As His Heart Hopes...

The Worst Date Ever?!?!

An awkward silence filled the table for just a moment, before Matt cleared his throat. He glanced at T.K. who still hadn't said a word, even as the food had started to arrive.  After a minute he looks over to Ephram, who hadn't touched the food on his plate yet, and said. "What's the matter? Not on a diet are you?"

Ephram mustered a laugh, but T.K. felt his hands tightening to fists. A moment later, T.K. risked looking at Ephram and his grip relaxed. Ephram had a crooked smile on his face--as if T.K.'s brother interrupting their first date didn't make him upset. At all. And he just responded, politely. "Nothing so damaging as that--I just never feel right eating my food before everyone else is served."

Ephram's nod of his head, in Matt and Sora's direction, almost seemed to reference their intrusion as the cause. T.K. watched his older brother flush, a little embarrassed. But then he shook his head and nodded toward Uri who was chowing down. "Obviously the little man didn't get that memo. But for what it's worth, I'm...sorry."

As Ephram nods and the table falls into silence again, Sora put a hand on T.K.'s arm. He glanced at her with a sad smile on her face before she asked, "How're you feeling?"

His throat was dry, and his voice felt like a knife on the way out, but T.K. was able to answer. "I-I'm alright. Taking it step by step, you know?"

At T.K.'s cryptic response, Uri speaks with his mouth full, capturing everyone's attention. "That's why Ephram's here. To help!"

Matt laughs politely and looks between Uri and Ephram, "That's sweet, kid. But I'm not sure your brother is exactly what T.K. is looking for."

T.K. knew his brother was just trying to lighten the mood with a joke, but the moment he saw the split-second of pain on Ephram's face, he couldn't let it fly. Straightening his back, and staring Matt down for the first time since he arrive, T.K. spoke--and his voice was steady. "Ephram is damn well perfect, Matt! So, please, don't pretend like you know what I need right now; if you did, you'd see it was him."

The table seemed momentarily shocked before Sora of all people started laughing. She just smiled and shook her head, grabbing her food from the waitress as she arrived. Next Uri spoke--mouth still full--grinning as well, "Well shit."

"Uri!" Ephram pointed his attention to his little brother in a stern attempt to dissuade him--only betrayed by the smile on his own face. "You're definitely not allowed to use that language yet! Don't do it again!"

T.K. brought his attention back to Matt, who was looking between the distracted Ephram--busy lovingly scolding his brother--and himself. The look on Matt's face was a mystery to T.K., but he refused to back down.  

After another moment of silently studying T.K. and Ephram, Matt nodded more to himself than anyone else, and a small smile graced his lips. Then he turned his full attention onto Ephram. The older Meyer brother's cheeks lit up with a flush and he glanced away for a moment before asking, "Yeah?"

"I'll admit," Matt said taking a quick sip of his drink, "I'm curious about you Mister Meyer."

"Eww," Ephram playfully cringed, "No. Mister Meyer is my dad and he's awful."

"He's...not that bad, Ephram..." Uri says almost silently. 

Ephram looks at his little brother and smiles dejectedly, "You're right, you're right...I'm probably just being dramatic."

Then he makes a ridiculous face at Uri, earning a flurry of giggles from him before turning back to Matt, who had a tender smile on his face. "Aside from me being a drama queen, what else do you wanna know?"

Matt pondered quietly and Sora's face betrayed a slight concern, but it melted away when T.K.'s brother asked, "You're great with Uri. But how many other siblings do you have?"