The weather was nice as I drove up to New England. It had been a while since I had seen my stepsister and I had not seen her son since he was a toddler. Heck, I had never even seen her daughter, so this was to be a wonderful trip. My stepsister and I never really grew up together though we did spend a couple of years together after my father remarried. We did become fairly close and shared some time in our late teenage years. I dated a close friend of hers and we seemed to share a bond more like real siblings than stepsiblings. She had recently divorced, and she could really use the support of a close relative or companion. She had moved up north because of her husband's family, but now that she was single again there was really no reason for the stay except keeping her kids in the same school. She worked full time and it was hard on her. She missed her old friends and family. I knew she was looking forward to this visit more than her words let on.
I arrived at the house and was greeted with open arms.
"Uncle Alan! Uncle Alan!" Ben came outside running. His sister Lynn was not far behind.
"How are you? I am so glad you made it up here." My sister Mary said.
"You know I had to see the kids." I added, "They look wonderful."
"They heard so much about you, but they never really got the chance to get to know you." She said.
"That will all change. I have two weeks up here and I intend on spending as much time with them as I can." I said.
"Great. They will love that."
I settled in and was shown my room. My sister did not have a large apartment. She did not have a lot after the break-up with her husband. She got by though. She worked full time and spent as much time as she could with the kids. I admired her tenacity. I wondered if I could do the same in her situation.
I was given the kid's room because I was a guest. The kid's were forced to sleep on the living room floor. They really did not seem to mind. They seemed so glad to see me I felt ashamed of what I had back home. It felt good to share this time with them. My time meant so much to them and cost me so little.
"Uncle Alan, can we go to the mall tomorrow?" Lynn asked.
"Why of course we can." I said this without my sister's approval but I can't imagine her objecting.
That night we had a wonderful home-cooked dinner of spaghetti and meatballs and sat in the living room and watched a movie. The feeling of warmth and family was something I was not used to as a recently divorced man. I savored every moment. They enjoyed it as well. It was truly a win-win situation.
"The kids are so happy you are here." My sister told me.
"I am so happy to be here." I added, "You have no idea. Really."
It was true. I was enjoying every minute.
"I want to take them toy shopping tomorrow. It is the least I can do for my niece and nephew." I said.
"You don't have to." My sister protested.
"I know I don't have to. I don't have to do anything. I want to. You know me by now." I stated.
"OK. They are all yours tomorrow."
"Thanks." I said.
I slept well that night. The Massachusetts air did me good. Morning arrived and the kids had no qualms about waking me. They knew this was their day and they wanted to spend it with their Uncle Alan. I did my best to oblige.
"Hey kids, who wants to go to the toy store?" I asked.
"I do! I do!" Their joy was boundless. It was contagious as well.
After a good breakfast of bacon and eggs, I wished my sister well and I herded the kids into my car. It felt good. I had never had kids of my own as my ex-wife was infertile. So, I enjoyed every moment I got to spend with my nieces and nephews. We headed up the main highway to the local toy store. It was a chain store in a local strip mall. Judging by the kid's reaction, it could have been Disneyland.
I parked the car and we headed inside. It was relatively empty, as it was still morning. I let the kids loose after arranging a meeting spot. It was a big store but not big enough that they were out of sight for long. I went over to the food counter and got myself a coffee and donut. With my energy source in hand, I proceeded to wander around the store wondering what I could possibly find in a toy store that would interest a 48 year old man. As I walked back towards the front of the store I heard a voice.
"Your kids are cute." A female voice said.
I turned around to see a rather attractive female sitting at a small desk behind a pile of books. She was a shapely brunette with big hair. I could not help but notice her big hair, sort of 80's style, but striking. She was probably about my age, maybe a bit younger and very sharply dressed. She had a poise and grace about her that commanded respect and her immaculate make-up and nails showed she was a woman who left no detail unattended. Her wild hair and intense brown eyes hinted at a wild side, though, and I was immediately taken under her spell.
"They are not my kids actually." Was my opening line, "They belong to my sister."
"Oh, they are still cute." She said.
I felt like telling her she is cute too, but I needed to do better than that. This girl was way too hot.
"I'm up here visiting and I have them for the morning, and you?"
"I'm here for a book signing. I write children's books." She said, "I'm here signing my latest about a kid who takes skating lessons."
Oh My God. A children's book author. Wow. A girl with looks to kill that also likes kids. My mind went blank for a moment as my blood flowed south.
"Must get a little boring this time of day." That was the best I could do. Jeez, I thought.
"Oh, you get used to it." She said, "How long are you in town?"
Oh, did she just ask what I thought she did? My mind started racing. I felt like handing the kids off to the first person I saw, but I knew better.
"I'm up here for two weeks. Staying at my sister's."
"I'm just here for three days." She added,
"Hey, would you like to have dinner tonight?" Somehow the words just came out of my mouth.
"I would like that very much."
"By the way, what is your name?" I asked.
"Terry." She answered.
"I'm Alan."
I was numb for a moment. A hot looking girl impeccably dressed who writes children's books. My mind was racing. I had to assume any girl who wrote children's books had a certain child-like innocence about her. She probably didn't take life too seriously. I would have to assume she had a sense of humor. That big hair and make-up told me she had a wild side just waiting to be unleashed. Was I the man who could unleash it? I had to find out. We exchanged numbers and we set a tentative time. I told her I would get back to her later after I got a recommendation for a good restaurant from my sister. Neither one of us was familiar with the area and we agreed this was the best idea.
When I got back to my sister's later with the kids my sister was a bit disappointed I would not be home for dinner. She understood though, and wished me luck. Her and I always had an understanding for each other and she was glad for me. She recommended a nice cozy Italian restaurant in the area. I called Terry and she thought it sounded good. I was elated.