Bill W

Castaway Hotel IV

Chapters 37-45

Chapter 37
Stepping Out

I let the boys sleep in a little later the next morning and then gave them even more time to relax and watch a little Saturday morning television. Around 10:00, however, they began to complain they were hungry, so I had them get dressed and took them out for brunch. After we finished eating, we walked around for a while and checked out more of the sights, before I guided them toward another Broadway theater. They looked at me questioningly, so I announced we were going to see another show. This one was geared more toward the younger boys, but it was also something I thought everyone would enjoy, as we'd be seeing the matinee performance of The Lion King.

We had plenty of time to roam around the theater first and look at the programs I had purchased, and the more the boys learned about the show, the more excited they were becoming. By the time the curtain opened and the performance began, they were eager to absorb everything there was to see.

Even though I had heard some details about this musical beforehand, I was still impressed by how those in charge had designed the costumes, so the actors could be seen, while still allowing us to recognize the animal character they were portraying. Those in the various roles either wore masks that sat above their heads or used large puppet-like figures they controlled during the performance. The songs included the Elton John and Tim Rice songs from the movie version, but there were also some new numbers, which had been written solely for the musical.

Although I'd been thinking about doing this for the younger boys when I planned it, everyone thoroughly enjoyed the musical, as it could be appreciated on various levels by nearly any age group. Everything was outstanding, including the actors, costumes, props, music and storyline, so it was well worth taking the time to see.

When the show was over, we made our way back to the hotel, where I announced we would be going out for an early dinner and then heading to Yankee Stadium, to see the Bronx Bombers in action. This drew a good response from nearly everyone, but especially the boys who were Yankee fans. However, I got the biggest and most enthusiastic response from Mark. He was so excited about this opportunity that he came over and spoke to me about it privately.

"Was this planned all along, or did you do this because of what we talked about after we went to see the Phillies play?" he asked me.

"Well, I had thought about doing this originally, just so the boys could see the legendary Yankee Stadium," I confessed, "but I made sure to include it in our plans after our little talk. I knew this would mean a lot to you, so I wanted to do this for your benefit as well and give you something you'd always remember. We're even going early, so we'll have time to walk around and look at everything first, but just think of it as your dad taking you and your brothers to the game."

"I knew you did this because of me!" he exclaimed, while energetically wrapping his arms around my neck. "Thank you so much. I want you to know I really appreciate this. I've enjoyed everything we've done on both trips, but going to a ballgame like this just fulfills all those dreams I used to have, about going to the game with my dad. It's great having a real dad now who's doing things for me, just like I thought he would."

Mark took that opportunity to give me another big hug, so I hugged him back, but I nearly passed out from surprise, when he kissed me on the cheek. As I looked at him, once he'd pulled back, I noticed he was beaming and happier than I remembered ever seeing him before. It proved to be a very special moment.

Now that the announcement had been made, I had the boys dress in something more comfortable for the ballpark and then took them out to dinner. Once we got to the restaurant, the boys were already thinking ahead to the game and merely went through the motions of filling their stomachs. It was kind of strange for me to watch, knowing these guys were more excited about a baseball game than food, but it also pleased me immensely. With that in mind, it didn't take long for us to finish up there, since the boys were in a hurry to be on their way. In very short order, we were at Grand Central Station and boarding the train that would take us to the stadium. I had a strong suspicion each of them was looking forward to seeing everything this historic landmark had to offer.

The train ride was an experience in itself, first getting everyone onto the same train without leaving anyone behind, and then trying to find a place where we could all stay together. I was grateful that some of the boys were grown, because together we looked like a formidable group, and there were some shady looking characters about who seemed to be eyeing us. Some of us got to sit, while others were forced to stand, but we all sort of swayed together, as the train rocked gently from side to side. Everyone seemed to be very quiet at this point, as I think they were assessing their surroundings and the various people in the car with us, but it was hard to miss the rhythmic thumping of the wheels hitting the sections where the different rails joined.

Jake and I kept our eyes open for our stop, so we could warn the boys in advance, as we didn't want anyone to miss getting off the train at that point. From there it was a quick walk to the stadium, and after catching our first glimpse of the fabled exterior, it seemed to inspire us all to walk a little faster. When we reached the main entrance, I went to collect the tickets I had ordered in advance and then we made our way through the gates.

After entering the structure, I told the boys a little about the stadium, from the material I had gleaned off the Internet before we left. I explained to them that the Yankees had first played their games at the old Polo Grounds, along with the NY Giants, who owned the facility, and they remained there from 1918 until 1922. Although that arrangement worked for a while, it ran into some problems after the Yankees acquired Babe Ruth from the Boston Red Sox. Once the Yankee management changed the Babe from a pitcher to a slugger, the team started to outdraw the Giants in attendance, and this caused hard feelings between the two clubs.

The Giants initially asked the Yankees to leave after the 1920 season, but knew it would take some time for that to happen, so the Yankees began to look for a new home. In 1921, the Yankee owner purchased more than ten acres across the Harlem River from the Polo Grounds, in the west Bronx, and construction was begun on the ballpark in May of 1922. The Stadium officially opened on April 18, 1923, with over 74,000 people in attendance for that first game. Yankee Stadium is often referred to as 'The House That Ruth Built', referring to the fact that it was Babe Ruth's hitting that drew in the crowds and that the right field fence, in particular, was built to accentuate his skills. It was not only the first three-level ball field ever constructed, but it was also the first large enough to be called a stadium. In that opening game, the Bambino hit three home runs and the Yankees went on to win by a score of 4 to 1.

"Do you mean to tell me Babe Ruth scored all the runs in that first game?" Mark asked, astonished, after hearing the information I had to give them.

"Well, he was responsible for at least three of the four runs," I replied. "I'm not sure about the other one."

"I'd bet there was someone on base when he hit one of those homeruns," Mark countered, "so that would mean he had all four RBI's."

"Could be," I agreed, before telling them even more.

Yankee Stadium has changed over the years and has undergone several renovations, with the last one being carried out between 1973 and 1976. The original right field corner was 295 feet [90 m] from home plate, but is now at 314 feet [95.7 m], while left field foul pole was originally 301 feet out, but now stands at 318 feet. Those aren't the only changes either. The power alley in left field went out to a very deep 395 feet [120.4 m], which gave the left-handed hitters a definite advantage in hitting to right field.

Center field used to be the most imposing feature of the stadium, jutting out 500 feet [150 m] from home plate, and the original three monuments and flagpole used to stand on the playing surface. The monuments were located at just over 460 feet [140 m] out, with over 30 feet [10 m] of space beyond them, and often proved a hazard to the centerfielders of both teams. Eventually the center field fence was moved in to 461 feet [140.5 m], but today it is only 408 feet [124 m] to dead center field, which is still a good poke, even by current standards. Monument Park is now located behind the center field fence, so we set off in that direction to see those infamous pieces of Yankee history.

The original three monuments were dedicated in honor of three of the early Yankees, who had helped establish the dominance and tradition of this organization. The first monument had been dedicated to Miller Huggins, the Yankee manager during those glory days, and then monuments were added for Babe Ruth, which was placed on his right, and for Lou Gehrig, which was added on the left. Since that time, other plaques have been added to the wall, first for Joe DiMaggio and then Mickey Mantle, but now there are also plaques for Ed Barrow, Jacob Ruppert (the owner when the stadium was built), Casey Stengel, Joe McCarthy, Thurman Munson, Billy Martin, Whitey Ford, Lefty Gomez, Roger Maris, Allie Reynolds, Elston Howard, Phil Rizzuto, Bill Dickey, Yogi Berra, Reggie Jackson, Don Mattingly and, oddly enough, Popes Paul VI and John Paul II. The Popes were honored with plaques, not because of their interest in baseball, but because both of them had celebrated a mass in Yankee stadium, while touring the United States.

Before we made our way back to our seats, we also learned the Yankees had won 25 World Championships thus far, and that Yankee Stadium has also hosted numerous other activities. In addition to the Popes' masses, other religious gatherings have been held there, including several Jehovah's Witnesses Conventions. It has also been the setting for college and professional football games, with Army and the New York Football Giants having played there for a number of years. These games also included the first sudden-death overtime game, which took place in the 1958 NFL championship contest, which was won by the Baltimore Colts. That game has been widely referred to 'the greatest game ever played' and helped to establish professional football as a major sport in this country. Yankee Stadium was also the scene for several professional boxing title fights, including the Joe Louis-Max Schmeling fight, in June of 1938, and the Mohammad Ali-Ken Norton bout, in September 1976.

The boys were still talking about all we had seen, but suddenly decided they wanted to take some time to run down near the field, so they could get autographs. They talked me into purchasing programs and drinks for them, as we made our way back from Monument Park, and now they clung to those programs with their hot little hands, looking for players to sign them.

While they were doing that, Jake and I went to our seats, since we preferred to sit and chat while the boys went in search of their priceless treasures. We contented ourselves with each other's company and watching the teams take batting and infield practice. Mark was the first to return and join us, again clutching his program as if it were the Publisher's Clearing House winner's check. He sat down beside me and showed us the autographs he had been able to collect, but he was most pleased at having garnered Derek Jeter's signature. After showing Jake and I his prized possessions, he decided to thank me again.

"Pop, I don't know if you realize how much all of this means to me, and I don't even know if I can describe it to you," he began. "You've done so much for me in just a short time and you've really taken the place of the dad I never knew. You've managed to erase many of my insecurities and regrets, and in return given me the confidence I need to be successful and provided me with memories I shall always cherish. I've decided that when I get out of college, I'm going to look for a job on the east coast, and I'll move my mom out here too, so we can all be together. I want to be close to you and your family, so I don't have to go through all of that stuff again. It's like I finally have a dad and brothers, and I just love the way that feels. Of course, I also have a girlfriend here too, so that kind of adds to my wanting to live around here too, but I know Mom will love it and she'll like all of you nearly as much as I do."

"Mark, I don't know what to say," I stammered. "I feel honored you think that way about us and we'd love to have you around, but do you think your mother would truly be happy moving all the way across the country?"

"I really do," he assured me. "We don't have a lot to hold us there, and mostly it's just been each other. I was going to mention the idea to her when I went back home before going back to college, to start getting her use to the idea, so I'll know then, for sure. I do think she'll do it though, so we can be close to each other again. I don't think she wants us to be too far apart, so I'm pretty sure she'll go if I decide to."

"That's fine and I can understand her not wanting to be separated from her only child," I confirmed. "I've gone through being separated from my children before, as they moved to other parts of the country, and I know I'm going to go through it again, when these boys go out on their own. I am really flattered by the way you feel about all of us, and I'll try my best to always be there for you."

"I know you will and that's why it's so special," he added, with a wink. "You've done all these little things for me already and I've really enjoyed these past two weekends with all of you. Even if you didn't do anything else for me, the memories I have now would help keep me going for a long time to come."

"Believe me, this won't be all we do for you and I look forward to having you around for many more years," I confirmed.

Mark started to say something else, but at the moment the rest of the troops returned and took their seats around us. He just looked at me and smiled and said 'thank you' once more, then we waited for the game to begin. Just as we had at the Phillies game, the three of us attempted to outguess the coaches, but this time Danny and Brandon joined in the strategy talk as well. We all had a good time and it was a heck of a game, eventually going eleven innings before someone won. Unfortunately for my Yankee fans, it wasn't their team. It was fairly late by the time we got back and we were all pretty tired, so we just went to our rooms and turned in. Basically this was our last full day in the Big Apple, but we had done quite a bit and I think we all really enjoyed ourselves over the few days we had been there.

Mark was still walking on air when he reached the room he had been sharing with Brandon and Danny, but tonight he felt bold enough to broach a subject he had been avoiding up until now. "You know, you guys don't have to stop being affectionate or curtail your sexual activities just because you're sharing a room with me," he informed the startled pair.

"It's nice of you to say that, and we appreciate it and all," Danny responded, after a brief hesitation, "but we just wouldn't feel right leaving you out of the fun."

"You know I'm straight and kind of have a girlfriend at the bank," Mark replied, "but I won't interfere if you two want to have some fun."

"Danny's right," Brandon agreed. "We just couldn't do something, if you weren't going to join in. It would be too awkward, but thanks for offering."

"Look, maybe we could work something out," Mark offered. "I could leave for an hour or so, if you guys want to have some fun."

"Nah, that's okay," Danny told him. "We can wait until we get back home, it's not that big of a deal."

Mark seemed confused when he heard Danny's replay and sat quietly for a few minutes, as if he were trying to come up with another option."

"Okay, you know I'm not gay and I don't do things with other guys," he offered, "but I guess instead of making you two suffer for letting me share a room with you, we could maybe jack each other off. I did that a couple of times with one of my friends, when I was a lot younger."

Both boys smiled, impressed by Mark's effort to try to make them comfortable and fit in. After talking it over quietly amongst themselves, Danny and Brandon finally made a counter proposal. "What if Danny and I get you off first," Brandon told him, "and then we can do something with each other? That way, you won't have to do anything to either of us and we'll all get off."

"Okay, what exactly did you have in mind?" Mark asked, looking slightly apprehensive about what they might have planned.

"Well, Brandon and I agreed we could take turns sucking you off," Danny told him, "and then we could do the same for each other. Would that be okay with you?"

"You're telling me you're willing to give me a hummer, but I don't have to do anything in return?" Mark asked, just to make sure he had heard them correctly.

"That's was our offer," Danny reiterated.

"Shit, yeah," Mark beamed. "I hope you guys didn't expect me to turn down a blow-job?" Mark asked, rhetorically, as he grinned from ear-to-ear. "The girl I'm going with is really sweet and all, and I love her deeply, but she doesn't want to have sex before marriage. That's been really rough on me and I've had to whack off on my own and take a bunch of cold showers over the past few weeks, so this sounds really great to me."

Danny and Brandon nearly burst out laughing hearing Mark admit this, but they were also excited about finally sharing this hunk they had first become attracted to on our vacation in Arizona. Once the three of them had undressed, they stood staring at each other for a few seconds, admiring each other's body.

"I can see why you two are so attracted to each other," Mark told them. "You both are really good looking and have good bodies to boot. I guess if I were into guys, I'd be after one or both of you too."

Hearing this helped to lessen the tension, but Brandon had an admission to make as well. "I guess you've probably figured out that's why Danny and I were so attracted to you when we first met. I guess we'd both hoped to be able to do something with you and were a little disappointed when we discovered you were straight."

"Yes, I kind of knew that," Mark confessed, "but I was really grateful neither of you tried to put pressure on me to do anything. I guess that was my first surprise. I guess I'd always been led to believe that gays would try to force guys into doing things with them, even if they didn't want to."

"That's so not true," Danny quickly responded. "We're no different than straight guys, except in whom we love. I guess there are a few gay guys like that, who would rape an unwilling person, but there are straight guys like that too, so it doesn't just happen because they're gay.

"I know that now, and have since I got to know you guys so well," Mark confirmed, "and I've been quick to point that out to others, whenever I've heard them make such outrageous comments. Sometimes, it got them thinking I was gay too, but I didn't care. They could think what they wanted, but I couldn't let others believe their crap."

Now that all of the talking was out of the way, Danny and Brandon positioned Mark between them and went to work on his manly, hairy body. Brandon got to start at Mark's thighs and work his way northward, while Danny suckled on Mark's breasts, quickly bringing each of his brownish nubs to rigid attention.

Mark was quite surprised at how his body was responding to this attention, as he didn't think he'd be turned on at all by having two guys giving him enjoyment. However, the total opposite was true. Mark was amazed at how good Danny's attention felt on his tits and he was shocked that a guy could get such pleasure from these ministrations. Now, he understood why girls enjoyed having a guy fondle and suck on their titties.

Not only that, but he was also delirious from the feelings he was receiving from Brandon's tongue, as it roamed over his thighs and then lathed his ball sack. This caused Mark to ponder how such simple actions could elicit such overpowering waves of pleasure, as his penis became so hard that he felt he could pound nails with it. Mark's body was awash in a multitude of sensations and he began to see flashes of light, in varying colors, as his two friends brought him to a peak of sexual euphoria.

As Brandon brought his mouth over Mark's rigid mast, Mark thought about the times a girl had given him oral sex, but it was never like this. Yes, it was good and brought him off, but he never felt the total body stimulation and tingling throughout his nervous system that he was now enjoying. He was rapidly approaching the point where he would spew forth his seed, but suddenly Brandon squeezed the base of his cock and around his testicles, temporarily ending the surge.

"Sorry about that," Brandon teased, "but it's time for Danny and me to change places."

Mark tried to nod in response, but he could barely move, since the stimulation had also apparently zapped him of all of his strength. It was then that he felt Danny taking over, bobbing up and down on his blood-filled erection, and he suddenly lost all connection to time and space. His brain was on complete overload from all of the wonderful sensations coursing throughout his body and he couldn't get over how wonderful this truly was. As his glands built up toward an overpowering climax, Mark's frame started to stiffen, in conjunction with his penis, when his mid-section suddenly arched upward, on its own volition, and his hot man lava began to erupt from his dickhead.

At this moment, time seemed to stand still, as his body floated in another universe, this one of total pleasure. He could see nothing, hear no sounds and felt only the overpowering relief that a sexual orgasm can bring. As his body twitched spasmodically, while releasing every ounce of nectar it had produced, Danny drained his tool of its fluids, until Mark's body fell back upon the mattress and went completely still.

Danny had been mildly surprised at the forcefulness of Mark's ejaculation, but didn't back away. Instead, he stayed with it and enjoyed a slightly more pungent offering than he was used to, which didn't go unnoticed. Mark was amazed that Danny had willingly swallowed his seed, as no girl had been willing to do that for him. Either they pulled off early and jacked him to completion or they spit it out afterward, and then rinsed their mouth out with mouthwash. The fact that Danny had been willing to do it had made it even more enjoyable than it already was.

As Mark was coming done from his sexual high, Danny and Brandon got into a sixty-nine position and began taking care of each other's needs. When they were about halfway through their own pleasure seeking, Mark recovered and stared intently at their actions. He was amazed at how gentle they were with each other and how they sought to bring the partner as much pleasure as they were able, even if that meant ignoring their own needs. Mark was even more impressed as they climaxed almost simultaneously, as they had learned to read the other's body signs and were able to delay themselves or their partner until they were both ready to explode. Once they had finished, they collapsed on their own bed, side-by-side, and Mark gave them a minute or two to recuperate, before he spoke to them.

"You know, that wasn't anything like I thought it would be," he informed the pair, as they slowly came back to their senses. "It was wonderful and I wasn't repulsed at all. I hate to admit it, but I feared I might be, and then watching you guys get off on each other was really hot. I'm still straight and all, but you know… I might want to see you guys do more… and I might be willing to try more too… maybe even doing something with one of you."

Danny and Brandon looked in each other's direction and secretly exchanged winks, after realizing that Mark might be coming to grips with the idea that he might even be bi-sexual.

Chapter 38
A Return to Normalcy

Sunday morning, I woke the boys and had them shower and get dressed, so we could go out for breakfast before we hit the road. After we ate, we checked out of the hotel and dragged all of our luggage down to the two vehicles and loaded it inside. Somewhat reluctantly, because of the great time we'd had there, we left the city and headed toward the Philadelphia airport. I guessed everyone was looking forward to picking up the Beckers, as they returned from their Disney World vacation, at least I knew that was the case for me. I was anxious to see how they had each enjoyed their trip, but especially Little Ricky.

We did make one stop along the way, to attend church and then grab a quick lunch, and then we were off again. We got to Philadelphia in plenty of time, because the Beckers' plane didn't land until late afternoon, so we had an hour or so to kill before we went to pick them up. We stopped for some ice cream and a drink before we went to the airport, since I figured that would be more enjoyable than sitting around the waiting area for that amount of time. Once we got there, it wasn't long before the Beckers plane landed and all of them were beaming as they entered the terminal. Their smiles only broadened after they spotted us and began heading in our direction.

Little Ricky came tearing across the terminal ahead of his parents, aimed directly at me. As soon as he was close enough, he leaped into the air in my direction, forcing me to catch him. As soon as I wrapped him up in my arms, he immediately gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Once he had done that, he hugged me again and then quizzed me about receiving all of his letter and post cards. I told him that on Wednesday I had received and read the letter he'd sent from the hotel, but he seemed disappointed we he learned we hadn't seen the others. I told him they'd probably be waiting for us when we returned, as we left early Thursday morning and they wouldn't have had time to reach us by then. That seemed to suffice, so he started rambling on about their trip.

Even though he had turned thirteen before he left on his vacation, his size and enthusiasm would have belied the truth. Any curious passersby observing this spectacle would have concluded he was only about ten-years old, especially since he still maintained a level of enthusiasm and wonder about everything, which would have been attributed to someone much younger than himself. Without taking a breath, or at least seeming not to, he rattled off tales about their plane ride, eating at Planet Hollywood and their stay at the Disney Resort, but I had to stop him at that point and explain that he could fill me in about the rest of his trip during the ride home. He smiled and agreed, and then turned his head and gave a quick greeting to each of the boys.

As soon as I put him down on the ground, he zoomed over to Ricky, since he had spotted his hero while I was still holding him. He hugged Ricky as energetically as he had done to me, before hoisting my son off of his feet, which was no small accomplishment for someone his size. After setting Ricky back on the ground, Little Ricky lifted up one of his own feet to show Big Ricky he was wearing the sneakers that my Ricky had given him for his birthday. Once my son had acknowledged that fact, Little Ricky began to tell him, as well as the boys closest to him, about the things he had done. While he was doing that, I chatted briefly with his parents, while we also made our way over to the area where we would collect their luggage.

The Beckers were both still quite excited too and explained they'd had a wonderful time just watching Little Ricky enjoying himself. They thanked me for all we had done for them and for the little surprises they found after arriving at their hotel, and I merely told them that I was just glad we could do it for them.

Shortly after we got to the baggage claim area, their luggage appeared, so we decided to quickly reclaim their things and be on our way. I could tell Mr. Becker was antsy about getting back to his farm and I guessed he was most likely planning to get up early tomorrow and get back into his farm routine. Besides, Jake had to return to work too.

We led them out to the vehicles, packed everything inside and then were on the road again. Little Ricky and the Beckers rode with me, and Little Ricky's mouth was going the whole time, as he told me about all the things he did. As I expected, he was very animated and extremely comical, as I watched him as much as I could through the rearview mirror.

Little Ricky started by telling me about the plane ride and how he had been allowed to go into the cockpit and 'fly' the plane, after he engaged one of the flight attendants in conversation. He even showed me his pilot's wings, which I hadn't noticed pinned to his shirt. Then he told me about going to Planet Hollywood the first night they were in Orlando, and even though he hoped to see some famous people, no one he cared about was there. He didn't seem overly disappointed by this fact and happily moved on to the next part of his story.

He was now explaining, at warp speed, about what they did Monday and Tuesday, as that was when they visited the Magic Kingdom. He enthusiastically informed me that his favorite things there were Space Mountain, the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Splash Mountain, but he quickly added that the best thing happened to him Monday night, at the hotel.

They arrived back at the resort late in the afternoon, since his parents were quite tired. However, Little Ricky wasn't and wanted to go for a swim. After some intense negotiations, his parents finally agreed to take him, figuring they could rest poolside while he swam. Therefore, Little Ricky got to go swimming, and while he was in the pool, he ran into another boy. He was shocked to discover this boy was none other than David Gallagher and he was staying at the same hotel. The ironic part was that David was also one of the people Little Ricky was hoping to see at Planet Hollywood.

Well, it seems the boys hit it off quite quickly, so David even invited him over to meet his parents. Eventually, the boys and their family got together and managed to get to know each other better too. At first, the Beckers were a little uneasy and intimidated about meeting a celebrity's family, but the Gallaghers were quite down to earth and easy to get along with. Once they felt they knew each other quite well, the Gallaghers even asked the Beckers about their schedule, so the farm couple told them what they had planned.

After learning what the Beckers were going to doing the next day, David's parents asked if they might be able to impose on them and asked the Beckers if they would take their son with them to the Disney-MGM Studios with them. The Gallaghers admitted this probably sounded weird, with them suggesting to let their son go off with perfect strangers, but they sheepishly admitted they had spotted them going around the hotel earlier and asked the hotel manager about them. They said the manager gave them a very nice recommendation, so they sort of worked this plan out in advance, providing the Beckers plans matched with their own. The Gallaghers went on to explain that people recognized the three of them together and David never really got a chance to enjoy himself as he should, so they figured this might allow him to get out without drawing any attention, so he could have a good time. They agreed to give the Beckers enough money to cover their son's expenses, as well as their own, but money wasn't the issue.

The Beckers were skeptical at first, but the Gallaghers quickly admitted that even wearing disguises were useless, as long as they all stayed together, because sooner or later one of the paparazzi or David's adoring fans would recognize one of them. They explained they would also disguise him for the day, even though he would be with them, by dying his hair and having him wear a baseball cap and sunglasses very similar to the ones they had seen Little Ricky wearing. They thought by having David go with people totally unconnected to him, he might get a chance to just be a boy and have some fun for a few hours. The Gallaghers even went as far as to suggest they thought Little Ricky and David had enough similar characteristics that people would just assume they were brothers and not realize who he really was.

By now Little Ricky was teasing his parents to go along with this suggestion, so they agreed, and Wednesday morning the four of them were among the very first to enter the park. This way, David might be able to get to go on a bunch of rides without having to stand in the really long lines, so even if he was recognized later, he would still have been able to have more fun than if he'd stayed with his family.

Little Ricky told us that he and David enjoyed trying out the Tower of Terror, the Star Wars ride and the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular the best and they really had a great time together. They said no one else knew that David Gallagher was with them, so they both had a terrific time, and then they even had dinner with David and his parents that evening in a private dining area, which was the Gallaghers' way of thanking them for helping their son to have fun like any other boy. Ricky and David had even exchanged addresses, phone numbers and promised to keep in touch, but they each had other plans for the following couple of days, so they weren't able to get back together again. It seemed that David was performing somewhere nearby, so his parents had taken the opportunity to try to enjoy themselves before that happened. It was truly a remarkable experience for Little Ricky and one he would surely never forget.

After this, he told me they returned for a second day at the MGM Studios on Thursday, to take in some of the other things they hadn't had time for the previous day, and then Friday they went to the Epcot Center. Little Ricky told us that the World Showcase was okay, but he had a better time at Future World. After that, he informed us he had also enjoyed Spaceship Earth and the Universe of Energy, but the Test Track was the best of all. I quickly learned that Test Track was a newer ride where you are the dummy during a car testing experience. Little Ricky said it was the absolute best and he went on it as many times as he could.

After that, the little blond dynamo told me on Saturday they went to Animal Kingdom and spent their last day there. He said that Dinoland was his favorite thing at that location, but he liked the Safari Village too. Finally, he told us about the plane ride back and then he thanked me again for sending him to all of those fantastic places. Believe it or not, I think Little Ricky had run out of energy, and out of breath too, because he just settled back in his seat and took it easy for the rest of the trip home.

About halfway back to their house, we decided to stop and eat. In the restaurant, some of my boys filled the Beckers in about our trip, telling them about the things we'd seen and done before we picked them up. All three of the Beckers seemed pleased that we had enjoyed ourselves too and hadn't just made this long trip to collect them and take them back home. I could hear Little Ricky asking the boys about what it was like to look out from the top of those tall buildings and about how they liked the 'Lion King.' He was especially eager to know if it was like the movie, which led me to conclude he had obviously seen the film at some point. In fact, I'd say he'd seen it several times, judging from his familiarity with the storyline and songs, but he also was curious about how they could have pulled it off on a stage. The boys tried to explain how they did it, as best they could, and Little Ricky seemed to understand what they were telling him and was trying to picture in his mind what it must have been like. I made a mental note that we'd have to find a way to have him see the musical version for himself, sometime in the future.

It was getting dark by the time we reached their farm, but someone had left the porch light on and had a card wedged in their doorframe, welcoming them home. It also informed them all of the day's chores had been completed, so they had nothing to worry about and could just relax and unpack. Mr. Becker handed me the card, which was one of those humorous greetings with several cows drawn on the front of it. It had obviously been one of those blank message cards, but someone had neatly written a message on it for them. On the front they had written 'It's udder-ly exciting', and on the inside it continued 'that you and the cows came home at nearly the same time.' Then, underneath it, there were personal messages welcoming them back and telling them about what had been done while they were gone.

It was nice to see the Beckers were so close with their neighbors and that those people would have made sure to do something special like this to welcome them back. I had forgotten how farm families tend to bond together and help each other out in times of need, and how each of them tend to become part of an extended family with all of the other families living nearby. This farm community did have a wonderful support system in place, as I discovered while trying to have the farm taken care of while the Beckers were away, these people were eager to volunteer to help out one of the others, even though they had much work of their own that would need to be done. Some had even refused the money I had offered to pay them for their help, so I told the Beckers we'd hold a big Labor Day picnic for everyone at their farm, if that suggestion was okay with them. They thought it was a wonderful idea, so I told them to start making plans and I'd supply everything we'd need.

About then, Jake pointed out it was getting late, so I got everyone else back into the vehicles and we headed for our own homes. I felt sorry for Jake, knowing he had to return to work the next day, but there wasn't much I could do about that. The last leg of the trip seemed to go fairly quickly, compared to how much driving we had already done, and Jake and Shannon quickly transferred their things from our vehicles and into their car, thanked us for including them and then said good-bye, before setting off for their own place.

The boys and I took our belongings into the house and I had each of them take their things up to their rooms, before they went to clean up. I certainly didn't want that clutter in the foyer in the morning. After that was taken care of, Mark, Frankie and Dustin volunteered to help me make sure all the trash and other things were removed from both the van and the Suburban, which I was extremely grateful for. As Frankie and Dustin took off to take their showers and get ready for bed, Mark hung back.

Once we were alone, he thanked me again for including him on these trips and for making sure they were special for him. I told him it had definitely been my pleasure and I was glad I was in a position where I could do it for him. He quickly confirmed that he suspected I would have done it anyway, even if we weren't as well off. I just told him he might be right, but it was nice to be able to have the money to do things like this for all my boys, whenever we wanted. Mark gave me one more hug and said good night, before he disappeared up the stairs too.

The following week was also kind of busy, as there were a great many things I needed to catch up on. Besides the various chores I had let slide around the house, there were also things I needed to get done before Pat would be ready for his plastic surgery the following Monday, as well as making preparations for Frankie's 18th birthday party, which would be held the weekend after that. Frankie had asked me a couple of weeks ago if he could have a co-ed party, so he could invite his girlfriend and a few others, and I told him that would be fine. Happily, he'd sent out his invitations, with the help of Dustin and Ricky, and everyone had accepted. After they'd finished with that, I also asked Frankie to come up with a list of what he'd like to eat and do at the party, and suggested he make sure he came up with activities both his male friends and the girls who would be attending would also enjoy.

I had plenty of miscellaneous details to take care of in the interim, so I was happy for their help with these other issues. When the list of those who had acknowledged they would be attending was given to me, I noticed it included all of the other boys' girlfriends, plus all of our extended family, including Jake and Shannon. It would be quite a gathering.

Tuesday afternoon I was finally able to take Frankie and Kevin out to do some more practice driving and Dion asked if we could drop him off at the school, where he was going to meet his new girlfriend. The summer recreation program was staging a play that she was in and he was going to meet her after their rehearsal, spend some time together and then he was going to walk her home. I told him that would be fine, so we let him out at the high school, before we went out for our drive.

I had decided to let my two drivers practice navigating over some of the less busy streets today, after acknowledging they were ready to graduate from practicing in the parking lots to limited traffic areas. They were both doing quite well and I told them so repeatedly, so I felt confident about taking them around some of the local streets. Once they proved they could handle that, then I'd take them out and let them try driving on the busier streets and then the highway. Both of them seemed encouraged and excited by this news, and each did very, very well while he was behind the wheel, including some attempts at parallel parking.

Once we'd finished, we went back to pick up Dion, but didn't locate him right away. Even though I sent Frankie and Kevin to look for him, it took another twenty minutes or so before any of us came across him. When confronted about where he'd been, he merely told me he'd walked his girlfriend home. I heard later, via the rumor-mill, that wasn't the entire story. Dion and his girlfriend didn't hang around the school for very long after he got there, at least not after she informed him that no one was home at her house. Her father was working and her mother was running a number of errands for the family and also for her grandmother, so she wouldn't be there for quite some time. This encouraged them to go to her house, and once they got there, they went down to her family room to watch a video on their large-screen television.

I think they both knew they weren't really going to watch a video, so their time alone quickly turned into a make out session. They began kissing and sucking tongue, and then she let Dion take off her shirt and bra, while she undid his shorts. While he was feeling up her breasts, she was checking out his more than adequate tool. When they came up for air, she told him she had heard about this from his old girlfriend, but she didn't really believe the other girl at first, since she knew she wasn't very experienced with guys. She told him that now she'd seen it for herself, she was also kind of shocked, as she didn't expect him to be that well endowed. Seeing Dion wasn't really tall and was also on the slender side, she was surprised at how much meat he had packed away between his legs.

After discussing it a bit longer, she decided she wanted to try to play with it for a while and then she'd give him a blowjob. Of course Dion was all for that, and she began to fondle his erection, before she began to lick and suck on his rigid pole. He thought maybe this was her first time, as she really wasn't very good at giving head, so he tried to explain to her how to do it properly. However, she didn't improve very much, even with his coaching. He finally told her he was going to shoot, so she pulled off and masturbated him until he dumped his load on his chest, and then she merely tossed him a box of Kleenex, to wipe himself off with. Dion wasn't very impressed by the experience, to say the least.

After he had cleaned up all his cum, he moved back over and began sucking on her tits, and his ministrations caused her to moan and squirm around beneath him. While he had her occupied in this fashion, he managed to slide off her shorts and panties and slowly worked a finger inside her hot hole, gently sliding it around. Now, she really began to squirm and moan, so Dion took the chance to try something new. He gradually slid down her body, licking his way downward, until he had managed to crawl between her thighs. Once there, he began to tongue her cunt lips and work his oral muscle inside of her, while paying special attention to her clit.

He had thought of trying to go farther, meaning intercourse, but he hadn't expected this opportunity to arise, so he hadn't brought a condom with him. Even though he still would have liked to, he determined it would be best to wait and what they were doing would have to satisfy both of them for now. He thought he did make her orgasm a couple of times during that session, judging from her little screams and body reactions, but he was too inexperienced with females to know for sure. After a while they finished their sexual activities, since they were afraid that her mother might return before much longer, and then he asked her if she'd like to come to Frankie's birthday party, a week from Saturday. She said she'd love to, so he said he'd call her with the details later. They also planned to get together again this coming Saturday, to go to a movie or something. After they made those arrangements, Dion said good-bye and began his walk back to the high school.

I don't think he told Trey any of the details of his encounter that afternoon, but Trey did all the right things, at least for Dion's sake. Trey pretended it didn't matter that Dion had been with someone else, only that he was glad that Dion was home with him now. The two went off, to check out some new books that Trey had picked up when he rode into town with Mark, when Mark went to work. Trey had made his purchases and then walked home, and had arrived only a short time before Dion and the rest of us had returned. Seeing both boys liked to read and basically liked the same types of books, something else they had in common, they went off to compare notes and decide who was going to read which book first. It was like nothing else mattered and at that point, nothing did. I didn't see either of them again until dinnertime, as they both started reading and didn't emerge from their room until it was time for them to eat.

Pat and I sat down later that evening, to discuss his upcoming operation, as I wanted to make sure he still wanted to go through with the plastic surgery. After convincing me this was what he wanted to do, we talked a bit about what he would be facing, both during the surgery and afterward. I wanted to make sure he was ready for everything he'd have to face and let him know this wasn't going to be just a stroll in the park. He was fine with all of the details about what he'd be facing and emphasized he just wanted to get rid of some of the more obvious scars, so people wouldn't be so quick to stare at him. I then informed him it might not work out exactly the way he planned, because instead of staring at the small scars he currently had, people might be inclined to stare at his handsome face instead. He let out a little laugh after I'd said that and quickly countered that I only thought that because he was my son. Nonetheless, he said he felt he could handle that kind of staring, as it would still be better than the alternative.

Now that I felt he was psychologically ready for this procedure, I explained a few of the things he might go through after the operation was done – details I'd learned from researching the procedure online. I also advised him how long his recovery might take and he was a bit shocked by this news, although he still insisted he wanted to go forward with it. Seeing he was determined to go ahead with the procedure, I told him I'd be there with him through the entire process. He thanked me for my offer, but told me I'd only need to be there for the operation itself and it wouldn't be necessary for me to stay at the hospital with him overnight. Although he appreciated my concern and intentions, he hinted he was now old enough that it wasn't necessary for me to do that again. After assuring him I'd honor his request, we ended our brief discussion and I left him to his own thoughts.

The upcoming weekend also proved to be filled with a flurry of activity, as several of the boys had dates and most of the others had things they wanted to do as well. All three vehicles were in motion for most of the day, with Mark offering to transport the boys earlier in the day for me, if he could use one of the vehicles for his date later that evening. I happily agreed and gave him the van for the day, as it took a great deal of work away from me. Therefore, instead of playing chauffeur I used the time to go on the Internet to do some more reading on what would be happening to Pat on Monday, so I'd be even better prepared to help him through it.

Since various groups of boys were with me in the house at different times throughout the day, that gave me an opportunity to spend some time alone with many of my sons or small groups of them. I don't often get a chance like this, so I made sure to make the most out of it while I had the opportunity. It was nice to be able to spend time alone, or nearly alone, with them like this, especially having so many sons and so much constantly going on. It's not easy to find the time to do things like this, although I do wish it could happen more often.

I was in bed before all the boys got in that evening, as I trusted the ones who were allowed to stay out later. They were all very careful to be quiet when they came in, so as not to wake me or the other boys, but I think that also had something to do with the fact that they really didn't want me to know what time they actually came in. What they didn't know was that I did wake up each time I heard that front door creak open and knew the times that someone came in, even if I wasn't sure which of them it was. All I know is that I eventually accounted for the correct number of individuals returning home, and when I awoke the next morning, all the boys were there and all of the vehicles were in the driveway, none of which were any the worse for wear.

I did go around the house and rouse the troops to get them ready for church, which was not what some of the later arrivals home wanted to hear, especially at that hour of the morning. They knew they had to go with us, however, if they wanted to be allowed to stay out that late on a Saturday night again, so they humored me, no matter how reluctantly. While my group of late night revelers hit the showers to get cleaned up, I went downstairs to fix breakfast for the other boys.

Once everyone was ready, I drove to the church and led my flock inside. Shortly after we sat down, I said my own special prayer for Pat, making certain to cover all the bases to ensure everything would go well the following day. Even though the doctor kept reassuring both of us that this was minor surgery, I knew there was always the risk of something going wrong, so I wasn't about to leave any stone unturned. I felt Pat had been through enough already and didn't want to see him have to go through more or suffer further, so I said another prayer to ask God to watch over him. As we left, our pastor even offered Pat his best wishes, as he also remembered what was going to be happening to him, and Pat thanked him for his concern.

The remainder of our day was fairly quiet and laid back, at least as far as this family is concerned, and I didn't have to worry about getting so many things ready in preparation for tomorrow, since I'd done that during the week. This operation was going to be done locally and many of the other boys were planning to go to the hospital with us, so they could offer Pat their moral support. Pat had told them it wasn't necessary, but he also let them know he appreciated their intentions, but he didn't want them to have to sit around a boring old hospital for that long. Although they understood his line of reasoning, each boy said he still wanted to be there for him and they also let Pat know, in no uncertain terms, that they WOULD be going. He just thanked them and admitted he would have done the same for any of them and had already concluded he probably wouldn't win this argument. That's when the boys made sure to let him know he was right.

Chapter 39
A Time For Healing, a Time of Doubt

Monday morning, we arrived at the hospital before 8:00 a.m. I left the boys in the waiting room while I went off with Pat. I would stay with him until he was taken into the operating room and then I would go back and wait with my other sons until the procedure was completed. Pat was given one of those hospital gowns to put on, which he wasn't too pleased about, but donned it anyway. He then carefully climbed onto the stretcher and I covered him with a blanket, to help preserve a modicum of modesty.

We waited there for a few minutes before the anesthesiologist came in, and then she talked to Pat for a short time, explaining everything she would be doing, before giving him a shot. It didn't take long for the injection to start taking effect, so Pat slowly began to drift off. A short time after that, an orderly came in to wheel him to the OR, so I kissed Pat on the forehead, wished him well and watched him go down the hallway until they disappeared from sight. At that point, I went back to wait with my other boys and they began asking me all kinds of questions the minute I walked in. They wanted to know if the operation had already begun, how long it would take and then they wanted me to give them the details of what would be happening. As I was describing what would be going on, Andrew interrupted me with a question.

"Daddy, why do they call it plastic surgery? Will the doctor use plastic to make Pat's face look better?" The other boys started to chortle, but I made a gesture to them to knock it off and I tried to answer Andrew's question, using information I discovered while doing my research.

"No, honey, they don't use any plastic in the operation," I assured him. "The procedure got that name from a Greek word 'plastikos,' which means to mold or give form. They used that name because the doctor molds or gives new form to areas of the body that need improvement, either from a naturally occurring problem, such as a birth defect or from disease, or due to an injury. That's what they are going to do for Pat. They're going to take care of those parts of his face that were scarred by the accident at school and give them new form, to make him look better."

"Then he won't come back looking like he's wearing a hockey goalie's mask?" Andrew followed, quite seriously. Unfortunately, we all ended up losing our stoic front hearing him say that, but we somehow managed to control our mirth.

"No, honey, he won't look like he's wearing a mask," I confirmed, "but Pat's face will be bandaged, swollen and slightly discolored for a while. Pat will have little scars where the doctor is going to stitch his skin back together, but that will be a lot less obvious than the scars he has now."

After that exchange, some of the other boys wanted to know how the doctor would accomplish that, so I explained how they would remove the scar tissue and then sew the ends of the healthy skin together, thus reducing the affected area to a smaller scar. I told them the doctor would probably be using self-absorbing stitches, so they wouldn't have to be removed later, but they would still last long enough to allow the skin to grow back together. I also informed them that the doctor said Pat might need some laser resurfacing later, to smooth out the rough spots on the skin, but only if he discovered during the operation that the areas were too badly affected to use the standard removal process. The boys seemed to be satisfied with my explanation, so we just sat and waited quietly from that point on.

The boys had brought their portable CD players, hand-held games and some magazines and books with them, to keep themselves occupied during our wait, and I tried to read some magazines that I had brought with me as well. I was a bit nervous and really couldn't concentrate, so later I wasn't able to recall any of the articles I had read, if that's what you could actually call what I did. A few hours after the operation had begun, the doctor came out and told me that everything had gone well and he had been able to repair all but one area today. He would use the laser on that section at a later time and smooth out the rough surface, so Pat's scars would be much less noticeable to others from this point on.

I immediately thanked him for his help and asked what other things I should know. He told me Pat would have to stay overnight, for observation purposes, but I could take him home tomorrow. He also explained some of the areas on Pat's face would be covered by bandages for a while, so I would need to make sure Pat kept cold compresses on all of the treated areas, in order to control the swelling. He also suggested that Pat would need to keep his head elevated while sleeping, for the same reasons, and Pat would also have to curtail his activities for a few weeks and to try to keep from getting stressed out. If he were to go outdoors, he was to wear a wide-brimmed hat, to shade his face from the sun and he'd have to use at least an SPF 15 on his skin, once the bandages came off. He gave me prescriptions for creams for his face and drops for his eyes, telling me precisely when and how I should use them. When he had finished explaining everything, I thanked him again, before he went about his other duties.

I tried to get the boys to go home at this point, but they wanted to wait around and see Pat first. I did convince them to go with me to the cafeteria and grab a quick bite to eat before that happened and assured them we'd return before Pat did. After a hurried meal, we arrived back at the waiting room just as a nurse came out to tell me that Pat was just coming out from under the anesthesia and I would be allowed to go into the recovery area and speak with him briefly. As I approached Pat, I told him not to try to talk, but to just listen. I quickly assured him all of his brothers were still here and they were going to wait until he was moved into his own room, so they could come in and see him before I took them home. I then told him that after I made sure they had dinner, I'd come back later and stay with him until visiting hours were over. I would go home at that time, but return in the morning, so I'd be there when he was released and allowed to go home.

Pat nodded his understanding and squeezed my hand, to let me know he agreed with what I told him and appreciated everything each of us had done. When Pat was finally moved into a room, we all trooped in to see him, after the doctor assured the nurses it wouldn't be a problem, as long as we didn't stay too long. The boys went in to say hello to their brother and give him their support, but it was also so they could assure themselves he was all right.

A large portion of Pat's face was bandaged and they also had cold packs over the covered areas, but his eyes were open and he knew we were all there for him. He waved weakly at us when we entered, just to let us know he was aware of what was going on and to welcome us. Once the others were convinced that everything had gone well and Pat was going to recover, we agreed it was time for me to take them home. Pat waved at us again as we departed, but both the doctor and I had told him not to speak, to avoid stretching the skin against the stitches. After his brothers said their good-byes and told him they'd be back tomorrow, he closed his eyes and gave in to his fatigue. Thankfully, the boys all felt a little better since they had been able to see him.

We had a pretty quiet dinner, since none of the boys were very talkative. While my sons were cleaning up afterward, I went back to spend some more time with Pat at the hospital. Later, I was informed some of the boys' girlfriends had called while I was out, but only to learn how Pat was doing. I think they were truly concerned, and didn't merely call to score points with the boys, as they all knew Pat and were concerned about him. We also got calls from everyone in the family, including those related by blood and those we had just included as kin, as they were all anxious to learn how Pat had made out as well. Seeing many of them would be at Frankie's party this weekend, they told us they'd see us all then, or maybe even before, but they wanted us to give Pat their best. We assured them we would, and also confirmed they would be welcome to call back anytime over the next few days, so we could let Pat listen to their get-well messages, even though he wouldn't be able to respond. I was almost positive we'd hear from each of them again, either tomorrow or the day after, by phone or in person.

After getting a good night's sleep, we went in to the hospital again early the next morning and told Pat about all the people who had called to see how he was doing. I know this made him feel good, but I think he was more impressed that all of his brothers had come in to be with him again. Even Mark was with us this time, as he told his boss he'd be a little late to work, so he could run to the hospital to see Pat first. That seemed to be no problem, so here we were, all together and showing our strength and unity as a family.

The doctor didn't arrive until around 9:00 and we all left when he came in, so he could examine Pat and determine whether he could be released. About fifteen minutes later, Pat's doctor came out to tell me that everything looked fine and Pat would be ready to go home in a little while. He also suggested I keep Pat on soft foods for a few days, which meant no steak or anything else that might require heavy duty chewing. He felt this precaution was necessary, since he didn't want to risk strenuous movement in Pat's facial muscles for at least a couple of days, so it wouldn't adversely effect the healing process. He also reminded me to keep cold compresses available to Pat, to keep the swelling down and the pain under control, and then he gave me a prescription for some painkillers, just in case Pat needed them. Before he left, the doctor also made certain I remembered his instruction about the creams and eye-drops, and then told me he wanted to see Pat next week, so I would need to call his office and set up an appointment.

Before he left to see his other patients, I tried to pin him down about how long Pat should wait before he began to talk and eat regular food again, so the doctor told me to make sure he held off until at least Thursday, but preferably Friday, if we could manage it for that long. He explained the longer he was able to delay this, the better the results would be, as it would prevent the stitches from tearing through the skin. He then went on to explain that he really had to stretch the skin very tightly in a couple of areas, as he discovered the width of the scarring had extended farther than it had first appeared. He explained that as he removed the damaged tissue and tried to pull the unaffected areas together, some of the surrounding area proved too fragile and came apart. That's why he had to stretch the skin so far, to cover these extended sections.

After listening to his explanation, I promised him I'd make certain that Pat waited until at least Friday before doing any of those activities, but I'd let him resume talking and enjoying some of his normal eating habits by the weekend, since we'd be having a party and there would be many visitors stopping by. The doctor assured me that would be fine, but reinforced the idea that I should also restrict Pat's general activities for several weeks, in order to keep him as calm and relaxed as possible. I told him I'd do that as well, and then we waited to get word from the admissions and billing offices that Pat had been officially cleared to go home.

Once we got back, the boys all took turns waiting on Pat, sitting with him and trying to keep him entertained, while also remaining quiet. This meant they also censored some of the things he could watch or listen to, since they didn't want him breaking out in hysterical laughter, as that could put a strain on the affected areas as well. Over the course of the rest of the day, they did their best to make sure Pat was comfortable, stayed reclined and had everything he needed, as well as taking precautions to keep him from getting up and moving around too much. They did this by bringing his meals to him and retrieving whatever he wanted, so he could remain comfortable and not take the chance of tripping as he moved about.

I told Pat I was going to let him use my bedroom until his next doctor's appointment, so he could stay on the first floor and I wouldn't have to worry about him going up and down the stairs. I was going to sleep on the sleeper-sofa, but Pat used the notepad the boys had given him to let me know he expected me to sleep with him. After all, it was a king-size bed and there was plenty of room. After discussing it with him for a few minutes and explaining I was worried that I'd bump him during the night, he wrote down a very good point, one that I hadn't thought about. He reminded me he wasn't supposed to talk, so he couldn't yell for me if he needed anything. If I were lying beside him, he'd only have to reach over and shake me, and then I'd be there for him. Besides, he reminded me his upper body would be propped up on pillows, so the chances of anything like that happening would be slim. He finally won out using those arguments, so I spent the night beside him.

Wednesday started off quietly enough, and once again the boys were treating Pat like he was the king of this castle. Just before lunch, Graham came up to me and asked if we could talk and I told him we could. However, he quickly let me know this was something that needed to be done in private. Since I didn't wish to argue the point, I followed him up to his room and asked him what was up.

"Dad, you can't let Brent go on this trip," he unexpectedly announced. I was startled by his statement, but more curious as to why he had said it. I was pretty sure it wasn't due to petty jealousy.

"Why do you say that?" I pressed. "Why don't you think I should let Brent go on vacation with his friend?"

"Because something bad is going to happen to him if he goes," he announced, and I could see the concern etched on his face and even fear in his eyes. There was no doubt Graham was serious and even somewhat scared about what might happen.

"Why? What do you know that I don't?" I asked him.

"It's just a feeling I have and things I've seen since you told him he could go," he replied.

"Things you've seen? What types of things?" I pressed, trying to gain a better insight into his concerns. For a moment, Graham hesitated, but his eyes seemed to be staring a hole clear through me throughout the entire time. I think he was trying to judge just how much he should tell me and how many details he should offer. At this point, I think he decided Brent's safety was more important than looking ridiculous, so he continued.

"I've seen black shadows around him ever since you told him he could go, and those shadows are getting darker every day." Hearing this, I was somewhat speechless. Ever since Graham's vision and pronouncements about Sammy and Andrew's situation, I've had the feeling Graham might have some kind of psychic ability. Now, I believed it was time to explore the reality of it being so.

"What do you mean, you've seen black shadows around him?" I pressed. Once again, Graham hesitated before he spoke. I believe he was trying to decide if I believed him or if I was going to make fun of what he might say next. Seeing I had never reacted that way to him before, he decided to explain what he meant.

"Dad, there's the dark shadow that goes all around his body and it's been getting darker and thicker almost every day," he explained, in a quivering voice. "I know this means something bad is going to happen to him, so please don't let him go on this trip."

"Graham, are you sure this isn't just a little jealousy on your part?" I asked, just to make certain this didn't stem from sibling rivalry. "Maybe you just think that, because he'll be doing something you aren't?"

"No, Dad, that's not it at all," Graham responded, immediately. "I don't care if he goes with his friend. I just want him to be happy, but I don't want him to get hurt."

"Have you ever seen shadows like this before?" I wondered. Once again, he hesitated before he spoke.

"It's only happened twice before," he whispered, almost so low I couldn't hear him.

"And what were those other times?" I wanted to know. "Was it when you told me about Sammy and Andrew needing our help?"

"No, it wasn't then," he confessed. "That was something different, kind of like a voice was telling me they needed our help."

"Okay, so what other times have you seen shadows like this?" I continued.

"Well, the first time it happened, I didn't understand what it meant," he admitted.

"And when was that?" I persisted.

"The day you got shot," he replied, catching me completely off guard. I took a second to think about this, formulating how I planned to respond, and then I spoke.

"Even though I was hurt in that deal, I didn't die from it," I announced, "so maybe nothing serious will happen here either."

"But it wasn't quite the same," Graham replied. "Back then, the shadows around you were only a very dark gray. I figured out what they meant after you were injured and was afraid you were going to die."

"But I got better," I confirmed.

"Yes, but the shadows around you weren't black, like they are with Brent," he insisted. I saw what he was getting at, but wasn't sure how to respond, so I decided to find out about the second occurrence.

"What about the other time?" I asked.

"Well, that one's kind have been happening together with the one with Brent," he finally admitted, although I could tell he was extremely uncomfortable sharing this information with me.

"Together? To whom else is this happening?" I wanted to know. Graham suddenly seemed to go pale when I asked this question, and over time he actually started to respond twice, but nothing seemed to come out of his mouth. Finally, after what seemed like hours, but was actually only minutes, he regained his composure and confirmed what he had seen.

"It's been happening to both you and Brent," he announced, with a look of horror etched upon his face, "but your shadow isn't as dark or as thick as his," he quickly added. "Dad, you can't let him go!" he nearly screamed. "If you do, something bad is going to happen to both of you."

I thought about what he had said for a second, trying to rationalize how I was going to respond. Even after racking my brain about this, I still had no idea what I was going to say, so I decided to delay responding, by asking him a few more questions. "Graham, are you sure you're interpreting this correctly?" I asked him, while doing my best to let him know I was now concerned about this too. "I mean, it really doesn't make sense, because I'm not going with him. If we're not going to be together, how can you be so sure something is going to happen to him on this trip? Maybe it will only happen if we're together, so that might mean I SHOULD let him go. Maybe the bad thing will only happen if he stays here. Maybe this bad thing is going to happen at home or in one of our cars, maybe when we go some place, otherwise how will it affect both of us at the same time."

He thought about this for a minute or two before he answered me. "I really don't think that's it," he finally responded. "I didn't start seeing any of this until you told him he could go. Once he started making plans, I began seeing this shadow forming around his body, getting thicker and darker every day, and then another one began to form around you too. Please, Dad, make him stay here! Don't let him go! I don't want anything to happen to Brent, but I don't want to lose you either."

I knew I had to try to calm Graham's fears and dispel his concerns. "Okay, let's look at this more closely," I suggested. "What exactly do you mean when you tell me he has a dark shadow around him?"

"It's like this dark area that goes all around his body, and yours too," he explained, "although yours is more gray, like when you got shot. Brent's is more like a black cloud that goes around the outside of his body."

"Do you mean like an outline, as if someone traced around him with a big magic marker?" I offered.

"Yeah, that's kind of how it is," he confirmed, while looking pleased that I finally understood what he was trying to tell me. "There's an outline like that around both of you, but it's not like a line, it's kind of shadowy. Brent's outline is getting darker and blacker almost every day, but yours is still kind of gray."

"Graham, I'm not doubting what you see," I told him, "but I still can't understand how we could both be affected by the same event, especially if he's going somewhere and I'm not. Here's what we'll do. I will tell Brent to be extra careful while he's gone, but I'll also tell Jimmy's parents to keep a close eye on him. That should do the trick, don't you think?"

"No, I don't, Dad!" he shouted, as if he needed to speak louder to convince me. "I will watch and see if the shadows go away after you tell all of them that, but I don't think it's going to be enough. If doing that doesn't change anything, then you've got to make him stay with us. Will you promise me that?"

"Graham, I won't promise exactly that, but I will agree to consider everything before I let him go. Will that be okay with you?"

"I guess it will have to do," he agreed, although not whole-heartedly, "but I still think you should keep him home. I'm really, really scared about this."

"I know you are, or you would never have told me about it," I confirmed. "I will take this seriously, but I'll hold off on my final decision for a little longer. In the meantime, I'll talk to Brent and Jimmy's family, relaying our fears, without getting into specifics. I won't say anything about you, because I don't want any of them to think that you're trying to spoil things for them."

Graham nodded his head in understanding, but I don't think that was a primary concern for him. He did realize I was trying to keep people from making fun of him or ridiculing him because of his unusual ability… if that was indeed what it was. I would address his concerns with the others, without laying any of the guilt or blame on him, and I'd insulate him from any consequences, if I decided not to let Brent go. I knew I would now have to do some serious thinking about this situation, since I didn't want to over-react in either direction. One way or the other, someone would be upset with whatever decision I made, so I just prayed I would make the correct choice.

Chapter 40
Shadows in Our Future

Pat continued to heal nicely throughout the week and didn't seem to be in too much discomfort. His brothers continued to keep him company and take care of him better than a private nurse ever could, and he wrote each of them several messages of thanks. In addition to some of our extended family stopping by to see him, a few of his friends from school also came by, including the boy who caused the accident initially. He told Pat that he was glad to hear that he got his sight back in the one eye and hoped this operation took care of most of the problems with his face. He also told Pat he was looking forward to seeing him again in school in the fall, after which Pat wrote him a thank you message, letting him know he was quite moved by the visit. Pat admitted he didn't expect to see him like this and held no hard feelings about what had happened.

The boy seemed relieved and satisfied after reading that message and told Pat he'd come back to visit, if Pat didn't mind. Pat jotted down a quick note explaining he'd like that, so the boy told him he'd come by again next week. When he left, I walked him to the door, thanked him for his concern and informed him he was welcome to visit our home anytime. He thanked me before he left, but not before confirming that he planning to return next week, and then he walked down the driveway and out of sight.

When Saturday arrived, the day for Frankie's party, Pat informed me that he preferred to stay in the bedroom, rather than go out and take the attention away from Frankie. Even though I tried to explain to him that he'd draw a certain amount of attention anyway, no matter what he did, he thought he could limit it by staying somewhat secluded. He announced this was Frankie's day, so it should be Frankie enjoying his time in the spotlight. I gave in and told him I'd bring him what he needed, so he wouldn't miss out, but I also warned him to be prepared for a steady stream of visitors, regardless of how he handled this situation. He confirmed he understood and thanked me for 'giving in' to his request, before I went out to make sure everything was ready.

As the guests arrived, they each wished Frankie a 'Happy Birthday' and chatted with him for a few minutes, but they also made sure to stop by to see Pat too and inquire as to how he was doing. As the day progressed, I began to agree that Pat was most likely correct in his assessment and he probably would have drawn more attention away from the real reason of this get together, if he had joined in. However, I was fairly confident it wouldn't have bothered Frankie, since his primary focus was on just one person – the girl clinging to his left elbow. Not that the rest of us didn't matter to him, but she seemed to be monopolizing most of his attention.

The party started off pretty much as usual, with the boys going out to play their games in the side yard, and I almost backed out when they began to choose up teams. I was thinking it would be best if I stayed out of it, so I could take care of Pat, but then I realized this would be unfair to Frankie, since I'd always participated at the other boys' parties. I finally conceded there were other people around who could help Pat, if he should need assistance, so confident with that knowledge, I went ahead and joined in with the others.

After the game ended and while the others were cooling down, I stoked up the grills and then went to get the meat, so I could begin barbecuing. While I was doing that, everyone else was moving around and talking to the others present, but some of my sons decided they'd rather focus on more intimate forms of socialization with their current significant other. I noticed a few of them disappearing into the house or going for walks in the woods behind our house, but everyone returned by the time everything was ready and I started to serve it up. Eagerly, the entire group surged toward the food table and began to load up their plates, with some quickly returning for seconds, or even thirds.

Pat ended up with numerous plates being brought to him, as several of his brothers thought it was their duty to take care of him. He laughed when I came in carrying my offering and pointed at the collection of food that was already there. After sorting through the different plates and letting him take what he wanted, I took some of the remaining items back with me, thinking others might benefit from what Pat didn't need.

Everyone seemed to have a healthy appetite and the boys made sure that none of the food went to waste. After the meal was finished, Frankie opened his presents, as was the custom, and thanked everyone for the lovely gifts he had received. After that, all of us sat around and chatted for a while, until we were ready for the cake and ice cream.

A short time after we finished our desserts, some of the adults began to say their good-byes, but not before wishing Frankie 'Happy Birthday' one more time and thanking us for the wonderful day. Eventually, only my sons and their dates remained, so I grabbed a few of the younger boys to help me clean up and carry everything back into the house. As it started getting dark, my macho studs took their girlfriends out for a little stroll under the stars, while also utilizing the more than adequate illumination from the light of the three-quarter moon to see by. I tried not to think about what might occur along the way.

The boys didn't take the girls home until between ten and eleven that night, with Danny driving them around to drop them off. Each boy took some time to exchange a personal farewell with his girlfriend before they parted, and my boys arrived back home shortly after eleven. Once they were all back, the older boys gathered in the recreation room, which just happens to be next to my bedroom, to compare notes. Ironically, because it had been a nice breezy day, the windows in both rooms were open, so I was able to overhear their conversation, without even trying.

"Well, Frankie, did you get any special presents tonight?" I heard a voice ask. I thought it sounded like Dustin who spoke, but rather than focusing on the speaker, I was wishing I could have seen the look on Frankie's face when he was confronted like that. I could only imagine the smug, cat-that-ate-the canary expression he flaunted as he gave his response.

"Yeah, I did," he admitted. "Remember when we disappeared into the house? Well, we went up to my room and she let me do her, telling me that was her birthday present to me. How about the rest of you? Did any of you guys score?"

There were various tales told about how each of the boys had made out, and Dustin seemed to be a bit dejected when he announced his girl was 'on the rag', so he only got a blowjob. Some of the other boys had a good laugh about that, but then I was surprised when I heard a voice I wasn't expecting to hear from. Needless to say, I was quite floored when I heard Dion announce that he'd gotten laid too.

He told his brothers that he and his girlfriend took a walk back into the woods earlier and ended up at the old tree house. He explained that after a little coaxing, they climbed up where it would be safe and no one could see them, and she finally let him do what he wanted. He had taken a rubber out with him, hoping for such an opportunity to ARISE, along with his dick, so there was no hesitation on his part. She had explained that she wasn't scared off by his 'size,' like his old girlfriend had been, and that's when his brothers wanted the details of what he thought of it.

"So, how was your first pussy, little bro?" Ricky wanted to know.

"It was good and I got off okay," Dion announced. "I think she enjoyed it too." Even though his words said one thing, I think I caught a lack of sincerity in what he told them. Maybe it wasn't quite as good as he'd anticipated.

"I'll bet she did," Frankie came back, "riding that big old hog of yours. She'll probably be very disappointed if she ever tries it with another guy now." All the boys were laughing and teasing Dion about that, and Dion was playing right along with his brothers.

For my part, I didn't think he was telling the whole story. I wasn't sure if Dion hadn't enjoyed what he had done earlier or if he was merely uncomfortable about telling his brothers the details, but none of his brothers seemed to pick up on the same cues I had. After a few more minutes of this banter, the boys called it a night and headed up to their rooms, so I heard no more about what had gone on with them earlier.

Sunday, after church, Graham came up to me and asked if I had talked to Brent or spoken with Jimmy's family yet. I explained I hadn't yet, but I would do both things this afternoon. Although he was somewhat disappointed I hadn't already done this, my comments seemed to make him feel a little better. When we got home, I called Brent into my room to explain my concerns.

"Yeah, Dad, what do you need?" he responded, cheerily.

"I don't need anything, Brent," I told him. "I just want to talk to you about your upcoming vacation with Jimmy and his family. I'm concerned that something might happen on this trip and I want you to promise me you'll be extra careful while you're away. No going swimming without his parents there to watch over you, I don't want you showing off or taking any foolish chances and I don't want you going off without the adults. You'll be in a strange place and you won't know anyone there, so I want you to do whatever Jimmy's parents tell you. Will you promise me that?"

"Sure, Dad, but why are you so worried?" he wanted to know. "I CAN take care of myself."

"I know you can and I can't explain why I'm so troubled about this," I told him. "I just want you to be extra careful and not take any chances. I'm letting you go enjoy yourself, but I want you to come back to me in one piece. All right?"

"Okay, Dad. I'll be careful," he agreed. "You don't have to worry about that."

"Thanks and I appreciate the fact that you're going along with me on this one," I told him. "I want you to have a good time, but just be careful."

"I will, Dad," he confirmed, before leaving the room.

After that conversation had ended, I drove down to Jimmy's house and spoke to Jimmy's parents. I just told them that Brent could sometimes be a risk-taker and a daredevil, so I was a little concerned he might get carried away or do a little showing off. They told me they would take good care of him and watch over him the entire time. I thanked them for their assistance with this matter and said good-bye, but not before asking them not to mention to Jimmy what we had discussed. They assured me they wouldn't and I left.

When I returned home, I intentionally didn't say anything to Graham about having spoken to everyone involved, as I preferred to wait and see if he brought the subject up again. Nothing more was said that day, so I thought my chats may have taken care of the problem.

Monday afternoon, I took Pat down for his follow-up examination, so the doctor could judge if the healing process was progressing as he hoped. When Pat was called back, I got up to go with him, but the nurse told me the doctor wanted me to remain in the waiting room for a little longer. She explained she would come back and get me when the doctor was to a point where he wanted me to join them, so I sat down again. I was slightly confused about this, although I didn't say anything, and picked up a magazine instead, to help occupy the time.

I wasn't used to being relegated to the waiting room in this manner, as my boys usually wanted me to be with them whenever something major was happening. Although this wasn't an earth-shaking exam, I had to wonder why I was being left out. After sitting and mulling it over in my mind, I came up with a few ideas. First, the doctor might have been planning to test Pat's skin sensitivity or something of that nature and didn't want me unintentionally giving him signals or reacting at the same time. Second, it was possible he was worried about how I might respond when seeing Pat's face for the first time since the operation.

The doctor had insisted I leave Pat's bandages alone until after this exam, since he didn't want to risk any sort of infection. He did have me use the drops in Pat's eyes, to keep them from drying out, but told me the cream was only to be applied if Pat complained that the skin under the bandages was irritated or itched so badly that he might be tempted to try scratching where it itched. Otherwise, he wanted the area to remain covered and not exposed to germs. Although I still wasn't certain of his reasoning, my best guess was that Pat's doctor most likely decided it best to see him alone first, to prevent anything out of the ordinary from happening. .

In continuing this line of thought, I also figured that after the doctor had finished with Pat, he would then try to prepare me about what to expect, before I came into the room, that is, if the situation warranted it. A few minutes later a nurse came out to get me and led me back to the examination room Pat was in. As she opened the door to let me in, I could see Pat seated on the table. This was the first I had seen his head without the bandages since before the operation, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Although I wasn't surprised by his appearance, I guessed it looked worse than it actually was. His face was still slightly swollen and discolored, but there were only a few red marks on his face, indicating where the stitches joined the skin together. I knew the redness would disappear relatively quickly, so I hoped the other issues would follow suit.

When the doctor looked up, he called me over and explained about each area to me. Before he finished, he also pointed out the one patch he would need to smooth out with the laser later, but assured me that process would eliminate the last of the obvious damage.

Pat was still holding a hand-mirror the doctor had given him, so he could see everything as it was being described to me. I told the doctor he had done a marvelous job, not only to stroke the doctor's ego, but to hopefully build Pat's confidence as well. After thanking me for the compliment, the doctor instructed me I would now have to start applying the creams over the scars, along with continuing to put the drops in Pat's eyes. I assured him I had no problem doing either, and then he asked us to make another appointment for the following week. As he was doing that, he was also applying smaller coverings over the areas he had operated on, instead of having the larger bandages cover most of Pat's head, as had been the case since the surgery.

Once Pat was ready, we walked back out to the reception area, made another appointment and then strolled out to the car. Pat was quite excited on the way back and announced he was pleased with the results of his latest surgery. He was no longer worried about being ugly or anyone calling him scar face, because it looked as if hardly anything would be visible, once the laser treatment was completed. I agreed and Pat had to fight to not break into a huge grin, as he was still worried such an exaggerated movement might cause a problem.

When we arrived back home, Brent asked me to assist him with his packing, as he would be leaving for his trip on Wednesday. He wanted me to help him decide what he should take with him, as he didn't want to get there and then discover he'd forgotten something he needed. While we were alone, I also reminded him to wish Kevin a 'Happy Birthday' before he left, since he'd be missing Kevin's party on Saturday. We both knew Kevin wasn't too pleased about Brent going without him in the first place, but the fact that he would also be missing Kevin's party was almost too much for Kevin to deal with.

After I brought this up, Brent informed me he had already purchased Kevin's card and gift, and was planning to give them both to him tomorrow night, before he left. I told Brent I was pleased he had planned ahead like that, and when I happened to look up, I saw Graham standing in the doorway, just gawking at the two of us together. He didn't say a word, but he had a very strange look on his face, and he called me to his room shortly after I'd finished with Brent, making it clear he wished to talk to me once more.

"Dad, your telling him to be careful and warning Jimmy's parents to watch over him hasn't changed anything," he announced, nearly panicked. "You both still have those shadows around you and I just know something bad is going to happen. Please don't let him go. I know I'm right and we're never going to see Brent again, if you don't keep him here."

Seeing how worried he was about this, I pulled Graham against my chest and hugged him tightly, in an effort to reassure him. Once I release my grip on him, I sat down on his bed and pulled him onto my lap, so we could discuss this further. "Honey, I can't just tell Brent he can't go," I tried to reason. "I know you think what you see is real, and it just may be so, but there's also a chance there might be some interpretation problems here. I don't see how Brent and I can both be harmed if we aren't going to be together. We'll just put him in our prayers and ask God to watch over him, but I know I'll hurt him deeply, if I suddenly tell him he can't go now."

Graham argued with me for several more minutes, trying to convince me to change my mind, but I couldn't ruin this trip for Brent without having something more reliable or substantial to base my decision on. I've always tried to teach the boys that life is a series of risks and we have to make choices, and as long as those decisions are not made hastily or without careful consideration to the relevant facts, they should be just fine. I wasn't going to make any of us withdraw from life and hide over some dream or vision, or just because one of us suspected something might go wrong. I would need something more substantial than that to base those kinds of decisions on. Graham was mad at me for not supporting him on this, and spat out that I'd regret this later. After calming down a bit, he did tell me he still loved me and hoped I was right about everything, but confirmed he still thought this whole trip was a huge mistake. I think we both went to bed that evening with Brent's departure weighing heavily on our minds.

Chapter 41
Diversions

Tuesday was a fairly quiet day and Brent and Kevin spent most of it together, alone. They took a walk into town together in the morning and then they took another walk into the woods in the afternoon. After dinner they sat cuddled up on the couch together, watching television, and then they disappeared up to their room. Once the door had closed and they were completely alone, Brent handed Kevin his card and present.

Kevin opened the card first and read it, and then he began to weep. It was a lovely card to a special brother, and Brent had added some other more personal messages of his own, about Kevin being his lover and his friend. When Kevin had finished reading the card, Brent encouraged him to open his present, even though Kevin was having trouble seeing much of anything through his tears. When he finally got it unwrapped, he found two silver, heart-shaped picture frames, which were hinged together in the center, and Brent had cut two different pictures of the two of them together from our Valentine's Day party. He had put a great deal of thought into selecting the right pictures and then carefully trimmed them so they would fit into the frames. He did a very good job and the pictures looked wonderful together like that. It was his way of letting Kevin know that he did care for him, even though he was going on this trip, and he didn't want anything to change when he returned.

Moved by that thought behind his gift, Kevin hugged Brent, kissed him and thanked him for the present. That's when Brent informed him he had one more special gift for his birthday, as he was going to let Kevin make love to him tonight.

Kevin and Brent had only tried anal a couple of times before, so Kevin was quite surprised by his announcement. Although Brent had seemed to enjoy it whenever they did it before, he was never the one to suggest it, so Kevin rarely brought it up either, since he was concerned that Brent was only doing it to please him. However, tonight Brent was the instigator and assured Kevin that he really wanted to do this, but not just because it was part of Kevin's birthday gift. He wanted them to be intimate, so he could show Kevin how much he really loved him.

Kevin was deeply moved by Brent's words, but ecstatic about what Brent wanted to do. With only a slight hesitation, Kevin leaped out of bed and started to race to the bathroom, in order to retrieve the KY and grab a rubber. However, Brent stopped him before he got very far, much to Kevin's amazement. Fearing Brent had changed his mind, Kevin stopped, only to have Brent lead him over to the nightstand that was on Brent's side of the bed. Slowly, Brent opened the drawer and Kevin quickly noted that his lover had already put everything they would need in there. This made Kevin also realize that Brent must have thought this out quite carefully, since he had made certain to cover all of the bases in his preparations.

Trembling with excitement, Kevin kissed his soul mate and slowly undressed him, something Brent allowed him do without comment. It was evident Brent was going to let Kevin do whatever he wanted with him tonight, but Brent's body was also quivering in anticipation.

Once Brent was totally naked, he returned the favor and undressed Kevin, before they laid down on the bed together and started making out. After a few minutes of French kissing and heavy petting, Kevin put some lube on his fingers and started to work them into Brent's backdoor, while he continued to kiss him deeply. After a few minutes of working his way from one finger to two, and then three, Kevin slid lower and began to suck on Brent's nipples, while steadily working his digits in and out of Brent's chute, slowly preparing him for their lovemaking. One thing was for sure, and that was that Kevin didn't want to hurt Brent, but intended to make sure this was something he would not forget for some time to come. Finally, Brent told Kevin he was ready and he could go ahead, so Kevin greased up his condom-covered penis, placed a pillow under Brent's hips and moved into position between his partner's legs. With great tenderness, Kevin lifted Brent's legs, until his thighs were nearly touching his chest, and then he had Brent hold them in that position, while he leaned forward and kissed Brent again. Now, the stage was set, so Kevin guided his throbbing pole forward, until it was touching the outer lips of Brent's opening.

Brent's body stiffened slightly when he felt Kevin's swollen head pushing again his anal ring, but Kevin reminded him to relax, breathe deeply and then push out, at which point Kevin would try to slip inside of him. Brent followed those instructions and soon felt Kevin's glans pop past his sphincter. Sensing this intrusion, Brent's anal muscles automatically tightened, so Kevin remained frozen, until Brent's body relaxed and allowed him to continue.

Kevin showed great patience and deep concern for his partner, while also watching Brent's face for signs of distress, as he slowly inched his way forward. Once he was fully inside Brent, Kevin remained motionless for a while longer, to give Brent time to adapt to the feeling and adjust to his size. When he saw Brent smile, Kevin kissed him passionately and stroked his hair, to let him know they were making love, not merely having sex.

When Kevin felt Brent was ready to continue, he slowly started easing himself in and out of that tight channel, very slowly at first, but then he tried to build a steady rhythm. This sudden change in his situation obviously didn't seem to bother Brent, and his hands were all over Kevin, as he stroked Kevin's athletic frame. At first, Brent's palms merely glided over Kevin's back, before sliding upward, so he could grip Kevin's head and pull him in for some more kisses. Eventually, though, Brent let his hand slide down Kevin's back again, until they reached his lover's ass cheeks, and then he tried to pull Kevin further inside him on each downward thrust. After holding him like that for a time, Brent encouraged Kevin to start going a little faster, because Brent was really getting into it now and his good feelings intensified proportionately with the pace.

Within seconds, Kevin began to look like a jockey riding in the Kentucky Derby and urging his mount to give everything he had, as he made his way toward the finish line. In a matter of moments after starting that frenzied charge toward his climax, Kevin's body stiffened and he tried to push as far into Brent as he possibly could, as he felt his juices flood up his shaft and explode through the tiny slit at the end, until he had emptied everything he had to give into the condom.

As Kevin was riding his steed to victory, Kevin had also worked Brent up to his own climax. During Kevin's frantic race to orgasm, his penis had been constantly stimulating Brent's prostate, by continually grazing against that sensitive button, which brought Brent to his own powerful climax, without either of them touching his dick. It was precisely what Kevin had hoped would happen.

Both boys were still panting heavily and Kevin was also sweating profusely from his workout, totally spent. Finally, Kevin's body gave out and collapsed on top of Brent, as exhaustion overcame him. Once he realized what had happened, Kevin quickly rolled off to the side, skillfully moving Brent's body in unison with his, in one fluid motion. He did this so he wouldn't crush his lover, but would still be able to keep his dick inside of Brent for as long as possible. As soon as he felt he had recuperated sufficiently, Kevin resumed kissing Brent, as they both slowly came down from their post-orgasmic highs.

Once the two boys had recovered, Kevin told Brent he wanted him to do the same thing to him. This brought another smile to Brent's face and he was more than willing to do whatever would make Kevin happy. Kevin was soon reminding him about what he needed to do to get each of them ready, and then nature took over and Brent was totally on his own. He was like a dog humping the leg of some unsuspecting visitor, as his primal instincts kicked in, and all too quickly for Kevin, Brent was spewing his second load of the evening inside the condom, which was deep inside Kevin's love canal. Brent was tired, yet still excited when it was over, and he kissed Kevin repeatedly, while telling his boyfriend how much he loved him.

Later, while they were lying side-by-side, still resting up from their lovemaking, Brent admitted he wished he wasn't going now, but promised to make it up to Kevin as soon as he got back. A few minutes later, the boys went to the bathroom and cleaned up, before returning to their room and crawling into bed. They quickly cuddled into each other's arms and were soon asleep. It was a special night for both of them and confirmed how deeply they were committed to one another.

The next morning Jimmy and his parents showed up around 8:00 a.m., and I found myself feeling relieved when I saw them pull into the driveway. They were driving a fairly new, dark green Ford Bronco. A vehicle that size would protect its occupants in crashes with most other vehicles, so it reduced my concerns about Brent getting hurt in an accident, knowing he'd be sitting up higher than the normal crash impact point and surrounded by all that bulk. Maybe this would ease Graham's conscience a bit as well, once he discovered what Brent would be traveling in.

I helped Brent carry his things out to their vehicle and said my good-byes. Kevin had said his farewell to Brent in their room, because he was worried one or both of them might break down and cry in front of the others. He thought doing that might make Jimmy or his parents wonder what was up and why they were reacting in such a manner and Kevin didn't want any of them to get suspicious about Brent or worry about what Brent might do while he was with them, so he opted to play it safe. He and the other boys did come out to see Brent off, and they all looked happy for him, that is, everyone except for Graham. I assumed even seeing the SUV hadn't allayed his concerns at all.

Graham hugged Brent and told him to be careful, but then deftly moved to the back of the crowd and looked very apprehensive as he watched Brent get into the vehicle. I prayed Graham wasn't correct this time or I would be haunted by the memory I might have been able to prevent whatever might happen, if I had only listened to him. I started to become overwhelmed by those thoughts, so I tried to push them out of my mind. Luckily, Jimmy's father helped me do that to an extent, when he began filling me in on their travel plans. He informed me he wasn't exactly sure which day they would return, but it would be somewhere between Wednesday and Friday of the week before school started up again, depending on the weather and how good a time they were having. I told him that was close enough and then advised them to be careful and have fun. I smiled and waved at the four of them as they drove away.

I did corner Graham later, asking him if he still saw the shadow around me and he said he did. He also confirmed it wasn't black, like the one he saw around Brent, but both of them were still there. I did ask him if he saw any shadows around Jimmy or his parents, but he admitted he hadn't, and this information only confused me even more. Graham told me he was still worried about both of us, so I explained to him it was unlikely anything would happen until Brent returned, because it looked as if we had to be together, or at least in close proximity, for something to happen to both of us at the same time. Therefore, everything should be fine for at least two more weeks and then I promised him I'd keep a close eye on Brent after that, until the shadows went away.

Graham didn't seem convinced by my logic, but he stopped his protests. It was mostly due to the fact his arguments would no longer have any effect, since Brent was already gone. In an effort to make him feel better, I wrapped my arm around his shoulder, gave him a quick hug and then walked beside him as we went into the house. Before long, everything seemed to return to normal… well at least whatever normal is for us.

The next couple of days went by quickly. That was because I was busy caring for Pat, including taking him to see the doctor again, taking Frankie and Kevin out to practice their driving and getting everything ready for Kevin's 17th birthday celebration. The boy that had caused the accident that injured Pat returned to visit again, which made Pat very happy, and I allowed them to sit and chat a while this time, as Pat was now talking again, although still trying to limit the extent of his facial movements.

By the time Kevin's birthday party rolled around, we had everything in place for the arrival of our guests, but this time Pat was anxious to go out and socialize with us – for the first time since his most recent operation. During his last appointment, the doctor had removed the bandages and there was no longer anything noticeable or obtrusive to draw attention to his condition. Therefore, Pat informed me he wanted to do this, but he was still a bit apprehensive about being on display. However, he shouldn't have been. His face looked very good and was mostly healed, and there was only one small patch where any problem was even noticeable. However, that spot would be taken care of with the laser treatment, just as soon as the rest of his face had finished healing. Pat was beaming as everyone told him how great he looked and then felt even better after they informed him they would never have known he'd been burned by acid by just looking at him. The only lingering sign from that ordeal was Pat's blind eye.

Pat was very pleased by all of the compliments he received and was thrilled about being with everyone again. I did remind him to put on his sunscreen and hat before he went outdoors, because this time he wanted to eat with at the picnic tables with the rest of us. He still wouldn't be able to participate in the other activities, but felt that was a small sacrifice to make, after regaining most of what he'd thought he'd lost forever – his vision and good looks.

Since it was Kevin's birthday party, there were no girls invited this time. It was just our extended family and a few of Kevin's male friends and teammates who were there. Kevin did get depressed at one point, but only for a few minutes, when he remembered Brent wasn't there. As soon as we discovered what was bothering him, the boys and I did everything we could to take his mind off of that fact, and we even enlisted some of his aunts and uncles to give him their birthday wishes and get him talking about other things. This ploy soon worked, and once they began to run out of things to say, I decided it might be wise to get the games started.

When I had first talked to him about his party, Kevin had told me he wanted to play soccer, instead of football, so that's what we did. We used the orange, rubber cones I borrowed from school to mark the width of the goals and then we'd guess about the height. Everyone seemed okay with this, so we picked up teams and got started.

The boys were much quicker than Steve, Jake or I, but we still had a good time trying to keep up with them. The one thing that helped even out the teams was Mark's unfamiliarity with playing this game. Mark had never had much time to compete in sports, since he was generally out trying to earn some extra money to help his mother out, but he still had plenty of stamina and fairly good coordination. As had become common practice as of late, Mark had been paired on the team with Steve, while the boys made sure Jake and I were also together. I got the feeling they thought we'd be mad if they split us up, but I'm not sure what had given them that impression.

Kevin's team ended up winning the contest, although I think there was some intentional slacking on my team's part, so the birthday boy would be victorious. I think this might have had something to do with the fact that the boys all realized Kevin was a little down already, due to Brent's absence, so they didn't want to complicate the issue or depress him further, if he were to lose.

Once the game ended, we went in the house and relaxed for a while, as we waited for the meat to cook. Within the hour we were loading up our plates and stuffing our faces, laughing and talking as we ate. Nick was also being extra nice to Kevin today, and I was glad he was being sensitive to Kevin's needs. I quickly noticed that Kevin even seemed to be clinging to Nick again, like he had when they were going together, and it more than likely he needed the emotional support that Nick was temporarily supplying. I was pleased Kevin had found a port in the storm and someone who could get him through this unsettling time.

After taking another brief respite to allow or meal to digest, we sang 'Happy Birthday' to Kevin and then watched him open his presents. He got some pretty nice things, although I don't think any of them came close to matching what Brent had given him before he left. Kevin thanked everyone for their gifts as he opened them and appeared genuinely happy each individual was here. Once he opened the last of his gifts, we had the cake and ice cream, before the boys went out to play some hoops in the driveway.

In order to make room for this to happen, some of the older boys came inside and asked if they could pull the cars out onto the street, to make room for them to have their game. I was pleasantly surprised to see each of the owners happily turn over their keys, so the boys could move the vehicles for them. Besides saving the adults the time, trouble and aggravation of doing it themselves, it also proved to the boys that everyone trusted their driving ability. It wasn't that it was such a difficult thing to do, moving the various cars such a short distance, but some of our guests drove fairly nice, and expensive, automobiles, so it was a big deal for my drivers.

As the boys played their pick up game, the rest of the old fogies and I were content to go inside and chat. We used this opportunity to catch up on other things and to learn what the others had been up to since we'd last seen them. During this time, I discovered the Castaway Charity had received several additional, and substantial, donations as of late, and all from private individuals. It seems the publicity was paying off and we were getting recognition from multiple sources. Sally even told me that one of the national organizations she belonged to, which represented many professional people, including social workers, college professors and those serving in the private sector performing similar work, was preparing to do an article on the charity in their upcoming newsletter. This would bring even more attention to the Fund, especially from people who were in positions to make referrals and offer other types of assistance. Sally and Steve also informed me they were nearing the finalization of several other adoptions, which had been brought about with the charity's assistance, meaning several more children would soon become part of a loving family thanks to the Castaway Fund. Life was good and the Spences were thrilled by what their generosity had wrought.

As the party was drawing to a close, Jake and I asked Steve and John (Mr. Spence) to join us golfing sometime, and they both jumped at that suggestion. Like myself, they were both eager to get back to enjoying the sport again, as they had also drifted away from playing regularly. We quickly agreed to go out the following weekend, but they were also going to join Jake and I at the putting green and on the driving range during the week, so they could limber up and not look quite as rusty on the weekend. I was really looking forward to this outing, as these were three people I really admired and felt extremely close to.

While we were discussing the details of our plans, I heard Sally and Mary ask Margaret (Mrs. Spence) to join them on a shopping trip that same day, and she was thrilled by the idea of spending some time with the girls. It looked as though all of us now had plans for the following weekend, doing things we would each enjoy. I told Jake that Shannon could spend the day with my boys, so he wouldn't be left home alone, and Jake quickly confirmed he was certain his son would like that idea. All of the details seemed to be worked out, so now we just had to wait a week for it to happen.

Chapter 42
An Unexpected Treat

On Sunday we went to church together, as we normally did, and I said another prayer for Brent. I didn't want to believe what Graham kept telling me, but he had been correct about similar situations a couple of times before, even though he didn't quite understand it at the time. Since I didn't want to dismiss his concerns too hastily, it became important for me to face my fears in church, where I always felt a great sense of peace and comfort. I felt it was especially necessary now, since I was also beginning to experience more and more bad feelings about Brent's safe return as each day passed.

When the service ended and we began to make our way out of the church, several people stopped us to compliment Pat on his 'new look' or to talk about the start of school. Although I hadn't been overly focused on that upcoming event, over the next couple of weeks I would have to spend a great deal of time at school, in preparation for opening day. There were new students' folders to be gone though, preparations to be completed for the staff meetings, building checks to perform and other last minute details I would need to take care of. Yes, suddenly I was reminded things were going to be getting very hectic for me again real soon.

Brent called home Sunday afternoon, to let me know he was all right and had been having a great time. He told me about the ride down and then gave a detailed report about the cottage they were staying at, which was located right on the beach. Finally, he told me how much he enjoyed swimming in the ocean and how well Jimmy and he were getting along. I told him I was glad he was having such a good time, but I also reminded him to be careful. He assured me he would, and then I called Kevin to the phone, because Brent wanted to talk to him too.

I let them have a few minutes alone, to say hello and whatever else they thought they might be able to get by with, seeing Jimmy and his parents were probably within hearing range of Brent's end of the conversation. After giving them sufficient time, I reminded them that Jimmy's parents were paying for the call, so it was time to say good-bye. Kevin nodded his agreement and told Brent he had to go, but I could see how happy he was to have the opportunity to speak with Brent at all. In fact, that kept him fairly upbeat for the rest of the day.

The next week was also hectic for me, but I did find it quite relaxing in some ways. You see, I began by getting up early and would go into school to get as much done as I could, and then I'd come home for a late lunch, around 1:30 or 2:00. After grabbing a quick bite to eat, I'd take Frankie and Kevin out to drive for a while, and after we got back from doing that, I'd often run out to meet Jake, or one of the others, to hit a bucket of balls or practice putting. I was really beginning to enjoy being with adults once in a while again and was gradually getting closer to Jake. We had a lot in common, enjoyed each other's company and he was becoming like a younger brother to me. I'm glad things had worked out the way they had for us.

Brent called again on Wednesday, to let us know he was still all right, but I think he called primarily to speak with Kevin, because he asked for him almost immediately. While those two were chatting with each other, I mentioned to Graham that it was Brent who had called and he was still doing well. Graham just looked at me and said something about Brent still being away for a little longer and he wouldn't be able to shake his feeling until Brent was back home with us. I thought that knowing Brent was well would ease Graham's feeling of foreboding, but it now appears that wouldn't happen until Brent was safely back again.

Thursday and Friday were merely repeats of the previous days, but before I knew it, it was Saturday morning and time for me to play golf with my new foursome. Jake dropped Shannon off at our place, to spend the day with the boys, so he rode with me and we picked up John and Steve along the way.

After trying out the putting green and then limbering up, it was time to put our skills to the test. The first tee is generally the most difficult, because you're not completely loose yet and there are more people waiting around and watching those ahead of them, but we got off to a pretty good start. Our tee-shots were all fairly straight, although they weren't necessarily overly impressive or breathtakingly long, but we were all satisfied with the results. We played the first couple of holes much the same way and were feeling pretty good about our games and ourselves. However, just when we thought we were sitting on top of the world and had this game licked, we were quickly reminded how vulnerable we actually were, as each of us began to experience our share of difficulties, one at a time.

John actually held out the longest, although he had also been away from the game for the greatest amount of time. Even though he didn't have a great deal of distance on any of his shots, he was the most consistent and stayed in the fairway – until we started the back nine. That's when he began to tire and his game started to go to pot. On the tenth hole, it took him an additional stroke to get to the green, and then he duffed his tee-shot on eleven. Over the next few holes, he consistently began to lose even more distance on each of his shots, and gradually he lost out on what would have been a decent round for him. We were still fairly satisfied with what we'd accomplished by the time we finished and returned to the clubhouse, even though we hadn't burned up the course. We did have a good time and felt we would improve with time we played, so we agreed we'd try again the following weekend.

By the time we dropped Steve and John off at their homes and Jake and I got back to my place, we were pretty exhausted. The boys were busy playing ball outside, so Jake and I went in to get some lunch, enjoy a beer and rest our weary bones. After a while the boys came in to ask us how we did, so we sat and talked with them for a while and told them how we had all self-destructed. They were sympathetic and told us we'd do better next time and then informed us they would fix a special meal for us tonight, so we could just enjoy ourselves and relax. They just asked us to be cleaned up and be changed and ready to eat by 6:30. Sounded fair enough, so we quickly agreed.

As we thought about their unexpected offer, I concluded it was really sweet and extremely generous of them to do this, and Jake was impressed that the boys were going to take care of the dinner duties and make a nice family meal for us all to enjoy. We both thanked them again for their considerate offer and confirmed we were looking forward to what they had planned. Before they left us alone, Shannon also asked his Dad if he could spend the night with us, and Jake told him it would be fine with him, as long as it was all right with me. I quickly confirmed it was, as long as Shannon wouldn't mind going to church with us the following morning, and Shannon had no problem agreeing to that stipulation. Jake then suggested he could bring Shannon's clothes and things with him when he returned later, as he wanted to go home to shower and change, since he didn't have any other clothes with him. Therefore, everything was all set and everyone was happy.

The boys began to busy themselves in the kitchen and began their preparations. After Jake left to return to his place, they encouraged me to do whatever I wanted and enjoy myself. This was a pleasant surprise, so I quickly decided to take full advantage of it. I went outside and began to putter around with some things I'd been planning do out there, and after spending an hour or so doing that, I finally went back into the house to shower. It was now nearly 4:00, and after I told the boys my intentions, they encouraged me to take a little nap after I got cleaned up, so I'd be rested for later. They told me they'd wake me up around six, so I'd have plenty of time to get dressed and ready for dinner.

That sounded wonderful to me, so I agreed and went to my room. After shutting the door, I stripped, adjusted the water temperature in the shower and stepped into the stall. I enjoyed a long, luxurious, hot shower, which drew some of the soreness and stiffness from my newly rediscovered muscle groups, which was just what I needed. When I noticed the water was starting to cool, I ended my shower, dried off and hopped into bed for a power nap. I must have fallen asleep quite quickly, because I don't remember lying in bed for very long before I felt one of the boys gently shaking me. It was Sammy and he was being very tender in the way he roused me, and as soon as my eyes opened, he urged me to get dressed for dinner. Once he saw me get out of bed, he left the room again, closing the door behind him.

I put on a pair of slacks and a nice short-sleeve dress shirt, and then went out to join my troops. I got a bit of a surprise when I walked into the dining room. The leaves of the dining room table had been taken out, which shrunk it down noticeably, and I couldn't understand why the boys had done this. We seldom have the table like that, but even more curious was the fact that it was set with only two place settings, but that wasn't all. There was also a lit candle adorning the table and a bottle of wine in an ice bucket, which was setting beside my usual place at the head of the table.

"What's this?" I asked, having come to the conclusion that something was definitely up.

"It's for you and my dad," Shannon answered. "Just a nice, quiet dinner for the two of you."

"But where are you boys going to sit?" I wondered aloud, since I saw nothing else set up to accommodate them.

"Oh, we ate a little while ago," Ricky told me. "This is just for you and Uncle Jake."

Suddenly, I began to see the picture they were painting – very clearly and for the first time. After missing the true intentions of their suggestions, plans and schemes for the past several weeks, I now realized these boys had actually arranged this as a date between Jake and myself. Just as I was about to challenge their devious little minds and discover what else they had up their sleeves, one of the other boys yelled out that Uncle Jake had arrived. As if on cue, music started drifting out of the dining room, and I was only mildly surprised that it was a love song. Shannon bolted for the door, so he could welcome his father, and then he led him in to join me. Jake's face told me he was just as surprised about this as I had been, and he looked at me to supply the answers. I just shrugged my shoulders, to let him know I was just as befuddled as he was, but that's when the boys led us to our seats and urged us sit down. As the boys walked into the kitchen, I leaned over and spoke to Jake.

"I didn't know this was what they were planning," I confessed. "I think we've been had and our sons have their own ideas of what they want for us."

"I hope you aren't upset about this," he told me, looking worried that I thought he had played some part in the planning.

"No, Jake, not at all, but I hope you aren't either," I countered. "If this doesn't bother you, it certainly doesn't bother me, but I must admit the boys aren't being very subtle with their hints."

"They're about as subtle as a brick through a jewelry store window," Jake joked, and then we both laughed. As the humor of the moment began to fade, Jake remained quiet and looked pensive for the next minute or so, before he finally plucked up the courage to say something more.

"You know, it really is kind of nice of them to do this and they may just have hit upon something," he suggested, while gauging my reaction to his statement. When I merely looked up at him and didn't respond negatively to his comment, he continued. "I mean, we do get along really well, have quite a bit in common and I've enjoyed the time we've spent together, so maybe our sons are actually on the right track here. I mean, the fact they've tried to set us up like this doesn't bother me at all, as long as you're all right with it."

"Well, I'm not about to complain or put a stop to it," I teased back. "You're the younger guy here and I thought it might bother you that they were trying to fix you up with someone so much older. I've really enjoyed your company on the trips and spending time golfing with you, I just thought you'd probably want someone closer to your own age is all."

"Hey, I don't see age as a problem," Jake quickly informed me. "I just see someone I enjoy being around and can have a good time with. Besides, I've been married and have a son. That can be a liability to a gay man looking for a partner. Not many guys I meet want to play mother to my teenager."

"Then they don't know what a special kid you have," I countered.

"I agree with you, but not everyone sees it that way," he confessed. "I'm really kind of glad the boys set this up tonight. I've been thinking about asking you out for dinner or something more romantic for quite some time, but I kept chickening out, thinking you probably wouldn't be interested."

"I'm not sure why you would have thought that, but I surrender and you and the boys win. However, I must be honest with you. I have been secretly hoping we might eventually get a little closer too."

After I made that comment, Jake and I rudely discovered the walls had ears, and many teenage ears at that, when a loud cheer erupted from the kitchen. Jake and I looked at each other and started laughing, and then a few seconds later, Shannon and Kevin came in to serve us our salads. Their broad grins told us all we needed to know and they didn't have to say a word. Graham was right behind them with a basket of freshly cut Italian bread, and Pat came in and opened the wine for us. As he poured out two glasses, Frankie was busy changing the CD. He put on a song that I was only vaguely familiar with, but I could tell immediately it was being played for a reason. I found out later the song was titled, Your Everything by Keith Urban, and we both listened to it carefully as it the melody wafted into the room. They lyrics went like this:

The first time I looked in your eyes I knew
That I would do anything for you
The first time you touched my face I felt
What I never felt with anyone else
I want to give back what you've give to me
And I want to witness all of your dreams
Now that you've shown me who I really am
I want to be more than just your man, I want to

Be the wind that fills your sails
Be the hand that lifts your veil
Be the moon that moves your tides
The sun coming up in your eyes
Be the wheel that never rusts
Be the spark that lights you up
All that you've been dreaming of and more
So much more, I want to be your everything

When you wake up I'll be the first thing you see
And when it gets dark you can reach out to me
I cherish you words and I'll finish your thoughts
I'll be your compass baby when you get lost, I want to

Be the wind that fills your sails
Be the hand that lifts your veil
Be the moon that moves your tides
The sun coming up in your eyes
Be the wheel that never rusts
Be the spark that lights you up
All that you've been dreaming of and more
So much more, I want to be your everything

Be the wind that never rests
Be the spark that lights you up
All that you've been dreaming of and more, so much more
I want to be your everything
I want to be your everything
I want to be your everything.

Yes, the boys were being very subtle – NOT! While the song was playing, Danny and Brandon brought out our meal and then just as quickly disappeared again. Before they left, one of them dimmed the lights a little more, so the candlelight was even more obvious than before. I was willing to bet most of them were lurking in the immediate vicinity, so they could witness what would happen next.

Knowing we were being spied upon, Jake I ate merely ate and talked, enjoying both the food and the company. Shortly after we finished the main course, Sammy and Andrew brought out two slices of Black Forest Cake, which led me to believe that one of my sons had made a trip to the bakery earlier, probably while I was napping. As Jake and I sat enjoying the dessert, Nick brought out a pot of coffee and poured us each a cup. It had been a very lovely affair, or maybe I should have said the boys hoped it was the start of an affair, but everything had been well planned and executed. The food was delicious, with just the right touches, meaning the wine and dessert, and the atmosphere was outstanding. I would definitely make certain to thank each of them tomorrow.

When Jake and I were ready to get up and leave the table, Dustin suggested that Jake and I go out for a couple of drinks, to put a nice finishing touch on our evening. We silently looked at each other, exchanged 'what the hell' expressions, and then agreed. Dustin told us he'd drive us wherever we wanted to go and all we had to do is call him when we were ready to come home and he'd pick us up again, since he remembered how I always harped on them about the dangers of drinking and driving. I thought that was another nice touch and agreed to his offer, so Jake and I went out for few drinks and did some serious talking.

We didn't stay out very late, since I didn't want to keep Dustin waiting up for us, but we also had church to attend in the morning. Originally, Jake was planning on going back home tonight and then would meet us the following morning at our place of worship, since Shannon was going to stay overnight. However, since he had no way to get both he and his car home, without imposing on one of my boys or driving under the influence, he decided to stay over too. Then he'd just get up early, drive home and get the things he needed, and then come back to meet us again. I thought that sounded very logical.

When we pulled into the driveway, we noticed many of the curtains and blinds were moving, as many pairs of eyes spied to see what we were going to do next. Dustin immediately took off for the house, since he didn't want to impede what we might decide to do next, but I think everyone, including our driver, was a bit surprised when we both just strolled inside instead. I think they wanted to see how we were going to say good night, but no one said a word as we entered the house. Possibly, this was done so they wouldn't break the spell or ruin the mood, but I think I heard a few titters, as Jake followed me into my room. One of these days, Jake and I will have to get them all together and let them know just how special they are to us – if they don't already know.

Chapter 43
Summer Comes Crashing to an End

Sunday morning we all attended church together and then Jake drove back to our house, so we could spend a little more time together and Shannon could mess around with the boys. Shortly after we arrived, the phone rang. It was Brent checking in again. I talked to him for a short time, learning about what he'd been up to and hearing the joy in his voice, before I handed the receiver off to Kevin, who was standing next to me and chomping at the bit to take over. When I said good-bye to Brent, I reminded him to call and let me know when they were starting back, so we would be home when he arrived. He said he would, so I handed Kevin the phone, or should I say he nearly ripped it from my grip. It wasn't a rude or nasty behavior, it was just that Kevin was eager to speak to his lover and was all smiles as he lifted the receiver to his ear. As soon as he began speaking, he was grilling Brent on the details of what he'd been doing and when he'd be returning.

After giving the boys sufficient time to chat, I told Kevin it was time to end the call, since Jimmy's father was paying for it again. Very reluctantly, Kevin said good-bye, but dragged it out for as long as he dared, and then hung up. There was still a smile on his lips as he turned to walk away, although I also notice moisture in both of his eyes. He went up the stairs and directly to his room, without saying a word to any of the rest of us.

That afternoon Dion and Trey had a heart-to-heart talk, at Dion's request. Dion told Trey about everything he had done with his two girlfriends, and also informed Trey that he wasn't done exploring what it was like with the opposite sex. He also admitted that while he still wanted to continue messing around with girls some more, he felt he would probably end up with Trey, rather than some female. He said that even though they were nice and he'd enjoyed being with them, he thought he and Trey had more in common, Trey understood his needs better and the sex was much more enjoyable. Dion confirmed he'd enjoyed what he had done with the girls, but they just didn't understand how to please him as well as Trey did and he missed playing around with Trey's penis too. Dion told Trey, 'Tits are nice, but a cock is so much better and there's so much more you can do with it, at least in my opinion'. It looked as though Trey had weathered the storm and won the battle, so he moved around the house with a renewed bounce in his step and more confidence in his soul.

Collectively, the boys had agreed to fill their final week of vacation with as many activities as they could possibly squeeze in. While I was working at school, my sons were out playing ball, swimming or taking short trips – in the car, on their bikes or walking. Whenever they needed a break from these more strenuous activities, they generally spent their time lying in the sun and attempting to enhance their summer tans, either alone or with a partner. Luckily for me, they weren't dependent on me to entertain them.

Wednesday morning Brent called again, to let me know they would be leaving later that afternoon. I wasn't home at the time, so Cole ended up taking the message for me. Then Cole called me at the school around lunchtime, to let me know that Brent had called and informed me Brent had told him they should be home some time tomorrow, depending on traffic and the weather. I was glad to get the news and thanked Cole for calling to give me the message. Then I went back to completing my duties for the day, with a renewed sense of hope.

Kevin was a bundle of nerves that night, pacing around like an expectant father, but he was just anxious to see his lover again. I got a kick out of watching him and it showed me how deeply he had connected with Brent. He was like the energizer bunny moving from one room to another, without standing in one place for more than a few seconds.

Thursday morning, after a restless night's slumber, Kevin decided to clean up his room and make it more presentable for Brent's return. I think he was planning a special 'welcome home' present for Brent when he arrived, so I concluded he was hoping by having the room looking nice it would just enhance his prospects.

Graham was still looking pensive, although he hadn't made any more comments about Brent or his visions since Brent had called the previous Wednesday. We only had to make it though the day and Brent would be back, so I was actually starting to breathe normally again. The boys and I were just sitting down to dinner when the doorbell rang, so I jumped up to answer it and told the boys to keep eating. It shouldn't have come as a surprise to me that none of them did what they were told and either turned in their seats or followed me to the door, to see if it was Brent returning. We all suspected Jimmy's parents were just being polite and ringing the bell to give us a warning before they came lugging Brent's things inside. Therefore, I opened the door ready to welcome them home, but nearly crumpled to the floor when I saw who was standing there instead. It was a state trooper and he definitely wasn't smiling. As I struggled to regain my composure, he began to speak.

"Mr. Currie?" I nodded my head in response. "Do you have a son named Brent?" With that question, I felt my stomach hit the floor, the blood drain from my body and my heart leap into my throat, making it nearly impossible for me to speak. I merely nodded again, fearing what was about to follow.

"I'm afraid I have to inform you there's been an accident," he announced, without showing any outward signs of emotion. Hearing my worse fears spoken aloud, I had to brace myself against the doorframe, just to keep from falling over. I choked back the lump in my throat and forced myself to speak, although my mouth was so dry I could barely ask the question that was foremost on my mind. After fighting many seconds to get the words out, I finally managed to utter something distinguishable.

"Is… is he… okay?" I gasped out. My voice sounded raspy, even to me, almost as if I'd been in the desert for days and dying of thirst.

The trooper gave me a very sad look, shook his head and spoke again. "Mr. Currie, I'm afraid he's gone. He was killed in a traffic accident."

Hearing that, I totally lost it and nearly passed out from the shock. However, seeing my reaction, the boys raced up behind me and were now at my side trying to support me and keep me from dropping to the floor. Even though my mind was swirling, I could hear them weeping and choking back their own emotions, while trying to assist me. The trooper kept asking if I was all right or if I needed him to call an ambulance, but I couldn't respond, as my mind was racing over the news and thinking about Graham's warnings. Finally, I managed to force out another question.

"How… how did it… happen?" I stammered.

"From what I was told," the trooper began, "the family your son was with was driving through Virginia when a tire on their vehicle blew out. It caused the driver to lose control of the Bronco, which then left the highway and rolled over several times. It is my understanding your son wasn't wearing his seatbelt at the time of the accident and was ejected from the vehicle."

"And that's what… killed him?" I gasped.

"No, that was only part of what happened to him," the officer announced, seemingly unmoved by the gravity of his news. "As it was explained to me, after your son was thrown clear of the vehicle, it rolled over him and crushed his body."

With that last bit of news, my legs gave out from under me and I plunged toward the cold tiles. The trooper lurched forward in an effort to catch me, as did some of my sons, and their efforts most likely prevented me from injuring myself seriously in the process. Once they had a firm grip on various parts of my body, they eased me downward, until I was seated on the floor. Once I was in that position, the boys dragged me backward about a foot, so I could lean back against the wall for support.

While all of this had been going on, someone went into the kitchen and brought me back a glass of water, while another group of boys were trying to console Kevin. Although it hadn't yet dawned on me, this was the third boyfriend Kevin had lost in the past year or so, but this one was gone forever. After I regained my wits, I looked up at the trooper and asked my next question.

"What about the others?" I almost whispered. "Were any of them harmed?"

Again, he merely nodded his head, but then began to elaborate. "I was told the other family did sustain injures and were taken to the hospital, but they are all expected to survive." Although this was good news, it made me wonder why Brent was the only one who didn't make it. I knew this was the result of an accident and it would have been impossible for anyone to have prevented it, but why just Brent. All of these thoughts were still going through my mind when the trooper asked me his next question.

"Mr. Currie, I know this is probably not a good time for this, if there is such a thing," he began, almost apologetically, "but I need to know where you want the body taken. Do you know what funeral home you will be using?"

I hadn't thought about this before he asked, but I did manage to tell him we had used the funeral home in town when my wife died. I then told him I'd contact them myself, a little later, after I'd had time to deal with the shock. Before he left, he did offer his condolences and told me he'd pass along my wishes to the appropriate parties, before leaving us to pick up the shattered pieces of our lives.

After seeing the door close behind him, I suddenly thought about Kevin and looked around the area to find him. I knew he would need me to be strong for him, but more than that, he would need my love and support through this very difficult time. When I eventually located him, it was apparent he was much more of a basket case than I had been and I had no doubt it would take him a very long time to get over his sense of loss. After trying to comfort him for a few minutes, I concluded he must be in shock. Knowing he would need medical attention to bring him out of this state, I asked Danny to drive Kevin and myself to the hospital emergency room, so I could have him looked at. Danny quickly agreed, and Brandon announced he would go with us, after he and Danny helped me get Kevin in the car.

After an ungodly long wait, Kevin was finally seen by the emergency room physician, who prescribed some drugs for him, which he would be required to take for a few days. Kevin began to mellow out once the medications started to take effect, so we hurriedly made our way back to the house.

Once we arrived and got Kevin inside, I asked Dustin and Nick to take him to my room and stay with him for a while, since I didn't want to leave him alone. They were both more than willing to do that for me, and I was glad that Kevin's two former lovers were going to be there for him. All of us were sad and affected by the news, but Kevin had been much closer to Brent than the rest of us, so he also suffered more deeply from his loss.

After checking on all of the other boys, to see how they were doing, I went to the living room and shut the door, since I needed to deal with this alone and in my own way. I flopped down on the sofa and started going over everything in my mind, silently blaming myself for having let this happen. Why hadn't I heeded Graham's warnings? Why had I been so stubborn and foolish? I know Brent had only been with us for a few months, but I loved him just as much as the others and I hurt more profoundly knowing I might have been able to prevent this tragedy from occurring. This just wasn't right. Parents aren't supposed to bury their children! It's supposed to happen the other way around. Why did God have to take Brent from us? What sense could this possibly make? If only I hadn't picked him up that night and brought him to our home or if I'd just taken stock in Graham's visions, maybe Brent would still be alive.

I don't know how parents live through the loss of a child, because this was nearly destroying me. I often wondered how I would deal with it, if I were to lose a child or grandchild, and now I knew… not very well. Although I just wanted to remain there and wallow in self-pity and remorse, I knew I didn't have that luxury. I would have to pull myself together and be strong for the boys, especially Kevin. I finally got up and made my way to the phone, in order to call my older children and let them know what had happened.

Naturally, each of them was shocked and saddened by this news and asked what they could do to help out. All of them confirmed they would start making arrangements to come to our place just as soon as we hung up, while assuring me they'd be there for the calling hours and the funeral. I thanked them for their support, told them I'd call them back later with the specifics and that's how I ended each call.

After all of the family had been notified, including the extended family, I called the funeral home, to let them know what to expect. After telling me how sorry he was about my loss, the funeral home director asked me if I could bring some of Brent's clothes and a recent picture of him to them, sometime in the next few hours. I told them I would and then we began discussing what calling hours I'd like to have and which church, pastor and cemetery we were going to use. I hadn't thought of having to do anything like this again so soon, but I was familiar with the process. Previously, I'd had the primary responsibility for the preparations for both my wife and mother's funerals, so I did have these previous experiences to draw upon.

Quietly, I slipped out of the living room and began walking around the house. First, I checked on the rest of the boys, and then I went to Brent's room to collect the things that would be needed. I took clean underwear from his dresser, removed his church clothes from the closet (slacks, dress-shirt, tie and sport coat), and then went digging for the most recent photo I had of him. I then took everything downstairs, got into the car and drove to the funeral parlor.

The director greeted me at the door and once again offered his sympathy, and then I handed him the things I had brought with me. He set those items aside and we went into his office to complete the arrangements. I gave him the information he would need for the obituary, told him to put down in lieu of flowers, contributions could be made to the Castaway Charity Fund and we'd have calling hours Saturday, with the funeral being held after church on Sunday afternoon. He even phoned my pastor for me, to let me iron out the details of the service with him, before leading me down to their basement showroom, to select a coffin.

As I reached the foot of the stairs and began to see the displays of caskets, suddenly the reality of the situation struck me even harder. I froze momentarily, as I pondered the unpleasant thought that I'd soon be selecting the coffin that I'd be putting Brent's body in for eternity. Although I'm a religious person and believe in a hereafter, it's still difficult to accept the fact that I was going to be saying good-bye to my young teenage son for the final time. As I glanced at all of the various types of caskets offered, made of either wood or metal, I unfortunately saw something else – something that affected me even worse. There, under a table at the far end of the coffin room, was a large, cardboard box with a price tag on it.

Who in their right mind would put a loved one's remains in a cardboard box? I knew some people didn't have much money, but a simple pine box couldn't cost much more and would seem immensely more appropriate. I mentioned this to the director and commented on how disgusting the thought was of putting a loved ones remains in something like that, so he quickly advised me those were generally only used for bodies that were going to be cremated. He said he would generally put the bodies in a regular coffin for display, and then transfer it over before the cremation took place. That made me feel a little better, but I still was unsettled by it and once again concluded a simple pine box would work just as well. However, now that I was ready to continue with the business at hand, I began studying the assortment of containers before me.

After making my selection, I also had to decide a suitable vault, into which the casket would be placed to help protect it even more. I told the funeral home director to call me just as soon as Brent's body arrived and was ready for viewing, since I wanted to come back and check out how he looked for myself, before I allowed the rest of my family to see him. He agreed and we exchanged farewells, before I drove over to the cemetery, to arrange for a plot.

The gentleman who was in charge there was also very polite and helpful. He showed me a map of available locations and then we took a quick drive around the area, so he could point the various spots out to me. He also took me to a new section, which they had just opened up on the top of a small hill, and told me that only one or two gravesites had already been purchased there. When we got back to the office, I asked him how many plots were located in the new section and he told me. After checking to see if I could swap the few plots I already owned, including where my wife was buried, I informed him that I wanted to purchase enough plots in the new sections, so all of my children and grandchildren who wished to be buried there in the future could be. He was very pleased by the news, seeing he'd be getting a sizable commission from the sale, and we filled out the paperwork, before we both signed. Once the legal issues of the sale were settled, I decided on which of the plots would be used for Brent and arranged for my wife's body to be transferred from its current location and placed right beside where Brent's casket would be buried. The man said he'd have everything ready in time for the service, so we shook hands and I left, driving slowly back home.

Chapter 44
Our Worst Fears

When I got to the house, some of the boys rushed out to greet me and then nervously quizzed me about where I had been and what I'd been doing. That's when it suddenly dawned on me that I had forgotten to tell anyone what I was up to before I left, as I normally would have. It appeared they had all been quite concerned about me, especially after my initial reaction after first hearing the news, so this made me feel very guilty. After assuring them I was fine and just taking care of a few of the arrangements, they seemed to understand that I had wanted… no, needed, to do that alone, so nothing more was said about it. They just seemed relieved I was back, so we all slowly filtered into the house.

Kevin wasn't among the group that came out to greet me, so I decided to go to my bedroom and talk to him. I wanted to see if there was anything I could do to help or comfort him. Dustin and Nick were still with him when I arrived, lying on either side and pressed tightly against him. When they looked up, I signaled them I wanted to speak with Kevin alone and they quickly nodded their understanding and began to stir. As they were heading out the door, I sat on the bed beside Kevin and stroked his back. After a few seconds of this, he rolled over and looked at me through his puffy, red eyes and tear-streaked face. He then buried his face in my chest and started sobbing so hard his body was shaking.

"Why, Dad? Why did it have to happen to him?" he wanted to know. I searched my mind for the right words to soothe his pain and to find a reason that might give a shred of justification for this, but I wasn't sure I knew of any. Finally, I felt I had to say something, so I began to speak.

"Kevin, I don't know why this happened or for what reason," I whispered as comfortingly as I knew how, "but we can't always understand God's plans for us." Nearly as soon as the words were out of my mouth, Kevin's body stiffened and he pulled away from me, while looking into my face. I could see his sorrow had turned into something else, something colder.

"This was a plan? This was God's doing?" he screamed, and I could see the anger consuming him.

"Kevin, calm down," I urged. "I didn't mean it like that. I just meant there are some things for which we'll probably never know the answers, and this would be one of them. I mean, how could we ever justify the death of a child? It's hard enough to cope with the death of older people, but a child – how do you understand something like that? I'm sorry, Kevin. I feel badly that I'm not very helpful with this, but I just don't know what else to tell you."

As soon as I finished speaking, Kevin's head dropped back on my chest and he began sobbing heavily again. Feeling his body heaving and shaking against my own and knowing the unbearable pain he was feeling, almost caused me to break down as well. I managed to retain my composure, but just barely, as I tried to comfort him and help him calm down. I also realized it was probably best for him to release his grief and anger in this manner, rather than keeping it pent up inside of him. Finally, he began to regain control over his emotions and looked up at me, and my heart nearly split in two seeing the pitiful expression fixed upon his face.

"Why, Dad?" he gasped out again, in between his lingering sobs. "Why did they have to take Brent from me? Was it because he loved me? It seems all of these bad things keep happening to me, so is that why this happened to Brent?"

Needless to say, I was quite startled by Kevin's comment and confused about how I was going to respond. I knew I had to convince him this wasn't the case, but I couldn't dismiss the idea too soon and have him think I merely did it as a knee-jerk reaction. I had to convince him he wasn't the cause.

"Kevin, bad things happen to all of us," I began, "and it's true that some people seem to have more bad things happen to them than others, but it isn't because they're bad people or that their misfortune rubs off on those around them. Brent's loving you didn't cause this, but it did give him something he would never have known without you."

"Well, how else would you explain it?" he challenged. "Nothing good ever lasts very long for me. First my dad threw Dustin out, just because he caught us fooling around, and then he beats me up. Then I get that lump on my testicle and it turns out to be cancer and I have to have it removed. Then Dustin leaves me for some girl and then I get together with Nick, only to have him tell me later that he can't be happy with just one guy. After hurting about all of those things, I finally find someone I'm happy with and I am sure positive loves me as much as I love him, but now he's gone too. Why, Dad, why do all these things keep happening to me?"

Not having an answer for him, I just held Kevin tightly in my arms and let him cry himself out a bit, before I attempted to say anything more. Once he calmed down some, I attempted to convince him this wasn't his fault.

"Kevin, I have no better answer for that than I did about why Brent had to die," I explained. "All I can tell you is that bad things do happen to good people, and it seems as if good people die young too. I know this doesn't help and you might not understand or believe me now, but you will get through this and the pain you're feeling now will lessen over time. I don't know what else to tell you, except that your brothers and I will be here for you and we'll do everything in our power to help you get through this. Someday you'll find someone new, someone who loves you the same way that Brent did, and you'll be happy again. Just be thankful that you had him for as long as you did, even if it was for just a short time, but above all else, you must always cherish and never forget those moments you shared together."

Kevin looked up at me again and slowly opened his mouth to respond. "I will, Dad. I really will," he choked out, as his voice cracked with emotion, but as soon as he finished saying it, he buried his head back into my chest and began sobbing again. I wrapped my arms around him and held him tightly against my chest, to let him know I was there for him, while also giving him the opportunity to cleanse himself of his sadness.

I let him cry until I discovered he had cried himself to sleep, and then I maneuvered his body onto the bed, making sure he was comfortable. Now that he seemed unaware of my presence any longer, I went to find Dustin and Nick, so I could ask them to watch over him once more. Both were happy to do that for me, particularly since they'd had a chance to eat and freshen up while I had been in with Kevin, and eagerly took off for my bedroom.

As I made my way toward the living room, I saw Graham standing against the wall and could see he hadn't been coping to well with what happened either. I could tell he, too, had been crying and still wore a very sad expression upon his face. As I approached him to see if I could help in any way, he asked me a question.

"Why didn't you believe me?" he whined, which caused me to pull up short and not move another inch. I wondered what I was going to tell him, as I searched for the right words to respond to his query. However, before I had time to answer, he continued. "If you had believed me and kept him home, Brent wouldn't be dead now."

This pronouncement bothered me even more and made me feel obliged to explain. "Graham, we don't know that for sure," I reasoned. "If he had stayed here, maybe something else would have happened and he would have just missed out on the opportunity of going to the beach, without it altering his future. You weren't entirely correct, because you also said something was going to happen to me too, but it hasn't. Maybe this was just something we couldn't stop from happening, no matter how we responded to the warnings."

I reached out and grasped him by the shoulders, pulling him firmly against me, and stroked his head with my right hand. "Graham, I wish I could have prevented this, because I miss him too," I confessed. "You don't know how badly I hurt because of what happened and how much I miss having him here. I loved him, Graham, just like I love the rest of you, but I might have only made him miserable if I'd forced him to miss out on the trip and then something else could have happened to him anyway. We have no way of knowing what might have been and we will probably live with these doubts for many years to come, but I can be sure of one thing. Someday we'll see him again in heaven, but until then we'll just have to cling to the wonderful memories we have of him."

We both stood there in the living room with tears streaming down our faces and clinging to each other as if there were no one else in the world at that very moment. Eventually, we both cried ourselves out and I took Graham to his room, tucked him in and then kissed him good night. When I went back downstairs, I told Cole a little about what had happened with Graham and sent him upstairs to stay with his brother. He didn't hesitate and raced from the room, knowing his brother was more important now than anything else he might find to do.

After I checked on all the other boys, I went to my room to be with Kevin and wrestle with my own demons. Maybe Graham was right. Maybe I should have kept Brent home after Graham warned me about what he'd seen. How was I to know? I try to do what's best for the boys, but sometimes I make mistakes too – it's just that I've never made a decision that proved to be this costly before.

After Nick and Dustin left, I lay on the bed next to Kevin and missed Brent more and more with every passing minute. I kept thinking about his adorable smile, pleasant nature and helpful demeanor, as well as all of the bad things he had endured in his brief life. It was then that I struggled with the idea I'd pulled him away from that mess, just to have him end up like this. Maybe it WAS my fault. Maybe my ego had grown so large that I had convinced, or is that deluded, myself that I was the answer to everything wrong in their lives. Maybe I was, in fact, doing as much harm as I was helping them. Was I giving them false hopes and leading them down a path where they would never find happiness? Was this boy's crushed body lying in the funeral parlor because of my arrogance and the hasty decision I had made? How could I go on until I was able to find the answers to these questions for myself?

Eventually, I drifted off to asleep, but only because I was totally exhausted – completely mentally and emotionally drained. It was not a restful or relaxing sleep, however. During the course of the evening, I relived nearly every moment Brent had been with us, witnessed the accident for myself and saw his body tossed around and then crushed, before wrestling with every question I had asked earlier – questions about whether I was responsible or if I had been the catalyst that had caused this to happen. I came up with no more answers in my dreams than I had while I was awake, but awoke the next morning nearly as tired and drained as when I went to bed.

During the course of the day, many people stopped by to offer their condolences or drop off food for our guests and us. Jake and Shannon were among the first to arrive, and Jake dealt with all the non-family visitors, which left me time to see those closest to me. The Spencers showed up about mid-morning, looking old for the first time since I'd known them. A short time later, Mary came by and she told me both Steve and Sally would be arriving just as soon as they could get away from work and by late afternoon they had also joined us.

It was early evening before my older children began to arrive, and they were just as distraught as if Brent had been part of this family all of his life. Although he had only been with us a short time, he had certainly made a rather large and long-lasting impression, which was obvious in the way each of them shared their memories of him. As we helped each other work through our grief, questions arose about the schedule of activities for the next couple of days.

I explained everything as I currently understood it and promised to let them know if there were going to be any changes. While going over all of this with them, the phone rang, and I was called to take it. It was the director of the funeral parlor, informing me I could come down to view the body, if I wished. I told him I'd be there shortly and was immediately questioned about the call, once I hung up. Although everyone wanted to go with me, I told them that just Kevin and I would be going now, so Kevin could deal with this in private, but I'd arrange it so that we could all go down later. No one challenged my decision, although I think my older children began to wonder why I was allowing Kevin to join me and no one else. While he ran up to his room to change, I overheard some of the other boys tell their older siblings that it was because Kevin and Brent had been roommates and were very close, so this was affecting him the most. My older children seemed to accept that line of reasoning, so when Kevin was ready, we quietly slipped out of the house and got into the car.

When we arrived at the funeral home, I asked Kevin to wait in the car until I had a chance to make sure everything was the way I wanted it. He wasn't happy with my suggestion and only agreed to it after I promised him I'd come back to get him shortly. The director greeted me at the door, led me into the room where Brent's body was laid out, and I went over to look at his beautiful face, lying cold and lifeless before me. Although it wasn't extremely noticeable, I could still see where they had used make-up to cover some of his bruises, and I could see where someone had also used some artificial means to give his face its normal form. I took my comb out of my pocket and made minor adjustments to the way someone had done his hair, so it was closer to the way he generally wore it. As soon as I finished, I straightened his tie, which I thought looked slightly crooked, and adjusted a button on his jacket, so things were as perfect as I could make them. Then I leaned down and kissed him on the forehead, squeezed his arm, told him I was sorry and promised I'd never forget him. After also telling him I'd see him again someday, I wiped my eyes and went back outside, signaling Kevin that he could come in and join me.

As he approached me, I asked Kevin if he was certain he was ready to do this, and he assured me he was as ready as he'd ever be to do this, so I walked in beside him. As we made our way toward the casket, after I asked the director if he would be kind enough to make sure we weren't interrupted, I could see Kevin was a little hesitant and trembling slightly. The minute we were close enough for Kevin to see Brent's body, he began to weep, but continued onward. Once we were right beside the casket, Kevin bent forward and placed his head on Brent's chest, while his body shook, due to his sobbing. He stayed in that position for more than a minute, with his tears slowly cascading down his cheeks and soaking into the garments that Brent would be buried in. After standing up again, he took a few minutes to silently wrestle control of his overwhelming grief, and then leaned forward once more, but this time to kiss Brent on the lips and whisper 'I love you' to him.

After watching this scene play out, tears were streaming down my face, like a river after the dam had burst. However, I still did my best to be there for Kevin and help him get through this very difficult farewell. As I watched to see how he was doing, Kevin reached into his pocket and withdrew a picture of the two of them together on Valentine's Day. After kissing this photo of Brent, Kevin reached out and placed it against the inner lining of the coffin's lid, so everyone would see it there when they came up to view the body. Kevin also informed me that he wanted the picture to stay in the coffin, even when Brent was buried, so that way they would be together forever. I immediately assured him I would make sure it remained in with Brent when the coffin was sealed, and he nodded his head in acknowledgement and thanked me.

When Kevin finished saying his private good-bye to his lover, I took him to the office, because I needed to discuss something else with the director. I wanted to see if we could arrange for an additional viewing time for later this evening, so the rest of the family could come down and have some private time to say their farewells to Brent as well. He was very accommodating and quickly granted my request, so now all I had to do was to inform everyone else about this opportunity.

Once we finished at the funeral parlor, I didn't want to rush right home. I thought Kevin needed some additional time to work through things, without his brothers or others interfering, so I drove over to the florist to order the flowers for the viewing. When I pulled in their parking lot, I told Kevin he could remain in the vehicle or go inside with me, and he quickly chose to join me, because he wanted to help select the various floral bouquets. Between us, we ordered a large arrangement that would lie over the bottom half of the casket and would say 'brother' on it, a cross made up of red roses that would be placed beside the picture in the lid and have 'son' written across it, and a small floral pillow that would go in beside Brent that would read 'uncle'. Kevin was satisfied with those selections and the florist said he would have them there in time for Saturday's viewing, so we went back out to the car and drove home. Everyone was there when we arrived, so I hurriedly told each of them about the special calling hour I had arranged for the family.

They were pleased to be given this time alone to cope with their loss without others being there, but there were many other things to be taken care of in the meantime. First, we began taking some of the items that had been dropped off earlier and placed them on the dining room table, so we could grab a bite to eat before we went to the funeral home. Although none of us felt hungry, we knew we had to eat something to keep up our strength. Most of us just nibbled at the food on our plates, but we were very appreciative for what our friends had prepared for us, so we didn't have to fix things for ourselves.

After cleaning up and changing, we all squeezed into the various vehicles and drove down to the funeral home. Everyone was extremely emotional and shedding a great deal of tears even before we went inside, and seeing how each of them was reacting made me glad that Kevin and I had come here earlier and had some private time to say our good-byes. Since we'd already had a chance to see him and come to terms with what awaited us, we tried to help the others deal with their grief, before they went up to say their own farewells.

The next two hardest hit by this experience were my grandsons, who had been relentless in teasing their parents to be allowed to come see their Uncle Brent. My older children had come to discuss this idea with me first, and although Jordan and Nicky had just turned seven and six respectively, a few months before this, I felt they might be ready to accept the harsh realities of life. Otherwise, we were going to have to deal with this continually over the months ahead, especially when we were all together again. I also thought this private family time would be the best time to do it, so they could cope and have us there to help them, without having our attention split with various visitors who were sure to come.

I had offered to walk the boys up to the casket and be there with them when they went to see Brent's body, as well as answer the numerous questions that would follow. I certainly wasn't disappointed, as their inquiries began almost as soon as we stepped up beside the coffin.

"Papa, why did Uncle Brent die?" Jordan asked me, as he was troubled that someone so young could die.

"He was in an accident," I explained. "The car he was riding in went off the road, and he was hurt really badly. Sometimes that can happen, even to young people."

"But he looks like he's sleeping," Nicky observed, while pointing toward Brent's body.

"I know he does," I agreed, "and in a way he is. You know when we go to church and talk about heaven and that someday we'll all live there with God?" He nodded his head that he did. "Well, when that time comes, we'll meet your Uncle Brent there too, so it will be kind of like he was sleeping and woke up to be with us again, but this sleep will last for a very long time."

"Does that mean we're going to die too?" Jordan asked, looking very concerned.

"Someday we will all die," I agreed, "but hopefully that won't happen until each of us is very old, so it's not something you have to worry about right away." Jordan and Nicky both appeared quite relieved when I'd finished my answer, so I walked them back to their parents, so I could spend time consoling the rest of my boys.

Once everyone had had a few moments alone at the casket, Kevin and I tried to explain about the flowers we had purchased. We told them what each arrangement would look like and where it would be placed, and each of the others thought the selections were very appropriate and quite suitable.

We stayed at the funeral home for about an hour, before deciding it was enough for one day. Once we returned home, it took me a while to get the boys calmed down, especially after seeing Brent like that, plus we also had to move my sons around, so my other children would also be comfortable while staying with us. Kevin wanted to sleep with me tonight, so that opened up his room for someone, and some of the other boys quickly gave up their rooms too and bunked in with a brother or two. Most of my sons did this because they didn't want to be alone this evening, but only they knew that and my older children just thought the boys were being considerate of them. By the time we finally went to bed, we were still dealing with many unresolved issues, so I concluded it was going to be another long night, this time for all of us.

I ended up cuddled against Kevin for much of the night, and we stayed like that, even after he was able to fall asleep. He did occasionally wake up crying or screaming out loud, and no matter what type of vision had caused it, he would be shaking and in need of immediate comfort. I had a feeling this wasn't going to end anytime soon and assumed I'd be dealing with his emotional healing for many nights to come. Therefore, I spent much of the evening catching my rest in a series of 15-20 minute naps, but it was the best I could manage and it would have to do for now.

Chapter 45
Unresolved Issues

Mary and Sally showed up early at the house, prepared to fix breakfast for all of us, but I told them it really wasn't necessary. I explained we were doing all right and could take care of ourselves, but the two women just ignored me and began their preparations. When I continued to press the issue, they told me to be quiet and go spend my time with the boys, while they took care of the trivial chores. Admitting defeat, I thanked them for their help, but not until I'd teased them about their approach, and then did what they had suggested. Once we had all eaten, the rest of the morning went quite quickly, so it was soon time to get cleaned up and changed, so we could go to the funeral home again. Today there were two sets of calling hours planned, the first from 1:00 to 3:00, when I expected some of Brent's friends would show up, and then another from 6:00 to 8:00. I was hoping this wouldn't be too much for us to handle, especially after the overwrought emotions of the previous day.

During the first set of calling hours, many of Brent's classmates filtered in, accompanied by their parents. This was a very disconcerting moment for most of them, as Brent was probably the first person around their own age that had died. We tried to help them get through this by explaining that Brent wasn't feeling any pain and we'd all see him again some day, thinking this might make them feel better. Most accepted our explanation, although a few openly scoffed at the idea, but most were polite enough not to argue the point.

Things were going as smoothly as one would expect, until Jimmy and his parents walked in. Everyone could see they had been through a traumatic experience and the bruises visible on their faces and arms made them look as if they had been mugged or in some kind of a brawl. Jimmy immediately broke down, just as soon as he saw Brent lying in his casket, so I went over to him and placed an arm around his shoulders.

"I wish it had been me instead," he choked out, through his tears. I could tell he was feeling guilty he had survived but Brent hadn't.

"Don't even think that," I chastised him. "This was no one's fault. It was merely an accident and Brent would have told you that too, if he could."

"But he would still be alive, if I hadn't invited him to go with us," Jimmy sobbed back.

"We don't know that for sure," I countered. "Something else might have happened, such as he might have been riding with me when something like that happened or another car could have rammed into his side of our car. You can't beat yourself up over this."

About that time, Jimmy's parents came over to me and apologized, saying how sorry they were for allowing this to happen. I assured them, as I had their son, I understood it was merely the result of an accident and they weren't to blame. Once they were convinced I didn't hold them responsible, I led them to a smaller, private sitting room where we could talk. I needed answers to a few questions of my own and concluded now was probably as good a time as any to get them.

"Look, I'm not blaming you for this," I began, "but I need to know what happened. Why wasn't Brent wearing his seat belt, like the rest of you?" Jimmy's father was the one who answered my question.

"Brent and Jimmy were in the back seat and each of them were strapped in. They had been playing games and listening to music when Brent unbuckled his seatbelt to reach for his bag, which was in the storage area behind their seat. He was leaning over the seat, trying to get what he wanted out of his bag, when the tire blew out and the Bronco lurched out of control. We didn't know he was ejected until later. We were all so shaken and banged up that it took us several minutes to discover he wasn't anywhere to be found. We hoped he'd been thrown clear and was just lying in the grass dazed, and we didn't learn differently until we were at the hospital. I'm so very sorry, Josh. I just wish there was something I could have done to prevent it."

"It wasn't your fault and you made Brent very happy during those two weeks," I replied. "When Brent called home, he told me what a great time he was having and how much he liked all of you. I'm just thankful for everything you did for him and that none of you were injured more seriously. I will never hold you responsible and I don't want you to continue blaming yourselves. Is that clear?"

"Yes, it is," he hesitantly agreed, "and thank you for being so understanding."

From there we went back to join the others, so I could greet more of those paying their respects and listen to their heartfelt expressions of sympathy.

In between the two sets of calling hours, we went back home, grabbed a little something to eat and tried to rest briefly. However, the time seemed to pass quite rapidly, so almost before we knew it, we found ourselves heading back to the funeral parlor, to spend two more hours saying our goodbyes and dealing with others. Although it was just as sad, this session passed by more quickly and without as many of the heart-wrenching emotional scenes. This was primarily for two reasons. First, the younger people came to the earlier viewing, so there weren't as many of them to deal with, and second, it seemed that the rest of us were growing numb, due to the energy we'd expending bearing our grief.

There was one exception to this and that was when the Beckers showed up with Little Ricky. Mr. Becker apologized to me about not having arrived sooner, but I understood his dilemma. There was a great deal to take care of on the farm and much of it couldn't be put off until later. It was also difficult to round up help on such short notice, so I told him not to worry about it. Once that had been settled, I offered to walk them up to see Brent, because I wanted to be there for Little Ricky when this happened.

Hesitantly, Little Ricky took my hand and we approached the coffin, with his parents walking beside him. When we got close enough to view the body, Little Ricky finally spoke. "I guess I didn't know him as well as some of your other sons," he admitted, "but he did seem really nice. I'm sorry this happened to him and now I wish I'd had time to get to know him better."

I thanked him for his comments and then he looked toward Brent's body again. I'm not really certain I understand what tempted him to do what he did next, other than to sate his curiosity, but Little Ricky tentatively reached out his hand and stroked Brent's cheek.

"He feels all cold and sort of stiff," he whispered to me, so he didn't draw attention from anyone else.

"I know," I agreed. "Once you die, you no longer produce any body heat and the muscles get all hard like that when rigor mortis sets in. That might not make much sense to you now, but you'll discover that's how bodies feel, after they've been dead for a while."

He seemed satisfied with my response, but then his mother offered her heartfelt condolences through her own tears. I went back and sat down beside them, so we could chat for a while longer, before they left and made the long drive back to their home.

It was almost a relief, when we discovered it was finally time to go back home. After the others had gone outside, Kevin and I walked back up to say one final good-bye, and once again Kevin broke down and wept, while leaning his head upon Brent's chest. After he regained his composure, he kissed Brent on the lips and told him again that he loved him, and then I kissed Brent on the forehead, before we went outside to rejoin the others.

After the short ride home, we sat around and talked for a while longer, sharing our favorite memories of Brent. During this time, we discussed everything from how we had discovered him and brought him home, to his time adjusting to such a large household and how he had blossomed in the few months we had been together. Some of the boys even recalled some of the more humorous things that had happened involving Brent or told tales about some the funny things he had done. As we did this, we all began to realize how much joy he had brought into our lives and hoped we'd done the same for him. It was obvious we would continue to cling to these special memories and always feel a part of him with us, as we thought back upon all those special times we'd shared, no matter how brief a time it was.

As it started to grow late, we felt it would be best if we tried to get some sleep, since we'd be getting up early to attend our normal Sunday service, before Brent's funeral was held. As the boys began to disappear and head upstairs to shower and get ready for bed, Kevin announced he wanted to sleep with me again, so I readily agreed. He followed me to my room, and I told him he could get ready first, while I went to check on everyone else and close up the house. When I came back to my bedroom, Kevin was drying off, so I went in and cleaned up quickly, before crawling into bed beside him. As I was getting comfortable, Kevin propped himself up on his elbow and looked over at me, which told me something was on his mind.

"Dad?" he began, almost as a question.

"Yes, Kevin," I responded, just to let him know I was ready to listen to whatever he had to say.

"Do you really think we'll all be together again some day?" he asked. It was almost as if I could sense the hopefulness in his voice, as he sought a way to ease his lingering pain and sense of loss.

"I certainly do," I agreed. "Someday we'll all be together with God and enjoying each other's company once more. That's part of my faith and part of God's promise to us, so of course I believe it's true."

"And you really think he's happy?" he persisted, as he sought to find a reason to let go of his misgivings.

"I do. He's with God and is content," I confirmed. "He's probably missing you too and I'd be willing to bet he's most likely watching over you now, to make sure you're happy and able to move on with your life. He doesn't want you to forget him, but he also doesn't want you spending what years you have left mourning his loss either."

"But I miss him soooo much," Kevin told me.

"I know you do, baby, and you always will," I confirmed, "but the pain will slowly lessen and eventually fade away, leaving you to cling to all the great memories of the times you boys shared with each other."

Kevin slowly slid over, until he was leaning up against me, and then he waited for me to put my arms around his torso and comfort him. Nothing was said for a minute or so after I did that, but then he looked up at me with those pitiful puppy-dog eyes of his and made a confession. "You know, we made love before he left," he announced, "and I'm glad we did. I will always remember that night and feel special about what we shared together."

"I'm sure he will too, honey," I agreed, "and someday he'll tell you so himself."

After telling him that, I just held Kevin's body firmly against mine and let him deal with all of the demons and questions that still plagued him. I prayed it wouldn't take long for him to come to grips with the harsh realities of life and move on with it. He had many years ahead of him, but he'd never enjoy it until he made peace with the shadows from his past.

He fell asleep still leaning against me, so I sat there for a few minutes longer holding him, while resting my cheek on the top of his head. I also drifted into the Land of Nod in that position, and only awoke when I developed a painful spasm in my neck. In an attempt to make us both more comfortable, I eased Kevin's body toward the foot of the bed and rested his head on his pillow, before I covered him with the sheet. Then I slid down beside him, until we were resting side-by-side. I draped my arm over his chest and held him against my own body, in hopes that he'd find a sense of comfort in feeling my touch and knowing he wasn't alone.

When I awoke again, later that morning, Kevin was just lying beside me, propped up on his elbow, just staring at my face. It made me wonder how long he had been waiting for me to open my eyes. When I finally did, he thanked me for being there for him again and then suggested it was time for us to go eat.

We got up, had breakfast, cleaned up and dressed for services. Once everyone was ready, we led a caravan to the church and the others followed us inside and filled up a good share of the pews on the right side of the edifice. As he began to speak, I quickly concluded our minister must have changed the topic of his sermon, after he learned of Brent's untimely demise. Over the course of the next hour, our spiritual leader tried to address many of the same issues we had been dealing with on our own, however he had many biblical references to support his answers, something I had been unable to do. As we listened, he reaffirmed many of the things I had told the boys in private, which added weight to my earlier comments. It seemed enough to convince them to believe and accept the things I'd told them.

When the service ended, our pastor made sure to stop us for a brief chat, and confirmed everything was set for the funeral. He told us he'd see us again in about an hour, before we drove from the church to the funeral home, to attend the part of the service that would be conducted there.

Once we arrived, I asked the boys to remain outside, while I met with the funeral home director. During our brief chat, I explained to him that when the time came, I wanted to watch him close and seal the casket, in order to make certain all the right items were left inside, which included Kevin's picture, the floral pillow and the floral cross. We wanted those things to be interred with Brent, in addition to a little poem I planned to slip into Brent's hands, just before the lid was closed for the final time.

After assuring me he was amenable to my request, although it wasn't the norm, I signaled the boys and the others who had gathered outside that they could come in. After a brief service, conducted by the funeral home director, everyone filed by the casket to pay his final respects, after which I was the only one who remained, along with the director. After sliding the slip of paper I had pulled from my pocket under Brent's hands, the coffin lid was lowered and locked, trapping a piece of my heart inside with everything else.

Once that had been completed, we brought the boys back who were going to serve as pallbearers and arranged them so they could carry the casket out to the hearse. Once the body was loaded, we all followed behind the hearse in our own vehicles, forming the typical funeral procession, as we made our way from the funeral home to the church.

When we reached the church, the pallbearers carried the casket inside and placed it in front of the altar, while the choir sang Rock of Ages. In case you don't know the verses to this old standard, they are as follows:

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure;
Save from wrath and make me pure.

While I draw this fleeting breath,
When mine eyes shall close in death,
When I soar to worlds unknown,
See thee on thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in thee.

Once everyone was in his place, the pastor offered his first prayer and then told us all to be seated. For the next half hour, our minister delivered his eulogy and reminded us about Brent's fine attributes, and then the choir sang, Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me.

Jesus Savior pilot me, over life's tempestuous sea
Unknown waves before me roll, hiding rock and treach'rous shoal
Chart and compass come from Thee, Jesus Savior pilot me

As a mother stills her child, Thou canst hush the ocean wild
Boist'rous waves obey Thy will, when Thou say'st to them be still
Wondrous sov'reign of the sea, Jesus Savior pilot me

When the hymn had concluded, the minister gave his final benediction, before the choir finished with His Eye Is On The Sparrow.

Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heaven and home,
When Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Refrain

I sing because I'm happy,
I sing because I'm free,
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.

Let not your heart be troubled, His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;
Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me; His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Refrain

Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Refrain

When the choir finished signing the last refrain, those assembled began the slow process of filing outside, while the pallbearers returned to the front of the church. As soon as everyone else had left the building, the pallbearers carried Brent's coffin back to the hearse, and then we drove to the cemetery, where the graveside service was to be performed.

After the casket was placed above the open grave, we all gathered around it, while the pastor gave his final remarks and blessing. I waited at the gravesite even after the crowd had dispersed, since I had asked Jake, Steve, Mary, Sally and the Spences to watch the boys for the next few minutes, while I said my final farewell to Brent and watched the cemetery workers place the coffin into the vault and seal it up. I know this is highly unusual and the cemetery employees don't usually like doing this with family members watching, but my relatives have always insisted on it and no one has ever turned us down, although we generally understood they weren't always happy about granting our request.

Slowly, one of the men started the crank that lowered the casket downward and into the vault. As I watched Brent's coffin dip beneath ground level and begin to disappear, those lingering doubts about whether I might have been able to prevent this began to resurface. While I watched the workers pull the straps out from beneath the coffin and move the backhoe into position to lower the lid onto the vault, the realization that Brent was really gone suddenly struck home. As I continued to watch the casket containing his earthly remains being entombed in that damp, dark hole, my knees began to become unsteady, but I remained there until the lid was in place and the chains had been removed. Now, I watched as the workers began to push the dirt over the vault and it gradually began to disappear from view.

At that moment, I began to blame myself again for allowing this to have happened. Why hadn't I listened to Graham's warning? How was I going to live and be of use to the other boys, now that I doubted my own ability to care for them and act in their best interest? How could I continue to survive, while bearing all of this guilt?

This was a very difficult time for me. You see, when I give my love, I give it completely, and the pain I was feeling now was more than just guilt. It was also the anxiety of being separated from someone I loved deeply. At that moment my chest started to become heavy, like a great weight had been placed upon my ribcage, and it became quite difficult for me to breathe. As I turned toward the others, I noticed a sharp pain shoot down my left arm and began feeling lightheaded. I didn't know what to do, so I merely began to walk toward those closest to me, but I didn't get very far before I slumped to the ground. I knew something was seriously wrong, and at that moment remembered Graham's warning that a shadow had also surrounded me. Jake and Steve must have realized what was happening, because I saw them rushing in my direction, before an entire wave of people followed suit.

John Spence was already dialing for help on his cell-phone before anyone reached me, but as I lay there on the ground, the pain continued to grow worse. It was becoming increasingly more difficult to breathe and I was barely able to speak by the time the others got to me and began to inquire as to what was wrong. From that point on, things became a blur, so I don't even remember the ambulance arriving or being placed inside. It only took a few minutes before I was whisked away to the hospital, with the lights flashing and sirens blaring, while the others followed us there.

Once the EMT's got me inside, the doctors and nurses hooked me up to a bunch of machines and began pumping drugs through IVs into my veins. Sometime during this process, I slipped into unconsciousness, while they continued to work on me, and the adults tried their best to keep the boys from totally losing it, while all of this was going on. Later, one of the doctors went out to the waiting area to explain what he could and let them know what was happening. After exchanging identities and relationships, the doctor advised them of my situation.

"I'm afraid Mr. Currie has suffered a heart attack," he announced. "From what we can tell, there's been some muscle damage to the right side of his heart, so he'll remain in the cardiac critical care unit until he becomes stable. The next 24 to 48 hours will be critical to our understanding of how this will affect him, but he's not very old and appears to be in fairly decent shape, so that should help."

"He won't die, will he, doctor?" Frankie asked.

"I can't be sure about that," the physician answered, "but it will depend on how well he responds to the treatment being administered. I'm afraid this was more than just a mild cardiac arrest and we'll need time to run other tests and monitor his progress before we know more. We'll continue to watch him closely and I'll keep you apprised if there is any change in his condition."

At this point, the adults had their hands full with the boys, as they attempted to keep them calm and optimistic. Not only had they just buried one of their brothers, but they'd also witnessed their father suffer a heart attack at the gravesite. What more could happen?

In an effort to soothe some of the boys' concerns, Jake told them he'd swing by his place to pick up some things for Shannon and himself, so he could stay with them until I was better. He assured them he'd remain there and do whatever was needed until I returned and was able to take over again, which did make them feel a little better.

After staying at the hospital for a couple more hours, some of the others finally convinced the boys they needed to go home for a while, to eat and rest, even though they didn't want to leave. In reality, the adults thought it would be best if they didn't stay at the hospital, which was full of negative reminders about the fragility of life, but promised the boys they'd bring them back later that evening or the moment any change in my situation occurred. After a brief verbal tussle, the boys gave in and did what the others suggested.

The Spences offered to stay at the hospital and forward any news, just in case my situation changed. The others then agreed to take turns relieving them, in two or three-hour shifts, while Jake and Shannon made a quick trip home. After collecting what they'd need to last them for the next several days, they arrived at our house and Jake assured the other adults he'd be fine with the boys and they could all head to their own places.

Once the others had left, the boys began to ask Jake what was going to happen to them if I died too, and he immediately promised them he'd make certain they'd all stay together, no matter what. He told them in the event I couldn't come home for a while or this proved to be fatal, he'd move in and raise them in my stead. He constantly tried to assure them they didn't need to worry about being split up or sent somewhere else, now or ever. He also explained that Uncle Steve and Aunt Sally would do whatever it took to keep them together, but suggested it was moot, since I'd probably be back in a few days to a few weeks, and nearly as good as new, which brought a few forced smiles to their faces.

Jake then went on to explain that he and Shannon would even remain for a while after I returned home, to make sure I'd able to handle things on my own again before they left. Not only did that ease their minds, once my boys told me about what Jake had said, but my sons also learned it was good to have friends you could count on, especially at times like this.

The End of Book Four of Castaway Hotel