The guy turned at Carter's words and when we saw each other, I wasn't sure who had the more shocked expression on their face.

"Oh my God, Max?"

"Claire?" he answered, equally surprised.

Carter looked between the two of us, obviously puzzled.

"Wait, you two know each other?" he asked.

"Um, yes. But more importantly, how do you know him?" I asked.

This was so awkward right now I kind of wished a meteor would crash out in the street. I needed total chaos right now to distract everyone from this insane situation.

"I met Max at the library when I took Gavin that one afternoon so you could work, remember? He gave me some tips on the joys of fatherhood," Carter laughed.

Max hadn't taken his eyes off me during the exchange and I laughed nervously. I didn't see this ending well. At all.

"So, anyway, how do you two know each other?" Carter asked again.

I looked at him and tried to convey with my eyes that this was about to get really weird really fast. Carter didn't get the hint and just stared at me expectantly.

"Hello, earth to Claire," Carter said with a laugh. "What's wrong with your face?"

I sighed, figuring I might as well get this over with.

"Carter, this is Max," I said, with a raise of my eyebrows, hoping he would get it.

He just laughed and shook his head.

"Yeah. We've already established that. Are you okay?" he asked as he leaned towards me.

"Carter. This. Is. MAX," I said again, punctuating Max's name with a big, fake smile.

Carter looked at me like I was insane for all of three point two more seconds when the light bulb finally went off in his brain. Really, how many f**king Max's did he know? It wasn't like the guy's name was John or Mike and he might have just assumed it was someone else. His name was Max for fuck's sake. As soon as he met him, shouldn't a red flag have gone off in his head?

It was certainly going off now. Carter's head jerked back and forth between Max and me so quickly it almost looked like he was shaking his head no. Maybe he was. His brain might just be on overload right now and it was screaming, "Nooooooooooo! Does not compute!"

"You're Max?" he asked.

Max just nodded, finally looking away from me and at his son squirming in his arms.

"You're Max," he stated.

I laughed uncomfortably. "I think we've covered that already, hon," I said through a smile and clenched teeth.

Let the insanity commence.

Carter started chuckling.

I closed my eyes, not wanting to witness what surely was going to follow. Why had I ever though it was necessary to share every detail of this story? Why?

"Two pumps!" Carter said excitedly, followed by more laughing.

Max just stood there with a befuddled look on his face.

Then Carter raised his arm and pointed at him, still laughing, I might add.

"You're the chump!"

"Oh Jesus," I muttered.

"What?" Max asked.

Carter was smiling like nut job.

"Nothing," I told Max. "Don't mind him."

"Where's her underwear?" Carter asked, suddenly serious.

Max's son started kicking his little legs around in an attempt to get down. He hefted him up higher in his arms and gave me a smile.

"Well, I better get going. It was good seeing you again, Claire. Good luck with the store," he said as he moved to the door and used his back to push it open.

"Could you say that TWO more times," Carter laughed.

I smacked his arm as Max lifted his hand in a wave.

Carter waved good-bye to him, shaking his hand in the air frantically like he was a little kid watching a parade.

"Come back again!" Carter shouted as Max got out the door and onto the sidewalk. "Claire likes it when people stay more than TWO seconds."

Max finally disappeared out of sight and Carter turned to face me, a lingering smile still on his face.

"What?" he asked when he saw the look on mine.

"When you're ready to start acting like an adult, let me know," I told him.

"Adults are the little ones, right?" he shouted to me as I walked away.

I shook my head as I made my way to the counter. Just then my dad walked back over from Liz's side with a black bag clutched firmly in his hand.

Oh sweet Jesus, my brain couldn't handle anymore crazy today. .

We stopped in front of each other and he tried to hide the bag behind his back.

"Dad, did you just buy something from Liz's store?" I asked bewilderingly.

What in the f**k of fuckery would he need from over there? WHAT? Oh God, where's Jim? I need his eye bleach.

"Well, I've got a date tonight," he stated matter-of-factly.

"So take her some chocolates! Or a box of cookies. I'm pretty sure what's in that store isn't first-date material," I said in a panic.

There could be flavored lube in that bag right now. Or a c**k ring. Or a strap on. Oh sweet mother f**king Jesus, what if’s been so long since my dad has been with a woman that he bat for the other team now? Nothing against g*y men. I love g*y men. I had a g*y friend in college that I wish I still kept in contact with. He liked to show me the awesome gaydar he possessed by pointing out every g*y man within a two mile radius. What would he say if he was here right now? "Oh, Claire, that man is gayer than Richard Simmons sweatin' to the oldies on a rainbow."

When I took Gavin to the library last week there was a book called "Daddy's Roommate" in the children's section. Should I go back and get that book? Maybe I should buy a copy for future reference. There was also a book called "I Wish Daddy Didn't Drink So Much" and "It Hurts When I Poop."

What the f**k has happened to children's literature since I was little?

I knew no matter what, I would love my father. That was a fact. To quote my favorite movie, "I love my dead, g*y son!"

Well, I love my dead, g*y father. Er, I mean my g*y father.

I need a drink.

"Never fear, Mr. Hunt is here!" Drew proclaimed as he walked through the door holding Jenny's hand. My dad raised his eyebrow at Drew's shirt that read, "Jam out with your clam out."

"Hey there, Mr. M, how's it hanging?" he asked as he walked over and shook my dad's hand.

It's hanging a little to the left of Perez Hilton Avenue.

"Oooooh, look at you already sampling the merchandise," Drew said, patting my dad on the back in a congratulatory way as he smiled at the black bag still tightly clutched in his hands.

"Claire, the store looks great!" Jenny told me as she gave me a quick hug.

"Thanks, my dad has a roommate," I blurted.

All three of them looked at me in silence.

"Mommy, can I have another cookie?" Gavin asked, running up to me and slamming into my leg.

"No, no more cookies. You already had a chocolate chip cookie. Obviously it wasn't enough for you and now you want to try a different one. I bet you want to try a peanut butter cookie which is the exact opposite. Peanut butter cookies are on a different team than chocolate chip cookies. I guess chocolate chip cookies just don't satisfy you anymore do they? One day you just woke up and decided you wanted to eat a completely different cookie from the one you've always liked since you were born. You can't just decide at your age that you want a different cookie. It doesn't work that way. You pick a cookie and you stick with it!"

Gavin looked up at me in confusion. His poor four-year-old brain was probably going to explode.

"Fine, can I have a chocolate sucker then?" he asked innocently.

I was well aware that no one was moving and they were all standing there looking at me like I was having a nervous breakdown. Maybe I was. I had a g*y father; I was allowed to freak out.

"Hey, Mom, guess what? Last night Papa was kissing somebody," Gavin said with a smile.

Oh God, here it comes. Who was it? Bill from the hardware store? Tom from the corner coffee shop? Who would be my new step-father-in-law-uncle-friend?

"Gavin, that was supposed to be a secret," my dad laughed uncomfortably.

Ha, ha, what a funny story. My dad and Gavin had a secret. Isn't that cute? Isn't that f**king cute? I like how my son isn't at all fazed to see two men kissing. It shows great promise for the future of this country. However, I don't like that he isn't at all fazed that he saw his grandpa sucking face with a dude!

"Oh, ha, ha, a secret!" I laughed hysterically. "I guess the cat is out of the bag huh, Dad? Or should I say, out of the closet? Whew, is it hot in here?" I rambled, fanning my face with my hand.

Carter walked over then, leaving his station at the front door greeting customers. He must have seen my crazy eyes from across the store and knew I was seriously freaking out. Worse than that one time I ate a pot cookie in high school and then watched The Wizard of Oz while listening to Pink Floyd's "The Wall", when everyone knows you’re supposed to listen to “The Dark Side of the Moon” and started crying because Toto was looking at me funny and when he barked it came out as, "Hey you, standing in the aisles with itchy feet and fading smiles, can you hear me?" and I could totally hear him and my feet started to itch. I cried for three hours telling everyone the cookie was evil and would kill me in my sleep.

Don't do drugs.

"Claire, you okay?" Carter asked, picking Gavin up into his arms to stand next to me.

"I'm super! I've never been better! This is the best day of my whole life!" I said with a big smile. "We should all go out back and smoke some pot."

What the hell was I spewing out of my mouth?

"George, you forgot your receipt," Liz said as she walked over from her side with a slip of paper in her hand.

"Sue is going to love that nightgown, I'm telling you. The silk is so soft and that peach color is going to look awesome with her skin tone," Liz said, coming up next to my dad and handing him the receipt.

Wait, what? Sue? There was a guy named Sue in Butler? Shouldn't I know this?

My dad actually blushed and quickly glanced at me.

"Uh, yeah. Thanks, Liz. I'm sure she'll love it."

She! Sue's a she. She's a Sue-she.

"She's a she!" I proclaimed.

Carter's arm that wasn't supporting Gavin wrapped around my waist to hold me up. I was sure he figured any minute now I was going to crack up permanently, probably even fall face-first onto the floor without putting my hands out to stop me like some of those idiots on Tosh.0.

I could hear Tosh's voice in my head, "Okay, let's watch that one again in slow motion. Now watch as she just falls forward, never putting her arms out and then BAM! Face plant! Wow, that's gotta hurt!"

"I probably should have told you this sooner, Claire. I'm kinda seeing Sue Zammond. You know, that woman who runs the travel agency over on Short Avenue? So, yeah. I'm seeing her," George said, shuffling his feet.

"Good for you, George," Carter told him as I gave him a quick hug in congratulations. My dad hadn’t dated anyone seriously since my mom left. By the look on his face, I’d say things with Sue just might be heading in that direction and I was happy for him.

Carter, George and Drew walked over to the front counter to help out a few customers while the girls and I stood back and watched.

"I am so in love with Drew," Jenny said with a sigh. "I just can't look at him without thinking about his orgasm face."

"Jesus, Jenny! Over share," Liz complained.

"So you guys are really serious, huh?" I asked her, trying not to dry heave thinking about the words Drew and orgasm face all in one sentence.

She nodded her head and smiled.

"We are! He's taking me to Chicago next week to meet his parents. I'm so excited! I've never been to the Windy Cindy," she said happily.

Liz opened her mouth and I quickly covered it with my hand.

"Don't. Just…don't," I told her.

Drew came up behind Jenny then and wrapped his arms around her waist, leaning down to kiss her cheek.

"Excuse me, I was wondering if you had someplace I could put my boner?"

Jenny giggled and Liz gagged.

"So Liz, have you and Jim set a wedding date yet?" Drew asked, keeping his arms firmly around Jenny.

"As a matter of fact we did. So you guys all better keep your calendars wide open for the next couple of months. There will be meetings and discussions and appointments and fittings," she said as she ticked the items off on her fingers. "Oh and Claire, we want Gavin to be our ring bearer."

I looked at her like she was insane.

"Have you met my son?" I asked her.

She just laughed at me.

Poor, confused Liz. She'll find out soon enough. Like when she's standing at the back of the church on the most important day of her life and my son runs down the aisle at full speed in front of her, chucking the pillow at her grandma's head and calling Jim's uncle a dirty nut sack.

"Liz, how do you feel about facial hair for the wedding?" Drew asked seriously as he ran his fingers down his chin.

"Don't even think about having a soul patch at my wedding, Drew. No douche-tags allowed," she replied.

Liz turned her attention in my direction. "Speaking of the future, what's next for Claire and Carter?"

What's next? What isn't next is the better question. So much was changing. Jesus, so much already HAD changed.

I watched Carter walk towards me with Gavin in his arms, tickling him and making him giggle. I took a few deep breaths and calmed down. Everyone I loved was standing here in this room, in my store, happy and healthy. Carter walked to my side and draped his arm around my waist, reminding me that no matter what came my way, I wouldn't have to face it alone. I had my friends, I had my family and I had Carter.