I thought for sure he would leave as soon as I gave him what he wanted, but he just kept looking at me with this expectant look, his blue eyes like two pieces of polished glass.

Why was he just staring at me like that?

“So… is there a dad in the picture?” he repeated his earlier question, fidgeting from one foot to the other.

Oh. So that’s what he wanted.

“No, there’s not,” I answered, my tone curt. Hopefully, he would get the message that I didn’t want to talk about it.

He stepped forward. “Oh?”

This guy just didn’t get it, did he?

I sighed.

If it was anyone else, I probably would have thrown them out by now, but there was just something about this guy that was different. I didn’t know what it was, but he felt like someone I could trust. It didn’t make any sense. I didn’t even know his name…

“He left me as soon as Missy was born.”

“Missy?”

“The baby.”

“Oh right, right.” He nodded. “That’s a cute name. Speaking of names, I don’t think I ever got yours.”

“Stacey.”

“Stacey,” he repeated as if trying it out for size.

“And you?”

“Hmm?”

“What’s your name?”

“Oh! Right!” He chuckled. “Sorry, I’m not very good at being… err… social.”

“I’ve picked up on that, yeah.” I found myself chuckling. In a way, his awkwardness was kind of cute.

“Ned.”

“You look like a Ned.”

“Do I?” He looked down at his shirt. “Why do you say that?”

I shrugged. “You just do.”

“I see, well… thanks… I guess.” A moment of silence. We both looked away, unable to make eye contact. “And this boyfriend of yours… does he have a name?”

Damn. He didn’t know when to quit, did he? A part of me was starting to get a little suspicious. He wanted to know an awful lot about my life, but at the same time, it felt nice to finally tell someone about my plight. I had been alone and isolated in my apartment for so long that I was actually enjoying this man’s company, no matter how strange it was.

“Emil,” I answered, the word tasting bitter in my mouth. By my side, my hands tightened into fists.

He nodded again. “And he just left you here?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m sorry, but that’s really messed up. No man should ever do that to a woman, especially when there’s a child involved.” His jaw clenched, and his frame shook as if with anger. “Look, I want to do what I can to help.” He pulled out his wallet and placed a one-hundred-dollar bill on the coffee table. “I know you’re going to try to give that back to me. Don’t. I want you to have it. Get back on your feet. And if you ever need someone to watch Missy, then just knock. Can’t promise that I’ll be the best babysitter in the world, but I will certainly do my best.”

I blushed, completely at a loss for words. This man seemed too good to be true. No one was ever this nice for no reason. What was his angle? Yet as I looked into those piercing blue eyes of his, I could tell he was being genuine.

“Anyway, I’m sure you want to get some sleep now that Missy has calmed down, so I should probably leave.”

Before I could say anything, he had already slipped out the door.

What a strange, strange man.

* * *

In the morning, I woke up feeling refreshed and revitalized. Missy was still asleep, which meant I had some free time to myself.

I walked into the kitchen and rummaged through the cabinets, trying to gather together the last tidbits of food. It was a dismal lot. A bit of sugar, half a bag of flour, three eggs, a quarter stick of butter, and an unopened can of baking powder. As I looked at all the ingredients, it dawned on me that this was all I needed to make some muffins.

A bright smile painted my face. I loved to cook, but with the pregnancy, it had been getting harder and harder to stay on my feet for a long time, and besides, I’d hardly ever had the time. Today, however, seemed as good a day as any to take up the habit once more.

Feeling especially chipper, I turned on the radio and hummed along. Soon, I was pouring the batter into the baking tray and tossing it into the oven.

Right on cue, Missy started to cry.

“Well, good morning, sleeping beauty,” I cooed over the end of her crib.

She looked up at me with her big brown eyes and seemed to smile, reaching her arms out toward me. I picked her up, doing a little dance with her in my arms. She giggled, enjoying the spins we did.

Once we were back in the kitchen, I made her a fresh bottle, which she gobbled up like a little glutton. “Yummy, isn’t it?” I asked.

She answered by sucking on the nipple even harder.

“Try not to hurt yourself,” I chuckled, bopping her on the nose. “Once these muffins are done, we’re going to head over to apartment 101 and thank Ned for everything he did for us last night. If it weren’t for him, you’d still be hungry.”

Missy finished her bottle and gave me a toothy smile. Sometimes, it felt like she knew exactly what I was saying.