Ezra was happy. Why shouldn't he be? Well… Maybe there were some things not to be happy about. Some really sad things, like losing mommy and daddy a year ago. But some really good things had happened too-like meeting Mr. Kanan who was so nice to him when he found him after mommy and daddy had gone missing and taken him home to stay with him while the other police were trying to find Ezra's parents. And even though Ezra was really sad that the police had never found his parents, Mr. Kanan and his pretty wife Miss Hera had told him that he could stay with them as long as he wanted to. Mr. Kanan and Miss Hera were so nice to him and took care of him, and even though his new sister, Sabine, teased him sometimes, she was really nice too. She said that she'd lost her parents too, and sometimes when Ezra was really sad and started crying because he missed his parents, she would hug him or do something silly to make him laugh. And then there was Uncle Zeb-he was so cool and super strong and he taught Ezra stuff like martial arts and would look after him when Mr. Kanan and Miss Hera couldn't. After a while, Ezra almost felt like he had a new family. Even though he still missed his parents, he knew that they'd want him to be happy, and while he was a bit worried that they'd be upset the day he accidentally called Kanan "Daddy", Kanan and Hera told him that they were sure they wouldn't be mad at him and that they were really happy that Ezra thought of them like they were his parents too. They said that it was okay if he called them Mama and Papa like Sabine did if that made him feel better, so that's exactly what Ezra did. Kanan told him that it was okay to have more than one set of parents, and since he was so smart Ezra knew that what he said had to be true. Everything was really, really good. That is, until the day that Mr. Kallus showed up.
Ezra had been feeling really sad about his birthday because on his last birthday his parents had gone missing. But Mama and Papa told him that he didn't have to be sad, and to make him feel better they gave him the best birthday ever. They made him his favorite food for breakfast, yummy blueberry pancakes with lots of syrup, and as a special surprise Papa took him to the police station with him for the day! All of the other police officers were really nice and Ezra got to ride in a police car and help Papa out all day! And when they got home, Mama told him she'd made him a big chocolate cake a really special supper and, even better, that Uncle Zeb was coming to visit! Ezra was so excited to see Uncle Zeb-he waited right by the door while Mama finished making supper, he wanted to see him the second he got there! But when Uncle Zeb arrived and Papa helped Ezra open the door, Ezra was surprised to see that he had another man with him-someone Ezra had never met before. Ezra was still really shy around strangers and he didn't like having someone he didn't know suddenly showing up at the house, especially on his birthday. Ezra hid behind Papa's legs, and he didn't come out until Uncle Zeb talked to him, telling him that it was okay, that the new man was Mr. Kallus and that he was his boyfriend. Ezra didn't know that Uncle Zeb had a boyfriend, but even if Uncle Zeb liked Mr. Kallus he wasn't sure that he did. Mr. Kallus smiled at him and told him how much Uncle Zeb talked about him, but Ezra still didn't trust him. He smelled like soap and he didn't laugh or tell jokes like Uncle Zeb did. Ezra still had a good birthday even with Mr. Kallus there by staying close to Mama and Papa, but as he went to bed that night Ezra hoped that he wouldn't ever have to see him again.
Unfortunately, over the next few months, Ezra saw a lot of Mr. Kallus. Whenever Uncle Zeb came to visit, he always brought Mr. Kallus with him, and sometimes when Ezra asked Uncle Zeb to come over and play he'd say that he couldn't because he had a "date" with Mr .Kallus. Mama said that it was normal for boyfriends to want to spend time alone together, and it didn't mean that Uncle Zeb loved Ezra any less. But Ezra still didn't like it and even though he knew it was mean he decided that he really, really didn't like Mr. Kallus and that he was never, ever going to like him, no matter what happened. That is, he was sure until the night that made everything change.
Mama and Papa were going out on a date, and while Ezra hated having them gone, he knew that Uncle Zeb was coming to visit, and since Sabine was sleeping over at her friend Ketsu's house, he knew that he was going to have Uncle Zeb all to himself for once and he was very excited about it! Or he was excited until the phone call came. Mama was finishing getting ready to go, and Ezra was telling her how pretty she looked in her dress when suddenly her phone started ringing. Ezra wasn't too worried when she answered it-it was probably just a friend calling her about something-but he started feeling a bit worried when he saw her frowning and sounding upset. When she hung up, Mama went to go talk to Papa, and from what Ezra overheard her saying Uncle Zeb couldn't come babysit because his friend Rex had been in a fishing accident and was in the hospital. Ezra started feeling a bit scared-who was going to stay with him while Mama and Papa were gone tonight? Were they going to stay home instead of going out? But then Mama said something that made everything even worse-she said that Mr. Kallus was coming to babysit instead of Uncle Zeb.
Ezra tried to explain to Mama and Papa that he didn't want Mr. Kallus to babysit him. He tried to make them understand, he begged them to stay home, but they just kept telling him that Mr. Kallus would take good care of him and that they'd have a lot of fun together if Ezra would give him a chance. Ezra didn't want to give him a chance and he knew that they wouldn't have any fun together-tonight was going to be the worst night ever! He wanted to hide in his room, but Papa made him come say hello to Mr. Kallus when he arrived. Ezra did because he had to, but he wasn't happy about it. Mr. Kallus told Mama and Papa that everything would be fine and that they shouldn't worry. Ezra secretly tried to beg them one last time to stay, but Mama and Papa just kissed him goodbye and told him to be good and then they were gone.
"So," Mr. Kallus said when the door was closed and Ezra saw Mama and Papa driving away. "What do you want to do tonight?"
Ezra folds his arms over his chest and frowns up at him-he would be good so Mama and Papa wouldn't be mad at him, but he wasn't going to be nice and play with someone he didn't like.
"Do you want to play a game?" Mr. Kallus asks when Ezra doesn't answer.
Ezra just shakes his head and walks into the living room, wanting to be alone. But Mr. Kallus follows after him.
"Do you want to watch a movie?" Mr. Kallus tries again.
"I don' wanna do anything with you," Ezra finally answers with a frown, wanting to make it very clear how he felt about all of this.
"I see." Mr. Kallus looked a bit upset, and Ezra felt just a tiny bit bad about that, but he doesn't apologize and just goes to play with the blocks Mama had put out with him. For a while Mr. Kallus just watches him and Ezra knew that the nice thing to do would be to ask him if he wanted to play too, but he didn't want to be nice. He didn't want Mr. Kallus here, and that was that.
Finally, Mr. Kallus tries talking to him again. "Will you be okay playing here while I go make us some dinner?" he asks.
Ezra really didn't want to answer, but he knew that if he said yes then Mr. Kallus would go away and so he just nods without looking away from his blocks. He hears Mr. Kallus sigh and get up, and Ezra honestly felt a lot better once he was gone and in the kitchen. Usually Ezra would help Mama and Papa in the kitchen when they were cooking, but he didn't want to help Mr. Kallus. He didn't know what he was going to cook, but he was sure it would be something gross and he was determined he wasn't going to eat it, no matter how hungry he was.
Still, despite his best intentions, eventually Ezra starts to smell something really good coming from the kitchen, and his mouth begins to water. Even though he told himself he wasn't hungry and that he didn't care what Mr. Kallus was cooking, the good smell became too much for him, and he finds himself wandering into the kitchen to investigate.
"Well, hello," Mr. Kallus says, smiling when he sees Ezra standing in the doorway.
"Hi…" Ezra answers quietly, daring to come a little closer in hopes of seeing what he was making that smelled so yummy.
"Want to help me?" Mr. Kallus asks, gesturing to whatever it was he was making.
"Can I?" Ezra looks up at him in surprise-he always asked Mama and Papa if he could help them cook but they never let him, they just told him to help set the table or something like that.
"Sure!" Mr. Kallus answers, pulling a stool over to the stove. "You can help me stir the sauce."
Ezra was torn-he didn't like Mr. Kallus, but he was offering to actually let him help cook… Eventually the desire to do something fun wins out, and Ezra scurries over to join him.
"Here we go." Mr. Kallus gently lifts Ezra up onto the stool, and Ezra was surprised by how strong he was-not as strong as Uncle Zeb, but he could probably give really good piggy back rides or play airplane! Not that Ezra wanted to play with him, the little boy quickly reminds himself. But all the same he still probably could.
"Let's see…" Mr. Kallus was smiling at him again. "I can't have my kitchen helper getting dirty. Let's find you something appropriate to wear!"
Mr. Kallus goes over to the other side of the kitchen and he returns a moment later with one of Mama's aprons. "There we go!" He carefully ties it around Ezra-it was too big, but since Ezra was sitting on a stool that was okay. "Now you look like a real chef!"
"Really?" Ezra asks, forgetting for a moment to be suspicious of him.
"Of course!" Mr. Kallus answers with a grin. "And I should know, because I am a chef myself!"
"You are?" Ezra didn't know that.
"I am," Mr. Kallus replies seriously as he hands Ezra a spoon to stir the pot with. "I spend a lot of time learning new recipes!"
"Wow…" Ezra looks up at him in slight awe before looking down at the pot in front of him. "What's this called?"
"It's called Puttanesca," Mr. Kallus answers. "I learned how to make it while I was traveling in Italy."
"You've been to Italy?" Ezra asks, eyes going wide.
"I've been to a lot of places," Mr. Kallus chuckles.
"Where?" Ezra had completely forgotten to not like him at this point-he was having too much fun to even remember to frown.
"Well, let's see…." Mr. Kallus starts telling him about all the countries that he's travelled to as they continue cooking the food together, and Ezra has so many questions that they keep talking even while they're eating the puttanesca, which actually turns out to taste as yummy as it smells!
After dinner was over, Ezra decides to ask Mr. Kallus if he'd like to play with his blocks with him, and Mr. Kallus actually turns out to be very good at building with them-he helps Ezra make a huge tower, even bigger than the tallest one he'd ever made with Uncle Zeb! When they finish building the tower, they watch a movie together-Mr. Kallus lets Ezra pick out anything he wants, and he doesn't even fall asleep in the middle of it like Uncle Zeb usually does. Ezra always thought that adult thought Wreck It Ralph was a kid's movie, but Mr. Kallus actually seems to like it, and he didn't seem to mind at all when Ezra climbs into his lap during the sad part where Ralph and Vanellope have their big fight or when Ezra hugs him because Turbo scares him just a little bit at the end. Mr. Kallus actually had a very comfortable lap, and he was a very good cuddler-not as good as Uncle Zeb, but still good. Ezra didn't even realize how late it was until he hears the front door opening and Mama and Papa come inside.
"Did you two have a good time?" Mama asks, smiling when she sees them.
"I don't know," Mr. Kallus answers, looking down at Ezra. "Did we?"
"The best!" Ezra replies, beaming up at him, and Mr. Kallus smiles back, looking very, very happy.
Ezra almost didn't want Mr. Kallus to leave, but he was getting sleepy and Papa said that it was time for him to go to bed. Still, Ezra insists that Mr. Kallus come help tuck him in, and while Mama and Papa said that it was getting late and Mr. Kallus needed to go home, Mr. Kallus tells them that it's okay and he actually helps Ezra get ready for bed before tucking him in.
"Mr. Kallus?" Ezra says shyly after he's safely under the covers with his night light on and Mr. Kallus is going to turn off the lights.
"Yes?" Mr. Kallus answers, coming back over to him. "Is everything all right?"
Ezra nods, feeling a bit nervous, before asking hopefully, "C-Can I call you Uncle Kallus?"
A huge grin spreads across Kallus' face. "Yes, I would like that very much," he answers softly.
Ezra beams back up at him, putting his arms out for a hug. "Good night, Uncle Kallus!"
"Good night, Ezra," Uncle Kallus answers, hugging him tightly back.
And as Ezra peacefully drifts off to sleep, his favorite stuffed cat hugged to his chest, he hopes that Uncle Kallus will come back to visit again soon.