AN- Short one. Longer one ASAP, I promise.

As we speak, my daughter is in the living room making out with the sluttiest boy in Lima, the father of my honorary daughter's baby. That honorary daughter is on the front porch making out with the dimmest boy in Lima, an ex-boyfriend she and my daughter have in common. And I couldn't be happier. Tomorrow this might all end messily, but tonight life is good. My girls are happy. They have each other and frighteningly handsome young men who care about them. What more could a man ask for? Alex says my problem is that I'm a hopeless romantic. I say his problem is that he isn't.

Almost seventeen years ago, we wanted a baby more than anything. We looked into adoption, but agencies weren't quite as helpful to gay couples as they are now. Besides, we decided it would be nice to have a baby with our DNA, and a killer mom's genes while we were at it. We placed some ads and managed to find the lovely and talented Shelby Corcoran. It was perfect. After Shelby got pregnant, she moved in with us. We put her on a diet and exercise regimen and played classical music to her belly. We watched musicals together and spent evenings singing around the piano.

All too soon, Rachel's due date was upon us. We rushed to the hospital, where we had a private birthing room. It was softly lit, and music was playing. We held Shelby's hands while she screamed and pushed, and then there our little angel was! The nurses cleaned Rachel off and handed her to me. Alex and I held her in our arms. When I thanked Shelby, we were all crying.

Shelby moved out the next day. "It's awfully quick, don't you think?" I asked her.

"The longer I wait, the harder it will be," she said. And that was the last we saw of her. She'd said she was moving to New York, and who knows: maybe she did. Years later, I thought I saw her at a few pageants and contests, but I wasn't sure it was her, so I didn't say anything.

And now she's back. Alex said the contract didn't prevent Shelby from being part of Rachel's life. Well, that's not entirely true. The contract said Shelby couldn't initiate contact until Rachel was 18.

We were so afraid that Shelby would change her mind and try to keep our little star. Back then, could we have trusted a judge to rule in our favor over Rachel's straight, young biological mother? She was just a little older than Quinn is now, and I feel awful about what we did: letting our fear of losing Rachel cost her a relationship with her mom.

Alex wrapped his arms around my waist and said, "What are you thinking about?" His voice was deep and comforting.

"Shelby. We were too scared to let her see Rachel and be part of her life. How could we deprive them of that?"

"Ben, we were trying to do the right thing. We were following the lawyer's suggestions. And Shelby said she was fine with it."

"She said that, but you saw her face the day she moved out."

"What's done is done," Alex said. "Now we have two great girls who are actually getting along. Shelby's back in Rachel's life, and Rachel seems happy about it. We have each other and our home and our health."

"Who could ask for anything more?" I asked.

"Now I know you're feeling better," Alex laughed, "You're quoting Gershwin."

I picked up the phone and called Shelby Corcoran, ready to invite her back into our lives.

You asked for one of Rachel's dads' points of view, and you got it. Next up: Mike, a.k.a "Other Asian." A few of you mentioned that, although Matt never has lines, he does some primo mugging for the camera. Word! And I have been there: You don't want to give me lines? FINE! I'll just be over here acting with my FACE!