My son wanted a new father, and I agreed.

During our holiday visit to my parents' remote country house, my son, Leo, got a little too carried away with some firecrackers.

He tossed one into an old, unused septic tank access, and the resulting explosion somehow managed to damage five luxury cars parked nearby.

When I told him he needed to apologize to the owners, he just rolled his eyes, utterly annoyed.

"I wish Uncle Julian was my dad! He's so cool, he'd never make me apologize!"

"Uncle Julian" was, of course, my wife Eleanor's first love, the one who got away.