Guardian Angel \\ l.h.\\ Luke Hemmings

Chapter Twenty Five: Thankful

My uncle was a second father to me.

Ever since I was little, he was always there for me. He used to live in Washington, two streets down from my past house, but then he re located to New York.

Unfortunately he had to move his business to the sunny state of California and because he was the main boss, he had to go whenever the company went. He and my father used to own the business together it had been their father's. But once my mother became pregnant, my father sold his share and picked up a camera.

He always told me photography was his passion and he rather take pictures and spend time with his family then be constantly in a stiff business suit and never be able to see us.

Those were the good days.

"How are you my dear?" My uncle Dave engulfed me in his arms.

His embracement was warming as the scent of cigarettes, gin and the comfort of home rushed at me.

"I'm doing okay." I mumbled, not believing that he was actually here.

The cab driver beeped his horn and we let go. I kept close near my uncle while Luke watched us from the driveway, the earphone still in his ear.

My uncle paid and I gathered his wheeling luggage, when he noticed Luke he asked to me, "And who might this be?"

"Hello sir my name is Luke. I'm Cayden's friend." My angel held out his hand to which my uncle firmly shook it.

Uncle Dave sternly observed Luke from head to toe. "Uncle Dave stop it." I hissed. My uncle always had a protective side toward me, And I remember the time my father had informed my uncle about my first boyfriend.

His name was Tim Summonson. He always dawned square wired rim glasses and had emerald eyes. His hair was always frizzy and his interests included space and video games. To this day, I still have no idea how we became a couple but we did. We started going out the middle of freshmen year and he was a nice guy but he simply loved to chat about aliens a little too much.

Once my father spilled about Tim, Uncle Dave took it upon himself to fly from New York to meet the boy and half way through dinner scared him with a sex talk. I never saw the boy since.

Uncles Dave raised an eyebrow at me, "I'm not doing anything."

"Yes you are, you always do this whenever I have a friend whose a guy. Luke's just a friend." I assured him and myself. Because friends don't develop crushes toward each other, certainly not when the other one is a myth.

"I'm just a friend." Luke repeated for emphasizes but his tone seemed very off to me.

With one last scrutinizing glance Uncle Dave said, "I believe you son."

With that being said, we all entered the house and Uncle Dave found it upon himself to settle on the couch. He squirmed, trying to make himself comfortable but it didn't seem to happen.

"Would you like any coffee? Tea?" I asked him, ready to enter the kitchen.

"No, no Cay. You need to get packing, we have to get going soon."

"Packing? For what?" I asked, staying put near the door, Luke at my side.

"Cayden, it's almost Thanksgiving. Didn't Silvia tell you that I was taking you to your grandmother's for a few days?" Of course, she didn't mentioned anything to me. Granted, since our blow out we have, well I have, done everything to avoid each other.

"No." I shook my head, wondering if he knew what happened between us.

From his answer he didn't, "Well" he huffed, "Just go pack for now and I'll call her or something."