It was two in the morning. Missy had been fussy all day, crying and whimpering, no matter what I did to try to calm her down.

I knew what was wrong, but there was no way for me to remedy it.

She was hungry.

And I didn’t have a single penny to my name. I had pawned off everything of value to take her to the doctor the week prior, and now, I was left with nothing.

To make matters worse, I had stopped lactating. Without the proper nutrition, my body had just given up on my child.

What was I supposed to do?

And then, someone came knocking on my door.

I hesitated, clutching Missy in my arms. Could it be him? Had he finally returned? My heart leaped with a flare of hope.

Quickly, I rushed out of the bedroom, about to fly toward the door when I hesitated. Why was I running to the man who had abandoned me? Who had seen his daughter for the first time and had decided that would be the best time to leave?

Tears sprung to my eyes.

No. I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.

So I placed Missy in her crib and tucked her in. For the first time, she quieted down, but I could tell by the way her tiny hands were balled into fists that it wouldn’t last long. “Shh…” I whispered, praying she would remain silent just long enough for him to think no one was home.

Carefully, I tiptoed toward the door, peeking through the peephole. To my surprise, it wasn’t Emil. It was someone else. Someone I had never seen before.

He stood with a straight posture and a bright smile. Despite the late hour, he looked chipper and wide awake.

A part of me trusted him almost instantly. I don’t know, there was just something about him that seemed genuine. There wasn’t an ounce of malice in his eyes.

Step away from the door, Stacey. Any man knocking at two in the morning is bound to be bad news. Think of Missy.

The voice in the back of my head was right. I knew it was right. And yet, my fingers tightened around the doorknob, ready to twist it.

What was I thinking? How could I possibly open the door to a complete stranger in the middle of the night? It didn’t make any sense. But deep down, I wanted to.

So I did.

I only opened the door a smidge, but it was enough. He looked at me with piercing blue eyes that left me feeling electrified. My skin tingled as goosebumps covered my arms from wrist to shoulder. Underneath my cheeks, a soft fire burned.

What was this feeling?

Who was this man?

“Hello?” I called out, my voice shaking with uncertainty and my hand tight around the knob, just in case he tried something.

Missy wailed.

“Hello!” he answered, his smile brightening. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I couldn’t help but overhear your baby –”

“Oh… I’m so sorry…” I frowned. “You must be the neighbor… I’m really sorry about her. She’s just been a little… fussy… lately.”

“Oh! It’s not a problem. I don’t really sleep much anyway.” He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “I was just concerned that something was wrong. I mean, I don’t have any experience with kids… but… I don’t know, it seems like something’s wrong. Is everything alright?”

I just stared at him, unsure of how to react. On one hand, I was surprised by his concern, but on the other, he was so awkward that it was a little off-putting. I couldn’t tell whether he was being sincere or not. “Um…”

“I know it’s not really my place to say or do anything, but if you need help with something, just let me know. I’m not doing anything, save for watching The Matrix for the 156^th time.” He announced this number with a self-satisfied look on his face, as if he were proud of such an ‘accomplishment’.

Was this guy for real?

Or was my neighbor just a nut case?

Great, that was exactly what I needed, as if didn’t have enough problems already.

“Miss…?” He tilted his head to the side. Doing so, a few loose strands fell out of his bun, framing his face. He was a little rough around the edges, but even so, I could tell he would clean up quite nicely if only he put the effort in. Not that I looked much better myself. The last time I had looked into the mirror, it was like staring at the Wicked Witch of the West.

“Sorry… I’m alright.” I said, about to close the door when he stepped forward, a determined look in his eye.

“Please. If there’s anything – anything – I can do…”

I narrowed my eyes at him. He seemed a little too eager. “Why do you want to help me? You don’t even know me.”

He rubbed the back of his neck again. “That’s true, but your baby has been crying for the past five minutes, and you look like you haven’t slept in three days. I just thought I would offer a helping hand. I know it seems strange, being two in the morning and all, but seriously, I’d like to help any way I can. That’s what being a good neighbor is all about, isn’t it?”

I studied his face for a moment. Although reason was telling me to close the door and walk away, I desperately needed someone to talk to. I had been completely alone for the last two weeks – abandoned in this shitty little apartment.

Maybe this man was my saving grace, about to stop me from falling into the pits of insanity.

Hesitantly, I pulled back the door, letting him in.

God, I hoped I wouldn’t regret this.