Page 32 of Everything Changes

“Florida” came the muffled reply as Jase carefully broke down the box and stored it on top of a supply cabinet.

Carey remembered asking Jase where he was from one time, and getting the answer of “San Diego, baby!” He questioned that now, and Jase grinned wryly.

“A couple of years after high school, I was working some dead-end job, and my sister, who was a year younger than me, popped out her first kid. I suddenly saw my future, babysitting kid after kid, nothing ever changing. I needed to find myself, so I decided to put a lot of distance between me and them. Don’t get me wrong, I love ’em all to death, but I needed some space, you know?”

Privately Carey thought living his life surrounded by a loving family sounded pretty fucking good, but he didn’t say anything. Everyone had a different perspective on things, and not having grown up like Jase had, he wasn’t qualified to pass judgment.

“With so many kids, there was never any money for anything, much less college,” Jase said as he went back to messing with his piles. “There wasn’t much future for me if I’d stayed there, so I went to a Navy recruiter and told him that I wanted to see the world. When I took the ASVAB and scored pretty high, they steered me in the health-care direction after boot camp. I thought, I’ve been taking care of people my whole life, why not get paid for it?”

Carey gestured wryly around the tent. “And at least you’re getting to see the world.”

Jase’s voice was dry. “Yeah, lots and lots of fucking dirt. Not quite what I had in mind.” They laughed quietly together.

“What I really wanted to do was sing,” Jase said wistfully, finally pushing his piles away and sitting down in a nearby chair. “I sang in a garage band during high school.”

“Were you any good?” Carey was curious, and he pulled up a chair and sat down too.

“Nah, we sucked,” Jase laughed. “We had shitty equipment and not a whole lot of talent. But it was fun, and we got a kick out of it. It helped me get girls… and guys.” He waggled his eyebrows, and Carey chuckled.

“Did your family know you liked both?”

“Yeah. There was never any drama about that. Sometimes I brought home a girl, sometimes a guy. It wasn’t an issue. My family is cool about stuff like that. I know I got lucky.”

Carey thought Jase’s childhood sounded pretty close to ideal, and he said so.

“It was,” Jase said. “I’m really close to my siblings, and my nieces and nephews are awesome.” He held up a sheaf of childish drawings he’d pulled from the bottom of the box, flipping through them with a wistful smile. “I just didn’t want to… get lost in the crowd, you know? I’m perfectly content living across the country, doing my own thing. I love them, and I know they love me.”

Carey lifted one shoulder in a shrug, burying the envy, and Jase stood and then clapped him on the back.

“Grab a couple of these piles and help me hand ’em out, would you?” Carey nodded and followed Jase out of the tent.

A loud snort of laughter from Jase brought Carey back to the present, and he rested his chin on Jase’s chest, one eyebrow lifted inquiringly.

“Okay, punkin’,” Jase said, his tone wry, yet affectionate. “Put your teddy on the phone and I’ll tell him good night.” A one-sided conversation with a stuffed bear ensued, and Carey buried his face in Jase’s chest, stifling his laughter. Jase reached down and pinched Carey’s ass hard, then rubbed his palm over the slight sting soothingly.

“Shut up,” he mouthed. “She’s five.”

One of the myriad nieces and nephews, but Carey was touched at Jase’s patience and obvious love for his family.

“Okay, Princess, gotta go,” he said finally. “Put your mom back on.” A brief pause. “Sami, I’ll get you for that! Okay, okay. Yeah, me too. Love you. Bye.”

Jase disconnected the call and pounced on Carey, rolling him to his back and coming down over top of him.

“What’s so funny?” he mock-growled against Carey’s neck, bringing up goose bumps, making him squirm.

“You,” Carey said simply, linking his arms around Jase’s neck. “Talking to your niece’s stuffed bear like it was the most important conversation you’d ever had.”

“Yeah, well,” Jase said, his cheeks lightly tinged with red. “What can I say? I’m cool Uncle Jase.”

“The coolest,” Carey agreed, kissing Jase gently. Jase grinned against his lips and then flopped over onto his back again, flattening out with a sigh.

“I miss them,” he admitted. “Busy lives, never enough time for a visit.”

Carey propped himself up on his elbow, looking down at Jase. “I’m just trying to picture you growing up surrounded by all those women,” he teased. Jase smirked up at him.

“Nah, it’s all good. My guy friends made up for it,” he said comfortably.

“You still in touch with them?” Carey couldn’t imagine growing up with a large family and friends. It all sounded like a fairy tale.