First Impressions

Sonny knocked on the front door of the modest home in a quiet neighborhood. He scanned the porch and noted the blue bike without training wheels as he waited. They'd been removed last Saturday, and he spent the day running alongside Brian as the boy practiced riding on two wheels.

Clay's son was always gung-ho in everything he did, and within an hour, he'd mastered riding. Sonny's daughter, who lived in Texas with her mother, still hadn't quite got the hang of balancing, so he would help her achieve that milestone during his next visit.

Sometimes, he missed Leann so much, but she had a stable, happy life with Hannah and her stepfather. Leann knew he loved her with all his heart, and they talked via video a couple of times each week when he wasn't spun up. He cherished his time with her and looked forward to next summer. Though it was nine months away, it would be the first time Leann would spend an entire month with him in Virginia.

Leann and Brian got along fantastically when Hannah brought Leann for shorter visits over the years, and he anticipated the two rascals would get up to a bunch of shenanigans during that month. His ruminations halted as the door opened to a somewhat frazzled Stella.

A broad smile formed as Stella waved Sonny in. "He's upstairs. I didn't think little boys would be so difficult. I mean, a girl debating what to wear, I understand, but …" she sighed.

"I'll go see if I can hurry him along," Sonny said as he entered.

"Thanks. We'll be late if we don't get going in the next five minutes. At least he ate breakfast and brushed his teeth already."

Bounding up the stairs two at a time, Sonny headed to Brian's room. He stood in the doorway and observed a moment as Brian stared at three shirts on his bed. He watched him do an eny-meny-miny-mo and land on the red t-shirt with an imprint of The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday. Then the kid repeated the process, ending on the gray one with an American Flag.

Sonny stepped in when Brian started a third round—at least three he'd witnessed, and said, "Morning, Kiddo. Whatcha doing?"

Brian turned to face his favorite uncle. "Picking a shirt to wear. Mom says first impressions are important."

Nodding, Sonny asked, "So, what impression do you want to make?" When the serious expression of contemplation displayed on Brian's face, Sonny's heart skipped a beat. The mannerisms of Clay lived on in his son—vividly.

"I want people to know I'm proud to be an American, and when I grow up, I will defend my country with honor like my dad."

Sonny sat on the bed and thought for a moment. "That is best shown by the content of your character, not your clothing. How you treat others and deal with problems when they arise, reveal who you are in here." He tapped Brian's left chest, then his noggin.

"Yeah, but which shirt should I wear?"

"This one." Sonny picked up the navy blue t-shirt with the gold trident image and the words Future SEAL below it.

Brian snatched it up, pulled it over his head, and then looked in the mirror and grinned.

Sonny's breath caught in his throat—the kid's brilliant smile was exactly like Clay's. If the man in the sky existed, he was a mean bastard because Clay should be here to watch his boy grow up. Both Clay and Brian had been gipped big time. Exhaling and inhaling, Sonny stood. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, gotta grab my backpack. It's downstairs."

Five minutes later, Stella and Sonny followed Brian out the door. At the end of the walkway, the threesome turned left. Brian happily skipped ahead of the adults as they continued down the sidewalk.

As they approached the school entrance at the end of the block, Brian stopped, and his jaw dropped with surprise. All his uncles—Jason, Ray, Trent, Brock, and Eric—waited for him wearing their tactical uniforms, like Uncle Sonny had on.

Jason crouched and ruffled the curly blond hair. "Like the shirt, Kiddo."

Brian glanced behind him and up. "Uncle Sonny picked it for me."

Stella brushed at her misting eyes. These men were present for many of Brian's significant milestones. And today, they all came to be Brian's stand-in dads for his first day of kindergarten.

Sonny held out his hand to Clay's son. "Ready to go make a good first impression, Little Buddy?"

His head bobbing, Brian grasped the calloused hand, his nervousness about going to school dissipating because Sonny was there. He also clasped his mom's hand, and the trio led the way with his five other uncles trailing behind him.

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