Here’s to the ones who dream foolish as they may seem.

Fools Who Dream by Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek, Justin Noble Paul

Ben heard the creak of the floorboard and smiled to himself. It didn’t matter how many times he had re-nailed it or waxed it or even tried pine sap between them, that one board would not be tamed when they built the house. He did not have enough hewn timber to waste a perfectly good piece replacing it. It had annoyed Adam, no end. His perfectionist son was irked that a simple thing such as a floorboard could get the better of him and had even tried to convince him to pull it up and replace it several times over the years. His clever, imaginative son who had helped design and then build the place they all called home.

Home.

It was such a small word that covered so very much.

As Ben heard the floorboard creak a second time, he pushed himself up in the bed and reached down for his slippers. He didn’t need to turn up the wick to reach for his robe where it was draped across the back of a chair.

That untamed floorboard had served as a tool to teach his young son a life lesson. He had stood Adam out in the hallway the night before he left for college and pointed to it.

“Son, no matter how well you plan and how hard you work, there are some things that are out of your control. This land is only ever partially tamed and parts of it are like that floorboard. They will only bend so far and no more. Adam, you are not in control of everything.”

Ben nudged at his son’s elbow. “Besides, that board has served to alert me every time one of you three is out of bed and not where you should be!”

Adam had grinned at him as his father had shared the secret. He thought he’d been discrete and yet he’d been betrayed by a floorboard!

For the second time, Ben stood in the hallway and stared at his eldest son’s door, knowing that tonight would be the last time he slept there. He’d given Adam his blessing to go to college, knowing full well his son would return. This time, he had no such assurance.

Adam. His clever, imaginative son who needed to stretch his wings. Who needed to reach for his own dreams. He’d seen it coming, but tried to deny it. So many years ago, he’d reached for his own dreams and been told he was a fool.

Ben raised his hand to his forehead in a quiet salute to his son.

“Here’s to the ones who dream … foolish as they may seem.”

Muffled sounds floated up from the room below and Ben silently made his way to the stairs. His sons sat in a row along the fireplace, each with a glass of good brandy.

Joe looked up and grinned at him. “Hey, Pa. You sneaking out?”

“Yeah, Pa, you should fix that floorboard!” Hoss laughed.

Adam just raised his glass.