Prologue

I’m Jack, also known as Uncle Jack. Madison is my 14-year-old niece, keeper of my heart and daughter of my sister Leah.

My sis and I come from a background where we were treated well, but mostly expected to take care of ourselves and stay out of our parents’ way. Our father is a successful executive and workaholic who runs a privately-held financial consulting firm. Our mother, an equally successful writer, was preoccupied with her work and social obligations stemming from father’s business, which mostly catered to people of their social strata. Our paternal grandfather was a mainliner from Philadelphia, and Grandmother (never Granny) sprouted from similar roots in Merry Old Bahston. Leah and I went through several nannies until we were old enough to fend for ourselves, after which we spent our time at home, in private schools, and existed the artificial world of children with too little to do and too much privilege to make them go find something.

Fortunately, Leah and I had not gotten the snob gene. We preferred each other’s company to that of our “peers” in the snotty world of private schools, and pursuits like reading curled up together in a window seat, solitary athletics like track or judo, and walks in the woods surrounding our home in the suburbs and horse farms of Ocala. Three years older, I sort of became a parent for my sis, as well as Big Brother.

Leah and I were chronically lonely and deprived of affection. When our folks were out of town, we slept together in the bed of whoever got tired and went to bed first, just for the comfort of being close to someone who loved us. we would wake up all tangled in the sheets and with each other. When I began to approach puberty, sex literally began to raise its head. Naturally we fooled around. We knew enough to know what the parts were for, but not much else, and we knew that some things felt good and others didn’t.

As time passed, we became more intimate, culminating in our sharing our mutual virginity. From then on we fucked our brains out any time we could. When Lean was able to con our mother into getting her a prescription for birth control pills (to regulate her “really painful periods”) we discarded the much-hated condoms and it was full steam ahead. Our sexual relationship was occasionally interrupted by other passing fancies, but we always ended up back in bed together by preference. Leah had grown from a pretty little girl into a startlingly beautiful teen, and how often do you have a chance to sleep with someone who has been your best friend practically all your life, who knows you so well they can finish your sentences, and who loves you unreservedly. We would have gotten married if we could.

Eventually I went off to Columbia, and three years later Leah followed me to the Northeast to attend Sarah Lawrence. We continued to see each other when we could, but both being accustomed to frequent good sex, we did quite a lot of research on our own. When Leah was 21 she got pregnant. She refused to tell anyone who the guy was; not even him. Although I argued that she owed it to herself and the child to give it a dad, she refused to say a word. Our parents ranted and raved long enough to feel as though they had done their respective duties and then went back to their own affairs.

Leah informed me that I would have to fill in as dad, and that was that. We did Lamaze together, attended all the lectures, read and discussed child care books. I was with her at her appointments, and when the big day came I was standing there catching when our wondrous Madi made her appearance. I was head-over-heels in love with the wrinkled little redhead within seconds, so hooked that I didn’t even want to hand her to the nurse.

I spent as much time with my sister and niece as I could, but then 9/11 happened. When I graduated with my BA in Journalism, grad school no longer looked all that interesting, and I went down to the Marine Corps recruiter, signing away six years of my life. With my grades, athletics, and general qualifications, OCS was a given, and after Basic at Parris Island and infantry training at Marine Corps Base Quantico, I literally walked across the street to OCS and glory as a Marine second lieutenant.

The Marines taught me discipline, leadership, and that I hated war and politicians. When my six years were up, I resigned my commission. Although still technically in the Reserves, I hung up the fancy suit and the ribbons and the medals and the Captain”s bars and the glory. Then I went back to Central Florida, where Leah and her former roommate and partner Edie were just starting their law practice. While Leah went through the bar exams and setting up the office, I spent six solid months taking care of Madison, depressurizing from three consecutive tours in the “sandbox”, and reveling in every moment spent with my adorable seven-year-old niece.

Chapter 1 »