* * *
A few hours later
“Do you want to go out for a beer after our shift is over?” Jon looked over at me as he changed back into his regular clothes.
“No.” I shook my head back and forth. “I’m going to get a shower and then I’m going home to sleep.”
“It’s seven in the fucking morning.” Jon raised an eyebrow. “It’s way too early to sleep.”
“It’s way too early to start drinking too.” I stifled a chuckle.
Not that I haven’t been there myself after a tough shift, but this one wasn’t bad enough for day drinking.
“Never too early to have a drink, especially after being on the clock for twenty-four hours.” Jon grabbed his bag and headed for the door.
I took a shower, put on a t-shirt and jeans, and walked outside of the fire station. It was a Monday, which meant that my sister would already be up, mainly because she needed to make sure my niece didn’t miss the bus. My sister offered me a place to stay when I came back to St. Louis, and while I could have gotten an apartment on my own, I realized she was asking because she needed my help. The asshole that knocked her up disappeared as soon as the pregnancy test came back positive and she was struggling to make ends meet as a single mom. I didn’t mind. I missed the first five years of my niece’s life and I loved them both. The girl was going to be a teenager in a few years, so things were only going to get more difficult when her angst kicked in—I wasn’t looking forward to that.
“Uncle Cain!” My niece ran into the kitchen and I could tell by the excitement in her voice that she had something to tell me that couldn’t wait.
“Hey Abby. What’s up? Where’s your mom?” I looked down the hallway and saw my sister, Bridget, peek her head out the door of her bedroom.
“I told Abby not to, but—she wouldn’t listen.” My sister sighed and rolled her eyes.
“Uh oh.” I looked down at Abby. “Did you do something bad?”
“No! I did something really good!” She held up the tablet in her hand. “Look! I signed you up for a dating site!”
“Um, what the—heck?” I choked back my profanity before it came rolling off the tip of my tongue.
“It’s a great place! One of the girls in my class said her Dad met someone there.” She nodded quickly. “It’s calledWhat the Heart Wants—see, this is your profile!”
“Abby…” I exhaled sharply. “Wait, if you wanted to set someone up, why didn’t you make a profile for your Mom?”
“I told her that she’d be living on the street if she tried to put my information on that stupid website.” My sister came walking down the hallway wearing her work uniform.
“Yeah.” Abby nodded. “But you need a date, right Uncle Cain? You haven’t had a girlfriend since you moved in with us!”
Thanks for reminding me…
“I’m not looking for a girlfriend.” I shook my head back and forth. “Don’t you need to finish getting ready for school?”
“Oh! Right!” Abby put the tablet down on the counter beside me and scurried to the bathroom.
“What the fuck…” I leaned over and looked at my profile, no longer stifling my profanity with my niece out of earshot. “How do I delete this shit?”
“I don’t know. I’ll make her do it when she gets home from school.” Bridget rolled her eyes. “She means well, but she doesn’t understand that things aren’t as easy as getting matched up with someone who checks a few boxes.”
“No shit.” I nodded and scrolled the screen with my finger. “If it was that easy, we’d both be happily married.”
“Abby, you’re going to miss the bus!” My sister leaned over the edge of the counter and yelled down the hallway.
“Coming, Mom!” Abby ran past us and grabbed her book bag on the way out the door.
“Have fun at work. I’m going to bed.” I rubbed my eyes and sighed.
“See you tonight.” She picked up her purse and followed Abby out the door.
I stared at the profile that Abby set up for a few more seconds before heading to my bedroom. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and walked closer. I was starting to look like my father more every day. I even had a little salt-and-pepper in my beard, just like he had when I was a boy. At thirty-five, I felt like I was already too old to get married, much less start a family. My sister was younger than I was, and she was about to be raising a teenager. Hell, it wouldn’t be long before one of us was teaching Abby how to drive. I had a few regrets, but who didn’t? Life wasn’t a fucking fairy tale where everything worked out in the end.
I’m sure I wouldn’t want to meet a woman desperate enough to use a website to find a date anyway…
