A few weeks later my keys are in my hands, and I'm searching for my phone when Sydney walks downstairs. I'm late to the Single Dads Club meeting and that's probably why she's ventured out of her cave. She thought I'd be gone by now.

“Syd, have you seen my phone?” I continue to search the couch cushions, although I haven't sat on it from the time I walked in the door until now.

“No.” She opens the kitchen cabinet, rummaging through its contents.

“I can grab dinner on my way home.”

“I'm not really hungry,” she says, and then comes out of the kitchen with a bag of tortilla chips and a jar of salsa. “It was in the fridge.” She throws me my phone with her other hand.

Good thing my rugby skills are still awesome.

I catch it and eye her chips. “Hungry for crap though?”

She shrugs, and heads to the couch, plopping down on our brown leather sofa and putting her feet up on the table.

“I'm still bringing home dinner. You can pretend you're hungry.” I tuck my phone into my pocket.

“Have a good meeting complaining about me.” She smiles over her full mouth of chips. How did I raise such a smart ass? You’d think she's related to my buddy Dane, not me.

“You know that's not the point of the meeting.”

“Since I don't go on many play dates these days and I don't need a babysitter, so I have to wonder what you do talk about there.” She flips the channel onto her Netflix account.

“Nothing inappropriate,” I say, nodding toward the television.

“Okay,” she pretends to sulk. “I see you’re still employing the do as I say, not as I do parenting technique.”

“Smart ass.” I shake my head and she laughs.

My heart warms. Nothing better than hearing the sound of her amusement, it’s so foreign these days.

“Case in point. Swear jar is on the table.”

I miss our playful banter. It’s nice to have her out of her room for once. Lately, I feel as alone as I did after Melissa died, what with Sydney spending so much time in her room.

“I might stop by the Mad Batter. Do you want me to bring you home a cupcake?”

“Unicorn one, please,” she smiles over another mouthful of chips.

I nod and turn to walk to the front door. “Aren't I the parent of the month? Chips and cupcakes for dinner.” My hand lands on the doorknob.

“Don't beat yourself up. I brushed my teeth and showered today.”

My smile grows and a small part of me doesn't want to go to the Single Dads Club meeting because times like this are rare, but I'm not so naive to think she's going to cuddle into my side and watch a movie with me either.

“Good to know I did something right.”

I open the door to our cabin, the sky already growing dark this early in the evening because of winters approach.

“Hey,” she calls out after me and I turn around. “You did a great job.”

Did I just enter an alternate universe? Maybe I’m dreaming.

“Thank you.”

“Don't thank me, I'm just trying to butter you up so you don't complain about me at the meeting.” She giggles and I shake my head, shutting the door.

It’s small moments like this one that gives me hope that I’m not completely screwing up this single parenting thing.

* * *

The Single Dads Club meetings are held at my buddy's bar, Happy Daze Tavern which is located in small downtown Climax Cove. I park my truck along the sidewalk behind Charlie's lime green Jeep. I'm not sure why she’d pick such a horrible color, but Charlie has always marched to the beat of her own drum.

Other members are already milling about inside and most wave a hello to me as I make my way to the bar to grab a drink.

Charlie's dropping an orange slice into my other buddy, Marcus' beer. The man loves his Blue Moon. Yuppie drink if you ask me.

“Hey,” I lean my arms on the bar.

“I heard a rumor about you,” Marcus says, wearing a shit-eating smirk.

My gaze shoots over to Charlie who is waiting for me to give her my drink order.

She holds her hands up in the air. “Wasn’t me.”

Her hair is pulled back into a ponytail but a few stray hairs have escaped, their curls framing her face. Jesus, why do I notice shit like that about her?

Marcus glances between the two of us, some expression I can’t name crossing his face.

“There's the old man.” Dane enters from the back room, his girlfriend Ava following behind him. Straightening her blouse.

“Seriously? I challenge you guys to last one afternoon,” Charlie hollers and Marcus laughs next to me.

“They couldn't last from breakfast to lunch,” he challenges.

Dane waits for Ava and then pulls her into his arms. “Don't be jealous that I'm so irresistible she can't go more than a couple of hours without me.”

Ava rolls her eyes. “Switch that around, babe. I'm the irresistible one.”

Dane's head falls back in laughter. “That you are.” He grabs her hand. “Let's go back to the office, one more time.”

She smacks his stomach. “I have to get back to the bakery. Cat is probably wondering what took me so long.”

Charlie takes a break from wiping down the counter. “She's not an idiot, she knows what took you so long.”

“Nice that you use my girlfriend to cover work for you while you two get some play.” Marcus shakes his head, although the smile on his face says he's not serious.

“Lily enjoys pushing those cupcakes,” Dane replies with mock offense.

“And Cat offered,” Ava adds. “If you don’t like it maybe you shouldn’t have worked so hard to get my bakery back up and running.” Ava sticks her tongue out at Marcus like a three-year-old and he chuckles.

I remain quiet, not having a ton to add because I am now the only single one of this three-man crew. So, most nights where they'd come over to watch the latest boxing match or Monday Night football, they now spend with their girlfriends.

It's like high school all over again when pussy is more important than the boys. What the hell am I talking about? Pussy should still be more important than the boys. I just don't have any pussy to nail.

My gaze shoots to Charlie again, and then down in front of me, finding me a beer in a tall frosted glass.

“Try it. Something different.” She nudges it my way.

“IPA?” I ask.

“No. I said something different.”

Charlie ventures down the bar to another single dad waiting for a drink. I think his name is Eddie, he was new last month. He says something funny and she laughs while grabbing his drink.

He slides his credit card over the bar and she takes it to the register to ring him up. His eyes zoom in on her ass. The jeans she's wearing shows off how great of an ass she has and even though I can’t really blame him, my hand tightens around the glass anyway.

“Are you going to try it?” Marcus elbows me.

I snap my attention away from her ass and bring the beer to my lips. It's got a nice flavor to it, so I sip more. “It's good,” I remark.

Charlie peers over her shoulder at me, her hand resting on the credit card receipt holder. “Told you.” She smiles proudly, one that says you should listen to me more often.

“So, what is this I hear about you buying adult diapers? Having bladder control issues already, old man?” Dane’s hand lands on my shoulder and he can barely get the question out without laughing.

I shake my head. “Fucking Frida at Munchies Corner Store.”

“You know to head outside city limits for shit like that.” Dane rounds the bar now, grabbing a beer himself.

“Don't forget to pay the till, boss.” Charlie reminds him and he pulls a bill out of his pocket and hands it over to her.

“Cheeps. No tip.” Charlie and Dane have an unusual relationship for employee and boss. The casual observer would guess that Charlie was his sister rather than his employee.

“You want a tip?” He wraps his arms around her and presses his lips to her cheek in an exaggerated way.

“Ew.” She wipes her face with her hand and wipes the saliva on his face. “Keep your germs to yourself.”

I watch the ease and playfulness of their relationship and I'm not going to lie, the green monster twitches inside me.

Charlie's gaze flicks to mine after their exchange and I don't turn away like I usually do. I can’t. She was rocking a professional look earlier, but I prefer her the way she is right now—in jeans and T-shirt with her hair pulled away from her face. Natural Charlie is so much sexier.

“Okay, get going. We'll talk about your diapers later, big guy,” Dane jokes as he finishes up with something behind the bar.

“In all seriousness, why were you buying them? For your parents?” Marcus asks as we make our way to the big table we gather around for our meetings.

Not likely. My parents are still off on their once-in-a-lifetime trip around the world. Just wait until they return home in nine months and find out about all the changes their granddaughter has undergone.

“Sydney got her period,” I say, knowing she'd secretly be cursing me if she knew I just announced it.

“Oh shit.” Marcus takes his fist and bites down. His daughter, Lily, is years away from being a preteen but he's scared of it, I know.

“Yeah, and I had to bring her something to school.”

“And you bought her adult diapers?” Marcus cocks his head to the side.

“Well, I figured—”

“Even I know the difference.”

I let the comment go, but the last woman that used any products for their period died twelve years ago. Melissa was insistent on her privacy, shutting the door when she went to the bathroom and keeping her feminine products at the back of the cabinet. The only time I knew she had her period was when she'd tell me we can’t have sex tonight.

Dane finally sits down and the meeting begins. The usual frustrations and stories are shared around the table for an hour and when it’s all said and done I place an order for take-out. After the meeting, I remain at the table to chat with Marcus and Dane until the food is ready.

Ava comes in with a box, placing it on the table in front of me.

“These are for Sydney.” She winks and then turns around, wiggling out of Dane's reach and heads over to Charlie.

“Thanks.”

“It's a girl thing,” she hollers over her shoulder and I look down at the box, finding a unicorn one, but the other three are all chocolate.

“Is that peanut butter and chocolate?” Dane leans over to get a look inside the box. He’s mildly obsessed with his girlfriend’s cupcakes. “Babe!” he yells after her.

“I have your box at the shop.” She never looks his way.

“You know how to take care of your man,” he says back.

“What girl thing is she talking about?” He turns his attention back to the box.

“Syd got her period.” Marcus fills him in since I didn't mention it at the meeting because I'm not someone to share that kinda shit. Her attitude and flirting with boys sure, but the fact she's changing into a woman, hell to the no. I don’t even want to acknowledge it myself.

“Oh fuck.” Dane cringes.

“That's why the adult diapers fiasco,” Marcus informs him again.

Charlie comes over and drops off another round of beers.

“Come on man, you didn't.” Dane's bellow of laughter rings out through the entire bar.

“He did.”

Fuck these two. Wait until they have to deal with this shit.

“I'm out,” I say, irritation lacing my words.

“Wait, wait, wait,” Dane calms down from his hysterical laughing. “We need to do something for her. This is like a monumental moment in her life.”

Huh, I hadn't thought about it that way so much as I've been thinking how much this changes my life. Period means womanhood. Womanhood means growing up. Growing up means sex.

Nope.

Not going there.

“Like what? A party?” Marcus asks and Dane slaps the table.

“Exactly. Like an ‘I am woman hear me roar’ party.”

“A period party?” I ask. “I'm not sure, she doesn't like a lot of attention.”

“Yes, a period party! Ava can make some sort of cake in celebration. I'm sure Cat can decorate and we'll invite her friends. It's like a coming out except it will be like I am woman hear me roar type of theme.” Dane's gaze focuses far away and I know his mind is going crazy with ideas.

Is this what I should be doing for my little girl? I guess it would show her that I support her as she heads into this next phase of her life.

“I could invite her close friends,” I muse.

“You should invite boys, too.” Dane glances behind him and I follow his line of sight to see Ava and Charlie standing by the bar with their mouths dropped open.

“You think?” I ask.

“I'm with Garrett, I'm not sure you want the boys there. Do you really want to be advertising to all the horny preteens that your daughter is a woman now?” Marcus cringes.

“It's like a bat mitzvah.” Dane stands and approaches his girlfriend, the town's Mad Batter. “What do you think you could do for a design? A vulva? Maybe a red velvet cake?” At least he laughs at that.

“I am not making a cake,” she says.

“You guys are being ridiculous,” Charlie calls out from the bar, her back facing me. “No girl would ever want a period party.”

“I think you're wrong,” Dane argues. “Who doesn't love having a party thrown for them?”

“An adolescent girl who just got her period,” Ava chimes in.

Charlie turns around and stares me directly in the eye. “You throw her this party and I'd sleep with one eye open.” Her lack of smile or joking demeanor voice tells me she’s dead serious.

“I'm not exactly on the list of Sydney's favorite people these days, so I think I'll listen to Charlie.”

Charlie smiles sweetly over at me and my stomach stirs.

“She has no idea what she's talking about.” Dane waves her off.

“Yeah, babe, she's only a counselor and a woman.” Ava rolls her eyes. “You’re a bar owner and a reformed man whore so you must be right.”

Dane picks her up, swinging her over his shoulder. “Woman, you argue with me and you get punished.” He carries her down the hall as she hits him in the back while laughing like she’s having the time of her life.

“I gotta get home to Cat and Lily. Sorry about the news, man. Though I know I'll be there soon enough.” Marcus clasps my shoulder. “See ya, Charlie.”

He leaves and then the bar is quiet and I'm left with Charlie.

“I better get going, I'm picking up food for Sydney.”

Charlie nods. “Night, Garrett.” She smiles and turns her attention back to the cash register.

I take one step toward the door but hesitate for a second.

“Thank you for today, Charlie. I'm in foreign territory with Sydney. I appreciate you rescuing me.”

She grants me her attention, that sweet smile still on her lips, but this time it reaches her eyes. “If you need anything else, I suggest you come to me instead of Dane.”

I nod. “I'll do that. Have a good night.”

“You too,” she says and turns around again.

As I walk out the door of the bar, something feels amiss but I can't put my finger on it.