Bill W

Castaway Hotel V

Chapters 9-15

Chapter 9
A Busy October

As we moved into October, I began making preparations for the next couple of events on our calendar. First, I was eager for the opportunity to meet my new granddaughter and, therefore, began to make plans to do so as soon as I could. In addition to that, there was also the matter of Cole's birthday, which fell on the 22nd. He would be turning sixteen this year, which is a very significant step for most young males, since in many states this is the age at which they become legal to do some of the things they had been denied before this time. Due to this fact, we were going to make this a very special party.

By reaching this milestone, Cole would now be old enough to be included in the next group of new drivers, after I got the current bunch through their road tests. I would probably wait until next spring before I began their lessons, since this group would most likely also include Trey and Nick and they wouldn't be turning sixteen until February. I understood Cole might be a little disappointed about the additional wait, but after seeing some of the other boys have to wait even longer before they were allowed to drive, I was fairly certain he wouldn't give me a rough time about it. I also think watching Kevin learn the hard lessons about his own impatience had also made an impact on the others, so Cole wanted to avoid repeating any of Kevin's mistakes.

In preparing for his party, I checked with Cole first, to see if there was anything special he wanted for his party, either along the lines of activities or whom he wanted to invite. The only request Cole made was for this to be a co-ed event, since he was one of my straight boys and wanted to invite a few of the girls he had become friends with. Although he had decided he was straight, it didn't stop him from occasionally having some fun with the others, since most horny teenagers would take any help they could get. However, he was certain he was more interested in and infatuated with girls, so these occasions were becoming less and less frequent as time went by. After he explained his request, I told him that would be fine, so he should make up his party list and give it to me as early as possible, which he did with plenty of time to spare.

Before Cole's birthday party took place, I also had a little trip to plan and take. You see, I'd decided to use the long Columbus Day weekend to be able to visit my son, daughter-in-law and Jordan, but most importantly so I could also be formally introduced to Megan. The pictures they'd sent me of the baby were adorable, with some of them being of her alone, while others were with one of them holding her, and seeing these just made me long even more to meet her in person. Once I told the others of my plans, Jake, Danny and Brandon all agreed to split the necessary driving, since Dustin and Frankie would still be away at college and none of them wanted me to be burdened with that chore. Even though I was being relegated to the role of a passenger, I was still so excited that I could hardly wait for our departure date to arrive.

Jake had also managed to take a half-day off on that Friday afternoon, so he came home at lunchtime and took a short nap after we ate. I woke him just before the boys arrived home from school and we left a short time later, after loading our luggage. The trio had agreed that Danny would take the first shift behind the wheel, and after we stopped for dinner, Brandon would take over the driving chores. However, once it got dark, Jake would move into the driver's seat, to complete the journey. After several more hours of travel, we finally arrived near their home in the early hours of the morning and quickly checked into our motel. We grabbed a few hours of sleep first, and then drive to their house after breakfast, in order to give Michael and Andrea time to get Jordan and the baby fed and dressed before we arrived.

By the time we pulled into their driveway, the anticipation of meeting my granddaughter for the first time was killing me. I immediately bolted from my seat and was standing at the front door when Michael opened it. After giving me a hug and telling me how good it was to see me again, we all went inside. I had no sooner moved through the doorway before being attacked by Jordan, who continued going crazy as he greeted each one of the others as they entered his home. As Jordan's excitement began to fade slightly, we followed them into their living room, where we sat down, got comfortable and continued our conversation, while waiting for my daughter-in-law and the baby to enter.

A minute or so later, Andrea came walking into the room carrying Megan. Andrea immediately strode over to where I was sitting and held the baby out for me to take, which I did without hesitation. I have never been one of those fathers or grandfathers who was uncomfortable about handling infants, so I eagerly took Megan into my arms and cradled her against my body. She was wide-awake and looked up at me and smiled, as soon as I held her securely against my chest. After seeing her adorable grin, I immediately fell in love with this precious creature and knew she was dear to me as any of my other children or grandchildren.

The boys were also eager to see and hold her, so over the next few hours Megan was passed around from one eager pair of arms to another, only being returned to her parents whenever she needed to be changed or fed. It was easy to see how this little lady had suddenly become the most important thing in any of our lives.

After an enjoyable couple of days spending time with them, we reluctantly returned home. Although we wished we could have stayed longer, Jake had to return to work and the boys had classes to attend. It was a bittersweet time for each of us as we left their home, but life has a way of presenting these moments of conflicting emotions. As we drove away, we each took comfort in the fact that we'd be seeing them again for Thanksgiving and then again at Christmas, but it wasn't easy to be separated from that precious little darling for even that brief of a time.

After another uneventful ride, with my three drivers again splitting the piloting chores, we arrived at our house and did what was necessary to prepare to return to our normal lives. Although it had been a rewarding and enjoyable time away, the harsh reality of what we needed to do made us focus on the upcoming week, instead of the newest addition to our family.

That week and the next passed by quickly as well, and almost before we knew it, the day of Cole's party had arrived. One of the biggest differences between this and our normal gatherings was the number of females in attendance. Although this wasn't typical for these types of functions, no one had any problems with their inclusion, but it still seemed more than a little strange to me. It wasn't that I was bothered by it, it was just that I wasn't used to seeing so many young ladies strolling around our yard and through the house.

In addition to the girls, Cole had also invited a couple of his male friends from school, but the majority of his invitations went to females. He felt there would be enough guys there already, meaning his brothers, and enough of them were straight or bi so they would also be mingling with his female friends too. The party actually went off quite well and everyone was having a good time, so the festivities continued on into the evening. I did have to send some of the older boys to the store on a couple of occasions, to pick up additional items to replace those things we were running out of, but everyone was having so much fun that I couldn't bring myself to end it.

Cole was correct in thinking that some of his brothers would be out there getting to know some of the girls better too, and no one was disappointed with their effort. Ricky, Jay, Pat and Dion moved about and talked to nearly everyone, and soon I began to notice some of the boys pairing off with a particular young lady and heading in various directions, as they sought some privacy. I was a bit surprised that Dion was one of the boys doing this, but I did notice him taking off, as he took one quite attractive girl out for a walk.

It was also hard to miss the pained expression on Trey's face when he noticed this as well, but he did somehow manage to keep his emotions under control. I knew this wasn't going to be a serious tryst for Dion, since he had continued to let Trey know he planned on them being together for a very long time. It was just a case that he still had some wild oats to sow, at least where females were concerned, and he wanted to see if the grass was really greener on the other side of the fence. Although he'd tried this before and decided it wasn't, I think he wanted to be positive it wasn't merely due to the individual he'd been with at the time. I was pretty sure this foray wouldn't escalate into anything romantic, but was more about a guy doing a little flirting with an attractive member of the opposite sex.

As Dion walked along with this girl, the conversation quickly turned to his 'uniqueness'. "I've heard from some of the other girls, that you've got some special qualities," she informed him.

Dion grinned, thinking she meant his personality or his charm, and didn't immediately catch on to the true meaning of what she was alluding to. "Well, I don't think I'm so special," he told her, "and I'm not any different than any of my brothers."

"That's not what I heard," she replied, giving him an evil grin. Seeing the way she was leering at him and glancing down at his crotch, Dion suddenly began to understand the intended meaning of her innuendos. However, he still thought he'd better make sure, so he didn't make any unwanted moves or create a scene.

"What do you mean? I'm not so special," he insisted.

"Well, I hear there are parts of you that are, shall I say, bigger than normal," she clarified, which caused Dion to blush slightly, even though no one, but he, was able to tell. As he was trying to decide what to say or do next, he merely stopped in his tracks and stood motionless for a few moments, with his mouth hanging slightly open. Since he was more than a year younger than Cole, he was surprised the girls that Cole knew would know about him.

"Do you think I could see it?" she continued.

At this point, Dion wasn't sure how to respond. Although he was fairly certain she was referring to his penis, he didn't want to jump to conclusions and be wrong. "Ah, what exactly is it you want to see?" he asked.

"You know, that love muscle of yours. I hear it's pretty big and that you're pretty good with it," she clarified.

"Well, I guess it might be a little bigger than normal," he stuttered out, although he was quite proud to learn that some of the girls seemed to have found his uniqueness an interesting topic of conversation.

"Well, are you going to show it to me, or do I have to rip your clothes off to get a peek?" she asked again, while flashing him with a seductive look and pose.

"Well, we can't do it here," Dion responded, worrying that they might be seen. "Follow me and I'll take you someplace where we can be alone." Pleased by his response, she tagged along beside him willingly, as he led her toward the old tree fort where he'd had some success in the past. Once they reached it, he talked her into climbing up into it with him, so they could have some privacy. As they stood facing each other, he slowly unzipped his pants, undid the snap and gave her a good look at what she wanted to see.

"Oh, my God. It's bigger than I thought it would be, and it's not even hard yet," she squealed out, although Dion wasn't quite sure if she was excited by it or afraid. It wasn't long before that question was answered for him.

"Do you mind if I touch it?" she asked, with a great deal of sincerity and excitement.

"I don't mind, as long as I can touch you too," he said, with a sly grin.

She looked back at him and responded. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

As she reached out and grasped his organ, she began to slowly stroke it and bring it to life. While she was doing that, Dion busied himself by fondling her breasts, and had soon removed her shirt and bra. By now she had pushed his pants down around his ankles, so he undid her snap and slid her pants down as well. It was then that she told him what she was really after. "I want to see what that feels like inside of me. Do you mind?" she pressed.

All Dion could do was flash her a big toothy grin, and get out a feeble, "Unt uh," which let her know she had struck gold. Excitedly, Dion pulled a condom out of his wallet, which he had put there just before the party began, just in case something like this happened, and then he eagerly gave her what she wanted.

He had to take it slowly with her, and she had some difficulty in handling everything he had, even though Dion could tell she wasn't a virgin. I heard they both seemed to enjoy what took place in that lofty perch, as Dion showed her what he could do with that monster. Everyone pretty much knew that Dion had scored when he returned to the house, as he couldn't cover up the huge Cheshire cat grin that covered his face or hide the fact that her hair was pretty mussed up too.

Noticing those clues as well, Trey left the party quickly and headed for the solitude of his room. However, Dion had anticipated his reaction and watched him leave, so he quickly followed him. Once he had caught up with Trey, Dion explained what had happened and assured Trey it wasn't anything more than just a sexual fling. He then wrapped Trey up in his arms and kissed him passionately, to let him know that he was still the most important person in his life. After a bit more of this type of apologizing, Trey finally forgave him, but only after making Dion promise that he'd make it up to him later that night. Dion quickly agreed, so the incident ended up being catalogued as one of those 'no harm, no foul' types of infractions.

The following week and a half was also quite hectic, as the soccer season came to a close and we began our preparations for Halloween. The colder winds of autumn made attending those outdoor events more than a little uncomfortable, but that was more than compensated for as the boys completed another fantastic season. In fact, it was the best soccer season they had been part of, up to this point, as my three seniors helped to lead their team to victory on many different occasions. Not only did they end up as league champions this year, but their team also finished as runner-up in their division at the state level. It was quite a nice way to end their high school soccer careers, since the only game they had lost was the state championship game for their division. Although that had been a heartbreaker, we were still pleased by the team's overall success.

As the end of October arrived, it brought with it another special event to our home – Halloween. This year the boys decided they wanted to make a haunted house in part of our home, so they could attract more kids to come where I could see them. They knew I always loved to see the little ones in their costumes, which I usually did at school, so they concluded this would be the best way to make sure I didn't miss out on it this year. They asked me if I minded if they used the recreation room and basement for this purpose, and I told them that would be fine, as long as they were willing to do all the work and clean up afterward. They quickly agreed and then started working on their plans to make it memorable. They did recruit Jake and me to assist them with things they weren't able to do on their own, but none of those requests were very rigorous, nor did they take a great deal of time to accomplish. They also made sure to publicize what they were doing by placing fliers in the schools and various businesses, so everyone in the community would know and then plan to stop by.

Their first suggestion was to come up with a way to get the trick-or-treaters to come around to the back door first, where they would then be led into the rec room. To accomplish this, the boys planned on marking the path by setting up tombstones, which would lead our visitors from the front walk to the rear door. To make it easier for them, they planned on lighting the way by using a series of individual solar lamps. The sun would supply enough power to them during the day so they would shine all evening, without needing any type of electrical cords that the children might trip over.

To make it even more interesting, each tombstone was then emblazoned with the name of one of the world's most famous mass murderers, a brief description of what he'd done and a photograph or drawing of the 'deceased.' The boys thought this would make it more fun and heighten the effect as the children wandered around to the backdoor. So, as the trick-or-treaters made their way around to collect their goodies, they passed by the markers for Jack the Ripper, Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy, the Son of Sam, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Mao Tse-Tung, Saddam Hussein, Vlad the Impaler, and the world's current favorite villain, Osama Bin Laden.

Once the visitors reached the end of this 'walk of shame,' they would then enter the rec room, which was bathed in black light and filled with the sounds of moans, groans and other weird noises, which were playing via a continuous loop on a cassette player. As soon as they entered our home they would see the old- fashion pine coffin, which we had set up just inside the door, where those entering would be certain to notice it. After a few seconds, one of the boys would pull a cord and make the lid of the coffin rise, thus exposing one of the others lying inside, made up to appear as Dracula. Once the coffin lid was up, Dracula would suddenly sit up, which would generally elicit a few screams from the younger children and some laughs from the older ones.

Once the commotion died down and our guests were ready to move on, they would be paraded past a very authentic looking human skeleton, which was actually made from synthetic materials, and a very believable headless corpse, which was lying on the floor and outlined with what was meant to appear as the crime scene outline of the body. Once our costumed treat-seekers made it past this area, they were then led down a short hallway, which would take them to the door leading into basement.

As they moved along this corridor, they had to walk by the downstairs toilet and the door to my bedroom, which had both been temporarily fitted with fake prison bars. As our visitors glanced at these areas, an assortment of hands would suddenly shoot out of the dark and grope at their clothing, scaring the bejeebers out of them and trapping them in that narrow passageway. The boys who had volunteered for these roles also wore very horrid looking masks and their hideous features only added to our guests' discomfort and elicited a few more screams from their victims. In order to avoid being grabbed, our visitors would press their bodies tightly against each other, but the hallways wasn't wide enough to avoid being snagged. Realizing this, they would race forward as quickly as possible, to get past this hazard. Once they reached the doorway that descended into our basement, they were directed to take the stairs down, because that is where their treats awaited them.

As that group began to descend the stairway into the next area of tricks and treats, they would be advised to watch their step, as the only lighting available was directed toward the steps themselves, so they could see their way down. This was also geared so they wouldn't immediately notice the spider webs they were going to encounter as they made their way down the stairs. These webs were made of fine threads and fishing line, to feel somewhat realistic, yet be more durable than the real thing, but they were also decorated with bizarre looking foam and plastic spiders, which had been placed strategically about and highlighted by flashing lights, which would blink on and off near them. Once our Halloweeners finally reached the bottom of the stairs, they were ready to discover the next set of surprises that awaited them.

First, they were lead near a table where a spotlight would suddenly flash on, in order to draw their attention to the bloody stump of a hand. After a brief hesitation, this disembodied hand would seem to move about on its own accord, while it tried to snag the various passersby. Once everyone had made it safely past that area, the first spotlight would go off and another one would burst on, just as they were passing by the severed head of Osama Bin Laden, which was grotesquely displayed on a platter. As our trick-or-treaters would look down at this spectacle, Osama's eyes would suddenly pop open and he would emit a hideous laugh. This occurrence almost always punctuated by a few more screams or gasps from our startled visitors, before they were able to laugh in relief.

From there they would be led toward the far corner of the basement and the entire area would then be lit up, so they could see and collect their treats. At this point, they were allowed to choose from an assortment of items the boys had either made themselves or purchased specifically for this occasion. The children were now permitted to select any five items from an offering that included white chocolate eyeballs, gummy worms, thumb lollipops, bones made from pretzels and covered in white chocolate, and chewy candy tongues. Most of our visitors opted to take one of each, but some of them went against the trend and chose multiples of some items, while totally ignoring others.

After collecting their treats, the children were led back upstairs, where they would exit via our front door. As they entered the foyer leading out, they would immediately notice the scarecrow we had decorated and was sitting on a bench next to the door. As they approached, I would lift my head and raise my arms, while shouting boo, as I was the one dressed in the scarecrow costume. This way, I got to see and chat with each of the children who visited our home, once they had their treats and were ready to depart. I would also ask them what they thought of our little fantasy world and most were eager to offer their response.

It didn't take long for me to discover that the majority of our guests seemed to really enjoy their visit through our make-believe shop of horrors and eagerly asked if we would do something like this again next year, since they had enjoyed it so much. After thinking about this briefly, I explained we most likely would, since nearly everyone seemed to be looking forward to it and had such a great time doing it, especially my sons.

Word concerning our little Halloween surprise spread quickly throughout the community that evening, which helped to guarantee our haunted house being a huge success. I think nearly every child in town passed through there at one point or another, and even though we had scared more than our share of them, no one seemed any the worse for wear. Besides, it also accomplished what the boys had hoped for, as I got to see all of the children dressed up on this very special night of the year. This instantly became one of the most memorable Halloweens I could ever remember and one I wouldn't forget for years to come.

Chapter 10
New Beginnings

It was now early November and my recovery was proceeding extremely well. So well, in fact, that I even began to regret I had taken the early retirement offer. That was because Jake was working during the day and the boys were in school, so I was spending much too much time alone, trying to come up with ideas to fill up my days. Even though I had enjoyed the change at first and had enjoyed the extra time I got to spend with the boys, I now began to realize my once busy and hectic life had also been fulfilling.

Now, not only were the boys busy with their activities and not around as much as I'd have liked, but they had also basically reached the point where they were old enough to take care of themselves and each other and therefore didn't rely on me as much as they once had. This wasn't due to the fact that they no longer enjoyed my attention or didn't care about me any longer, but more a result of the inevitable fact that they were growing up and becoming independent, as I always prayed they would. It was just that their growing self-reliance was leaving me with an expansive void in my life, which was something I was definitely uncomfortable about dealing with. I tried to maintain a positive approach and display a happy face when the boys or Jake were around, but most of the time I seemed saddled with long, inactive days and was forced to stave off severe bouts of depression. This only made me long, even more, to be roaming the halls of my school again.

During this same period, Dustin had been calling home on a fairly regular basis, just to tell me how his classes were going and to keep me informed about how he and his roommate were getting along. Frankie was also calling from time to time, to also keep me up to date about his roommate and how college life was treating him, but most of the time he was just letting me know what he was doing to help his roommate cope with the fact that he and his parents weren't very close. Frankie hinted that this boy was becoming a little jealous of our close family's ties and even admitted to Frankie, on several different occasions, that he wished he'd had a brother or two to help fill his emotional void. He even confided in Frankie that for many years he'd hoped his parents would become as concerned about him as he noticed I was about my sons, but now he reluctantly admitted he doubted this would ever happen.

It wasn't because his parents hated him or each other, since everyone spoke civilly to each other when they were together and there was hardly any fighting, but he wanted more than that. Frankie's roommate had concluded the biggest problem he was facing seemed to be that his parents were totally wrapped up in their own lives, especially their jobs, and this seemed to take precedence over whatever else was happening, which included his life. As he made his way through grade school and then high school, he'd hoped this would change, but it never did. Now, he was finally resigning himself to the fact that nothing of that nature would ever happen, although he was becoming more and more envious about what Frankie seemed to have, which was what he'd always wanted.

With Thanksgiving break rapidly approaching, Frankie wanted to know if he could invite his new friend to spend a part of that time with us. He said his roommate would spend Thanksgiving Day with his family, but the boy wanted to join us on Friday and spend the weekend here, before returning to college with Frankie on Sunday evening. I agreed, as long as it wasn't a problem with his family, and I was immediately assured it was not. During a phone conversation, the young man explained that outside of that one day, his parents would become wrapped up in their own plans again and probably wouldn't even notice he was gone. I felt sorry for him and that he was subjected to such a lack of affection. As far as I was concerned, no child should ever have to feel unwanted or unloved.

Before Thanksgiving arrived though, something else also began to develop, but this had to do with Graham's psychic communication with Brent. It seemed to be getting more and more frequent, and whenever Brent would make contact, Graham would come to me afterward, so we could discuss what he had been shown. We would then put our heads together and try to decide what it meant, as some of his communiqués weren't straightforward or easy to interpret. During this period, Brent would continually reminded Graham about the boy he wanted us to take in, but so far we had been unable to locate the young man he was telling us about. Even though I had shared the information we knew with Sally and then had her alert her contacts that we urgently seeking to locate the person fitting this description, still nothing had developed. It was at that point when Graham starting to receive other images from Brent, which added even more information that we had to decipher.

The first of these clues was the sense that some sort of a plane crash had been involved, but we weren't sure if it meant that the boy had survived a crash or if the clue carried other significance. I privately wondered if this sign had anything to do with the 9/11 plane crashes, but didn't suggest this to anyone else. Then Graham told me he also kept seeing a pair of crutches, so we began to conclude the boy had been injured in a plane crash and was now either temporarily or permanently disabled and relying on crutches to get around. We passed this additional information on to Sally, but still nothing developed, and we were all growing very perplexed.

Graham was also getting multiple images of Kevin, which we assumed meant that Brent still cared for Kevin and was letting us know he was watching over him. Kevin seemed pleased by this information, although his spirit would soon plummet after we told him this, because it also remind him that Brent was no longer around. I still wondered from time to time why God would allow bad things such as this to happen to good people, and Kevin's repeated problems became an obsessive focal point for my concerns.

For a boy as young as he is, he's had to endure far too many rotten breaks during his lifetime to be considered coincidence. It seemed to begin with his parents turning on him because he was gay and then throwing him out of his home, but after that Kevin had also been forced to deal with testicular cancer and the loss of one of his testicles, as well as having to cope with several failed relationships, none of which were his fault. The first of these had been with Dustin, and this break-up came about when Dustin decided he was actually straight and preferred to be with a girl. Kevin's next relationship ended when Nick couldn't commit himself to being with just one boy, and that one was followed by Kevin's commitment to Brent, who was later killed in a vehicular mishap. What made it even more incomprehensible was that Kevin was a basically a great kid – smart, good-looking and eager to please, so why had so many bad breaks darkened his few years of life? I certainly had no explanation for this and would occasionally wonder if I was missing a vital piece of the puzzle.

Shortly after Graham told Kevin about Brent's message, Graham also began to get a barrage of images that we finally concluded must be related somehow to the boy he was telling us about. During this time, Graham was bombarded with glimpses of the Bunker Hill Monument and the Minute Man statue, and then he would see President Kennedy, followed by a map of Massachusetts. We finally concluded these were meant to direct us to the state of Massachusetts, maybe even more directly to its capital, so I surmise that might be the area where we would find this elusive young man. I asked Sally if she had any contacts in the Boston area, and she confirmed she did have one, so I asked her to call that person to see if these clues might help us locate this boy. Sally agreed, so Graham and I sat back and waited to see if anything developed as a result of these new leads.

When Thanksgiving arrived, we had a house full of people, as usual, and I was very grateful for this. The holidays have always held special significance for me, mostly due to the fact that it was a time when we had all of our loved ones and friends gathered around us, and this year was not going to be an exception to that rule. Whatever depression I had been struggling with was now only a vague recollection, as I reveled in being surrounded by those I loved. All of my children had returned home for the feast this year and brought my grandchildren with them, which included my new granddaughter. This also helped to make the time especially enjoyable for the rest of us, but more precisely for me.

My only regret about Thanksgiving was that everyone tried to pamper me and kept me from doing anything they thought was too strenuous. In reality, what they collectively ended up doing was keeping me from performing the normal functions I enjoyed so much and took away a share of my pleasure. In the end, however, there was so much going on during this time that I needn't have worried about feeling left out or being deprived of enjoying those minor tasks, as I spent those extra moments with my grandchildren instead. In the end, this Thanksgiving turned out to be a very special one and a day filled with many surprises.

It all began when my older children started to arrive with their families. They filtered in throughout Wednesday evening and the boys quickly doubled and tripled up in other rooms, in order to open up places for them to stay. My daughters and daughter-in-law quickly took charge of the meal preparations, telling me to go relax and enjoy the grandchildren, which I eventually did. In the end, it was a fun-filled evening, during which we carried on numerous conversations, played a vast assortment of games and just made the most of spending quality time with each other. I was really tired out and ready for bed when the time came, since my grandchildren had been full of energy and drained me of most of my strength, while trying to keep up with them.

As each of my children and their families arrived, I made it a point to re-introduce them to Jake. Although they had met him after the funeral, and then saw him later at the hospital while I was recovering, I was afraid they might have forgotten who he was. Therefore, I thought it best to go over this formality again, but I elected to keep the extent and particulars of our relationship unspoken. I merely reminded them he was a close friend and had been helping to take some of the household burden from me while I was recuperating, which instantly elevated his status in their eyes. With deep-felt gratitude, they thanked Jake for everything he had done, but then added that it was nice to know the two of us had such a strong friendship and they appreciated the fact he was willing to give up his free time to assist me. Jake assured them it wasn't a problem, and he knew I'd have done the same for him, which my older children automatically agreed with.

Jake even went so far as to spend the evening sharing a room with his son, Shannon, so as not to raise any questions about our sleeping together. I also gave up my room to my son, his wife and my granddaughter, while I spent the evening in with Kevin. Kevin had actually suggested this arrangement, as he was suddenly feeling a little lonely again. He explained to me that he'd always seemed to feel a little better whenever we were together and it would also help to distract him and make him forget about the reason he was alone. By the time we were ready to go to sleep, he cuddled up against me, like a little kitten would with its mother, and we drifted off to sleep.

My younger son spent the evening in the family room, on the sleeper sofa, joined by my two grandsons. The pair loved their oldest uncle, but didn't get to see him very often, since he lived so far away, so over the course of the evening they managed to talk their parents into letting them sleep with him for the night. Their parents told Robert he was nuts and wouldn't get any sleep with that duo, but he said he would be fine and would stay on the sofa until noon, if that's what it took to get enough rest. That comment was quickly followed by taunts from his siblings about it being exactly what he'd done throughout high school and college, both on weekends and during vacations, so he merely replied that old habits died hard. All and all, though, we eventually found a space for every individual and each of them seemed glad to be home for the holiday.

The following morning, everyone was scurrying around getting ready and helping with those last minute details. By the time the other guests began to arrive, all of the preparations were pretty much completed. Sally was the first of the others to arrive, but she quickly explained she'd arrived early intentionally, so we'd have time to talk first. She then informed me that she had received a phone call late the previous day, just before she left work, and her associate in Massachusetts informed her that she thought she had located the boy from the clues. Before she told me about him, Sally indicated that she thought this boy might be a bit too much for me to handle at this time, as he had some special problems that would need to be taken into account. She emphasized, considering my recent health problems and all, I might consider it best for both of us if someone other than myself was left to deal with this young man. I told her I wanted to hear about him first, before I made any decision, and she reluctantly agreed to tell me what she knew.

The boy, she began, lives just outside of Boston, in a community called Peabody, and both of his parents were now deceased. They had died on a flight originating in Boston, on a plane that had been used as one of the flying bombs on 9/11. This, she added, was probably the reason Graham had seen plane crashes as one of his clues. At first I questioned this explanation in my mind, as Graham had seen his first images before 9/11, but I finally concluded that those on the other side might not see time the same way we do. Therefore, this would allow them, in this case Brent, to relay information not yet available to the rest of us. Sally then went on to explain that his parents had been on their way to the west coast, because the husband was going back for a second interview, which could lead to him getting a much better job. The husband had decided to take his wife along with him this time, so she would be able to check out the area and they might also do some preliminary house hunting. Unfortunately, they never made it.

After this, Sally went on to tell me that the boy had no other living relatives, since his grandparents had all passed away and his only uncle had been killed during a robbery in Boston a few years before. The uncle had been shopping at either the wrong place or doing it at the wrong time, when he caught a bullet from one of the robber's weapons. Next, she went on to explain the reasons she thought this boy might be too much for me to deal with, considering my current condition. First, he would be dealing with the trauma of losing his parents and coping with being totally alone. Second, he had hydrocephalus and cerebral palsy, which meant he had some physical limitations as well. I quickly realized this was probably also the reason Brent had been shown Graham the crutches.

Sally wasn't shy about letting me know she thought my intentions were honorable, but this time I would most likely be biting off more than I could chew. I told her I appreciated her concerns, but wanted time to research his disability first, and then meet with him in person, before I made a final decision. I told her I would appreciate it if she could arrange for him to come for a visit, so we could chat and I could evaluate his situation for myself. Sally didn't immediately agree to this, and it took all of my charm to persuade her, but after some verbal give and take she finally relented. This give and take had consisted of a series of questions and responses concerning various possible scenarios either of us could come up with about what I'd be facing if I brought the young man to live with us, but Sally eventually gave in and said she would do as I asked, after we'd covered all of the bases.

Once we had reached this compromise, I also confirmed I would pay for his entire trip, so her department wouldn't have to be involved financially in any way. Sally then told me she'd get back to me the following week, to let me know what she had been able to accomplish, and I thanked her for her continuing help and support and then we went out to rejoin the others.

After the last of our visitors had arrived, we sat down to dinner. As is the custom in our home, we then went around the table, well actually tables, and had each person tell us at least one thing he was thankful for. Other than the usual responses, there were a couple that stood out, at least in my mind. The first such blessing to catch my attention was Shannon's. First, he told us he was thankful for his father, since he was the one person who stood by him and supported him through his roughest times. It was also very touching when he said that after his mother had basically told the both of them that she no longer wanted anything to do with either of them, which had crushed and deeply hurt him. He told us that his father had helped him through this rough period, but it got instantly better after they'd met our family and had now become a part of it. He said it was very nice to be included in a real family and to feel loved and wanted by someone other than his father. After that, he added that instead of being an only child, he now felt as if he had many brothers and two dads. He finished by telling us that we might not be able to appreciate how much all of this meant to him, but the boys assured him they did.

Although he had almost spilled the beans concerning Jake's and my relationship, I think my older children merely appreciated the sincerity in which he offered his comments and brushed off his mention about having two dads. I think they looked at it in the light that they were now living under our roof, so he thought of me as being like a dad to him too, although his father and he shared a room upstairs. I wasn't really sure how they'd handle it, if they knew the truth, so I was glad they had accepted his comments in the manner they did.

The next surprise came from my younger daughter, when she announced she was thankful she was going to have a baby the following May. This came as a total surprise to all of us, including her husband. She had waited for this moment to spring her surprise, so she could tell the whole family at once. Needless to say, this led to much discussion and celebration, although we all had to laugh at Tim's response. Once his wife made her announcement, he shot straight out of his seat and nearly hit his head on the dining room ceiling, before racing over to hug his wife. I think some of them are hoping this turned out to be another granddaughter and a playmate for Megan, so they would be able to help each other survive dealing with the unending horde of males and overabundant supply of testosterone.

The final surprise of the day came from Frankie, when he thanked all of us for helping him turn his life around and do something with it, which included going to college. He said that even though he had begun to appreciate what he lost after he was sent away that first time, he took many precautions to make sure he didn't repeat those mistakes. He went on to tell us that he hadn't truly realized how important the family had been to him, until he went away to college and met his roommate. After listening to his roommate's tales about his strained relationship with his parents and how unhappy and unloved he felt, this helped drive home the concept of how lucky he had been. He went on to mention how his roommate had told him that over the years he had done many things to try to get his parents' attention (and probably still was), and how lost and alone he still felt. Therefore, Frankie thanked us for all we had done for him and told us he felt blessed to have been welcomed into such a loving home.

Once he finished his little speech, he let everyone know they would get to meet his roommate, Tom, the following afternoon, as he was going to be joining us for a few days, before returning to college with Frankie on Sunday. Frankie told them he had invited Tom because he thought he might find some closure and sense of belonging by being with us, so everyone assured him Tom would be welcome with open arms and they would do their best to make sure he felt comfortable. Frankie responded by acknowledging that he already knew that was what we'd do, before confirming that he felt this was exactly what Tom needed right now.

Even though it had been a simple observation and statement on Frankie's part, it spoke volumes about his growth since we first met, his current maturity level and his understanding of family. I was deeply touched that he had come so far and was convinced a couple of the others, including Uncle Steve, had reached the very same conclusion.

Now that we had shared our reasons for giving thanks, the meal was brought in and we eagerly dug into the scrumptious feast. As always, there was plenty to eat and everything was delicious, and once we'd finished stuffing ourselves on all of the dishes and plentiful desserts, we moved into the living room to relax and let our meal digest.

Later that evening, after our extended family returned to their homes, the rest of us settled in to watch the rest of the football game, which was followed by a movie. Once both had ended, we all decided to turn in for the night. Before we did, though, I made sure to pull Graham aside and tell him what Sally had told me about the boy Brent had been giving him the signs about and his upcoming visit. Graham seemed pleased with most of the news, but not all of it. He was a bit unsettled when he learned how the boy's parents had died, and then confided in me that he felt he was becoming a harbinger of death and destruction. Those weren't exactly his words, but they portrayed his sentiments.

Graham then went on to explain that he felt as if his 'gift' brought mostly negative news and this bothered him tremendously. After pointing out to Graham that this wasn't actually the case, since he had helped bring Sammy and Andrew to us and helped make life better for them, as well as passing the news along to Kevin that Brent would always watch over him and they would some day be together forever, not to mention that he might have also done something special for this boy we hadn't yet met. Grudgingly, he finally conceded his ability wasn't entirely bad, although it sometimes seemed that way, and he wished more positive things would result from it.

After that, Graham went on to remind me we still hadn't figured out the Kevin connection to this latest set of clues, although we could think of a couple of possibilities for Kevin's inclusion in these visions. We felt sooner or later we'd get some sort of definite feedback on why he had also been shown at the same time, other than the fact that he and Brent had been so close. Only time would answer this question.

After everyone slowly dragged himself back to life the next morning, we all took it easy until it was time for Tom's bus to arrive that afternoon. Frankie took Dustin with him to pick Tom up at the bus station, and I guess the boys decided on giving him the grand tour of our wonderful metropolis before they returned home, because it took much long then I expected. The three of them were laughing and joking around when they came into the house a couple of hours later, and as soon as they entered, Frankie brought Tom in to say hello to me. I immediately told him I was glad to see him again and that he was to make himself at home while he was here. He thanked me for letting him stay with us, before Frankie dragged him off to introduce him to his brothers and show him around the house. The next time I saw Tom, he was possibly a bit overwhelmed by everything he had seen and everyone he had been introduced to.

"How do you do it, Mr. Currie?" he asked me. "How do you take care of this huge house and all of these boys, and still keep everyone so happy?"

"First of all," I told him, "my name is Josh and I expect you to call me that, rather than Mr. Currie. Second, I have a lot of help, if you haven't noticed, and they take care of most of the household chores."

"Yeah, but everyone is so happy and I didn't see anyone who doesn't feel like he belonged and is really wanted and loved." he explained. "How do you do that? I've never felt wanted or loved by my parents, and there are two of them and only one of me."

"Well, it's just that we've all learned to care about and depend on each other, that's basically all it is," I explained.

"Well, I wish I could be as happy at home as your sons are here," he stated, wistfully. "If I was, then I wouldn't have had to come to your place to visit and get away from the loneliness I feel when I'm there."

"I'm sorry to hear you feel that way, Tom, but maybe you're just focusing on the negative aspects of your relationship with your parents," I warned him. "When you go back home the next time, I want you to try to find all the positive points you can for me. I'm sure you will find many you hadn't thought about before and then you'll begin to feel better about your situation. However, no matter what you discover, you are always welcome to come here and be a part of this mad-house any time you wish."

He smiled and thanked me, before adding his final comment. "Even with all these people who live here, you're still willing to let me visit and stay here with you too?" he asked, amazed. "Wow, I just can't believe you care so much about everyone. I'll try to do what you've asked me, but I don't think it will change anything. You see, I tried that once before and didn't find much to put in the positive column."

"Well, maybe it will be different now," I suggested. "Anyway, you're always welcome to join us, and not just because Frankie likes you as a friend. You may come as often as you want and stay as long as you wish, as long as your parents are okay with it."

"That won't be a problem," he assured me. "Chances are, they probably wouldn't even notice I wasn't there."

"Well, enjoy your stay and don't be afraid to let me know if you need anything," I told him. "If you do, all you need to do is ask."

"Thanks, Mr. Currie… I mean Josh," he corrected. "I'm really glad Frankie and I got put together as roommates, so I could meet the rest of you too."

With that, Tom went off with the boys and I think a group of them went out to play football or something in the yard. Later that night, a group of the older boys went to a basketball game at the high school, which was going to be followed by a dance. Frankie wanted to show Tom what his old school was like and introduce him to anyone there that he had known while he attended. I gathered they must have had a good time, as they came home joking around and making quite a bit of noise.

I also heard later that Frankie had offered to give Tom his bed for the evening and suggested he would sleep on the floor, but Tom wouldn't hear of it. Tom was adamant that it was Frankie's room and the bed was large enough that they could share it, and if Frankie didn't want to do that, then Tom insisted HE would be the one sleeping on the floor. I guess they finally ended up sharing the bed, even though they're both straight.

Chapter 11
Vinnie

Late Saturday afternoon, my older kids began to leave and return to their own homes with their families. It is always sad to say good-bye to them, but they were all planning to return for either Christmas or New Year's, so we would see each of them again fairly soon. Once they had all returned to their own lives, the boys slowly moved back into their own rooms. This fascinated Tom as well – that the boys had given up their rooms without complaint to make space for those who no longer lived with us, as if it were some big deal. He later told me that he felt his room was his only sanctuary and refuge from the unhappiness he felt. He went on to say that it was also the only place he could cling to as being just his, so he would never have considered moving out of it to make room for someone else, even for one night. However, he now claimed that staying with us had made him look at things in a whole new light.

By the time Sunday arrived, the three college boys were feeling sad knowing they would have to leave soon. However, first we went to church and then out for brunch, before it was time for them to head back to their respective campuses. Tom, more than the others, found it difficult to say good-bye. He thanked all of us for being so nice and told us he wanted to come back soon, so I immediately reminded him he was always welcome in our home. Jake had volunteered to drive Frankie and Tom back, since Dustin had managed to find another ride, with a friend of his. I happily let Dustin go with this other person, once I'd met him and was convinced he was responsible, but it was nearly midnight before Jake returned home, after making that lengthy round trip. He didn't have to go to work until Monday afternoon, so it wasn't a big deal for him, but it did bother me. Even though it had taken a great deal of pressure off of my shoulders, I hated to see him have to make that return trip all by himself. Maybe I should have gone along, just for the ride.

Sunday night, before Jake got back, Sally happened to inform me she had arranged for our mystery boy to visit the following weekend. He would arrive Friday afternoon and then return on Sunday afternoon, but she figured that would give us more than enough time to evaluate his situation. She then went on to explain she had spoken to her contact on Friday and the boy on Saturday, so most of the details had already been ironed out. She had also made arrangements for his transportation here, so all she had to do was to make sure her contact arranged to have the boy driven to the airline terminal, and then Sally would have him picked up and driven to our house. I insisted on being allowed to go along to meet him as soon as he got off of the plane, and after a minor argument concerning this option, Sally finally agreed to have the driver pick me up first, so I could ride along with him.

During our conversation, I also discovered the boy's name was Alvin Mitchell Rydell and he was 15-years old, but would turn 16 on December 17th. I also learned his hydrocephalus and cerebral palsy didn't come about until a few weeks after his birth and was the result of having been exposed to bacterial meningitis. By the time this was detected, the damage had already been done and the results would be permanent. Although neither of these conditions was contagious and we didn't have to worry about anyone catching either of these maladies from him, he would be plagued by the deleterious effects of both for the remainder of his life.

Throughout the following week, I continued my research into each of those conditions, to ensure I was fully prepared to deal with his limitations, should he come to live with us. I needed to know exactly what types of special requirements each might entail, such as special care or modifications to the home. Not only that, but I also planned on coming up with a list of questions to ask him about his particular situation, before I would be able to make my final decision.

In preparation for his arrival, I conducted my initial investigation online and then followed that up with a trip to the library, where I read through numerous medical books and journals. After that, I called and made an appointment with my doctor, to see what other things he might be able to share with me about both conditions. I went in as his last appointment of the day and spent about a half hour discussing the boy's situation with him, and came away much better prepared to meet the young man in question.

I was a bit uneasy knowing I'd have to ask him many personal details, and even though I didn't look at it as being an interrogation, I understood he might view it as such. Therefore, I had to make him realize I needed to know exactly what I'd be getting myself into, should I invite him to live with us, and he was the best source I had to gather the appropriate facts. Although I figured I already knew the outcome of this meeting even before it happened, especially if Brent could indeed see in the future and knew more about this person than we did. However, I went through the motions anyway.

That Friday, the driver came by to pick me up, but I was able to talk him into allowing two of my sons to join us on this venture. I rode in front, next to the driver, and we reached the terminal well before his plane landed, which happened a little after 6:00 p.m. He was easy to spot, since he was the only one there using crutches. They were the metal type of crutches, the kind that wrap around the upper arm, and not the wooden type that you place in your armpits. I helped him retrieve his luggage and the driver loaded his bags into the car's trunk, but the boy hadn't said very much to me, at least as of yet. He was shorter than I expected, only standing about 5' 6" tall, but he was kind of cute. He had dyed blond hair and brown eyes, but he also seemed to have this natural glow about him. He appeared to be a happy and well-adjusted person; despite the bad hand life had dealt him, not to mention having to deal with his current ill fortune.

I had brought Kevin and Graham with me, seeing they were the two most involved with his being here, even though Kevin might not yet know how or why. We struck up a conversation with him as we rode back and he quickly confirmed his name was indeed Alvin Mitchell Rydell. When Graham asked him if he liked to be called Al, the young man replied with an emphatic 'No!'

"I prefer to be called Alvin or Vinnie," he told us. Obviously the name Vinnie had come from the second half of his proper name, although I would never have considered it an option on my own. "I can't stand to be called Al," he continued to inform us, "but I guess it's probably just me. I knew two other guys named Al, and I despised both of them, so I never wanted to use that name for myself."

We told him whatever name he wanted to use would be fine with us, and then the boys changed the topic and began to tell him about our family and where we lived. Vinnie was surprised to learn the family was so large, and all boys to boot, but he seemed pleased by nearly everything he heard. The three boys did most of the talking during the entire trip home, and I was happy to have it that way, since I would have to do my share of talking with him once we were alone.

Before we had left home earlier, I had left instructions that dinner should be intentionally delayed until we got back, so we could all eat together and give Vinnie a chance to get to know everyone. When we pulled into the driveway, a horde of boys streamed out the various doors and ran to the car to greet our visitor. I thought this might overwhelm poor Vinnie, but it seemed to have an entirely unexpected effect. As it turned out, he was very pleased that all of the boys had wanted to come out and greet him personally, since he had been afraid some of them might be indifferent, or maybe even hostile, to his coming. I guess seeing them come out to welcome him in this manner had allayed the worst of his fears.

The older boys took his luggage and carried it to my room, as I had informed them he would be using it during his stay, and I'd use the sleeper sofa. Jake also greeted him, once Vinnie came through the door, since he had been watching over the food as it finished cooking. However, Vinnie seemed to be puzzled by his being there. I think it was because he was expecting a woman, not another man, but I adeptly managed to sidestep that issue for now. I figured we could explain it later, if and when it was determined he would be coming to live with us.

After that, I showed him where he could clean up for dinner, gave him a few minutes to himself and then led him into the dining room. Vinnie was impressed by how long the table was and that there was enough room for us all to sit together. Once I guided him to his seat, on my left, I took my place at the head of the table. It had already been prearranged which of the boys would say grace, as was our custom, and then everyone dug in to this special meal. Jake and the boys had certainly outdone themselves with this dinner, and Vinnie felt honored that somehow they had discovered what his favorite foods were and then prepared them for his visit. This reminded me that I'd have to send Sally and her contact a special thank you for providing this little tidbit of information.

All through the meal, the boys either asked Vinnie questions about himself or he was busy asking questions about us. He wanted to know how each of the boys had come to live with me and it was interesting to see how he seemed to relate to some of the stories they told. This was especially true when Trey told his tale, since Trey had lost his family in an accident too. In fact, Trey's story appeared to give Vinnie a sense of hope and possibly made him realize that life can continue after such tragedies.

After we finished out meal, I let the boys show Vinnie around the house, but only after I questioned him privately about whether he could negotiate the stairs on his own. He told me that he could walk up them, but when coming down he would sit on the top step and slide down the stairs on his butt, as there was too great a chance he could lose his balance and fall down the entire flight. I told him that would be fine, and then I had Danny spread the word to the boys about how Vinnie would negotiate this obstacle later, so no one would think he was just being silly and make an inappropriate comment. Danny did as I asked, and Vinnie's whole tour went quite well.

After Vinnie got to see the rest of our house, we went into the family room to relax and we put a movie on for entertainment, although the boys spent most of the time either talking or playing cards with Vinnie. When bedtime arrived, I sent the others to their rooms and showed Vinnie to mine. Before he got ready for bed, I told him I would like to talk to him, as I still had a few questions I needed to have answered. He seemed to have no problems with this, especially after I explained that I needed to understand his situation more fully, before I could make a decision. We began by discussing his family and how he came to be orphaned, and then I asked him if he thought he might be interested in coming to live with us.

He hesitated slightly, which began to concern me, but then his lips began to curl slightly, just before he informed me he'd like that very much. He went on to say that he had been pleased by everything he'd seen and how he'd been treated so far, so he already felt like he kind of belonged here. Since he was so positive about it, I felt this would be the appropriate time to discuss the details about his special needs, before I could agree to finalize the arrangement.

"Vinnie, I see you use crutches, and quite well," I began, "but do you have to use anything else, like maybe a walker or a wheelchair at times?"

"No, I've never had to use anything like that," he confirmed, "but I do wear braces on my legs, under my pants." With this pronouncement, Vinnie lifted one pant leg and gave me a glimpse of one of his braces.

"Do you wear those all the time?" I asked him.

"Not on weekends, except sometimes if I go someplace," he explained, "but never around the house."

"That's great! Does your condition give you any other problems, besides getting around?" I wondered. "What I mean is, does it affect your speech, your ability to eat or do you ever have seizures?"

"No, none of those things," he quickly assured me.

"That's good to hear," I agreed. "What about any other special items you might need, like special silverware or pen or pencil holders?"

"Nothing, except my crutches," he confirmed, but then hesitated briefly, before he continued. "Well, there is one other thing…" he added, although he hesitated again and didn't look convinced he should share this information.

"What would that be?" I asked, trying to encourage him to continue.

"Well, I had mentioned to my parents before they died," he hesitantly added, "about maybe getting a laptop for me, to help me with schoolwork. I even told that to the social worker when she asked me a similar question. I suppose I could do without it, but it sure would help make things easier for me."

"Well, we could see what we could do to help you with that," I agreed, although I didn't make a firm commitment to get him one. I wanted to make sure he wasn't playing me first, and asking for this as an added bonus for coming to live with us.

"How about therapy?" I continued, changing the subject. "Do you receive any of this type of assistance and, if so, what kind?"

"I get physical therapy, both regular and pool therapy," he explained, "and I also do weight training."

"How often do you do this and what does it involve?" I wanted to know. When I asked him this, Vinnie began to look nervous, almost like he thought I would think this might be too much to have to deal with. I instantly knew I had to reassure him, as I could read the concern on his face.

"I just need to know what kind of things I would need to provide you with," I explained, trying to ease his concerns, "not that it would prevent me from allowing you to come live here."

Suddenly, a look of relief spread across Vinnie's face, almost as if a weight had suddenly been lifted from his shoulders, and he audibly released his breath. I think he had been holding it in since I asked my initial question, because he was concerned his answer might impact my decision-making. In response, I merely reached out, tousled his hair and gave him a wink, which seemed to help him relax even more. Eventually, he began to share these details with me.

"Well, I do have physical therapy three times a week, both the regular and the pool therapy, like I said," he told me. "It takes about an hour and a half to do both, with a half-hour in the pool and the rest out."

"What type of things do you do during those times?" I wanted to know.

"Mostly stretches, to help strengthen the muscles and keep them loose," he quickly advised me.

"Okay, I see what you're getting at," I agreed. "I suppose we could work something out with the YMCA or the school, to use their pool, or could you do the same things in a Jacuzzi?"

"A Jacuzzi would work fine," Vinnie quickly agreed.

"Great, I've been thinking about having one put in anyway," I explained, "so this would be a good excuse to do it. We'll build a small addition off the downstairs bathroom and put it in there."

"You don't have to go to all that trouble," Vinnie quickly countered, fearing he was already becoming too much of an imposition. "I can do them at the Y or at school, if that would be easier."

"Well, you can do them there if you want," I agreed, "but I still think I'm going to put the Jacuzzi in anyway," I added, to relieve him of his concerns that he might become more trouble than he was worth.

Vinnie looked up at me and smiled, as he knew I would be doing this mainly for him, even though I tried to make it sound like I was going to have it put in for my use. He had a cute smile and it was infectious, so I couldn't help but smile back at him. We sat like this for a few seconds, just looking at each other and smiling, before I asked him the next question.

"You also mentioned weight training," I continued. "What do you use, what types of things do you do during these sessions and how often do you workout and for how long?"

"Well, I do leg extensions and toes raises twice a week," he replied, "and I can use a leg lift or leg extender to do it with."

"What are those? I'm not sure I'm familiar with them," I responded.

"Well, a leg lift is a bench you sit on and put your leg under a bar," he explained, "which you lift up with your leg. The extender is a piece of equipment that you sit on the seat, put both feet on a surface and then use your legs to push the seat backward."

"Is the leg lift what a place-kicker or soccer player might use?" I asked, in order to clarify his description.

"Yeah, the same thing," he agreed.

"Great, then I think I know where they have one," I quickly confirmed. "Where do you normally do this?"

"My school had a leg lift, so I did it there," he explained, "and then I would go out and walk around the track for like another 15 minutes."

"Wow, you have to have a lot of discipline to do all of that," I admitted, astonished by his determination to keep up the hard work. "I'm impressed."

"Well, if I want to walk, I have to do it," he admitted, "or else I might end up being confined to a wheelchair. I don't really have much of a choice about doing it, do I?"

"I guess not, but I'm still impressed," I confirmed. "I'm pretty sure the school has a leg lift, but I'll check around to see who might also have a leg extender. If you don't mind, however, I still have a few more questions for you."

"That's alright," he agreed. "I don't mind."

"I appreciate it and thank you," I acknowledged, "but this time I would like to know about the hydrocephalus. I know the term means 'water on the brain', so what I want to know is, do you have a shunt in your head for drainage?"

"Yes, I do," he admitted.

"Does it require any special care?" I pressed.

"Only when it is malfunctioning," he explained.

"What do you do then?" I wanted to know.

"Well, I just go to the doctor and let him take care of it for me," he told me.

"Okay, that's simple enough," I agreed, "so I guess I'll check to make sure we have a doctor locally with sufficient knowledge about such things, before you get back." I looked up at Vinnie and saw his confused expression, so I thought I'd better explain. "What I meant by that, Vinnie, is I'd be happy to have you come live with us, if you should decide that is what you want to do."

"Really? You mean it?" he quickly asked in response, before the corners of his lips began to curl into a slight grin. "I think I'd like that too," he continued. "I know I haven't been here very long, but I still feel really comfortable with you guys and you all seem to care about me and want to help." Suddenly, he stopped and looked at the floor for a second, before he looked at me again and continued speaking.

"You know, when I was told I was being sent here, I wasn't sure what to expect," he admitted. "Even in my wildest dreams, I didn't ever expect to find a place like this." At that point, he began to choke up, as his emotions got the better of him, so I gave him a little hug and kissed him on the top of his head, to let him know he had nothing to hide.

At first, he didn't respond in any way to my actions. I worried he might pull away from me or his body would stiffen, thus giving me a sign that my boldness wasn't welcome, but he did nothing of the sort. In fact, he eventually gave in to my hug, as his body began to melt against mine. When he had totally relaxed and was enjoying the experience, I allowed him to stay like that for a little while longer, to give us a chance to bond.

Once I felt he'd had a sufficient opportunity to realize he would be accepted totally, as he was, I suggested it was time for us both to get ready for bed. Once he looked up and nodded his agreement, I asked him if he needed anything special. He quickly confirmed that he didn't, but I still explained I'd put a nightlight in the bathroom, since this place was a strange to him and I wanted him to be able to see where he was going. He thanked me for my concern and thoughtfulness, and then I left him alone in my bedroom.

I came back to check on him before I went to sleep and knocked on the bedroom door lightly, before entering. After he told me to come in, I went over to the bed, tucked him in and asked him if there was anything else I could do for him, before I also turned in. He quickly shook his head in response, so I kissed him goodnight, on his forehead, before leaving and closing the door behind me. He seemed to manage and didn't call for help at any point, and I didn't see him again until he joined us for breakfast the following morning.

It was now Saturday and the day we were going to celebrate Dion's 14th birthday. His birthday was actually earlier in the week, but we felt Vinnie might get a kick out of being part of this celebration. As it worked out, Dion had only invited a couple of his friends from school to join us, since he didn't want to upset Trey by inviting any girls. Dion also called his friends to make sure they knew beforehand that Vinnie would be there and told them briefly about his circumstances, so they wouldn't embarrass themselves, or Vinnie, by gawking or asking inappropriate questions.

Not only would this give Vinnie a better chance to see what we were like, it would also give our extended family a chance to meet Vinnie too. I hoped it might also relieve some of their concerns about what I was getting myself into. All in all, the day went quite well and Dion remained the center of attention, even though everyone took time to welcome Vinnie and speak to him for a while. In fact, it was during Sally's time conversing with him that she learned how he and I had agreed to provide for his special needs, as well as getting the distinct impression from him that he was looking forward to moving in. I think at that point she let go of her own reservations about the situation and agreed to help make it happen.

Throughout the process of having a good time, all of the boys went out of their way to make Vinnie feel like part of the family. Although he couldn't participate in everything they did, they did make some adjustments to accommodate him, which Vinnie immediately noted and thanked them for. Not only that, but our extended family welcomed him with open arms too, so this turned out to be a great way to get Vinnie involved with everyone else, and quickly.

Over the remainder of the day, each of us spent even more time continuing to get to know Vinnie better, and during that process, he got better acquainted with us. Over the next several hours, he spent time with each of the boys, some of it privately, while at other times as part of a small group, but I could tell he seemed to fit in fairly well with each of them. Although he still hadn't met Frankie or Dustin, because they were away at school, I knew that wouldn't be a problem either, judging from what I had seen of him with the others. I did notice that Vinnie and Kevin seemed to be spending more time together than he did with the others, and I thought back to the clues we received from Brent, when he began informing Graham about this poor soul who needed us. Maybe there was more to Kevin's inclusion in the clues than just the fact that Brent was thinking of him or that the two of them had been close before Brent died.

I learned later that Vinnie had told Kevin almost all the information he had told me, some because of Kevin's questioning him, but some on his own initiative. Kevin did seem to be taking a special interest in Vinnie as well, not only as an individual, but also about his special needs. Maybe they were bonding because Kevin had suffered through so much too, both medical problems and the loss of people close to him, but whatever had caused the bond, I was glad to see it happening.

Late Saturday night Vinnie came to speak with me privately again, after learning some of the boys were bi or gay. I thought at first he might have a problem with this, but he seemed to be relieved by this revelation. That's when he confirmed that he suspected he might be gay too, not that he had ever done anything, but he seemed excited by the fact that there were others like him that had similar interests. He then asked me if I'd mind if he asked Kevin to spend the night in my room with him, although he quickly promised, unsolicited, that nothing sexual would happen. I told him that would be fine, as long as Kevin wanted to, and then I explained to him that nothing ever happened in the house unless both people agreed to it. I guess the boys hadn't told him about the sex-capades that go on from time to time, and I think he took my warning to only mean that Kevin had to agree to spend the night with him. Kevin must have accepted, because I saw them enter my room together later, and I was glad that Vinnie had decided to live with us. It would be good for both he and Kevin, from what I could tell.

From what Kevin told me later, I guess the two hit it off even better than I'd suspected. He informed me that Vinnie and he had cuddled with each other for a while, and even kissed once or twice, although Kevin didn't initiate more, in case Vinnie decided not to join us. I hadn't yet told Kevin that Vinnie's coming to live with us was pretty much a done deal at that point, and I began to wonder if that had been a mistake. Kevin added that he felt if they had done something, and then for some reason Vinnie didn't come to live with us, he would have felt as though he had lost another lover and he couldn't bear to go through that again. For that reason, Kevin had decided he was only willing to be slightly intimate, even though he thought he might be developing feelings for the newest potential addition to the Castaway Hotel. I told him I admired his in-depth and thoughtful analysis of the situation and how he had worked his way through the options, before choosing the path he would take. That's when I informed him I would support whatever decision he made concerning their possible future together.

Vinnie also came to see me, to discuss the previous night. Even though he didn't know me well enough to get into the details of what they had done, he still basically told me that he and Kevin had hit it off and had gotten close, but now he was a little confused about his own feelings. We talked about the situation in very vague terms, since he didn't seem to want to get into specifics, but I posed different possibilities to him and made various suggestions concerning those possibilities. I think this helped him out, even in ways I couldn't fathom, because he seemed to be less troubled once we had finished our talk. He thanked me for my help, reaffirmed that he would definitely like to live with us, if it were still his choice, and then he hugged me. I guess I wasn't ready for the last part, as I didn't think he'd known me long enough to do something of that nature, even though I'd already seen several indications that he was a demonstrative person. Encouraged, I hugged him back and told him I'd be proud to have him as another son, but when I lifted his head toward me to gauge his reaction, I noticed a tear in the corner of his eye.

Suddenly, I thought that he might have misunderstood my last statement and thought I was suggesting I was going to replace his parents, so I quickly made sure he understood this was not the case. That's when he informed me he had understood what I meant, but he was touched that I'd offered to be his father so soon, seeing we had only known each other for less than two days. He told me he loved the house, he loved the family and he loved me personally, before adding he'd be thrilled to come here to live with us. I told him I'd make the arrangements, as quickly as I could, but warned him it might take a few weeks to work out all the legalities, since we lived in different states. He said he understood and added it might be better if he finished out the school semester where he was first, so he wouldn't have to worry about messing up his grades in the process. I agreed that was an excellent idea, so we left it like that.

On Sunday afternoon, Jake and I drove him back to the airport, but we didn't do this alone. Kevin was insistent that he be allowed to go along with us and Vinnie quickly seconded the motion. Jake and I tried not to watch what was going on in the backseat, although it was difficult not to overhear their conversation, but we could tell that each of them was excited about Vinnie's eventual return. Before we sent him on his way home, I assured him that he was welcome to come back and join us for Christmas, at my expense, because I didn't want him to be alone during the holidays. This offer appeared to make him very happy, because he responded by giving me another hug and kissing me on the cheek, before he moved over to do the same to Kevin. We all waved to him as he departed and moved through the security checkpoint, and I'm certain each of us was hoping we wouldn't be separated from each other for very long.

Chapter 12
A Time for Concern and Healing

Since I wanted to get the Jacuzzi installed and the other changes made before the holidays, I got a hold of my contractor on Monday, to see when he might be able to do the work. It just so happened that his business was slow at the moment, so he agreed to meet with me almost immediately. After we discussed my ideas for the changes I wanted to make to the house, we started making diagrams of what I wanted the new rooms to look like, and then he went to secure the appropriate work permits to begin construction. A couple of days later, he had a crew working on the foundations, while he and I finalized the design and fixtures for the two rooms.

The new bedroom would be built off of the family room, while the spa room would jut out from the downstairs bathroom. There would be two doors into the spa, one from the new bedroom and the other through the bathroom. This would give Vinnie direct access to the spa and would make it much easier for him to workout and give him the extra privacy he might need at these times. The only problem was, the contractor was going to be on a very tight schedule to be able to complete all of the work by Christmas, so we would have to pray everything went smoothly.

I also spoke to Vinnie, Sally and her contact from Massachusetts during this time, so we could work out the details for his joining us permanently. He had been able to arrange things with the teachers at his current school, so he could complete his second marking period assignments either before he left or they would allow him to submit them via the mail or internet after he moved in with us. That way, he would have completed the first half of his school year there, before he transferred to the local school district, and this would help make his transition easier. In fact, I learned later that most of his teachers went out of their way to help him work out these arrangements and make things easier for him, since they didn't want to cause him any more problems; especially after all he'd been through already. It was good to see educators who were so compassionate and flexible.

This, however, wasn't the only thing happening during this time. Besides, Vinnie's coming to live with us, Ricky unexpectedly announced he intended to apply to become a foreign exchange student. He later explained to me that there were several factors that had sparked his interest in this program. First, he had become acquainted with the foreign exchange students who had attended the high school during the past couple of years, but more importantly I believe it was more closely tied to the attractive young girl from New Zealand who was currently attending our high school with him.

Another consideration was that Ricky had always been one of my more adventurous sons, probably because of all he went through before he came to live with me, and our extensive travels had helped to whet his appetite for visiting and exploring new places. After he told me of his intentions, we discussed the possibility at great length, before beginning our investigation into what he would need to do to apply and get accepted into the program. Once we completed our preliminary investigation, we started exploring his options, as far as his choice of countries was concerned.

It was during this time that we also got word that Sammy and Andrew's Japanese grandparents were planning on joining us for Christmas again, if that was agreeable with us. It wasn't actually their turn to visit the U.S., but they concluded it was too soon for me to be making those types of trips with my family yet, in light of my recent health scare, but they very much wanted to see the boys again. I immediately let them know this would be fine with us, although I didn't let on that it might create one minor problem, such as where to put them while they were here. This year, all of my children were planning on returning home for Christmas and our place would be bursting at the seams, once my older children and their families arrived for the holidays. The others were eager for the opportunity to meet Megan while they were all here, as well as looking forward to their seeing the rest us again too. It would also give them the chance to become acquainted with Vinnie and for him to do the same with each of them. I really hated to think I might have to make any of them stay at a hotel or motel while they were here, especially any of our out of town guests, but I was running short on options here. It appeared that I would probably be forced to pick one group or another to stay somewhere else, but now I had to decide whom and then make arrangements for this to happen.

In addition to all of that, I received another surprise of sorts, but this one had to do with Frankie. He phoned me late one evening from college because he was very concerned about his roommate, Tom. He quickly explained to me that Tom had met another freshman in one of his classes and this guy was into AEA, or auto-erotic asphyxiation. Even though Frankie had tried to talk him out of it, Tom was now messing with this potentially deadly game and Frankie was worried about what might happen to him. What these guys were doing was to intentionally cut off the blood supply to their brains while masturbating, to intensify the sensation of orgasm. This technique lessens the flow of oxygen getting to the brain cells and thus producing a giddiness, lightheadedness and exhilaration not usually experienced during ejaculation. This activity seemed to be an increasing favorite among adolescents and young adult males, but the problem was, it was also their feelings of helplessness and self-endangerment that added to their sexual gratification.

Frankie also told me that one of his professors had explained that doing this can also weaken a person's self control and judgment, which could then increase their chance of the session culminating with a fatal result. He told Frankie that it was estimated that between 500 and 1000 youths die annually in the U.S. from this dangerous form of masturbation, and Frankie could see Tom was more than happy to place himself in such jeopardy.

Frankie's concern finally reached the breaking point, and was the reason for his calling home, because he had recently returned to his dorm room and found Tom unconscious on his bed after one of these episodes. When he first saw Tom lying there, Frankie believed for a few seconds that Tom was dead, but fortunately that wasn't the case – at least not this time. However, it didn't mean this wouldn't happen sometime in the future.

I immediately told Frankie to discuss the seriousness of these actions with Tom NOW, and then I'd talk to him too, when I took Frankie back to campus after the holidays. At that time, the three of us would sit down and chat about this potentially fatal game he was playing, and pressure him into giving it up. If we couldn't do that, I wanted to get Tom to at least promise he wouldn't do it when he was alone, so there would be someone there to step in, if the situation got out of hand. This seemed to make Frankie feel a little better, so he promised me he'd follow through with his part of this assignment, as long as I would have a long talk with Tom, the next time I met up with him again.

As Christmas drew closer, I also had to think hard about what I wanted to get the boys this year. Even though I wasn't trying to spoil them, they didn't really lack for much and it wasn't easy to find just the right gifts for them any longer. Yes, I know that many of these things I've provided for them are luxuries they have to share, however, they still had access to them. It isn't like they are deprived of much, so it was going to be very difficult to find something for each of them – something they would appreciate AND enjoy. Somewhat panicked, I began to research my options, while also listening and noticing the boys' reactions whenever they discussed such things, saw a commercial for something or I dropped the occasional hint. Although they were used to this approach from me and weren't exactly surprised by my attempt at subtle prodding, they also weren't particularly helpful. They each had their own ideas about what an appropriate gift would be and it just made the situation seem even more impossible for me to solve, since none of the options were inexpensive. Arrrrrrrgh.

On the sixteenth of December I was able to forget about these problems briefly, while we celebrated Shannon's first birthday with us. He was turning sixteen too, so we did this celebration up big time, since we didn't want him to think he was any less important than anyone else. Although I can't claim he was surprised by our efforts, he did seem to really enjoy his time in the spotlight. We began things off by taking him out to eat first, something his father had told me Shannon had mentioned to him, and then had the extended family came over for cake and ice cream afterward. Even though he was also given a chance to invite a few others, Shannon made it clear that there was no one else he wanted to include. I guess that didn't come as a surprise to me, considering the rough start he had when he first arrived at our school, so it was easy to see why he preferred to keep this gathering to just those he felt the most comfortable with – and that was our family. We honored his wishes and did as he requested, and I found out later that he had told his father that he really enjoyed himself and hoped they'd always be able to live here with us.

The next night I called Vinnie, after I remembered it was his sixteenth birthday as well. As soon as he answered, I wished him a happy birthday from all of us, with the boys hollering their own personal greetings to him in the background, so I decided to pass the phone around, so everyone could give do this with him personally. I think it made him feel good to think we had remembered his special day, and he thanked us several times for thinking of him.

Kevin had asked to go last, but then requested we allow him some privacy, so he could speak with Vinnie alone. Although some of the boys were beginning to tease him about the secrecy, I got them all to go somewhere else, so Kevin could pass along his own birthday greetings without interruption or interference. I did ask him to call me back to the room before he hung up, since I wanted to say a final good-bye to Vinnie. When he did, I made sure to tell Vinnie we were looking forward to his joining us for the holidays and that I'd be picking him up at the airport in a little over a week, at which time he'd be joining us for good. After squealing his delight about how things had worked out, we said our farewells, with both of us looking forward to the next time we would be together.

During the interim, work on the new rooms was going well, but moving more slowly than any of us had wished. The problems started when we were told we would have to wait for the Jacuzzi to be shipped from the manufacturer, which moved the completion date back a couple of days. This was because the contractor wanted the Jacuzzi to be in before he closed in the walls, since he doubted he could get it into the room any other way. That put the project in limbo until the Jacuzzi arrived, which was going to take a couple of days longer than we were first told, due to holiday related hold-ups. Once I realized the area wouldn't be completed in time for Vinnie's arrival, I suddenly had to make other arrangements to accommodate him while he was here. Although I could show him what we were doing, that wouldn't help solve my current dilemma.

After thinking about this for some time, I finally concluded I would have to let Vinnie use my room again, although I had originally planned to put my son, daughter-in-law and Megan there when they arrived. It was obvious there will be too much activity going on in the house for anyone to use the sleeper-sofa, since that was also the room where the Christmas tree was located, so that eliminated another option from my list. That's when another thought struck me! I still hadn't made any arrangements for our Japanese grandparents. Where in the world was I going to put them up?

About that time, John and Margaret Spence called to learn what we planned for the holidays, so I discussed the situation with them fully. I began by mentioning how badly things were working out this year, and once they heard me describe my problems, they immediately came to my rescue. To my surprise and delight, they offered to have Sammy and Andrew's grandparents stay with them and use their spare bedroom, seeing the four of them had gotten along so well on their previous visit.

I instantly recognized this was a far better alternative than anything I could come up with, since I didn't want our elderly guests to have to negotiate the stairs or stay by themselves in unfamiliar surroundings, so I agreed to accept their generous offer. Doing this also gave me one less thing to worry about. Sammy and Andrew's grandparents would have the Spences for company, whenever they weren't with us, and they'd be in a home and not in some nondescript and sterile environment. Most importantly, they'd also be with others they knew and liked. I'd just have to see to it that Sammy and Andrew went to visit them at the Spences some of the time, to prevent them from constantly having to come to our place to see their grandsons.

Shortly thereafter, I also came up with what I thought would be a great idea for Christmas presents for the boys. It was practical, a gift they could use and something I thought they'd really appreciate. I still wanted to talk this idea over with Jake first, to get his take on it, especially since I planned on including Shannon in on this gift idea as well. I was pretty sure Jake would agree with my suggestion, but I didn't want to do anything without talking it over with him first. After all, we are a team now.

Ricky also received the rest of the paperwork for the exchange student program during this time, so I had to sit down with him and help him fill it all out. When we came to the place where it asked for his choice of destinations, he selected New Zealand and Australia as his primary choices. He did this because he wasn't sure his foreign language skills were good enough to allow him to function in a country where he would have to rely on a second-language to survive. Even though we'd read that his chances of getting either of those destinations was slim, he didn't feel he had any other options, so he wrote them down on his application. Even with the odds stacked against him, he felt he had to stick to his guns and stay with those two choices. I do believe there might have been other factors that weighed in on his decision, including that cute little brunette from New Zealand, but I didn't pressure him about changing his mind.

As Christmas drew closer, our family schedule became very hectic. That was due to the fact that the boys were in various Christmas programs both at school and church, so we had to squeeze those events in with all of our other activities. Nick had done very well with his guitar lessons and was going to accompany a few of his friends when they sang in one of the concerts and some of the younger boys were also in their school's choir, so we all went to watch them perform when they put on their special holiday program.

Christmas was also a time of firsts, in this case another first for Andrew. Although he had been involved in some simple sexual activities with Graham and Sammy, he had been basically the recipient of much of the action. Yes, there were times when he had sucked his partners off as well, but he always finished them off by hand and masturbated them to climax. However, for some reason unknown to the rest of us, he apparently decided it was now time to try something new. It happened one evening when he was with Graham, now that Sammy had finally worked his way through his jealousy over sharing his brother.

Graham ended up telling me about this incident, because he thought it had been kind of humorous and he was aware that I wanted to keep track of Andrew's activities. It seems that Andrew had made the move on his own to take Graham orally and Graham wasn't about to dissuade his initiative or do anything to stop him. With the aggressiveness of a hungry scavenger, Andrew swung around and devoured Graham's organ, pumping up and down on it with his lips, like a thirsty man using an old hand pump to get water. Graham had merely suspected that once he got close, Andrew would just use his hand to bring him off, as he had done in the past, so he thought nothing more of it. However, this time when Graham warned him he was getting close, Andrew wouldn't quit his oral suctioning, so Graham gave him a second warning, and then a third, but Andrew still wouldn't stop. It finally reached the point where Graham couldn't hold his ejaculation back any longer, and due to his extreme state of arousal, he released a huge load into Andrew's sucking mouth.

It turned out to be an exceptionally large load, as his penis released volley after volley of his hot cream, and considering Andrew had never taken a climax orally before, Graham was concerned he might choke on the sheer volume. Like a little trooper, however, Andrew kept going and proved he was up to the task. When he finally finished his greedy assault on Graham's pulsing organ, he sat up and looked directly into Graham's eyes, and Graham told me Andrew had a grin that spread from ear to ear. He was evidently pleased about what he had just done, but Graham had to stifle his laughter after noticing the strands of pearly cum dripping from each corner of Andrew's mouth and running down his chin. As Graham studied the telltale traces of what had just taken place, he told me that he'd wished he'd had a camera to snap a lasting memento of that special moment, to remind him just how pleased little Andrew was about his accomplishment.

After this happened, Graham made sure he returned the favor, to show his appreciation, even though my baby couldn't shoot his own load yet. Graham did make sure that his young partner enjoyed a thunderous dry orgasm and enjoyed watching him squirm and wiggle around, as he felt that special tingle radiate throughout Andrew's tiny frame. He then made sure to kiss Andrew and thank him when they were done, so he would know how special that experience had been for him too. I heard that Andrew did the same thing for Sammy the following night, so there wouldn't be a chance of having any hard feelings between them. Even though Sammy enjoyed his brother's efforts, it hadn't been something Andrew had necessarily been required to do, in order to keep the peace. Instead, it was just another way for Andrew to demonstrate his love for his brother.

A couple of days later, it was time for Vinnie to board his flight and make the trip to stay with us for good. Fortunately, he wasn't going to be encumbered with a great deal of luggage, since we'd arranged for most of his belongings to be shipped directly to the house, so he would only be carrying the basic essentials with him now. This would make it much easier for him to manage on his own, so he would require only minimal assistance when boarding or disembarking from his flight.

Kevin again asked in advance if I'd allow him to accompany Jake and myself when we drove to the airport to pick Vinnie up, while emphasizing he wanted to be the first person to greet Vinnie when he moved here for good. I saw no reason why he shouldn't be allowed to do this, since he was the only person who had made such a request, but I also felt more strongly that Brent might have foreseen something happening between the two of them and I certainly didn't want to discourage it.

The drive was uneventful, except for Kevin's impatience over how long it took to get to the airport. He kept bouncing around on the backseat, constantly asking how long it would be before we got there, which made him sound much younger than he actually was. However, I could understand his eagerness to be reunited with Vinnie again, so Jake and I had a slight chuckle over his situation, while thinking how cute it was that he was so anxious to be with Vinnie again.

We arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare and had to wait nearly forty minutes before his plane landed. When we finally spotted Vinnie making his way toward us, Kevin sprinted off in his direction and quickly wrapped his arms around Vinnie and lifted him off of the ground. This not only surprised Vinnie, but concerned him as well, as he was worried he might lose his balance when Kevin set him down. He was also afraid this might cause Kevin to become unsteady too, especially if he tried to help keep Vinnie from falling, and was concerned that this would result in both of them tumbling in a heap together. However, that didn't happen, because Kevin was very careful when he eventually placed Vinnie back on the ground.

Jake and I nearly dropped to the floor laughing as we observed the spectacle before us, as the contrasting reactions of Kevin's huge grin and youthful exuberance compared with Vinnie's bulging eyes and worried countenance. Once Kevin settled down and Vinnie had regained his composure, we collected Vinnie's belongings and loaded them into the Grand Am.

I decided we should stop for lunch before making the long drive back, so I directed Jake to stop at T.G.I. Fridays, where we were instantly led to a table in the far corner of the room. As I watched Vinnie, I could tell he was more than a little nervous about something, even though I wasn't sure it was due to the move or because he was sitting next to Kevin. However, I figured he'd get over his jitters eventually, no matter what the cause.

After we ordered our meals, I went to use the restroom before the food arrived. When I got back, Jake's and my coffee had been delivered and the little creamers were sitting in a bowl in the center of the table. Absentmindedly, Vinnie picked one up and nervously played with it, but I didn't think much about it until I heard a dull 'pop.' When I looked up, Kevin had cream dripping from his face and the coat of the lady sitting at the table next to us was also splattered with similar white spots. Her garment was hanging on the back of her chair and Kevin was attempting to frantically wipe the liquid off his face and her garment, while Vinnie sat frozen in embarrassment and was slowly turning a bright red.

We apologized profusely to the woman, and I even offered to pay to have her coat cleaned, but she merely acted as of it weren't a big deal. Luckily for all of us, it was a cloth coat and cleaned up fairly easily, so she wasn't really too put out by what happened. As I looked back in the direction of the newest member of our family, I thought Vinnie was going to slide under the table and die of shame, when the woman suddenly rose to her feet. I think he thought she was going to make a scene, but she was merely getting up to leave and smiled at us, as she said good-bye. Needless to say, we didn't say anything more about this in the restaurant, but we teased Vinnie mercilessly about this, nearly all the way home.

When we arrived at the house, the whole family was there waiting for us. As I had requested, they had a cake ready to celebrate Vinnie's 16th birthday, which had unfortunately passed while he was still living in Massachusetts. Vinnie appeared quite moved by this small gesture, but not as much as he was a few moments later. That's when he discovered the boys and I had given him a laptop computer as his birthday present, to make his life a little easier.

After he thanked us all profusely, he gave me a big hug and then did the same to all of the boys. Once he settled down from the shock of his gift, I explained to Vinnie he was going to stay in my room until his was finished. What I didn't know was that he and Kevin had already worked out other arrangements between themselves, while they sat whispering in the backseat, just before we arrived home.

After thanking me for my offer, Vinnie announced he preferred staying with Kevin for now, which would free up my room for some of the other visitors. I questioned him about having to negotiate the stairs, since I was a little anxious about him taking a tumble down them when he was tired or not quite awake, but the two boys assured me everything would be fine for the short time he would need to be upstairs. After considering their assurances and knowing Kevin would probably never be far from Vinnie's side during this period, I gave them my okay and let it go at that. Now that they had my approval, they took Vinnie's things up to Kevin's room, so he could get unpacked.

Oh, I nearly forgot to mention one other thing. The day before, I also received a Christmas card from Nigel and his boys, the group we had met at the nude beach in England. Besides wishing us a wonderful holiday, Nigel told me he and his family were planning to visit the States this summer, for a whole month. They had all been saving whatever money they could, so they'd be able do this, and they wanted to know if we'd mind if they visited while they were here. I wrote him back immediately and told him not only could they visit, but they were more than welcome to stay with us and we'd take some short trips together, so they could see at least the eastern part of the country and save a few quid in the process. I was hoping they'd accept my offer and not feel they were putting us out or imposing, because I felt we'd all benefit from the experience. Now, all I had to do was await his reply.

Chapter 13
Coping With Christmas

It was now almost Christmas, and Vinnie was a bit overwhelmed with all the activities our family was involved with. Being an only child, he was not used to have so many things going on at the same time, so it was sort of a rough period for him because of it. Not only that, but this would also be the first Christmas he spent without his parents, which also took its toll. As he accompanied us to each of the functions we were involved with, it was easy to see from his expressions and the sadness in his eyes that this was difficult for him. He had many mixed emotions about these activities, as he was trying to have a good time and make the best of the holidays, yet he couldn't get past the sadness he felt because his parents weren't there to celebrate with him. After watching him struggle like this for several days, I finally decided it was time to sit down with him and have a chat.

As soon as we got home from our most recent outing, I asked to speak with him in my room, so he followed me in and we sat down. "Are you okay?" I asked him, not quite sure how else to approach this.

He simply looked up at me and I could tell he was either unsure about what I was asking him or possibly confused about how to respond. I tried to be patient and not pressure him into rushing his answer, so I waited until he felt he was ready to answer.

"I'm sorry," he eventually choked out. "I didn't mean to cause any problems." I was startled by his response.

"Vinnie, you aren't causing problems," I told him, and gently as I could. "I was just wondering if you were all right. I can see this time of year is not easy for you, so I was wondering if there was anything I could do to help."

Again, he took his time before he replied, but it appeared he was also fighting back his emotions and a few tears. "You know, I really miss them," he finally told me.

"I'd be amazed if you didn't," I tried to reassure him. "They were your parents, and from what you've told me, you were all quite close. I just want you to know you don't have to hide your feelings from the rest of us. No one will make fun of you and I'm sure each of us would be willing to try to help you get through it. We're all empathetic as to what you must be going through and many of the other boys have experienced similar rough times, during their first holidays away from their families. So you see, you aren't the only one here who has ever had to go through this. Trey, Sammy and Andrew have all lost their parents quite suddenly too, but the others have been separated from their folks as well. This may not have happened in the same way, but they were ripped apart from them, nonetheless."

"Yes, I know that… I really do," he agreed. "I've heard some of them talk about how they came to live here and all, but I just can't stop thinking about my mom and dad."

"That's because it only happened a few months ago and they're still foremost in your memory," I suggested. "The fact that Christmas is rapidly approaching only helps to magnify your loss, because you keep thinking about of all of the other Christmases with them." He looked at me and his eyes began to grow glassy.

"Will it always hurt this much?" he asked, as the tears began to well up. I gave him a hug before I answered him.

"You'll always miss them and there will always be a void in your heart during times like these," I replied, "but the pain will lessen over time, but it will never totally fade away. You see, I also know what it's like to lose people who were very dear to me, so there have been times when I felt the same way you are feeling now." When he looked at me this time, I could tell he was also feeling sorry for me, as he quickly thought about what I had also gone through.

"Is there anything I can do, so it doesn't hurt so much?" he wanted to know, after a brief pause.

"I'm afraid not," I answered. "The best thing you can do is to remember the good times and cherish those precious moments you spent together, and that will help to ease the pain slightly. However, it won't make it go away completely. Just remember, your parents will always be with you, both here and here," I explained, while first touching his forehead and then his chest. "They will stay in your heart and in your memories as long as you think back upon all the great times you've shared, so you'll never, ever lose them completely. If you will, I'll try to give you a better understanding of what I mean."

At that point, I felt it might help if I told him about my own experiences. Suddenly, I realized it seemed like only yesterday when I was dealing with a similar situation of my own, when I lost my grandmother. "I was closer to my grandmother and grandfather than most children are to their grandparents, because they had raised me," I began. "My mother had some major struggles of her own, so they took me in and I had spent most of my pre-college life under their roof. That's why I was so devastated when I got the call during my freshman year away from home, telling me my grandmother was no longer with us. This was totally unexpected, since she had not been ill, but her family had a history of heart problems, which had now also claimed her. It was about 8:00 at night when I received the call and I think I cried for the next couple of hours. Oh, I didn't do it in my dorm room, because I wasn't sure my roommate would understand, so I took a very long walk around the campus, weeping silently as I took every labored step. She had been like a mother to me and I could always count on her when things went badly, so I had no idea what I would do now.

"When I got back to my dorm room," I continued, "it was after 11:00, so I slipped into my bed and tried to go to sleep. However, I couldn't get the multitude of memories flooding my brain to stop, so after an hour or so, I got up again. I went over and sat at my desk, turned on the small lamp and directed the light toward the wall, hoping the brightness wouldn't bother my roommate. Then I grabbed a pen and a notebook and began writing. I wrote several poems that night, baring my soul and trying to cope with the unbelievable emptiness I now felt. I had to express myself and release the emotional damn that was building within, before it burst and splattered my psyche across the universe.

"It took a couple of years for me to learn how to deal with her loss," I explained, "and just about the time I was able to think of her again without dredging up all of the pain, my grandfather passed away. Although he hadn't been sick, I had been expecting it, at least since my grandmother had left us. He had taken her passing nearly as badly as I had, and seeing this made me wonder how long he would last without her. Now, I had my answer.

"Fortunately, I didn't have to face anything like this again for quite a few more years," I added. "During that time I got married and raised four wonderful children, but eventually they all grew up and moved away too. Once that happened, my wife and I thought this meant it was our time to enjoy being with each other, but those thoughts we rudely shattered when my wife was diagnosed with advanced non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. By the time it was discovered, it had already spread to her lymph nodes, which meant there was only a limited chance of her beating it. Even though she did everything the doctors suggested, it quickly became apparent that nothing was going to help her or stop its spread. However, while we were concentrating on her condition, my mother had a heart attack and died suddenly.

"How could things get any worse?" I mused. "I was now reeling from this double whammy of having lost my mother and knowing I was also going to lose my wife. As I arranged for my mother's funeral, I also planned my wife's, so all of those details had been attended to before she actually left us, but it didn't make her passing any easier. So thinking back upon these times, and dealing with the emotional vacuum I've recently gone through because of losing Brent, I can definitely understand, empathize and sympathize with your plight."

As I finished, I wasn't sure if this helped him or not, because he didn't respond after my little speech. It was obvious he was now thinking about what I'd told him, so I prayed he would find comfort in my words and watched to see what he did next. I was mildly surprised when he didn't make any sort of move, so I just sat there and watched as he pensively contemplated everything I had just shared with him.

After a few minutes of silence, he looked up at me and then bent slightly to one side, so he could rest his head on my shoulder. Feeling this was his attempt to let me know he felt closer to me now without having to actually say so, I put my arm around him and gave him a slight squeeze. When I did that, he let his body melt against mine, as if he might be drawing some extra strength from me. It was obvious he was enjoying this closeness, so I continued to hold him, until he decided he'd had had enough. We sat that way for several more minutes, before he suggested he felt better now and thought we should go back out and rejoin the others. When I was sure he was truly ready, we did just that, as he continued to prove to me just how strong he actually was.

When Christmas Eve arrived, the family gathered at our place for our traditional Christmas Eve dinner, and after enjoying a wonderful meal, we left, en masse, to attend the service held at our church. This was always a very special time for us and had grown to include the extended family, so we enthusiastically strode into the church to take part in this wonderful celebration. As we moved into the pews, I had Vinnie sit next to me, since this was his first time with us and I wasn't sure how he was going to react if memories of his parents overtook him during the service. Christmas is a time for family and I was afraid recollections from previous holidays would suddenly come flooding back to him, so I wanted to be near him and able to support him, if that happened.

Vinnie seemed very pensive as we first sat down, but to my surprise he became an active participant in everything that went on. I also noticed that he lingered a bit longer during the prayers, as if he was making his own special requests after the minister had finished his general prayer for the congregation. I immediately made a mental notation to inquire about this later, but wouldn't do so for a couple of days, since I didn't want to ruin the holiday for him by dredging up painful memories. However, I felt it might be a good opportunity to find out a little about what was going on in his mind while he had been doing it.

After the service, we all went back to our place, and things became decidedly more interesting once we got there. As I was getting ready to go inside, Graham stopped me and asked me to wait with him until the others had gone indoors. Once we were alone, Graham told me what was on his mind. "Dad, I saw Brent again, while we were at the church, and he told me he has something special for me to do."

I didn't know what to think about this pronouncement, but I wanted to hear more. "Did he let you know exactly what he had in mind?" I pressed.

"Not yet, but he told me it would also include some of the others," Graham admitted. "Brent told me to make sure that once I made sure everyone was there, he'd show me everything else I needed to know." At that point, Graham went on to list the others who were to be included in whatever it was that was going to happen next.

"Did he say where he wanted us to meet?" I inquired, bewildered by all this cloak and dagger theatrics.

"No, but I figured it should probably be someplace where we wouldn't be interrupted," Graham concluded.

"Okay, I'll tell you what," I replied. "We'll use the rec room for this and I'll round up the other boys and meet you there. Once we're all there, we'll shut and lock the door, so we'll have complete privacy."

He seemed satisfied with my suggestion and headed back in that direction, while I went to locate the other boys he had told me about. They seemed confused at first, but were willing to cooperate, so before long we were going in to join Graham. Most of the boys had a vague idea about what might happen next, except for Vinnie, so the others quickly brought him up to speed about Graham's special talent and previous 'visions.' Now, we all quietly waited to see what Graham was going to tell us.

"I hope you guys don't think I'm nuts," Graham began, "but I saw Brent at church again tonight." Graham hesitated at this point, but everyone assured him they didn't think he was crazy at all, only that he had a special ability that none of them possessed and only a few truly understood. Graham seemed bolstered by their response and ready to continue on with what he had been instructed to do.

"Well, Brent told me to make sure you were all here, as this would have something to do with each one of you, but I have no idea what he has in mind," Graham began. "Now, I just have to wait for him to try to show me what he wants me to do or say."

At this point, Graham stared off into space for a few seconds, not looking at anyone or anything in particular, but seemingly focusing on something none of the rest of us could see. "Brent is showing me two other people," he announced, "a man, and a woman. They look like they might be Chinese and they are holding something in their hands. It's a picture of them, and the man is holding a small boy, while the woman has a baby in her arms. They're standing in front of a tall building with several slanting roofs, but it's strange, because a new roof is jutting out from each level."

"I know that picture," Sammy shouted out. "It's the picture of my parents holding me and Andrew, while we they were visiting a Shinto shrine."

"Is that the picture that was on the wall, when we first entered our old house?" Andrew asked Sammy.

"Yes, that's the one. Daddy was carrying me, and mommy was holding you," Sammy replied.

"Yes, I remember it now," Andrew blurted, excitedly. "Is it really our parents that you're seeing, Graham?" he asked, hopefully.

"I guess it is," Graham agreed, "and I think they want me to tell you something. The man, your father, is now getting down on his knees, as if he's begging for something, but I'm not sure what it is. He's doing it in front of the woman, but he's also looking at that picture at the same time."

I thought this might be the time for me to offer an interpretation of my own. "I think he might be begging forgiveness from his wife and sons," I told the boys. "I think he's asking you to forgive him for the terrible wrong he did to all of you." Sammy and Andrew knew what I was referring to, even if the others did not, meaning that their father was asking their mother and them to forgive him for having killed her and then himself. The two boys were whispering to each other, talking this over, when Sammy spoke to Graham.

"Can you tell him we forgive him?" he announced, slightly teary eyed.

"I don't think I have to," he announced, "because I think he heard you. Right now he is holding out a bunch of roses in your direction, which I think means he loves you and appreciates your understanding." At this point several eyes were filled with tears, not only Sammy and Andrew's, but mine as well, and thoughtfully Graham paused for a few minutes to give us time to recover.

Once we had composed ourselves again, he went on with his session. Once more he stared off into space, before he made his next announcement.

"Brent now has another couple with him, but this couple is white. The man is quite tall and dressed in a suit, and the woman is dressed nicely too, but the top of her head doesn't quite reach the middle of the man's chest. The woman is holding a stuffed animal, which looks like it might be Winnie the Pooh, and she is also holding a small blanket, which is a light blue and has an image of Tigger sewn into the middle of it."

"That's my Pooh bear and my blankie," Trey screamed out. "I used to carry them both around with me, all of the time when I was little. They both got burned up in the explosion that killed my parents, so it must be them. What are they saying?"

"Well, I'm getting the feeling they are very proud about something, and I think it must be you," Graham explained. "They are each holding on to one of those items and hugging them as hard as they can, as if they are hugging you by doing so." As I looked at Trey, he had a pleased, but pained, expression on his face when he heard this. It appeared he was happy to hear this news, but yet saddened by this same revelation. "They are now also holding out a bouquet of roses, so I guess they're sending their love for you too." Trey merely nodded, because he was obviously too choked up to speak at this point.

There was another brief lull, while Graham gazed into the air yet again, as he searched for his next set of clues. After a few more moments of this silence, he began to speak. "Now Brent is showing me an older black woman. She's kind of short and is wearing a flowered dress."

"That's my Nana," Dion announced. "That dress was one of her favorites and she wore it often. What's she doing and how does she look?"

"She looks fine, and quite happy," Graham told him. "She has a big grin on her face, but now she's showing me someone else. It's a man, and he's dressed in a fireman's outfit."

"That must be my dad," Dion informed all of us. "He died while he was fighting a big fire. God, I can't explain how much I've missed both of them. Are they trying to tell me anything?"

"Well, the man is showing me a tree house, like the one in the woods behind the house," Graham replied.

"We didn't have a tree house," Dion began, but then he paused. "Oh, my God! Does that mean he's been seeing what I've been doing there?" Dion now looked at Graham for an answer.

"Well, he's smiling and nodding his head, so I guess he has," Graham informed him. Dion didn't immediately respond, because he was overwhelmed by this news, and I began to feel he might be more careful about what he did in the future and where he did it. "They are both holding out roses too," Graham told him, "so I guess this means they are sending you their love too." Dion nodded again, and then sat down, deep in thought.

It didn't take long before Graham started again, this time announcing that Brent was bringing through another couple. "I see another white man and a white woman, but they're not very tall. They aren't holding or carrying anything, but they are showing me a house. It's a ranch style house, with the bottom half of it being brick and the top half done in white siding. They're taking me into the house, and when we go through the front door, the living room is to the left and the dining room and kitchen are straight ahead."

"That sounds like my house and my parents," Vinnie told us. "Are they okay?"

Graham looked at the air for a few seconds and then made his next comment. "I think they're trying to tell me they didn't feel any pain when it happened and the man is acting like he is struggling with someone, maybe even with a couple of people."

"What does that mean?" Vinnie wanted to know.

Again, I thought it was time for me to add my ideas about what he was trying to say. "I think it might mean that your father, and possibly others on that flight, tried to overcome the hijackers before the plane crashed. I think he's trying to tell you he did what he had to do, but neither he nor your mother suffered when the end came." Vinnie started to speak, but I think the words suddenly caught in his throat, so he just gave up trying to comment further.

"Your dad is now showing me our house and giving you a thumbs up. I think that means he approves of your coming to live here." This made Vinnie smile, and then he turned and gave me a hug. "Your parents are also holding a bouquet of roses, so it looks like they are sending you their love too."

At this point, tears began to stream down Vinnie's cheeks, as he lost his emotional control for a few minutes. Graham noticed this and waited for him to regain his composure, before he continued. Once Vinnie seemed ready to hear more, Graham spoke again. "Now your parents and Brent are both holding out another bunch of roses, but this time I don't think they're just for you. They seem to hold them in front of you for a short time and then they turn and extend them toward Kevin. Now, they're holding out half for you and the other half for him. I'm not sure what this means, but that's what they're doing.

As I looked in their direction, Kevin and Vinnie were looking at each other, seemingly understanding this simple message, and I was pretty sure I did too. It seems that both Brent and Vinnie's parents were giving their approval for the two boys to be together. Although this did appear very profound or obviously important to the others, it did seem to have a significant impact on that pair. Possibly, it was enough of a signal to allow them both to go on with their own lives and not have to worry about what those who had left them might think.

After giving them time to absorb everything he had told them, Graham announced that was all he had to say. The boys quickly thanked him for passing along the messages and each seemed to be a little happier than they were when they entered, as they made their way out of the room. As he was leaving, Vinnie pulled me aside and provided me with a little more information. He told me that at church earlier, he had made several specific prayers. First, he prayed that his parents were okay and together in heaven. Then he asked God to bless everyone in our house, asking him to put all of our doubts and worries to rest, so we could be as happy as he was now. Then he told me that he had made one more request, and that was to get a sign as to whether he should pursue Kevin, or if Kevin would always be in love with Brent and not be able to get over him. He said he believed all of his prayers had now been answered, before thanking me for giving him the opportunity to find happiness again.

After I listened to what he had to say, I informed him it wasn't very often that anyone got his prayers answered so quickly, or so dramatically, and he nodded his understanding. I also told him he had Graham to thank for this remarkable session, since it had been Graham's special abilities that made it all possible, along with God's help and Brent's otherworldly assistance. After giving him a few seconds to absorb that information, I told him I was sure Graham would appreciate it if Vinnie told him whatever he felt was appropriate to let Graham know he appreciated what he had done. Vinnie said he would, so we headed off to rejoin the others.

Later that evening, after the others had left or gone to bed, I sat on the sleeper-sofa, knowing I still had a few things to take care of. Even though most of my boys were older now, my grandchildren were here and that meant we'd still be getting up early to open gifts, so I wanted to get everything set up before that happened. Once I was certain everyone else was asleep, I snuck the remaining presents under the tree, before slipping back to my temporary bed. I then went to sleep looking forward to watching my sons and grandchildren open the special gifts I had left them.

Chapter 14
Happy Holidays

As expected, my grandchildren woke up early Christmas morning, but their parents were able to keep them from disturbing the rest of the household until around 7:00. At that time, they were too excited to be contained any longer, so my oldest son came to wake me and ask if I was ready for the mayhem to begin. After agreeing I was, I called the Spences and invited them and the Yamadas to join us, so they could also watch my sons and grandchildren open their gifts. They arrived at the house about twenty minutes later and the unwrapping began shortly thereafter.

It had been difficult keeping the younger ones from instantly ripping into the presents with their names on them, but the boys were able to distract them long enough until our guests arrived. Of course, the visitors came bearing their own bags of gifts, so the little ones concluded it had been worth the wait. Now that everyone was there, my younger sons and grandchildren were handed their presents, one at a time, and eagerly began to tear them open. Over the course of the next many minutes, they dug into all of the packages meant for them, which included gifts from Santa, their parents, me and anyone else kind enough to bring something for them.

The rest of us watched in awe as the eager recipients carried on in a fashion that reminded me of a shark feeding frenzy. There was wrapping paper, gift tags and ribbons flying in all directions, as each youngster raced to discover what prize was hidden underneath the pretty paper, and it was apparent they were definitely more concerned with doing it quickly, rather than neatly. By the time the frantic activities had ended and all of the presents had been unwrapped, a couple of the older members and I went through the room with large trash bags, collecting reminders of the hours we'd spent tediously wrapping those items.

Everyone had received many gifts, and now they were starting to investigate what they had been given more fully. As had been our habit, the boys all chipped in and pooled their money to buy each brother one special gift, rather than many inexpensive trinkets. This seemed to work out better, and now the boys were complimenting each other on what they had been given. I had purchased a cellular phone for each of them, which also had a special paging feature, so they could contact each other without having to make a call. It was similar in use to two-way radios and reduced the risk they would exceed their allowable minutes. I decided on this gift because it seemed we were constantly heading in so many different directions, with limited vehicles to transport everyone in that I thought the phones would come in handy in keeping us all connected, so no one would ever get abandoned or left behind. It also gave me the peace of mind to know the boys would have a way to reach the rest of us, should something out of the ordinary happen.

Vinnie seemed especially pleased with this gift, as well as with the present his brothers had purchased for him. They had each chipped in, with added contributions from Jake and myself, to buy him his own leg extender, which he could keep in his room to workout with. Vinnie had beamed when he opened this present, knowing that everyone was trying to make his being part of the family easier for him, although he apologized for not having anything as beneficial to give them in return. Without exception, they told him not to worry about it, because they had more than enough to keep them happy. Besides, his name had been included on every present given to every one of the brothers, because each of their names was always included on every gift. They happily explained to him that he was part of the family now and they always took care of each other, so from this time forward he would be included in everything, whether he wanted to be or not. He wasn't about to argue or complain with what they told him, since he was pleased to discover the others felt this way.

Everyone else had presents to open too, even our visitors, and Sammy and Andrew had also made sure to select special presents for their grandparents. First, they gave their obaasan and ojiisan, the Japanese equivalent of grandmother and grandfather, a photo of themselves, one we had taken at a studio and placed in a very special oriental frame. We had discovered this frame on one of our shopping trips and Sammy and Andrew instantly concluded it would be perfect to put their picture in.

In addition to the photo, they had also made a book for their grandparents, using a rather large photo album to keep it in. The boys had typed out the story of their lives on the computer and then embedded various pictures of themselves from the same time period as that section of the text, which made it a very special keepsake.

The boys started their autobiography by discussing the time they lived with their parents and included a copy of various family pictures they had from that time, and they discussed what it had been like for them after their parents were gone. They then continued with pictures and stories telling about their first meeting with us, coming to live in our home and what life was like for them now. This section also included their various school pictures and copies of photos we took on vacation and when we visited their grandparents in Japan. The pair had spent many hours preparing this special gift, but their effort had paid off. Their grandparents loved it and would treasure this memento, as well as the other gift they had received from their grandsons, because each of those items had come from the heart.

After the last of the presents had been opened, we all grabbed a quick breakfast, before the younger ones left us to go off and have some fun with their Christmas presents. Some of the older boys decided their time would be best utilized by going back to bed and getting a little more rest, because I suspected more than a few of them hadn't gone to sleep when they went to their rooms the previous evening. My, my – I do wonder what they had been up to.

Once the boys had taken off, Jake and I sat with our guests and visited for the next couple of hours. The Spences told us about their plans to get away from the cold weather for a while and advised us they'd be leaving for their home in Arizona right after the first of the year and remain there until April. Once they had finished, the Yamadas filled us in on things they had done during the time since we had seen them last, and then they raved about how special their grandsons were. We all agreed with them, and they were beaming with pride as this conversation went on, knowing that their grandchildren still loved and respected them, even though they lived many miles apart.

At this point, I decided to tell them about Graham's special ability and fill them in on everything he had been part of since he announced we had to find Sammy and Andrew and bring them to live with us. They were somewhat shocked by this revelation, but probably more accepting of otherworldly intervention than most westerners would be.

After I had finished giving them all of those details, I concluded by telling them about our little session last night and the messages from various deceased parents. They listened intently, but the Yamadas gasped when I detailed the revelation about what Graham had said about their son, because they immediately recognized the picture Graham had described. They wondered how he could have possibly known about it, since that very picture was now kept in their home and none of us had ever seen it, except for Sammy and Andrew. The Yamadas currently kept it in a cabinet that sat on a small table, as a sort of shrine to their lost family, and rarely opened it for anyone else, for fear they'd misunderstand its purpose. The Yamadas were pleased to hear their son was begging for everyone's forgiveness, even though they had already decided to forgive him after many months of grieving, but they weren't so sure anyone else would be that generous. They were also pleased that Sammy and Andrew had been told about this simple act of contrition, so they would have something positive to remember their father by and not merely focus upon the last act he had committed while he was alive.

After we finished our discussion, it was suggested we should now turn our attention to Christmas dinner, because it wouldn't be long before the boys would be getting hungry. Therefore, we each went to work on our portion of the meal, since we had all agreed to prepare a dish or two for later. As always, it would be a large and varied feast, which would include special dishes from those near and dear to us. However, those preparing these delights would have to remember to multiply the measurements included in their recipes by a minimum of six-fold, in order to have enough to go around. Not only that, but these items would also need to be split up amongst several serving dishes, since we would be spread around multiple tables, to accommodate this group's size. No one seemed to mind, however, as they knew the thank yous and other special comments they received after these dishes were devoured would be more than sufficient to make the effort worthwhile.

Before dinner was ready to be served, various boys began wandering about the kitchen and asking how long it would be before we ate. Although most of us understood teenage appetites and knew the boys were never full, at least not for very long, especially when they knew that some of their favorite dishes were being prepared, some of our 'cooks' were amused by their exaggerated antics. After watching them act as if they might pass out or starve to death if they didn't eat soon, our chefs assured them it wouldn't be much longer before the food would be served. Once they had done that, they gently pushed the boys out of the room, so they could continue their work, but I think the boys merely sent other reinforcements in their place, to ask the same questions and put even more pressure on them to hurry. This was also done so it would deflect our impatience from any particular individual, since it was a rotating stream of boys carrying out this constant questioning, so I guess they assumed we wouldn't put two and two together and come up with four. However, it did nothing to speed up the process, but their antics did manage to slow it down a bit.

Mercifully, for all of us, dinner was eventually ready and being placed on the tables, as everyone was called in to eat. I had asked Vinnie beforehand if he would be willing to say grace, and he quickly informed me he'd love to do it for us. Once we were all sitting quietly around the collection of tables, Vinnie performed his first official function as part of our family.

"Dear God, we thank you for this wonderful day and why we celebrate it," he began, "and we thank you for all this great food and all these wonderful people. I'd especially like to thank you for helping me become a part of this wonderful family and for sending us the messages we received last night. Please take care of our loved ones who are no longer with us and please bless and protect those who are still here. Thank you for all the blessings you have given each and every one of us, and thank you for this magnificent meal we are about to enjoy. Amen"

The rest of us added our own, "Amen," before we began digging into and passing about the various bowls and platters around each table. Most of the adults were gathered around the main dining room table, while the older boys sat at the folding banquet table, which had been set up just for today. The younger ones were then directed to one of two smaller tables, one of which was lower and sized to their stature, which made it easier and more comfortable for them. The only humorous part about the eating arrangements was that Jordan and Nicky had convinced their Uncle Robert to eat with them at the 'kiddie' table, even though his knees extended far above the table's surface. However, Robert didn't seem to mind and spent the entire time with that pair.

We all enjoyed a great meal, shared some pleasant conversation and had a few laughs, and we all felt stuffed and blessed when we had finished. We decided to take a short break before we brought out the desserts, to give us time for our stomachs to settle and make room for those sweet delights. Many of us went into the living room so we could watch 'Scrooge,' with George C. Scott, on the television. This was also kind of a holiday tradition for us, as well as watching the 1930's version of 'A Christmas Carol,' as they helped to reinforce how fortunate we all were and gave us a reminder about how we should deal with others.

When we were done with those programs, we went back to the dining room to select our choices for dessert, which was not an easy task. We had to choose from pumpkin pie, apple pie, chocolate cream pie and banana cream pie, not to mention cheesecake with various toppings, a chocolate truffle and numerous types of Christmas cookies. Most people took small portions of several of the abovementioned offerings, and then some would even sneak back to grab a little more, once those first portions were gone. It was definitely a delightful way to finish off a very special day, besides having an opportunity to play with my grandsons and hold my granddaughter.

The next day my grandchildren and their parents left for their own homes and, as always, watching them depart was an extremely emotional time for me. The grandchildren always seemed to want to stay a little longer, so they could play with their uncles, mainly because their uncles tended to spoil them while they were with us. After giving the standard explanations about why they had to go and promising we'd get together again soon, they hesitantly gave in and left with their folks.

Each of these families was taking a great deal home with them, especially when you included all the gifts they had received, and it was comical watching them make sure that nothing was left behind. The little ones would ask if they had this or that, and the parents would have to show them they indeed had it, before either of the boys would accept their assurance, and then they would have to repack everything again, before they could leave. When that finally happened, it was very sad for us to watch them depart.

The rest of the week, the period between Christmas and New Year's, was filled with many varied activities and events. First of all, Mark flew in to join us to celebrate the New Year, after spending Christmas with his mother. Jake and I drove to the airport to pick him up and then brought him back to stay at the house. Don't get me wrong, but Mark didn't do this just to see us. He also had plans for New Year's Eve with his girlfriend from the bank. Isn't love wonderful?

After finding this out, the rest of us began discussing what we might do to celebrate this year, but other than the boys who had dates for the big night, no one had any real strong feelings about doing anything in particular. The rest of us finally decided to go out for an early dinner and then to the movies to see the current installment of 'The Lord of the Rings', before returning home in time to ring in the New Year. I might even make a little wine punch to make toasts with. If I did, I'd definitely have to make two mixtures of this concoction though, one for the older group and a weaker concoction for the younger boys. This wasn't due to the fact that I worried about them getting intoxicated, but because they had proven in the past they didn't especially care for the stronger mix. The batch I whipped up for them would have just enough wine in it to make them feel like it was something special, but diluted and sweet enough so they could still get it down. Theirs would also have a little ice cream in it, so they wouldn't really care about the lack of wine.

I had already made reservations at a nice restaurant for dinner for our immediate family and their dates, but our extended family was doing their own thing this year, except for the Spences and Yamadas, who would be joining us. Mark had asked to borrow the Grand Am for the night, because he and his date would be doing their own thing, and I told him that would be fine. Shortly after he left, Frankie took off in the Suburban, along with Dustin, Pat, Ricky and Jay, as he was taking them around to pick up their dates and then meeting us at the restaurant. Jake also drove his own vehicle, because he was going to pick up the Spences and the Yamadas, while I loaded everyone else into the van.

We ended up going to a restaurant we hadn't been to before and I had selected an early time to dine, so we wouldn't have trouble seating such a large group and still be able to finish up in time to get to the theater. Shortly after we arrived, Frankie and Jake also pulled in, so we all walked in together.

Every individual selected what he wanted to eat and the service was quite good, considering how many people they had to take care of that evening. We all chatted with each other as we enjoyed our meals, and then the boys and their dates took off. Frankie was going to drop the others off at a party they had been invited to, after which he and his date would go off to pursue their more private plans for the evening.

The rest of us still finished up early enough so we didn't have to rush to get to the movie, which gave us enough time to buy our tickets, purchase drinks and make our way inside before all the good seats were taken. In fact, we were so early that we had time to sit and talk about other things, and it seemed like it took forever before the previews began. However, once they started playing, things got much better and the boys all began to settle down, eager to watch the film.

The movie was excellent and everyone seemed to really get into it, which made us even more disappointed that we'd have to wait another year before we got to see the next installment. Sammy and Andrew had spent the entire evening sitting beside their grandparents, both at the restaurant and at the movie, so the Yamadas were quite satisfied by the time the movie had ended. I don't think the movie was something they had wanted to see, but they did it for their grandchildren and enjoyed the time with Andrew switching from one of their laps to the other.

The rest of us left the theater discussing the pros and cons of the movie, which included such topics as actor selection, how they played their roles, how true the film stayed to the book and what parts they might have left out that we thought should have been included. All in all, we reached a consensus that the director had done an excellent job.

After dropping the Yamadas and Spences off at the Spence's house, the rest of us went back to our place. As soon as we entered, the boys started to get comfortable and Jake and I began passing out the beverages. We turned on television and watched some of the events unfold, as various parts of the world celebrated this special night, but we eventually deferred to our own devices. Before long, the boys began playing a variety of songs and dancing around the house, and they even got Jake and me to dance too. I guess it was actually pretty obvious they weren't going to let this opportunity slide by.

We were all having a good time, and even the younger ones were following suit, and then I spied Kevin and Vinnie, dancing quietly off to one side, so as not to draw any special notice to themselves. Vinnie seemed to be doing quite well, considering his disability, but Kevin didn't seem to think anything was out of the ordinary and they seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely.

As it got closer to midnight, we stopped what we were doing for a brief time, so we could watch the countdown on television and get ready to celebrate the New Year in our own way. We counted down the final few seconds with the announcer, with the boys screaming out the numbers, and then we all went around the room wishing each other a happy New Year by giving out hugs and kisses, along with our good wishes. I made sure I got to each and every one there before they disappeared, because some of the boys were already heading to their rooms, although I was pretty sure it wasn't to sleep.

I noticed Kevin and Vinnie heading up to Kevin's room, and a few minutes later I was surprised to notice Shannon and Nick heading up the stairs together too. I knew Shannon was interested in Nick, although he had been warned that Nick wasn't one to commit himself to only one other person, but Shannon must have decided he was willing to take that chance, as long as they were able to share these special times together. If they were both happy with that type of arrangement, who was I to say otherwise.

Once Kevin and Vinnie made their way to Kevin's room, Kevin began t o undress Vinnie, which included helping him take off his braces. As Vinnie lay on the bed, now clad only in his underwear, Kevin decided to massage his legs, so he left their room momentarily to get some baby oil to use as he did this. With all the love and tenderness he could muster, Kevin gently kneaded his fingers into the skin and muscles of Vinnie's legs, seemingly trying to get them to work as they were meant to in the first place. It was obvious this was very important for Kevin and more than just a way to attain something more. Vinnie also felt this as well.

As Vinnie enjoyed Kevin's attention and loving care, he allowed Kevin to do whatever he wanted to him. When it appeared Kevin seemed ready to stop, Vinnie was quick to let Kevin know he could do the rest of his body too. Kevin wasn't sure what he meant by this, until Vinnie began to remove the rest of his clothing, thus giving Kevin access to the previously hidden parts of his body. He was already sporting an erection, as his 6" uncircumcised penis stood proudly out from his abdomen, and this left Kevin with little doubt about what he wanted. Kevin did study Vinnie's face, to make certain he hadn't misinterpreted his actions, but Vinnie's eyes seemed to be begging him to go ahead and satisfy him. Kevin decided to proceed slowly, so he lay down beside the prone boy and slowly drew the back of his hand across his partner's chest and lower abdomen.

Vinnie moaned some encouragement to him as he did this, so Kevin became slightly more aggressive. Slowly, Kevin bent forward and placed his head above Vinnie's closest breast, so he could let his tongue dart out and play with the nipple. This made Vinnie twitch and squirm slightly, but then he got back into position so Kevin could do it some more. This time Kevin ran his tongue all around the aureole, wetting it completely before he took the tiny nub into his mouth. He began suctioning on it, like a greedy calf, which made Vinnie groan in delight.

At that point, Kevin let his free hand wander down to Vinnie's groin, so he could fondle his scrotum. With great tenderness, Kevin began to stroke the sensitive sac, lightly rolling the watery orbs between his fingers as he did so, and this elicited a very distinctive groan of appreciation. Vinnie had never felt sensations like these before and he certainly didn't want them to stop. Vinnie's mouth hung open while Kevin pleasured him and his mind was floating, as the result of all the wonderful feelings coursing through his body.

By this point, Kevin decided that Vinnie would have stopped him if this wasn't something he wanted to have happen, so he leaned lower and began teasing Vinnie's penis with his tongue. Slowly, he used his oral muscle to encircle the head of Vinnie's cock, before teasing the slit and spongy portion that was peering through the foreskin. After he had done this for a while, Kevin then pulled the hood back and exposed the entire head for the first time. Vinnie was somewhat overwhelmed by the amount of stimulation he was now feeling, as this very sensitive area of his body was fully probed, and he was nearing his orgasm almost before Kevin's lips slid down his pole. Within seconds, Kevin began to bob on it in earnest and swallowed his entire organ, and Vinnie began to thrust his hips up, in rhythm to Kevin's actions. It was only a minute or so later before Vinnie stiffened, his back arching up and off of the bed, and he released his load down Kevin's waiting gullet.

Kevin was pleased that Vinnie had seemed to enjoy his effort, although he wished it had taken him a little longer before he released his reward. Undaunted by this fact, Kevin continued to tease the juices from the tiny opening, until he had received the last drop of his sweet nectar. Once he felt Vinnie had been completely drained, Kevin moved up beside Vinnie, looked into his face and waited for him to open his eyes. When he did, the first thing Vinnie saw was Kevin's smiling face, before he heard him ask if he had enjoyed what they had just done. Vinnie immediately let him know he had, and that he also wished to return the favor, but Kevin convinced him to just lie back and enjoy the moment. While Vinnie lingered in his post-orgasmic bliss, Kevin kissed his face and stroked various other areas of his body, to let him know that this was more than just sex. It was an act of love, and possibly the first of many.

Once Vinnie had time to come down from his sexual high, he helped to remove the rest of Kevin's clothing and then began to do to Kevin exactly what Kevin had done for him. Even though his technique was a bit rough, he more than made up for it with enthusiasm. Kevin thought Vinnie was mildly, yet pleasantly, surprised that he was uncut too, and Vinnie made sure he explored Kevin's entire body with his eyes, hands and tongue, before he brought him to his sexual brink. Kevin had more staying power than his partner, since he had more experience with these types of encounters, so it gave Vinnie more time to practice his newly discovered skills. Although Kevin was afraid Vinnie might get frustrated by how long it took to get him off, Vinnie proved to be a trooper and seemed to enjoy both sides of this coin.

Eventually, Kevin began to feel the rumblings in his loins, as the pressure built from his impending release, and he made sure to warn Vinnie that he was close. That way, Vinnie could decide how he wanted to finish this up and what he was ready to do. To Kevin's surprise, Vinnie never eased up on his sucking and continued nodding up and down on Kevin's firm mast, so before long he also received his first taste of boy seed. Either he liked it or it happened so quickly that he didn't take time to explore the flavor, but he eagerly swallowed as much of it as he could and only let a very small amount escape from the corners of his lips.

Eventually, Kevin had to pry Vinnie off of his organ and stop him from over-stimulating his supersensitive head, which caused Vinnie to look up at him, thinking he had done something wrong. Kevin quickly assured him that everything had been fantastic, except it was getting to the point where it was beginning to hurt a bit, and Vinnie nodded his understanding.

Now that they were both satisfied, Kevin reached out and pulled Vinnie up against him, cuddling him close to his side. Enjoying this new closeness, Vinnie merely reached down and pulled the blankets up over their bodies, just to keep them warm. They stayed that way until morning, enjoying the warmth and touch of each other's skin, as a special bond began to grow between them, one that I hoped would last.

Chapter 15
Ending the Holiday Season

In a room down the hall, Shannon was also getting into areas new to him. Although he and Nick had been together before, they had never done anything anally, but that was about to change. Nick had already decided he was going to try to convince Shannon to move to the next level, so after the boys had undressed each other, he coached Shannon on how to prepare him for the deed. He figured if he let Shannon do it to him first, it might prove to be the quickest way to lower Shannon's inhibitions and motivate him to return the favor.

Although Shannon wasn't quite sure he was ready to move to this level, he did as Nick instructed, although a bit reluctantly. Shannon carefully loosened Nick's channel by using his fingers, as Nick suggested, and lubed Nick's chute with plenty of oil, before he allowed Nick to place a condom over his penis and lube that as well. Once he felt he was ready, Nick lay on the bed and pulled his legs nearly onto his chest, to expose his hole. He figured from there, Shannon would know what to do next.

After seeing Nick in that position, the reality of what he was about to do finally sank in and caused Shannon's penis to fill with even more blood, so he was now harder than he could ever remember. Although he had idea about what he was supposed to do and how to accomplish it, it still took him a few, awkward seconds to figure out how to position himself, in order to make the penetration as comfortable as possible for each of them. Once he had that figured out, he put the tip of his penis against Nick's opening, but then remembered Nick's words of caution about entering slowly. This caused him to temporarily freeze in place and hold his breath, as fought to contain both his nerves and excitement. He still couldn't believe he was actually going to fuck someone.

Once he'd regained his focus, Shannon started to slowly push his way in, but he wasn't quite ready for how stubborn the sphincter could be, even when doing this with someone who had done it before. However, Nick encouraged him to press a little harder, while he also pushed out, and within seconds the head of Shannon's penis had popped past the guardian. Upon breaking through the resilient ring of muscle, Shannon stopped abruptly, because he was worried he had done something wrong, but Nick quickly assured him he was doing fine and urged him to keep going. Feeling a sense of relief, Shannon continued to push deeper, although he moved VERY slowly, until the tops of his thighs were brushing up against Nick's butt cheeks and his penis was completely encased by Nick's velvety lining. After a little coaxing from an impatient Nick, Shannon began to rock his hips back and forth, sliding his dick in and out of the warm moist tunnel, while his mind was reeling from all of the intense sensations coursing throughout his body.

At first, Shannon was nearly lost in a sense of carnal bliss, while reveling in how great it felt to be buried inside of his partner's love channel. However, once he began to focus on the wonderful sensations emanating from the middle of his body, as he began sliding in and out of Nick's love canal, Shannon found he couldn't contain himself any longer and eagerly made his dash toward the finish line. Since this was his first attempt at anal sex, it didn't take him long to reach the point of no return. Upon sensing that familiar feeling of impending release, Shannon made his final thrust and seated his manhood as deeply inside of Nick as it would go, before spewing his molten cream into the tip of the latex sheath.

Drained of his juices, Shannon collapsed on top of Nick, totally exhausted by the culmination of the powerful explosive orgasm and the emotional letdown brought about from the conclusion of his initial experience with making love. Shannon remain unable to move and stayed like that until Nick gently rolled him off his body and kissed him passionately, to show his appreciation.

Nick was very tender and patient with Shannon. He not only gave him all the time he needed to recover, but he continued to stroke and kiss him as well, while waiting for Shannon to come down from his the lasting effects of his intense orgasm. As he did this, Nick also wondered if Shannon would be ready and willing to take his turn as catcher. He wasn't sure Shannon would be, but still hoped he might.

After spending several more minutes like this, Shannon finally looked up and thanked Nick for the wonderful experience. After Nick told him he was welcome and agreed that he'd enjoyed it too, Shannon surprised him by announcing he was ready for Nick to do the same thing to him. Although he was excited by the prospect and eager to take advantage of the situation, Nick thought he recognized a hint of trepidation in Shannon's eyes. Since he didn't want Shannon to be scared his first time, he tried to reassure him he'd do nothing to hurt him, which brought a slight smile to Shannon's lips.

After a little coaching about what to expect, Nick greased up his fingers and began to loosen Shannon up. As he did so, Nick worked as gently and carefully as a parent tending to an injured child. Shannon hardly felt the first finger as it entered him, but he did react slightly when Nick added another. However, since Shannon didn't complain or raise a fuss about it, Nick continued his effort and eventually added a third digit. As he did this, Nick noticed Shannon wince a bit, so he stopped all movement and asked how he was doing. Shannon quickly told him it had hurt momentarily, but he was fine now, so Nick continued slowly and watched for other signs signifying Shannon might be having difficulty. Even though Nick was excited about doing another virgin, he still didn't want to make this a bad experience for Shannon. Nick actually hoped he might get other chances to repeat this activity with him in the months to come.

Finally, after a brief delay, Shannon announced he thought he was ready, so Nick rolled him over onto his belly and placed a pillow under his hips. This lifted Shannon's butt into a position that would allow easiest entry for complete penetration. Slowly, he moved in between Shannon legs, slid on a rubber and slicked it up. When he had completed his preparations, he lined up with his target, but continue to talk to Shannon the whole time, in order to make sure the first-timer didn't panic and understood what was going to happen next, before he began his entry.

Once he was convinced Shannon was ready for what was about to happen, Nick carefully prodded at Shannon's opening, while advising him to relax and push out, which would make it easier for both of them. Nick added a little more pressure until he felt the head of his penis pop inside the muscular guardian, which had been resisting his efforts at first. Now that he was in that far, he paused and gave Shannon time to adjust, before he continued going deeper. Once he had Shannon's assurance he was okay and ready to continue, but pushed a little deeper, only to be stopped by Shannon's slight protest.

"Nick, get off of me, I feel like I have to take a dump," Shannon told him, while looking over his shoulder, concerned.

"No, you just feel that way because my dick is inside you," Nick told him. "Your body just feels as if a big turd is in there and wants to get rid of it. It doesn't understand the difference yet."

"Are you sure? I really feel like I have to go," Shannon advised him, "and I wouldn't want that mess all over us."

"No, it's alright and we'll be fine," Nick assured him. "It's only my dick in there that makes it feel like you have to shit. You'll get used to it and realize I'm right."

"Wait, I'm just not sure," Shannon whined. "Get off of me and let me go to the toilet to make sure. Please?"

Hesitantly, Nick slid out of Shannon's chute and Shannon immediately raced off to the toilet, only to discover that Nick had been right all along. As Nick had explained, Shannon really didn't have to go at all, it just felt as if he did. As he made his way back to Nick's room, Shannon apologized and announced that Nick had been correct, before getting back into position. This time when Nick's penis entered his body, it felt the same as it had before, but Shannon accepted it as being part of the activity and not a call of nature. Relieved, Nick continued his penetration until he was completely embedded inside of Shannon's tight channel. Once he bottomed out, Nick paused briefly, to give Shannon a chance to get used to their new connection.

Once Nick had been assured that Shannon was ready to continue, he began to slide his love muscle in and out of Shannon's virgin hole, gradually building a rhythm, as he gave Shannon his first ride. After a few moments of feeling awkward about what he was doing, Shannon began to enjoy the sensations building within his body, especially when Nick's penis hit a certain spot inside of him. Whenever that happened, it felt as if little jolts of electrical current were released to travel along his nerve synapses and Shannon's entire body would begin to tingle.

Nick was obviously enjoying the activity too and slowly began to increase his pace, as he felt his own release building. This was brought on even more rapidly than usual, due to the tightness of Shannon's rear entrance. Even though he had done this many times before, and with other first-timers, Nick never tired of the overwhelming feelings and the enjoyment he received from this activity, so he eagerly plunged on.

By this point, both boys were panting and moaning, thoroughly getting into the action. Nick kept pounding away at Shannon's butt, sending them both into a sexual frenzy. Although he never expected it to happen, Shannon's body suddenly stiffened, as a result of Nick's erection constantly brushing against his prostate, and he ejaculated, without either of them having touched his cock.

When Shannon climaxed onto the bedding, his rectum tightened around Nick's penis, and this added pressure sent Nick over the edge, forcing his hot juices to erupt and accumulate inside the prophylactic. Nick thrust weakly a couple of more times after that happened, until he drained the last of his seed from his dick, and then he collapsed on top of Shannon, causing both bodies to drop onto the mattress.

Even though the physical act had been completed, they remained coupled together a while longer, lingering in the sexual afterglow this experience had produced. They also enjoyed the feel of each other's body, as they remained connected in such an intimate way, and their continued physical contact seemed to magnify all of the pleasure that had just consumed them. After remaining like this for several minutes more, they finally separated, but only so Nick could rid himself of the condom, and then they lay side-by-side and held each other in their arms. Since neither of them wanted this feeling to end, they remained secure and warm in each other's embrace until morning.

Kevin, Vinnie, Nick and Shannon weren't the only ones to spend their evening making love. Danny and Brandon and Dion and Trey also went to their rooms with plans of pleasing their partners, while little Andrew spent the evening sandwiched between Sammy, Graham and Cole. The four of them spent the night moving from one to the other and giving each other pleasure, and it was nice to see the two sets of biological brothers so close to each other. Of course, I think Cole would have preferred spending time with his girlfriend, but since she had gone away with her parents, it wasn't an option, so he made the best of his situation and still had a good time.

Jake had become a little anxious when he saw Shannon going off with Nick, so we discussed the situation in some detail. Sensing Jake's doubts, I assured him that Nick had many fine qualities, such as being a very patient, sensitive and experienced lover, so Shannon was in very capable hands and had nothing to fear. Other than Nick's promiscuous nature, he was a wonderful young man and I hoped he would someday outgrow his need for multiple partners and be able to settle down and find true love.

After we finished our conversation and Jake's concerns had been addressed, he started feeling a little frisky himself and began to attack me, in hopes of sating his own desires. I won't go into great detail about what we did that night, since I don't feel anyone except us needs to know all of that information, but I will admit we were reaching a level of bonding that few couples ever achieve. Maybe I should take a moment to explain what I mean by my comment.

Jake and I had learned over time that we had a great deal in common, which included the types of activities we enjoyed, what we liked to eat and even the different ways we sought to please each other. Over time, we had also grown to love each other deeply and were committed to our family, which had a far greater meaning than just biological relationships, but equally important was our time alone. Our lovemaking was also bonding us in such a way and so tightly that I highly doubted anything could ever separate us. I must admit it is truly a wonderful feeling to know your relationship is sincere, deep and boundless, not to mention passionate, and the satisfaction you receive from just being together seems to never end. I was truly a very fortunate man and I sincerely hoped that Jake felt the same way about our partnership.

After our lovemaking, I found it difficult to fall asleep, as my mind was awash in all of these wonderful thoughts and feelings. As I lay there considering the current state of affairs, I heard the rest of the boys arrive home sometime after three. After Frankie had ended his date, he drove over and picked his brothers up from their party, dropped their dates back off at their own homes and then returned my brood to their own beds. Although these young men would be sleeping alone this evening, I think they had more than enjoyed themselves earlier and the thought of not having anyone to share their bed at that moment didn't ruin the night.

I didn't hear Mark come in until almost eight, so I wasn't certain if he had just finished partying with his date and was returning home, or if he had slept at her place and just recently slipped out to rejoin us. He was old enough that I didn't have to question what he was up to, but he did tell me later that they had only partied until around two and then he spent the night sharing her bed. I guess they were getting pretty serious about each other.

New Year's Day was a jumble of activity. Ricky and Jay were actually the first to stumble downstairs, so I offered to fix them some breakfast, but not merely for humanitarian reasons. I figured it would also give me the opportunity to press a bit and see if I could learn anything about what they had been up to the previous evening.

"So, how was your party?" I asked them, after they told me what they wanted to eat.

"It was okay," Jay replied, deadpan.

"Not really," Ricky corrected him. "If we didn't have our dates with us the party would have really sucked," he continued.

"I'm sorry to hear that," I told him. "Why was it so bad?"

"To begin with, the music blew big time, because they had some freak picking the tunes." As I looked at him, Ricky face seemed to contort a bit, as he thought back upon the previous evening. "They had hardly anything to eat and what there was tasted worse than dog food, so I went off with my date and we made our own party?"

"Oh! And what does that mean?" I prodded, raising my eyebrows and giving him a questioning look.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Ricky replied, as his way of blowing off my question.

"The party wasn't that bad," Jay corrected. "The pizza was cold…"

"And was like eating cardboard!" Ricky interrupted.

"Oh, Mister High Standards," Jay mocked. "You didn't seem that fussy when you were eating pussy…" Jay stopped abruptly and began turning crimson, now that he realized he'd probably said more than he should have. Ricky just glared at him for a second, before he tried to slip out of the embarrassing situation gracefully.

"I wish," he joked back, but his voice lacked the sincerity to make me believe otherwise. "But you've got to admit the music sounded like a cat fight," he added, trying to change the subject. Jay didn't bite this time and started filling his mouth instead, so he didn't have to speak again. Ricky soon did the same, so I left them alone and walked out of the room. Once they thought I was out of earshot, I overheard Ricky chastising his best friend.

"You dumb ass," Ricky snapped. "That was a great thing to say in front of my dad."

"Come on," Jay whined, "he knows what you do and doesn't mind, as long as you're careful and don't force anyone. Just think of the shit I'd be in, if something like that was said in front of my 'rents."

"You don't have to worry about that," Ricky teased. "You girl doesn't like oral, either giving or receiving."

"Shut up! She does it sometimes," Jay challenged, but only half-heartedly. "Besides, she does enough, or I wouldn't still be with her." Ricky merely laughed and I moved on, although I was still debating if I wanted to hang around to hear what they might discuss next.

Jake was already in the family room, so I went in to join him and we spent the remainder of the morning watching the various parades being shown on television. Once the rest of the boys had risen from the dead and filled their grumbling tummies, some of them even came in to join us. Although it wasn't their favorite activity, they did like seeing some of the floats and it gave them time to thoroughly wake up and come to their senses before we got to the meatier part of the day. I think the biggest reason they were willing to sit and watch the parades was so they could check out the eye-candy on the tube. Although it was still pretty cold at some of the parade locations, which meant many of the spectators and participants were bundled up so you couldn't see much more than their faces, the boys didn't seemed deterred. Even though it wasn't perfect, everyone enjoyed pointing out various persons of interest, and yes, different family members happily pointed out both guys and gals and no one drooled so much that I had to make him wear a bib.

Over the course of the day, I overheard more tidbits about what had happened when I wasn't around, both at our house and at the party. I actually gleaned sufficient information from the various participants to be able to piece together enough to let me know that no one had done anything too drastic and given me a fair idea about what had transpired. I also learned that most of my straight and bi boys were quite attached to their current girlfriends and wanted to be with them for more reasons than just the possibility of having sex, which impressed me and spoke volumes about their level of maturity.

Mark and Frankie happily admitted they'd had a much better time than the others, although they weren't together at any point. Mark and his girlfriend had gone out to dinner and then to a club to dance, while Frankie took his date out to dine at a different establishment, before stopping in to check out a few parties they'd been told about. Although, they didn't stay at any one place for the remainder of the evening, Frankie claimed both he and his date had enjoyed themselves and they would be seeing more of each other in the future.

As far as the boys who had spent the evening at home, I heard them discussing enough with their brothers to discover most of what happened, so I could relay their stories to you earlier. Seeing it was just family involved, and they knew I had few restrictions when it came to their activities with each other, they didn't have to try to sneak around to share this information with each other. They pretty much chatted openly about these things and didn't seem to care if Jake or I heard what had gone on – well, except for Shannon. He didn't seem to mind if I heard about what he'd been up to, but he seemed to get embarrassed if anything was said in front of his father. Personally, I found it quite ironic that he didn't mind my knowing, but preferred his father not be aware of what he had done.

Even if they hadn't said anything, I think I would have figured most of what had happened just from just watching how the various pairs interacted and looked at each other over the course of the day. It seemed to me that someone was always flashing a coy smile or giving a seductive wink to their other half, and the other person might possibly even blush a little when he thought back upon why his partner was doing it or what he might be hinting at. It was very cute watching them play these little games and I felt confident that everyone had enjoyed himself and was happy with the way he had brought in the New Year.

At lunchtime, I let everyone fend for himself, because I felt I deserved a chance to relax too. Some of the boys were obviously unhappy about my announcement, but I didn't think I had to worry about any of them starving. However, I was impressed when some of the boys offered to fix something for their brothers, as well as themselves, and this solved their dilemma. I was also pleased that Danny and Brandon not only made grilled ham and cheese sandwiches for each other and a few of their brothers, but they also brought some in for Jake and myself as well. Pleased by their thoughtfulness, we each thanked them, although the boys sloughed it off as not being a big deal. Once we'd finished our meal, we eagerly settled in for the start of the first of the bowl games.

Since I knew not everyone would be into this activity, I wasn't surprised to hear some of the boys talking about going into the living room to watch some DVDs. We certainly had a large enough collection that they should be able to find something to entertain themselves, but later I heard that while they were debating what to view, one of the other boys discovered that one of the channels was running a Queer As Folk marathon. Happily, they agreed to watch that instead and spent the next few hours hunkered down with the QAF cast. I wasn't sure if they grew tired of it or if it had ended, but when I went past there on my way to the toilet, they were watching a movie.

For the most part, we spent the rest of the day either watching football or movies, except for Dion and Trey, who spent their time with their noses buried in books. They were happy doing this and I was pleased to see they were enjoying what was a lost art to many, and their brothers were smart enough to not bother them after they had gone off on their own.

Mark had opted to join Jake and I as we watched the football games and sat leaning up against me on one side, as Jake cuddled against the other. I must say it was a very nice way to spend the day and our closeness was only interrupted by toilet breaks and quick dashes to grab snacks or drinks. At halftime of the third game, Jake and I began to feel guilty about ignoring the boys' needs, so we went out to prepare dinner for everyone. We certainly didn't want anyone complaining to their friends or other members of our extended family that we had tried to starve them. However, we did go back in and rejoin Mark while it was cooking, and once that game ended, I summoned everyone into the dining room, so we could enjoy a family meal.

As I sat there looking at my boys, my mind began to race over everything that had happened to us over the past year. In doing so, I discovered I could now empathize with Queen Elizabeth II, when she declared 1992 as her 'annus horibilus,' or horrible year. I could totally empathize with how devastated she must have felt after having lived through the rash of terrible events that had encompassed her family during the twelve months preceding her comment. The past year had been like that for us, as well. We had endured much together, such as losing Brent, my heart attack and the terrible events of 9/11, but if you looked back at it honestly, there were some positive moments scattering throughout the year too. During that same time span, we had reveled in the birth of a granddaughter/niece and the announcement that another baby was on the way, besides gaining another son/brother. However, no matter how special those things were, I was forced to admit that for the first time since I had begun this adventure of assembling a second family, the negatives in our lives had far outweighed the positives. I silently prayed we wouldn't have to go through anything like this again, at least not in the very near future.

As I broke away from these not so pleasant thoughts, I went back to thinking about my family again, which included my older children, grandchildren, new sons, almost sons and my lover. This was enough to suddenly lift my spirits and make me forget about everything else, as I acknowledged how lucky I really was.

After everyone finished their meal, we happily went back to resuming the activities we had been involved in earlier, and that remained unchanged until bedtime.

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