“Uncle Jake! Uncle Jake! Read me a stor-yyyyy!” cried Emma, climbing into bed. Children. I swear I’ll never have any. They’re loud, annoying, and they get into all sorts of trouble, and they’re just an overall headache. Although, I must say I have grown rather fond of Emma. She is so loving, who could resist her charm?

“This one.” I sat down on the chair beside Emma’s bed. She shoved the book into my hands. It was a rather big book. I turned it around to glance at the front cover. For all I know, she probably wants me to read another one of her Barbie books. She’s perfectly capable of reading it herself, I know that for a fact. But do not think I’m very much impressed by that.

“The Story of Peter Pan.” Peter Pan. What kind of harebrained buffoon would name their son Peter Pan? Emma stared at me with an eager expression. I looked at her cherubic face and sighed. I opened the book and began to read aloud.

“Once upon a time there were three children named Wendy, John, and Michael,” now those are three fine names, “who lived with their father and mother in London. One evening the father and mother were invited to a party. The mother lit the dim lamp in the nursery, kissed them good-night, and went away.”

“Uncles Jake!” moaned Emma.

“What?”

“You’re changing stuff. You’re not allowed to do that.”

“I can do whatever I want. Do you want me to read you the story or not?” Emma slid underneath her blanket and nodded.

“Now where was I… oh yes. That evening a little boy whose name was Peter Pan climbed in through the window.” Peter Pan. Pft. Why couldn’t they have named him something like William? That’s a good, strong name. “He was a curious little fellow. He was very conceited, and very forgetful, and yet very lovable.”

Emma giggled. “What are you laughing at? You’re exactly the same.”

“Nu-uh! Am not,” she giggled more, a smile spread across her rosy face.

“There came fluttering in through the window with him his fairy, whose name was Tinker Bell. A fairy? What kind of boy believes in fairies? Fairies don’t exist.”

“No! Shhhhh don’t say that!” shrieked Emma. “Every time you say you don’t believe in fairies, somewhere a fairy drops dead.”

I kept reading. “Tinker Bell fluttered about the room. Suddenly her glowing light began to get dimmer and dimmer. Tinker Bell fell on the floor and died.”

“Uncle Jake! That’s not funny.” I chuckled a bit.

“Ok, ok. I’m sorry. Peter Pan woke all the children up. He sprinkled fairy dust on their shoulders, and took them away to Neverland, where he lived with a family of lost boys.” Neverland? How can there be a place called Neverland if it never exists? “Neverland is second to the right and straight on until morning. It’s a magical place. Best of all, the children stay young forever.” It’s rather funny to read about a place where it is so simple to make children happy. “Tinker Bell was jealous of Wendy. She hurried ahead of Peter Pan and convinced the lost boys that Wendy was a bird who’s going to hurt them. One of the lost boys shot Wendy with an arrow.” I looked at Emma and her eyes were slowly closing. Too hell with this.

“Yada-yada… Peter Pan was angry… blah blah blah… build a house around Wendy,” I flipped through a few pages quickly before Emma could realize something wasn’t right. “They all had a damned good time together. They also had some nice adventures with Indians, and with a pirate named something or other.” Brett and I sure had some damned good times too. I wonder what she’s… bah! To hell with Brett Ashley!

“What happens next,” Emma whispered unconsciously as she turned over in her bed.

“One day Wendy and her brothers realized that they had been gone for a very long time. They thought of their mother. They thought that she had forgotten about them and shut the nursery window. They hurried home back to the nursery. Peter Pan got there first. He closed the window doors. He wanted Wendy and the boys to never grow up.” Now that’s silly. This boy is crazy. What’s gotten into his head? I bet a nice knocking would do him good. Some Bourbon would do me good. I’m dying for a drink.

I looked at my cell phone. I had 2 missed calls: one from Dan and one from Harvey. Maybe I’ll catch up with them and Brett for a late night drink after I get Emma to sleep. Brett is always a good drunk. And Dan is a good drunk. I don’t think Harvey has ever been drunk.

“Wendi’s mother invited Peter Pan to stay and be her son. Peter Pan got scared. He didn’t want to go to school, or grow up, or be a man. He ran away to his home in fairy-land.” I looked over at Emma once more. She was asleep as a little baby. Aww. “Goodnight Emma.” I kissed her on the forehead and tucked the covers around her.

A boy who never grew up. I ought to try that some time. I walked out of the room and closed the door lightly. I got my jacket and put it on. I called Dan.

Eternity in Neverland. Isn’t it pretty to think so?