Chapter 1

Kevin laid back in his chair enjoying the warm sun hitting his body.

"No, no don't hit me," Howie said as he ran around the backyard trying to dodge the water balloons that were being thrown at him by A.J..

"I'm gonna get you D!" A.J. yelled as he laughed.

"No! I don't want to get wet!" Howie yelled.

"Why not D?" Nick asked as he splashed water from the pool.

"Cause I have a date and I just took a shower," Howie said as he continued to run.

"Howard's got a date tonight!" Brian yelled as he swam around in the pool.

Kevin laughed as he heard the guys picking on Howie. He kept his eyes closed as he got himself a tan.

"Rok! Help me get him!" A.J. yelled.

"All right," Brian said gladly, as he got out of the pool.

A.J. handed him a water balloon and then they both ran after Howie.

"Please, guys! Don't wet me!" Howie yelled.

"Come on D, you're no fun!" Nick said as he sat on the steps of the pool.

Howie stopped and hid behind Kevin's chair.

"You wouldn't dare throw it at me with Kevin's sitting right here," Howie said.

Kevin sat up and turned around to see Howie ducking behind his chair.

Brian turned to A.J. and smiled.

"I can get D from here. Just watch," he said. Then he threw the water balloon aiming for Howie.

Kevin turned around and got hit directly in the head with the water balloon.

All four guys started laughing at Kevin's shocked expression.

"3. . .2. . .and 1," Kevin said. Then he got up and began running towards Brian.

"You're dead B!" A.J. laughed as he saw Kevin chasing Brian.

"He's gaining on you!" Nick yelled as he watched them.

"I'm sorry Kev! I was trying to hit D!" Brian said.

"Well you didn't!" Kevin said.

He reached out and grabbed Brian by the waist. Then he tackled him to the ground.

"Someone help me!" Brian cried as he tired to get away from Kevin.

Then Kevin picked him up and threw Brian over his shoulders.

"Time to go swimming," Kevin said.

Then he jumped into the pool with Brian.

Once Brian resurfaced Kevin dunked his head underwater.

"Help!" cried Brian.

"I'm coming for you Frick!" Nick yelled as he began swimming towards Brian and Kevin.

"Me too!" A.J. said as he jumped into the pool.

Howie sat down on a chair watching the guys wrestle in the pool. He was glad that the guys had turned their attention to Kevin and Brian, and not him.

After the guys were through wrestling with each other they relaxed in the pool. Kevin and Nick relaxed on their rafts while A.J. and Brian sat in the love seat.

Then A.J. and Brian began whispering. Nick wanted to know what was going on so he floated himself over there along with Kevin.

"Hey Howie! Why don't you join us?" Nick asked as the four of them began getting out of the pool.

"Yeah D. The water is just perfect," Brian said persuasively.

"Come on Howie. Don't be a party pooper," A.J. said.

"Don't you want to be with us?" Kevin asked. "You don't love us any more, huh?" Kevin asked, pretending to be hurt.

"I told you I have a date tonight. Actually it's time for me to leave now," Howie said.

"Not before you go swimming," Brian said as he smiled.

"No guys! Don't!" Howie said as he hooked himself onto the chair and wrapped his feet around the table.

"Come on Howie! The guys and I want to play volleyball and I want you on my team," A.J. said.

"Um, no. I don't think so," Howie said.

"Okay, so we're going to have to do this the hard way," Kevin said.

"A.J. and Brian you untangle his feet from the table," Nick said.

"No!" Howie cried.

Brian and A.J. got Howie's feet off the table while Nick and Kevin pulled Howie away from the table.

"I'm not going," Howie said.

"Oh yes you are buddy," Kevin said as he and Nick picked up the chair.

"You wouldn't," Howie said as they moved closer to the edge of the pool.

"Yes we would," Nick said. Then he and Kevin threw Howie in the pool along with the chair.

All the guys laughed as Howie resurfaced. He glared at the guys, angry that they had thrown him in.

They all knew that he really wasn't that mad at them.

Then the four of them ran towards the pool and dived in.

"Okay, now we can play volleyball," A.J. said.

Howie jumped at A.J. and began dunking him under water.

After he did it a couple more times, he stopped. "Okay. Now I feel better."

The guys laughed.

"Now can we play?" A.J. asked as he wiped the water off of his face.

"Why not?" Howie said as he took his shirt off and threw it out of the pool.

Kevin and Brian grabbed the volleyball net and set it up.

"Okay, you two giants on the deep end and us three midgets on the shallow end," A.J. said.

Nick and Kevin walked towards the deep end and grabbed the ball. Then the boys began to play.

After a couple of hours it became dark and the guys decided to get out.

"I'll see you guys later!" Howie said as he began to walk towards the door.

"Bye!" the guys yelled from the couch.

Howie got in his truck and drove off.

"Okay, now let's get us some food," Nick said as he picked up Brian's phone.

"Pizza?" Brian asked.

"Yeah," the guys agreed.

Nick ordered the pizzas and then the guys began to play video games.

After forty-five minutes of playing video games the pizzas had arrived and all the guys ran to the door.

Nick grabbed the four pizzas and took them to the coffee table with A.J. and Kevin following closed behind. Brian quickly paid the delivery guy, closed the door, and joined the other guys on the couch. All four of them were stuffing their faces with pizza as they watched t.v.

Once they were through eating they all spread out on the floor and put in a movie.

Kevin watched the movie for a while and then decided he needed some fresh air.

He quietly got up and stepped over arms and legs that were spread out all over the floor.

"Where you goin' Kev?" Brian asked.

"Just need some fresh air," Kevin said.

"Oh, okay," Brian said as he turned his attention back to the movie.

Kevin walked out on Brian's porch and looked up at the sky. Stars were sprinkled all over the great big sky with the moon shining brightly. He walked over to the pool and sat on the edge of the pool sticking his feet in.

As Kevin stared into the sparkling water his mind wandered.

Flashback

Kevin sat in his room playing on his keyboards.

Knock! Knock!

"Come in," Kevin said.

Jerald opened the door and walked in.

"Hey dad," Kevin said as he saw his dad walk in.

Jerald sat down next to Kevin.

"I have some bad news Kev," Jerald said.

"What is it?" asked Kevin worriedly.

"It's about Robyn and Lily," Jerald said.

"What about them?" Kevin asked. "Are they okay? Did they have to go to the hospital? Is it Lily?"

"No, they're not in the hospital. Actually. . .they're missing," Jerald said sadly.

"Missing? What do you mean?" Kevin asked frantically.

"Robyn's grandmother called and said that Robyn left with Lily, and she took her personal belongings with her," Jerald explained.

"No, but she can't. Lily's too little," Kevin said as he shook his head.

"I'm sorry son. We've contacted the police, but they think she left a long time ago," Jerald told Kevin.

"No, we have to find them," Kevin said as he began to cry.

End of Flashback

Kevin wiped away a single tear that had began to fall.

"Happy Birthday Lily," he said quietly as he looked up at the stars.

"Kevin?" Nick asked hesitatingly.

Kevin turned around to see Nick standing there.

"Oh, hi Nick," Kevin said. "I didn't know you were there."

Nick walked over to Kevin and sat down next to him, also dipping his feet into the water.

"Who's Lily?" Nick asked quietly.

"You heard me, huh?" Kevin questioned.

"Yeah, I did. So who's Lily?" Nick asked. "Why were you wishing her a happy birthday?"

"Cause my daughter would be fourteen today," Kevin said.

Jacksonville, Florida

"Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear Lily! Happy Birthday to you!" the waiters sang. I turned red from embarrassment as the waiter placed a piece of cake in front of me.

"Now make a wish," Joanne said.

I closed my eyes and made my wish. Then I blew out the single candle. Everyone began to clap.

"Enjoy," the waiter said as he and the others walked away.

"Thank you," I said as I hugged Alan and Joanne.

"You're welcome," they said.

"But did you have to get the waiters to sing? It was so embarrassing," I said as I smiled.

"Look on the bright side, you got a free piece of cake," Alan said.

"Yeah, I did," I said as I laughed.

I finished my cake and then the three of us left.

We walked into our apartment and I sat down on my blue blow up chair.

"I think it's time for you to go to bed miss," Joanne said as she put her hands on her hips.

"But I'm not tired yet," I said. "Alan, do I have to?"

"You've got a full day ahead of you," Joanne said.

"Yeah, yeah I know. My first day of school, again," I said.

"Come on. I'll give you a piggy back ride," Alan said as he walked over to me.

"Oh all right," I said as I stood on my chair.

I hopped onto his back and he took off running down the hall.

We got into the room and he set me down on the floor. Then Alan made the futon into my bed and I climbed in.

"Jo, can you grab my bunny out of there?" I asked.

"Which box is it?" she asked.

"The one marked my junk," I said.

She opened it and took it out.

"Catch," she said as she tossed it to me.

"Thanks," I said as I held it.

"Sleep tight," Alan said as he kissed my forehead. "And Happy Birthday."

"Thanks," I said.

Then Joanne came over to me. She kissed me on the cheek and got up to leave.

"Night sweetheart," she said as she shut the light off.

"Night guys, love you," I said before they closed the door.I held my old bunny tightly as I closed my eyes. I always hated sleeping in the dark, especially when it was a new place. It always creeped me out.

But Alan always gave me my bunny to hold. He said that it would stay with me at night when he couldn't. As a matter of fact I had slept with my bunny ever since I could remember. I didn't know who gave it to me, but I felt so attached to it.

Orlando, Florida ~ Brian's Place

"What? You have a daughter?" Nick asked shocked.

"Yep," Kevin said simply.

"When did you have her? I mean, how old were you? Where is she? Do you talk to her? Are you friends with her mom or what? Who is the mom?" Nick rambled as he continued asking Kevin questions.

"Whoa, there Nicky," Kevin said.

"Does Brian know about this?" Nick asked.

"Mmm. . .no. Only you," Kevin replied.

"Only me?" Nick asked.

"Yeah, and my parents. That's about it," Kevin said.

"So where is your daughter?" Nick asked.

"I don't know," Kevin said sadly.

"You have no idea?" Nick questioned.

"No," Kevin said as he shook his head. "God, I wish I did."

"What happened?" Nick asked.

"When I was about nineteen my girlfriend of two years, Robyn, told me that she was pregnant," Kevin said.

"Were you scared?" Nick asked.

"Yeah, but I was more afraid of my parents. I didn't want to tell them but I knew that I had to. I remember when I told my dad, he looked like he was going to kick my ass. But he didn't, he just told me that I had to take responsibility for what we had done and promise to take care of the child. I told him that I would, and then he and my mom agreed to help us take care of the baby," Kevin explained. "But her parents weren't as understanding. Her dad disowned her, so she had to stay with her grandmother."

"How old was she?" Nick asked.

"Robyn, she was only seventeen," Kevin said. "At first, she wanted an abortion, but I talked her out of it. I couldn't let her kill my child. So I promised to be with her every step of the way, and I was."

"So then what happened?" Nick inquired.

"I don't really know. I mean I thought everything was going great, or at least as good as things could be going with a newborn baby. But then one day, she just disappeared along with Lily," Kevin said.

"She never called you or anything?" Nick asked.

"Nope, never. I don't know what happened to either of them. For the last fourteen years I've been wondering where they are," Kevin said.

"You think about Lily a lot?" Nick asked.

"Yeah, all the time. I wonder if she's okay, what she looks like, does she know that I'm her father, is she being loved? I mean, I want to know everything about her," he said. "I want her to have the best, and I don't know if she does."

"Is that why you're always pushing me. . .kind of like a dad," Nick wondered.

"Yeah, probably. The father in me is always watching out for you and doing everything for your best interest. I know you probably think I'm being too hard on you, but I'm just looking out for you and making sure you have the best of everything," Kevin explained. "Just like I would do for my baby girl."

"Have you ever tried searching for her?" Nick asked.

"Right after they disappeared I did, but then once I moved out to Orlando, I just sort of stopped. And ever since then things have been so hectic, I just haven't had the time to do it," he said.

"Kevin, that's not a very good excuse. That girl deserves to have her father, especially a good one like you," Nick said. "I would know from experience."

Kevin smiled. "Thanks Nicky."

"So why are you out here?" Nick asked.

"Just missing her," Kevin said sadly.

Nick hugged him tightly.

"Nick. I. Can't. Breathe," Kevin said slowly.

"Oh sorry," Nick said as he let go.

"Come on, let's go inside," Kevin said as he helped Nick up.

"If you need anything or just need someone to talk, let me know," Nick said.

"I will," Kevin said as he opened the patio door.

"Hey, what were you guys doing out there?" A.J. asked.

"Nothing, just talking," Nick said.

"Nick, what'd you do this time to make Kevin mad?" A.J. asked.

"Nothing!" Nick exclaimed.

Kevin smiled. "We were just talking, and neither of us got mad at one another."

"That's a surprise," Brian said as he laid on the couch.

Nick walked over to him and began sitting on him.

"No Nick! Get off dude! You're too heavy!" Brian yelled as he was being squashed by Nick.

"Say Uncle!" Nick yelled as he leaned on Brian.

"Uncle! Uncle!" Brian yelled.

"Okay," Nick said. Then he got up.

Nick and Kevin joined A.J. on the floor and laid down.

After a while the guys eventually fell asleep.