Feel-Good Stories to Read Online: Babysitting Job (Short Stories for Love)
In her senior year of high school, Bailey’s simple babysitting job at the Johnsons’ takes an unexpected turn. What happens when she invites her crush over and things comedically spiral out of control? Read short stories for love now.
The Babysitting Job (Short Stories for Love)
It was my senior year in high school, and I finally felt I had it all figured out. I’d been saving up for a car, doing odd jobs, and babysitting. Things were going pretty smoothly, and I was on track to be able to get a decent used car by graduation day. My babysitting business was really starting to take off from word-of-mouth referrals.
That’s how I landed at the Johnsons’, babysitting little Malachi. I’d never taken care of a really little baby before, only older kids. But when Mrs. Johnson told me how much they paid an hour, I was all in.
Little did I know what I was in for.
I thought babysitting Malachi would be the easiest job ever. He was just a baby, and babies mostly sleep, right? Plus, since I’d basically be getting paid for doing nothing, it seemed like a great chance to invite Landon over. Landon, the guy I’d had a crush on for ages, was my partner for a school project. This was the perfect opportunity to spend time with him alone, away from school. So, I asked him to come to the Johnsons’ house to work on our project.
When Landon walked into the Johnsons’ home, my heart skipped a beat. “Hey Bailey, this is a nice place,” he said, looking around.”
As I sat on the living room couch, I tried to seem cool and collected. “Hey, Landon! Thanks for coming. Sorry we’re not at my place – my little brother can be a bit much.”
Landon smiled warmly. “No worries, this place is great. About the project, I was thinking … “
I nodded, playing with my hair, too nervous to really listen. “Totally, I agree! We could start with the historical context, then dive into the analysis … “
After a short pause, Landon tilted his head. “You okay? You seem a little nervous.”
“Nervous, me? No way! I’m just … really excited about the project,” I stammered, feeling my cheeks heat up.
Landon chuckled. “It’s just a history presentation, nothing too fancy. But it’s cool that you’re into it.”
I laughed, maybe a little too loudly. “Yeah, just history. No biggie.”
Wanting to be a good host, I offered, “Hey, how about some snacks? I’ve got smoothies and chips.”
“Sure, thanks,” Landon replied.
As I tried to play it cool while bringing out the snacks, Malachi’s cries suddenly echoed from upstairs.
“Wait a sec, I need to check on the baby. He’s probably hungry too.” I hurried upstairs, picked up Malachi, and brought him back down to set him in his playpen. His wails were so loud, I thought the neighbors might hear.
I hurried to heat his bottle in the microwave, just as Mrs. Johnson had shown me. When I tested the temperature on my wrist, it was scalding. Too hot!
In a rush to quiet Malachi’s cries, I grabbed an empty bottle and retreated to the living room. I poured some of my chocolate banana smoothie into it.
“Man, that baby can really wail.” Landon said, laughing as he twisted a finger in his ear.
“You’re telling me,” I replied, chuckling in an attempt to showcase my babysitting skills. “He’s going to love this – it’s got extra chocolate.” I picked up Malachi and gave him the banana-chocolate smoothie.
His cries stopped instantly. Malachi eagerly drank the smoothie, his eyes wide in pleasure.
Join Jack and Kitty’s Newsletter!
“See, this is super tasty, isn’t it Malachi?”
I fed him more. Then a few more suckles on the bottle. Big mistake. His face twisted weirdly.
Malachi’s face turned beet red as he erupted into wails. I bounced him around on my lap, trying to comfort him.
“Shhhhh. It’s okay, sweetie.”
Landon looked concerned. “Umm, Bailey, he doesn’t look so good …”
Before I knew it, Malachi was a baby volcano, spewing smoothie all over me. I didn’t know something this small could hold so much inside of it.
“Oh my god!” Landon flinched and jumped out of the way.
I gasped in horror. Brownish-green goo landed everywhere, coating my shirt and covering strands of my long hair. Some of it even ran down my arms, in a slow ooze.
To make matters worse, the Johnsons’ dog, a fluffy little thing, jumped onto the couch and started licking the mess off my arm. Ewwww! Landon seemed to be in shock by the whole thing. He sat there silently, trying to take it all in.
Completely mortified, I was at a loss for words.
In a panic, all I could think of was the mess on me and Landon’s shocked expression. I couldn’t let him see me like this! Clutching Malachi, I dashed upstairs to the bathroom. Pulling back the shower curtain, I jumped in – clothes and all – still holding Malachi. We were both coated in his smelly vomit.
The warm water blasted us, making baby Malachi scream even louder.
After our impromptu “shower”, the bathroom was in total disarray. While changing Malachi into his pajamas, I apologized to him. “I’m so sorry, Malachi,” I stammered, struggling with his onesie snaps. “I’ve messed up everything, and now you’re upset, and I’ve embarrassed myself in front of the guy I’ve been crushing on forever,” I mumbled.
Malachi started to calm down with a fresh diaper and clean clothes. His cries turned into occasional whimpers.
I searched the Johnsons’ closet and found a pair of shorts and a sweatshirt, way too oversized but thankfully free of any puke smell.
“Okay, Malachi, let’s head downstairs. My life’s totally ruined, but at least Landon’s probably gone by now.”
Surprisingly, Landon was still there, tidying up with a towel and putting away the snacks and bottle.
Eyes wide, I came downstairs. Meek as a mouse.
I’m sure my face was brighter than a strawberry, but Landon didn’t say anything about it. My mascara was running, my hair a disaster. And I looked like a clown in the Johnsons’ oversized clothes.
Listen to Jack and Kitty’s Feel-Good Stories Podcast
Subscribe on your favorite podcast app or visit: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Audible, Amazon Music, Pandora, iHeartRadio, Castbox, Pocket Casts, and Radio Public.
“Bailey, are you okay?” Landon asked.
I wanted to disappear. “Yeah, just … having a bit of a day,” I joked, setting baby Malachi down in his playpen.
Later, as we finished cleaning up, Landon was surprisingly sweet, helping me to calm down. “You’ve still got some of it in your hair,” he said, gently wiping it away with a paper towel.
‘Well, it wouldn’t be the worst day ever without that, right?’ I joked.
Landon, smiling with a sparkle in his eyes, said, “I wouldn’t call it all bad.” He paused. “Though, I’m not sure little Malachi would agree.”
“Yeah, the chocolate was a bit much for him,” I admitted.
In short, the night ended with me looking like a character from a horror movie, and unsurprisingly, the Johnsons never asked me to babysit again. But Landon, bless his heart, stuck around.
And that’s how my most mortifying night turned into the beginning of the rest of my life. Landon and I are now happily married with two beautiful kids, our youngest the same age as Malachi was that night.
Years later, Landon shared a secret from that night. “When you ran upstairs with Malachi, I heard what you said to him about having a crush on me. I heard every word through the baby monitor. I knew at that moment you were the one. You were real and the most beautiful thing in the world … even in the Johnsons’ clothes with vomit in your hair.”
To this day, we still chuckle about it. “Remember Malachi’s expression when he first tasted chocolate? That was classic. And you looked so panicked when he hurled.”
“How could I forget? It was the most mortifying yet hilarious first date ever.”
And that’s how I know Landon’s a keeper. If someone can love you when you’re a vomit-soaked, mascara-streaked mess, talking to babies about your love life, they’re definitely the one. Who knew babysitting could be so romantic?
Written by Kitty Norton. © 2024 Jack and Kitty Norton. Reprinted by permission of Jack and Kitty Media Group. In order to protect the rights of the copyright holder, no portion of this publication may be reproduced without prior written consent. All rights reserved.
