You Can't Hurry Love

13| Uncle Daddy

FP takes Charles's empty plate and dumps it into the sink. "Alright, kiddo, are you ready for school?"

"Can't I just stay here and play with you?" He pouts.

"School is important." He tries his best not to fall for the puppy eyes.

"But it's fun to be with you."

"I'm coming over after school. Remember? Your uncle Freddie and I are building you a treehouse. The faster we get you to school, the faster the school day is over."

"Then what are we waiting for. Let's go!" Charles scurries to the bedroom to look for his things.

A knock on the front door pulls FP away while looking for his keys. He peeks through the peephole to find a woman standing in the hall.

"Howdy, neighbor. Sorry to bother you so early in the morning, but I live right next door," She points. "and was wondering if I could maybe get help jumpstarting my car? I can't seem to get it to work this morning."

"Oh, uh, I'm actually on my way out. I can pull out the jumper cables and see what I can do."

"Would you be a dear?" She smiles.

"Let me just finish up in here," FP tells the woman. "Charles! Come on, bud, I don't want you to be late!"

"Can you help me with my shoe? One of them has a knot." Charles run over with only one shoe on.

The woman is surprised to see the boy. She doesn't recall him having kids when she saw him moving in.

FP kneels down to help him. Charles hooks his arm around his neck to keep himself balanced.

"There you go. Do you have everything now?"

"Yup."

"Good, let's get going. We have to help this nice lady first, then off to school you go." FP ushers him out and locks up. Charles takes FP's hand and walks on his side; the lady takes FP's other side.

"I didn't know you had a son."

"He's not my daddy," Charles corrects her. "He's my uncle like uncle Freddie is." He proudly states.

"He's my Charles," FP can't tell her how complicated it is. "My favorite kiddo." He hopes she leaves it at that and not ask more. "Anyway, I don't think I ever caught your name."

"Gladys," She introduces herself.

"FP."

"FP? What's it stand for?"

"Friendly peer."

"You're not going to tell me?"

FP chuckles. "Where's the fun in that? We just met. What do you want next, my social security number?"

"You want to give me your number?" She teases with a hint of flirtation mixed in.

Charles interrupts before he has to come up with something to say. "Are we going to be late?"

"No, we're good on time." FP unlocks the car. "You can wait inside. I've go to do something." He walks to the trunk and pulls out the jumper cables he was looking for.

"This is me," Gladys pops the hood of her car back open. She's parked right beside him. "Thank you so much for giving me a hand."

"That's what neighbors are for."

Charles watches them from the backseat. He doesn't know who she is, but he can see her interest in FP.

Once FP finishes up, she slips a piece of paper into his hands. "If you're ever not on uncle duties, you should give me a call." She winks and leaves him with that to think about.