Alex stood nervously in the doorway. She tried to keep herself composed and managed a small smile.

“Excuse me, I’m terribly sorry to bother you, but are you Detective Docherty?”

The older gentleman at the desk cleared his throat. “Why yes, yes I am. Detective Docherty at your service. Please come in and have a seat.”

Alex walked over to one of the chairs in front of the Detective’s desk and sat down. Her heart fired rapidly inside her chest.

“There now, how may I help you?”

“Well, uh. Hi.” She blushed. “My name is Alexandria, Alex for short, and I’m your niece.”

Phew. She had said it. It was not how she had rehearsed it, but there she was, and she had said it. Alex had been searching for him since she came to school in Toronto. She had built up scenario after scenario of how things would play out, but to be here in this moment was exhilarating.

Alex smiled, broader this time, trying to cut through the silence with a grin. From the corner of her eye, she caught a shadow and realized there was a man sitting in an old leather chair by an aquarium. She looked over at him and smiled again, but she received no such kindness in return. He gave her a steady glare that she found unnerving.

He might be handsome if he smiled, she thought. She was under the impression he didn’t do it often. He was wearing a long black coat, a gray V-neck sweater with a white shirt underneath it, and black dress pants. His black shoes were unnaturally shiny. She noted that his hairstyle was a bit outdated as well. It came out in ebony waves and framed his face pleasantly. It was just a shame his face wasn’t currently pleasant. His eyes were an arctic blue and his skin pale, but that’s what she’d expect from a vampire.

Alex turned her attention back to her uncle and gave him a charming, yet expectant look. He was staring at her with his lips slightly parted. She was momentarily concerned that he had stopped breathing when he startled her with a sudden intake of air.

“My dear girl! Alexandria! Yes, my sweet niece! By Jove, yes, I remember you. Come, come. Give your Uncle Docherty a hug.”

“Oh, thank the goddess! It is you! I knew I had it right.” She ran over to embrace him, tears in her eyes. She couldn’t believe it after all this time.

“Oh, I found you! I finally found you. Uncle Docherty, I’ve looked for so long. There is so much I want to tell you—”

“Yes, yes of course! We have so much to catch up on. I say, what brings you to Toronto? Last I heard you were living in Michigan with your Aunt May.” Docherty hugged her twice more before returning to his desk and sat, looking at her expectantly.

“It was very kind of her to let me stay with her a while, but about a year back I decided to go to school, and I thought: Sky’s the limit; I could go anywhere and when I came across the University of Toronto, I remembered my father mentioning you lived here, and knew I had found the right place.”

“I dare say, I’m honored. How kind of you to come and look me up. I am rather surprised your aunt let you go. It must have been difficult for her. Your mother’s sister, as I recall it, was quite fond of you.”

“Yes, it was a challenge convincing her to let me come to Canada. After all, she had a large role in raising me after Mom passed, and then when Dad left us two years back she was my sole provider, but she knew she had to let me go sometime.” Alex forced a smile.

Docherty paused. “My deepest apologies for the loss of your father. I know it was hard enough losing your mother. My brother was a good man.” He looked down at his desk.

Alex could tell he was a cheery man by nature, and it saddened her to see him suddenly drop at the mention of her father, but she was not going to give up on their happy reunion. She had wondered two years ago why he hadn’t come to the funeral, and there were plenty of times she had questioned what had happened between her uncle and her father, but all of that was behind them now.

“Thank you, Detective. My father was a good man, and his biggest regret in life was that we did not know each other. I know there were some differences between the two of you, but that’s all gone now. He asked me to find you, and I have. He used to tell me that something good always comes out of something bad, and here we are—and I think this is something good.”

“He was such a happy man, always optimistic. It is so very good to see you, my dear. You look so much like your mother.” He smiled.

Alex found the comment to be a bit odd. No one had ever said that to her before. Her mother had straight blonde hair while Alex’s was a bird’s nest of brown waves.

“Thank you,” was all she could think to say. She was about to continue when she heard a cough from the corner by the fish tank. She blushed. She had completely forgotten the strange man sharing the office with them.

“What was that now?” Docherty asked as if she’d been the one who’d cough.

“Oh, I—well, actually, I better get going.” She shuffled uncomfortably.

If she had known her uncle was going to turn out to be so wonderfully kooky she would have given herself more time, but because she had never met him before she had been wary of an extended first meeting. She had wanted to test the waters, dip her toes in, and see if it was too cold or too hot before she committed to anything. Not that Alex would have expected a weirdo, but her father and uncle hadn’t spoken in years, and while she promised not to get involved in it, she honestly didn’t know him and had been nervous.

“So soon? What a pity. You’ll stop by again, won’t you?” Docherty raised a bushy eyebrow.

“Actually, is tomorrow okay?” Alex said eagerly. She bit her lip.

“Of course! I cannot think of a single reason why not! Let’s say same time in the office tomorrow, six o’clock?” Docherty flared with excitement.

“Sounds great.” Alex’s heart lifted as she stood and moved toward the door.

“How delightful! I look forward to it.” The Detective rose to walk her to the door. “Be safe, my dear, and have a pleasant evening.”

“Thank you! You too, Uncle Docherty!”

Alex paused to say goodbye to the gentleman in the chair, but when she looked at him, his stare stopped her mid-breath. She turned quickly for the doorway and waved goodbye one last time to her happy uncle.

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