Take Care, Sara

then.”
    She leaned across the console and planted her lips on his rough cheek, giving him a slobbery kiss. “Love you.”
    “Love ya, babe. Even your drool.” He winked, turning his gaze back to the road.
    The smile didn’t immediately fade with the memory and Sara was glad of that. She inhaled deeply, almost feeling as if he was sitting beside her, smiling with her.
    ***
    “It’s not Sunday,” she said as she opened the door, cool air rushing into the warmth of the house, causing Sara to shiver.
    “I realize that.” Mason’s eyebrows lifted as he waited.
    “Uncle Mason?” a little voice chimed and Sara’s gaze was pulled down.
    “Sundays aren’t really helping, are they, Sara?”
    Sara shifted, her eyes never leaving the blond-haired boy with wine-colored eyes. The boy was a miniature Mason. “Who’s this?” she asked, ignoring the question that really hadn’t needed to be asked.
    Mason smiled. “Can we come inside?”
    She blinked, opening the door wider. “Oh. Yeah. Come in.” Sara closed the door behind them, crossing her arms and leaning against it.
    “It’s obvious I’m not the one helping you,” he said. “Lincoln, right?”
    Sara looked away, again not answering. Lincoln—everything with Lincoln was a mess. There were so many emotions involved where he was concerned and Sara was unable to sort through them at all. At least, not yet. The longer she kept her distance, the bigger the chasm inside her grew. She wanted so badly to go to him, but she didn’t know what to do after that.
    “Uncle Mason, I’m hungry,” the boy said, tugging his gray baseball cap lower on his head.
    “I know, buddy. We’ll leave in just a bit. I just wanted to say hi to my friend quick, remember?”
    Uncle Mason? She offered the boy a smile. He had a serious face, his eyes watchful. “Hi. I’m Sara. What’s your name?”
    “Derek.”
    Sara’s eyes flew to Mason’s. He shrugged; a small smile on his face. “I thought it was time you two met.”
    “Derek?” she repeated slowly. “This is Derek? The one you talk to?”
    Mason put his arm around Derek, hugging him to his side. “Yep. The reason I had to get my head out of my butt.”
    Derek giggled, clapping little hands over his mouth. “You said butt!”
    “He’s your brother’s son?” Sara asked, blinking her eyes against tears.
    “Yeah. Annie was pregnant when…” He looked at his nephew, his throat working. Mason shrugged, not finishing his sentence. He took a deep breath and continued, “I took one look at this chubby, wide-eyed baby and I wanted to live. I wanted to be someone he could be proud of.”
    She knelt before the small boy. “You are one special little being, you know that?”
    Derek smiled, nodding his head. “Yep. Uncle Mason tells me that all the time.”
    “And how old are you?”
    “I’m four and a half and I go to 4K and Mrs. Matthews is my teacher and she smells like flowers, but they don’t smell good. They stink.” He wrinkled his nose up.
    Sara laughed. “Oh, really?”
    “Uh-huh. Uncle Mason is taking me to Pizza Hut today because my mom needs a break and she calls Uncle Mason when she needs a break. But that’s okay because I like Uncle Mason. I don’t like his girlfriend because—“
    “Okay, buddy,” Mason interrupted, “that’s probably enough.”
    Sara glanced up at Mason, a grin on her lips. She looked at Derek. “What’s wrong with your Uncle Mason’s girlfriend?”
    Derek shrugged, fidgeting. “She wears too much makeup and she’s always trying to kiss him and it’s gross.”
    “She must like him a lot.”
    “I guess. Can we go now?” Derek asked, looking at his uncle.
    Sara straightened, catching the expression on Mason’s face as he looked at his nephew. He was looking at his world. She inhaled slowly.
    “Thank you, Mason, for everything,” she said, meaning it.
    He nodded. “If you ever want to talk or just want to stop to say hi, here’s my card.” Mason pulled a black business card from his jeans pocket.
    Sara took it. “I will. So you’re releasing me, huh?”
    “It was never about me, Sara. It was about you and what or who helped you the most. It hurts my ego to admit it wasn’t me.”
    She nodded, glancing away. “Right. Um…before you leave, can I show you something first?”
    “Of course.” Mason turned to Derek. “One more minute, bud.”
    Derek sighed. “Okay.”
    “You got your book?”
    The boy nodded, taking a tiny book from his