Page 64 of The Write Off

“Are you going to marry her?” he asks when we’re alone.

“Honestly? We haven’t been dating that long. The subject hasn’t even come up.”

He nods. “She seems pretty cool.”

“She is. I think you’ll really like her when you get to know her.” Travis and Rilla have more in common than either of them realize. On top of their love of superhero movies and Nintendo, they both have wicked senses of humor. I can only hope they won’t decide to join forces against me: I’ll be done for.

My nephew continues to pick at his lunch and I start to think the conversation is over.

“If she moves in, can we still come visit sometimes?”

I stare at the boy who made me an uncle. I remember when Eric placed him in my arms at the hospital, an eight pound bundle I didn’t even know how to hold properly. He wore such a serious expression, even as he slept.

“Here he is. Travis Logan Carmichael.”

My eyes fly to my brother who grins sheepishly back.

“You’re naming him Logan?” The name passed down in our family to first born sons is Walter. It’s Eric’s middle name, my father’s, his father, and so on.

“Dad’s already pissed at me for marrying Shannon, I figured I’d add insult to injury. Besides,” he clears his throat, focusing on his newborn son. “I’d rather he take after you than him. Or me, for that matter.”

I blink the decade old memory away.

“Travis, you and Anna will always have a home with me. You know that, right?”

His answer is a shrug. I place my hand on his arm and he finally looks up at me.

“You’re my family, Travis. Whatever happens, whether I move or get married and have kids, it’s not going to change how important you and your sister are to me. I promise.”

He nods up at me, looking so much like his dad it makes my chest ache.

“You’d be a good dad.”

“You think so?”

He nods again.

“I think you’d be a good big cousin.”

“Yeah?” He sits up a bit straighter.

“Absolutely. How will future offspring know how to make fun of my clothes without you around?”

He looks at what I’m wearing and smirks. “That’s a nice sweater, by the way. Did you find it on the side of the road?”

We’re still laughing when Rilla and Anna enter the kitchen with an important announcement.

“Anna and I have been talking and after careful deliberation, we’ve come to the conclusion that we should make pancakes for dinner.”

“Well,” I say, looking between all of their faces. “I had planned on making a stirfry.”

The kids make faces like I told them I was going to feed them human remains and Rilla bites back a smile.

“C’mon, Uncle Logan. We have to eat vegetables all week. It’s our day off.” Travis argues.

“I know when I’m outnumbered. Pancakes it is.”

They cheer and exchange high-fives.

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