"Wait, wait, wait!" Brody said as he shook his head in disbelief. "Dad? My dad?"
"He didn't tell you?"
"He said he was out last night and bumped into someone," Brody nodded. "He said he went back to her place for coffee after but… your mom?"
"Yeah," Sarah answered, then noted the way the others were suppressing a laugh. She glared at them, "You think this is funny."
"If they got married, you would be brother and sister," Calvin said.
"So?" Sarah frowned.
"I just find it funny how the only two single parents are dating."
"They aren't dating… right?" Brody asked, turning to Sarah for confirmation. She shrugged her shoulders.
"I mean… mom did tell me they were just friends. They went to the same movie, saw each other and just hung out. But… they hit it off really well."
"How well?" Brody leaned forward, intrigued. This was the first he heard of his father dating. When he had been young, Dane had been busy raising two boys and they lived out in the middle of nowhere. The family unit kept to themselves mostly. When they did leave their farm, it was together. There was no time for dating. Then, after being trapped for ten years, Brody was sure his father would want to get out and enjoy life. However, he didn't think that would mean dating.
"Like… laughing and… teasing and… honestly, I got a real Hayley and Calvin vibe from them."
"This is serious," Preston nodded.
"Wait… that's a thing?" Calvin asked. "Hayley and Calvin vibe?"
"It means dating," Kelly told him, then looked to Sarah. "But that's not a bad thing, right?"
"I hope not," Calvin muttered and looked to Hayley. Sarah shook her head.
"No… I mean… at least I know the guy."
"How is this not a bad thing?" Brody frowned. "Our parents can't be dating."
"We'll have to have the talk with him next," Preston whispered to Kelly, who nodded her head.
"It kind of freaks me out too," Sarah told Brody. "But… honestly, I was a little relieved when it was your dad who came through the door last night instead of that Jesse-Joe guy. I know Dane. He's a good guy."
"But he can't date your mom," Brody frowned. "That's… it's just… he's not supposed to date. He had mom and… that's it."
"Brody…"
"He promised me and Levi, after mom died, that we would always be a family. He would always put us first."
"Jenny made the same promise."
"She did?" Brody asked, still frowning. "So then how… how can she be any good for my dad?"
"Huh?"
"If she's always putting you first, where does that leave him, huh?" Brody asked. "He's too good to just sit around and wait for her to be available."
"I don't think that's what that means," Sarah shook her head. "They'll be there for us when we need them but…"
"Brody, this could be a good thing," Preston said, ready to rehash the talk he and Kelly had with Sarah for Brody's sake. "Your dad getting out could give him a little more time to himself – to be himself."
"He is more than just your dad, you know," Kelly nodded.
"But…"
"And he's dating someone you already know and like," Preston smiled. "That takes the awkwardness out of the first meeting. And I guess it takes the doubts out of it too. You already know you like Jenny."
"I need some time," Brody got up from the table and left the cafeteria. The Rangers looked to each other but didn't follow him out. When Brody left to think, it was best to give him some space, at least for a while. If he didn't turn up to class, they would text Levi, who was busy helping serve the food in the cafeteria.
"So, the Hayley and Calvin vibe… that's a good thing, right?" Calvin asked the group. Kelly nodded her head.
"Yeah. We want to have the Hayley and Calvin vibe one day," she said as she looked to Sarah, who smiled in agreement.
"And you all just… came up with it?" Hayley asked. "Like… it's a thing?"
"We didn't come up with it," Preston shook his head. "It's a thing with the whole school. Everyone wants the Hayley and Calvin vibe."
"You mean you never heard it?" Sarah asked. Hayley and Calvin both shook their heads and frowned. "Well, it means a solid relationship. So, it's definitely good."
"Marriage worthy," Kelly added.
"Marriage, huh?" Hayley asked with a smirk as Calvin tugged on his collar.
"That's heavy."
"The girls use it more than the guys," Preston agreed as he gently nudged Calvin in the ribs.
"There's nothing for any other couple?"
"Well, there is the Victor and Monty vibe," Kelly said, then glanced around the room to be sure they weren't in earshot. "That one isn't so good."
"Victor and Monty aren't dating," Hayley said. "Are they?"
"No, but it is a relationship," Sarah said. "Monty being absolutely enamoured with everything Victor says and does and Victor being either completely blind to it, or using it to boost his ego."
"Not marriage worthy," Kelly explained briefly.
"There are other couples in between," Preston said. "There's the Kelly and Sarah vibe."
"I like ours," Kelly smiled. "Very story-esque. Fun to write about."
"What's the Kelly and Sarah vibe?" Calvin asked.
"Rocky at first, then completely solid," Sarah explained. "Whereas you guys are nothing but solid."
"Relationship wise, I prefer yours," Kelly said. "Hopefully we get there someday."
"We will," Sarah smiled.
"And Dane and Jenny have a Hayley and Calvin vibe?" Hayley asked.
"If I ever saw one… uh, other than yours, of course," Sarah chuckled.
-Ninja-Steel-
After hearing the news that his father might be dating, Brody went to the only place he could think of in the school where he would be able to get a quiet minute to himself. He pushed open the door to shop class and was glad to see there was no one inside. He thought maybe Mick had gone to lunch, which worked out well, because he would have a minute to think.
He knew the thought of his father dating wasn't ridiculous. His mother had passed a long time ago, and now that Levi and he were older, they didn't need their father around as much. In fact, they spent most of their time away from home, hanging out with their friends. They were home for dinner on most nights and always made time a couple of times a week to be together as a family. However, that left a lot of gaps – a lot of time where Dane would have to keep busy by himself.
Brody knew his father had always been reserved. He kept to himself and he liked it that way. Even when he was with his wife, Dane didn't leave the house much unless he went out with her. Even trips like that were few and far between. Dane was happy with his small family and happy to be at home with the people he loved. He didn't need much company.
Perhaps Brody thought that because Dane was comfortable on his own, he would never feel like seeking out someone new.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Mick asked, coming out from nowhere and startling Brody. The red Ranger placed his hand on his heart and turned to the mechanic.
"You scared me."
"Sorry," Mick said.
"Where were you?"
"I was pretending to be a hammer," Mick pointed to the work bench behind Brody. The red Ranger frowned.
"Why?"
"Well, they get hit all the time," Mick frowned. "I wanted to know if it hurt."
"Does it?"
"Not sure. No one needed to use a hammer over lunch," Mick walked around so he was facing Brody. "Is everything okay?"
"I… I mean… nothing's wrong, I guess."
"But…?"
"Dad went out last night," Brody said. "When he came home, he said he bumped into a friend and went to her place for coffee and… today I found out that was Sarah's mom."
"Aw, that's nice."
"No, Mick. Sarah said they had the Hayley and Calvin vibe."
"And that's a bad thing?"
"My dad can't date, can he?" Brody asked.
"Does he want to?"
"I… I don't know."
"If he wanted to, could he?"
"I… I guess he could."
"Would you want him to?"
"I don't see why he has to," Brody frowned. "He's done the married with kids thing."
"Right," Mick nodded. "And once you've done it once, it's over."
"Yeah."
"You don't need the love and affection anymore."
"Well…"
"Or the care and attention."
"He's got me and Levi."
"The partner for life thing," Mick said. "A best friend to talk to?"
"Levi and I could…"
"Right, you and Levi," Mick nodded. "I forgot, the kids in the whole married with kids. You give him all that stuff, right?"
"Yes."
"You love him."
"Yes."
"He can talk to you, right?"
"Yes."
"You give him attention, right?"
"Yes."
"All the time?"
"As much as… I mean… well, with school and… saving the planet and… No one wants to be around each other twenty-four seven."
"Well, lets see," Mick said. "There are twenty-four hours in a day, right? Eight of those spent sleeping?"
"On a good night," Brody nodded.
"Six hours spent in school. SO now we're down to twelve hours. That's plenty of time with your dad."
"Exactly."
"Only… you don't spend all that time with your dad. Let's see. You and the Rangers do train for a couple of hours every day after school. Now we're down to ten. But that's still a lot of time."
"Yeah."
"Homework usually takes you about another hour, but nine is plenty," Mick continued. "And then there's dinner."
"Levi and I always eat with dad."
"Always?" Mick asked. "Every night?"
"Okay well… a couple of night we're with the others but…"
"So, let's say that's two hours for dinner," Mick said. "Now we're down to seven. And if you're doing out for dinner, surely there's some dessert after, right?"
"Another hour?"
"And you guys do spend some evenings together," Mick nodded. "Hanging out at the park, working on projects, being kids."
"Yeah…"
"So let's shave off four more hours for that. We're down to… two hours. Plenty of time with dad. We started off with how many?"
"Twenty four," Brody said with a sigh. He looked to Mick, "But that's… it's not like that every night. We spend more time with dad."
"Sometimes," Mick nodded. "And I'm sure he loves those hours."
"He likes being alone too."
"I'm sure he does," Mick said. "But you and Levi have your own lives. Why shouldn't he? Is it fair to expect your father to wait around for you while you're out with friends? He can't have one of his own?"
"But dating?"
"Dating is just… next level friendship," Mick reminded Brody. "Someone you have a strong, passionate connection to. For some it happens once and for others, it's more than once. Some people have it more than once all at once and… boy, it can get confusing. Some people feel it for men, some for women, some don't feel it at all, some feel it too much, some only feel it for certain people. If your dad wants that kind of connection, or needs it, is it fair to tell him he can't have it?"
"No," Brody shook his head.
"My advice," Mick said. "Share how this makes you feel with your father. Ask him what's really happening, what he needs, and what about it, if anything, makes you uncomfortable. Maybe it's not what it seems."
"And if I really don't like it?"
"Talk to him. Your dad loves you, Brody. He'll make this work for you. I know he will."
"I don't have to like it."
"I never said you did," Mick smiled. "But maybe you'll understand it more once you talk about it with him."
Brody nodded his head, then sighed. "I wonder what Levi thinks about all this?"