My phone rang at 8 PM. Unknown number. “This is Marcus,” the biker said. “I talked to my club. We want to help. Can you meet me at the diner on Fifth Street tomorrow at noon?”
I almost didn’t go. It felt too strange. Too good to be true. But I had no other options. I got my neighbor to watch the twins for an hour and went to the diner.
Jake spoke up. “We help single parents who need childcare. We’ve got a system. Brothers in the club who are retired, who work from home, who have flexible schedules. They volunteer to watch kids for working parents who can’t afford care.”
I stared at them. “You watch children? You two?” Marcus smiled for the first time. “I know how we look. But yeah. We’ve been doing this for three years. Started when my brother lost his wife and couldn’t afford to keep working and pay for a sitter.”
“We’ve got background checks. References. The whole thing. We’re not creeps. We’re just guys who know what it’s like to struggle and want to help.” He slid a folder across the table. Inside were background checks, references, photos of other kids they’d helped, testimonials from parents.
“If you’re comfortable,” Jake said, “Marcus and I can split watching your twins. I work from home doing IT consulting. Marcus is retired Army. We’ll watch them at my house. You don’t pay us anything. That’s the deal.”
I should have said no. I should have been suspicious. But I’d been drowning for so long and here was a life raft. “Can I meet you both with the kids first? See how they interact?” They both nodded. “Absolutely. That’s how we always do it.”
We met three times before I let them watch the twins. Each time, Marcus and Jake were patient, kind, and gentle. Anna loved Marcus immediately. Started calling him “Mr. Bear” because of his beard. Ethan was more cautious but eventually warmed up.
The first day I left them, I called six times. Checked in constantly. Marcus sent me photos every hour. The twins playing. Eating lunch. Taking naps. Happy. When I picked them up, they didn’t want to leave.
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