Braxton buzzed around the kitchen with his phone recording in his hand. He landed in front of his sister as she tried to serve breakfast. "While the mother is away, the young lioness cares for the pride," he commented, forcing an Australian accent.

"I'm going to shove that phone down your throat," Whitney threatened. She grabbed the fourteen year old by the back of his shirt and dropped him in a chair at the table. "Eat." She grumbled when she noticed her youngest brother eyeing his plate.

Prince had dumped all the stuffing out of his burrito. He wrinkled his nose at what could have been in his body. "There's green stuff." At six, he was becoming a picky eater, and green was a hard sell.

"It's spin-" She stopped, deciding that she had bigger problems. "Don't eat it then." From the dining area, she could see the mess in the living room. She tried to ignore it as she rushed to the refrigerator for the juice.

It wasn't unusual for Whitney to care for her brothers. She could wake them up, dress them and feed them. The teen had proven that she could hold down the house. She didn't mind helping while work kept her mom locked in her office, but because her mom was out, pretending to be the teenager, her kids got microwave breakfast burritos.

"JACKSON, GET IN HERE NOW!"

Mercedes pranced through her home. Seeing the mess of her living room didn't lessen the joy in her heart. She called to her twelve year old son who was tossing up chair cushions. She knew what the kid was hunting for. "Jackson, I put your sticks in my office." Before the junior drummer could run off, she caught his hand and led him to the table. She glowed as her family gathered. "I have some good news to tell you all."

"We don't have to go to school today?"

"Grandma's coming?"

"You got us a puppy?"

Mercedes shushed her kids. She turned down all ideas, but promised that they could call their grandparents later. "I got married," she gushed.

While her brothers asked "what," Whitney asked, "When?" She leaned forward in her seat. Her expression hardened, but her eyes blazed with irritation. She folded her arms and waited for an explanation.

"Last night. It was spontaneous and so romantic."

"Are you crazy? We don't even know him." Braxton quizzes her over her new husband. "What's his name? Does he have a job? Does he have kids?"

"Of course he has kids. He's old," Jackson claimed.

Mercedes shook off her son's comment. She was only a year older than her new husband, so she was old too. "He's a great man. We're sorry that we didn't include you, but you'll meet him tonight. This will be our first dinner as a new family." Her heart still fluttered, but a knot was forming in her stomach. She knew her kids would never be excited about making room for more people. "It will be fun… having four new brothers." She stepped back as the kitchen erupted with noise.

Braxton let his brothers tire themselves out before he repeated his question. "What's his name?" He wanted his answers, even if he had to get them one by one.

"Sam Evans."

Whitney squinted her eyes as the gears turned in her mind. She repeated the name, sure she'd heard it. "My teacher?" she snapped. Her moment of sitting back and letting her brothers fuss was over. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Language."

"You have never been more inconsiderate." She raged for five minutes before ordering her brothers up. "I'm walking you to the bus stop. Let's go." She stomped away with her brothers in tow.

Mercedes' house sat behind an exclusive gate. The two-story, six bedroom and four bathroom house fed into the flashy stereotype of Hollywood. Extra luxuries were a movie theater, liberty and large laundry room. It was designed with the elegance and sophistication of a queen, but accommodations to please all. It was a wonder meant to be explored.

The five year old stopped and admired the large house that was lit by every light inside. Thor could only think of a fairytale. "Is she a princess?" he asked out loud.

"No, she's a songwriter." Sam lifted his son so he didn't fall behind on the walk up. Before ringing the bell, he did a silent head count. He grinned to see his wife through the glass door, and when he was invited inside, he pecked a kiss on her lips.

Mercedes welcomed the new additions to her family. "I'm happy to meet you all," she cheered as she closed the door. She looked over the family in polos and button downs. "You're all so beautiful… and neat."

She saw a piece of Sam in each of the kids. From Logan's full lips to Peter and Reed's hooded, green eyes. But with Thor's light blond hair groomed into a ponytail, his little face was a replica of his father's.

"There isn't a second chance to make a first impression," Logan testified. The oldest was silently appointed the role of the kid's spokesperson. "I made these for you. They're mini cheesecakes." He passed the tray with the diligently designed deserts on it.

She thanked him and pointed to the nearest bathroom for the kids to wash up. Alone with Sam, she praised, "Your kids took the news better than mine."

While their father was talking with his new wife, the kids were crowded into the half bathroom gossiping. They wanted to support their dad. To his face, they promised to be happy for him, but the boys could say all they wanted behind closed doors.

"Four plus four is, um…" Thor's thought dwindled as he tried to reach the sink.

"Ridiculous," Peter finished. Tired of watching the struggle, he lifted the five year old up. The thirteen year old could only see the challenges of having a big mixed family. "It's hard enough being the new kids. What will they say when they find out that this is our family?"

"We're not going to be a family. We'll be a freak show," Logan griped.

Peter waved off his older brother. "You lost the right to complain," he denounced. "You're the one baking her cookies."

"They're cheesecakes," he corrected. "I did it for Dad. Did you forget that we're pretending to like her?"

Reed broke into the discussion. "She has mean eyes!" He was shushed. Although there were four of them, eight year old Reed had the most traits of a middle child. He wanted to be heard and couldn't help but to shout sometimes.

A knock on the door caused the group to get silent. From outside, Mercedes softly asked, "Are you boys okay?" She watched as they filed out. "Dinner's ready," she announced before leading the boys outdoors.

Rows of French doors opened out to a blissful patio. The view was of a well groomed lawn and a shimmering pool. The backyard was enclosed by tall hedges. Beside a lit fireplace was a table set for ten.

Sam and Mercedes sat at the ends of the table, leaving four seats open on each side. As bad as the parents wanted it, the kids refused to mix up the group. His family sat to the left, and hers on the right. The oldest of each group sat farthest from their enemy. Conversation between the kids was dead, leaving the newlywed couple to do most of the talking: a lot of old stories.

Logan felt the eyes of his younger brothers on him. He was supposed to change the subject. He huffed before looking at the far end of the table. He complimented, "Well, you have a nice home, ma'am."

She thanked him for the compliment. Although her kids walked out before she could share the news, she thought her husband had shared it with his. "After this weekend, this will be our home." She gestured to the whole table.

"What?" Peter gasped. He broke character for one second. "For dad," he whispered to himself. He quickly stuffed his cheeks with food to prevent another slip up.

While the Evans kids forced silence, Mercedes kids were very vocal. Their responses ranged from a flat out "no" to "I'm not sharing my toys." They weren't planning on making the merger easy.

Mercedes had grown tired of the back talk and groaning. "Yes, we're all living here. After this weekend, I don't want to hear anymore about what's yours and mine, or his and hers." She asked the kids to try to make conversation as she talked with Sam inside.

Sam sat at the edge of the couch as Mercedes brainstormed ideas to make the weekend run smoothly. He reached for his laptop bag and took a sheet of paper out. He had spent a lot of time planning out room charts. "This is just a few ideas, but you know your kids best. If th-" He raised his eyebrows at his smirking wife.

"Charts, that's new." She had never known Sam to be so orderly. "And extremely sexy," she laughed. She leaned in and met him in a kiss.

"Oh, hell no!" Whitney stood with her arms folded and a face that proved that genetics were a scary thing. She remained silent until there was space between the adults. Like she did every Friday, she wanted to go out with her friends.

Sam noted, "It's pretty late."

"Mom," she called to emphasize the person she was talking to. "Can I go?" She batted her eyelashes as she waited for an answer. She was so used to hearing yes, but she questioned if her mom would lock down on her because of Sam.

"Be back by nine."

"Always am," she smiled and rushed out the door.

Sam was confused by the little exchange. He hesitated to speak up, but didn't want his feelings to be unknown. "That's it?" he puzzled. "You didn't ask where she was going, or who she was going to be with, or..." He had a hundred questions, but Mercedes stopped him.

"She goes to the same karaoke restaurant with the same four friends. She'll sing a few songs and come home. I trust my daughter."

"I just want to know that she's safe," he promised.

Like Mercedes wanted, the kids were talking. The boys sat around the table teasing each other. The older kids could take the bait and throw out their own, but it all ended with the younger kids rushing inside.

Thor sniffled, "I don't want another mother. I don't want another mother." He pulled at his father's sleeve while Prince wedged himself between the adults and tried to push Sam up.

Reed stood with his arms folded as he squinted at the woman. "He said that you were going to choose your favorites and sell the rest of us." He had no reason to not believe anything he was told about Mercedes. When questioned where he got that story from, he admitted, "I don't know his name yet."

Mercedes turned to find the four older boys covering their grins and snickers as they stood in the doorway. She gathered all the kids before announcing, "I want all of you." She was happy to give her stepkids reassurance. "I'm not replacing your mother. From stories, she sounded like a great woman..." She gave a long speech, attempting to calm the Evanses.

The couple parted with the plan to get the little ones ready for bed. They kissed goodnight and gushed at the idea of seeing each other the next day. They swore they were doing the right thing.

After her guest left, Mercedes stood over her boys that slouched on the couch. "Who said what?" She couldn't let that behavior slide and happen again.

"Ma, it was a joke."

"But you can't make jokes like that. They lost their mom two years ago, and it's still a soft spot." Regardless of what her kids did, she always melted for them. She wanted to be calm with them as they learned. She breathed and explained, "There are a lot of changes happening, but we can get through this if we're patient." She took Prince's hand and led him upstairs for their infamous bath time arguments.

Jackson looked at his older brother. He had no plans to get comfortable with his mom's new marriage. "I'll give it six months," he betted, earning a silent nod.

Thank you for reading. I tried to explain the kids and their ages, but I want to sum them up for you.

Mercedes: Whitney(16), Braxton(14), Jackson(12), Prince(6)

Sam: Logan(14), Peter(13), Reed(8), Thor(5)