“Mom says when you were little you wanted to be like Jacques Cousteau,” Cameron said, referring to the world-famous sea explorer.
“What do you know about Jacques Cousteau? He was way before your time.”
“I wrote a paper about him. He used to explore the ocean in his boat, The Calypso.”
Luke smiled. “Want to know a secret? When I was eight, I wrote him a letter and asked him if I could join his crew.”
Cameron’s eyes widened. “Really? Did he write you back?”
“Yep. He said I needed to study hard and finish college and then we’d talk.”
Funny. Luke hadn’t thought about that letter in years, but it had been his prize possession all through elementary school. He still had it somewhere, didn’t he? Maybe tucked away with his yearbooks or something. He’d have to ask Mom if she knew where it was. Cameron would probably get a kick out of reading it.
“Why didn’t you do it?” Cameron asked.
“Do what?”
“Join his sea team?”
“I grew up and decided to be an engineer instead.”
“Because you liked that better?”
“Not better, exactly. But I was able to combine my engineering degree with a master’s in marine biology so I could have the best of both worlds. I don’t study marine life, but I help protect it against man’s environment.” It sounded like the same trite answer he’d given Sarah just last week.
“Mom says you’re super successful,” Cameron said. “And that you travel all around the country telling people how to build things right and that you don’t take crap from anyone and always do what you set out to do.”
He was flattered by the description, but he doubted Mimi had actually said that last part. “I set goals, then I work hard to achieve them.” There. That sounded like something you’d say to a thirteen-year-old. Luke nudged his nephew with his shoulder. “What about you? What do you want to be when you grow up? A professional soccer player?”
Cameron was quiet for a minute. “I don’t want to play soccer anymore.”
“But I thought—”
“I mean, I like soccer. I really do. But I want to play other sports, too, you know? Like baseball and maybe basketball, but being on the traveling team means I don’t have time for anything except soccer and school.”
“Have you told your parents?”
“No.”
Shit. This was unexpected. “Because your mom and dad have spent a lot of time and money on the soccer thing and you don’t want to let them down,” Luke said.
Cameron nodded, clearly relieved that he wasn’t the one to say it out loud. “Yeah. I was the one who pushed for the traveling team, but now that I’m on it… I guess I didn’t realize how much of a commitment it was.”
“And your parents really have no clue how you feel?”
“They love going to the games and cheering for me. And my best friend, Henry, is on the team, too. I’m the goalie and if I quit now, I’d be letting everyone down.”
The kid was in a tough spot, all right. And now, with his nephew’s impromptu revelation, so was Luke. On the one hand, he suddenly felt like the cool uncle. Cameron’s confession didn’t come lightly and Luke was honored that his nephew trusted him enough to confide in him. But on the other hand, he was the adult here. Was he supposed to do something with this information?
“Could you maybe play out the season, then just not try out again?” he suggested.
“I guess so. It’s just that basketball camp starts next month for the guys who want to try out for the eighth grade team, and if you don’t go to that you probably won’t make it, and if you don’t play on the middle school team, your chances of making the high school team are pretty much zip. And then, you know, mom’s having the baby in a few months…”
“Sounds like you’re between a rock and a hard place.” The words were barely out of his mouth when Luke cringed. Nice going, Uncle Obvious. The kid needed some real advice and all he could come up with was a crappy cliché.
“And, you know, Mom and Dad were separated this past year but right now everything is going really good,” Cameron added. “The soccer thing is no big deal. Forget I said anything.”
Separated? His sister and Zeke had been separated? Why the fuck hadn’t anyone told him this before?