Uniting the Souls (Souls of Chicago #6)(22)

“That is a tough decision. Which one is your favorite?” He looked at me with such a helpless expression that I ran my hand over the top of his head, hoping to soothe him. “I know, that’s a tough decision, too. You know, Batman was my favorite when I was your age.”

“He was?” Nicholas asked, smiling up at me.

“Oh yeah. He had a cool costume and an even cooler car and he always fought the bad guys and won,” I told him.

“He is cool,” he agreed, pulling the Batman pajamas out of the drawer and shutting it. “I’ll wear these tonight since they’re your favorite and you’re my favorite uncle.”

“Thanks, little man.” I grinned down at him. It didn’t matter that I was his only uncle, the fact that I was his favorite anything made me feel warm all over. I didn’t think I could love him any more if he was my own son.

I helped him get a bath and dressed in his pajamas and then settled him down with a bowl of ice cream while I cleaned up the kitchen. When he was finished, he picked out a book and then climbed into his bed and snuggled underneath the covers. I sat down next to him and he curled into my side as I read him a bedtime story.

He was asleep before I reached the last page and I climbed out of the bed, careful not to wake him and switched on his nightlight. I turned back when I reached the door, taking one last look at him. He looked so peaceful as he lay there dreaming and it made my heart feel full. Nicholas was an incredible kid and I would do anything in my power to make sure his childhood was as carefree and joyful as possible. I flipped off the light switch and shut his door, leaving it open a crack in case he needed me before I went to the kitchen and washed out the bowl he’d used for ice cream.

“Hey there!” Aysha said, startling me as she walked up behind me. “How was your night?” She began digging through the fridge, looking for something to eat.

“I made dinner. Sit down and I’ll warm it up,” I told her, moving towards the microwave.

“Oh my God, you are the best, Hudson,” she praised as she grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and sat down at the table, kicking her shoes off and propping her feet up on the chair next to her with a sigh.

I leaned my hip against the counter, crossing my arms and studied my sister as I waited for her food to be ready. She was a beautiful woman, but the weary slump of her shoulders and the small frown line that had formed between her eyes showed evidence of the strain she’d been under during the past couple of years and I renewed the promise I’d made to myself to do anything I could to alleviate that stress.

“My night was great,” I said, finally answering her question. “Nicholas is such a sweetheart,” I said with a smile and her face lit up at the mention of her son.

“He is, isn’t he? Thanks so much for watching him. I know you probably have a million other things you’d rather be doing on a Saturday evening,” she said. The microwave dinged and I pulled the piping hot plate out, setting it in front of her then I sat across from her, keeping her company as she ate.

“You know how much I love spending time with him any chance I get,” I assured her.

“I know, but you’re a handsome man in the prime of your life. You should be going out and having fun,” she scolded.

“Don’t worry about me, I’m doing just fine.” She shot me a doubtful look. “I’m serious. In fact, I’m going to a party tonight,” I informed her.

“That’s great! Are you taking a date?” I laughed as she waggled her brows at me. I felt a fluttering in my stomach as I pictured Isaac and Matt. I wasn’t about to tell my sister about the two men though. It wasn’t that I was afraid she’d disapprove. As a matter of fact, Aysha had been nothing but supportive of me since I first told her I thought I was gay when I was thirteen years old. She and Nonna had both assured me that the only thing that mattered was that I found someone who made me happy and who treated me right. The reason I didn’t mention the two men to her was simple. I needed to figure out what was happening for myself first, and I wasn’t even sure at that point if anything would happen.

“No, I’m not taking a date,” I assured her, not bothering to explain that I was meeting Isaac at the party. Her expression was so disappointed that I laughed again as I looked at my watch. “I better get going or I’m going to be late.”

“Okay, have a great time,” she said as I stood and placed my glass of water in the sink.

“Call me if you need anything.” I walked back over to my sister and leaned down, kissing the top of her head. “I’ll pick you guys up around noon tomorrow, if that’s alright. Maybe we can grab lunch before the movie.”

“That sounds wonderful. Can we please go to a restaurant that doesn’t give away prizes in the meal?” I laughed when she clasped her hands in front of her and gave me a hopeful look.

“Sure, maybe we’ll even go somewhere with plates and real silverware,” I joked.

“My hero,” she teased, batting her long lashes at me. I could still hear her laughing as I walked out and it put a smile on my face.

I hurried home and took a quick shower then rummaged through my closet, picking out a dark pair of jeans and gray V-neck sweater. I topped off the look with a pair of biker boots and grabbed my black leather jacket as I headed out the door.