Chocolate Eyes

A young woman with a shade of hair between red and brown stood in the airport with a small sign that said Evander Haner. The sign wasn't part of her job description, but she knew it put kids at ease. They felt special and so they felt safe. She grinned when she saw a dark haired woman head straight for her, pulling a little boy by the hand.

The lady with the sign stood up straighter and looked over the boy she'd be spending the next three hours with. His hair was half-hidden underneath an oversized hat but the strands that were visible were light and long. He wore utopian military jacket with straps that crossed his little chest and dark wash jeans. He followed along side of the dark haired woman in small combat boots. She automatically fell in love with him. "Hello, I'm Bridgett," she introduced as the older woman and the young boy stopped in front of her, "You must be Evander."

The woman spoke for the both of them. "Yes, I'm Victoria and this is Evander," she said, "You're going to be flying with him to Oklahoma?" the dark haired woman questioned, wanting to make sure she left the Haner boy in capable hands.

"Yup!" Bridgett said cheerfully, trying to put the silent boy at ease, "Just a quick flight over to Oklahoma." She pulled a lanyard out of her pocket and slipped it around Evander's neck. "This is your pass that says you're an unaccompanied flier. You need to wear it the whole time but other than that, this will be just like flying with your parents."

EJ looked at the woman. "My mom's dead," he said, surprising both her and the social worker, "And my daddy can't come with me."

Bridgett was obviously startled by the child's openness. She turned to gather her things as Victoria Rochotte kneeled down in front of the boy to speak with him.

Victoria sighed and rested her hands on Evander's shoulders. "EJ, there are things you share with people and things you don't," she explained, although Brian had already had this unsuccessful conversation with him, "Even though you're upset right now, you can't say that kind of stuff to people. That's your business."

"But I want her to know," EJ rebutted, crossing his arms over his chest, "We're supposed to be friends now."

Victoria sighed and stood up, gently running her hand down the back of his hatted head to rest on his backpack. He slightly and unhappily stepped away from her hand.

"How about we get going?" Bridgett asked the boy, realizing that he was unhappy about the trip he was going on, "We've got to get your bag checked and get you signed in for your flight."

Evander nodded and walked over to stand next to her. She took his suitcase and he grabbed the straps of his backpack as Victoria said her goodbyes and promised to meet him here at the airport in one week.

"I want my dad to pick me up," he replied, not pleased with her.

Victoria nodded and allowed him to be angry with her. "I'll let him know," she said, "I'm sure he'll be here." She said her final goodbye and headed out of the Los Angeles airport, leaving Brian Haner's son in the hands of a flight attendant.

"So, Evander, we're going to get you all checked in and then we'll head through airport security and board our flight." She glanced back at the little boy who followed behind her distractedly. "Evander, come on." She held her hand out to him so he wouldn't get lost.

Evander hurried to catch up with the stranger and let her hold his hand as she led them over to the long line of counters and even longer lines of people. Evander frowned as she pulled him past the lines of people and to the counter at the end.

"What about those people?" he asked.

The flight attendant smiled and turned so she could hear him. "What, sweetheart?"

"We should wait in line like everyone," he repeated, trying to pull his hand from hers.

She chuckled and shook her head, getting a better grip on the little boy's fingers. "I work here and we don't have time to wait in line," she explained, leading him over to one of her colleagues, "We've got to get this done and get on the plane. I don't think whoever is waiting for you on the other side of the flight will be very happy if you don't show up."

"So," EJ muttered, putting his hands to his side as Bridgett quickly checked them both in. She held out her hand to him when she was done and nodded for him to follow her.

EJ's luggage disappeared and he had to empty his backpack at security. When Bridgett explained that he had to take his jacket and shoes off, he became confused but walked through the machine anyways, following his things down the conveyer belt.

As Bridgett helped EJ get his boots back onto his feet, their flight was called. "We're going to miss it!" EJ exclaimed, trying to stand up before she'd even tied his boots.

"We won't miss it," she promised, quickly tying his shoes. She helped him out of the blue plastic chair. "Get your backpack, lets board our plane."

EJ grabbed his school backpack from the seat next to him and followed his supervisor towards the entrance and the podium. He took his ticket from her and handed it to the lady himself. She scanned it and the two of them were off towards the plane.

EJ settled into his seat. In three hours he would be with his grandparents in Oklahoma.

~~

Home in Huntington Beach, Brian sat on the couch in the basement alone. He was watching TV and nervously flipping between news channels. He was scared of letting his four year old fly alone, but he had no choice. Now he was forced to sit home and wait until he heard from EJ in Oklahoma.

After an hour of watching the news, Brian assumed that EJ's flight had taken off safely and he climbed the stairs to the main floor of the house. He looked out through the glass wall at the still water of the ocean and then heaved himself up the second set of stairs.

"'Chelle?" he called as he made his way to their bedroom. He pushed open the cracked door and smiled at his wife, who sat on their bed with her tablet in her lap.

She looked up when Brian stood in the doorway and smiled at her husband. She didn't want Evander to be forced away either, but she was thankful for the alone time. They hadn't been alone a night since Brian brought his son home. "What're you doing?" she asked him, peering at his bare chest and barely visible hips.

Brian shrugged and stepped into the room. He pushed her tablet out of the way and growled lightly as he covered her body with his own. "I've missed you," he murmured, laying on her with his face in her neck, "You've been so busy lately."

Michelle wrapped an around around Bri's neck gently ran her fingers through her hair. "You have been too," she answered, "EJ's first holidays with us is a big deal."

"I don't want to think about him," Brian said, trying to keep his mind off of his young child soaring through the air without family at his side.

Michelle smiled to herself. "Yeah? I might be able to take your mind off of it," she whispered.

Brian nodded against his wife, knowing what she meant. He kissed her neck and collar bone, his fingers slipping under her over-sized t'shirt.

Their clothes were shed and they disappeared under the covers. The sky grew dark outside their window and EJ's plane flew across five states to the South-Eastern corner of Oklahoma.

Brian and Michelle were laying in bed together when Brian's cell phone starting ringing from the pocket of his sweats on the floor near the door. "EJ!" Brian shouted, hurrying out of bed to get to his phone before it stopped. He pulled his sweats on his hips as he answered the call. "EJ, are you there? Are you okay?"

"Dad, I miss you," was the first thing the little boy said into the receiver, "When can I come home?"

Brian sighed, wondering how James and Holly were treating him already. "Are you with James and Holly?" Bri asked, listening to the sounds around him, "Did they pick you up from the airport?

"I'm waiting for them," EJ replied, "Bridgett is waiting with me."

"Who's Bridgett?" Brian asked, confused as to why his grandparents weren't there when his flight landed.

"She flew with me," Evander explained.

Brian sat back in bed and Michelle wrapped her arms around his waist and listened with her ear to the phone. "Evander, was your flight okay?"

Evander agreed that it was and explained that Bridgett had games for them to play the entire time. "She even told me that poop bricks fall from the plane!" He giggled uncontrollably, which had Brian laughing too. The older Haner was relieved that EJ wasn't having such a terrible time after all.

EJ rambled about his first airplane ride until his grandparents were calling his name. He complained to his dad that he had to go and Brian promised to call him when he figured his son would be arriving in Broken Bow.

Evander stood up with his backpack on and watched as his mother's parents got closer. Holly Kent grinned excitedly and pulled her only grandson into a tight hug. James Kent thanked the flight attendant for helping Evander arrive safely.

"Bye Bridgett," Evander said, "Thanks for the games."

Bridgett leaned down and hugged the little boy. "Have a nice time in Oklahoma, EJ," she said politely, "Thanks for being a fun kid."

James grabbed EJ's suitcase from the floor and Holly took her grandson's hand. "You're going to love our house, Evander," she spoke as the two of them led him out of the practically empty airport, "It's not so modern like your dad's, but it's beautiful and there's yard for you to play in and the Rustle kids live just down the road."

"Do you have a swing set?" EJ asked when they crossed the small parking lot to a nice vehicle. The headlights of the car lit the dark parking lot, showing EJ that there was barely fifteen other cars parked.

Holly frowned and pulled open the back door. "No, but there are plenty of things to do."

The ride from the Twin Lakes Airport to Broken Bow, Oklahoma took over three hours, causing EJ to be traveling for six and a half hours before finally arriving at his grandparent's house at one AM.

Holly was slightly upset that Evander slept through the ride to the house, but she understood that it was late and new surroundings weren't enough to keep a little boy up all hours of the night. When they pulled into the driveway of their one story brick home, James gathered EJ's bags while Holly pulled him from the seat they'd bought just for him.

The couple walked the stone path to their front door and went inside their house, entering into the living room with the kitchen past it and small hallway beginning at the North-East side of the living room. Holly smiled softly at her husband as she held her grandson for the first time.

"I should put him to bed," she said, "We can show him the house tomorrow."

James nodded and dropped his keys on top of their fireplace. "I think we all should get to bed," he corrected, placing his shoes on the mat by the front door. He walked over to take Evander's off and frowned at the boots that were laced clear past his ankles. "These aren't boots for a little boy," he said as he quickly untied them, "These are for drug addicts and anarchists."

Holly frowned as her husband laid EJ's boots next to his own. "Brian has his own way of doing things," she said, "For now we have to respect that. He's raising his son the way he wants."

"And dressing him," James muttered, also displeased with the drastic change in clothing that EJ had undergone since going to live with his father. "He's got our grandson in rebel jackets and stoner hats and there's nothing we can do about it."

Holly kissed her husband as she passed him to get to the mouth of the hallway. She walked past the bathroom door to the second and last door on the right of hall. It had been Claudia's room before she left for college so many years ago. It hadn't been changed since the teenager herself had decided she needed a more mature look. But when James and Holly learned their grandson would be coming to live with them after her death, they finally found the strength to box up her things and create a simple little boy's room.

Holly glanced around the baby blue room as she pulled the strange jacket off of the sleeping four year old. There were pictures of EJ and Claudia on the walls and a toy box at the end of the single bed.

She pushed down the blue blanket and white sheets and tucked her grandson in, still wearing his black jeans and a t'shirt with some logo on it that Holly didn't understand. James rolled EJ's suitcase in and over to his wife, suggesting that she get their grandson out of his jeans and into something more suitable for sleep.

"James, Evander is a reserved kid. I don't know if he'd like me undressing him," she said, remembering his timid looks at his father's house and the way he sauntered behind them at the airport.

"He's four, Holly," the gruff man replied as he dropped the boy's backpack on top of the toy box, "He won't even notice in the morning."

Holly nodded and unbuttoned EJ's jeans as James walked out of the room and across the small hallway into their own. The older woman pulled a pair of Toy Story pajama pants from Ev's suitcase and dressed him before covering him up and kissing his forehead goodnight.

She picked his jeans up from the floor and emptied the pockets, surprised to find a phone in one of them. She studied the little machine, wondering if it actually worked, and clicked a couple buttons, realizing that it was intended for a child.

She laid the pants on the dresser that was pushed against the opposite wall and set the phone on top, knowing she would have to have a talk with Evander in the morning.

Holly Kent joined her husband in their bedroom and they each went to sleep, feeling relieved that their daughter's son was finally under their roof like he was supposed to be.