There was probably never a happier man in the world than Brad Whitaker until that day. He had a job as a radio host he was happy working at, a beautiful wife, a beautiful home, and two beautiful children. Even though he was only Dylan and Megan's stepdad, they had, eventually, gotten used to having him around and had even grown to like him.

Until the day that blew his whole Dream Dad situation out of the water.

It started off as any regular Monday. Well, sort of. Brad had just come from work. "Hello. I'm home." He called to Sara and Dylan, who were sitting in the kitchen. "Hey. How was the, uh..." That was when he realized that poor little Dylan was in tears. "What's wrong?" Sara shrugged helplessly.

"He won't talk to me. He said he only wants to talk to you." Brad's eyes went wide, and he looked at Dylan incredulously.

"You want to talk to me? Really?" Dylan nodded. "You mean me and your mom? Dylan shook his head that time. "Just me? By myself?" Dylan nodded again, and Brad resisted the urge to do a happy dance.

"Sure. I'm... I'm totally free. Let's go to the den. We'll sit there. We'll sit. We can do it sitting or standing? Doesn't matter. We're just gonna do it. We're not gonna overthink it. Yeah. Great. Okay, good. Just the men, yeah. A little rap session. Great." He led Dylan to the den, mouthing "Oh, my God" back at Sarah excitedly.

As they sat in the den, Brad patted Dylan on the back comfortingly.

"I just want you to know that I'm just here to listen. All right?" He told the small boy excitedly. "No judgments, no lectures, just a compassionate ear." Dylan nodded, taking a deep breath.

"Well, there are these kids at school..." he started slowly, Brad listening completely.

"Mmm-hmm."

"and they're bigger than me, because they're fourth graders." Click! Brad had taken a picture, and Dylan had lost his train of thought. "And..." Brad blushed, putting his phone down.

"Oh, was that weird?" Dylan nodded. "I'm sorry, I'm just... It's a big moment for me, and I'm just trying to capture it. It just came off awkward. So, go ahead, continue telling your story. Fourth graders." Dylan sighed again.

"Anyway, there are these fourth graders, and..."

DVD

"He actually confided in me." Brad told Sara excitedly as they prepared dinner. "I mean, it was that father-son feeling I've been dying for, and it was even better than I thought it was gonna be." He sighed dreamily. "I mean, he really needed me. Me." Sara nodded, distracted.

"That is so great, honey." Brad nodded excitedly.

"He even said not to tell you. So I'm actually totally betraying his trust right now." That made him chuckle, but Sara was more concerned with something else.

"What are we gonna do about those little snot-nosed fourth graders?" Brad shrugged, unconcerned.

"Oh, I think it's going to be fine. He's going to try to do some trust falls on the playground." She looked to him impressed.

"Really? You think that's gonna work?" Brad nodded.

"As long as they catch him. Yeah." That was when sweet little Megan wandered into the kitchen, looking for none other than Brad.

"Hey, Brad." She said sweetly, making his big heart melt instantly as he crouched down to her level.

"Yeah?"

"If I ask you something, you promise you won't cry again?" She asked him in that little voice of hers.

"Of course, sweetie. What is it?" He asked, already tearing up.

"Well, at school, they told us about this thing, and it's called a Daddy-Daughter Dance." He gasped exuberantly. "So, do you want to go with me?" Brad instantly began to sob as Dylan walked in, and Megan sighed. "You said you wouldn't cry, Brad." He shook his head, wiping his tears of joy.

"I'm not." He insisted, pulling her in for a hug. "Megan, yes. A million times yes."

"I thought big people weren't supposed to cry." Dylan commented as they separated, Megan smiling.

"I think it's sweet that he's crying like a little bitch." Sara gasped, shocked by her choice of language.

"Megan! You are not supposed to call people that word." She told her, coming around and patting Brad's shoulders. "You know what? It takes a real man to show his emotions." At that, Brad let out a huge sob, making even Sara grimace. "All right, that's a bit much."

DVD

Later that night, the little family sat in the living room watching a movie, and Brad couldn't think that it could've gotten even better as the phone rang.

"I'll get it!" Dylan jumped up and they paused the movie for him, giving Brad ample time to think about how after being pushed away and treated like an outsider for so long, he was finally becoming the dad that he always knew he could be...

"Daddy!" That word was what sent Brad's entire Daddy Daydream crashing to the ground. "Hi! Where are you? Where's Cameroon? Is that gunfire? Cool!" Megan jumped up and ran over to Dylan, just as excited.

"Daddy, Daddy! I want to talk to Daddy." Dylan handed her the phone, and she greeted her biological father happily. "Hi, Daddy. Good." Brad looked to Sara, trying to look happy for them, even though he was sweating through his shirt.

"So your ex is calling, huh?" He asked, and she let out a huge sigh.

"Yeah." Brad smiled at her, rubbing her shoulders comfortingly.

"What a treat for the kids. It's been a long time." She nodded, not convincing anyone.

"Yeah." He nodded too, leaning back.

"Yeah."

"Is Massey with you?" Megan asked, and she squealed excitedly. "Massey! Hi!" That made Sara jump up.

"Sara?" Brad was confused. He'd never heard of a Massey.

"Megan!" Sara whisper-shouted, bending down to Megan's level. "Please, let me talk to Massey! Please!" She begged.

"Massey, Mommy wants to talk to you." Megan said, before shaking her head. "Massey says she doesn't want to talk to you yet." Sara sighed again, letting her head drop, and Brad could tell she was upset about something. Who was Massey? Why did she bother Sara so badly? "We're watching a really funny movie with Mommy and Brad." Megan was still talking to the mysterious Massey person and her dad. "Oh, Brad is Mommy's new husband." Brad looked to Sara, who looked up at him panicking.

"Wait. He doesn't know about me?" She shook her head, standing up.

"Well, I haven't talked to him in six months." That one hurt.

"We've been married eight months." That was when Megan came over with the phone.

"Brad, Daddy wants to talk to you. And Massey said you sounded like a douche." Sara began panic, in a state of knowing she needed to chastise Megan for saying douche, but also not wanting Brad to talk to her ex.

"No! No, no. Don't, don't..." she begged Brad, who gave her a reassuring look as he took the phone.

"I'm just going to say hi." Sara shook her head vigorously.

"You don't need to do that. Brad, don't!" But Brad cleared his throat and patted Megan on the head.

"Thank you, sweetie." He told her. To the man over the phone, he said "Hello, Dusty? Super to make your acquaintance. In fact, I just wish I could shake your hand and offer to buy you a cold one." Small pause, and Brad furrowed his eyebrows. "Tomorrow?" Sara's eyes went wide.

"What?" Both kids exploded with cheers.

"Daddy and Massey are coming! Yay!" Brad was still confused, but he continued chatting with Dusty as though they were old friends.

"Oh, yeah, I guess I could pick you both up. Quick question though-" but neither Sara, nor Dusty would let him ask.

"No!" Sara whispered, but Brad paid no attention.

"Hmm? It's Whitaker. W-H-I-T-A-K-E-R." Then he chuckled. "No, I'm not comfortable giving you my Social Security number over the phone." Sara groaned inwardly, flopping onto the couch. "Uh, okay, yeah, my credit score is 752. I'm very proud of that." He chuckled again. "I'm sorry? What sort of fighting styles am I proficient in? I don't know if I've ever been asked that before." And the line went dead. "Hello, Dusty, hello, hello? Hmm... I lost him." He set the phone down, and Sara glared at him.

"What just happened?" She demanded. "Did you just invite him to come here? Is he coming tomorrow?" Brad shrugged, having his own questions.

"Well, I didn't know he'd accept my offer so soon. I mean, he really jumped at it." She shook her head, completely spun out.

"Remember when I said he was like Jesse James and Mick Jagger had a baby?" He nodded, confused where she was going with that.

"Yeah, I just thought maybe he was really skinny and jittery, and had like a little bit of a British accent, or something." She shook her head.

"He's wild and he's crazy. That's why I fell in love with him. Then you end up with three kids."

"What..." Brad tried to interrupt, but she kept going.

"...And I'm stuck there holding the bag and he's nowhere to be found. It doesn't matter how much love or passion, or you can't breathe without each other. All of that stuff is stupid in comparison. When you have kids, you have responsibilities. He doesn't understand that."

"Wait, hold on." Brad told her. "Three kids? What do you mean?" Sara buried her face in the couch, just as Megan came in holding a stuffed bear.

"Mommy, do you think I should leave this in Massey's room? She said I could have it, but I think she'll want it back."

"Go ahead, sweetie." Sara told her, sitting up and wiping her eye, before looking to Brad as Megan ran off again. "Massey was my first born. She was there during a lot of the fighting me and Dusty used to do, and took off with him when he vanished. She and I fought a lot too because she's about as bullheaded as he is." Brad ran his fingers through his hair, trying to wrap his head around this. "That room I never let you in because it was always messy?" Sara continued. "That's her room when she and Dusty are in town. I didn't want you to find out because I know you'd go Pseudo Dad." But Brad was already there.

"Honey, this is actually a good thing." He told her, and she sighed again. "I'll welcome Dusty into our home, and we'll establish some kind but firm boundaries. All right? It's what Step-By-Stepdad calls "setting up a Loving Fence." She gave him a look.

"A Loving Fence? Wow, that sounds really great, honey. But your self-help books have never met Dusty Mayron." Brad shrugged nonchalantly.

"He sounds like a rascal, but I don't think it's anything I can't handle." She sighed again, running her fingers through her hair.

"Okay, but what about Massey? She's seventeen now! You can't build a Loving Fence around her!" But Brad wasn't done.

"No, even better! This can get me Dad Points! She and I can get to know each other, then we can get her comfortable here!" Sara slumped.

"Brad, Massey and I really don't get along. She was always a Daddy's girl while I was mean ole Mom. She's never gonna warm up to me, let alone you." Brad came over and kissed Sara's forehead.

"Don't worry. I'll figure it out."