MY LITTLE BROTHER IS DEADPOOL

CHAPTER SEVEN

TWENTY-FOUR HOURS HAS passed and I am released from the hospital. But before I reach the exit, Uncle Harrison comes barging in, hugging me so tight I can't breathe.
Awkwardly, I wrap my arms around him as he hugs me. He whispers soothing words to himself in my ear, saying: "Oh thank God!" and "You're safe, Peter! You're okay!"
I fake smile as he pulls back.
"Yeah, Uncle Harrison, I am. How's Mom?" I ask.
Uncle Harrison sighs heavily. "He's sleeping. He's...I don't know what's going on with your mother Peter..."
"Well, he's still grieving about Dad," I say.
"Yeah, you're right. But shouldn't he be over it? I mean, it's been three years since the incident happened!" Uncle Harrison reminds me.
"Uncle Haz," I prompt. "Mom lost his husband. He has to rais us on his own now. Along with the stress he has with the press tours and the premiers and the fact that Wade's missing. Mom's life has just been crazy!"
Uncle Harrison smiles softly and ruffles my hair. "You act like your father, but you look like your mother, but you have your father's blue eyes."
I laugh a bit. It's the first I've ever laughed since Dad was around.
"That rhymes, kind of!" I point out.
"I'm sorry about your brother, Peter," Uncle Harrison apologizes. "I'll try calling the police. It's been two days now, I think. I lost track of time. But I promise you, we'll find him and bring him home."
And that promise sounds meaningful. I smile a bit, actually beliving it. We walk in silence through the rainy parking lot and into my Uncle's blue Nissan Rouge. We stay in silence on the ride home until Uncle Harrison brings up the question I've dreaded to answer.
"Peter?" he begins.
"Yeah?" I say, turning to face him.
His piercing grey-blue eyes stays on the road, one hand on the wheel and the other on the car's window sill.
"May I marry your mother...?" he says it hesitantly.
I gulp and stare out the windshield in front of me. I don't want him to replace my father. I don't want my father to be erased from my memory. It's Wednesday now. I got two more days. Just two more days.
I let out a shaky breath. "Mom does seem a bit happy when you're around..."
"Well, I am his best friend, well soon to be fiancé...that is...if you let me marry him," Uncle Harrison says.
"Promise me one thing Uncle Harrison," I say.
He nods.
"Promise me you'll protect my mother." I look at him as I say this. "Promise me you'll keep him happy, safe, and healthy."
He crosses his heart. "I promise. Heck, I swear, Peter."
I smile a bit. "Then...I can't believe I'm saying this...then you may marry my mother..."
He beams. His eyes flash with images of my Mom in his wedding outfit. Mom walking down the isle with his arm looped through mine. I look down at my hands. But I'm Spider-Man. Man, this is gonna have to be something I need to get used too. Uncle Harrison wouldn't be Uncle Harrison. He would be my father.
We arrive home. By the time we pull up in the drive way it's dark out. Pitch black. Cloudless. You can even see Orion's belt.
I enter the house after Uncle Harrison-um...Dad-walks in. He turns on the living room lights.
I check my phone which I haven't checked in forever. I hoping to see messages from Wade. I sigh when I turn it on. Nope. None Nada.
I plop myself on the couch and run my hands through my hair. Where are you Wade?!
I call him.
Ring.
Ring.
Ring.
Ring.
Ring.
Ring.
Ring.
Ring.
Ring.
Voice mail.
"This is Wade Reynolds. Youngest son of Tom and Ryan Reynolds. I can't reach the phone at the moment so please leave a message after the beep."
BEEP.
"Wade," I say, "I swear if you don't answer me in a few more days to tell me where you are or that you're okay I'll call the police. Mom's fine, I guess, I just got released from being in the hospital for twenty-four hours. Don't worry, I'm fine. I apparently passed out on a school field trip.
"Oh, and you know Matt Murdock? He asked me out a couple days ago. So we're going to see A Quiet Place this Friday. And um...Uncle Harrison is going to propose to Mom and marry him and become our new father. Please Wade. Come home. We miss you...I miss you. I love you little bro. Stay safe. Peter."
I end the call and stare at the blank TV screen. Uncle Harrison comes in with a glass of water and hands it to me.
"I figured you might be thirsty," he says, handing me the medium-sized glass.
I take the glass willingly and gulp it down. He's right. I am thirsty.
I set the glass on the side table next to the couch.
"Mom still asleep?" I ask.
"No, he's up. He's just laying down in bed on his phone. Probably scrolling through his Instagram feed," Uncle Harrison says.
I chuckle. "Mom does love his social media."
Suddenly we hear Mom scream. Uncle Harrison flashes me a panicked look and I return the look and we sprint upstairs. Uncle Harrison kicks down the door and cocks the pistol. Thankfully, no one was there.
Mom is scooted back to the headboard, clutching his phone to his chest. Eyes widen and panting. He was shaking. Confused, I slowly walk up to him. Realizing that no one is attacking Mom, Uncle Harrison lowers the gun and tucks it back in his pocket.
"Mom?" I say. "What's wrong?"
"There's a s-s-s-spider!" Mom cries, pointing to the ground.
I laugh. "Mom! It's just a spider!"
I bent over and gently pick it up. Thankfully, this one doesn't bite. I walk over to Mom, his eyes wide with fear. He scoots back even farther.
"K-K-Kill it!" Mom screams. "G-Get it away from m-me!"
I laugh again. "Relax, mother! It won't hurt! Come on, you're going to have to face your fears at some point!"
"Get it away from me! Or I swear, Peter, you'll be grounded for a month!" Mom threatens me.
I roll my eyes. "Ugh. Fine."
I walk out of the room and outside in the cold daylight. That's surprising. It's usually rainy here in Kingston. But it's sunny! I wonder why...
I bend down and place the spider on the sidewalk. I smile to myself as I watch it crawl away on its eight legs.
I walk back in the house and see Mom cooking lunch in the kitchen. He grabs some noodles and some tomato sauce. Mmm! Spaghetti. My favorite. Especially when Mom makes it.
Uncle Harrison comes down and stands behind my mother. He wraps an arm around his waist and pulls him closer. Uncle Harrison leans in Mom's ear and whispers something that I can't hear. Mom turns after stirring up the tomato sauce in the pan. Mom smiles softly at Uncle Harrison and looks at him the way he would if my father were alive. All dreamy.
Uncle Harrison helps Mom set the table and so did I. It's quiet here now. No little brother. No father. Just a mother, a son, and an uncle. After setting the table, we all sat and served ourselves.
After a while of eating and talking, Uncle Harrison looks at me with hope in his eyes. I know what he's about to do. He's going to propose to Mom. Now. I sigh heavily and look at my mother. My mother is smiling a bit but not fully, his brows narrowed, and his eyes flickering back and forth between me and Uncle Harrison. Wondering what's going on in our heads.
I look back at Uncle Harrison and nod.
He nods back and turns to face Mom. He holds Mom's hands in his and begin his speech.
"Tom. We've been friends for infinity. We went through trial and errors. We had bad days together. Happy days together. We've dated for a while back in high school. And I loved everyone bit of it. I loved holding you in my arms. But then he stole your heart. Ryan took you away from me, therefore you broke up with me because you loved him more.
"I can see why he loved you. You're beautiful, brave, you can tolerate with kids. You and Ryan dated together. Had Christmases together. Had New Year's together. Had almost all the holdiays together. Then, after a year of dating, Ryan proposed to you. On the premier of Edge of Winter. You had your wedding."
"Harrison, what are you-"
"Ah, Ah," Uncle Harrison puts a finger to Mom's lips, shushing him. Let me finish."
"Then several weeks after your wedding, you...you found out you were ya know. With Peter. You brought Peter into the world, and became a Mom. I remember it. All of it. Then a few years later, when Peter was only two, you were it again. This time with Wade. Again, you went through the whole process. And did I leave you? No. I didn't. I stayed with you during the whole time. Even when Ryan had to go to work. I was home with you. I never betrayed you Thomas. That's what friends are for. They never leave you no matter what."
To be honest, I had a few tears myself. But it's Mom who has the most. That's the most inspirational speech I've ever heard.
I look at Mom, smiling. Mom's smiling and wiping his eyes at the same time. Uncle Harrison's smiling too.
"Then a few years later, Peter and Wade grew up and became teenagers. Then that day happened. The day your husband left the world. The day he died."
Mom winces at this and so do I. But Uncle Harrison continues anyways.
"And now that you're a single a Mom who has a lot of stress going on right now, I'd like to help you with that."
Uncle Harrison scoots his chair back and gets down on one knee. Mom's eyes widen and he gasps. Hands fly to his mouth and more tears came strolling down his cheeks.
Uncle Harrison, smiling, takes out the velvet box and opens it. In it is a shiny, silver diamond ring.
"Will you marry me, Thomas Stanley Holland?"