Chocolate Eyes

Michelle took EJ for a haircut before Saturday. She was so nervous about meeting the Kents on her own that she spent Saturday morning picking out outfits for the boy and searching the internet for the nearest child salon. She woke him up far before he would’ve wanted and he complained all the way through his bath. Afterwards, she dried him off, grabbed a pair of black jeans and forced him into a patterned sweater.

“Do I have to cut my hair?” he asked as he helped him into his shoes and reached for him hand to lead him out of the house.

She was hazardous as she spun to the couch behind her and grabbed her purse. She quickly made a mental checklist of all the things she needed for the day and checked them off before she answered him. “Yes,” she said, checking her purse for her wallet and cell phone, “Because it’s in your eyes and past your ears.” She ushered him past her.

He sighed loudly and walked over to the door. He waited until she grabbed something else and finally caught up before he yanked the door open and stepped outside. He waited on the path for her to lead the way. She loaded him into the backseat and got into the front. She let her cellphone GPS guide them to the strip mall downtown and then she unloaded the reluctant child.

She couldn’t help but note that he looked darling in the sweater. She had a point to prove and wanted to show the Kents that EJ was fine with her, good even. He clacked his sandaled feet through the doorway of the child’s salon as Michelle held the door open for him. He was entirely unamused as one of the employees turned a huge smile in his direction.

“I’m Michelle Haner,” the woman said, announcing who they were, “This is EJ. He has an appointment.” She rested her freehand on the boy’s shoulder to motion to him and the woman smiled at them both.

“Hi Michelle, hi EJ, welcome to Carly’s, I’m Laurie. What’re you looking to get done today?” She folded her hands together and moved behind the counter that the computer sat on. Michelle could see as she clicked on EJ’s name and signed the child into the system. There was another small family sitting in a row of chairs along the wall, and EJ sent the other child dirty looks.

Michelle turned his head away from them. “He just needs it all trimmed up a bit,” she explained. EJ’s hair had been styled soon after he came to live with her and Brian and it was an adorable look on him. She just needed to clean it up a bit before reintroducing him to his grandparents for the first time in six months.

“Alrighty,” the woman said, nodding animatedly, “Why don’t you two follow me over to Krista’s station and we’ll get her set up to trim him up.” She rounded the little dividers that separated the stations from the waiting area and Michelle watched EJ stare at everyone, letting them know exactly how unimpressed he was.

Laurie introduced them to a dark haired woman and EJ climbed up into her chair. Krista made the mistake of directing her words to the child instead of Michelle. “What’s your name, sweetheart?”

“I don’t want my hair cut,” he said stubbornly, eyeing the woman with the scissors.

The surprised woman turned her attention to Michelle. She was at a loss for words. She was often met with tears from reluctant children, but anger was slightly more rare, especially directed towards her and not the parent.

“His name is EJ,” Michelle answered, giving him a look, “He just needs it trimmed. I want it to stay the same style, but I want his hair out of his eyes and off his neck and ears.” Michelle stood and touched the sections she was talking about. EJ sat like a rock, watching his step-mother and the stranger in the mirror.

“He’s a gorgeous child,” Krista commented as she combed his bangs into place, “With gorgeous hair. He takes after you, I’m guessing.”

“I’m his step-mom,” Michelle answered automatically, standing a couple feet away so she could keep an eye on the woman cutting his hair off, “And he takes after his father in a lot of ways, except the hair color.”

“Well, he’s gorgeous,” the stylist concluded. She finished off his bangs and went around, trimming all the thick blonde strands. When she was finished, she brushed the strands one more time to make sure she hadn’t missed one, and then pulled the apron off of him, letting the hairs fall to the floor. EJ eyed his reflection and climbed up from the chair, his sandals stepping on his hair.

Michelle pulled cash out of her wallet and handed it to the woman as a tip. “Thank you,” she said, resting her hand on the center of EJ’s back to keep him from walking out.

“Thank you,” Krista replied appreciatively, “He was a good client.”

Michelle smiled tightly and led EJ over to the counter to pay for the actual haircut. The chalkboard above their heads said that it would $17.95, despite the fact that it only last five minutes and only took off an inch all the way around. Michelle pulled the credit card out of her wallet and reached for EJ’s hand with her free one. He moved back to her side instead of going through the door like he was attempting.

The first woman they met came back over to the counter, smiling at them. “Well doesn’t he look lovely,” she cooed, “What beautiful eyes. You really shouldn’t hide them.” She accepted Michelle’s credit card without a word about it and scanned it, letting the machine take the money before handing it back with a machine. “We hope to see you again soon,” she said, “Enjoy your weekend.”

Michelle thanked her and let go of EJ’s fingers so she could put the card away and grab the keys. EJ moved to the glass door and pushed it open, stopping before getting to the second one. He held the door open and waited for Michelle. She moved past him and led him out of the second door and to the vehicle across the parking lot.

“Where are we going?” EJ asked as he climbed into the backseat and turned around to sit down in the car-seat. He looked at Michelle as she leaned forward into the car and buckled him into the harness.

Michelle shoved the four pieces together and stood up, hands at her side. She stood in the open door and looked at him. “We’re getting lunch with James and Holly,” she said, although he already knew. Neither of them had really talked about it since the phone call, but they both knew that today was the day. EJ had been hoping it was going to be later in the day, or cancelled.

“Do they have a new house?” he asked, relaying the words that he’d heard his social worker speak on the phone. His dark eyes started at Michelle and waited. She could feel him pulling the answers out of her.

“Yeah, but we’re meeting at Watertable,” she answered.

The little boy grinned at the name of the restaurant and then quickly tried to hide it. Michelle had spent their time together exposing him to some of the best places in Huntington Beach, including beaches and restaurants. He’d taken to Watertable the most of all the places they’d gone to and had mentioned it multiple times since their visit two weeks ago. It was a mid-range restaurant with great food, but otherwise, Michelle wasn’t sure why he liked it so much. But she picked it because he did.

Michelle saw his smile and smiled at it in return. She pushed the back door closed and get into the driver’s seat. EJ was excited to be going back to the restaurant, despite the reason that they were going back. They were already downtown, so it only took minutes to get there. She pulled into the parking lot and EJ was already pushing up out of his seat.

He dropped back down dramatically when she turned the car off. “Are they here?” he asked, peering through the tinted windows to see if he could spot his mother’s parents. When he couldn’t see anything, he waited for Michelle to come and get him out, his palms resting on his thighs.

Michelle opened the back door before she answered. “I’m not sure. They might be inside. I don’t know what car they’re driving.” She unbuckled him from the harness and he climbed out. She lifted him out and held him up to cross the parking lot. He was still small enough to be carried easily and Michelle liked the reflection of them together in the windows.

She wore a simple white dress and black heels. Her hair was curling slightly and fell just beyond her shoulders. EJ looked similar, his hair almost the same color and his sweater decorated in patterns and clean white. She set him down when they got inside and smiled at the host as he walked over to them.

“We have reservations,” she said easily, “Haner. Has anyone else arrived?”

“No, ma’am,” the man answered, finding their name in the book, “Let me show you to your seat.” He took them through the darkened restaurant and EJ’s eyes caught on the lighted fish tanks and glowing fish that split the room in half. He was amazed by the blues and yellows and oranges in the tanks and the sheer size of them. Besides dim decorative lanterns that hung over each table and muted track lighting, they were the brightest things in the room. These tanks were much better than the one they had at home.

He and Michelle were seated at a booth that backed up to the tank and EJ spun on his knees to peer into it. “Michelle,” he said, cutting off the host and not turning around, “Can we get one of these blue fish?”

“Those are too big for our tank, E,” she answered, nodding to the host as he made a final comment and walked back to his post. She turned to the child and his fish and touched the glass where one was on the other side. “They are really beautiful though. They’re called ‘bioluminescent’ when they glow like that.”

He didn’t answer but his dark eyes refocused on the bright fish and stayed there until his maternal grandparents came walking through the darkened room. EJ’s eyes landed on them and he turned slowly back around and dropped into his seat. The people took the chairs across from them, Holly hanging her purse off one.

“Evander, look at you,” the woman practically cooed, “You look so grown up.”

Michelle stood up to greet them before they sat down. They’d met once already that their daughter’s funeral, but Michelle wanted to do it properly. She held her hand out to Holly first, since she was closest and the least intimidating. “I’m Michelle,” she said, “It’s nice to see you again.”

Holly shook the woman’s hand warmly. “You as well,” she spoke, “We haven’t really had a chance to get to know each other. We mostly deal with Brian when it comes to our grandson.”

“Yeah, we just talked to him last night and he sends his best,” the blonde woman answered, relaying the information in a completely different way than Brian spoke it. She offered a smile to James Kent, not wanting to reaching across the table to shake his hand.

He looked back at her gruffly and then slid his wife’s chair out for her. Holly sat down and began speaking again, all her attention back at EJ.

“You look wonderful,” she said to the child, honestly meaning the words. It was obvious that he’d been guided by a woman’s touch and she was happy because of it. “How have you been, Evander?”

EJ rested his hands on the table, his fingers tangled loosely together. Since so much time had past, he got the idea in his head that maybe he wasn’t going to have to see them again. Wasn’t going to have to be happy to be around them. He had grown a lot in the last six months, and even more since his father left. He didn’t burst into tears automatically anymore, he went quiet. He was almost five now, rather than barely four when Brian found him.

“Fine,” he answered the grandparents, not offering anymore information. He didn’t sound snippy when he spoke, only muted.

“We’ve brought your Christmas presents from home,” Holly said, wanting to see some reaction, “We wanted to be there when you opened them, that’s why we didn’t send them out to you. Santa even dropped some of his at our house as well.”

“I got a lot of presents from my dad,” he answered simply, “and Matt and Val, and my Papa and Suzy and Michelle, and Zacky and Gena, and Johnny and Lacey, and Brent,” he named the closest people to him, “and Santa brought me a car.”

“What do you mean ‘a car’?” James asked, looking at EJ and then Michelle.

The blonde answered quickly, “A child-sized car,” she explained, “It’s battery powered. He really loves the thing. Rides it all over the yard. We even drive it down to the public beach.”

“It doesn’t go on sand,” EJ added. It was something that he’d recently discovered.

“That sounds wonderful,” Holly commented, imagining the boy’s bounty from the members of Brian’s family, “I bet you got a lot of really wonderful gifts. You could come open ours at our house after lunch. We want to show you our new house. We got it so that we could spend some time with you this summer.”

EJ’s expression was back to the blank one and his eyes moved to Michelle’s.

“That sounds great,” the woman answered for him, noting the displeased looks on the Kents faces, “He loves opening them, so it should be a lot of fun.” She grabbed to take his glass of water away from him when he moved to dip his fingers in it. She set it down next to her own, out of his reach, and then smiled politely at the couple.

When their waiter came, they had to ask for a couple more minutes so that they could look over their menus. EJ looked at his own and asked Michelle to explain to him what the pictures were. He ended up picking out chicken tacos with chips and salsa and told the waiter on his own choice.

“Can I have pop?” he asked, despite the fact that they’d previously ordered him chocolate milk.

“Yeah, with dinner,” Michelle answered both him and the waiter, knowing that soda was better with tacos than milk.

EJ smiled and grabbed his milk. He took a big drink and set it back down on the table, done with it for all intensive purposed. He put his hands at his sides, his palms pressing against the booth, and waited for his Coke.

“Evander, how have you been without your father?” Holly asked, leaning forwards on the table.

“Fine,” he answered again, looking past her as the employee came back into sight. His gaze focused back on her when the man didn’t head their direction with his glass.

“It’s not hard to be away from him?” Holly questioned.

“Yeah,” EJ answered, his eyes trained on her completely, “but he’s coming home.”

“I know that,” Holly agreed, “I was just worried that you might’ve been a little upset when he left you. But you’re having fun with Michelle, then?”

“And Val,” the child qualified, “She’s having a baby.”

Both adults looked for Michelle for clarification. They looked confused by the direction that the conversation had taken, but James hid it better. He still looked angry. It was a strange combination of emotions.

“My sister,” Michelle explained to them, “She’s pregnant with her first child. EJ’s been really involved.”

“I’m the baby’s cousin,” he said, sounding almost proud about the fact, “Val even said I can help pick a name.”

Michelle smiled at him. “She said that she’ll tell you the options when they get there and you can put in your vote,” she answered, knowing that he didn’t have as much weight as he made it sound like he did.

“Is it a boy or a girl?” Holly asked, looking at EJ mostly, but glancing towards Michelle for verification.

“We don’t know,” he said, “but we’re gonna love it even if it’s a girl.” His attention was diverted by the waiter returning with his coke and Michelle grabbed it before the boy could. She unsheathed a straw for him and suck it through the ice before could try to drink it from the glass and tip it.

James spoke up for the first time since they’d sat down. “What about you?” he asked, directing the question towards Michelle, “Do you and Brian intend to have any children?”

Michelle was stunned by the question, and EJ was too. He paused with his lips parted, his mouth on the straw, and looked at Michelle and his grandfather. It was something that Michelle never expected to be asked and she was at a loss for words. She looked to EJ, who was paying full attention, and then to Holly, but the woman wasn’t going to bail her out.

“I’m not sure I know why you’re asking,” Michelle answered, just a slight tone in her voice. She’d been on their side since the beginning. She wanted EJ to have a decent relationship with them, but Brian ha told her about their words, and now she was experiencing it herself for the first time.

“Just curious,” Holly said, replying for her husband, “I think that you and Brian would make beautiful children. You’re both very attractive people.”

“Thank you, but I don’t fe-“

“I’m asking because I want to know why you don’t just have your own child,” James said, replacing his wife’s words with his own. “If you do have a child, you won’t be so focused on this vendetta - on keeping Evander from us. You two are able to have your own children, you don’t need to keep our grandson and change him into one of you.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Michelle said, completely offended, “EJ’s not disposable to us. We can’t just go and have another child and replace him - we love him. EJ is Brian’s son. His blood. We’re not ‘keeping him’ to spite you. We love him and want him in our lives.” She spoke levelheadedly and clearly. She didn’t rush her words or combat them. Her hand found EJ’s while she spoke and she wished that she could make him un-hear his grandfather’s words. He wasn’t interchangeable.

“He’s our last heir,” James answered, “He’s all we have. You and Brian have the opportunity to have more children. Surely, EJ’s namesake means more to us than to you, but you and your husband are trying to erase his mother, his family, from him.”

“You need to stop,” Michelle stated, glancing at her step-son, “You have no respect for him if you’re going to speak like this in front of him, Mr. Kent. I don’t know who you think you are, but if you bring this up again in front of him again, I will guarantee that you’ll have no use for that summer home, because you will not being seeing EJ again.”

EJ was surprised by the temper in Michelle’s words. When he first met her, she’d been quiet and hung back. Her approach had been to give him space and he thought of her as something that lingered. Something that existed on the outskirts. But Michelle was very much in the fight. She was at the forefront now, and EJ scooted closer to her in solidarity.

“We’re sorry,” Holly said, apologizing for the both of them, “James doesn’t mean to offend you. We’ve just been away from our grandson so long that we’re forgetting what’s for children’s ears and what isn’t. We won’t bring it up again.”

Michelle was grateful that two waiters came their direction, carrying trays of plates, because it stopped her from having to answer the woman or make eye-contact with her husband. She directed the employees where her and EJ’s plates were supposed to go, and then slid his towards her, moving the side of lettuce, tomato, and sour cream onto the tacos themselves. EJ pointed to the salsa and she added that as well.

From there, the lunch was mostly pleasant. EJ spoke in short sentences and only in response to questions. They asked him about school and soccer and he divulged about his dad’s tour and the map that he and Michelle were creating with every date and show. When they were finished and waiting for the bill, the topic of his name was brought up when Michelle excused herself to use the restroom. When she came back, she was stunned to hear the calm conversation the Kents were forcing from the boy.

She didn’t stop it.

“EJ, we heard that you’re changing your last name from your mom’s to your dad’s,” Holly said, speaking lightly and quietly as though not to upset Michelle.

“No,” he answered, eyes trained on his empty cup.

The three adults were surprised, and Michelle had no explanation when they looked to her.

After a moment of confusion, EJ clarified. “It’s not my mom’s name,” he said, looking up to them, “She had Jake’s name.” He crossed his arms over his chest.

“She gave her name to you, Evander,” Holly breathed, “She named you. Your name came from your mother. You are a Kent because it’s in your blood. It’s who she wants you to be.”

“I wanna change it,” EJ answered easily, completely disregarding the woman’s words, “I asked and my dad said yes.”

The couple was surprised that it had been EJ’s idea. They’d assumed that it had been Brian’s thought that set the change into motion. They had always known that in losing EJ their lifestyle would die out eventually, but now it was happening so abruptly. They would have no legal claim to him, no obvious ties. He was the last Kent and soon that wouldn’t even be true any longer.

“We wish you would keep your name, Evander,” Holly said softly, “It would mean a lot to us and to your mom.”

Michelle knew they were using the thought of his mother to manipulate him. She just wasn’t sure if they realized they were even doing it. The thought of Claudia came so easily to them that they spat her name like every conversation involved her. Like they knew she’d have an opinion on situations that she’d never even got the chance to think about. Michelle didn’t stop them because EJ was disinterested in everything they were saying. His eyes and attention were more on the fish behind him than his impending name chance.

“I wanna be like my dad,” he concluded, obviously not very distraught over it like they were. He shrugged and then turned around to face the over-sized fish tank, getting up on his knees to see better. The was the end of the conversation and the check landed on the table just moments after Holly and James digested the boy’s apathy.

Michelle grabbed the check. They’d had their bills separated. She slid cash into the little folder and stood up from her chair. The Kents had to wait for James’ credit card to be returned. Michelle had planned this in case they needed to escape quickly. She lifted EJ from the booth.

“We’ll wait for you outside,” she said, holding him to her side, “Then we’ll follow you back to your new place. It’s not in Huntington, is it?”

“Fountain Valley,” James answered, referring to the town just North-eastern. It was only a fifteen to twenty minute drive from their house, depending on traffic.

Michelle pretended to be pleased by how close it was. “Sounds good. We’ll meet you outside.” She lifted EJ around the table and set him on his feet. He didn’t look back to the two adults as they walked outside together and over to the car.

He leaned against the backdoor and looked at Michelle. “Can we leave?” he asked hopefully.

Michelle couldn’t help but laugh. “No, they know where we live.”