Page 7 of Never Really Over

“What type of work is her husband looking for?”

“Don’t quote me on this, but I think he was a manager for that furniture manufacturer. They had to lay off a shit-ton of workers, by the sounds of it. From what Aria has said, he’s willing to do about anything.”

“I should get in touch with her. I’ll ask around, too, to see about jobs for him.”

“You should.” I agree. “Might take a little of the burden off you and Mason and give both of you more time for…” I swallow down the bile that’s in my throat from talking about my sister’s sex life… “everything else.” Without pausing for her to keep the conversation centered on sex, I continue. “Now that we’ve got that figured out, go home, grab what you need for Poppy to stay here tonight, and you let Mason know it’s just the two of you tonight. I don’t need details beyond that.”

“I feel bad.”

“Why?”

“Because you have better things to do than babysit on a Friday night.”

“Like what? Tootsie Pop’s my favorite girl. I can’t think of a better way to spend the night. We’ll play, watch a movie and eat some dinner, we’ll probably both poop and be in bed early. Perfect evening,” I tell her, grinning. I’m not lying, either. I might be single, and, at thirty-four years old, the only one of my friends who is, but that doesn’t mean I’m all about going out on the weekends. “I love hanging out with my best girl any day of the week. Including weekends,” I remind my sister.

She not-so-delicately snorts. “She’s got you wrapped around her little tiny finger.”

“Little tinyadorablefinger,” I correct her.

“Point proven,” she says, laughing.

“Now. Go get me some of that breast milk you have in your freezer. I have plenty of her clothes and diapers and wipes here.”

“You’re such a good uncle.”

“I know,” I say, giving her a cheesy smile.

“And humble.”

“Right,” I agree, still cheesing.

“Totally random, but have you talked to Mom or Dad lately?”

I shake my head. “Not for about a week. They were heading out on vacation to the Bahamas for a couple weeks and said not to call them unless it was an emergency. They’re so concerned about us,” I joke.

“What a rough life, huh?”

“They’re living their early retirement to the fullest for sure.”

“You doing okay with that yet?”

I shrug a shoulder. “Sure. He’s happier there and so is Mom, you know? I just hate that they miss so much here,” I mention, tossing a nod in the direction of Poppy.

“Not sure they feel the same,” she murmurs, hurt lacing in her tone. I hate that for her more than I can explain but it’s not my place. Besides, it's not as if it's a surprise to either of us that they're not interested in our lives. Even growing up, they didn't pay us much attention. It's why my sister and I worked so hard in school and any extracurricular activities. For me, it was to prove to them that even without their love and support, I could accomplish anything I wanted to. For Nat, though, it was to hopefully gain their approval. She's been trying to get their attention all her life and it's never worked.

Our parents aren't bad people. Not by any stretch of the imagination. However, parenting is not their strong suit. They loved us, but wanted to be our friends. Attending anything we were involved in was just simply not something they enjoyed doing. When they did attend, it was all about them so we honestly preferred them to stay away.

Instead of focusing on my parents, I decided I can be the best damn uncle possible to make up for it. And I am. My Tootsie Pop loves me and I love her, and I’d do anything in the world for her.

Natalie quickly stands up and because I know her well, I know it’s so that she doesn’t let her emotions show. I know she’s upset about my parents’ lack of involvement with their grandchild. It’s not that she isn’t happy for them to live in the place they wanted to retire, it's that she's sad for her baby. Mason's parents are great, from what I understand, but they live in Arizona. Not exactly close enough for them to have a close relationship with their grandchild. As for my parents, though? Basically, they can’t be bothered with baby updates. Dad all but told her until Poppy was doing something remarkable, then he didn’t need to watch her drool and babble on FaceTime.

“Go on home and get Poppy’s stuff. Maybe when you get back she’ll be awake so you can see her before you go back home.”

“You’re the best big brother there ever was,” Natalie says, giving me a hug on her tiptoes.

“I know,” I say, earning a little snort from my sister.

Chapter Two

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