"I could never thank you enough Johnny for letting Greg stay with you. This is killing me, if there were any other way you know we would do it. Greg's an adult now and we just can't force him to move with us." Elayne hugged me and started to cry on my shoulder.
We live in a Midwestern college town where I've been a firefighter for my entire career. I never married. Married to the job? Fuck that, just never found a woman that was willing to live the lifestyle of a firefighter, the hours sucked, days off changed regularly, working holidays, and the kicker, never knowing if you get the call that your husband is gone. Don't get me wrong, I've had a great life. I live vicariously through my sister Elayne and her kids. I'm the fun Uncle, the Uncle they confide in, the Uncle they can rely on. Elayne's oldest boy, Greg, is in his second year of college and on the Varsity Football Team. My brother-in-law received an employment opportunity that they could not pass up, but it meant moving three hundred miles away, too far for Greg to commute and they really couldn't afford housing on the local campus. I offered for him to stay with me until he graduated.
Only my sister gets away with calling me Johnny, otherwise it's John. I never catch shit for correcting people. I stand six foot three inches, broad chest, guns that are larger than most guys legs, and I work out daily, part because of my job and part because I love to work out. I have blonde hair, blue eyes, smooth body, and at 45 I still have a full head of hair with no gray creeping in. I have a typical bachelor pad house. My garage has been converted to a full gym. I have a modest three bedroom two bath house. Greg will have his own room and can you use the guest bathroom. The only problem is that the guest bathroom only has a bathtub so we will have to share the master shower in my room. I never had a need to convert it to a tub/shower combo, I guess I will need to put that on the list for the summer. I work three days on and four days off shift so he will be alone most of the time anyway. The days I'm home we will have to work that out.
Greg takes after my side of the family. We are all built tall and big boned. As long as you work at it the Nordic genes will be kind to you. My sister calls Greg my Minnie me since he looks like me. We have the same eyes, same height, and same body frame. He works out all the time to keep up his linebacker strength.
The following weekend was move-in day. Greg only had his clothes and a few items so it was like moving him into a dorm room. My house was fully furnished and he was glad to have a full size bed over his small twin bed he had at his house, plus he had his own room, no more sharing with his brother. My sister and her family moved the following week and of course there were more tears.
The night Greg was officially moved in, and his parents were now gone, I could tell he was down. "Hey Greg, what do you say about ordering in and watch an Action movie?"
"That would be great Uncle John. I'm feeling a little blue tonight." Greg looked like a lost puppy.
When the pizza arrived I grabbed some plates and a couple of beers. I brought it all in to the living room as the movie started. I handed Greg a beer, he looked at me like a deer in the headlights. "You're almost 21, and it only happens in this house and you do not leave. Respect the house, respect me, and respect yourself. Besides, we are celebrating the beginning of your new grownup life. You have a month of school to finish before summer break, have you thought about what you are going to do? Going to spend it with the family?"
Greg took a long pull on his beer, no choking, not his first beer. "I wish I could go home, but football practice doubles down during the summer. I want to get a part time job, if that's ok with you?"
"Ok with me? It's your life Greg, you're an adult and don't need my permission. I want you to think of this house as your place as well as mine. You come and go as you need. You don't party and trash the place, keep it clean. I rarely have 'company' but when I do, and you do, we respect each other's privacy. That's all I ask." I put out my hand to form the contract.
Greg reached out and shook my hand, "Deal Uncle John. I really appreciate this opportunity and I won't screw it up. I promise."
We kicked back and watched the movie, finished off the pizza and a couple of beers before calling it a night. After we cleaned up we headed to our rooms. "Uncle John? I wanted to thank you again for this opportunity, for being a great Uncle, and a great guy." Greg wrapped his arms around me and hugged me. I patted his back and kissed him on the cheek as we separated and went to our rooms.
The month flew by and we fell into a routine. The days I was home Greg would shower the night before so he wouldn't wake me in the morning as he headed off to school. When I'm home I cook enough to give him cover leftovers when I'm at work. The place has staid clean so we are both happy.
Greg was out of school for the summer and hadn't gotten a job yet. I came home mid-afternoon. I went into my room and changed into a jockstrap and some running shorts getting ready for my workout. I pull on some running shoes. I step into the living room and Greg was on the couch tying up his running shoes. He looked up at me and we started to laugh. "You really are a mini me aren't you?"
We took off for a run together. After five miles we were back home and ready for some weights. After a few reps we lost our shirts. I used mine to dry my body and pits before tossing into Greg's face and laughing. Greg laughed but I could swear he took in a deep breath before tossing it aside. We finished our workout and it was time to hit the shower. "You go ahead and shower first Uncle John while I clean up the equipment."
