The Babysitters

Chapter 19 : Raine

Trystan opened his mouth and closed it again. He repeated the process thrice and when everything dawned upon him, he started hyperventilating.

"B-but she was right here a minute ago," he said in panic.

"I don't know," I sobbed, collapsing on the floor.

Trystan started pacing around, messing his hair with his hands every now and then. I was constantly sobbing. There was still a part in my mind which refused to believe all this. How could we be so careless?

"We have to find her," Trystan announced, pulling me up from the floor.

"H-how?" I asked with watery eyes.

"I'll search the ground floor, you go on the other floors," he explained, "After twenty minutes we will meet back over here."

I nodded my head in understanding. After that we both went our way. I reached the upper floor and started searching all the places where Tiffany could possibly be.

"Tiffany?" I shouted. Everyone turned around and gave me a worried look. But I kept shouting her name, hoping she would hear me and start clapping her hands like always.

But everytime I called her name, I met with faces - faces that were not identical to me.

"Where are you, mollycoddle?" I whispered.

Twenty minutes passed soon, still there was no sign of her. Defeated, I went back to the spot where Trystan asked me to meet. He was not there yet. A ray of hope enveloped me. But it was soon gone when I saw him coming. Alone.

"Where is she?" I asked, looking around him.

He took a deep sigh and shook his head in disappointment. And that was my breaking point.

"I always knew I was bad luck," I sobbed, "I should have never taken up this job. Everytime someone gets close to me, I land them up in trouble."

"Hey! Shut up, okay?" Trystan took me in a homely hug, "I am equally responsible for losing her. So, stop blaming yourself."

I was about to reply him when we both heard a giggle. A very familiar one. I looked at Trystan with wide eyes. He was mirroring my expression. He motioned me to be quiet and follow him. We slowly followed the giggle with hope.

We crossed the food section and stopped near a nutella jar tripped on the floor. There was a baby sitting beside it and laughing at the broken jar.

"Tiffany?" I whispered to myself, before shouting out loud, "Tiffany?"

Hearing my voice the baby turned around. To our huge relief, it was our mollycoddle who was now smiling at me. The most adorable toothless smile.

"Thank god!" Trystan sighed and ran towards her.

He picked her up in his arms and started cleaning her dress, which was covered with Nutella.

"I am so sorry, Tiffany," I whispered, taking her from Trystan.

"You really scared us, sweetheart," Trystan gave out a nervous smile. He embraced her in a protective hug. Tiffany was still laughing, not realizing how much of a heart attack she has caused us.

"Awe! They make such an adorable family," I heard a woman in her early thirties coo at us.

I frowned. Why does everyone thinks we are a family?

"Probably because we look like one," Trystan replied to my inner thoughts.

I rolled my eyes and started walking ahead, with Tiffany in a tight grip. I cannot afford to lose her again.