He let himself into the unlocked house. “Hello,” he called from the front door. “Anybody home?”
“In the kitchen.”
“Having fun?”
She scowled at him as he walked into the kitchen, and pointed at her green – speckled hair. “You think this is fun?”
Pat made an effort not to laugh. Being a new mother could be a trying experience.
Megan leaned back in her chair. “Well, I suppose it has been fun. You know what he did today? He said cookie. This kid is so smart.” She wiped Timmy’s face clean with a wet cloth.
“The problem is, I’m not getting anything done! This is a busy time of the year for me.” She lifted a teapot from the counter and handed it to Pat. “I’m a potter. I make these tea sets, and a little boutique in Old Town Alexandria sells them for me. They have a big order in for the Christmas season.”
“You made this? It’s beautiful.”
She took it from him and ran her finger over the white – and – blue glaze. “Thanks. My really pretty pieces I save for a gallery in Washington. I’m going to have my first one – woman show in January.”
Pat looked at the little boy tied to a kitchen chair with an apron and felt guilty. He hadn’t known about Megan’s pottery. Somehow he had to make things easier for her. “Maybe I should hire a different baby – sitter. I didn’t realize you had these commitments.”
Megan noticed he was wearing the sneakers with the sutures again. He didn’t have any money, she guessed. He was just starting out, like her, and he was probably getting by day to day. Where would he find the money to pay a baby – sitter? Besides, she liked Timmy. She wouldn’t trust just anyone to take care of him. She shook her head and opened a jar of beige gook.