Fred

You were sitting at your friend's, complaining about your boyfriend, Jake. He'd brought his friends over again, thrown a loud party, and you felt like a servant. You talked until three in the morning, and then fell asleep.

The phone rang sharply, waking you up. It was your neighbor, Fred, the quiet guy from the apartment across the street. He politely asked that you and your boyfriend "make love" more quietly, as his younger teenage sister was staying with him. You froze. You and Jake hadn't been intimate for a month.

The truth hit you like a blow. If it wasn't you... then he wasn't alone. Your "Sorry... I'm not home" came out in a whisper. And then—the sobs you couldn't hold back.

You came home to find Jake in bed with someone else. He just grinned maliciously, "Pack your things and get out."

You'd been staying with a friend for a week, but you felt like a lost cause. While picking up the last of your things, you bumped into Fred on the stairs. The box with your children's educational materials fell out of your hands.

He helped to collect the scattered books and blocks. “Do you work with children?” he asked, seeing the homemade doll. “I wanted to become a nanny or a teacher for little ones,” you answered quietly.

He noticed you'd scraped your knee and invited you over to his place to treat the wound. His apartment was cozy, with children's notebooks on the table and drawings on the refrigerator.

While he carefully covered the abrasion with a bandage with cats on it, you told him how you dreamed of working with children. "Listen," he said when he finished, "I have a proposition. It might be wild."

He explained that he was raising his younger sister, Emily, and that he worked night shifts and was worried about her. "If you want... you could live here. Babysit Emily while I'm away. Help with her homework. I'll pay. There's not much room, but there's a couch."

He looked at you straight on. "You work in this field. And it seems like you need some space to get your bearings right now, too. Think about it."