4. Harle
HARLE
I pulled my truck up in front of my sister’s house in Raleigh and hopped out, stretching to work out the kinks from the long drive. The house looked great, as always, with its clean lines and warm, wood tones. It sat in the middle of rolling lawns and well-tended flower beds. I loved this for her.
The sound of the front door opening had me turning around, to see her leaning against the door jamb. Her dark blond hair was piled high on her head and her blue eyes were dancing. “Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in.”
“Hey, Ugly.”
She rolled her eyes, but I caught the smile tugging at her lips. “Get your butt up here and give me a hug.”
I bounded up the steps, sweeping her into a bear hug that lifted her clean off her feet. Sarah laughed, swatting at my shoulder.
“Put me down, you caveman!”
I set her down gently, chuckling. “What? Can’t a guy be happy to see his favorite sister?”
“I’m your only sister, but I’m happy to see you, too.”
I grinned as Sarah leaned back, her eyes scanning my face. That look was all too familiar – the big sister checkup.
“You good?” Her tone was casual but her gaze sharp.
I planted a quick kiss on her forehead. “You don’t have to do that anymore. I’m great.”
Before Sarah could launch into her usual follow-up questions, high-pitched squeals erupted from inside the house. I caught a glimpse of two small blurs racing down the hallway, their voices rising in excitement.
“Uncle Harle’s here! Uncle Harle’s here!”
My niece and nephew burst onto the porch, all flailing limbs and gap-toothed grins. I crouched down, bracing myself for impact as they launched themselves at me.
“Whoa there, munchkins!” I laughed, wrapping an arm around each of them. “You’re getting too big for this. You’ll knock me over one of these days.”
Lily, her blonde pigtails bouncing, beamed up at me. “Did you bring us presents?”
“Lily!” Sarah chided, but I waved her off.
“Now, what kind of uncle would I be if I didn’t come with presents?” I winked at the kids. “But first, I need to know what you’ve been up to. Any dragons slain lately?”
Jake puffed out his chest. “I fought off a whole army of them yesterday!”
“In the backyard,” Sarah added dryly.
I ruffled Jake’s hair. “Sounds amazing! You’ll have to give me all the details.”
I followed Sarah and the kids into the house and as we made our way through the living room, a piercing wail cut through the air.
Sarah tensed. “Shoot, that’s Gracie. I thought she’d sleep longer.” She turned to me, apologetic. “Make yourself at home in the kitchen. I’ll be right back.”
“No problem.” The kids followed me into the kitchen, where I turned on the coffee machine. “Alright, Jake. Tell me all about this dragon fight.”
That was enough to set him off and once he was done, Lily launched into her own story about a game she played at daycare. I loved every minute of it. Until Sarah reappeared, a red-faced bundle squirming in her arms.
She looked pretty stressed, so I said, “How about you kids go play in your rooms for a bit, while Mom and I talk?”
“Okay! Then can we get the presents?”
“Sure thing, buddy.” They were both gone on the promise.
“Sorry about this,” Sarah bounced Gracie gently. “She’s teething and nothing seems to help.”
I waved off her apology. “No worries. Can I do anything?”
Sarah’s eyes darted to the clock on the wall, then to the untouched dinner ingredients on the counter. “I was planning to start dinner, but...” She trailed off, frustration creeping into her voice as Gracie let out another wail.
I held out my arms. “Here. Let me take her for a bit. You get started on dinner.”
Sarah hesitated for only a moment, before carefully transferring Gracie to me. The baby’s cries softened slightly as I cradled her against my chest, her tiny fist gripping my shirt.
“You sure?” Sarah asked, already moving toward the kitchen counter.
I nodded, gently swaying with Gracie. “We’ll be fine. Uncle Harle’s got this, right sweetheart?”
I settled into a gentle rhythm, swaying back and forth with Gracie nestled against my chest. Her cries softened to whimpers, then quieted altogether as I hummed a low, soothing tune.
Sarah bustled around the kitchen, chopping vegetables and seasoning chicken. The familiar domestic sounds filled the air, punctuated by the occasional giggle or shout from the kids’ rooms down the hall.
Glancing over her shoulder, Sarah gave me a soft smile. “You’re good with her. Ever think about having one of your own?”
I chuckled softly, careful not to disturb Gracie. “You fishing for information, sis?”
Sarah shrugged. “Can’t blame a girl for being curious. You’re not getting any younger, you know.”
“Ouch. I’m thirty-five. I’ll have you know I’m in my prime.”
“Uh-huh,” Sarah’s tone was skeptical but fond. “And how’s that working out for you?”
I opened my mouth to fire back a witty retort, but the words died unsaid. How was it working out for me? The easy answer, the one I’d given a hundred times before, hovered on the tip of my tongue. But something held me back.
Maybe it was the warmth of Gracie sleeping on my chest, or the comforting sounds of family life surrounding me. Whatever it was, I found myself considering Sarah’s question more seriously than I had in years.
“I don’t know,” I admitted quietly, surprising myself with the honesty. “I guess I haven’t really thought about it.”
Sarah turned from the stove, her expression softening as she took in the sight of me holding Gracie. “Maybe it’s time you did. After everything you did for us, Harle, you deserve to be happy.”
“It was only money, Sarah. And I got some super cute niblings out of it, so it seems like a fair trade.”
“Don’t play coy. You know I don’t just mean the IVF. I mean this house, the kids’ school, all of it.”
I shrugged, regretting the movement when Gracie stirred. “Sorry, sweetheart,” I murmured into her hair, rocking back and forth until she settled again. “Like I said. It’s only money.”
My phone vibrated and I carefully shifted Gracie to one arm, reaching into my back pocket for it. The screen lit up with a new message notification. I swiped it open, my eyes scanning the brief text from Cassidy.
Cassidy : It didn’t take .
My heart sank. There was a world of pain in those simple words. Now how to handle it was the big question. I barely knew the woman. What did she want from me? One look at Sarah, humming to herself as she sliced the chicken, and I knew exactly what to say.
Me : I’m sorry for that, darlin’. How are you?
Cassidy: I’m okay. These things don’t always work on the first try. Thank you for asking.
Me: That’s no problem. You let me know if you want me to come by again.
Three dots appeared, disappeared and appeared again. She was overthinking it.
Me: Maybe second time’s a charm. It’s no hassle for me.
Cassidy : If you’re sure.
Me : I’m sure.
Cassidy : Alright, thank you. I’ll let you know when it’s the right time.
Me : You do that.
I gave her a few moments to reply and when she didn’t, I slipped my phone back into my pocket. I glanced up at Sarah, who was watching me with a raised eyebrow.
“Everything okay?” Her voice was laced with sisterly concern.
I hesitated, unsure how much to share. Cassidy and I hadn’t discussed telling others about our arrangement. But this was Sarah, and keeping things from her had never been my strong suit. Still, it really wasn’t my business, so even though it cut me, I said, “Yeah, everything’s fine. I’ve just got something going on.”
“Do I need to be concerned?”
“No, you don’t. I’m just helping a, uh, a friend who’s going through a hard time.”
That made her smile. “Of course you are.”