Chocolate Eyes

"This is your house?" Evander asked as Brian pulled into the driveway of a large California home an hour later. Even from the backseat behind the tinted windows, the child could see the ocean to their left and a big house that sat at the end of a looping driveway and backed up to the sand of shore. It seemed like this was the first time the child acknowledged anything but the iPod that sat in his lap, unused.

Brian looked in the mirror and saw his son strapped into his car-seat in the middle of the large back seat. "Yes," he replied softly, glancing back at his home. "There's a pool in the back, too," he told the boy, wondering if he knew how to swim.

Evander smiled slightly and returned his attention to looking out the tinted window as Brian parked in his usual spot on the right side of the driveway. He shut the car off and looked to Zacky, who nodded reassuringly. This was a milestone, Brian told himself. His son was coming home for the first time.

"I'm going to take off, man," Zack said as he slipped out of the car, "Gena will probably want to go out and get something to eat, and I'm starved." Zacky grinned and patted his stomach, as if to say that it was empty.

Brian nodded and the two of them got out of the car. Zack followed Brian to the back door of the SUV. Brian pulled it open and right away Evander held his new iPod out to Brian so that he wouldn't drop it on his way out of the car.

"Are you ready?" Brian questioned, handing the iPod to Zacky who grinned at the child's carefulness, "To go in?" Brian added, looking back at his two story house.

"Yes." The little boy nodded and held his hand out to his new uncle. He slipped the small, white iPod into the shallow pocket of his khaki pants.

Zacky grabbed the little boy's back pack from the seat next his car-seat and handed the camouflage pack to the child. "I've got to go," Zacky said after Evander grabbed the bag and set it down next to him on the black top. "I'll probably see you soon, Evander." Zacky held his fist out towards his best friend's son.

Evander touched his fist to Zacky's uncertainly. He didn't wave goodbye as Zack took off towards his car, he just stared as the second black vehicle typed a code into the iron gate and then left out of the looping driveway. When Zacky, his uncle, was out of sight, he turned to Brian and asked, "Do you live here all alone?"

Brian opened the trunk and pulled out Evander's two large bags. He set the two suitcases on the paved driveway and pointed to the backpack the child had dropped on the ground. "Grab your backpack, won't you Evander?" Brian asked, his voice still soft as he thought about a way to tell the child he had a step-mom.

Evander nodded and grabbed the bag. "You can call me EJ," he said after minute, his eyes trained on the ocean behind the house as the waves rolled up and crashed into the sand, "Mommy does."

Brian looked away from his son quickly and then nodded. "Okay, EJ it is then."

"Can we go inside?" EJ questioned, looking at the large double doors that signaled the entry to his new house.

Brian picked up the two suitcases as his answer. As the two of them walked towards the front door, EJ asked the same question he'd asked earlier, "Do you live here all alone?" He couldn't imagine anyone living in a house as big as this all by himself.

"I'm married," Brian announced with a shake of his head, setting down a suitcase carefully so that he could unlock and push the front door open for them.

EJ seemed to forget about his question and the answer as he walked into the house. His eyes were wide as he took in the open living room and kitchen. The kitchen was to the right of the front door and the living room was to the left. The thing that caught EJ's eye was that the far left wall was entirely glass, from floor to ceiling. And on the other side of the glass was the sand that lead to the ocean, so much more expensive and so much more beautiful than just another house on the shore of the Pacific ocean.

"Do you like it?" Brian asked, a step or two behind as he watched EJ's eyes widen in surprise.

EJ replied without taking his eyes off of the waves. "I've never swimmed in the ocean," the little boy told his dad, his eyes staring out as far as he could see.

"You've never swam in the ocean, before?" Brian questioned, surprised, "Have you always lived in California?"

Evander nodded without looking away.

Brian chuckled at his wonderment and pushed his own surprise away. "Do you want to see your new bedroom?" Brian questioned eagerly.

Evander's gaze left the ocean quickly and he looked up to his dad. "Yes," he said certainly, "Can I see the water?"

"Of course," Brian confirmed, instantly glad that the guys and him had put his new bed in the room with the best ocean view.

Brian grabbed the two suitcases and Evander grabbed the backpack and told EJ to follow him. They crossed the living room and went around the couch. EJ's eyes trailed along the point where the waves met the sand.

EJ stopped to look at the aquarium before Brian led him up the stairs, becoming nervous again as he realized that there was a slight chance that Evander might not like the room.

The hallway was long and curving as the house followed the shape of the shore. The stairs started on the far left of the hallway and as the hallway curved, it led the way to the room that Brian and Michelle shared. There were five doors on this floor, one led to bathroom and four were the bedrooms. Brian and EJ passed two doors and stopped at the second one on their left.

"This one is yours," Brian said, glancing down to see his son's expression. "It's a pretty nice room, but I was thinking that maybe we could go shopping soon and buy you whatever you want to make it better."

Evander was surprised by his dad's words. His mom hand never let him decorate his own room before. It had been practically the same from when he was little, except the crib was replaced by a bed with side rails and a few toys that he enjoyed more than nookies and rattles.

"Open the door," EJ told his dad, trying to hide his eagerness. Brian smiled and turned the silver door handle.

Brian stepped back so that EJ could walk in first. He watched the little boy's facial expression as he looked at the large room. It was still a little plain, since Brian wanted to let him pick out his things, but it was a nice room and a nice size too.

"Is it okay?" Brian asked as he set EJ's suitcases down on the floor by the large closet.

EJ slipped his bag off of his shoulders and Brian grabbed it from him and set it on the bed. EJ nodded his head and moved forward to sit on the edge of his brand new bed. "It's big," EJ said, looking around. The room was at least half the size of of the apartment he shared with his mom before they moved into Jake Taylor's flat.

Brian shrugged, knowing that he chose the biggest guest room to convert into EJ's room. "It's a little plain," he repeated, "But you can pick out anything you want."

EJ looked up to Brian from where he sat. "Anything?" he questioned with a curiosity that only a young child could posses. EJ's big brown eyes were looking over everything, including the large TV that hung on the left wall of the room.

Brian caught him looking at the TV and asked, "Do you like video games?"

Evander nodded his head, looking up to Brian with a questioning gaze.

Brian smiled. "We can get you a system for your room," he said, "The one we have right now is in the basement."

EJ tried to smile back at his dad. "Can I look around?" he questioned, referring to the big room and the bigger house.

"Sure," Brian said, motioning, "Just don't go in the backyard, I don't want you falling in the pool."

EJ nodded quickly and jumped up from his bed. He raced out of his room and down the hallway the way they'd come just moments before. "Don't slip on the floor!" Brian called after him. When he got no reply, he chuckled and shook his head. His plans of showing EJ the entire house had flown out of the window.

Brian headed downstairs to the living room and slipped out of his shoes, leaving them by the couch as he sat down, wondering why he didn't feel too much different than he had before his son had come to live with him. Brian pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed his wife's number, wondering where she had gone and if she had done it to give EJ a bit of room to get used to the place without the threat of having to meet his new mother hanging over his head.

"Hey 'Chelle," Brian greeted as he heard the phone stop ringing, "Where are you?"

"Hey, baby," Michelle said on the other line quickly, "Are you home? Is he with you?"

Brian chuckled and nodded his head, looking at the stairs as EJ came down them. "Where's the basement?" EJ asked, his little hands stuffed in his pockets.

Brian pointed past the stairs and the fish tank and down the small hall that led to the laundry room. "Be careful on the stairs," Brian warned.

EJ nodded his head and jumped down the last step. He moved out of Brian's sight but Brian heard the laundry room door creak open and then shut before the silent basement door was opened EJ's thumping footsteps on the carpeted stairs met his ears.

Brian turned his attention back to the phone and his wife on the other end. "Yeah, he's here. He's exploring."

Michelle made a noise of happiness over the phone. "That's great, Bri. I'll be home soon. I was with Val but now I'm headed to that little Chinese place. You know the one," she stated, "I'll be there in about twenty minutes."

Brian nodded his head. "Alright, I'll warn EJ," he attempted to joke.

Michelle was quiet for less than a second before she asked, "EJ?"

"That's what he likes to be called," Brian replied, "Evander Joaquin. E-J."

Michelle squealed softly. "I can't wait to see him. I bet he looks so much like you. I'll be home soon, baby. I've got to go. I'm pulling up at the restaurant."

Brian chuckled. "You'd be surprised by how much he looks like me, 'Chelle," Brian retorted, a smirk playing on his lips as his blonde son emerged from the basement.

The little boy was biting his lip and standing at the edge of the carpet. When Brian looked up to him, he asked, "Can I play video games?"

"Yeah," Brian allowed, smiling. When Evander didn't turn and go back the way he'd come, Brian added, "Do you need help setting it up?"

EJ pretended to think about it for a second and then he nodded nervously, hoping that he wouldn't have to say much more and that Brian wouldn't say anything about it.

Brian nodded back at him and then told Michelle that he had to go.

Michelle called a quick goodbye, since she had to go anyways, and when the line was dead, Brian turned the phone off and tossed it onto the couch. "Alright." Brian grinned towards the stairs. "You ready?"

EJ's gaze followed Brian as he stood up. When he realized that his dad was waiting for a reply, he nodded and quipped, "Yes."

Brian followed EJ down the stairs to the basement, hoping that someday it would seem normal that he was spending time with his son. He hoped that someday everything would seem regular for EJ, too.