Chapter 3 #2
As soon as she’s out of sight, I exhale, grab my shoes and keys, and rush out the door.
I don’t know where I’m headed until I’m on the road.
All four of my best friends live in the same neighborhood.
They’ve been on me forever to buy a house near them, but I don’t need all that space for just me.
Instead, I visit often. I drive by Knox and Corie’s place first, and Knox is unloading groceries from the back of Corie’s SUV, so I pull in and rush to help him.
“Perfect timing,” he says, smiling.
“You look like—good,” I say, making him laugh.
“I’m fucking exhausted. We both are. But he’s worth it.” He grins. “What are you doing?”
“Nothing. Just getting out of the house.”
“Well, thanks for this,” he says, as I grab two boxes of diapers and carry them into the house.
“Look who I found,” Knox says, as we enter the house.
“Hey, Foster.” Corie smiles as she lifts Alexander to her shoulder to burp him.
“Hey, momma bear. How’s he doing?”
“He’s perfect. He has his nights and days mixed up, but he’s perfect.” She smiles. Alexander burps, and she stands to place him in his bassinet.
“Why don’t the two of you go take a nap? I’ll sit down here with him.” I nod toward the bassinet. We’ve all taken turns watching Camden, Baker’s son. I’m not saying I’m a kid whisperer or anything, but I can keep him alive and wake them if I need them.
Corie’s tired eyes light up. “Really?”
Knox chuckles. “We appreciate it, man. Corie girl, go on up. I’m going to put these groceries away, and then I’ll join you.”
Corie comes to stand next to me and lifts onto her tiptoes to kiss my cheek. “Uncle Foster for the win,” she says, covering her yawn with her hand.
“I’m happy to help. I’ve got nothing going on today. I’ve already got a workout in, and Eden is at my place cleaning.”
“Eden?” Corie raises her brow. “Do I know Eden?”
I laugh. “No, she’s new. She replaced the last cleaning lady, who had been with me for years. Her husband’s job got transferred, so Tiffany had to quit.”
“Did I know her name was Tiffany?” Corie asks. “Am I that sleep-deprived? Is this what motherhood has done to me?” She laughs.
“Honestly, I don’t know if you ever knew her name.”
“You’ve never mentioned her,” Knox chimes in as he smirks. “So, Eden, huh?”
“That’s her name, yes.”
“Is she pretty?” Corie asks.
“Yeah, Foster, is she pretty?” Knox echoes.
Fucking smoke show. “Yeah, she’s pretty,” I say instead.
“Oh.” Corie’s face lights up even through the exhaustion.
“Aren’t you supposed to be napping?” I tease.
“Foster Vaughn,” she says, exasperated. “You never,” she draws out the word, “talk about a woman. I’ve never seen you date. This is worth sleep deprivation.”
“She’s my cleaning lady, Core. Nothing more, nothing less.” It’s the truth, but still, something that feels an awful lot like guilt washes over me for saying it.
“Can we meet her?” Corie asks.
“All right, Corie girl.” Knox laughs. “Nap.” He points to the stairs.
“I’ll be right up.” He bends to kiss her, before she winks at me and heads upstairs.
“I know you’re private, Foster, and we don’t push you on that.
But something happened just now. There was something about the look in your eyes, a look I’ve never seen from you before.
” He pauses, probably waiting for me to say something, but I don’t, so he keeps going.
“I’m not going to ask you what it was. I respect your privacy, but I will say this.
When you’re ready, you have our entire family behind you, waiting to help, offer advice, or listen. ”
I open my mouth to tell him it’s nothing, but it’s not nothing. My speech to Eden runs through my mind, so instead, I say, “Thanks, brother.”
Knox nods, leaving it at that, and I help him put away the groceries before he rushes upstairs to nap with his wife.
In the living room, I peek into the bassinet, and Alexander is sleeping peacefully.
Not able to resist, I pull out my phone and snap a picture.
He stirs a little, and what kind of uncle would I be if I didn’t spoil him?
Gently, I lift him from his bassinet, grab a soft blue blanket, and sit on the couch.
I rest Alexander against my shoulder, cover him with the blanket, and place my hand on his back to secure him.
His breath shudders, as does his little body, before he relaxes into me.
My heart swells for this little guy, just as it does with Coral and Camden.
My nieces and nephews are everything. I’ve always wanted kids.
I wanted to create a family of my own, since I didn’t have one.
In a way, I guess I’ve done that. I’ve surrounded myself with people who made me an uncle out of love, not blood, and my four best friends, my brothers by choice, gave me four incredible sisters.
I don’t know what life has in store for me, but I’m pretty sure the fun uncle is as close as I’ll ever get to being a dad, and I’ve accepted that.
Knox, Landry, Reid, and Baker have shown me that people do stay.
Sure, any one of us could get traded tomorrow, but I honestly feel in my soul we’d all still be as close as we are now.
Outside of Coach Pruitt and his wife, Hope, they’re the first to choose me.
To stay for me, so Uncle Foster is a title I’ll wear with pride, and I have no doubt our family will be growing over the next few years.
Envy slices through me, but I push it back.
Life has taught me to be grateful for what I have, and this little man sleeping in my arms is just another reminder of that.
I know that, but there is still a part of me that’s mourning the life I’d planned, the one I thought I was seconds away from having, but blew up in my face.
Being Uncle Foster hurts a hell of a lot less than putting my heart on the line for a woman to stomp all over it. Zero out of ten: Do not recommend.