[That night]
Lily had fallen asleep clutching her new sparkly backpack, and Jake had turned in early for school the next morning.
Charlie sat on the couch with Kate and Lisa, a bottle of red open on the coffee table. The three of them were unwinding, shoes off, the kind of easy silence that only came from people who knew each other inside out.
Charlie swirled his glass, eyes fixed on the wine. Then he smiled to himself. "Can you believe it? Lily finally called me Dad."
Lisa looked up, smiling warmly. "She did?"
Charlie nodded. "Yeah. We were shopping for school stuff, and on the way, met a friend with a broken car. So, gave her a lift. When she asked Lily about me, she just said it like it was the most natural thing in the world. 'That's my dad.'" He let out a small laugh. "That was one of the best moments of my life."
'So, she finally said it. I'm glad he's happy.' Kate's expression softened. "That's a big deal, Charlie."
"I know," he said quietly. "It just… hit me, you know? I've had a lot of titles in my life. Uncle, brother, disaster, rock star. But 'Dad'? That one felt different."
Lisa leaned back. "You earned it. You've been there for her every day. She sees it."
Charlie took a sip of his wine. "Guess so. Still feels weird. I mean, the old me couldn't even take care of a goldfish. Now I'm signing school forms and packing lunches."
Kate chuckled. "You're better at it than you think. She looks up to you. You've become her safe place."
That last line made Charlie pause. He glanced toward the hallway where Lily's room was, a faint nightlight glowing under the door. "Safe place," he repeated softly. "Yeah. That's all I ever wanted to be for her."
'Maybe we should try too? I mean, I'm ready. Should I tell him?' Lisa smiled. "You're doing good, Charlie. Really good."
Charlie smirked. "Yeah. Though I'm not ready for the day she asks me to meet her first boyfriend. That's when we might take a vacation."
They laughed.
...
[A few days later – Russell's Store] [11:40 a.m.]
The little bell over the door jingled as Charlie stepped inside. The smell of dust, cheap aftershave, and questionable cleaning supplies hit him like nostalgia and regret.
Russell was behind the counter, organizing a shelf full of over-the-counter meds with the precision of someone who clearly didn't know what he was doing. Every few seconds, he popped a pill into his mouth and washed it down with what looked suspiciously like cough syrup.
Charlie raised an eyebrow. "You're mixing meds again, aren't you?"
Russell didn't look up. "It's called multitasking, Charlie. Keeps me focused. Little bit of Viagra, little bit of codeine, boom, I'm alert and relaxed."
Charlie blinked. "That's not how the human body works."
Russell shrugged. "It's how mine works. You build tolerance, like an athlete. Except my sport is survival."
Charlie sighed.
He walked down the aisles, tossing items into the basket. "Let's see… bandages, disinfectant, hand sanitizer, vitamin gummies, ORS, and…" He paused, reached for the top shelf, and slid a box of condoms into the basket. "...insurance." [Prudence needs insurance.]
Russell's eyes lit up. "Ohhh, look who's back in the game! A comeback tour!"
Charlie rolled his eyes. "Relax, Russell. I'll buy enough supplies. Can't have a house full of people and not be prepared."
Russell grinned. "Right, sure. 'Just supplies.' And I'm just taking Viagra for the vitamins."
Charlie ignored him and pointed at a display. "What's this new line? 'TitanMax Supreme'?"
Russell grabbed a box, waving it proudly. "State of the art, my friend. Reinforced latex. NASA-grade durability. You could tow a truck with one of these."
Charlie smirked. "Yeah, that's exactly what I look for in a condom... towing capacity."
Russell leaned in. "They come in flavors, too. Strawberry, caramel, mojito, even jalapeno."
Charlie blinked. "Jalapeno? Who the hell wants to set their junk on fire?"
Russell shrugged. "Spice of life, baby. People like adventure. You'd be surprised to see what some are into. Last night there were these two guys and a chick with..."
Charlie made a disgusting face, "Wow! Stop. I don't care." He walked toward the counter.
"Good for you," He walked to the counter behind Charlie. "I had to clean up the mess in the morning."
Russell slumped into his squeaky chair, opened the drawer under the counter, and pulled out a Ziploc bag full of something green and fragrant. He tore it open like it was a bag of chips, sniffed it, and sighed happily.
Charlie frowned.
Russell grinned. "Medical marijuana. Grown locally, ethically sourced, and spiritually uplifting. I call it 'Oh! Hi-So High.' Want one?" He held out a perfectly rolled joint like a salesman showing off a diamond ring.
Charlie raised an eyebrow. "Don't you need a prescription for that?"
Russell gave him a look. "What are you, a cop?"
Charlie sighed. "No, I'm just trying to make sure I don't end up on TMZ as 'Singer Caught in Sting Operation at Local Dump of a Pharmacy.'"
Russell shrugged, lighting it up anyway. "Relax, nobody cares. Malibu's chill now. Half the people who come in here buy this stuff with their dog groomers."
Charlie waved away the smoke. "Great, so if my poodle gets the munchies, I know who to call."
Russell chuckled and leaned back in his chair. "You used to be so much fun, Charlie. What happened to you? Now you're drinking vitamin water, buying Band-Aids, and using words like 'prescription.' I miss the guy who would show up here at noon looking like a vampire that had lost his coffin, searching for condoms and energy pills, and who would mistakenly hand me $100 bills."
"$100 bills?" Charlie raised an eyebrow.
"Nevermind that," Russell quickly scanned the items and put them in a bag. "That'll be fifty-eight bucks, give or take."
Charlie swiped his card. Took the bag and left.
"Okay. Time to pick up Lily from her play school, and then maybe we'll have some pizza today. Gotta hide the stuff first..." He mumbled while hiding the condom packs.
....
[Meanwhile, back at the house]
Lisa stood in front of the big mirror in the bedroom, pacing back and forth with the focus of someone preparing to defuse a bomb. She pointed at her reflection.
"Okay, Lisa, deep breath. You've got this. You're calm, mature, confident."
She smiled at the mirror, testing her tone. "Hey, Charlie… so, funny thing! I was thinking maybe we should… you know… have a baby."
She winced. "Nope. Too direct. He'll choke on his coffee."
She tried again. "Charlie, remember how great you are with Lily? And Jake's doing so much better? Maybe it's time we… expand the team?"
She paused, tilting her head. "Expand the team? What are we, the Avengers?"
Lisa groaned, rubbing her forehead. "Okay, maybe start soft. Ease into it. Compliment first. Guys like compliments."
She smiled again at the mirror. "Charlie, you're doing such an amazing job with Lily. I've never seen you so grounded, so caring, so… responsible."
Then she tried to transition: "And since you've mastered fatherhood… why not go pro?"
She froze mid-sentence, eyes wide. "Why not go pro? What am I saying? He's gonna think I'm asking him to coach Little League."
She slumped down on the bed with a heavy sigh.
"God, I'm such a disaster. Why is it so hard to talk about having babies?"
A few minutes later...
Lisa slipped on her sandals, grabbed her sunglasses, and decided a walk along the beach would clear her head before she embarrassed herself in front of Charlie with the word "baby."
She walked along the shoreline, mumbling to herself. "Okay, Lisa, you can do this. It's just a conversation. About reproduction. With Charlie Harper. The guy who always asks if I'm on pills before unloading."
"Talking to yourself now?"
Lisa looked up and groaned softly. 'Oh no.'
Rose stood a few steps away, holding a smoothie that was suspiciously pink and wearing a smile that could charm seagulls out of the sky. "Taking a walk?" she asked.
Lisa forced a smile. "Yeah, just need some time to clear my mind."
Rose tilted her head. "You look tense. Everything okay? Charlie's not back to drinking whiskey and passing out on his own vomit again, is he?"
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