The cake without the birthday boy

Today was my nephew's 9th birthday. 9 years old... It seems to me that it was only 2 or 3 years ago that I opened the hospital door and found my scruffy big brother, sitting in a rocking chair, completely in love with his tiny little son. Whenever I miss my brother, I see that image of the big biker rendered soft by his son. I never knew these big tough bikers could be that emotional! (Of course, I saw a lot more of that sweetness and softness when my brother died, and one after the other, the bikers stood in front of us. Don't trust the boasts and the tattoos!) Today, I missed my brother even more because I wasn't there to celebrate my nephew's important birthday.

So, after work, I wandered into a coffee shop and had a nice latte with a belgian brownie. It wasn't the same as seeing my nephew. But it was sweet.