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Wanted: Mother’s Helper for
    2½-year-old boy.
    Need someone during the week and some Saturdays to play with my son while I am with my newborn baby girl. Duties: feed lunch, play games, take to Lake Dora pool, and other activities. A parent will always be around to help you. We have 2 cats and live in a safe area near Blueberry Street. Some experience is a plus.
    Must be at least 12 years old.
    Call Mrs. Sandra Reed anytime.
    555-1010
    “Maddie, this is so perfect for you!” Fiona said.
    “But I don’t have any experience,” Madison said. “How am I supposed to baby-sit? I don’t know. It sounds hard.”
    Fiona plucked the card off the board. “Here, you should call her. It’s right down the street from your house! Baby-sitting can be hard—but it can also be a lot of fun. Oh, it’ll be so easy. You’ll get paid for going to the pool. And she has cats! What’s better than that?”
    Madison’s head was spinning.
    Was this the big summer opportunity she’d been waiting for?
    She folded the card and stuffed it into the pocket of her shorts before heading back to Dad’s apartment in the warm rain.

Chapter 3
    “H ELLO? IS THIS MRS. Reed?” Madison’s voice quivered as she spoke into the receiver. She clutched the pink file card in her hand.
    “Hello?” a woman answered on the other end of the line. Her voice was soft and deep. “May I help you?”
    “I’m calling about the card on the cyber café board,” Madison explained. “About the baby-sitting…er…mother’s helper job.”
    “Oh,” Mrs. Reed said. “That’s terrific! What’s your name?”
    “Madison Finn,” she answered. “I’m twelve.”
    “Very good. Have you ever baby-sat before?”
    Madison paused and took a breath. “Um…not really. I pet sit sometimes. I volunteer down at the animal clinic. Does that count?”
    Mrs. Reed laughed. “Well, now, pets and kids aren’t exactly the same…but that’s okay. Experience isn’t entirely necessary. I’d like to give someone a chance to get experience. This won’t be a hard job at all.”
    “Oh?” Madison said, sounding more intrigued than ever. “What does the job involve…exactly?”
    “Well, playtime, really,” Mrs. Reed explained. “Going to the Lake Dora pool, taking Eliot to activities. It depends. It will be fun.”
    Madison could feel her pulse race. It actually sounded fun.
    “Tell me a little more about yourself,” Mrs. Reed asked. “Do you have brothers and sisters?”
    Madison explained that she was an only child. She told Mrs. Reed all about Phinnie and her laptop computer and her mom, the film producer. Mrs. Reed seemed very happy to “meet Madison by phone.”
    “I’d like to meet you in person,” Mrs. Reed suggested. “And I’ll need to speak to your mom or dad, too. Can we arrange that?”
    Madison felt her hands shaking a little. She was nervous. Mrs. Reed made everything sound so official right away—like a real job.
    “Okay, that’s fine,” Madison said. “I’m sure I can meet you soon….”
    “How about tomorrow morning?” Mrs. Reed asked.
    “Well, I can ask my dad.”
    “Good! Do that!” Mrs. Reed said. “I’ll wait for you two to call me back. Okay? Madison?”
    This was all moving so fast, Madison couldn’t believe it.
    “Okay,” she answered with a gulp.
    “I have a feeling this may work out perfectly,” Mrs. Reed said as Madison said good-bye.
    “Thanks,” Madison replied. “I hope it does work out. Perfectly.”
    When Madison put down the receiver, she jumped into the air like an acrobat and clicked her heels together.
    “I got a jooooobbb!” she cried, running into the dining room. Dad and Stephanie were setting the table for dinner.
    “What did you say?” Dad asked.
    “I did it, Dad! You are now looking at the possible baby-sitter for the summer!”
    “That’s great,” Stephanie said. “Congratulations, Maddie.”
    “All I need is for Dad to talk to Mrs. Reed—she’s the woman with the baby. Mrs. Reed