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The first time Glenn Close is called Dad, he's 25 years old. He's still trying to wrap his head around the fact that he's a father. He's not sure how he got here, got to be married with a house and a one year old who tears up his sheet music and giggles and keeps saying "Mama" no matter how hard Glenn tries to influence him. Nick's whining in his playpen, reaching his arms up in a pleading attempt to be let out, and Glenn watches his wife lean in, and Nick scampers away with a twist and yells "No! Daddy!" Glenn tries not to let it get to him, but he can't stop smiling for the rest of the day. He never thought he'd be somebody his kid would want around enough to ask for him.
The first time Henry Oak is called Dad, he's 27 years old. Sparrow says it first, and this time he's sure, because with each passing day the twins have been getting easier to tell apart. The color coordinated outfits still help, but Sparrow's the talker and Lark is the runner, and Henry gets an insane amount of joy from seeing his son smile a mostly toothless grin and say "Dada!" like it's something to be proud of. Lark says "Mama" first, which doesn't surprise him, but the boys mimick each other, so he catches up two weeks later. They're his two beautiful boys, and they're two chatty birds and he hopes they won't grow up too fast.
The first time Ron Stampler is called Dad, he's 30 years old. He's more stressed than he's been in years, about the Realms, about his father, about Terry, and about everything falling apart around them. He's terrified and he's not sure he's processing any of it until Terry looks at him, relief and sarcasm all over his face as he goes "Hi Dad. Nice to see you too." Ron mumbles something back, switches the topic to Paeden because he doesn't have time to deal with the implications. They'll hit him much later, when he has time to think. He's not a step-dad anymore. He's just...a dad, and the weight of it feels so much heavier, and so much better.
The first time Darryl Wilson is called Dad, he's 28 years old. He doesn't expect it. The adjustment to parenthood has been rough, especially since Carol has gone back to work. She's started calling less, but he knows they're still both terrified about Darryl being the only one home. Everything with Grant is so new. They're afraid they're going to mess it up. But Darryl has babyproofed the house, he's done all the research; frankly, he's exhausted, but he's not going to admit it. His phone buzzes with another text from Carol, checking in on them during her lunch break. He looks up from his phone as Grant lets out a delighted squeak and holds up a block to him and proudly goes "Daddy!" He calls Carol in tears.
The last time Glenn Close is called Dad, he's 36 years old. He's in a Meth Bay courthouse, feeling ripped to shreds, and Nicky's 13 and alone and he looks so scared Glenn's shaking with it. Nick yells out "Dad!" and then everything changes and his son reappears as somebody else, somebody straight-laced who says "Dad" with an authority, and it's not directed at him. Glenn's left with a memory of a baby and a woman who never existed and he wonders which part of his life he did wrong.
The last time Henry Oak is called Dad, he's 40 years old. Lark is shaking with anger at him, seething from some stupid fight that's been ongoing for years, building up over Walter, over the Rogue Card, over everything that's happened since. Lark is staring at him like he's done something unforgiveable, and in a lot of ways Henry thinks he's right. He's messed up a lot, both in the Realms and out of it, and it hurts him that his son won't forgive him; that he simply can't. He hates how it's tearing his family in two, he hates that things aren't how they were, and when Lark looks at him and spits out the word "Henry," they both know there's no going back.
The last time Ron Stampler is called Dad, he's old. He's met Terry for lunch, and something in him knows it's the last time they'll be seeing each other, maybe for awhile, maybe for forever. He's not sure yet. He listens to Terry ramble about his girlfriend, Veronica, about how he's meeting her daughter soon, and he's terrified he's going to mess it all up. Ron smiles at the irony, at how they've come full circle. He tries to give all the advice he can at once, tries to reassure his son that he'll be okay, that Veronica's daughter will warm up to him, and he might just have to wait it out and try his best. It comes out rather wonky, in his usual Ron way, but Terry smiles and thank him for the tips anyway, and asks about his upcoming fishing trip. When they leave to part ways, Terry hugs him and waves as he walks away, "Have fun on your trip, Dad!"
The last time Darryl Wilson is called Dad hasn't happened yet, and every day he gets a little more anxious about it. He and Grant don't talk as much as he'd like them too, but they're leading such different lives that it's hard to find the time. Darryl still wonders why Grant's still in his life at all. After everything with the Realms, after dragging him in with the Doodler, he can't help but feel like he destroyed his son's life. But Grant has a husband and a wonderful son, and he seems happy with his life, with what he's built up around him. But Darryl can't shake the feeling, can't stop seeing the deadness in his son's eyes that's been there since he was 13. He keeps waiting for the other foot to drop, for Grant to show up one day and say "It's all your fault. I never want to see you again." Instead he gets a noisy phone call, with Marcos pestering about dinner in the background. "Hey Dad," Grant says. "Linc has a soccer game on Saturday, we were wondering if you wanted to go?"