**Written as a thank you for collecting my first story “Danny and His Gum Factory”, Ben W.’s prize of a personalized story turns into a win for us all. Hope you all enjoy the story and be sure to mint your free copy.**

Buzzzzzzz…Buzzzzzz…Buzzzzzz.  Ben was finishing up his morning rituals.  Shaving was always the next to last step before heading out the door.  He not only had to shave his face, he also had to shave his nose and ear hairs on a daily basis.  He was a hair growing machine on all parts of his body, except on the top of his shiny blue dome.

Passed down from generation to generation, not a single man on his mother’s side of the family had graduated college with anything sticking out from below their cap and tassel.  Most looked old enough to get AARP discounts before they even finished high school.  Exaggerated widow’s peaks, comb overs, wigs and hair pieces were the norm.

As he finished up the nose hairs, he reached out to grab his toupee so he could head to work.  But his hand returned to his head empty.  He turned to look at the handmade stand that his great grandfather had made more than 100 years ago, only to confirm that his toupee was indeed missing.

“JUDE…ALEX!!! Get your buns down here NOW!!!”, he yelled to his kids.   They scampered down the stairs as quickly as possible.  Dad did not yell often, so this must be serious they thought.  Ben’s wife Josephine was right on the kid’s heels, as she too had only heard Ben scream a handful of times since they met.

The whole family was crowded together in the tiny bathroom staring at Ben, when he asked:

“Do you see something missing?”

The kids started darting their eyes around searching the room, while his wife stared straight at him, afraid to break eye contact for fear she would bust out laughing.

Jude was the first to speak up.  “Umm...is it your bone white tiny tie? Cuz, I think it would go better with that blue shirt.

“No, that’s not it.  All my tiny ties are in the right spot,” Ben shot back at his eldest son. “Plus, I like my red power tiny tie. White would not have the same commanding presence.”

His younger son, Alex, chimed in, “I’m so so so sorry dad.  I went through your watch collection and picked out one to wear to school yesterday.  I didn’t think you would miss it since you have 377 more.  I’ll bring it right down.”

“Stay right where you are,” Ben growled.  “I did not notice the missing watch, but I have already picked one to wear to work today.  Try again.”

Turning his gaze to his wife, “Jo, you have been quiet there.  Do you have any guesses what is missing?”  Jo, slowly shook her head no without saying a word, still stifling a smile.

Of course, all three knew exactly what was missing.  The kids had seen that same clump of hair perched on top of dad’s head since they were born.  Plus, they had seen pictures of their grandfather and great-grandfather with that exact same hair.  Dad’s hair was sacred and was not something to mess with. They had never seen their dad jump in a swimming pool and had gotten in trouble more than once for spraying dad with the water hose when they washed the car.

Both boys still had a full head of hair, but they knew that their day would come…sooner rather than later.  Each hoped that the other went bald first to “earn” the right to be the next in line for that ancient toupee.

Josephine had known Ben for almost a year before she saw him without that fuzzy thing on his head.  But she had already fallen head over heels for him and his sexy tiny ties, so even if he had a parrot perched on top of his head 24 hours a day, it would not have changed her feelings for him.

“no! nO! NO!” Ben’s frustration was rising and he started to turn red, no…purple.  He turned around to grab the toupee stand, and that’s when they saw it.  Josephine was the first to lose it.  She was laughing so hard that her eyes watered and she doubled over with her hands covering her face trying not to collapse onto the floor.

Alex and Jude were laughing and pointing at their dad’s butt.  Jude bit his tongue for a second, but then blurted out, “Dad, you got the hairiest bum I’ve ever seen.”  With that, Ben’s family all fell to the floor in fits of laughter.

Embarrassed, he reached back and pulled his family “hairloom” from his backside and perched it back on top of his head, moving it around to get it just right. He had to step over his family, still howling on the floor, to get out of the bathroom.  Through his own sheepish smile, he apologized to his family for accusing them and headed to his car.

Before he closed the door, he heard Jo call out to him “Have a good day sweetie, glad we won’t have to ‘comb’ the house all day for your hair.”  At least, that is what Ben assumed she said. The last few words were unintelligible as she and the kids were laughing hysterically again.

Ben smiled knowing it was all coming from a place of love.  He had the best family, and family was better than any watch, tiny tie, or head full of hair in the whole world.

Hope you enjoyed.

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