Puck couldn’t remember any time that he’d been more nervous. All of the proper blocks seemed stacked in place for success, but he still feared that something would go wrong. Ross arrived nearly two hours before Ellen and Myron were scheduled to show up. He brought along an unexpected guest.

When Puck opened the front door, he reached out to hug Ross and immediately noticed the man standing inches behind. He was tall, a good two or three inches taller than Ross, and he had a dark complexion with a head full of wooly salt and pepper hair. He was handsome, and he wore an elegant, expensive charcoal gray suit. His tie was bright purple.

Puck offered to shake the man’s hand and asked, “Who is this?”

“Can we come inside?”

“Oh, yeah, of course!” Puck stood to the side while the two men stepped into the living room.

Ross said, “Puck, I want to introduce you to Andrew Olson. He’s the attorney I mentioned. I know it would have been good to tell you earlier, but Andrew didn’t know for sure that he could be here until this morning.

I wanted to get here a couple of hours early so I could introduce him. I’ve told Andrew about our plan, but he wanted to talk to you, too. He thinks the plan is probably enough, but he’s more than willing to provide legal backup if you need it.”

Puck shook hands with Andrew. His grip was firm and reassuring. Suddenly, Puck opened his eyes wide. “Hey, wait! Andrew!” He turned toward Ross. “Is this that Andrew?”

Andrew laughed while Ross nodded yes. “Yep, you caused a reunion with my old boyfriend. I have to say it has been a wonderful thing, too. We tied a loose end into a neat little bow.”

Andrew quickly added, “But don’t worry. It’s only a friendship now. I have a partner, and it looks like Ross will have one soon, too. I would be happy to invite the two of you to Middleton for dinner, but I can assure you that’s all it would be.”

“Oh my God. Come and sit here in my living room. We’ve got a lot of guests on the way. I put out some cheese and crackers and stuff on the dining table, and there’s beer and pop in the fridge. Help yourselves. Somebody needs to pinch me. I can’t believe any of this is happening.”

Ross glanced at Andrew. He said, “I think we’re both good for now. We had lunch together before we came, and we talked about some of the old times.”

“So you guys are good with things now? I’m happy to hear that.” Puck leaned forward. “Andrew, wait until you meet all these people coming over today. They are the best people in the world. I don’t know what Ross told you, but it’s going to be amazing.”

The next two hours zipped by in a flash. The three men talked briefly about Addie and the unpleasant custody battle brought on by her grandparents. Andrew said, “Unless there is something strange lurking around that Ross doesn’t know, I’m not worried that you will have any significant issues, but nothing like this is ever pleasant. Let’s hope your little party this afternoon will take care of everything without any additional legal effort on my part.”

“I’m so fortunate. It’s hard to believe that you’re willing to help out. I’ll have to set up some kind of payment plan, though. I’m sure I can’t afford the time you’ve put into this.”

Andrew shook his head. “No, there will be no exchange of money. I’m doing this gratis, and I’ve already got my reward.” He touched Ross’s knee. “We’re friends again. That’s worth pure gold. I missed this man. I’m sure you know what a good heart beats in his chest. Honestly, Ross puts most of us to shame.”

Puck smiled and nodded in agreement.

They were busy chatting about small towns in southeastern Minnesota when the doorbell rang. Puck gasped, “Oh, shit, that’s probably Ellen and Myron. I lost track of time.” He glanced at Andrew and said, “Please excuse my language. It slips out at some of the worst times.”

Puck brushed his hands down his button up shirt and over the crisp, new jeans he wore for the occasion. “I know it’s not a suit, but do I look okay?”

Ross hugged Puck. “You look great. Don’t worry. Suits aren’t required for casual parties. Think about this afternoon that way.”

Ellen began to speak as soon as the door opened. She glanced at Puck and dismissively pushed past him. “I want to make this as brief as possible. We’ve got papers from our lawyer, and he’s laid out a timeline for Addie’s transition. You will sign the papers, and we’ll be on our way.”

Myron interrupted her. “Who is this man?” He nodded in Andrew’s direction.

Andrew spoke up with a voice of authority honed by decades of appearances in courtrooms. “I’m Puck’s legal representative.” He reached a hand out to shake with Myron. “Andrew Olson.”

Ellen pursed her lips. “You have a lawyer?”

Before Puck could answer the question, the doorbell rang again. He said, “Please excuse me for a moment. I need to answer the door.”

Rhea greeted Puck with a hug. He called over his shoulder, “Ross, Rhea’s here.”

Ellen asked, “And who is this?”

With exaggerated movements, Rhea held her hand to her mouth and said, “Oh, do pardon me. I’m Ross’s supervisor at work. He’s the best worker. I’ve never seen someone so diligent in the office.” She leaned toward Ellen and spoke like she was sharing a secret. “He’s great with babies, too. Have you seen him play with Puck’s Addie?”

Ellen frowned and stepped back.

Ross pushed forward and said, “There’s plenty of snacks in the kitchen. You might want to get there now. The big appetites aren’t here yet.”

“You invited over more people?” asked Myron. “This was supposed to be a private meeting.”

Puck shrugged. “No one mentioned private to me. You mentioned you were coming over, and I invited a few of my friends. I decided to make it a social occasion. They really are all family anyway.”

Andrew watched the conversations and sipped a glass of wine. Ross leaned over and whispered in his ear. A huge smile spread across Andrew’s face.

The doorbell rang again. Puck asked, “Ross, hun, would you get that? I need to check on the queso in the kitchen.”

Diego poked his head in as the door opened. He said, “I hope you didn’t start the party without us.” Alan peeked over his shoulder.

Ross held his hand to his mouth when they stepped inside. Diego was the instant center of attention. He wore a perfectly tailored suit with a tie sporting fiery orange-red flower blossoms. He was stunningly handsome. Alan was content to bask in his partner’s reflection.

Diego spotted Ellen and solicitously held out his hand. When she hesitantly offered hers in return, he inclined his head to kiss the back of her hand. “She’s lovely, Ross. Surely, the rumors aren’t true.” Diego threw his head back with a full-throated laugh as Ellen frowned, and Rhea pushed a glass of wine into his hand.

Myron asked, “Isn’t it getting a little crowded in here?”

Alan placed a hand on his shoulder. “Oh, we’re all good friends. Puck’s place is like a second home. We keep a close watch on Puck and Addie. They’ve been through a lot, and we all want to make sure Addie grows up to be a fine young woman.”

Myron coughed and stepped away from Alan. Rhea smiled at Ellen. “There goes the bell again. I bet I know who it is.” She pushed around behind Andrew to reach the door as Puck rejoined the crowd.

Brody opened the front door before Rhea could reach it. He said, “I saw all the cars, so I wasn’t sure if you’d hear the bell. I didn’t think you would mind if we got the door ourselves. Dak’s just behind me with Penny.”

“Penny?” asked Ellen.

Brody held out a hand to shake. “You must be Ellen. Yes, Penny is our daughter. She’s several months older than Addie, so we do our best to share the hints and tips we’ve learned along the way. Dak takes care of Addie during the week while Puck’s at work.”

Ellen asked, “Who or what is Dak?”

Brody frowned. “What?” He breezed toward the kitchen as he said, “Dak’s the best husband in the world!”

Dak announced himself with his deep voice. “I heard that! I’ll remember it, too.” Penny clung to one shoulder, while Dak carried a large diaper bag on the opposite shoulder. He grinned and said, “The party can start now. I’ve arrived.”

Myron mumbled and pushed himself to one side of the living room. “And I think it might be time for us to leave.”

Ellen shook her head. “Where’s Puck? What is the point of this? Perhaps we should take Addie right now. I’ve never seen such a ridiculous display and an utter lack of decorum. We called for a meeting. We didn’t call for a…a circus.”

Andrew squeezed past Rhea, and he gently pushed on Ross’s shoulder to make his way through the crowd. When he was finally face-to-face with Ellen, he said, “This circus, as you call it, is the gathering of some of the best people in the world. Addie is one of the luckiest…”

Andrew’s voice faded when the doorbell rang one more time. Rhea leaned toward Diego and spoke in a whisper. “Who’s that? Everybody’s here, aren’t they?”

Ross smiled at her and said, “Not everyone.” He stepped up to the door, turned the knob, and opened it to reveal the final guest.