Eric returned Dylan's nod, but with a smug quality that indicated he was doing so begrudgingly and only for the benefit of the innocent children present. "Easy, Aaron," he said, eager to get his son away from Uncle Dylan, wishing he had never attempted to foster any kind of relationship between them. Dylan's lifestyle, and his morals, and his attitude, in general, were essentially the opposite of the kind of values Eric wanted to instill in his children, and he didn't think spending time with him and some random woman's kid was a good idea for either his son, or his daughter.
"She's got you babysitting too, now, huh?" he remarked, nodding toward Adam, but not actually greeting the boy. Mia fidgeted in the cart in front of him, and Eric reached into his pocket, handing her the key ring she loved playing with so much. "And where is she? Living it up somewhere, no doubt." He shrugged, then cringed as Aaron tugged gently on Dylan's pant leg. "Uncle Dylan, I have new shoes!" he said excitedly, taking a big jump to show off the red lights that blinked in the heels of his sneakers. "Daddy got them when I learned to tell time!"