When I walked into my house later that day, I half expected to find myself alone. Why I ever expected that, I'll never know, because the second I opened the door, the sounds of Lucas barking and Kyle bitching pierced my ears, while I came face to face with Shannon, who was sitting on the couch with Chloe asleep on his stomach.

He looked up torpidly when I slammed the door, jingling my keys loudly. "Hey, man," he said quietly, his voice thick and raspy. "Where were you?"

I tossed the set on the table. "I was at the school. I went to go see Darcy."

"Darcy?" He gave me a weird look. "You go apologize?"

I nodded, silent.

"Well - sorry," he whispered softly to Chloe, once he'd sat up. He must've jostled her, causing her to open her eyes and squirm, whimpering in his arms. He brushed her hair back as he watched me. "Uh... What was I talkin' about?"

"Darcy."

"Right. What'd she say?"

I shrugged, piecing through the mail that I'd picked up a week ago, that was still set on the counter. Nothing much. A couple of fan letters, my electric bill.

"Matt?"

I looked up. "Huh?"

"What'd she say?"

"Oh." I flicked an envelope away and stretched my arms above my head, yawning. "Uh... Well, she said we couldn't be together."

Shannon's face fell. "What? Why the hell would she say that?"

"I have no idea. But she invited me over for dinner tonight. Said somethin' about... " I tapped my lips. "Uh... somethin' about... gettin' to know her, I guess."

Shannon grinned mischievously and rolled his shoulders. "Sounds promisin'."

"Shan, it's not like that." I looked over to where Kyle was pacing, angrily spitting on her cell phone. She was going up and down the hallway, so I'd only catch her every once in a while, and then she'd go away again. I looked back at Shan. "What's her problem?"

He shrugged. "God only knows. Just ignore her - that's what I do."

"And look how you turned out," I murmured quietly. I glanced out the kitchen window, frowning at the bright sky.

"Matt?"

I turned to Shannon. "Huh?"

"Did you hear what I said?"

I shook my head.

"I said this is kinda weird to say, especially now, since we weren't exactly talkin' about it and all... "

I raised a brow.

"But... " Shannon looked up at me, grimacing slightly. "Would you... I mean, I want you to be my best man, Matt. At my weddin'."

I blinked. "You're right, that was weird."

He laughed slightly, but it sounded forced. His face set again. "Will you?"

"I... " How do you respond to that? "I mean, of course I will, man. But you sure you don't want... you know, your brother or somethin'?"

Shannon shrugged. "I thought about that, but... you know. The Core Group kinda thing."

"What about Jeff?"

He sighed, rubbing his thumb against Chloe's cheek. She bounced against his arms, laughing silently. "I wanted to ask him... I mean, I'm goin' to. Again. It just... makes more sense for you to be the first best man, you know? With Jeff bein'... "

"Blind?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I've talked to him about it, but he doesn't really respond."

"He doesn't really respond to anythin' anymore."

Shannon sighed. "I know."

We were silent then, if only for a couple of seconds, but it was the quietest I'd heard my house in the longest time. Of course, it ended as soon as it began, because Kyle meandered back into the room, Lucas yapping at her heels, and she smiled and wagged her fingers at me before she yelled, "Fuck you!" to someone on the phone.

I turned back to Shan. "You really wanna marry her?"

He had this stupid grin on his face. "Yeah. More than anythin'."

I nodded, looking back at the hallway as I heard her voice fade. "She's a pretty one."

"Yeah. She is."

We were silent again, but Chloe gurgled something and I heard Shannon laughing quietly. I tapped my hands against the counter top awkwardly and looked at him, but he was caught up in the baby. He was puffing his cheeks out and crossing his eyes, and Chloe would smack her tiny hands against his face to push the air out.

Everyone always thought Shannon was the one who always got the short end of the stick. But right then, I realized he was the richest guy out of all of us - and I almost hated him for it.

I had to get out of there. "Where's Jeff?"

Shannon looked up, his mouth open in thought, and Chloe stuck her fist in between his teeth. He laughed and fell back, spitting and wiggling her around so she'd giggle.

I gripped the edge of the counter to keep myself from rolling my eyes.

He met my gaze again, a little embarrassed. "Sorry. What'd you ask?"

This time I did, putting my tongue in my cheek to keep myself from saying something I'd regret. "I asked you where Jeff was."

"Uhhhh... " He fluttered his lips at Chloe, wrinkling his nose when she grabbed at them. "In his room, I guess. He's been MIA for a couple of hours."

I turned, my eyes slipping into my head. "Thanks, Shannon."

It was like pulling teeth.

"No problem, man."

I heard him playing with his soon-to-be daughter, waiting for his soon-to-be wife to come back so he could go back to being apart of his perfect soon-to-be family. I couldn't stand my resentment towards his happiness, but let's face it - he was rubbing it in my face. Big time.

I knew I didn't have a fiance. I knew I didn't have a daughter. I was aware that I was a thirty-four year old single guy who lived with his blind brother and pregnant... whatever the hell Jill was, with a dog that'd be the only kid I'd ever have. He didn't have to flaunt his perfect life in front of me - I already knew mine was shit.

I knocked on Jeff's door louder than I wanted to, but the hushed, "Yeah?" calmed my nerves a bit and I pushed open the door gently, squinting in the dark room.

The lights were off, the only source coming from between the shades drawn across the windows. Everything was completely serene. I tasted the tranquility on my tongue, the sweet feeling of utter peace washing over my body. It was absolutely perfect in there - like another world.

Jeff was sitting up in bed, on the covers, his back pressed to the headboard, and Jill was cuddled against him, asleep against his chest. His cheek was pressed against her temple, and his lips were moving, but I couldn't hear anything being said.

He frowned when Kyle came back down his way, and he looked over at me, his eyes wide and unfocused. "Can you close the door? She's kind of loud."

I grinned and shut it softly, making sure Jill was not disturbed.

"She was havin' back pain," he said quietly, returning his face to the side of her head. It didn't even look like he was talking to me. "I figured she should lie down, you know?"

I nodded. "Of course."

His hand moved over her stomach in firm circles, his opposite pressed to the other side of her head, his fingers running through her full hair. She shifted in her sleep, pressing her palm against his chest. I heard him murmur something quietly, kissing her temple.

I licked my lips. "Did Shan ask you to be his best man?"

"Yeah. I don't know if I want to."

"I think you should, man."

He shrugged. "What's the big deal?"

"I don't know. I'm doin' it. I kinda want you up there with me."

Jeff sighed. "You know... I'm not... holdin' anythin' against him, but... I don't really want to commemorate somethin' that had to do with me becomin' blind. No disrespect against Kyle, I don't hold anythin' against her, really, I just... It's awkward."

I nodded, silent. Maybe talking about Shannon wasn't the smartest thing to do. "I uh... met up with Darcy today."

"Oh, yeah?" I could see him smiling slightly. "How'd that work out for you?"

"I don't really know. I'm goin' to her house later. For dinner."

"Sounds promisin'."

I blinked. "You know, Shan said the same thing."

"Guarantee he didn't mean it the same way I did," he drawled.

"Not one bit."

"Not surprised." Jeff sighed, resting his palm flat against the swell of her belly. "Well, good luck, I guess. Don't fuck it up this time."

I leaned against the door, crossing my arms over my chest. "I'm not plannin' on it."

Jeff laughed. "I'm not sure any of us do. It just - " His mouth snapped shut suddenly, his body becoming stiff as a board. He didn't do anything for the longest time.

Finally, my nerves kicked my ass and I stepped forward. "Jeff, what's the matter?"

His mouth open, he turned to me, dead eyes and all. "I felt it move," he said quietly.

I furrowed my brow. "What? Speak up, you're mumblin'."

"I felt it move," he whispered excitedly, his hand gripping Jill's shirt. "Come over here, now."

I walked over to him dumbly.

"Give me your hand." He held his out, waiting for me.

I guided my wrist between his fingers and he pulled me, pressing my palm against Jill's stomach. Softly, weakly, I felt a tiny bump hit it.

Jeff beamed. "Did you feel it?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Wow." He let go of my arm and put his hand next to my own, closing his eyes. "Wow. This is real. This is actually real."

I watched him intently, the way he twitched his nose as it kicked again. He smiled slightly and pressed a kiss to the top of Jill's hair. I felt like I was interrupting their moment - even though Jill was fast asleep - so I pulled away, righting myself slowly.

He frowned. "Where're you goin'?"

"I'm gonna give you some time with Jill and your kid." I put my hands in my pockets. "Besides, I should probably go get ready to meet Darcy."

Jeff nodded, lost in his own world. "Okay. Have fun, man."

I smiled. "You too."

After I'd closed his door, I headed back into my own room, where I turned on the shower full blast and stepped under it before it had a chance to warm up. As I stood under the beating stream, I thought about Darcy, and how she might actually be the Jill to me. How I might be sitting on that bed with her one day, rubbing my hand over her belly, feeling my kid kick. Or she might be the Kyle, bitching about wedding plans while I sat back and waited for her to calm down before I said anything. She could be anything I wanted her to be. A girlfriend, a wife, a friend. No matter what she was, no matter what became or didn't become of us, I'd always have something solid to fall back on.

Jeff, Shan, Kyle, Jill. The Core Group, my family.

I shut off the tap.

Maybe I wasn't so unlucky after all.

A/N: MATT HARDY SAYS REVIEW IT, BITCH!