~13~
"She's something, isn't she?" Hank nodded toward his littlest niece with a grin.
In a far corner of the yard, Maria was clapping and congratulating Samantha on a job well done—"a good potty"—while Sam looked on, greatly amused.
"She is," Luis agreed with a smile of his own. For the briefest of seconds, he longed again to possess the simple, pure perception of a child, where joy could be found in the smallest of things. Maybe then, his life and the key to his happiness wouldn't be so complicated.
"You're getting serious on me again, Man," Hank declared in a nagging voice.
"Hank," Luis warned.
Unruffled, Hank stuffed his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket for warmth and stomped the heels of his shoes against the hard ground. "Do you want to talk about it? Things looked pretty intense between you and Sheridan earlier."
"When you interrupted," Luis voiced a reminder as they sat side by side on the picnic table bench.
"Yeah," Hank feigned a sheepish shrug, "I've been told I have a knack for that. I prefer to think of it as a talent. Interruptions aren't always bad."
"Not always," Luis echoed with a smirk.
"If I hadn't announced myself at that precise moment," Hank continued, "who knows what kind of crazy things you might have done." Giving Luis a sideways glance, he offered up his own predictions in a voice dripping with sarcasm, "Hell, you might have kissed her. Or worse yet, admitted you never stopped loving her."
"Hank," Luis sighed heavily. "It's not that easy."
"I know," Hank gave an answering sigh. "It's complicated. I get it."
"No, you don't," Luis insisted, his frustration showing itself in the frown he wore. "I can't let Marty get hurt. If there's even a chance…"
Seeing Sam and Maria approach, Hank stood and placed a firm hand on Luis's shoulder, his brown eyes devoid of any humor as he spoke, "You're only fooling yourself with that excuse, Luis. Nobody else. Make it simple. Don't let her leave without telling her."
"What? Are you a shrink now?" Luis rose, preparing to say his goodbyes to Sam, Maria, and his good-intentioned, albeit annoying, friend.
The twinkle returned to Hank's eyes as he rebounded with a reply that brought a smile back to Luis's face, "I moonlight on the holidays. The first consultation's free. There's no way you could afford my hourly rates."
Luis chuckled as they shared a brotherly parting embrace. "Don't quit your day job."
"What day job?" Hank grinned, lifting a hand in goodbye.
"Hank," Luis called.
"Yeah?" Hank hung back.
"Take care," Luis told him, uncertain of the next time they would cross paths.
"Always."
So...Hank. Good friend, non? Annoying sometimes, but good.
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