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LEGACY

PENN

Luminary smells like another day in paradise, rich coffee, sweet syrups, and the breeze coming in from the screen door. I walk back to the meeting room where the guys are already seated around the round table.

“It’s so quiet in here,” I say.

“You’re the one who brings the noise,” Rhodes says and then he laughs because he knows he’s just as loud as I am.

“I’m not sure I’m alive,” Bowie says groggily. “Elias has his days and nights mixed up.”

“Whew, that’s rough,” Henley says. “That’s how Gracie was.”

“It’s commendable that you showed,” Weston tells Bowie. “We could’ve rescheduled.”

Bowie shrugs. “I wanted to see you guys, and it might be months before Elias sleeps through the night, so…I may as well get back in newborn mode.”

“In other words, we need to get all our sleep now,” Rhodes says, pointing around the room.

“Message received,” I say. I lean forward. “I have something to bring to the table…unless there’s something we need to talk about.”

They shake their heads.

“Bring it,” Henley says.

“Yeah, what is it?” Weston asks.

“Single Dad Players. It doesn’t work anymore. The name. I mean, you know it never worked for me, but…” I tease.

“Yeah, yeah. You’ve had plenty to say about the name,” Rhodes grumps. “But it’s legacy.”

“What would we change it to?” Weston asks.

I hold out my hand. “That’s what I think we should decide today. Something that fits who we all are now.”

“You think we can come up with something better?” Henley asks.

“Absolutely.” I grin. “Let’s come up with some pitches.”

“Dad Players?” Weston says, wrinkling his nose.

“Sounds weird,” Henley says. “And a little gross.”

“Yeah, it’s a no,” Rhodes confirms.

Bowie finally lifts his head. “What about Dad Squad?”

Weston perks up. “That’s not bad.”

“Team Dad?” Henley says.

“Sounds like a bad reality show,” Rhodes says.

“Dad Committee?” Henley tries again.

Bowie rubs his face. “We’re not a committee.”

“Dad Crew?” Weston offers.

“Boy band,” I say.

“Okay…what about something more sophisticated?” Weston says. “Like…Dad Collective.”

“Sounds like a commune,” I say.

Weston sighs. “Dad Syndicate?”

Rhodes gives him a dead stare. “What are we, the mafia?”

Weston shrugs.

“We could go with something simple,” Rhodes says. “Like just…The Dads?”

There’s a pause.

“I don’t hate it,” Bowie admits.

“But it’s kind of boring,” Rhodes says.

“Or classic,” Weston says.

I look down at my caramel macchiato and space out for a few seconds, thinking about all the things I love about these guys, the range of topics we cover when we’re together, and how I know I can count on them for absolutely anything.

“What about…The Brotherhood?” I say. “That’s what I think of when I think of us. You’re the brothers I never had. The brothers that I’ve claimed for life.”

There’s a weighted silence as they all take it in.

Bowie sniffs. “I like it,” he says hoarsely.

Weston nods, reaching out to squeeze my shoulder. “Me too.”

Rhodes smiles at me from across the table. “The Brotherhood. I think it’s fitting.”

“The Brotherhood,” Henley repeats. “It works.”

I slap the table. “It’s settled. From this day forward, we are no longer the Single Dad Players. We are The Brotherhood.”

Weston raises his coffee cup. “To The Brotherhood.”

We all clink our cups together.

“Now,” I say, pulling out our Single Dad Playbook. “I don’t know why, but it feels wrong to change the name of this.” I wave the book. “But I guess since this one is almost filled up, it might be time to rename our book too. The Brotherhood Playbook?”

“It’ll always be The Single Dad Playbook to me,” Henley says.

The rest of us nod and then glance around the table.

“Lots of great memories here,” Weston says. “Whatever our name, let’s agree to always make more memories together.”

“Agreed.”

I flip open the book.

I see one of my entries and grin.

Is parenthood really just faking it till you make it?

Because I feel like I still don’t have a clue,

But I sure as hell act like I do.

~Penn

I feel this way more now than I did when I wrote it.

Levi will think something is disgusting.

Unless he sees it on my plate.

And then it’s the most delicious thing in the world.

I want to always be the gateway to him finding things he loves.

~Rhodes

I tap the page and look up at Rhodes. “That’s profound, man. Be the gateway.”

He grins. “You’re doing it already with Sam and Winnie…I see you, man.”

My chest swells with pride and more than a little relief that I might be getting something right.

There’s a moment in time

When we discover the power of

The Dad Look.

Your kid is about to do something risky.

You lock eyes.

No blinking.

Raise the brows.

Insert The Dad Look.

Unless they’re Gracie, they stop what they’re doing.

The rest of the time?

That’s why Band-Aids and mops were invented.

~Henley

I laugh out loud at that. “Must be a girl thing because the looks I try on Winnie just make her want to do it more.”

They laugh.

“She’s hilarious,” Weston says.

I didn’t really get to be the cool dad with Becca.

There was too much glitter in my scruff.

And my hair got lots of ponytails…

That kind of thing.

Which I wouldn’t trade for anything.

I love being a girl dad.

But Jonas saw me throw a football

across the yard the other day,

And he plopped down on his diaper butt

and clapped so hard.

It’s the coolest I’ve ever felt.

~Bowie

“Ahh, that little guy is gonna have an arm on him,” Weston says. “He’s all about the ball.”

Bowie nods. “He is obsessed with playing ball…any kind.”

Wanna know how I’ve realized I’m getting old?

I’m leaning into the dad jokes.

I can’t not say things like:

It’s nacho problem.

Eggs can’t take a yolk.

Who’s the sheep that can sing and dance? Lady Ba Ba

And the worst part?

I LAUGH AT MYSELF.

I’m calling it a rite of passage.

~Weston

I close the book and pass it to Weston.

“That is solid work right there, guys,” I say, still laughing.

Henley stretches. “We’re starting to sound like professionals.”

“We’ve had practice,” Rhodes says, grinning.

“We’re heading for a new chapter, boys,” I say. “Are you ready?”

We all click our coffee mugs together.

Ready.