"Hey, Darry. To what do I owe the honor of this visit?"

Darry stood in the kitchen, as Steve was coming in the door. "Soda called and asked me to come over."

Steve hung his car keys up, then took his shoes off, eyes glancing down the hall at his best friend's closed door. "Oh yeah? Was something wrong or..."

"He just didn't want to be by himself."

"Oh. Okay."

"And I didn't hesitate for a second when he called me. These horrible thoughts were going through my head before I got here."

"Yeah. It's scary when Soda gets down. I'm sure some of it's this time of year, Superman."

"You're probably right. Of course, my mind goes back even further too, but I can't help but think of how he was just after Emily was born."

"Was this anything to do with her? I know he was over there earlier tonight."

"Yeah. He's sad, you know? I think it'd be that way for just about anybody. But there was no chance in hell these feelings wouldn't rise up for him from time to time."

"That's true. I'll make sure we have a bit of heart-to-heart before either of us goes to bed tonight."

"I knew you would. I could swear he's still just a little more open with you, and I don't want anything to be brewing underneath cause he's not saying it to me for whatever reason."

"Yeah. I get it, Darry. I'll talk with him, and if he needs it, I'll work some of my magic."

"Yeah, she's sleeping, honey. Just a little restless tonight."

Vivian felt Samuel's lips kiss her cheek, as he was getting into bed beside her. "She didn't want to settle down, huh?"

Samuel looked up at the ceiling, his head resting on his pillow. "No, she sure didn't. She had a good time with Sodapop earlier. She beat him at Candyland."

Vivian snuggled closer to Samuel, planting a kiss on his chest. "We sure have a happy little girl."

"Yes. We do." Samuel wrapped Vivian in his arms, his eyes still looking up. "And I couldn't be more grateful for such a wonderful gift."

"Hey, Soda, come sit in here with me, man. I gotta tell you about my date."

Soda emerged from his bedroom to find Steve in their living room, two bottles and two mugs on the table in front of the couch. "What are these?"

Steve held up one mug and one bottle. "Hot chocolate and cold beer. Take your pick."

Soda sat down on the couch along with Steve. "Can I have some of each?"

Steve handed Soda one bottle of beer, taking the second for himself. "Of course. Now, let me tell you how gorgeous Katie looked tonight. I kept staring at her while we were eating. Even caught myself getting a little tongue-tied sometimes when we were talking. And get this, she said I'm a great kisser. I was blushing at that, man. Reminded me of my dad when he first got with Audrey."

"Sounds like a little bit of payback, Stevie."

"I know it. I bet he's going to tease the hell out of me when he meets her. Which will be soon. For you too, buddy. I can't have my girlfriend not knowing you two."

"Girlfriend, huh? So it's official?"

"Sure is. According to Katie, we're a couple."

Soda smiled, as he clinked his beer bottle against Steve's. "I'm real happy for you. I know how much you like her."

"Thanks, man. I feel like us being happy for each other is everything, you know?" Steve took another swig of his beer, then pushed one of the mugs closer to Soda. "Don't forget the hot chocolate."

Soda eyed the drink for a moment, as he set his beer down on the coffee table. "Beer and hot chocolate sure is a weird combination."

"Each one serves its purpose."

"Did Darry say somethin' to you before he left? Hell, who am I kiddin'? Of course he did. But I'm fine now, Steve. There's nothin' wrong with me."

"All right. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with you. I'm just opening that door in case you need it."

Soda sighed, as he sat back against the couch, the evening playing back through his mind. "Emily beat me at Candyland earlier."

"I can see how that would be traumatic, buddy."

Soda watched Steve fail to keep a straight face, his best friend breaking into a smile, as he gave him a shove. "You just become more of a smartass as you get older."

"Hey, what can I say? Great things only get better with time."

Soda paused for a second, looking at Steve, as he felt the nearly nineteen years of shared history casting its light over them. "Yeah. That's true. They sure as hell do."

"I get the feeling we aren't talking about the same thing anymore."

"Nah. Cause I'm talkin' about us."

"About to start waxin' all poetic on me now, buddy?"

"Only cause you started waxin' all sarcastic."

"Yeah, all right. But really, back to Emily. What happened when she beat you at Candyland?"

"Her gingerbread man made it to the candy house before mine did. Cause I got stuck in the swamp."

"Now, you're waxin' all literal, man. I'm not asking about the game. I'm asking what made you bring it up."

"Oh. Well, we were talkin' the whole time. She said Samuel taught her how to play checkers and that she's really good at it. She said she likes it when she gets to tell him 'king me.'"

Steve silently waited for Soda to continue, sensing that his best friend was beginning to open up.

"She said she beat him once, even though Vivian says she never even wins against Samuel. But of course, Emily called them Mommy and Daddy. Samuel got home right after we finished the game and told her it was time to get ready for bed. She didn't want to at first, but then, he reminded her about rules and listening to her parents. So she did."

Steve laid a hand on Soda's back, the action as natural as it had ever been. "They're her parents. She calls them Mommy and Daddy. But she calls you Uncle Soda. I've seen you with her, man. It's special."

"Yeah. I know it is. She told me she loves me more than all the ice cream and candy in the whole world."

"That's a whole lot of love coming from a little kid."

"Sure is."

Steve felt Soda's hand on his back now, his best friend's fingers gripping his shirt so that it wrinkled. "It's all right, my brother. I know how much you love her."

"I wouldn't change anything, Stevie. Even if I could go back in time, I wouldn't change Emily's life. Cause it ain't about me or what I wanted. I couldn't take what she has away from her."

"It's that heart of yours, man. But before I say the rest of what I'm thinking, I want you to look right at me."

Soda's gaze shifted up to meet Steve's, their eyes always able to connect and recapture an unceasing bond. "Okay. I am. I'm looking at you."

Steve put his own hand over Soda's, feeling the other man's grip on his shirt begin to loosen when he did. "That's it, buddy. You can relax. I'm with you in this now just as much as I was after Emily was born. You don't have to hang on so tight. I'm not going anywhere."

Soda felt his fingers loosen even more, the response almost an unconscious one, as he took in the words of promised support. "I know you're not. I know I can trust you to stay beside me. But I'm not like I was back then. I just get a little sad sometimes. Cause I look at her and remember what I wanted when Penny first told me she was pregnant. I remember what I wished I could be the second I laid eyes on Emily after she was born. But I'm not. I'm not her daddy. Samuel is, and he's a damn good one too."

Steve saw Soda's eyes start to drift away from him and gave his best friend's hand a squeeze. "Hey, keep looking at me, brother. I'm not about to let you fall into this and get lost in those feelings and memories. I don't like where that can lead."

Soda gave Steve's hand a return squeeze, a rush of guilt keeping his eyes down. "Me neither. I'm still sorry for what I did then."

Steve grasped each of Soda's shoulders and gently guided him to look up, speaking only once brown eyes met blue. "It's okay, man. That's over, and I'm the last one who could ever hold it against you. Please hear me say that I don't, and I'm not sitting here right now to make you feel bad again. I'm only trying to help you stay in the moment and see straight enough to be completely safe."

"Yeah. I know you are. I know you've got my back."

"Always, my brother. And I want you to remember how important you are to Emily too. Yeah, she's adopted. But you aren't a signed and sealed document she'll never see. You're somebody she loves with all her heart that I bet she got from you. You're her Uncle Soda, and that means you're part of her life. You've been part of mine for so long that I think I know a thing or two about how much it's worth. You're not watching her grow up from the sidelines. You're there to be one of the best parts of her world."