[ - ]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Chapter or Story Microsoft Word Chapter or Story
- Text Size +
Chapter 4 - Lance

I’d just finished the last of the dishes when I heard a car pull up on the gravel outside. I looked through the window and saw Harry climbing out; I waited for a second, and sure enough he went around to the other side.

Yep, babysitting duty again.

I didn’t mind, really. I mean, the kid was cute, and she was still in the catch-able stage… she could walk, but not quite run. My two nephews were getting too old to be much more than a pain and I had to admit I enjoyed taking care of Julia. She never talked back or argued, or made any kind of impossible demands. I could tell her my secrets and they’d be safe; she was the only one I could talk about my problems to who wouldn’t laugh or ignore me, either. But that wasn’t the real reason I felt special about this kid.

She’d lost her mom; it was a tough spot to be in. Although she was a newborn when it happened, I think she knew it already. She was as much of an orphan as I was, even though her old man was still alive. I know it was hard on Harry and Brian, too… any way I could help out, I’d do it.

Harry often left the rugrat with me… it was a win-win situation. He could leave her in safe hands, and I had the best excuse in the world to just be goofy and have fun. When your day was filled with stuffed toys and blocks and singing purple dinosaurs, you didn’t have much time to think about the hard stuff.

“La la la!” Julia squealed the minute I came out the door. I couldn’t help but smile… the kid was smart, she knew who her Uncle Lance was.

“Hey, Elf,” I said, reaching out for her. Her little chubby arms stretched as she wiggled in Harry’s arms. I took her and blew a big raspberry on her neck, causing another squeal of delight and a set of giggles.

Harry laughed. It was good to see him smile; it wasn’t happening that much these days.

“She told me that she missed her favorite Uncle,” he said, looking slightly hesitant.

“Did she?” I said as Julia bopped me on the nose with her tiny hand. “Well, that’s amazing, because I was missing my favorite Elf!” I caught Harry’s gaze. “I’m glad you brought her, Harry.”

He seemed to consider just how sincere I was for a few seconds before a look of relief crossed his face. “You sure?”

“Of course,” I said, pretending to nibble on her fingers, which seemed to want to pull the teeth out of my mouth for some reason. Man, she was charged up today!

“You got plans, um, tonight?” he asked me oddly.

“Not really, why?”

“Well, I’m gonna ask Mr. Thompson if I can do some overtime for the next couple of weeks,” he said kind of uncomfortably. “Money’s kinda tight.”

Harry was a proud man; he hated to let on that things were really rough. But I understood; we’d been friends for a long time. He wouldn’t accept a handout… not that I had much to offer… but he wasn’t so stubborn that he refused help now and again on other things.

“Where’s Brian?” I asked.

“He’s staying with Kevin for about a week and a half. He needed the break,” he answered.

In that moment, Harry looked way older than nineteen.

“Um,” I said, thinking fast, “I have an idea. If Bri’s gone, then his room’s free, right?”

“Yeah…”

“Well, how do you feel about a temporary roommate? That way I could keep an eye on the Elf and you wouldn’t have to worry about hauling her over here. And, you could work all the overtime you wanted.”

“I couldn’t ask you to-“

I lowered my voice and said, “Listen, I need out of this place for a bit, okay? This would be a perfect excuse. I love my sister, and Robert’s an okay guy, but… we need a little time away from each other. I can’t study with the kids running around at all hours, either. You’d be doing me a huge favor, Har. Please.”

From the way his expression changed, I knew I’d played it just right.

“I suppose that would work out, yeah,” he said. “When I get off work tonight, I can come around to pick up both of you.”

“Or you could let me have your key, and I could go on over later. Then you can start your overtime right away if you want.”

I’d have to take the bus, of course, but I didn’t mind. The thanks in Harry’s eyes was well worth the trouble.

“Lance, man, you’re the best,” he said, grinning.

“See?” I said to Julia, who was tugging at my hair. “Even your brother knows it, Jujubee. I’m the best!”

She answered me by drooling on my shoulder.

A few minutes later we waved goodbye to Harry. I carried Julia inside, then started thinking what I needed to pack. At least I hadn’t lied about needing a break from Stacy and company… although I’d never let the guys know it, things weren’t always so smooth inside these walls. I suspected that was a common story among the rest of the Garrisons. We never talked about it, we just… understood.