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“When did you start liking jewelry, Lex?”
“I’m getting close to my teenage years, Uncle Remy. It’s normal for girls my age to begin exploring fashion.”
Her teenage years. Fucking hell.
“Oh, so it’s not just jewelry, but fashion?” I feign a dramatic sigh. “This is becoming too much for your Uncle Rem. Soon you’re going to be telling me you have a boyfriend.”
“I do have a boyfriend.”
Brakes squeal to a stop inside my head. “What?”
“His name is Connor,” Lex updates like it’s no big thing. “He’s on my Mathletes team.”
But it is a big thing. A very big thing, in my opinion.
“And how long have you had this boyfriend?”
“We’ve only been going out for about a month, but that’s pretty long, considering the standard for any middle school relationship is roughly two weeks.”
“Going out? Where exactly do you go?”
“We don’t go anywhere.”
What?
“What does that even mean?” I question. “How are you ‘going out’ but you don’t go anywhere?”
Lexi rolls her eyes like I’m the biggest bore on the planet. “It’s just an expression kids use, Uncle Remy. It’s another way to say he’s my boyfriend and I’m his girlfriend.”
His girlfriend? Lexi is some kid’s girlfriend? Who is this little prick?
“And this Connor, is he a nice kid?”
Lexi shrugs. “He can compute complex physics equations in his head, Uncle Rem.”
“So, you just like him because he’s good at math?”
Okay. Okay. Maybe I can handle this…
“And he’s cute.”
Never fucking mind.
My niece thinks a boy is cute? Suddenly, my mind wants to start replaying the conversation I had with her at that Mavericks game back in October, when she was noticing the players’ asses.
“Does Wes know about this?”
“Yeah.”
“And he’s okay with it?”
“Yeah. My mom and Nick and Charlotte are too.”
I’m about ten seconds away from asking her a thousand questions. What’s Connor’s last name? How old is he? Where does this little asshole live?
But Izzy starts to get antsy in my lap, her little fists banging against the table, and I decide to save those questions for another time and just focus on not having a heart attack over the news of Lexi’s fucking boyfriend.
A boyfriend.
My little Lexi has a damn boyfriend. You couldn’t possibly also be freaking out because your preteen niece has managed to declare her intentions before you, could you?
I give Izzy her pacifier and adjust her in my lap so that she’s cradled close to my chest and try to finish up the rest of my eggs and bacon, shutting out stupid head-voices altogether.
I’m going to ignore a lot of things if I’m going to get through the rest of this meal without freaking out completely. I mean, I knew my little Lexi Lou would eventually start having boyfriends and shit, but I was thinking more like eighteen, twenty-one, thirty-five.
Not this damn soon. Not to a smart little science-y prick named Connor. I mean, Connor? That name just spells fucking trouble.
“Uncle Remy?”
“Yeah, Lex?”
Please don’t tell me you’re engaged. I’ll die right here, I swear.
“Is Maria your girlfriend?”
Fucking hell, so much for ignoring that internal voice, bro. Sounds like it’s external now.
“Uh…” I pause, completely unsure of what to answer—which, I’ll admit, doesn’t make me feel good.
I mean, what is Maria to me? The word girlfriend doesn’t even come close to showcasing what I feel for her. It’s a pathetic fucking word to describe the role she plays in my life, but declaring her as—
“I think you should marry her and make her your wife.” She chews. “That way, Maria will be my real Aunt Maria.”
And there it is. The consequences of my actions.
Just because I’ve been enjoying what Maria and I have been doing over the past few months without putting labels on it doesn’t mean I’m the only one affected by what’s growing between us.
There are two specific someones being affected, actually, and they’re sitting right at this table with me.
I need to start figuring my shit out and quick. Maria deserves more than a helpful guy with the ability to walk away anytime he wants. With everything she is and has been through? She’s earned a hell of a lot more.
Good thing you’re about to have five days alone with her to start figuring it out…
Remy
I’m shocked when my sister is the one who answers my mom’s front door.
“Mommy!” Lex exclaims and steps forward to wrap her arms around Winnie’s waist.
“Hi, sweetie!”
“What are you doing here, Win?”
“I missed my girl,” she explains, giving Lexi a quick but tight hug. “So, I figured I’d stop over here for a bit and spend some time with her before I have to go back to the stadium.”
“Where’s Mom?”
“She ran out to get some groceries. Left right after you texted her to tell her you and the girls were on your way. Should be back soon,” she continues to update as we step inside my mom’s duplex.
