Just You and Me, Kid

‘You’re not trying to find a date,’ Kasperi reminded himself. ‘These girls are supposed to take care of your son, not sleep with you.’ He took a deep breath and tried to clear his head before meeting with the next candidate. So far they had all been too young, too inexperienced, and far too interested in him. It took a lot for Kasperi to ignore their obvious flirting and focus on the issue at hand: Finn. He needed someone to watch him, sometimes for several days while he was away on road trips. Hannah had offered to watch him sometimes, but she wouldn’t always be around now that she was pretty busy with work.

Kasperi needed to be independent, but to do that, he needed help. With his last candidate, he thought he found exactly what he needed. She was older, about mid thirties, and had been a nanny since she left college. Most importantly (in Kasperi’s opinion) she was married.

“Your husband doesn’t mind you being away for a couple nights in a row? Sometimes a road trip can be over a week; that’s a lot of time for me to ask you to give up your own family.” Kasperi asked, but Mary remained confident.

“My husband is in the Marines, so he is often away for months at a time. As long as I have time to spend with him when he’s back, it doesn’t matter to me how many nights I stay here watching Finn.”

“Do you have any children of your own?” He asked.

Mary nodded. “Yes, I have a 17 year old son, Max, but he’s pretty good about taking care of himself.”

Kasperi nodded as Mary answered his unasked question: how much of your life can you give up to watch my child?

“He’ll be going to college next year, so he’ll be out of my hair pretty soon. But don’t worry about Max, my attention will be focussed on your son.” Mary smiled. Her eyes flicked to the baby monitor sitting on the table next to Kasperi as the first signs of an upset child appeared. “Sounds like he’s just waking up. Do you mind…?” She stood up and waited for Kasperi’s consent.

“Yeah, he’s just down the hall, last door on the right.” He paused, and decided it was best if he followed her. She already had him comfortably in her arms rocking him by the time he entered the nursery.

“Are you hungry?” She asked Finn and smiled down at his chubby cheeks. “Let’s get you a bottle.” They walked to the kitchen and Kasperi got a bottle ready for Finn, keeping a close eye on Mary. She was perfect with him, so natural, but he felt so tense. He had become so attached to Finn after their first few hectic weeks together that he didn’t trust anyone not to hurt him. Only a month into his new job of ‘dad’ and he was already feeling overprotective.

“Do you not have much family around? Or would you rather not talk about it?” Mary asked politely, understanding that a single dad Kasperi’s age might have gone to his mom for help before trying to hire a nanny.

“No, it’s fine. They live in Finland, his mom’s sister lives here in Pittsburgh.”

“And his mom?”

Kasperi swallowed and his mouth went dry. “I’d rather not talk about it, but she’s out of the picture.”

Mary smiled politely and understandingly. “That’s fine, it’s none of my business. I just want to make sure he, and you, have other people around you. If you need help, or just so you’re not alone.”

He smiled sheepishly. “Thanks.”

“I know it’s hard to ask for help at your age, but when Max came along I was about your age. I know how it can turn your world upside down.”


Kasperi thought about Mary for a while after she left. She had a motherly presence, but not just toward Finn. He felt like she genuinely cared about helping him, and he couldn’t find a reason to offer the position to anyone else. He gave it a few days to think it over, but the Penguins had a road game coming up soon so he needed to make a decision.

It was easy; Mary was the only real option. The other girls (and one guy) seemed inexperienced, and more interested in Kasperi than Finn. That was the opposite of what he needed right now- a hot nanny who was trying to sleep with him (possibly for his money). It was obvious: Finn’s nanny was Mary.


His first night away he called Mary to make sure they were okay. She laughed and said Finn was fine, and even sent a picture of him to prove it. Smiling, Kasperi went to sleep worrying slightly less about his son.

After the game the next night he got another update picture: Finn ‘watching’ the game in the Penguins onsie his aunt gave him for Christmas. Laughing, he showed it to Olli before practice the next day, and he smiled and added, “he looks good in black and gold.”

“He does, I can’t wait to get him out on the ice.” Kasperi looked over the picture again.

“I think he’s got a few more years before he’ll be ready to skate,” Olli teased. “Although, speaking of that- maybe you should put your phone away and get yourself on the ice for practice.”

Kasperi looked around the almost empty locker room before shoving his phone in his pocket and throwing the rest of his gear on. ‘This is going to be a long road trip...’ he thought, even though they only had two more games to play before he could return to Pittsburgh and see Finn. The time went by slowly, even though Mary sent him encouraging updates and picture so of Finn. Kasperi was less anxious, but he still couldn’t wait to get home to see Finn.


When he returned from his first practice back in Pittsburgh, Mary was waiting for Kasperi with Finn. Smiling, Kasperi gave her the afternoon off. “I’m going out with him; we’re going to the park.”

Mary hesitated before smiling. “Okay, just make sure you bundle him up. He’s changed and fed, so he should be all set to go” She gave Finn a kiss goodbye before leaving. Kasperi got out Finn’s new snowsuit and tried to figure out how to get him in it.

“Why didn’t I ask Mary to help me with this first?” He asked himself as he carefully shoved Finn’s foot in the leg hole. It took some time, and a few mistakes, but eventually he got him in the tiny snowsuit, with his feet and hands covered. Lastly, Kasperi put a little Penguins hat on Finn and pulled up his hood. “Okay, I think we got it!”

Kasperi strapped him in the stroller and covered him with a blanket, just to make sure he was warm enough. It had stopped snowing, so Finn should be okay. He got the stroller to the front door before he realized he was forgetting something: his own jacket. Quickly slipping on his boots and hat, Kasperi grabbed his jacket and gloves before continuing with the stroller toward the street. “Okay Finn, we’re going on an adventure.”

They walked down the street carefully as Kasperi tested out his new stroller in the snow. It wasn’t exactly made for snowy and slushy sidewalks, but it would manage for their short trip to the park. Months ago when he first moved to Pittsburgh Kasperi found himself in this park watching parents, mostly moms, playing with their children. He had been frightened as the reality of his circumstances settled in, so he thought it was only appropriate to return to that same park now that he had a more secure grip on his life with Finn.

Since the snow let up there were only a few kids out playing in the park. Their parents sat nearby keeping watch and chatting to each other over coffee. He stood watching them for a minute, his breath freezing in the air in white puffs. ‘I’m one of them now,’ he reminded himself. He sat down on a bench near the group of moms and pulled Finn around so he could look at him. The baby was smiling up at him from under all his warm clothes.

“Good, you like the winter,” he said as he unwrapped him and picked him up out of the stroller. “Can’t have a Finn who doesn’t like the snow!”

Notes

So sad about his trade! Take care of him Toronto!