The big red digits of the electronic watch showed it to be 3:00 A.M. She couldnât believe that it had happened again. It was the fifth time in a row this week that the wails from the next door neighborâs apartment had kept her up at night. It made her nasty and grouchy at work which resulted in her generally amicable boss taking her aside and telling her that the office crowd had been wondering if they should get rabies shots as precaution.
âThis is it!â she thought âIâm not going to take this anymore.â Fuming and muttering under her breath she threw on a robe and stepped out of her apartment. Tying her robe around her waist she knocked on Apt.106.
Not waiting for a reply she bent her head and spoke in a loud voice âNancy is everything okay?â And as an after thought asked âIs the baby alright?â
The cries seemed to get closer towards the entry door. As the door swung open she took a deep breath in and she told herself that she wouldnât get tongue-tied if Mike opened the door instead of his foxy wife.
But the door opened to reveal Mike clutching the doorknob in one hand and the howling cherub who perched on his side.
âWhatâs wrong with him?â she asked looking at the baby whose world seemed to have come to an end.
Looking frazzled Michael answered in a slightly loud voice âI have no frigging idea! Nancy has left me. She said she doesnât love me or the baby. I donât know what to do with the baby. Look at him â he hates me!â He held the baby out towards Susan in a desperate manner.
Susanâs heart melted and she was putty in his hands. Taking the six month howler in her arms she marched into the spacious apartment. Hugging the baby against her chest and patting his little back she asked âDid you feed him? Maybe heâs hungryâ
Running a hand through a mane of black disheveled hair Michael sighed and answered âNo he isnât hungry. I just gave him a bottle of milk and right after that he started to cry and wouldnât stop. I donât know what to do. Why me? â His eyes beseeched a solution from her.
His rare show of vulnerability made her smile.
âAll it took was a little bundle of joy to bring this hot shot lawyer downâ she thought and with a sympathetic look she asked âDoes the baby have colic?â
He sighed and answered âI donât know, Nancy took care of Casey. I was just his play buddy. And now Iâm not even a good father.â
âStop berating yourself.â She tilted her head and smiled up at him âMy niece had the same problem. Itâs gas and here is what you should do when he suffers from it.â
She turned the baby towards him and bent his legs towards his chest and the baby passed wind in a matter of minutes and stopped fretting.
Blessed silence descended in the apartment, Casey made some snuffling noises, tucked his head against her neck and fell asleep. Mike sighed in relief, sat down on the couch and rubbed a shaky hand against his forehead.
Susan looked down at the tired man and said âWhy donât you sleep for a while and Iâll take care of the little one for an hour or so.â
He looked up at Susan with relief and said âThanks Sue, youâre an angel.â
âSue? He is finally warming up to me.â She thought.
Their interaction had been limited to casual greetings when they had run into each other or just some impersonal smiles as they passed each other in the lobby. It was his Nancy, the beautiful Dallas belle, who had broken the New York brevity and chatted with her. It was Nancy who had given her that nickname and it felt kind of awkward to hear him call her by that name. When he called her Sue it seemed to conjure Nancyâs ghost and made her feel a bit awkward.
Shrugging her shoulders at the thought she watched Mike get up and walk down the hallway to his bedroom.
Hugging the snuggled baby Susan looked around the apartment which showed opulence with its Ethan Allan furniture and antiques that were worth more than what she made in a year.
She didnât fit in this world. She belonged in a ranch in Colorado, milking cows at the crack of dawn, riding horses or skinny dipping on a nearby stream with the next door boy Chad. Time was of no consequence there but here in New York it was valued more than human beings themselves. She belonged in the world of open spaces not in a tiny hole in the ground where thousands were crushed together trying to irk out a living.
Smelling the sweet baby scent in Susan wondered about the toll New York with its dynamic pace would take on Mike now that he was a single parent. Would Casey be left with a nanny or would his father make some drastic changes in his heavy schedule for his son.
Sighing she adjusted the weight of sleeping baby and moved to the nearby bedroom. Opening the nursery door she peeked in but the crib was not there. Assuming it to be in the master bedroom she tiptoed into Mikeâs bedroom and saw him sitting on the bed with his head in his hands.
Not wanting to intrude on him she began to back away but stepped on a toy which let out a loud squeak. He looked up and in the dimly light room she saw despair in his eyes. He missed his wife. Sympathy filled her heart. She always was a sucker for wounded creatures. God knows she had taken in numerous wounded wild creatures back home and they had always broken her heart either by dying or by having to let go.
But this time she told herself that she would be strong and not open her heart again. Smiling in apology she said âIâm sorry to intrude but Casey has gone to sleep and I thought of putting him in his crib.â
Sighing Mike got up from the bed and took the baby from her and settled him in the crib. Looking down at the rosy cheeked angel they both couldnât help but smile.
Caressing his soft cheek Mike softly said âShe left me because I wasnât really there for her. I got so engrossed with my work that I didnât see the signs. When she got pregnant I thought the baby would get us closer but things just got worse. Fights gave way to cold silence. It was as if we had nothing left to say to one another and one fine day she just left me.â
Susan touched his shoulder and said âThings will work out youâll see. Handling a baby isnât all that difficult once you get a hang of it and you seem like a real capable guy.â
He turned and smiled at Susan and said âThanks Sue you are a real doll you know that?
Hey would you like a cup of coffee? Itâs the least I can do in return for your help.â
Susan nodded in agreement and followed him out of the bedroom. As she walked behind him her eyes fell on his tight butt that was covered by a pair of faded shorts. He had the face of an angel and body of a Greek god.
The first time she had seen him an electric current had passed through her body. His eyes bluer than robinâs eggs had her rooted to the spot and the roguish smile that slashed across his thin lips had made her heart stop beating. His aquiline nose and high forehead gave his face a cold character but was offset by the dimples that danced on his cheeks.
He had helped her carry the groceries till her door and when she had taken the last bag from him she had come real close to his chest and realized that he was at least a seven to eight inches taller than her. Staring at his wide chest for that split second she wanted to invite him in and flirt with him just a bit if not more.
Shocked by her lustful reaction she smiled at him offered a stuttered thank you and shut the door on his face. From then onwards she made sure that they didnât really get to be more than acquaintances and he too did not cross the line.
But now following him into the kitchen she couldnât stop the devilish thoughts that crossed her mind. He was single again and there was no sin in lusting after a single man was there?
Leaning against the counter she watched him make coffee and wondered how Nancy could have let such a delicious man go.
Clearing her throat she tried to make polite conversation âSo did you get any sleep during this whole week?â
Mike turned with a pot of hot coffee and asked her âQuestion is did you get any sleep? Iâm sure Casey kept all the neighbors up.â
Susan shrugged her shoulders and said âEven if the baby kept them up I donât think they have grounds to complain.â
âLiarâ her inner voice mocked her. Ignoring her conscience she reached for the cup of coffee that Michael passed and sat down on the nearby chair. Michael sat down on the opposite end of the table and regarded her with thoughtful eyes.
Her features seemed to be plain on the first impression but there was a charming softness in her features which made her seem prettier each time he saw her and now dressed in a shabby pink robe and fuzzy rabbit slippers she looked like an innocent babe. She was clearly out of the reach of a rake like him.
Yet his heart told him that he should have married someone like her not Nancy who was so much like him. Ambitious and high strung, she felt that the marriage and the baby held her back. Being a wife and mother became anathema to her. She was addicted to a fast paced life and wanted her freedom back.
Susan on the other hand reminded him of flowers and sunshine. She reminded him of home cooked meals and sitting on rocking chairs on the porch watching the sun go down. He was sick of the fast paced life and had a few ulcers to prove it. Taking a sip of his coffee he grimaced, the doctor had told him to lay off coffee but he had to rely on that black poison to deal with his little monster.
Sighing he tried to be charming and said âNice slippers.â
Susan looked down at her worn out rabbit slippers and blushed.
Seeing the color bloom on her cheeks Michael became intrigued. In this day and age no one really blushed. Feeling his mood lighten he smiled at Susan and said âBut they do look good on your dainty feet.â
The blush reached till the roots of her hair on her forehead and the freckles stood out. Trying to seem poised and composed Susan squeaked âThese slippers came with me to New York. They have a sentimental value.â