile. I certainly couldn't.