To My Uncle, With Hate

I had a crush on my guardian, Liam Lu. That's the simplest way to put it.

He was my father's best friend, the man entrusted to look after my brother and me after Dad died. He was also twelve years my senior, which made my love a secret I guarded with my life.

Until my eighteenth birthday.

Under the dizzying lights of the Coney Island Wonder Wheel, a little drunk and a lot reckless, I kissed him. It was clumsy and quick, and I was ready to bolt, my heart hammering against my ribs.

But his eyes snapped open. He looked at me, a slow, unconcerned smile playing on his lips. "Want a lesson in kissing, little bird? Too bad. I'm not interested in little girls."

Shame burned my cheeks, but I stood my ground. "I'll grow up. I can wait."

He seemed to consider this for a second, then chuckled. "Alright. When you turn twenty-two, if you still feel this way... I'll think about it."

That promise became my entire world. For four years, my life was a countdown to this day.

And today, on my twenty-second birthday, I was here to collect.

I couldn't find him at our meeting spot, so I went searching, clutching a giant teddy bear I'd won for him. I finally spotted him near the carousel, laughing with his friends. I crept closer, hiding myself behind a cotton candy stand.

That's when I heard a baby cry.

I peeked around the edge. Liam was holding a fussy infant, bouncing him awkwardly. His friends looked annoyed.

"Damn, Liam, you're really going all out," one of them said. "You actually rented a baby just to teach your little ward a lesson?"

My mind went blank.

"What other choice do I have?" Liam's familiar, lazy drawl cut through the cheerful music. "She's twenty-two today. Thinks she's a big girl now, ready to cash in on some stupid promise. It's time she learned the difference between a guardian and a lover."

"You dislike her that much? Clara's a good kid. Pretty, sweet, totally devoted to you..."

"It's not about like or dislike." Liam's voice dropped, turning serious. "You all know who I really have feelings for."

A moment of silence, then a chorus of knowing laughter.

"Sienna! Of course... Man, you think too much. You should have just asked her out."

"I was afraid I'd lose her as a friend," Liam admitted, a hint of a smile in his voice. "Clara's little drama... it's the perfect opportunity. I told Sienna my ward has a misguided crush. I asked her to play the part of my serious girlfriend-the future 'auntie.' We show up with this baby, stage a whole family scene. It'll shatter Clara's fantasy and give Sienna and me a chance to get closer. After this charade, I'll confess to her for real."

The men praised his two-birds-one-stone plan, slapping him on the back.

They didn't notice me.

The giant teddy bear slipped from my arms, hitting the pavement with a soft thud.

I turned and ran, tears blurring the park lights into painful streaks of color.

My love began when I was fourteen. He'd saved me from a few thugs in an alley. He tossed me his jacket and a chocolate bar and teased me for being a crybaby. That day, I fell in love.

I learned to cook for him. I gave up a scholarship to Paris for him. I waited four years for his promise.

And now I knew the truth. To him, my love was nothing but a burden. An inconvenience to be managed with a heartless prank.