Page 8 of What I Needed

It was obvious it wasn’t, because Riverlynn was crying, and he sounded anxious as hell.

“No. She won’t stop crying. I’ve tried everything. I gave her a bath; her diaper is clean; she’s fed and burped. I don’t know what else to do.”

“Sit down and take a few deep breaths.”

I heard him moving and assumed he was doing as I asked.

“Okay. I’m sitting and breathing.”

“Is she on your shoulder?”

“Yeah.”

“Lay her over your chest if you can, so she can feel your heartbeat, then close your eyes and inhale and exhale slowly while rubbing her back.”

Again, I heard moving around. It took a few minutes, but eventually, Riverlynn stopped crying.

“You okay?” I asked in a whisper because I wasn’t sure if he had me on speaker.

“For now. I owe you big time. Thank you.”

He spoke in a low voice, which was probably comforting to his daughter because I was sure his chest was vibrating.

“No thanks needed. I should be thanking you for that huge tip you left. That was a bit much, don’t you think?”

He chuckled. “Nah. It was well-deserved. Is that why you called? To thank me?”

“Not exactly.”

“Good. That means you’re calling about my offer. As you can see, I really need the help.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, where is her mother?”

“I honestly have no idea who her mother is. Two weeks ago, she left Riverlynn at the door to my condo with a note. She didn’t leave her name.”

“Wow. You’ve been with that many women that you can’t even narrow it down.”

“I won’t lie. I’ve been with a lot of women, but I’m a professional basketball player, so women are always willing and waiting to hop on my dick. I’m always safe, but Riverlynn was conceived at least a year ago, and my memory ain’t that damn good.”

“And she just left her at your door and walked away. That’s extreme.”

“Tell me about it. The paternity test proved she’s mine. The security in my building let me look at the footage from that day, and she was wearing all black, a hoodie, and dark shades. My attorney connected me with a private investigator, but I haven’t reached out yet.”

“Wow.”

“You said that already.”

“I know, but this sounds like a made-for-TV movie.”

“Yeah. I’m having a hard time believing this is my life right now. What kinda woman leaves a baby in the hallway of a strange man?”

“Clearly, she knew you were the father, but don’t be too quick to judge. I don’t have children, but motherhood ain’t easy. I heard those first few months are hard, and she may have been suffering from postpartum depression. You should be grateful she didn’t do something much worse.”

He was quiet for a long while before he responded.

“You’re right. My mother said something similar. Granted, I wouldn’t have known, so it wouldn’t have affected me, but now that I know she exists, I couldn’t imagine anyone hurting her. I’m glad she chose to leave her with me, but I wish I was a little more prepared.”

This time, my response was delayed as I thought about his request. I honestly had nothing to lose. If being a nanny didn’t work out, I could get a job as a waitress at any restaurant, and even though my experience as an assistant manager wasn’t vast, it would help.