Page 84 of The One I Love
“Really?” Shane says as he signals to the red Solo cup.
Simon shrugs as he takes a sip. “Listen, after the events of the last day, I’ve officially cemented myself as the fun, drunk uncle of the group. Might as well live up to it.”
“Hey, I’m fun,” I say.
Amelia hugs my arm. “Of course you are.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re fun in other ways.” She sends me a wink before she walks to where Betsy is getting kids in line for the face painting.
“I’m fun,” I grumble.
Simon pats me on the back. “Sure you are, buddy. Sure you are.”
We take a seat and I observe the mass chaos that is at least fifty kids running throughWes’s yard.
“Do you want this?”
I look at him, a bit confused. “Want what?”
“This,” he nods out to the party. “Kids. The whole family thing.”
“I don’t know,” I say honestly. “At this point in my life, I kind of figured that ship sailed. Plus, I haven’t talked to Amelia, but I don’t know if she’s eager to have any more considering Luke is about to start his senior year.”
“You never know,” Simon says as he lounges back in the chair. Which is true. We haven’t had any of these talks yet. We’ve been too focused on navigating the now to really think about the future.
“What about you? Are you going to be the forever single man standing? Or are you ready to finally settle down?”
“Ha!” He laughs. “You’re hilarious.”
“Never say never, my friend.”
“Oh, I will. Never. Never getting married. Never having kids. I’m the fun uncle for these kids. I’m the fun uncle for my sister’s kids. It’s a role I play well. Plus, I have yet to meet a woman who holds my interest more than ten minutes, let alone for the rest of my life.”
“Oh man,” I say. “When you fall, it’s going to be so fucking hard.”
He gives me a challenging look. “Wanna bet?”
“Absolutely,” I say, holding out my hand. “Hundred bucks?”
“Deal.”
We shake hands as Amelia starts walking back toward us.
“Shane?”
“Yeah?”
“In all seriousness, I’m happy for you two. I didn’t see it coming, but I can see clear as day now that it’s in front of me. You two are good together. And I might give you two shit, but Iwant you to know it’s out of love. No one deserves this more than you.”
“Thanks, man,” I say as I slap him on the back.
“One warning though,” he says.
“What’s that?”
“If you make her cry, I’ll hit you harder than I hit that asshole ten years ago.”
