If there's one thing I love, it's travel.

No house, no kids, just me and my passport, and a career that lets me see the world. My younger brother, Victor, is the opposite. At 30, he's a teacher, married, and is the father to two amazing twin boys.

And those kids?

I adore them.

So, for their 8th birthday, I planned something huge. An all-expenses-paid Disney trip for Victor, my nephews, and our parents.

But apparently, I wasn't family enough to be invited to the actual birthday party.

I was grabbing takeout when my phone buzzed.

It was Emma, my sister-in-law.

"Urgh," I groaned.

I almost ignored the call. Emma and I weren't close, but I assumed that she was calling about the trip. Maybe she was confirming details or checking the itinerary.

That was Emma for you. Everything could have been completely planned, but Emma would still try and micromanage.

She was insufferable.

I answered, sighing. And it was a big mistake.

"Bill, only families and kids are invited to the boys' birthday, so we won't be needing you there," she said, her voice dripping with fake politeness.

"Excuse me?" I frowned, hoping that I had misheard her.

She sighed like I was burdening her.

"Look, you live... differently. There's absolutely no stability in your life. No responsibilities. No boundaries. You bounce around like some college kid at 39 years old. That's embarrassing. That's not the kind of influence I want around my children."

On one hand, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. But then I had to remind myself that we were talking about Emma. She was like this.

"I'm their uncle, Emma," I said. "Their father's brother. I adore the boys."

Emma's voice turned sharp.

"You don't know what it means to be responsible, Bill. You're a fun uncle, you're not real family that the kids can depend on. So, the party will be the weekend after their birthday when I'm back from my trip. I've decided on a superhero theme, you can send your gifts over before that. I'll tell them it's from you."

That hit much harder than I'd like to admit. Never mind the vacations I paid for or the emergencies that I covered. Never mind the way I spoiled her kids like they were my own. None of it mattered to her.

Later, Victor called to apologize.

"I'm sorry, man," he said. "I overheard her on the phone with you, but I honestly didn't want to get involved. You know how she is, Bill. I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place."

I didn't blame him.

But I sure as hell wasn't going to let Emma decide my worth in this family.

So, I had a better idea.

Emma had a business trip coming up. Perfect.

My brother hesitated when I told him about the Disney plan.

"I don't know, Bill," he said, rubbing his forehead. "If she finds out... You know Emma."

"She will find out, Vic," I cut in. "But after the fact. And honestly, by then, it won't even matter."

Victor exhaled slowly. Then, his shoulders dropped.

"Okay... but if she asks, I'm not telling her that we're going to Disney. She deserves to know that I'm taking the twins somewhere. But does she deserve the truth? No."

That made me pause. I didn't think Victor had it in him.

"What are you telling her, then?" I asked.