Chocolate Eyes

"No, Daddy, no!" EJ screeched in laughter as his uncle Matt scooped him up into his thick arms. "Daddy, help!" he screamed, wrapping his arms around Matt's shoulders, "I don't like water!"

Brian laughed and waved at his son from his chair near his friend's patio table. His friends laughed as Matt plunged into the pool, taking the little boy under the water with him.

Zacky took a seat next to him with a beer in his hand and kicked Johnny's leg, telling the short man to go help the kid.

"Why me?" he asked incredulously, reaching to lift his beer from the table.

"Because you're closest to his age," Brian stated, looking across Zacky at the man, "And his height so he'll trust you more."

Zacky laughed and nodded, agreeing with his best friend. "Yeah, get going. Matt is going to drown him before you get there."

Johnny sighed and stood up. He ran towards the pool and jumped in, swimming to the deep end where Matt was with EJ in his arms.

The guys had decided that they were going to have a boy's day out, which turned into a boy's day at Zacky's heated pool when Evander was taken into consideration.

After spending time with his mother's parents for the first time, EJ needed a little time just to be a kid. Brian woke him early the next morning and the child rambled excitedly about having a boy's day for the very first time. He easily stepped into his swim trunks and stood in the hallway excitedly as he waited for his dad to get ready.

Michelle and the rest of the girls had decided to have their own day out since the men had left them out of their plans. They got together and went out for breakfast before any of the guys had even rolled out of bed.

At a little cafe on the main strip, Michelle, Valary, Gina, and Lacey ate breakfast foods and talked about their guys but mostly their conversation strayed back to Michelle, asking her about Brian and EJ.

Michelle smiled, leaning her chin on the palm of her hand. "He's really good with him," she said honestly, "He pretty much does it all. I haven't really gotten to know EJ that well."

Lacey frowned. "He lives in your house," she replied, "You haven't spent any time with him?"

Michelle shrugged, looking at the eyes of her best friends and sister, "He's really shy and I don't think he's ready to have another mother figure in his life, so I'm giving him a little space until he really gets used to being here."

"You just got to jump in and be his friend, 'Chelle," her sister replied, squeezing her arm reassuringly, "He's only the most adorable child on the face of the planet. If he was Matt's son, I'd be hugging and kissing him to death."

Michelle smiled politely when her friends agreed, each rambling about how they wanted to start families someday with their men. Michelle sat quietly in her seat, sipping on her coffee and thinking about what her sister had said.

Val had always been much more outgoing than her. She was the twin that everyone remembered. If someone forgot her name, they remembered Val's. Michelle slightly wished that Matt would've been the one with the child, because Valary would've known just how to handle it. She, the child, and Matt would've instantly been a family, no awkward getting used to period between coming home and being at home.

"Could you imagine a baby Matt?" Val asked, laughing as she imagined such a sight.

"That' would be one big baby," Gina said between her laughter, shaking her head, "I pity you, Val. That's going to be terrible."

Val laughed, covering her mouth with her hand. "Stop picking on Matty," she demanded, although she wasn't serious, "he would make cute babies."

Lacey nodded, trying to conceal her grin. "Big watermelon babies."

Michelle laughed along with her friends. They had a different way of coping with things than she did, but they were always there for her when she needed them to be.

Back at Zacky's the guys were crowded around a patio table, scarfing down grilled burgers and drinking beers as they talked about anything and everything that came to mind. EJ copied every thing his father did, down to taking a bite of their identical burgers at the exact same moment.

Matt watched the two of them, smiling as the little boy mimicked his dad. "So, EJ," he said, catching the child's attention.

"What?" the four year old asked with a mouthful of food.

"You dad was telling us that you're going to school for the first time this year," he explained, knowing that Brian hadn't talked to the child about it yet, "Does that sound fun?"

EJ's dark eyes widened and he slowly turned to look at Brian. "School?" he repeated, setting his burger on his plate. "When?"

"In a couple weeks," Brian stated, pushing his plate away from him, "It'll be fun. You'll get to learn to read finally."

Evander frowned. "You can't teach me?"

Brian shrugged his shoulders. "I can help you," he allowed, "But if you go to school then you can make new friends and show everyone how smart you are."

Evander crossed his little arms over his chest. He wasn't angry about having to go, but he was nervous. His mom had never told him about school before and he wasn't sure that he really wanted to be anywhere new without his dad by his side. They'd been inseparable since EJ had come home with him and he didn't know that would have to change.

"Will you come with me?" the boy asked, meeting his dad's eyes.

Brian and the guys smiled. He nodded, touching EJ's hair. "I'll stay for a little while," he promised, "But you won't want me there for very long."

"Yes, I will."

The guys chuckled at the child's defiant reply.

EJ was subdued by Brian's promise and turned his attention back to the huge hamburger on his plate. It was far too much for him, but Brian made him a burger identical to his own, per request of the child.

EJ raced back to the pool as soon as he was full, hovering around the steps while he waited for his dad and his uncles to finish and come play with him.

"Come on, Dad!" he shouted, climbing the steps. He walked over to the men and crossed his arms, dripping on the tiled patio floor.

Brian took a sip of his beer and then turned to face his son directly. "Ev, I'm talking, I'll come play in a little bit. Can you entertain yourself for a little while?"

"No," the blonde retorted.

Brian glanced at his friend's grinning faces. "Well, EJ," Brian soothed, pulling his son closer to him by resting a hand on the small of his back, "You're an only child, none of the guys have kids, and you haven't started school yet, so you're going to have to entertain yourself for just a little while longer. When you go to school and make friends, then you can come over and play with you."

Evander grinned at the possibility. "Really?"

Bri nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, of course. That's where you make friends. I met all these guys in school." He jerked his thumb towards the three of them sitting around the table.

EJ looked at all his dad's best friends. "When you were little?" he asked, holding his fingers just an inch apart. "Now you're always together."

Brian nodded, as did the rest of them.

"What if the other kids don't want to be my friend?" he asked, meeting they multicolored eyes around the table. "What if they don't like me?"

They guys all started talking over each other, trying to reassure EJ that there was nothing to worry about. None of them could imagine a boy like Evander not making any friends. He was the most agreeable four year old any of them had ever met.

"You'll make friends," Zacky promised once the guys quieted down, "You're a Haner. Just remember that and they'll love you."

Evander knew what he meant and nodded slowly. "Okay," he agreed, "I'll try." He smiled doubtfully and waddled back towards the pool, stepping carefully so that he would slip on the concrete.

The guys watched him for just a second before Matt, Johnny, and Zacky pushed out of their chairs and leaped into the deep end of the pool. Brian raced over and threw his son over his shoulder before he followed after his friends.

Evander laughed loudly when they resurfaced. Thoughts of school were erased from his mind as they played with his dad and his uncles in the heated pool. He'd never been this carefree before and it felt good to be a child. He hadn't realized it, but he was happier with his dad than he'd been in a long time, even when his mom was still alive.

He'd had Crispen to play with him when he was bored, but he never thought about going to school, making friends, or living in a house on the beach. His four year old imagination hadn't stretched farther than the house he lived in with Jake and his mom, but now he was excited for other opportunities. Excited to be apart of the boy's day in and a large family, even one as makeshift as this.