I'm going to be honest, y'all – I had no plans and very little concept for this chapter, which made it more difficult to write. I did try my best, but it may not be as good as some of the other chapters.

Calin was awoken by a pillow being thrown at his head. "What in the hell?" he cursed under his breath.

"Hey, little brother," a familiar voice greeted. Though Calin couldn't see him, he knew that his brother was smirking.

Calin rolled over on his back and replied sleepily, "Hey, Ethan."

Ethan then gestured to the pillow he had thrown and teased, "I didn't know blue and orange flowers were your thing."

Calin sat up before he rolled his eyes. He then explained, "It's Anna Elizabeth's."

Ethan grinned as he began, "I kind of figured." He then observed, "But if you guys aren't going to live here, why is her stuff here?"

"Because she's here quite a bit. I'm pretty sure she would notice the lack of boxes in the apartment," Calin pointed out.

Ethan nodded before he asked, "So, how far along are you and her dad on the house?"

"We finished it yesterday," Calin answered.

"So, you're still going to surprise her?" Ethan questioned.

"That's the plan," Calin told him.

Ethan then tilted his head and gave Calin a questioning look, so Calin asked, "What?"

"It just seems like a lot of effort. You don't even know if she'll like the house," Ethan responded.

"I know she'll be ecstatic," Calin replied.

"It still seems like a lot of work," Ethan pointed out.

Calin rolled his eyes again before he got out of bed. He then told his brother, "It's more than worth it when you're doing it for the woman you love."

"Which I couldn't possibly understand because I've never been in love," Ethan remarked sarcastically.

Calin sighed before he apologized, "You know I didn't mean anything by that, Ethan."

Ethan sighed as well before he sincerely replied, "I know."

Both of them then heard a knock at the door. "Will you answer that while I get dressed?" Calin asked his older brother.

"Aye, aye, Captain," Ethan mocked saluted before turning and leaving the room. Calin rolled his eyes before shutting the door.

Ethan went to go open the door to find Alex and his three-year-old daughter, Kimberly, standing behind it.

"Uncle Ethan!" Kimberly shouted. She then reached out her arms toward him.

"What is she doing?" Ethan asked Alex.

Alex had to refrain from rolling his eyes as he answered, "She's excited to see you – she wants a hug."

"Oh," Ethan responded. He then awkwardly hugged the little girl.

"Real hug, Uncle Ethan," Kimberly told him, as she planted her small fists on her hips. Alex had to bite his lip keep from laughing.

Ethan furrowed his brows and looked at Alex, who replied, "Don't look at me. She gets it from her m-o-t-h-e-r."

"You know, one day, you're going to have to tell her that she l-e-f-t," Ethan pointed out.

Alex didn't have a chance to answer because Calin emerged from his room. Kimberly forgot all about Ethan.

"Uncle Calin!" the raven-haired little girl shouted as she ran to him.

Calin smiled and scooped her up in her arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he wrapped his arms around her small frame.

When they pulled apart, Kimberly immediately asked, "Where is Anna Elizabef?"

"She's at her house," Calin explained.

"Can I see her?" the little girl immediately asked with big brown eyes.

Calin smiled at her as he answered, "You're going to stay with her while me, Uncle Ethan, Liam, and Daddy goes to get our suits."

"Suits?" Kimberly asked.

"For my wedding," Calin told her.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. Calin then let her down, and she ran back to her father.

"So, after we drop off the kid, we're heading to the mall, right?" Ethan asked.

"After we drop Kimberly off, we're picking up Liam," Calin answered.

"Can't he, like, drive?" Ethan asked.

"Ethan, he's 14," Calin pointed out.

Ethan shrugged and said, "I was driving when I was 14."

"That only makes me feel bad for your dad and stepmom," Alex teased.

Calin then grabbed his keys and phone before he told them, "Come on, guys, let's go."

When Alex knocked on Anna Elizabeth and Evie's apartment, the latter opened the door in her scrubs.

"Oh, hi, you must be Evie – the maid of honor?" Alex observed.

Evie smiled at him as she answered, "That's me. And you must be Alex. Calin has told me a lot about you – it's nice to finally meet you."

She then turned her attention to the little girl holding her father's hand and told her, "And you must be Kimberly."

Kimberly nodded excitedly before she asked, "You live here?"

"I do. Anna Elizabeth is my cousin – and one of my best friends," Evie answered.

The little girl nodded before she asked, "Since Anna Elizabef will be aunt, will you be?"

Evie looked as though she had to think about it before she answered, "I'd love to be."

"Yay!" Kimberly cheered. She then wrapped her arms around Evie's legs in a hug. Evie smiled as she returned the little girl's hug.

As they pulled away, Kimberly asked, "What kind of outfit is that?"

Alex then intervened, "I think that's enough questions, sweetie. I'm sure that Evie has to get to work."

"Your daddy is right. Why don't you go see Anna Elizabeth – she's setting up the Little Mermaid," Evie added.

Kimberly's eyes lit up. She quickly bid goodbye to Alex before rushing past Evie and into the living room.

Both Evie and Alex chuckled before she observed, "She is such a sweet and precious little girl."

Alex smiled as he responded, "She my whole world." He then became serious and bemused, "But I'm afraid of how she'll act when she learns that her mother abandoned her."

He then ran his fingers through his hair and apologized, "I am so sorry. I am dumping all of my problems on you, and we just met."

"No, it's truly alright. I understand all too well," Evie began. At Alex's confused expression, she continued, "My ex-husband left me a week after I found out that I was pregnant. I came home from work one day, and all of his stuff was gone. That's the last I ever heard from him, except for sending him the divorce papers."

"I am so sorry he did that to you," Alex told her sincerely. He then told her, "While it's true that Kimberly was a bit unexpected, Laura did at least try to be a mother. I knew she wasn't happy, though. I shouldn't have been shocked when she told me that she wanted to leave, but it still hurt like hell that she wanted to go. But the hurt I had was more for our daughter than for myself."

"Because in the long run, it is them who will be hurt the most," Evie conceded. Alex nodded at her, and she then asked, "How old was Kimberly?"

"Three months old," Alex answered. He then admitted, "Some days are harder than others, but I've managed to move past the hurt."

"That's the only way we can do what is best for our kids," Evie told him. She then took a breath and continued, "I really do have to get to the hospital. It was really nice meeting you, Alex."

"And you, Evie," Alex told her. He then apologized, "I know it's probably still hard for you to talk about your ex, and I really didn't mean to bring up any past hurt."

"It really wasn't a problem," Evie reassured him. She then told him, "Though I wish the circumstances were better, it's nice having someone to talk to who actually understands what I went through."

"I couldn't have said it better myself," Alex agreed with a smile. Evie smiled back at him before she began heading toward her car.

She stopped to turn around and tell him, "I'll tell the guys to give you a couple more minutes to run through everything with Anna Elizabeth."

Alex offered her a grateful smile before he headed in the house, but not before stealing one last look at the brunette.

When Alex arrived inside, Anna Elizabeth was fixing herself and Kimberly something to drink. "That isn't milk, is it?" Alex asked worriedly.

Anna Elizabeth turned around and showed him the jug of apple juice. She then smiled and assured him, "I remembered that she's lactose intolerant."

Alex smiled as well before he reminded her, "She's also allergic to…" "Peanuts," Anna Elizabeth finished with a smile.

"I'm sorry – I know it's only been a few weeks since we were here last, and that you're more than capable of watching her, but I still worry about her," Alex explained.

"It's alright – I understand completely. Aside from the fact that she's your little girl, you're raising her by yourself. You have every right to be protective," Anna Elizabeth told him with an understanding and reassuring smile.

"Well, thank you for watching her," Alex began. He then told her, "I'll see you later, Anna Elizabeth." Anna Elizabeth bid him goodbye as well before he headed out of the door.

When Alex climbed back in Calin's corvette, Ethan asked, "So, who was that cute brunette?"

"It was Evie – Anna Elizabeth's cousin," Alex answered.

"So, you admit that you think she's cute," Ethan surmised.

Alex paused at his friend's words for a moment before he nervously admitted, "Uh, well, I suppose that she is really pretty –especially her smile."

"Dude, you don't have to be nervous about it. It's okay if you're attracted to her," Calin told him.

"It isn't just her looks. I can tell that she's really sweet, and that she's an amazing mother," Alex added.

"You can tell all that just from meeting her one time?" Ethan asked.

"When your priority is your child, you tend to notice more than just a woman's looks," Alex pointed out.

Ethan replied, "I guess." He then asked, "You gonna go for it?"

"You know it isn't that simple, Ethan. I don't live here, and I can't just leave the high school. More importantly, I can't let Kimberly grow attached to someone…" Alex began, but he was cut off.

"Okay, dude, I get it," Ethan responded albeit a bit annoyed.

"Cut him some slack, Ethan. He does make some valid points," Calin defended.

Ethan sighed as he thought over their words. He then resigned, "I can see you guys' points. I know that my dad thought he was doing what was best, but sometimes I still wished he wouldn't have let me meet his girlfriends unless he knew there was a possibility that she could be my mom. I always ended up really liking them, and then one day, he'd tell me I wouldn't see them again."

"So, there is some actual compassion and understanding in that heart of yours," Calin sincerely told his older brother.

"Yeah, well, don't get used to it. I have a reputation to uphold," Ethan replied with a lopsided grin.

Both Calin and Alex shook their heads and rolled their eyes in response just as Calin pulled up at Emma and Killian's.

Calin blew his horn, and a couple of minutes later Liam was walking down the walkway. Emma was watching from the door.

Liam hopped in the backseat. Emma smiled and waved at all of the guys before Calin pulled back onto the street and drove toward the town line.

Liam narrowed his eyes as he began listening to the music that Calin had playing. He then complained, "Do we have to listen to this 80's stuff? It's all my parents and Anna Elizabeth listen to."

Calin chuckled before he changed the station to a modern rock station. "Is that better?" he asked the teenager.

"Totally," Liam responded.

"You know, I'm surprised that you're into this. I figured that One Direction would be more your speed," Ethan joked.

Liam rolled his eyes as he rhetorically questioned, "Do I look like a girl to you?"

"I think that's debatable considering that your sister is better at basketball than you are," Ethan responded.

"That's only because she's taller than I am," Liam defended.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Ethan told him with a smirk.

"Alright, Ethan, cut him some slack," Calin intervened as he held back laughter.

"Aren't you supposed to be on my side? I am your brother," Ethan pointed out, mocking offense.

"Perhaps. But technically, Liam is my brother, too. And in two days, it'll be official," Calin told him.

Ethan crossed his arms and feigned annoyance while Calin, Liam, and Alex burst out laughing.

CSCSCSCSCSCSCS

"How long do I have to wear this thing?" Liam complained as he tugged at the collar of the white button-down shirt.

Calin chuckled before he replied, "Only for a few hours."

"You know, I have to agree with the kid. Suits aren't exactly my thing," Ethan added.

"I'm sure that both of you can suck it up for a few hours for Calin and Anna Elizabeth's sake," Alex told them.

He then said, "Speaking of Anna Elizabeth, I need to call her to check on Kimberly."

"Dude, you called her on the way here, and she said that she had just laid Kimberly down for a nap. She's probably still sleep," Ethan told him.

Alex took a deep breath before he agreed, "I guess you're right."

"Anna Elizabeth used to always babysit me, and she was always cool," Liam added with a shrug. At Alex's smile and nod, the teenager announced, "I'm changing now."

"Are you sure that the suit fits, Liam?" Calin asked,

Liam rolled his eyes as he pointed out, "I'm not a little kid, Calin. I think I can tell if this suit fits or not."

Calin couldn't help but grin as he replied, "I'm well aware that you're a teenager, Liam. I just wanted to make sure that the alterations work."

"Yeah, okay," Liam simply responded before he headed back into his fitting room, and the rest of the guys soon went back into theirs.

When they were all dressed, and the suits were in hand, the owner of shop came up to Calin and asked, "Do the suits work?"

"Yeah, they do. Thanks," Calin responded.

"You're welcome," the man began. He then smiled and added, "Congratulations on the wedding."

Calin smiled in response before he asked, "Everything was paid for the last time we were here, right?"

"Yes, it was," the man responded.

Calin thanked him once again before he, Alex, Ethan, and Liam headed out of the shop. As soon as they had stepped foot in the mall, Liam asked, "Where's the food court?"

The rest of the guys laughed as Alex questioned, "Is there any time you're not hungry, Liam?"

"No," Liam responded with a shrug. The guys laughed once again before the four of them headed toward the food court.

When they all had sat down with their burgers, Ethan asked Calin, "So, how do you plan on moving those boxes out of your apartment?"

"Killian and Liam are going to help me move them the day after tomorrow," Calin explained.

"And you're sure that Evie won't let the cat out of the bag?" Ethan questioned.

"She managed to keep the proposal a secret for me for those couple months I was working extra to pay for the ring, so I know I can trust her with this," Calin assured him.

"Yeah, just don't tell Aunt Mary Margaret," Liam added before taking another huge bite of his burger.

"Why is that?" Alex asked curiously.

"Because she couldn't keep a secret if her life depended on it," Calin explained before he chuckled.

Everyone laughed as his words before Ethan asked, "So, are they going to help you move it before or after the concert?"

Alex punched Ethan in the arm, to which he complained, "Ow! Dude, what was that for!"

"So, a concert, huh? And what is this concert for?" Calin asked with a grin.

Alex glared at Ethan, who was still rubbing his bicep, before he answered, "Well, we know how much you and Anna Elizabeth love 80's music…"

"Much to the annoyance of the rest of us," Ethan added.

Alex rolled his eyes before he continued, "They're having an 80's music festival up here the day after tomorrow. It won't be the original artists, but they have some pretty legit cover bands playing. We knew you guys would love it. It's our version of a bachelor/bachelorette party."

"That sounds awesome!" Calin told him. He then asked, "How exactly did you guys set this up?"

"You can thank your awesome older brother for that," Ethan bragged before Alex intervened, "You should actually thank Alexandra and Jane. You know that they both live up here, and they're the ones who saw the flyer in their favorite coffee shop several weeks ago."

"They then contacted me, and we agreed to make a surprise for you and your bride-to-be. We also thought it'd be cool for all of us to hang out," Ethan said.

"Although, I suppose keeping the surprise element is kind of pointless now," Alex added, with another glare in the direction of Ethan, who simply shrugged it off.

Calin chuckled before he observed, "So, I'm guessing that Evie was in charge of keeping it from Anna Elizabeth."

"You would guess right. I guess we'll just have to tell her that she can tell Anna Elizabeth," Ethan replied. He then looked over in Alex's direction.

"Why are you looking at me?" Alex asked.

"Because you have a thing for Evie, dude," Ethan pointed out.

Alex rolled his eyes before he told him, "I just met her today, and I do not have a thing for her. We've been over this."

"Keep telling yourself that, buddy," Ethan teased, before turning his attention to the teenager, "Although, Liam here won't be present for this concert. I seem to remember a resounding 'no' from your parents."

Liam rolled his eyes as well before he corrected, "I'm going to a baseball game with my dad and uncles, you dork. It's the last game of the World Series, and it's between the Red Sox and the Mets. It's a huge game."

"I think I can let it slide, Liam," Calin assured him with a smile. Liam smiled back in response before he took a sip of his soda.

Calin then addressed his half-brother and best friend, "Thank you guys for helping set up this concert. I think we'll all have an awesome time."

Ethan and Alex smiled back at him before everyone resumed eating.

Once they had all finished their burgers, and they had thrown away their food wrappers, they began making their way back toward the entrance of the mall.

As they passed a children's clothing store, Alex stopped and announced, "I need to get some sandals for Kimberly to wear to the wedding."

"Some what?" Ethan asked.

"Shoes," Alex explained.

Calin then told him, "We'll wait right over here," as he motioned to several benches grouped together.

Alex nodded before he went inside the store, and Calin, Ethan, and Liam made their way over to the benches.

Before they could even sit down, Liam heard someone calling his name. He looked over to see Grace waving at him.

He smiled and waved back before he told Calin, "I'm gonna go talk to Grace."

"That's fine. Just don't take too long," Calin replied. Liam nodded in response.

Before the teenager could leave, Ethan teased, "You gonna introduce us to your 'friend'?"

Liam rolled his eyes before he pointed out, "She is just my friend. And to answer your question, no, I'm not."

"Why? Do you think that we'll embarrass you?" Ethan asked.

"You would," Liam replied before walking over to Grace.

Calin couldn't help but chuckle before he observed, "You know, Ethan, he has a point. We've only known each other for six months, yet you've made up for all those years you couldn't be the embarrassing older brother."

Ethan grinned as he responded, "Well, that is my job." Calin grinned back before he shook his head in response.

Just then, he glanced over at Liam and Grace, and he saw the teenaged boy engaged in what appeared to be a confrontation with another teenage boy.

"Damn it," Calin cursed. "What's wrong, bro?" Ethan asked, and Calin motioned toward Liam.

"That doesn't look good," Ethan observed. Before Calin could walk over there, the situation seemed to be resolved when the other guy walked away, and Calin could see Grace holding Liam back.

A couple of minutes later, Liam bid goodbye to Grace, and he walked back over to Calin and Ethan.

"You seemed to be having a heated discussion with that guy," Calin observed.

"Oh, you, uh, saw that?" Liam asked as he scratched behind his ear.

"Yeah, we saw that. You wanna tell me what it was about?" Calin asked.

Liam sighed before he answered, "He's just some guy at school that always gives me a hard time because he was able to make the high school baseball team last year, and I didn't."

Calin studied Liam for a moment before he observed, "That isn't the only thing, is it."

"No," Liam began. He then took a deep breath and scratched behind his ear before he admitted, "He also has a crush on Grace, and he always tries to make me look bad in front of her."

"Ah, I see," Calin replied in understanding. He then surmised, "And this time, you had enough of it."

"It's not like I punched him," Liam told him. He then muttered, "Even though I wanted to."

Calin, however, heard him, and stated, "Liam."

Liam rolled his eyes before he pointed out, "You're not my dad."

Calin sighed before he told him, "I know I'm not. I'm just trying to help."

"I know. Mom is always telling me I need to watch my temper," Liam resigned after a moment.

"Well, speaking as someone who got into my fair share of fights, it isn't worth walking around with a black eye," Ethan added.

"For once, my brother makes a good point," Calin told the teenager.

Liam nodded before he told them, "Dad tells me the same thing – considering he's the one I got the temper from."

"Well, then, little bro, you better not do anything to Anna Elizabeth," Ethan told him, and Liam couldn't help but chuckle.

Calin only buried his face in his hands and shook his head just before Alex walked back over to them. He slipped his phone back into his jeans pocket and asked, "You guys ready to go?"

The three guys nodded before Calin observed, "I'm guessing that Kimberly is alright," with a knowing smile.

Alex smiled back as he answered, "She's great. She asked if it was okay if Anna Elizabeth can already be her aunt."

"She might as well. The wedding's only two days away," Ethan pointed out with a shrug. He then asked his brother, "You nervous?"

"No. Why would I be nervous?" Calin responded.

"Yeah. Just wait until you see her walking down the aisle, and then you have to recite your vows without making a bumbling idiot of yourself," Alex teased.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Calin sarcastically told him. He then added, "While my vows are certainly more important than my proposal, I managed to get through it without looking like an idiot."

"Well, maybe there's hope for you yet," Ethan joked. Calin rolled his eyes while Alex and Liam laughed. The four of them then continued their way to the mall entrance.

As they were walking, Calin couldn't help but smile and shake his head at how Ethan kept teasing Liam about Grace, which also lead to him teasing Alex about Evie. Both of them vehemently argued that they were just friends, but Ethan saw right through both of them. However, Alex soon decided to give Ethan a taste of his own medicine about his lack of a girlfriend. Though Ethan didn't seem to think so, Alex, as well as Calin and Liam, thought it was hilarious.

One thing was for sure – all of them, include Calin himself, were a little rough around the edges, and they all had their faults. But Calin wouldn't trade them for anything in this world. For a long time after his parents died, Calin never believed he would fill that void of family. But now, he had more family than he thought was possible, and that included three of the best brothers that a guy could ask for.