John’s stomach knotted from the girl’s words. When the light turned green, he pulled off, and thought about how to stop these tears. He’d never taken up the father title and only knew his niece as a fun time he could drop off at the end of the day. Uncle Johnny got to toss children around and feed them candy until they got sick. Sick kids eventually went home to their real parents. Now he had to wander the minefield of twelve-year-old girl emotions without help. One false step and boom.

“Honey, your mom—”

“Yeah, I get it,” Becca said. “You don’t have to explain it. Can’t I just be mad?”

Boom.

They drew closer to the library and Uncle Johnny was running out of time to put a bandage on this situation. “Your mom didn’t just up and leave you. She loves you and she loves helping others, yeah? Because women can what?”

Becca’s dark watery eyes met his. “Because women can do anything.”

John smiled. “That’s right. She can love you and work at the same time. Now, your father is working though some things at the moment.” This was harder to articulate, but he’d try to push through. “Divorce is difficult for moms and dads.”

He got no response and wasn’t surprised. If they were actually blood-related, John would say Becca got her ability to hold a grudge from him.

“Your dad...he’s got a lot on his mind,” he said. He knew that his attempt to save his brother-in-law was a lame one, but his sister wanted him to try. “He’ll reach out when he’s ready, but until then you have to continue being great.”

John drove them to the entrance of the library parking lot and cut the engine. Becca clutched her backpack to her chest and stared out the window. “I guess.”

He reached across the space and took her tear-stained face in his large hand, pulling her gaze towards him. “Hey, honey, you’ve got this,” he said, wiping her cheek with his thumb. “I wouldn’t lie to you.”

Becca’s face crumpled into a fresh sob. “I feel like everyone’s lying to me.”

The tightness in his chest was familiar. Everyone’s lying to me... “It’s a confusing time for you. I know what this feels like.”

“Because of Granddad?”

John nodded. “My parents divorced when I was your age and Granddad found your nana and your mom. I was angry just like you are, but the anger goes away.”

Eventually.

Becca took a deep breath and wiped her eyes on her jacket sleeve. “Okay.”

“Your mom became my sister and that was the greatest gift I could have received. That is...until you came along.”

This made her smile, which was a relief. “So it gets better?”