The Babysitter's Secret

The story that I am about to tell you took place on a day that started out very ordinary, but would end up as the least ordinary day of my life. Until that particular Winter day, I thought I knew who I was. I was Peter Fuller -- respected educator, devoted husband, loving father. I had never cheated on my wife, I had never lied to a friend, and I had certainly never slept with a girl that young before. All of that changed within a matter of hours. But you know what? I wouldn't change what happened for the world.

Years ago, I moved to the small town of Emberton, Rhode Island to take a job teaching biology and psychology at Emberton High School. I was twenty-seven years old at the time. My wife Shawna had recently given birth to our twin children, Nathan and Johanna, and I thought the job would at least provide a stable source of income. Little did I realize how much I would enjoy teaching. It really became my calling and, for the last eight years, it had been the single greatest joy in my life besides my family.

We had been in Emberton for some years when I first met Jenny Rove. She was the daughter of an old friend of mine from high school named Mike Rove with whom I'd lost touch over the years. Mike and his family had moved to South Haven, the town that bordered Emberton. He had seen my name in the paper and gotten in touch. Our old friendship had been rekindled and now we were closer than we'd ever been. Mike and his wife, Cassandra, had three children. Jenny was the eldest. She was a shy, boyish-looking kid who I always suspected of having a little crush on me.

It wasn't until later that she first babysat the twins. Shawna and I had been wanting a night out alone but we needed someone to watch the children while we were gone. None of our regular babysitters were available so Shawna suggested we call Mike and Cassandra to see if Jenny would be available to sit for us. As it turned out, Jenny had so much experience watching her own siblings that she was a natural for the job. My kids loved her and she loved them. Everything worked out so well that Jenny became our first choice every time we needed a babysitter.