Matt Shawford was suffering through yet another family lunch at the Colgait house. Lunches were a ritual for the Colgaits in a way Matt had never seen a family do before. Not that he was complaining though… lunch is the best. In-laws are the best. Sometimes.

But right now? They were freaking him out.

“Well when you get married, you’re going to hyphen your names, right? Shawford-Colgait is nice, isn’t it?” It wasn’t. But Mrs. Colgait, Patrick’s mother, was undeterred by Matt’s unnerved expression. Jonathan Colgait Senior cut in.

“when you adopt, will the kid get to share the hyphenated names? Or hyphen with its original last name? That’s a lot of names there.” Jonathan Senior was as old as the hills, but managed to be more open-minded than most people in this town alone. Jonathan Senior sees family values as the most important part of his life, and the rest of the Colgaits believed that too.

The problem is, Matt isn’t ready for those kinds of talks. He isn’t ready to discuss kids. Hell, Matt was barely able to say yes to Patrick when he asked Matt to marry him. Matt worries about everything. What if his father comes out of his five year silence to stop the wedding? What if getting married at twenty three is too early? What if he decides he doesn’t want kids and becomes a huge disappointment to both his family and Patrick's? The panic must have been evident because Patrick gripped his hand under the table.

“We’re not really ready to-”

“I won’t hyphen. I’m taking the Colgait name when we marry,” Matt paused, as if he were only just now remembering his manners. “If that’s okay with you.” He added. His declaration seemed to shock everyone, even himself. Jonathan senior choked on one of the roasted carrots. He beat his hand against his chest as he struggled to catch his breath.

“Are my ears hard of hearing,” Jonathan senior coughed and beat his chest with his fist again, “or did you just say you're giving up your father's name?” Jonathan Colgait slammed his hand against the table as if he were disgusted by the idea. Even if Jonathan Senior was open-minded, he didn’t approve of such effeminate behavior.

“You are your father’s son. A man. It’s not right to give up your family name.” Jonathan Senior admonished. Jonathan Junior, Patrick’s father, cleared his throat. Matt was sure he was going to step in and defend him. Matt couldn’t have that.

“I’d be honored to take the Colgait name any day over my father’s. If he were even half the man you are sir, I might have considered a hyphen.” That’s the proper amount of ass-kissing to give to your father-in-laws parents. Patrick’s grandfather looked thoughtfully at Matt, and then smiled a yellow toothed smile.

Matt Shawford hated his surname. It said he was related to his father, and Matt didn’t want anything to link him to that man. His father’s son? Matt would rather die. If there was one thing Matt promised never to become, it was him. And since he was technically kicked out of his home, Matt technically didn’t have to keep his father’s last name. That might have been the best thing about getting married - other than the lovely man at his side squeezing his hand reassuringly. Someday soon, He’d be Matt Colgait, married to Patrick Colgait of Colgait and Sons Organic Farms Co.

Jonathan senior set down his fork like he no longer needed to wield it like a pitchfork. He sat quietly, glaring a whole into the nice white table cloth. Perhaps the ass-kissing Matt offered really did a number on the old man.

“Your daddy…” The old man paused. He looked a hundred years older as he chose his next words carefully. “He’s a diligent worker, and strong willed, but a good man? He is not.” The rest of the family members nodded agreeably. Matt was sure Daniel and Jamie wouldn’t blame him for leaving the family name. The Shawfords valued family names like any true conservative catholic family would, but somewhere along the way, Matt had lost that. He lost the pride that made his name feel good to say aloud.

Matt smiled appreciatively before diving into his own roasted carrots. They were organic, after all. He glanced at his phone when it started vibrating under the table. It wouldn’t look good that he brought his phone to the table with him, and decided to ignore it. Whoever it was, they’d leave a message if it was important.

Only, as soon as he declined the call from his brother, it came again. Matt glanced at the Colgait family, apologized, and stood. He took the phone call to the front porch.

“It better be important Andy!” Matt growled into the phone.

“Would I call during your all important lunch if it wasn’t?” he growled right back. But Andy’s growl and normal sarcasm cut shallow when Matt heard the crack in his voice.

“Andy? What’s wrong?” Matt switched from being angry to being concerned on a dime. It wouldn’t have been dad, right? Dad had no reason to hit Andy… but what about Ryan? Matt rubbed his temple as he started overthinking everything. Ryan struggled with talking on a normal day. What if he chose to stay silent at the wrong time and got himself hit? Matt started pacing.

“It’s dad,” Andy said slowly. Matt was about to abandon his all-important-lunch to throw himself in the way of dad’s blows. Nothing in Matt’s life was more important than his younger twin brothers. “He died yesterday night. Mom didn’t want me to tell you guys, but… you deserved to know.” Andy finished. His voice came out steady, like he’s had this conversation a million times by now. And Matt figures that he must have. Matt wondered what Jamie and Daniel’s reactions were.

“Listen, I normally wouldn’t ask this but dad usually picks us up from school on mom’s chemo days but…” Andy couldn’t finish. Matt didn’t realize he was nodding through the phone until Andy asked if he was still there.

“It’s no problem. I’ll be there.”

While Matt was panicking on the front porch, Patrick had a strong word with his family. He set down his fork, and glared up at his parents, and his grandparents. As the youngest child of the Colgait family, that glare didn’t have much of a scare factor to it.

“I told you to lay off the kid thing. He’s not ready to think about that kind of stuff yet, and honestly, neither am I.” Patrick tried to sound angry. He wasn’t, not really. Unlike the Shawford house, the Colgaits were warm, loving, and took you in any shape you turned out to be. Meaning, they didn’t care that their youngest son happened to like guys.

“We’re just trying to make sure we have grandkids. Your older brother is about as interested in marriage as that toaster over there,” Grandpa Colgait admonished. Luckily, Patrick’s older brother Johnny wasn’t here. Patrick sighed. His grandpa wanted to see grandkids before he died, and that wasn’t a lot to ask, considering. Patrick figured he would marry Matt, get their own place off the farm, and maybe, MAYBE after a few years adopt a kid. Patrick was pretty sure he couldn’t do surrogacy in any capacity. Women are scary.

“I know, but… you’re going to scare him off with talk like that.” Patrick tried to explain. The amount of effort that went into even getting Matt to date him was off the charts- not that it wasn’t worth it. Patrick loved Matt, and was glad they’d met when they did.

Matt burst through the door with the phone still to his ear. The nice clothes he wore to the nice lunch were rumpled and there was sweat on his forehead from all the worry.

“Patrick, can I borrow your car?”