Being born in Florida and having never lived anywhere else before the move to Pennsylvania, snow had been a delightful oddity his first winter there.
His first ice storm—not so much. Especially trying to drive on the shit.
He’d quickly gotten over his enchantment regarding winter weather the first year there, and had been plotting how to save enough money to move back to Florida when their parents were killed.
Lois couldn’t change schools, and their parents’ insurance basically paid for what was left of her tuition, so he couldn’t ask her to uproot herself and he didn’t want to leave her there alone.
Not when she was the only family he’d had left, and he’d worried about her. Even in high school she’d had a shitty dude picker. He’d almost hoped she and Dox would get together, because that would have been perfect. But they hadn’t been interested in each other at all.
He caught up to JJ, who was now jumping up and down and laughing riotously at the farthest edges of the surf line. The tide looked like it was going out, and he pulled out his phone to snap a couple of pictures of her and then take video.
“What do you think, JJ?”
“I love it, Daddy!”
She looked up at him with the most perfect, beaming smile on her face, and in that moment he knew he could never be with anyone who didn’t love and cherish her as much as he did. Meaning he was probably in for a long, lonely life until she was grown up and out on her own.
These were the moments that kept him going even when he was so exhausted and lonely he cried himself to sleep at night.
These were the precious times when he could keep himself centered in the moment and just…be. Vicariously enjoy life from her point of view and temporarily forget about all the adult things he had to take care of and worry about so that she could simply be a normal kid.
As normal as possible, considering her mother had been murdered by the sperm donor.
Which was one of the reasons Hank had wanted to adopt JJ. He’d never lied to her, but he’d kept things age-appropriate. It was one less stressor on her to not have to keep explaining to people he was her uncle, not her dad, and what happened to her mom and dad.
It also made things easier being her parent versus being her guardian when it came to legal stuff, and school, doctor visits, all of that. He had a birth certificate with his name on it, so it made it easier on him.
He looked down and pointed out the line of shells and detritus in the surf being revealed by the receding water. Then he spotted a shark’s tooth and she snatched it up with a delighted squeal, dancing and splashing in the water.
“Look, Daddy! Look!”
He smiled. “I see, pumpkin.” She handed it to him to hold and eagerly started looking for more.
Worth it. Totally.
As they were closing in on the thirty-minute mark, he knew he had to refocus her. His pocket was filling with shells and shark teeth she’d found. “Hey, let’s go back to Uncle Dox, okay? Who wants cake?”
“Me me me!”
They headed back, and at first as they crested the dune on the boardwalk, he wasn’t sure what he was seeing. He thought maybe another party had taken over the pavilion from them. Until he spotted Eliza, Rusty, June and her husband. And a bunch of other people, at least twenty—no, more. And the whole pavilion was decorated, and—
JJ let out another of those happy squeals and bolted toward Dox as everyone started singingHappy Birthdayto her.
Hank stopped in his tracks, tears momentarily blurring his vision as he processed they were all there…forher.
Dox picked JJ up, singing with everyone else as Hank finally blinked away his tears and forced his feet forward again to join them.
“OHMIGOD THANK YOU!” she screeched, making everyone laugh. Dox set her down and she started running around, hugging Eliza and June first, then everyone else, even though she had no clue who most of them were. There were even some kids, although Hank had no clue who they were, either.
Dox wore a pleased smile Hank remembered all too well from when they were kids. For half a second, if Hank thought Dox wouldn’t mind it, he’d kiss the guy.
Instead, he hugged Dox, long and hard. “Thank you, dude. I love you so fucking much.”
“You’re welcome. Love you, too, buddy. Can’t let my honorary daughter not celebrate her first Florida birthday in style.” Not only had everyone brought presents and decorations—and another cake—but someone was grilling them burgers and hot dogs.
Holy shit.
He stood there, stunned and amazed, his arm slung around Dox’s shoulders and Dox with his around Hank’s waist as they watched the little princess running around and meeting everyone.
