Every man eventually feels the desire to settle down and start a family. But not Henry—he was sure staying single was the best choice for him. However, spending a day with his nine-year-old niece made him understand the real reason behind his decision.
That morning, sunlight streamed through curtains he didn’t recognize, and he woke up to something warm and wet on his face.
It was a dog—not mine—a small, fluffy thing with big, excited eyes that seemed to say, “You’re mine now.”
It kept licking my cheek, wagging its tail like it wanted something. Food? A walk? Who knew?
As I rubbed my eyes, the memories of last night slowly came back. I glanced over and saw her—a girl I’d met at the club.
She was asleep, her hair spread across the pillow.
This wasn’t my place. If I was here, it meant I’d done what I came for.
Now, it was time for my usual routine: grab my stuff and leave quietly.
I carefully slid out of bed, looking around the room. My pants were crumpled on the floor, and my shirt was draped over a chair.
One sock was next to my shoe, but the other… where could it be? My search ended at the dog’s mat.
There it was, proudly claimed by the little fluffball, wagging its tail like it had won a prize.
I crouched down and whispered, “Hey, buddy, that’s mine.” I reached for the sock, but the dog clamped down on it, growling playfully.
Just as our little tug-of-war began, a sleepy voice broke the silence.
“Henry? You’re up already?”
I froze. She was awake. I turned to see her smiling at me, her eyes still heavy with sleep.
“Uh, yeah,” I stammered. “I’ve got work. Running late for a meeting.”She frowned, looking confused.
“But it’s Saturday…” she said, her confusion growing.
“I work weekends sometimes. Important stuff, you know,” I replied quickly.
Her smile faded, replaced by a curious tilt of her head.
“So… will I see you again?”
“Of course,” I lied without hesitation. “I’ll call you.”
Her brow furrowed as she asked, “You’ll call me? Did I even give you my number?”
Uh-oh. Panic tightened in my chest.
“I thought you did. Didn’t you?” I tried to sound casual.
“And how did you save my name?” she asked, her tone firm.
Caught, I stammered, “By your name, obviously.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“And what’s my name?”
I swallowed hard. Two options: admit the truth or…
“Nancy?” I guessed weakly.
Her face darkened immediately.
“Get out of here! I knew it! You’re just like the rest—ugh!”
Slippers came flying at me as I grabbed my jacket and shoes, dodging her rage all the way to the door.
Once I made it to my car, I leaned back in the seat and sighed. The rearview mirror showed a face that looked oddly satisfied—almost smug.
This was my life: no strings, no responsibilities, just pure freedom. Who needed the hassle of a family? Definitely not me.
While everyone else settled down, I chased the thrill—parties, work, and the kind of independence others could only dream of.
A loud ringtone broke my thoughts. I glanced at the screen and blinked. Riley? My sister almost never called.
I hesitated, then answered. “Hello, Riley?”
“Henry,” she said, her voice tense, “I need to talk to you. Got a minute?”
I frowned. “Sure. What’s going on?”
“Come over as soon as you can. I can’t explain over the phone. When can you get here?”
“Fifteen minutes. Is everything okay?”
“Just come. I’ll explain.”
I stared at the phone for a moment before starting the car. Whatever this was, it sounded serious.
Twenty minutes later, I pulled into her driveway and barely made it to the door before it swung open.
Riley stood there, arms crossed, her face a mix of frustration and urgency.
“You’re late!”
“By five minutes,” I replied, stepping inside.
“Relax, Riley. You don’t have to be such a pain in the…”
“Don’t swear,” she hissed. “Mira’s nearby.”
I followed her gaze and saw her nine-year-old daughter, Mira, curled up on the couch with an encyclopedia.
Her little face was scrunched in concentration, her finger tracing the text like a little scholar.
“As expected, you’re my last option,” Riley sighed. “I need you to watch Mira today.”
“Me? Are you serious?” I asked, glancing nervously at Mira, who hadn’t looked up from her book.
“I wouldn’t ask if I had another choice,” she said, frustrated.
“I have a business dinner tonight. Either I go and close this deal, or I cancel because I can’t leave her alone. Can you help me or not?”
“Fine,” I muttered. “If it’s that important.”
“Great. Food’s in the kitchen. I left money in case you need to order something, but keep it healthy. No greasy junk. And she’s not allowed outside. Got it?”
“Got it.”
With a quick goodbye, Riley was out the door, leaving me alone with Mira. I looked at her. She looked at me.
Neither of us said a word. Let the longest day of my life begin.
The day dragged on like an endless loop of boredom.
Mira sat on the couch, holding her encyclopedia, occasionally glancing at me with a look that made me feel like I was failing some sort of science experiment.
Her small face was calm, but her raised eyebrows seemed to judge me silently.
I cleared my throat.
“So, uh, you like reading?” I asked, trying to break the awkward silence.
“Yes, I do. Mom says books are knowledge, and I want to know a lot,” she said, her voice cool and sharp, like a character from a movie about child prodigies.
I nodded. “Cool, cool… What’s your favorite subject in school?”
Mira sighed, looking at me like I’d just asked the most boring question ever.
“That’s such an unoriginal question, but I’ll answer anyway. I like biology because it has lots of animals, and I love learning about them.”
“Cool,” I mumbled, unsure what else to say. Conversations with kids were harder than I thought.
After a moment, she closed her book and tilted her head. “So, are you my uncle?”
“Yeah,” I replied. “You probably don’t remember me, though. We met when you were little.”
“Got it,” she said simply. Then, out of nowhere, she asked, “Are you married?”
“Uh, no. I’m not married.”
“Why not?” she asked, her curious tone feeling more like an interrogation.
“I don’t want to get married. I like being on my own,” I said, hoping that would end the conversation.
“No one likes being alone,” she replied, crossing her arms.
“I do,” I insisted, though her words stung more than I wanted to admit.
“Maybe you’re scared,” she said, matter-of-factly.
“Scared? What would I be scared of?”
“Mom says marriage is a lot of work. She also says you don’t like working. So maybe you’re scared of hard work,” Mira said matter-of-factly.
I sat up straight.
“She told you that!? Well, just so you know, I’m not scared! Maybe it’s just… not for me. For now.”
“Got it. You’re scared,” Mira concluded, her lips curling into a tiny smirk. “Anyway, I’m hungry.”
“Then eat something,” I said, pointing toward the kitchen.
“Mom said you’re taking care of me. So take care of me,” she shot back.
“Fine,” I muttered, opening the fridge. It was full of salads, juices, and not a single thing I wanted to eat. I sighed and pulled out my phone.
“Pizza it is,” I declared.
Minutes later, we were on the couch, devouring slices while watching TV. For once, Mira was quiet, her face glowing in the light of the screen.
Before I knew it, my head leaned back against the couch, and the exhaustion of the day caught up with me. I didn’t even notice when I drifted off to sleep.
I woke up with a jolt, blinking against the light streaming into the room. Something felt off. The house was too quiet. I glanced around, and that’s when it hit me—Mira was nowhere to be seen.
“Mira!” I called out, my voice echoing through the house. “Mira, where are you?”
No answer.
Panic surged through me. I started tearing through the house, flinging open doors, peeking under beds, and even checking closets and cupboards.
Every empty space seemed to mock me. My heart pounded faster with every passing second.
I had one job. One simple job. Watch Mira for a day, and I couldn’t even do that.
I pulled out my phone, desperate for a clue, and saw a text from Riley:
“On my way home. I’ll be there in an hour. Everything okay?”
I froze for a moment before typing back: “All good!” It was a lie, but I needed time to fix this.
Rushing downstairs, I scanned the living room again and noticed something I’d missed earlier: the window.
It was open, and a faint breeze fluttered the curtains. Mira had gone outside.
I climbed through the window and immediately spotted a small shoe lying near the neighbor’s fence. My breath caught in my chest.
Climbing over, I found myself in the neighbor’s backyard, where a tall tree stood with a sturdy wooden treehouse nestled near the top.
“Mira!” I yelled, looking up.
“I’m here,” her calm voice replied from above.
I climbed the rickety ladder, my pulse pounding. At the top, I found Mira sitting cross-legged with another boy, both engrossed in playing with toy figures, completely unbothered.
“Mira! You scared me!” I said, still catching my breath. “Why did you run off like that?”
“I got bored,” she said with a shrug. “And Sam was here. Sam, say hi to my uncle.”
“Hi, Mira’s uncle,” Sam mumbled, not even looking up from the toys.
“But your mom said you weren’t allowed outside!” I protested.
“She said you were supposed to make sure I didn’t go out,” Mira replied matter-of-factly. “But you were sleeping. Now I know what you’re scared of.”
“Of course I was scared!” I snapped, then softened. “Sorry. But why doesn’t your mom let you play with other kids?”
“She says I’ll pick up bad habits,” Mira said simply. “But I like playing with Sam.”
“There’s nothing wrong with playing with other kids,” I said gently. “Your mom’s just… protective.”
“And you’re not protective enough,” she quipped with a smirk.
I sighed. “You’re right. From now on, I’ll be more careful.”
Suddenly, the front door swung open, and I stumbled in, Mira trailing behind me with a toy in her hand.
“Hey, Riley!” I said, trying to sound casual but failing miserably. “We’re back!”
Riley froze, her eyes narrowing as she took in the sight of us. “Back? Back from where? And why is the window open?!”
“Uh…” I scratched the back of my head. “Funny story. Mira got bored, so she climbed out, and—”
“You let her climb out of a window?!” Riley’s voice rose, her face a mix of anger and disbelief.
“Technically, I was asleep when it happened,” I admitted sheepishly.
Mira chimed in, completely unfazed, “We were in the neighbor’s treehouse. It was fun.”
“Treehouse?!” Riley looked like she was about to explode. “Henry, I trusted you with one simple task!”
“I know, I know,” I said quickly, holding up my hands. “But look—she’s safe, I found her, and everything’s fine now.”
Riley let out a long, frustrated sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I swear, Henry, you’re lucky she’s okay. Otherwise, I’d… never mind. Just… don’t let this happen again.”
“Got it,” I muttered. “Lesson learned.”
Mira looked up at her mom with a grin. “Uncle Henry’s not so bad. He just needs more practice.”
Riley gave her a look but couldn’t help the small smile that crept onto her face. “You’ve got that right.”
“Surprise!!” Mira and I shouted in unison as we popped up from outside.
Riley jumped back, clutching her chest. “God! I thought you were both gone! What’s wrong with you two!?”
We burst into laughter, Mira nearly doubling over with glee. Riley’s stern expression softened as she watched her daughter’s infectious giggles.
“Sorry, sis. You were asking for it,” I teased, grinning. “Seriously, don’t worry so much. Nothing went wrong. You’ve got to trust Mira a little more.”
“Yeah, Mom!” Mira chimed in, her face beaming with joy.
Riley sighed, shaking her head as a reluctant smile crept onto her face. “You two are impossible,” she said, pulling Mira into a hug. “But I guess I’ll let it slide this time.”
As I walked to my car, I found myself smiling. Sometimes, kids have a way of teaching you things about yourself you didn’t even know you needed to learn.
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