Restlessness attacked Janie with a vengeance. April showers hadn’t brought any May flowers yet. Every day of the month so far, there had been rain. Mostly scattered spurts of precipitation—a few heavy enough to elicit heavy flash flood warnings—but with a constant cover of gray in the sky, Janie hesitated to leave the house. No matter if she checked the radar map, without fail, she’d get caught in a downpour, so after day two of ten, she’d decided to stay home until the sun came out.

She’d reached out to two friends and invited them to lunch, but one had a sick child, and the other had gone out of town for a week. Evan had classes, and Jared still kept a distance almost four weeks after he’d walked out of Evan’s apartment on Easter.

When they did talk, neither of them mentioned that day or her relationship with Evan. He’d respond to messages with a short reply and even answer phone calls, but he always ended the call within a few minutes with the excuse he had to get back to work. Apparently, he thought she wouldn’t realize that he wasn’t at work half those times. Or he didn’t care if she knew. She wasn’t sure which hurt worse.

She piddled around the house, looking for something to get into. Her house was spotless, laundry up to date, and she’d even cleaned the baseboards yesterday. This morning she’d gone through her file cabinets and purged all statements and receipts more than two years old. Nothing in the house needed attention, leaving her with an out-of-sorts feeling.

I need a job. The idea popped into her head often lately, convincing her to give it serious thought. Maybe something part time at first, to get her feet wet before diving in. She realized how fortunate she was to have that option, but she’d paid a high price for her financial security. If she could bring Mike back by trading her survivor’s benefits, she wouldn’t think twice before signing the dotted line, but that was impossible.

Sitting at the desk, she powered on her computer and went to a local employment search engine. With only a high school diploma, she had limited options. She saw several receptionist positions, and one for a call center, but she didn’t enjoy constantly talking on the phone. Her eyes landed on a listing at the bottom of the screen. Her favorite craft store needed associates. She clicked on the link and sent in an application. If she resumed her volunteer work and got a job, that would help fill her days and fend off the restlessness plaguing her.

Right now, a sneak peek of the sun shining could accomplish that as well.

She stared out the window at the silver clouds sliding across the sky. At least the rain had stopped momentarily. While she was online, she checked the weather. Disappointment consumed her when the five-day forecast showed no signs of a sunny break. If I wanted this weather, I’d have moved to Seattle or England.

Her doorbell rang. I’m not expecting anyone, but no salesperson in their right mind would come out in this weather. She left the office and put an eye to the peephole. She recognized Brianna, her newest neighbor who’d moved next door two months ago, with her seven-month-old daughter on her hip. A single-mom, Brianna stayed busy holding down three jobs while raising her baby. Janie had reached out to her on multiple occasions, and last week, Brianna finally accepted a coffee invitation.

Janie opened the door. “Good afternoon.”

A tired smile barely lifted Brianna’s lips. “Wish I could say it was.”

“What’s wrong?”

“My usual sitter called out sick, and my backup has class tonight.” A resigned sigh blew into the air. “I hate asking, especially since I barely know you, but I get the sense you’re a trustworthy person, and all the neighbors speak highly of you—”

“Do you need me to watch Ava for you?” Janie asked, cutting off Brianna’s run-on plea.

“Would you mind? If I miss my shift tonight, I risk getting fired.” Brianna’s features tightened. “I already missed two last month because of her ear infection, and my boss doesn’t have sympathy for those with children. Not that I don’t understand he has a business to run, but my baby has to come first.”

Her soul filled with compassion for Brianna, whose long, rambling sentences testified to her frazzled state. “I don’t mind at all. What time do you need me to watch her?”

“Now until nine tonight? I’m so sorry for the short notice, but I’ve been calling all my friends trying to find someone.”

“That’s fine.” She saw the diaper bag hanging from Janie’s shoulder. “Is everything she needs in there?”

“Yes, and I have all the instructions and my contact information written out for you.” Brianna’s mouth curved into a sheepish smile. “I took a leap of faith you’d be able to watch Ava.”

“I’m happy to. She’ll keep me company tonight.” She reached out her arms, and Ava leaned forward, extending her chubby arms.

“She likes you.” Some of the anxiousness left Brianna’s voice. “Here’s her bag. I’m going to run back to the house and grab her portable playpen. She’ll probably fall asleep during her seven o’clock bottle, and you can lay her down in the pen—she likes it better than her crib and should stay sleeping until I get home.”

After Brianna had left for work, Janie removed several toys from the diaper bag and set them on the floor in front of Ava. She sat crisscross near the baby and played with her until Ava showed signs of being hungry.

With no highchair, she had to get creative on how to keep a crawling seven-month-old in one spot long enough to eat. After carrying Ava through the house and searching for anything she could use as a makeshift highchair, she tried fashioning a portable highchair out of fabric with leg holes to tie around a regular chair. She scowled when it didn’t work as she’d envisioned.

Ava whimpered and scrunched her face into an angry pink ball.

“Well little girl, you’re hungry, and I’m out of ideas, so I’ll sit you in my lap, hold you tightly, and hope for the best.”

Before sitting down with Ava, she opened the pantry and grabbed an apron from a hook. She needed a layer of protection between her and pureed carrots. She opened the jar and retrieved a purple plastic baby spoon from an interior pocket. With everything set in place, she lifted Ava and sat down at the table. “We can do this.”

Ava responded with flailing arms.

“Shh. I know you’re hungry, sweet girl. We’re going to get some food in that belly.” She dipped the spoon into the jar and scooped out a pea-sized amount. Swirled it in the air like a plane before holding it to Ava’s mouth.

The baby gobbled the bite, and Janie put a larger portion on the next scoop. “Here you go, sugar. Keep eating like a big girl.”

Amazement struck Janie when Ava finished the entire jar with no mess made except on the sides of her mouth and a dot on her nose. “Great job. You’re a rock star at eating your veggies.”

Ava giggled, happy again now that she had a full belly.

When six-thirty neared, Janie changed Ava out of an adorable, frilly pink outfit, intending to dress her in a sleeper in anticipation of her falling asleep during her upcoming bottle. Unfortunately, Ava’s diaper needed a change first.

Digging in the bag, Janie searched for a fresh diaper. With a sinking feeling, she realized there had only been two in there, and both had been used already. She pursed her lips. Leaving Ava in a soiled diaper wasn’t an option, but neither was leaving to make a store run. She had no car seat.

Left with few choices, she made a call to Evan. His classes should have let out two hours ago, and she prayed he’d pick up.

Her prayers were answered on the fourth ring. “Hi.”

“Hey, I have a huge favor to ask.” She waved a hand around the baby’s bottom to evaporate the stink. “Are you busy?”

“Doing homework, but it’s nothing that can’t wait. Why?”

“Would you be able to pick up a small bag of diapers and swing by with them?”

“I guess. Why?”

She filled him in on Brianna’s predicament. “And baby Ava is sweet. You should stay and hang out with us.”

“I can do that and bring dinner.”

“Sounds good.” Ava had kept her so busy, she only now realized she hadn’t eaten since her early lunch.

“What do you want and what type of diapers do I get?”

“Whatever you want, and the ones she had on looked like a generic store brand, so whatever’s cheapest.” She held her nose and looked to see what size Ava wore. “She wears a size three.”

“Um, will that be obvious on the package?”

His unsureness made her laugh from the depths of her stomach. “Yes. Usually, in the bottom corner, it will tell you. If you don’t see it, snap a picture and send it to me. I’ll tell you if it’s right.”

“All right. Give me about forty-five minutes.”

She cringed. “Any way you can be here sooner than that? We, uh, kind of have an emergency diaper situation going on.”

“I’ll stop at the dollar store on the corner. I think I’ve seen diapers there.”

“Thank you.” She hung up and returned her gaze to Ava. “You’re going bottomless for a few minutes. I’m not letting you sit in that mess.”

After she cleaned Ava, she tied a piece of soft cotton fabric around Ava’s bottom. “It’s not much, but at least you’re not naked.”

When the doorbell rang twenty minutes later, she rushed to the door, relieved to see Evan. “You’re my hero.”

He handed her the pack of diapers and laughed. “Doesn’t take much to please you.”

Janie opened the back and removed one. “Not tonight it doesn’t.”

“I picked up burgers.” He set two brown bags and sodas on the table. “Nothing special, but I didn’t want to take longer than necessary.”

“Burgers are good. Thanks.” She knelt on the floor and put the clean diaper on Ava. “Do you mind waiting to eat until after I give her a bottle? Her mom said it should put her to sleep.”

“Fine with me.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. “Do you mind if I use your charger?”

“Go ahead.” She nodded toward the counter where she’d moved it to earlier. “You can take my tablet off.”

“Thanks.”

She scooped Ava off the floor and kissed her nose. “Want to hold her while I make the bottle?”

Evan eyed the baby with uncertainty. “I don’t have much experience with babies.”

“You don’t need any to hold her.”

“Okay.” His pupils dilated with fear as he cradled Ava in his arms.

She grinned at him from the sink where she heated water for the bottle. “You can relax. She won’t bite.”

“I know that.”

“Wait until you have your own kid.” She dumped the scoops of formula into the water and shook it hard until it mixed together. “You’ll be an old pro by then.”

A startled expression flashed across his eyes. He jumped from the chair and brought Ava to her. “Here. I think she wants you again.”

“A grown man scared of a little baby.” She winked at Evan, then cooed at Ava. She carried her and the bottle to the living room and sat in the recliner. “Could you turn the TV on to one of the local stations? It sounds like the winds picking up.”

“Sure.” Evan leaned forward from his spot on the sofa and picked up the remotes from the coffee table.

The regular programming played, but a tornado watch and severe thunderstorm alert scrolled along the bottom of the screen.

“Lovely.” She clutched Ava closer to her.

The baby happily sucked on the bottle, oblivious to the potential of severe weather.

“I wouldn’t worry.” He switched to another local station that gave the same warnings. “We get tornado watches all the time and nothing ever comes of them.”

“Still, I’d feel better not having someone else’s baby under my care if one came through.” She brushed a finger along Ava’s downy hairline. “Not that I mind watching you one bit. You’re a sweet pea.”

Evan frowned at her, but she didn’t know why. He focused his attention on the television, and wouldn’t look at her. Strange.

True to her mom’s word, Ava fell asleep three-quarters of the way through her bottle.

Janie spent several extra minutes with her, enjoying the feel of a baby in her arms. She stole a glance at Evan. Would she have her own baby in the near future? She stood as gracefully as possible and laid Ava in the portable playpen.

When she turned around, Evan stood directly in front of her.

He breathed in and let the air out slowly. “I can’t do this.”

She raised her brows, felt her forehead wrinkle. “Can’t do what?”

“Us.”

All the air drained from her lungs and her stomach knotted, stunned at the out-of-blue confession. “I don’t understand.”

“You’re a natural mother, and you deserve that opportunity.” He spun on a heel and stormed out the door, leaving her confused and hurt.