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My stomach twists as my heart drops. No child should feel like a burden. “Hey.” I look into her eyes. “She chose you. She wanted you to be part of her life.”
“Yet here I am most evenings without a mother.” She has a point.
“Are you trying to say you feel unwanted?” I’m not one to get emotional, but a lump forms in my throat.
“I don’t know how I feel, Uncle Ian.” She shrugs, and I appreciate how she’s able to talk about her feelings instead of bottling them up and shutting down. “I know I want to avoid relationship drama. I’ll stay single for life.” She glances in her cup and giggles.
“There are good guys out there, Soph.”
“You seem like a good guy. Where’s your woman?” She mimics my trademark half smirk. “I had a sleepover at Allison’s last weekend. Her aunt wanted you to call her. She said you gave her a very memorable few weeks last year.”
Dear God.
That relationship was short-lived when the woman tried to put a dog collar on me and have me bark when I came. I’m all for kinks, but that was too far. I clear my throat. “That ended because I wanted it to. I was the good guy.”
“Whatever. See? She wanted more time with you, and you left. So why keep opening up when people change their minds?”
“One day, you’ll meet someone who alters your world.” Just like Emery took over mine. “You least expect them to make such an impact and you’d do anything to make it work.” But I had to let her go, and now it’s too late. She’s taken.
“Riiight.” She rolls her eyes. “And what if they don’t want you back?”
“If it’s real, you’ll know deep down how they feel.”
“Won’t hold my breath for that.” Sophie sighs, opening the fridge to grab the ingredients, and we begin making our dinner.
A knock rattles my door as I’m finally molded into the couch, and Sophie is well fed and starting her homework. Today has been an exhausting whirlwind of work, emotions, and entertaining my niece. With the unexpected cliché arrival of ‘right girl, wrong time, one who got away shit,’ I can pinpoint the visitor. Peeling my ass off the leather sofa and sighing, I open the door. “I knew it wouldn’t take long for you to show up.”
“I brought beer.” My lifelong friend Justin enters my cabin and sits in his usual chair. “We have some talking to do.” His eyes swing to the table. “Hey, Sophie.”
“Why don’t we go talk outside so Sophie can focus?” And not hear the conversation I imagine is about to happen.
“Hi, Sophie.” Rhett enters the cabin with a bag of chips and a chocolate bar. “I picked this up for you just in case you were here.” He hands her the chocolate as her cheeks heat. That man can make anyone blush.
Heading out back, we sit around the fire. It’s warm out, but the fire helps keep the mosquitoes away. Cracking open a beer doesn’t relax me the way it should.
“I heard all the details about your interaction with Emery today,” Justin hints, hiding his smirk with a sip of beer.
“Of course, Hallie went home and gossiped to you.” I relax back in my chair and sigh, wondering what she observed that I didn’t. “Why wouldn’t she give me a heads up that Emery was back in town?”
“She probably figured you’d piece that together.” He laughs. “Hallie wasn’t expecting the hostile tone from Emery toward you, though. I told her you two getting together this month isn’t likely.”
“I wouldn’t hit on her.” I’ve only ever put her first and my feelings second. “The girls were just there for her engagement party. I imagined Emery being softer and more endearing if she’s in love and ready to plan a fucking wedding.” I need to let out frustration and stand, throwing a bigger log on the fire. “I expected her to fill me in on how happy she’s been.” Justin quirks his head to the side in confusion before blinking and taking a long sip of beer. “What the fuck was that look for?”
“Nothing.” His tone holds hints of secrecy.
“Dude, come on. What did Hallie gag ball you about?”
“Nothing, actually.” He chuckles, continuing to assess me. “Are you going to question Emery about what she’s been up to?”
“I’d love to know her reason for leaving, but I won’t pry.” I have suspicions about what made her run, and it would be nice to know before she leaves again. “I now have my niece to look out for and work is crazy.” I glance through the kitchen window as Sophie continues to do her homework like the amazing child she is. “I’d like to know why time away from this town hasn’t brought Emery more joy, but it’s also not at the top of my list when she barely wants to look at me.”
“She could be avoiding the pain and it’s added up.” Rhett points his beer bottle my way. “Look at Sophie. She faces the hurt and talks about it. She heals through channeling the happy memories.”
“Emery doesn’t really have happy memories to get her through the sad ones,” I think out loud and stare at the flames. “Her parents shut her out as soon as she could legally stay home alone.” My grip tightens around my bottle, frustrated at how some parents prioritize.
“I know Hallie has been worried about Emery’s actions lately, and from what I’ve heard, Emery has me on edge too.” Justin drops this ball without any fucking context.
“You gonna elaborate, man?” I lean forward, waiting for more. “Emery has always been the cautious type. I admired that about her.”
