It was early Sunday morning, and sunlight streamed softly through the curtains of Deonte's room, casting a warm glow over his crib. The toddler stirred awake, sitting up and rubbing his eyes with his tiny fists. As his gaze drifted to the baby monitor on the changing table, his sleepy face lit up with sudden excitement.

"Pony day!" he exclaimed, his voice full of glee.

Turning towards the baby monitor, he eagerly called out, "DJ! Id pony day! Id pony day!"

When no answer came, Deonte frowned briefly before deciding to take matters into his own hands.

"I "I ged DJ ub," Deonte muttered with determination as he swung a leg over the crib rail. After a little struggle, he managed to climb out and toddled off toward DJ's room, focused on reminding him of the day’s adventure.

DJ snored loudly, deep in sleep, unaware of his little brother’s approach. Deonte climbed onto the bed, patting DJ’s face with urgency.

"DJ, ged ub! Id pony day!" he exclaimed, his voice full of excitement.

"Mmm, five more minutes, Deonte," DJ groaned, pulling a pillow over his head.

Deonte’s face scrunched into a pout, refusing to be ignored. Determined, he tugged at the pillow, trying to pull it away from DJ's face. "No, DJ! Pony day!"

With a heavy sigh, DJ peeked out from under the pillow. One look at Deonte's determined expression, and he knew there was no chance of getting those extra five minutes. "Alright, alright, I'm up," he grumbled, sitting up and ruffling Deonte's hair.

"What’s got you so excited this morning?" DJ asked, noticing the way his little brother bounced with anticipation.

"Id pony day! Me go pony wide at fam!" Deonte explained excitedly, though DJ still looked a little confused.

"You mean the pony rides at the farmers market I go to?"

Deonte nodded enthusiastically. "DJ haf no moe baba, go fam an' me go pony wide!" He pointed toward a brown globe with a lock on it.

"My globe bar?" DJ glanced over at the toddler in surprise.

"DJ haf no baba so we go fam," Deonte repeated, his logic solid in his toddler mind.

DJ unlocked the globe bar and, sure enough, it was empty, just as Deonte had suggested.

"Oh... he means I’m out of liquor," DJ murmured, shaking his head in surprise. Somehow, Deonte had connected the dots: no liquor in DJ’s bar meant a trip to the farmers market, and that meant pony rides—at least in Deonte’s world..

“Yeah, I guess I do need to go to the farmers market,” DJ chuckled, amused by how Deonte had connected the dots. “Alright, let’s go wake your brothers up so we can all get ready.” DJ picked up the excited toddler and left the room.

After getting everyone dressed and ready, DJ got his boys into the car. The atmosphere was a mix of groggy faces and bubbling excitement. Deonte was bouncing in his car seat, humming, while Tate wiggled with enthusiasm, constantly chatting. Theo, however, was less thrilled about the early start, staring out the window and rubbing his eyes.

“Dad! Dad! What’s the farmers market like? Do they got animals? Can we get snacks? Is it big? Can we get toys? I wanna see all the things!” Tate fired off his questions with wide eyes, bouncing in his seat.

DJ chuckled, looking at Tate through the rearview mirror. “Slow down, Tate. Yes, there’ll be animals, snacks, and it’s pretty big. You might even find some toys.”

Tate gasped. “Toys?! I like toys!” he said, jittering with excitement.

Theo groaned from his seat. “Do you have to ask so many questions this early, Tate? I’m trying to wake up.”

“But I never been to a farmers market! I gotta know stuff, Theo!” Tate shot back, still bouncing with excitement.

DJ glanced at Theo. “Give it a chance, Theo. You might like it. And Tate, save some questions for when we get there, alright?”

“Okay, Dad!” Tate responded, barely able to sit still.

Deonte, catching on to his brothers' excitement, chimed in. “DJ, we see cows an' chickies?”

DJ smiled at Deonte’s eager little voice. “Yeah, Deonte, we might see some cows and chickens.”

“And ice cweam? We ged ice cweam?” Deonte asked, his eyes lighting up at the thought.

“Oh, me too! I want ice cream!” Tate exclaimed, his excitement growing even more.

Theo groaned again, rubbing his face. “All this excitement is giving me indigestion,” he grumbled, putting on his headphones to drown out the noise.

DJ chuckled. “Hang in there, Theo. It’ll be worth it.”

Tate, unfazed, continued. “Dad! Are there farmers with big hats? Do they wear funny clothes? Are we gonna see goats? And what 'bout ponies? We see ponies, right?”

DJ smiled, shaking his head. “Yes, Tate, we’ll probably see some farmers with big hats and overalls. And yes, we might see goats.”

“An ponies? Wide ponies?” Deonte asked eagerly, practically vibrating with anticipation.

“Yes, Deonte, we’ll definitely see ponies,” DJ reassured him.

Theo, trying to tune it all out, mumbled from under his headphones, “Just wake me up when we get there.”

After what felt like a long drive full of excitement, they finally pulled into the farmers market. DJ turned off the car and looked back at his boys. “Alright, we’re here. Everyone stay close and hold hands.”

Deonte, nearly bouncing out of his seat, chanted, “Pony wide! Pony wide!”

DJ chuckled. “Hold your horses, Deonte. Get it? Hold your horses.”

Theo groaned as he climbed out of the car, rolling his eyes. "Dad jokes? Really, DJ?" he muttered, shaking his head as they all headed into the market.

DJ chuckled, unfazed, as he lifted Deonte out of his car seat and into a stroller. "Come on, Theo, it's all part of the fun. You’ll appreciate 'em one day."

Once DJ and the kids were out of the car, they were greeted by a vibrant scene—colorful stalls packed with fresh produce, the smell of baked goods filling the air, and the hum of friendly conversations all around. The atmosphere was lively, with families milling about, enjoying the warm day.

Tate took a deep breath, his eyes lighting up. "It smells so good here! It smells like pie!" he exclaimed, trying to follow the delicious scent.

Before Tate could dart off, Theo quickly grabbed the back of his shirt, holding him in place. "Hey!" Tate protested, twisting to try and free himself from Theo’s grip.

"Didn't he just say to stick together, doofus?" Theo shot back, his tone a mix of irritation and concern as he glanced at DJ for backup.

"Hmph, Dad! Theo keeps calling me names!" Tate pouted, his lips curling into a frown as he tattled.

DJ, ever the peacemaker, sighed and knelt down to Tate’s level. "Theo, be nice to your little brother. And Tate, Theo’s only lookin’ out for you so you don’t wander off. How about you stick close and listen to him, okay?"

Theo smirked slightly at DJ’s validation, but DJ quickly added, "And no more name-callin', Theo. Got it?"

"Fine," Theo muttered with a shrug. Tate pouted a little longer but eventually nodded. "Okay, Dad."

"Good," DJ said, standing back up. He scanned the bustling market, rubbing his stomach. "Now, I don't know about you guys, but I'm starvin'. How 'bout we grab some breakfast first? This place has got to have some good eats."

"Bud! Pony wide!" Deonte chirped suddenly, pointing excitedly toward the pony rides set up at the far side of the market, his little face lighting up at the sight of the animals.

DJ smiled and crouched down beside the stroller. "We’ll go for the pony rides after we eat, lil’ man. Let’s find something yummy first, okay?"

Deonte frowned, his lower lip jutting out in defiance. "No ead! Ponies now!" he demanded, his voice growing louder as his arms crossed over his chest.

Theo nudged DJ. "Told ya he's gonna lose it," he remarked, bracing himself for the inevitable tantrum.

DJ, cool and collected, shook his head with a confident grin. "Have a little faith in your old man, Theo. I’m an expert at avoidin’ toddler meltdowns."

Turning his attention back to Deonte, DJ tried again. "We can't ride ponies on empty tummies, Deonte. Don't you wanna eat something good first? Then we’ll ride the ponies after."

But Deonte’s face scrunched up in frustration, and before DJ could finish his sentence, the toddler erupted into full-blown tears. "NO! No ead! Want pony ride!" he wailed, stomping his feet and flailing his arms in the stroller. The market-goers nearby glanced over at the commotion, some offering sympathetic smiles while others quickened their pace.

"Told ya," Theo muttered again under his breath.

DJ sighed, carefully lifting Deonte out of the stroller as the toddler continued to cry and thrash in his arms. "Alright, alright. Let's step to the side for a second 'til you calm down," he said gently, moving away from the stalls to a quieter spot near a bench.

Tate followed closely behind, worry creasing his little face. "Dad, why is Deonte so sad?"

DJ knelt down, still holding the squirming toddler, and gave Tate a soft smile. "Well, Tate, sometimes babies like Deonte get really frustrated 'cause they don’t know how to tell us how they’re feelin'. So when they can’t find the right words, they throw tantrums instead."

Tate looked over at Deonte, who was still sniffling and kicking in DJ’s arms, and suddenly had an idea. "Hey, Deonte, remember the funny faces game we play?" he asked, his face already contorting into a silly expression.

Deonte paused his crying for a moment, his curiosity piqued.

Encouraged, Tate went all in, sticking out his tongue and puffing out his cheeks in exaggerated fashion. "Look, Deonte! Can you do this?"

Deonte blinked, his sobs slowly subsiding as he focused on Tate’s goofy antics. He sniffled again but attempted to mimic his older brother, sticking out his tongue and puffing his cheeks in a wobbly attempt at the same funny face.

"That's it, Deonte!" Tate cheered. "See, it's way more fun to make silly faces than to be sad."

Deonte giggled between sniffles, his mood starting to lift as he continued to imitate Tate’s silly expressions. "Silly face!" he repeated, grinning as he tried to copy Tate’s exaggerated movements.

DJ watched with a smile, relieved by Tate’s quick thinking. "Nice job, Tate. You're a regular baby whisperer," he said, playfully ruffling Tate's hair, earning a small giggle from the five-year-old.

Theo leaned back in his chair and groaned. "Can we grab some food now that Deonte’s happy? I'm starving."

DJ chuckled, knowing full well how hunger affected his eldest. "Yeah, we’re about to, but I know being hungry makes you cranky," he teased, ruffling Theo’s hair, earning an annoyed but amused groan from him. Deep down, Theo knew DJ was right, even if he’d never admit it out loud.

"Alright, let's find ourselves some lunch," DJ announced, scanning the bustling market for a good spot to eat. The crowd buzzed with people browsing colorful stalls, the air rich with the scent of baked goods and fresh produce. DJ muttered under his breath, "Not a lot of breakfast stalls around here."

Theo, also searching the market, suddenly lit up when his eyes locked on a pizza stand. "Hey, look! Pizza!" he exclaimed, quickly catching himself and shrugging nonchalantly. "I mean, if you guys are into that."

DJ raised an eyebrow at Theo’s sudden shift. "Pizza sounds perfect," he said with a smirk. "Let's head over there."

Tate practically bounced in place, his excitement bubbling over. "I want pepperoni!" he shouted, tugging at DJ’s hand.

Deonte, still holding Tate’s other hand, chimed in eagerly, "Cheese pizza!" His voice was as enthusiastic as his brother’s, and before long, the two of them were tugging DJ toward the pizza stand.

"Alright, alright, I’m comin'," DJ laughed, allowing himself to be dragged by the two younger boys.

Once they reached the stall, DJ placed their order while the boys found a nearby table and began chatting about their plans for the day. "This place is great!" Tate exclaimed. "First we’re having pizza, then we ride ponies later!"

"Pony wide!" Deonte echoed, practically vibrating with excitement.

Theo leaned back in his seat, rolling his eyes. "I don’t get the excitement. You guys are just riding mini horses slowly in a circle."

Deonte’s eyes widened as he turned to Theo, his face filled with the seriousness only a toddler could muster. "Pony wide fun 'cuz pony go fast," he insisted, nodding with conviction.

Theo couldn’t help but chuckle. "Sure, Deonte, super fast," he said, humoring his little brother while glancing at Tate, who was nodding vigorously in agreement.

"They do go fast!" Tate added confidently, his arms crossed as if his certainty alone made it true.

Theo smirked, raising an eyebrow at Tate. "How would you know? You’ve never even ridden a horse before."

Tate puffed up his chest, his expression unwavering. "I just know it’s gonna be fun. And maybe the ponies here are super fast! You’ll see."

Theo leaned forward, his smirk widening. "Alright, Tate. I’ll believe it when I see it. Just don’t go flying off."

"Hmph!" Tate pouted, crossing his arms and turning away, clearly offended by Theo’s teasing.

Before the light sibling banter could escalate, DJ arrived with a large pizza, half pepperoni and half cheese. "Alright boys, pizza time!" he announced, placing the box at the center of the table.

"Finally!" Theo exclaimed, grabbing a slice before anyone else could. As soon as he took a bite, his face lit up. "Okay, this is actually really good."

Deonte, not wanting to be left out, reached for a slice with tiny, impatient hands. "DJ wan pisa!" he whined.

DJ gently took a slice of cheese pizza and tore it into bite-sized pieces for the toddler. "Hold on, Deonte. Let me break it up for you first."

Tate, having grabbed a slice of pepperoni, took a big bite and grinned. "Mmm! It's good!" he said with a mouth full of pizza.

Theo raised an eyebrow at his brother. "Even with the sauce?" he asked, knowing Tate was usually picky about anything saucy.

Tate glanced at the extra sauce on his slice, but shrugged. "Pizza’s different," he said matter-of-factly, grabbing another slice without hesitation.

DJ watched in amusement, noticing Tate wolfing down slice after slice. "You’re really knockin’ those back, Tate," he commented, surprised to see the boy on his third slice.

"It’s really good!" Tate grinned, reaching for yet another slice.

Theo, always the cautious one, leaned forward with a knowing look. "You shouldn’t eat that much before riding ponies. You’re just gonna throw up."

Tate frowned, looking to DJ for reassurance. "No, I’m not! Right, Dad?"

DJ smirked, raising his hands in surrender. "Well, you’re not gonna be racin' on those ponies, so I think you’ll be fine."

"See?" Tate stuck his tongue out at Theo. "Dad says I’ll be okay."

Theo shrugged. "If you say so," he muttered. "Guess we’ll find out."

After finishing their meal, DJ stood up and began cleaning the table. "Alright, boys, let’s get movin'. We still gotta look around a bit, and your old man’s gotta grab.... something special ."

Tate tilted his head, confused. "Something special? What’s that? Can I have some?"

Theo raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "What do you mean by 'something special'? Is it... weed?" he teased, knowing full well DJ didn’t smoke.

DJ sighed, shaking his head. "No, Theo, it's not weed," he replied, giving him a pointed look. "It’s something else, and it’s not anything you need to worry about."

Theo chuckled. "Just checking," he said, leaning back, clearly amused at getting a rise out of DJ.

DJ rolled his eyes but smiled. "Always gotta push my buttons, huh?"

"DJ!" Deonte whined, his impatience breaking through the moment. "You say me ead, I go pony wide," he reminded, tugging at DJ’s arm with a pouty face, clearly not ready to let the promise of the pony ride slip away.

"Yeah, you promised!" Tate added, joining in the effort to get their pony ride adventure started.

DJ glanced over at the pony ride line. It had gone down a bit but was still pretty long. "That line is kinda long. You sure you guys don’t wanna look around some more first?"

"Wide pony!" Deonte exclaimed, tugging harder.

"Alright, alright, let’s go," DJ relented with a chuckle.

Theo, dragging his feet, grumbled, "Do I have to? Riding horses sounds lame."

"Yeah, you do," DJ said with a grin. "But after that, we’ll check out more of the market."

"Ugh, fine." Theo groaned, dragging himself along as they headed toward the line.

Once they reached the front of the pony rides, DJ picked up Deonte and placed him gently onto one of the ponies with the help of a nearby handler. "Hey, Tate, hop on with Deonte. He’s too small to ride by himself."

"Yeah! Pony buddies!" Tate cheered as DJ lifted him onto the pony behind Deonte. The handler made sure both boys were secured, but Tate paused, his face suddenly scrunching up in discomfort as his stomach gurgled.

"Huh… weird," Tate muttered, rubbing his belly as the pony beneath him swayed gently with each step.

Meanwhile, DJ turned to Theo, hoping to get him more involved. "Hey, Theo, you sure you don't wanna hop on? It might be fun."

Theo glanced over at the ponies, his initial disinterest fading slightly. He did have a mild curiosity, though he wasn’t eager to admit it. "I guess I'll hop on, since you're bothering me about it," he said with a shrug, making his way onto one of the ponies.

DJ grinned, glad to have all the boys participating. Once everyone was settled, the handler gave the signal, and the ponies began walking in a slow circle. Deonte squealed with joy.

"Wheee!" Deonte cheered, gripping the reins tightly as his pony trotted along.

"Y-yeah, whee," Tate groaned, his face growing paler by the minute. His stomach gurgled loudly, causing DJ to shoot him a concerned look.

Theo, noticing the change in Tate's expression, smirked. "What's wrong, Tate? Having second thoughts?"

Tate tried to play it cool, shaking his head and gripping the saddle tighter. "No, I’m fine. Just... it's higher up than I thought," he muttered, his voice shaky.

Deonte, oblivious to Tate's distress, giggled, turning toward his brother. "Pony fun, Tat! Tat wike pony?"

Tate forced a weak smile, trying not to worry his younger brother. "Yeah... p-pony fun," he stammered, but it was clear he wasn’t doing well.

DJ noticed Tate’s discomfort and called out to him from the side. "You're doin' great, Tate. Just hold on tight, and you'll be fine."

Tate nodded weakly. "Y-yeah, I'm fine," he said, though his face told a different story. As the pony ride continued, Tate’s cheeks puffed up, and he quickly covered his mouth.

Theo raised an eyebrow, sensing what was about to happen. "He’s gonna blow chunks," he said matter-of-factly.

DJ's eyes widened, and he jumped into action, rushing to grab Tate off the pony before it was too late. He lifted him and hurried him to a patch of grass. Tate couldn’t hold it anymore and threw up.

"Yep, just let it all out," DJ said, wincing as Tate retched into the grass.

Moments later Theo and Deonte walked over after their rides had ended. Theo had a small smirk on his face. "Told ya you couldn’t handle it."

Tate looked up between waves of nausea, his face determined despite the situation. "I can too!" he protested, but before he could say anything else, his stomach lurched again, and he vomited once more.

Deonte, watching from beside Theo, leaned forward. "Tat feel icky?" he asked with a concerned frown.

Theo crossed his arms, shaking his head. "He's fine, Deonte. He just ate way too much pizza before getting on the pony."

DJ sighed, rubbing Tate’s back as he finished. "Yeah, that's on me. I should've made him wait a little longer before hopping on."

Tate wiped his mouth, still a little pale. He looked up at DJ, worry in his eyes. "I thought if I said something, you wouldn't let me ride the ponies," he admitted softly.

DJ knelt down to Tate’s level, his expression gentle. "I would've just made you wait a bit longer, bud. I wasn't gonna take the fun away."

"Should’ve listened," Theo chimed in with a smug grin, clearly enjoying the moment.

DJ gave Theo a look. "I think Tate’s learned his lesson. No need to rub it in." Turning his attention back to Tate, he asked, "How about we get you some ginger ale to settle your stomach?"

Tate, looking a bit wobbly, lifted his arms up toward DJ. "Can you pick me up, Dad?"

DJ raised an eyebrow but nodded, picking Tate up in his arms. "Alright, up you go."

Theo rolled his eyes, unimpressed. "Don't be a baby, Tate. You’ve got legs, you can walk."

Tate just leaned his head on DJ’s shoulder, not saying anything. DJ glanced down at him, his voice soft. "He's had a rough ride, Theo. Give him a break."

Theo shrugged, giving Tate a playful look. "Yeah, I guess," he muttered, then teased, "Next time, don't eat a whole pizza before riding a pony."

DJ raised an eyebrow at Theo but softened it with a grin. "Alright, cut him some slack. He learned his lesson."

Tate, still leaning on DJ, muttered quietly, "I’m never eating pizza again…"

DJ chuckled, patting his back gently. "We’ll see about that. You’ll be back to pizza soon enough, trust me."

Deonte, who had been walking alongside them, giggled. "Tat no wike pizza? I wike pizza!" he exclaimed.

DJ shook his head with a smile. "Alright, let’s get Tate something to settle his stomach, and we’ll grab some juice too."

DJ led the boys to a nearby stand selling ginger ale. After setting Tate down gently on a bench, DJ ordered a bottle of ginger ale and handed it to him. "Here, Tate, sip this slowly. It’ll help your tummy feel better."

Tate took the bottle, sipping slowly as DJ rubbed his back. "Thanks, Dad," Tate murmured, feeling a bit more settled with each sip.

Theo leaned against the bench, sipping his lemonade. "Feeling better?" he asked, a little more serious now.

Tate nodded, still holding the bottle. "Yeah, I think so. My stomach's not all swirly anymore."

"Good," DJ said, glancing around the market. "Now that Tate’s feeling better, let’s grab the last thing we came here for."

The boys followed DJ as he headed toward a specific stall near the back of the market, passing various fruit and baked goods stands. DJ had one more thing to pick up, but he wasn’t planning on explaining it fully to the kids. The truth was, he had come here for a special type of liquor, something he could only get at this particular market. But to the kids, it was just “something special” he needed to grab.

As they reached the stall, DJ quickly made his purchase, making sure the boys weren’t too curious about what he was buying. He casually tucked the bottle into a bag. "Alright, we’re done here. Let’s head home."

Theo, always observant, glanced at the bag. "What’d you get?"

DJ gave a casual shrug. "Just something for later. You guys wouldn’t like it—nothing exciting."

Tate, still sipping his ginger ale, wasn’t paying much attention, but Deonte’s curiosity was piqued. "I wan’ see, DJ!"

DJ chuckled, shaking his head. "Nah, this one’s for the grown-ups. But don’t worry, we’ll get you some juice when we get home."

Deonte frowned slightly but didn’t argue, content with his juice for now. He sipped on it quietly as they started making their way through the market again.

With his "grown-up" purchase tucked away, DJ turned his attention back to the stalls, scanning for some fresh ingredients. He quickly moved from stall to stall, picking up a variety of items—fresh vegetables, herbs, spices, and even some homemade pasta. The boys watched curiously as DJ’s bags filled up with all sorts of things.

"DJ, what’re you getting all this stuff for?" Theo asked, eyeing the bags with suspicion. "You planning to open a restaurant or something?"

Tate, still holding his ginger ale, chimed in. "Yeah, what are we gonna do with all that?"

DJ gave them a sly smile, continuing to pick out a few more ingredients. "It’s a surprise," he said, not giving away any details. "You’ll see when we get home. I’ve got something special planned for dinner."

Deonte tugged on DJ’s shirt. "I wan know! What’s da surprise?"

DJ leaned down, ruffling Deonte’s hair. "You’re just gonna have to wait, little man. Trust me, though—you’re gonna like it."

Theo sighed dramatically. "Great, now we have to wait," he muttered, though there was a hint of intrigue in his voice.

As they finally finished gathering everything, DJ carried the full bags back to the car, carefully loading them into the trunk. The boys climbed in, still chatting and trying to guess what the "surprise" could be.

Once DJ slid into the driver’s seat, he glanced back at his curious sons in the rearview mirror. "Alright, let’s head home and get everything set up for dinner," he said with a grin.

Tate’s eyes lit up. "Can I help with the surprise?"

DJ nodded. "We’ll see. Maybe I’ll let you guys pitch in a little."

As they drove off, the boys buzzed with excitement of their day. DJ smiled that the boys had a good time and he was even more happy that he was able to get his liquor without too much judgement from the kids.