Chocolate Eyes

"What's up, guys?" Brian greeted as he pulled open his front door.

His long-time friends and bandmates made their way in, grinning at him with beers and food in their hands.

Matt, the singer of his band, clapped him on the shoulder as he entered the house with his wife. "Not a whole lot, Gates. We just came over to see what all that was about last night."

Brian nodded his head and moved to hug Matt's wife, Valary. "How have you been, Brian?" she questioned as she kissed his cheek and held him in a tight hug. "Enjoying the time off from tour?"

Brian chuckled as they pulled away. He pushed his front door shut as he answered, "Yeah. It's been great to sleep in a real bed again."

Valary grinned at him and nodded. "I know," she said, "That's why I hate it when Matt drags me along with you lot. Your bunks are so uncomfortable."

Johnny, the shortest member and bassist of the band, grinned and shook his head. "You're just uncomfortable because you've got Matt crammed up in there with you. If you were to sleep with me, there'd be plenty of room for you."

Matt scowled and grabbed his wife around the waist, pulling her closer to him protectively. "If she slept with you, Short Shit, she'd have to be blind and stupid."

The guys all chuckled as they migrated to Brian's kitchen to dump off their alcohol. Brian stuck his hands in his pockets and walked behind them, licking his dry lips over and over again. "You guys want to head out to the pool?" he asked as he looked over to the sliding glass door that led to his large backyard. "I could go for a swim."

Although Brian's house was practically on the beach, he made sure the house he had came with a pool for all the parties that he and his friends had. The beach just wouldn't do, especially when he and Michelle would strip down to nothing and take a midnight dip.

"Me too," Zacky said as he cracked open a beer, "It's fucking hot out. It's been crazy hot this summer already."

Brian nodded along with the guys and moved to unlock the patio door so the group of guys could escape like a pack of wild dogs. Val hung back and smiled at Brian. "Where's 'Chelle?" she questioned, referring to her twin sister who happened to be married to Brian.

Brian smiled at the mention of his wife and pointed towards the stairs. "Shower," he said simply before making his way outside, leaving Valary to find her own sister in the large house.

Matt, Johnny, and Zacky were already in the pool when Brian emerged. They were shouting out to him to 'get his ass in the pool' and Brian obliged, slipping out of his t-shirt and diving head first into the deepest end of his pool.

He laughed as he came up and witnessed Johnny Christ trying to hold their left-handed guitarist under water. Brian rolled his eyes and shoved the man off of his best friend. Zacky gasped loudly as he came up for air.

"Dumbass," Zacky shouted at Johnny, "That shit burns when you snort it up your fucking nose!"

The guys bursted with laughter. After goofing around with his friends for a little while longer, Brian extracted himself from the pool and sauntered over to the grill. He lit it up and then headed to his kitchen to get the burgers, dripping profusely on the white carpets that covered his entire first floor.

"Need any help?" Michelle asked as she and Valary came down the stairs.

Brian grinned over his shoulder. "Not really," he said, "I'm just going to get the burgers started before the guys light torches and start a mob."

Michelle and Val laughed. Val took the plate of burgers from Brian's hands as 'Chelle moved into him and wrapped her arms around his waist. His shorts were dripping on her legs and feet but she didn't mind as he husband leaned down to kiss her softly.

"What's the big news?" Michelle asked in between two kisses.

Brian chuckled. "I'll tell everyone after we eat," he told her, grinning softly when the blonde woman pouted, jutting out her bottom lip.

"Come on, Bri," she moaned, "You should tell me first so that I don't freak out in front of your friends and cause a huge scene."

Brian's laughter shook his body, causing him to throw his head back. "You'll do that anyways!" he claimed playfully, tucking a piece of bleach blonde hair behind his wife's ear. He kissed her cheek before he said, "I'll tell you when we're done eating."

Michelle playfully glared at him. She pulled out of his grasp and headed towards the pool, shaking her hips a little more than usual. Brian laughed at her and grabbed a beer from his fridge before following.

"Come on, Val, get your ass in the pool!" Matt shouted at his wife, who sat on a patio chair with a smile on her lips. She shook her head at his demand.

"Don't yell at me, Matthew," she shouted back, "I don't want to swim!"

Matt rolled his eyes and heaved himself out of the pool. "It's what we came to Brian's for," he told her. Then he jumped back into the pool, splashing Valary and Michelle as he cannon balled, almost landing on Zacky's head.

Johnny hurried over to Brian and offered to help, much like Michelle had.

"Just watch these, will you?" Brian asked as he turned towards the living room at the sound of the house phone ringing in the kitchen. "I'll be right back. Don't fucking burn anything."

"I won't, I won't," Johnny replied, rolling his eyes at his friend. "I know how to cook a burger on the grill."

Still, Brian gave him an apprehensive look before running off towards the phone, his feet slipping on the wet stone floor that surrounded the pool. Brian slid through the gap in the sliding glass door and jumped for the phone as it rang one last time.

"Hello?" he asked, biting his lip as he pulled the phone away to glance at the number.

"Mr Haner?" This is Victoria Richotte. I'm calling to ask if you've made your decision regarding Evander."

Brian nodded his head. "I haven't," he said slowly, "I was just about to talk to my family and my wife about it."

"Oh, really? I'm sorry to interrupt but if you do not decide to welcome Evander into your home then he will be sent on a plane to his maternal grandparents tonight and the proper arrangements need to made," she replied.

Brian nodded once again feeling his nerves swell in his stomach. "I understand that. But I need to speak with my wife. I will call you back tonight. Do not send him tonight."

"Mr. Haner, Evander can not stay with his step-father for much longer, you need to know that. He either is to be given custody to you or to James and Holly Kent."

Brian asked, "Is something wrong with his step-father?"

Victoria replied, "I assure you that your son is perfectly safe under the care of Mr. Taylor, it is just that Jacob Taylor had never legally claimed Evander as his, so Evander can not stay alone under Mr. Taylor's care for more than 72 hours, legally."

"I understand," Brian replied, "Can I call you in an hour and tell you my decision?"

Victoria Rochotte sighed. "Okay, Mr. Haner, one hour. After an hour I will have arrangements made for Evander to be sent to his grandparents in Oklahoma. Permanently."

"An hour," Brian replied, "I'll call you in an hour."

They said goodbye and Brian hung up, his hands shaking as he realized he couldn't put off talking to his family about his child any longer. Brian ran his fingers through his fallen hair as he took a deep breath. He pushed the sliding glass open wider as he walked out slowly, catching the attention of his wife and her sister.

"Who was it, Bri?" she asked from where she sat with Val.

Brian cracked his knuckles nervously as he walked over towards them, his bottom lip caught between his teeth. "A case worker from Child Welfare Services," he said as the guys swam over to the edge of the pool.

Michelle looked dumbfounded. "What did they want?"

Brian ducked his head and braced himself for the words that he was about to speak. "She was calling to ask if I wanted to be granted custody of my son."