Page 22 of Beautiful Small Things

Jem grew up and became involved with my father somewhere along the way.

“I honestly believe your dad saved my life,” he continues.

“How?” I question.

“By being Marcus Sinclair. He was sometimes the only bright spot in my life. He kept me laughing and he called me out on my bullshit. He allowed me to be who I was, but always pushed me to be better, in football and in life.”

“I can’t tell him this, you know? His head is already big enough.”

“Oh I know,” he chuckles.

We sit quietly for a moment before he adds, “Your dad was with me the day Nolan died. And everyday after. I lived with him for years. I was moody and closed off, and he always tried to bring me into the light. He literally took care of me in college until I made my way back to Colby. He made meals, made sure I was up every morning, took me to practices, and cracked jokes every chance he got.”

“That’s wonderful, Uncle Callan. This is the stuff I want to talk about. The stuff that only the people closest to him know.”

“He also did some crazy shit,” my uncle says. “Everyone loved to be around your dad. They still do. But back then, he was the life party. Actually, he was the party. The man could have fun at an insurance seminar. It drew people to him.”

“What was the craziest thing you remember him doing?” I ask.

“What didn’t he do? He was always up for fun. The riskier, the better. Parties, drinking, rowdy extracurricular activities. I remember one time he organized a 5K fun run for charity.”

“That doesn’t seem bad,” I reply.

“You had to run naked,” Uncle Callan replies.

“Wow. I’m actually at a loss for words. And a bit nauseous.”

“That’s your dad,” he smiles. “We raised over $8,000.”

“That’s a lot of swinging testicles,” I muse, much to the delight of my uncle.

He lets out a hearty laugh. “That it was, Iris.”

“So, do you know much about his relationship with James in the early days?”

He looks surprised. “I know some things. I mean, I was there, but James was living with you and Marcus as your nanny. So a lot of things that happened I wasn’t privy to. Why do you ask?”

“I’m just curious about that time in their lives.”

He shifts in his seat and meets my eyes. “You should ask them about it. All I know is things were complicated back then.”

I nod in acknowledgment. “On that note, I should get going. Can you tell Orion I said goodbye?”

“Of course, Sweetheart,” he says, as he gives me another hug. “I’ll see you soon.”

Dad finds me on the couch later that evening watching one of my favorite old movies, ‘The Proposal.’ Even though Ryan Reynolds is sixty--years-old and a grandpa, I can see the appeal he had when he was younger. His sardonic sense of humor speaks to my own. And Sandra Bullock remains a goddess.

Dad sits on the end of the couch by my feet and watches silently for a minute, laughing when Ms. Betty White dances to the windows and the walls.

“How’s it going, Sweetie?” He asks.

“Good. How was your day?”

“Awesome,” he answers enthusiastically. “Surfed this morning, ran five miles, made some money, and now I get to see my beautiful daughter.”

“Did you happen to run naked, you freak?”

He looks confused for a second and then a slow smile spreads across his face. “Hey, we made a lot of money with that fundraiser. And I got a lot of phone numbers.”