Jason stood frozen in front of Regina, who hurried up the stairs and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly as she whispered words of affection. He looked down at the young girl, now about five foot one despite being only thirteen. It had been a long time since they last met, and much had changed. Even her face had taken on a more mature softness.
Unconsciously, Jason smiled and hugged her back. The tension that had seized him moments earlier melted away in her embrace. After a brief moment of affection between uncle and niece, he stepped back, gently patting her head as if she were a small puppy, then bent slightly to meet her eyes.
"Hey, Regina. It's been a while. How have you been?" he asked warmly. Though he wasn't truly the uncle she remembered, he did his best to act the part.
Regina replied with a cheerful tilt of her lips.
"I've been well, Uncle J."
Jason resisted the urge to grimace. He disliked honorifics, finding them unnecessary and aging.
