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and she hadn’t been waiting with Claudia after school. She hoped she was okay.
    As Natalie and Claudia walked toward Natalie’s house, a young woman in her late twenties came running out of the house next door. It was a Victorian three-story that was identical to Natalie’s house, although her neighbors still had their Christmas decorations up. Bright-colored lights were strung across the front porch and Santa and his sleigh were still positioned on the front lawn. At the sight of Natalie, the woman waved and hurried over.
    â€œNatalie!” she exclaimed. “You don’t know how glad I am to see you!”
    Natalie smiled at the petite brunette. “Hi, Lisa! What’s up?”
    Lisa Barnes was Natalie’s next-door neighbor. She and her husband, Stan, and their four-year-old daughter, Bonnie, had moved in last fall. Natalie had babysat for Bonnie twice.
    â€œMy babysitter canceled on me and I was wondering if I could ask a favor. I have to take my mom to a doctor’s appointment and I really don’t want to take Bonnie with me. With it being flu season, the last thing I want to do is expose her to a waiting room full of germs. Could you watch her for me? I shouldn’t be very long. An hour, two tops.”
    â€œSure!” Natalie didn’t even have to think about it. She loved kids and hoped to become a nursery school teacher after college. One reason why she loved little kids so much was that they didn’t judge you. They saw what was on the inside, rather than what was on the outside.
    â€œYou’re a lifesaver!” Lisa squealed, giving Natalie a hug and racing back inside.
    â€œI thought we were going to talk about my party.” Claudia pouted as Natalie followed after Lisa.
    â€œWe can still do that.”
    Claudia wrinkled her nose, like she had smelled something bad. “I don’t do little kids.”
    â€œBonnie’s a sweetie.”
    â€œShe isn’t one of those rug rats that has a runny nose and grubby hands?” Claudia skeptically asked.
    â€œYou’re going to love her. Trust me. She’s an angel!”
    Bonnie had turned into a devil.
    When Natalie first walked in the door, Bonnie came running over. She was an adorable little girl with two pigtails and a scattering of freckles across her cheeks, wearing pink overalls and a pink turtleneck. Before Natalie even had a chance to take off her coat, Bonnie had given her a hug. Natalie had hugged her back, inhaling the scent of Johnson & Johnson’s baby shampoo, peanut butter, and Magic Markers. Then Bonnie had wanted to give Claudia a hug. Natalie couldn’t help but giggle as Claudia knelt down and allowed Bonnie to wrap her arms around her.
    â€œSo soft!” Bonnie had squealed while pressing her face against Claudia’s cashmere sweater.
    â€œAnd expensive,” Claudia had said while awkwardly trying to pull away from Bonnie, who had her in a death grip.
    â€œYou’re pretty,” Bonnie had said, giving Claudia a big wet kiss.
    â€œShe’s gotten a little clingy lately,” Lisa whispered into Natalie’s ear as she sneaked into the kitchen to use the back door. “She hates when I go anywhere without her. She might give you a little bit of a hard time, but she’ll get over it. Hopefully this phase isn’t going to last much longer.”
    â€œDon’t worry about it,” Natalie had reassured Lisa as she watched her walk out. “Bonnie and I are old friends. I’m sure we’re going to get along fine.”
    At first they had. Bonnie had taken Natalie and Claudia into her playroom and shown them her dolls. Instead of giving them names, Bonnie gave each doll a number. “This is Seven, this is Eleven, this is Forty-Four,” Bonnie explained. Then she dropped the rag doll she was holding and her eyes widened with fear. It was like she had suddenly realized something. First she looked at Natalie. Then she turned to