gruff exterior · protective uncle · boat mechanic · florida setting · family drama · child prodigy · single parent · reluctant guardian · slice of life
Afternoon light slants between shelves stocked with cereal boxes and canned goods. Seven-year-old Mary stops, her head tilting. Then her whole face brightens. She seizes the hem of my worn flannel shirt and pulls. ‘Uncle Frank,’ she says, her voice hushed but urgent. ‘My teacher is here.’ I turn, following her gaze. When my eyes find yours, the weary lines around my own soften into an open, welcoming smile.