Stella clutched her binder to her chest and continued to walk down the hall. Her friend, Rebecca, waved to her. "Hey Ella!"
Stella smiled and waved back as Rebecca came running down the hall. "Wanna come over to my house today?" She asked. Stella shook her head.
"I can't. I have a baby to look after."
Rebecca's eyes widened. "You got the job? How'd the interview go?"
Stella shrugged. "It wasn't really an interview. I just went over and while I was playing with the baby, he just asked me when I could come and stuff. And then he told me to come on Monday."
Rebecca gave Stella a hug. "I knew you could do it!" She exclaimed. "How long do you think it'll take for you to get enough money for your apartment rent?"
Stella's face fell. "I'm not so sure. But I'm hoping I get enough soon."
"How's your grandmother?" Rebecca asked. "Did you tell her about the job?"
"Uh not yet. I'm scared that she'll get worried and the doctors warned me not to tell her anything that could put stress on her."
Rebecca nodded before hugging Stella again and bidding her good-bye. Stella stepped out of the building and started walking on the leaf- covered streets. She took a left and walked along the trees of Elwood Street. As she walked down the sidewalk, she breathed in the cool Autumn air. The leaves swirled around her before landing on the sidewalk. Stella looked at the neat white mansions on her left side. The white fences surrounding them and protecting the well groomed gardens that lay beyond them. She came to number 503 and rang the bell. The door opened almost instantly. Cato smiled brightly at her. "You're here." He said and stepped back for Stella to walk in. Cato led her to the kitchen where Zack sat on his high chair. He had baby food all over his chin and cheeks and he had just dumped his chubby fist into the bowl. He looked up at Cato and tried to feed him what was in his fist. Cato shook his head. "No Zack, Daddy does not need to eat that. You do."
Zack gave Cato an innocent look and made puppy eyes at him. Cato sighed. "Fine." He mumbled and opened his mouth slightly. Zack's face lit up and he stuffed his hand in Cato's mouth. Cato grimaced as he swallowed the baby food. Zack giggled and clapped his hands. "Dadda! Dadda!" He squealed. Cato had turned a sickly green color and was trying not to gag. Zack was bouncing in his arms with happiness. Stella decided to save the day. She took Zack from Cato and asked the directions to the bathroom. Cato managed to tell her before racing out of the room. She quickly carried Zack to the bathroom and washed him before he decided that she could use some baby food too. Then she took him back to the kitchen where she found a baby bottle full of water. She raised it to Zack's lips and he instantly started drinking it. After three gulps, he spit out some water, spraying Stella. Stella stumbled back as her eyes widened. Just then Cato entered the room smelling suspiciously of mouthwash. He saw the water on Stella's face and the satisfied smile on Zack's face. "Did he spray you?" He asked.
Stella nodded. "Yeah. Does he do that often?"
Cato grinned. "Yep. I was drinking water once and Clove told me a joke. I burst into laughter, spraying the water everywhere. He loved it. Which is why he does it all the time. I usually just hand him the bottle and make a run for it."
Stella tilted her head. "Who's Clove?"
Cato ran a hand through his hair. "A friend of mine. And Zack's godmother."
Stella took the bottle out of Zack's mouth, afraid he would spray her again, and put it down on the counter. Cato handed her a piece of paper with seven phone numbers on it. "The first number is mine. If you need help with Zack, call the second number, which is Clove's, or the third number which is my mother's. Fourth number is Finnick's, another friend of mine. Call him if you're running low on something like baby food. Fifth, sixth and seventh numbers are Marvel's, Thresh's and Peeta's. If Finnick isn't picking up, then either of them will do. Did you get all of that?"
Stella glanced at the paper, memorizing the names, and nodded. "First is your number, second is Clove's, Then your mother's, Finnick's, Marvel's, Thresh's and Peeta's."
Cato kissed Zack's cheek. "Great. Samantha will come and cook dinner. If you want anything to eat, go to the pantry or check the fridge. Zack will mostly keep to himself, just give him a toy or something. He won't start crying unless he's hungry or wants to go to sleep. He should start drooping at around 7:30. A story would please him and get him to sleep by 8. I'll be home at around 8:20. 8:30 at the latest. If I'm really, really late, I'll call Clove and ask her to come over. She'll keep you company." He pulled on his jacket and grabbed the car keys. "See you two tonight." He said while smiling at Stella. Cato bent down to kiss Zack one more time before walking out of the house.
