As we were finishing up, Sophia made her way into the Apple House and greeted us all with a smile.
“Hey, bud,” she called to George. “We have that video call with your grandma and grandpa this afternoon. I came to get you.”
“Oh,” the boy said, shoulders sagging as he stared down at the table.
Ian and Sophia shared a look, and I wondered what that was about. All Ian had said about his parents was that they’d been unable to care for George. It was good that they still wanted to be part of his life. Right?
Eventually, Ian managed a smile and said, “That’s great, Georgie. You can tell them all about helping Miss Joan on the farm. I bet they’d love to hear about your mowing adventure yesterday. I know Darren really liked it when you told him last night.”
That made me smother a grin. I could just imagine Ian’s quiet, stoic bodyguard nodding along to the kid’s highly embellished story about cutting grass.
“Yeah, I guess,” George reluctantly admitted.
“And if it’s okay with your uncle and Sophia, you can come back over after your phone call,” I offered.
“Can I?” George’s hopeful little voice did something funny to my chest.
I’d never been particularly maternal. And I’d never really had someone so happy to spend time with me before.
“Sure,” Ian said, gifting me a grateful smile.
George packed away his trash. “Bye, Joan. See you in a little while.”
“Bye, George.”
My eyes cut to Ian, who hadn’t received a farewell. He was watching his nephew take Sophia’s hand and walk outside. The smile on Ian’s face fell away, and my heart ached watching the exchange. I wasn’t sure whyGeorge kept his uncle at a distance, but it hurt to see the disappointment on Ian’s face.
When they reached the stairs leading out into the yard, Sophia leaned down and whispered something in George’s ear. After a second, the little boy turned and waved, calling, “Bye, Uncle Ian.”
The man across from me lit up like a Christmas tree. You would have never known that just a moment ago, he’d been crushed by George’s indifference. “Bye, Georgie. I’ll see you tonight.”
And then they were gone.
Ian stared after them for a long time.
Eventually, he noticed my attention and cleared his throat. “We’re still, uh, getting to know each other.”
“It’s none of my business.” Didn’t mean I wasn’t curious, though.
Ian’s gaze shifted to the remnants of our lunch, scattered on the table. He picked up a baby carrot but didn’t take a bite. “I’d only seen George twice before he came to live with me. My sister and I weren’t close.”
I nodded, understanding how that could happen. Candace and I grew apart when she lived in New York. “And George’s father?”
Ian shook his head. “Dawn was a single parent by choice. There was never a father in the picture.”
“I see.”
“My parents try to check in every couple of months. I emailed them a few weeks ago. I guess they set up the call with Soph.”
Ian was working really hard to make all of that sound normal. But it was what he didn’t say that came through the loudest. How Ian was the one working to make sure George had more family in his life.
Ian glanced at me briefly before studying the baby carrot he was still turning over in his hands. “It probably sounds strange to someone like you. You work with your siblings and parents. You’re very much in each other’s lives.”
“All families look different. There’s no right way to build one. Sometimes you do what you can with what you’re given. And other times, you go out and build your own. It’s as simple as that.”
Blue eyes rose to meet mine. Ian studied me silently, perhaps weighing the truth of my statement. He should know by now that I wouldn’t bullshit him about something important.
“You obviously care about George,” I added. “He’ll realize that. He’s a smart kid. He’ll come around.”
