Page 75 of Fostering Chemistry
“Of course.” She nodded, her cheeks turning pink. “It’s Friday evening. I should’ve realized you’d have plans.”
“No, it’s not like…” I put my hand on her arm to stop her from bolting. Then I sighed, changing my plans for the third time in the past half hour. “Do you like babysitting?”
20
MIA
“Two more minutes,”Diego said, and I wasn’t sure if he was talking to me or little Liam. We were on the floor in the living room, playing with blocks. I’d stack three on top of each other, Liam would knock them down.
“Bath time after that,” Diego called. That time, I was pretty damn sure he was talking to Liam.
Currently, I had the better end of the deal in this babysitting gig. Liam was a sweet little guy with wispy blond hair, and every time he giggled, it made me laugh. Poor Diego was watching us from the kitchen where he was washing toddler-sized bowls and cups. Who knew one small boy could create that many dirty dishes?
When he finished, he wiped his hands on a kitchen towel and tossed it on the table as he came over. "Okay, little man." Diego crouched down next to Liam who turned his head away, as if as long as he couldn’t see Diego, he was safe from bath time.
“Five more minutes?” I asked, saying what Liam clearly wanted to ask.
Diego smiled at the little boy. “You can play until I get the bath ready.”
“Do you know how to do that?”
“No.” Diego got to his feet. “But the internet does.”
When he left, I took Liam’s chubby little hands in mine. “Your Uncle Diego is going to be a good dad someday.”
We played for a few more minutes before I hugged the little boy to me and got to my feet. “Let’s go make sure Uncle Diego didn’t flood the bathroom.”
When we entered the bathroom, Liam took one look at Diego and made a happy, gurgling sound. Then he took one look at the bath Diego had drawn and screamed.
Suddenly, getting Liam anywhere near the tub was about as easy as shoving a cat in a cat carrier. How did a kid that small get so strong?
"Maybe we could just spot clean him,” I suggested over Liam's increasingly dramatic protests. “I don’t think he’s in the mood for a bath.”
"Paul said he usually loves them." Diego had the little boy now and was bouncing him on his knee. Every so often, he’d scoop his hand in the tub, letting the water flow over his fingers to show Liam how fun it was.
Liam wasn’t buying it.
I grabbed one of the rubber ducks from the edge of the tub and squeaked it hopefully. "Look, Liam! A duckie!"
Liam paused mid-scream to stare at the yellow toy, then reached for it with both hands. I put it in the water, and he went right back to crying. “Maybe one of us should get in there with him?”
“Good thing we brought our bathing suits,” Diego muttered, because of course we hadn’t. But that was enough to get me thinking what he’d look like in one—and what he had looked like shirtless after he went for a run.
Which definitely wasn’t where my mind should be right now.
“Maybe we don’t need bathing suits,” I mused, an idea coming to mind. Then I flushed at Diego’s raised eyebrow. He looked like he was envisioning me the way I’d just envisioned him—although likely with less clothing, given my comment.
Blushing, I slipped off my shoes, then rolled up my pants. Putting my feet in the water, I sat down on the edge of the tub.
“Here you go.” Diego handed Liam over, looking hopeful. I bounced the little boy on my knee, like Diego had done, while Diego used a cup to pour water over the little boy’s legs.
It got all over both of our legs, but hey, at least neither one of us was screaming.
Ten minutes later, Liam was happily sitting in the tub, slapping at the water with his little palms. We’d gotten his hair washed and his soft skin clean, though I was nearly as damp as he was.
Then we couldn’t coax him out of the water. Finally, Diego picked him up and I did my best to dry him off as he happily babbled in Diego’s arms.
Getting the diaper on him was the next ordeal, but finally, we reached a point where it didn’t fall off when we picked him up.
