Page 19 of Hold You Close
They get to their feet, both grumbling under their breath, and I stand tall as they leave the room.
There. I did it. I parented or adulted or some shit. Look at me being all grown up and whatnot. My eyes dart out to the back, to where London would be.
Take that! I can do this without your damn help! I mentally yell at her, like the mature adult I am while pointing my finger and puffing out my chest.
“Uncle Ian,” Morgan says as I’m posturing at the window, thankful that London definitely can’t see in.
I spin around. “What’s up? I thought you went upstairs.”
“What are you doing?” she asks, trying to hold back her laugh.
“I’m . . . looking out the window.”
“Right. Is Aunt London out on the deck?”
“I don’t know.”
She peers around me. “Can’t you see?”
I glare at who was once my favorite niece. “I wasn’t looking for her.”
“Uh huh.” Morgan snorts. “Do you like her or something?”
What is with the twenty questions? I cross my arms over my chest. “Do you like rabid animals?”
She tilts her head. “Umm, no. Does anyone?”
“Then there’s your answer. I like to think of her as a raccoon you need to stay ten feet away from because she’ll bite you in the ass.”
“Whatever,” Morgan says as she rolls her eyes. “Look, Ruby won’t come out of her room.”
“Still?” I ask.
Of all the people in the world the kid will talk to, why does it have to be London?
“I’ll go try,” I say. I was just the big man of the house a few minutes ago, and I’m going to do it again. I own today, and these kids need to see who is boss.
This guy.
I march upstairs to the guest room where I put Ruby.
“Ruby.” I call her name. When she doesn’t come to the door, I open it. She sits up on the bed, and her big blue eyes meet mine. “Do you want to eat?” I ask.
She shakes her head.
“Are you thirsty?” I go for another question.
Again with the head shake.
“Do you want to watch a movie?” I ask, praying it’s anything but that damn purple dinosaur. I swear, Morgan made me sit through hours of that when she was a kid, and I never wished for a meteor to hit Earth more than I did at that time. I would’ve done anything to put myself out of my misery, but she cried the second the DVD ended, until I started it again.
Ruby nods.
At least we’re getting somewhere now.
“Okay, well, you have to tell me what you want to watch.”
I decide this time I’m not giving her a yes or no question. Maybe I can get her to talk by not giving an option.
