Bill W

Castaway Hotel VI

Chapters 20-30

Chapter 20
Seasons Greetings

It just happened that my biological children had come home for Thanksgiving this year, so they were spending Christmas with their in-laws. We had already made arrangements for us to all get together on the third weekend in January instead, so we could celebrate our Christmas with them at that time. It couldn't have worked out better.

On Christmas Eve we got a phone call from Ricky, but it was already Christmas day there. He was excited and wanted to wish us all a Merry Christmas, but he also wanted to thank us for our gifts. He had waited until the proper day to open them, not only because he didn't want to be without presents on Christmas morning, but he also wanted to share his excitement with his family when he unwrapped them. We were happy to hear from Ricky and everyone spoke to him individually.

We also filled him in about our unexpected houseguests. Ricky made some sort of remark that he should have guessed we'd do something like that and then he told me he knew one of the girls. After telling me which one, he asked me to pass along his heartfelt sympathy over their loss. I told him I would and then we said good-bye.

Needless to say, the family was impressed that Ricky had thought of them and offered his sympathy, but the daughter said it sounded just like him. Even though he was a jokester, she said he always had a good heart and was often concerned about others. She told me to thank him the next time we spoke and her parents concurred. I guess my Ricky was more highly regarded than I knew.

Christmas morning was a great deal of fun. I think our guests were shocked that we didn't really overdo the present thing, since they considered us rich. Their first surprise was when they discovered the boys all chipped in and bought only one gift for each brother. I think they were also amazed to see they had just as many gifts to open, if not more, than we did.

It was wonderful to see the expressions on each of their faces as they opened every gift or commented about something one of my boys had unwrapped. No one was in a big hurry to open his or her presents, so we took our time and enjoyed every moment.

Besides the clothes and a couple of special items each boy had asked for, I included one other present for them. Although I didn't have these items as of yet, I gave each of them an envelope explaining what their extra gift was.

"In light of recent events in our community," their letter read, "my last present to you is to keep you safe. Knowing most of your bedrooms are on the second and third floors of our house, I have become suddenly aware of the risks involved, if we were to find our home in flames. Due to this fact, I have purchased chain ladders for each room on the upper two floors, and our carpenter will be building a nice box under the window in each room, where this ladder will be stored and anchored.

"The bedrooms on the first floor will be equipped with an easy to open, swing out emergency window, to make sure no one will get trapped inside, should we ever have a fire. These devices are to be used for emergencies only and aren't meant to enable you to sneak away for secret sexual encounters or other such activities. This gift is from the heart and because I love each of you. I will do everything in my power to make sure nothing ever happens to any of you, so I hope you accept this gift in the spirit it was given. Love, Dad/Pop"

Although many young people might not have thought this was a suitable gift, my boys realized my intent and thanked me for it. They understood I was doing what I thought best to protect them and provide a way from them to escape in an emergency, if we should experience something similar to what this other family had faced. Although I could probably have done this as other than a gift, I felt it might mean more this way and I think it did.

Our guests were also quite moved when they saw what I had given my sons and the father told me he planned to do the same thing for his family, although he hoped they'd never have to use them. I agreed, but we both knew it was better to be safe than sorry.

After the last of the presents had been opened, we prepared for the big Christmas meal. We knew our extended family would be arriving in just a couple of hours, so Jake and I set about getting everything ready. The mother came in and insisted on helping us, so rather than spend time explaining that we could handle it, we let her do her thing wherever she thought she could help.

When the meal was served, we said grace and thanked God for keeping all of them uninjured in the fire. Then their father asked if he could add his own blessing, and when I agreed, he thanked God for making sure there were people in this world, such as us, who were there to help others in their hour of need. Then he told us personally how much he appreciated what we'd done and emphasized we had helped prevent this from being the worst holiday they had ever experienced.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing and talking to everyone. I made it a point to introduce our guests to our extended family and let them get better acquainted. Over time, they got to know the Spences, Shays, Beckers and Sally, as each of them made their own offer of support, to help the family get through the transitional period. The parents thanked them for their thoughtfulness, but told them we had already taken care of nearly everything to make it possible for them to start over.

I could tell the boys also felt really good about helping this family and they spent a great deal of their time entertaining the kids. They played games and watched movies with them until nearly bedtime and it was enjoyable to see. I could tell my boys were pleased we were able to help them, but it was obvious they made it a point to do something on their own. I was very proud of them.

Before we went to bed, Jake, the parents and I set up an action plan for the next day. We all realized there was still a great deal to be accomplished before they'd be on their own again and I didn't want to forget or overlook anything. After we compiled the list, our guests went to bed. They understood tomorrow would be a long and busy day.

After they turned in, Jake, the boys and I got some supplies together, so we'd be ready to go as early in the morning as possible. We didn't want to waste time searching for the items we needed at the last minute or discover we had forgotten something.

Once everything was set, I sent the boys to bed too, as I wanted them fresh and ready to go when I woke them. There was going to be a lot for all of us to do before the day was over and I didn't want them to tire out prematurely. The boys were fairly good-natured about what I asked them to do, but I think that was because they were excited about helping the family too. It was also the major reason I didn't questioned if they'd be able to pull their own weight when the time came.

The next morning, we all got up early and ate breakfast, before we loaded everyone in either the van or the suburban. We then drove to the house we had rented for them. Seeing it had been vacant for such a long time, it needed a good cleaning, so we pulled out all of our supplies and went inside. Everyone was assigned a room or rooms to clean and the family split up to assist us with the area that was most important to them.

The wife started in the kitchen. After telling each person what she was making them responsible to clean, she went to work on the refrigerator and stove. When the others announced they'd finished, she checked every nook and cranny to be sure it was spotless, before she allowed them to do anything else. Once she was satisfied with everyone's effort, she directed the placement of the dishes, utensils and appliances.

The husband focused his attention on the living room and dining area, while the kids primarily concerned themselves with the room that would be theirs, once they moved in. The cleaning went quickly and quite smoothly, and the wife was about to check on how well Jake an I had done in the bathroom, before putting away the towels and other linens. She was not quite finished when the delivery truck from the furniture store arrived, but she stopped to direct the unloading of the various furnishings.

The larger, more muscled members of the group went out to help the driver and his assistant. They carried everything in to the house, placed it where the mother directed and also set up the beds, once they were in the appropriate rooms. Soon the furniture store employees left and we finished moving the last of the items into their proper places. Now that everything was done and they were settled in to their new home, we said our good-byes to our new friends. We wished them the best of luck, but I told them I'd be back, so they could tell me what they wanted to do on a permanent basis.

Before we drove away, the family thanked us several times. Not only did they verbalize their gratitude, each of their children also went out of their way to go around and thank each of my boys, Jake, and me separately. They either hugged us or shook our hand and said this was to let us know how much they appreciated all of our help and for how good we were to them. This meant a great deal to each of us, but we told them it was just our chance to practice the true meaning of Christmas, by helping someone less fortunate or in need. Christmas was supposed to be more than just giving your family more things they really didn't need in the first place.

I suspected that as my sons grew older, they would look back on this experience and tell me, or their spouses and children, that this was the best Christmas they had ever celebrated. It sure makes you feel good inside when you've been able to help someone else, especially someone who really needed it at the time.

Over the course of the next week, we checked in on the family a couple more times and they seemed to be doing very well in their new home. They were happy, comfortable and getting used to remembering where they were. Yes, the parents admitted to absentmindedly driving to their old address, once they'd replaced the vehicle that was destroyed in their garage, and it took some time to get used to driving to their new residence.

As the week came to an end, we prepared for our New Year's Eve celebration, which wasn't going to be very big or elaborate this year. We did plan to go out to dinner and then to a movie, before we returned home to bring in the New Year together. We'd do that by toasting each other with a little wine, which was a special treat I let the boys partake in each year. The youngest boys would be allowed a half-glass each, while the middle group could have a whole glass and the older boys (still under the drinking age) would be allowed up to two glasses. I had always tied this to their age and level of maturity.

Those who had love interests outside the family were told they could also invite them to join us, but their parents would have to give me written permission if they were willing to allow their children to drink the wine with us. Later, I was informed a couple of their girlfriends would be joining us also, but basically, this would just be a family/extended family gathering.

Ricky called us before noon on New Year's Eve day, to wish us all a Happy New Year. They had already entered the New Year in Australia, so he was really calling to gloat that he had beat us to it. He asked what we were planning to do and we told him. Then he told us what he had done.

Ricky had gone to a small youth celebration, held by the school he was attending, and he had a good time. That was because he had received a New Year's kiss from Kylie at midnight. When I asked them if that was all he received, he merely replied, "Wouldn't you like to know?" and then he giggled. He continued to evade answering my question directly and turned the conversation to talk about his travel plans for January. He also reminded me that he'd be home within a month, but I found it hard to believe the time had gone by so quickly. I told him we all wanted him to have fun, be careful and hurry back. He agreed and that's how we ended the conversation.

The day passed quickly and it was soon time to leave, because we had 6 o'clock dinner reservation at our favorite restaurant. We wanted to get in and out before the rush began and not get caught up in the crowd that would eventually fill the place to overflowing.

Our extended family met us there, since they were looking forward to enjoying this special time with us too. Everyone ordered whatever he or she wanted from the menu, but I ordered several appetizers for us to share first. I also had the kitchen send out several serving bowls of salad, so everyone could have as much as he or she wanted. We not only enjoyed each other's company, but we had a really great meal. What more could we have asked for?

Once we finished out meal, some of the extended family decided to return to their homes, while the rest of us went to the cinema complex. There, we split up into smaller groups, to see an assortment of different movies. Jake and I went to see the "Two Towers", the second part of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, and some of the boys opted to join us. Cody and Graham immediately let us know they were going with us too and Cody also informed me he was going to sit beside me as well.

We moved up to the last row of the stadium style theater, because if I sit too close to the screen, everything seems to spin. Jake sat to my right and Cody to my left, with Graham on the other side of Cody. Soon the lights dimmed and the previews started. Jake and I were pretty conservative in public and didn't even hold hands when we were out like this, but I did notice the boys holding hands with each other.

Shortly after the previews began, Cody leaned over against my arm and rested his head on my shoulder. I was touched by this move and determined to be the strong father figure Cody needed right now. Maybe it was just that he hadn't had one for so long, or maybe it was because of what he was going through with the leukemia, but he seemed to need me more now, than any of the others. I lifted my arm and wrapped it around his shoulders and he looked up at me and smiled, which let me know he approved of what I was doing.

Before long, Cody stood up, moved over and sat on my lap. It seemed he needed more than to just sit beside me and required my attention at the moment, rather than Graham's. When Graham noticed what Cody had done, he moved into Cody's former seat, so they could still hold hands, but he wasn't upset by what had taken place. I believe he understood Cody wasn't rejecting him, but was in need of something else right now. Maybe Cody looked at me as his protector – the one who made him feel safe and secure. When he needed a lover or someone to bond with on that level, Graham knew he'd be back, so he gave him his space and allowed him to do what he needed. I was very proud of Graham and impressed by his maturity.

The movie was excellent and we all enjoyed it immensely. When it was over, we went to the lobby to meet up with the others. Some of us had to wait for quite some time until the other movies were out, but there were games in the lobby, so the boys amused themselves while they waited. When we were all together again, we headed home, to bring in the New Year.

The girlfriends stayed with too, as they had planned. Once we got home, we turned on the TV and tuned into one of the national celebrations, so we could see what they were doing and coincide our activities with them. I went around and filled up each person's wine glass as midnight drew near, and when 12:00 hit, we all toasted each other and wished everyone the very best New Year.

We celebrated a little longer and had a little more to drink, and then Jake took our guests home, as we promised their families. After the girls left, I encouraged the boys to head to their rooms, but I knew there would be a little more merry-making once they got there. This was to be expected, considering what day of the year it was. I was young once and could still remember the first sex of the New Year, so I wouldn't try to discourage them from doing the same thing.

Some of the pairings I expected, like Cody and Graham, Vinnie and Kevin, Danny and Brandon and Trey and Dion, but some of the others came as a mild surprise to me. I really didn't expect it when I saw Sammy was spending the night with Cole. Andrew had conked out shortly after midnight, as he hadn't been feeling very well, and I don't think Sammy wanted to be alone. It appeared he needed some company, and maybe some relief, and obviously Cole had agreed to help out.

Nick and Shannon presented another conundrum for me. Although they had been spending a lot of time together, I kept expecting it to end, due to Nick's constant need for new sexual partners. However, he was continuing to astound me. Nick willingly spent most of his time with Shannon, although Jake wasn't entirely thrilled by this arrangement, so I began to wonder if Shannon had found the secret to tame Nick of his wandering ways. Whatever the reason for their spending so much time together, they disappeared and neither of them one complained the following morning.

Although I could probably tell you what happened in every room, I will focus on just a couple of those pairings. The first would be Cody and Graham, because they are so devoted to each other, so cute in their innocence and kind of unusual in their approach. Let me explain what I mean.

After they got to their room, they kissed a little and started to undress each other. Once Graham had removed Cody's underwear, he raced down the hall to the bathroom, leaving Cody to think he really had to go very badly. When he came back, however, Graham was carrying one of the electric razors we kept for the older boys to use, and Cody kind of blushed when he saw what Graham was holding. Graham plugged it in, turned it on and then had Cody get on the bed, so he could remove what little hair Cody had at this point. Cody's pubic hair was very blond and hard to see, but Graham seemed determined to remove it anyway. When he was done, you would have guessed Cody to be about two years younger than he actually was.

I'm not sure if it was a turn-on for Graham or not, but he did seem to enjoy shaving Cody's pubic region and scrotum, and Cody had to show me the next day, so I could see exactly what Graham had done. For some reason, Cody didn't return the favor and, instead, they began to make out. They kissed and groped for a while, before letting their hands wander all over each other, to check out all of the areas of interest to each of them.

When he couldn't stand it any longer, Graham slid down and began to run his tongue over the freshly shaved region on Cody's young body. From there, he moved down to lick Cody's throbbing, cut rod, and attacked it like a child would savor a lollipop. After giving the entire area a tongue-bath, Graham began to slide the stiff piece of flesh in and out of his mouth, like someone might do with a Popsicle he was enjoying. It was obvious that Cody was really relishing this type of attention, as his young manhood responded quickly and soon gave up its meager supply of thin, watery cum. Once he had experienced his orgasm, he swung his body around, so he could do the same thing to his partner.

Of course, Graham's body didn't give in as quickly to Cody's ministrations, since Graham was a little more experienced at delaying his orgasm. That didn't seem to be a problem, however, and Cody eagerly continued to work on Graham's firm sausage. With the enthusiasm of a frisky puppy, Cody bobbed up and down on it with his lips and tongue and soon Graham was sighing and moaning in pleasure. This let Cody know he must be doing it right. He had been worried up to that point, seeing he had never done anything like this before.

Now that Graham was totally into what was happening to him, Cody let his right hand play with Graham's sac and watery orbs, to stimulate him even more. Cody really had Graham squirming on the bed at this point and Graham's floodgates opened, with his cream flooding Cody's mouth and throat. Cody did his best to take it all down, but some did escape his lips and dribbled back onto Graham's crotch. When they'd finished up their session, they cleaned up and cuddled against each other. When I checked on them later, they looked like two little angels wrapped in each other's arms.

The other pair I want to focus on is Kevin and Vinnie. Kevin had been hurt many times over the past few years by falling in love with the wrong guy. My goal was to prevent this from happening yet again. Kevin had been hurt deeply by Dustin, when Dustin decided he liked girls more than guys, and he had also been hurt by Nick, when he discovered Nick couldn't be faithful to just one guy. After that, he fell in love with Brent, who was killed in an automobile accident, so I wanted to keep my eye on this situation. I was hoping Vinnie was looking at this for the long term too and not viewing it as just an experimental fling. I have no idea how Kevin would react if he wound up in another relationship that didn't work out for him.

Kevin and Vinnie had retired to their room, which was the only other bedroom on the first floor besides the master bedroom. In retrospect, I believe the touch of grapes they had imbibed earlier had made the pair even more affectionate than they normally were, as well as a little giddy. From what I was told, they were both more than a little frisky and very playful.

Vinnie, who can be quite aggressive at times, was more than anxious to take control this evening and Kevin decided not to fight for dominance. Instead, he let Vinnie know he was surrendering himself to him, so to speak, by getting on his back and pulling his legs up to his chest. That pretty much told Vinnie what he was in for and showed him his prize.

Vinnie didn't need any further invitation and quickly grabbed the lube and greased both of them up, so they were ready for the ultimate act of love. Once the preparations had been completed, Vinnie moved into position and slowly eased himself into his lover. Vinnie was so turned on by what was happening that he ended up mimicking a rabbit in heat and machine-gunned his way to ecstasy.

It was over more quickly than Kevin had hoped, even though Vinnie kept pumping in and out of him even after he had ejaculated. It wasn't long after that when Vinnie lost his erection, so there was no way for him to continue. After collapsing for a few minutes and giving himself time to recover and savor the moment of sexual relief, Vinnie let Kevin know he'd be able to enjoy the same pleasure, by getting into position to return the favor.

Although he was just as turned on, Kevin went a little slower, using longer and less rapid strokes. He slid in and out of Vinnie for many minutes before his juices began to boil and rise up his shaft. Once he exploded and released his load, the pair cuddled and enjoyed their lingering highs. When the orgasmic bliss began to wear off, they repositioned themselves and prepared to enjoy the rest of the evening, lovingly embraced in each other's arms.

Chapter 21
Personal Triumphs

School restarted after the Christmas break and a rash of unexpected occurrences immediately confronted me. The first was an unanticipated surprise that made me quite proud. I didn't really think much of it at the time, because I felt I was just a proud parent making more of his child's accomplishments than was actually called for. However, I soon discovered this was not the case and Dion justly deserved the accolades.

It all came about when Dion participated in the holiday concert, before the start of Christmas break. He was a member of the high school chorus, but it turned out he wasn't just part of that group. He had also been selected to perform a very difficult and beautiful solo.

Dion had kept this a secret and didn't divulge the honor to any of us in advance, except for possibly Vinnie. However, if he had told anyone, nobody said a word to me. I was shocked when his name was announced, but by the time he'd finished, I understood why he had been selected. I thought he had done an excellent job and was very impressed with his voice and presence in front of an audience, but I also wondered if this was just due to my fatherly pride. Did Dion actually have that much talent?

Long after the concert ended, I continued to question whether it had been my imagination or if Dion was really that good. Although he had confided to me, on more than one occasion, that he hoped to sing in a group some day, I thought it was just a part of every kid's fantasy. Didn't nearly every child want to grow up and become a rock star or famous pop singer? I knew he had a decent voice, but I didn't realize he had the high quality pipes to actually pull it off.

Once we returned to school, Dion's chorus director came to see me, to share some phone messages and cards she had received about the concert. These had come from friends, faculty members and parents, and I was surprised to learn that many of the writers had actually mentioned Dion specifically. Most made very poignant comments about the song he sang and the range and quality of his voice. Once I'd finished going over them, his chorus director assured me the praise was justly deserved.

I asked if I could borrow these items, so I could share them to Dion, and she happily told me I could. She said I could return them to her when I'd finished and even encouraged me to make copies of them, if Dion wanted to put them in a scrapbook. Before we parted, I thanked her for the excellent job she'd done with him and for sharing these items with us.

When I showed them to Dion later, he was flattered, impressed and maybe even a little embarrassed by the recognition. Once word got out, the other boys wanted to see and hear what everyone else had to say and then they added their own comments about how well they thought Dion had done. I was happy to see there was no jealousy rearing its ugly head here.

I thought this would be the end of the attention and excitement, but it wasn't. Dion's chorus director approached us again, a few days later, to inform us that she wanted to feature him in the end of the year concert as well. Dion and I were stunned and overwhelmed by the offer and stood momentarily speechless. Once Dion recovered, he thanked her for thinking of him and said he'd consider it. As an afterthought, he suggested maybe someone else should have the chance, but she told him solos were reserved for only the very best.

Before we had a chance to respond to her comment, she sprang another surprise on us. She said she had arranged for Dion to receive a scholarship to take private lessons from a professional voice instructor. These lessons would be given every other weekend at the University of Pittsburgh and she even volunteered to drive Dion and a female student there to participate. She informed us this would add polish to his natural talent and help him progress to the next level.

After thanking her for considering Dion for this honor, I told her we'd have to discuss it first, before we made any commitments. She said she understood, but hoped we'd realize what a fantastic opportunity this was and wouldn't pass it up. She then told us to get back to her about it as soon as we were able, because the sessions started in less than a month.

When we got home, Dion and I talked about this in more detail and Dion was very psyched about participating. He thought he would be able to improve his vocal skills to the point where he might even be able to make money singing professionally. Although I understood this to mean he was thinking about being the lead singer in a rock group, I indicated it could also mean singing popular music or another musical genre, including musicals or opera.

I'm not sure Dion was interested in considering those extremes, but he did seem adamant about the vocal lessons, so I agreed it would be a good idea. It was at this point when Dion made a suggestion of his own. He asked me if it would be all right if he asked his chorus director if she'd work with him on the off weekends, so he could get two points of view and improve even quicker. Although I told him there was no rush and I didn't want him to strain his vocal chords by trying to do too much, too fast, he was insistent. Therefore, I gave him permission to broach the idea with her, to see how she felt. If she agreed it wouldn't be too much for him, then I'd go along with it too. After thanking me several times, and giving me a tremendous hug, he ran off to tell Vinnie the good news.

The next issue I had to confront wasn't quite as pleasant. It had to do with Cole's continuing difficulty with academics. Although we've had to deal with his learning problems for a number of years, he had been able to make adequate adjustments or utilized tutors to get him through the rough times. However, as the years progressed, it became more and more difficult for Cole to keep up with the workload. Now, he was midway through his junior year of high school and his grades were either borderline or in dire distress. I think we were all beginning to accept the fact that Cole wasn't college material.

Recognizing the situation, I sat down with Cole and discussed his options, to see where his interests lay. I knew he was good with his hands and had always enjoyed fixing things. He was the one everyone went to when something was wrong with his bike, small device or computer, so I knew Cole was mechanically inclined. Recently, he had also expressed an interest in learning how to work on our vehicles.

After discussing this with him at great length, we decided to switch Cole over to a technical program, where he could take courses in automotive repair, as well as take advantage of the machine and tool shop. He seemed pleased with these choices and relieved that he wouldn't have to continue struggling with the academic subjects that overwhelmed him. He thanked me, repeatedly, for being understanding about his difficulties and giving him a choice that suited him better.

Seeing how pleased Cole was, I told him it was the least I could do. I also confessed that I realized, long ago, that all of my boys had their own strengths and weaknesses, but it didn't mean any of them were less important or less worthy than any of the rest. As our discussion continued, I explained it was time we began to focus on his strengths and establish a future for him where he could be successful and prove he was just as vital a cog to this family as everyone else. I suggested we would meet with his guidance counselors to set this up, if this was what he wanted. He enthusiastically said it was and then he thanked me yet again for being so understanding and for helping to do what was best for him.

As the days of January rocketed by, we heard from Ricky several more times. He was busy making his way around Australia, including taking a quick trip to New Zealand, but he wasn't so preoccupied that he didn't keep us informed. His brothers told him to make sure he took plenty of pictures and videos of every place he went, so he could share them with us when he returned. Ricky promised he would, but his phone calls were merely to let us know where he was and what he was up to.

During the first call after he went off on his own, Ricky gave us the low-down on how Kylie reacted during their last few days together. He told us she cried, carried on and pleaded with him to just spend the last month with her, instead on traveling on his own. He tried to explain this would most likely be his only chance to do something like this, so he couldn't pass up such a wonderful opportunity.

Kylie was upset with him after hearing his reasons for going. She told him that meant he didn't really love her and then she screamed at him to leave. After failing to convince her she misunderstood, she told him she never wanted to see him again.

In a way, I was glad it was over, because I knew their trying to stay together would only muddy the waters of Ricky's future, but I felt his pain and told him so. I commiserated about her rejecting him for nearly an hour, before he finally summed up his take on the relationship.

"Well, it's over, but it was fun while it lasted," he told me, simply. Although I thought he was being too cavalier about this, I decided not to comment on the situation further, so our conversation ended there.

Around mid-month, Mark also came back to live with us. He was returning to work at the bank full-time now, while continuing to handle my personal investments, as well as dealing with parts of the Castaway Foundation's portfolio. He had finished all his coursework at college, and for all intents and purposes was now a college graduate, but his school didn't hold a December graduation. If he wanted to attend a graduation ceremony, he would have to return in May and go through the baccalaureate services with the entire class.

At first he said he was just going to skip it, because it wasn't that important, but I finally convinced him it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and he shouldn't pass it up. I also reminded him that his mother might enjoy attending his graduation too and it would probably make her very proud to see him receive his degree. After considering my comments further, he agreed to attend his graduation ceremony, if only for his mother's sake. I assured him it was a wise decision and I'd arrange for the entire family to be there to see it too. I'd also arrange for his mother's flight and pay her expenses while she was in Arizona, because I knew her financial situation was not very good, and he thanked me for all my help and support.

While we were on the topic of his mother, I suggested it might be wise if he talked to her about moving here, so they could be together again. Seeing he was planning on staying in the area to work, he thought it was a good idea and said he'd bring it up the next time they spoke.

On a totally different front, Cody finished going through the last of his chemotherapy treatments near the end of the month. This meant the oncologist was now ready to re-inject the good cells back into his body. The doctor had taken these cells from Cody before he began chemotherapy and then froze them to use at this time.

The doctor assured me that, from what he could tell, the diseased cells in Cody's body had been totally destroyed. By reintroducing the good cells at this point, they should start duplicating and bring Cody back to his normal, healthy self. The procedure was scheduled to take place two days later and everything went smoothly. Once we were allowed to leave, we were informed the doctor wanted to see Cody again, in a couple of weeks, to make sure the cells were doing what they were supposed to. After thanking him, we left his office feeling confident that everything was going to be all right now.

Even though a lot was going on already, I still had two other matters to occupy my mind. The first concerned Nick. He received a letter at the end of January notifying him that he had been accepted as an exchange student. It also explained he'd be going to a small village, an hour or so away from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Nick was thrilled when he discovered he'd made it, but he was even more excited to learn he'd be going to Brazil, as he wanted. The dates given in the letter indicated he would be leaving a couple of weeks after his own school year ended, which was what had also happened with Ricky. This meant Nick would have to forgo his summer vacation, so he could begin his exchange program, but this didn't seem to be a big deal for him, especially since we'd talked about this possibility previously.

The second matter concerned Ricky. He had just finished his month of independent travel and would be returning home soon. We were going to have to drive to New York City again, to pick him up at Kennedy airport. I think we were all excited about seeing Ricky again, but we would have to take two vehicles to pick him up. That's because the family could no longer squeeze into just one. I thought about chartering a bus, but quickly nixed that idea. We'd be dropping the college boys off on the way back, to allow them a chance to welcome Ricky home first, and the bus just wouldn't work as well.

Jake drove the Suburban and I piloted the van. We got an early start and struck out for the Big Apple, to rescue our prodigal son. Even though I had received numerous emails from Ricky and spoke with him on the phone several times, it didn't mean I was any less excited about seeing him again. I was also very familiar with what he had done while he was away, but I was also looking forward to seeing the pictures and videos of his exploits. I also had a few surprises for Ricky, as I had made some plans of my own for his return.

After a long drive, we reached the airport and waited at a location as close to the baggage claim area as we could get. When Ricky appeared, he spotted us immediately and sprinted in our direction. He honed in on my location and embraced me in an enormous bear hug, nearly squeezing all the air from my lungs in the process. After he relaxed his grip, I kissed his forehead and welcomed him home and then he performed a similar ritual with Jake and all of his brothers.

I got a special kick out of his reaction when he came to Cody. After giving him the once over, Ricky smiled and announced, "You must be my new brother."

Cody beamed from ear-to-ear and nodded vigorously, affirming Ricky's assumption. That's when Ricky wrapped his arms around Cody, lifted him into the air and spun him around in a circle. This made the rest of us jump back, so we didn't get nailed by Cody's wildly swinging feet and legs. Cody was enjoying the attention Ricky was giving him, and after Ricky put him back on the ground, he kissed Cody on the forehead, put his arm around Cody's shoulders and said, "Hey, little bro, would you like to help me carry my bags?"

Cody nodded eagerly and it was obvious he was willing to do anything for this guy he had just met. It was evident Ricky had endeared himself to Cody in just a few minutes, much the same way he had wormed his way into all of our hearts. No one else could have done it any quicker or with less effort than he had.

The rest of us merely stood there watching as this took place and willingly gave the pair all the time they needed to bond. I had concluded, long before they met, that Ricky and Cody would hit it off. They were so much alike. The only thing I didn't foresee was that it would happen this quickly or in such a dramatic way. It was a pleasure to observe though and we were all beaming as those two got to know each other even better.

From that point on, the two of them walked side-by-side. They each carried a portion of Ricky's belongings, although Cody had a very small share, and got to know each other better as they went. I overheard Ricky grilling Cody about many areas of his background, including the aspects he was particularly interested in. When he asked Cody how he liked it at our house so far, Cody told him he loved it. Not only that, but he seemed truly pleased to answer every one of Ricky's questions.

The longer the two of them kept this up, the more it appeared to bother Graham. I could tell he felt he was the one Cody needed right now, but he wasn't included in their private homecoming. Guessing what he was going through, I quickly pulled him aside, so I could speak with him alone. When I had his undivided attention, I told him what Cody really needed was to know everyone in the family was there for him, not just his boyfriend. Graham looked shocked when I used that term, so I explained it was evident, at least to me, that was what they were and I think my use of that word made him feel a little better. After we discussed this topic in more detail, he finally gave in and agreed to leave Cody and Ricky alone. He made it clear he would continue on, without butting in.

Graham did admit that he'd missed Ricky too, since he'd been one of Ricky's cohorts in the past. They had spent a great deal of time together, pulled pranks as a team and even shared the same bed. After reasoning it out, he felt Ricky might be able to spend time with Cody and him together, and maybe they'd even include Cole. I told him that was a great idea and he should mention it to the others, once we returned home.

Ricky and Cody continued their discussion, and when the topic moved to Cody's illness, Ricky insisted on knowing all about it. He even wanted to know if there was anything he could do to help, which only impressed Cody more. After thanking Ricky for his offer, Cody told him things were going very well and he hoped to be completely cured before long. In response, Ricky said he was glad to hear it, but also let Cody know he'd be there for him, just the same.

I think it was obvious to most of us that Cody and Ricky were as much alike as two peas in a pod. The only exception was the difference in their ages. When it was time to leave, Cody asked if he could sit beside Ricky on the way home, and when he was told he could, he also made sure Graham was sitting on his other side.

All the way back, Ricky told stories about his time in Australia and showed his brothers some of the souvenirs he had brought home with him. These were things everyone could appreciate and enjoy, beginning with a couple of boomerangs. The mere mention of these usual treats seemed to interest more than just Cody and Graham and I could just imagine these aboriginal weapons whizzing around our yard, possibly taking out windows or cracking a few skulls in the process. I'll have to issue some warnings, before I allow these little gadgets to be unleashed on the old homestead.

Ricky had also brought home a didjeridu. It's an aboriginal musical instrument, which he became familiar with while he was traveling. Although he didn't share the details with us, it appeared he had learned how to play it, somewhere along the line. He admitted he wasn't very good with it and it wasn't great sounding, but he'd teach anyone who wanted to learn what he knew. A few of the boys seemed interested, especially Cody, so I knew Ricky was going to have at least one student.

Ricky also told them about some of the things he had on video, in particular the moments he knew they'd all appreciate. This included some footage of a short tour he'd taken in the Outback. He told us that experience was kind of wild and freaky, but he was sure that aspect of it would also be apparent when we saw it. He explained to the others that he felt a little like Crocodile Dundee on that leg of his trip, although he didn't really get near any wild creatures or do anything dangerous. It was just the feeling he had while he was out there. This seemed to intrigue the boys, so they were hardly able to contain themselves, until they got to see the videos for themselves.

Chapter 22
Welcome Back

Jake and I were going in different directions after leaving New York City, so we could drop the college boys off at their various campuses. They had to return for the start of classes again, but they gave Ricky some parting shots, before they left. Some teased him about having to return to his normal, boring life again, while others joked that he wasn't going to feel special or like a celebrity any longer. He was once again just another small fish in the large Currie pond. Ricky took the ribbing in stride, and even gave back a few shots of his own, but it was all in fun.

We did enjoy a meal together first, but then everyone said their good-byes and we took off. After driving a couple of hours, we decided to stop for the night. It was already getting late, we were all very tired and it was just too much driving for one day, so both groups spent the night at a motel.

After a quick brunch the following morning, we set off again. Once we dropped off our college students, we continued our journey, and a few hours later arrived home. As we pulled into the driveway, I quickly noted that Jake had beaten us back, but then I was distracted, when Ricky looked out the window. He quickly spotted the huge banner we had hung from the roof over the porch, welcoming his return, and was eager to comment about it. As he was doing this, our front door burst open and Jay came charging out to welcome his best friend home.

Jay had probably missed Ricky as much, if not more, than the rest of us, just because the pair had always been so close. Even though Ricky had sent emails, post cards and spoken to him a few times on the phone, it was being around Ricky that Jay had missed the most. Typical of the old Jay, but most likely caused by his great excitement, he tripped as he raced down the sidewalk and did a header beside the van, just as Ricky was getting out.

"Still a major klutz, I see," Ricky told him, grinning.

Jay was embarrassed by this seeming regression to his uncoordinated past, but he knew how to respond. "I just wanted to make you feel at home and show you nothing had changed," he retorted, while flashing a toothy grin.

"Well, you knew exactly what to do then," Ricky teased back. The two boys laughed and then hugged each other, and now Jay and Cody helped Ricky gather all his things and take them into the house.

As Ricky entered the old homestead, he got another momentary shock, when voices screamed out, "Surprise!" Now, bodies began to flood the room from all directions, as everyone came out from hiding. I wasn't sure if Jake had picked them all up or if they had left their vehicles somewhere else and walked the rest of the way, but I hadn't noticed any of their vehicles nearby.

Ricky was amazed, and touched, that so many people were here. Among his 'greeters' were the Spences, the Shays, Aunt Sally, the Beckers and Mark. As Ricky was saying hello to everyone, Little Ricky broke out of the pack and came tearing up to him. He just had to give his idol a special welcome home.

In addition to the guests I have already mentioned, several of Ricky's school friends, including his old girl friend, were also there. In fact, she planted a very affectionate welcome back kiss on him and I was worried he might gag, as she rammed her tongue down his throat. It was one of the few times I have actually witnessed Ricky blush.

Once the kiss ended, all of his brothers began to tease him. Even though he had just returned, they were unwilling to pass up this opportunity to give Ricky a bit of his own medicine. Ricky, however, handled it well, knowing he had to be able to take it, as well as dish it out. After enduring a few minutes of good-natured ribbing, including some mimicking of the kiss he had just received, Ricky tried to move on. However, this ended when Mr. Spence got into the act and teased Ricky that he didn't realize he was such a lady's man and a good 'smoocher.' Everyone got a chuckle out of his comment and Mr. Spence got an elbow in the ribs from his wife, who thought he had gone a little too far.

There was also a bit of a surprise for me too, since the ladies had whipped up a big meal for us to enjoy together. Someone had borrowed a few banquet tables, I suspect from the courthouse, and set one of them to butt up to our dining room table. A couple of others had been set up in the rec room, so the younger crowd could enjoy some privacy as they welcomed Ricky back. After eating the food our friends had prepared, we ended up by cutting into the humongous cake I had ordered prior to going to pick Ricky up. All in all, it was a nice finishing touch to an enjoyable meal.

I guess I should have suspected our extended family wouldn't pass up an opportunity to do something special like this and it was a wonderful gesture. Ricky made sure to acknowledge his appreciation in his own, inimitable fashion, by giving the women a kiss and the men 'Dutch rubs.' A Dutch rub is where you wraps one arm around the victim's neck and then rub the knuckles of your other hand across the top of the guy's head and through his hair, if he has any. It may sound cruel, and it does simulate a rug burn, but it was all done in fun.

In fact, everyone seemed to accept it as being part of Ricky's unique style, although I'm not so sure they would have been so gracious if anyone else had done the same thing to them. It's just that they all knew Ricky so well and realized it was his way of showing he cared about someone. Since no one was hurt, they laughed it off and told him it was nice to have him back.

Once that was over, Ricky asked one of his brothers to put on some music. None of us understood why and wondered what he was up to, but once the first notes filled the air, it became clear. Ricky immediately began asking each of the women to dance with him, as another way of thanking them for all of their effort and hard work. After he finished cutting the rug with the older ladies, Ricky ended up doing a very sensuous slow dance with his old girlfriend.

Once the music ended, Ricky interacted with our guests for a couple more hours, but spent much of that time paying particular attention to Little Ricky and Cody. After that, he asked if he could take off with his friends for a while and I told him he could, since I'd figured there might be a certain young lady he wanted to spend more time with. I thought it might help him get over having to leave Kylie behind and hoped it would make him forget about their less than harmonious separation.

I told him to just go and I'd explain his departure to everyone else and apologize for his sudden disappearance. Liking this idea, he gave me a hug and kissed me on the cheek, even in front of his friends. I think each of them understood we were very close and this was just part of Ricky's nature. They all thanked me as they left, with the girls giving me a peck on the cheek and the guys shaking my hand before they took off. Once they were gone, I told the others that Ricky had some catching up to do and I think they all got my drift. No one made any negative comments about his leaving and we stayed together a little longer, before they went home too.

I understand Ricky and his friends only stayed together for less than an hour, before Ricky and his old girlfriend went off on their own. I think the others suspected something like this was going to happen, even Jay, so they didn't make a big deal about it either.

Ricky used the time to inform his old girlfriend about Kylie. It might not have been the wisest or most diplomatic move, but he needed to get their breakup off his chest. He was eager to verbalize how difficult it had been for him to leave and how she had reacted. Surprisingly, the girl was sympathetic and comforting concerning Ricky's pain, but maybe it was merely to use this opening to get back together with him again.

As Ricky relived those painful memories, she wrapped him in her arms, in an effort to console him. At first she was only concerned with making him feel better, but soon it evolved into something more. Before long, they were involved in a very passionate kiss, complete with probing tongues again. That led to them aggressively making out, like they had done in the past, although it never escalated into sex. I think that, night she helped Ricky put Kylie completely behind him, so now he was ready to move on with his life.

The next day, Sunday, was reserved as a 'family only' day, but of course Jay was included. He had spent the night with us, but hey, he's family too. The first thing we did was to go to church together, something we did on a fairly regular basis. Today we would acknowledge our sincere thanks for Ricky's safe return, for Nick's being selected as an exchange student and for Cody's medical progress, thus far. Of course there was much more that we were also thankful for, but these were the items currently at the top of our list and, therefore, the ones that seemed to take priority.

At the very pinnacle of the list, however, were our prayers asking God to continue to watch over Cody and guide his future recovery. This was definitely the most important issue and the one that concerned us most deeply. Even though his treatment had started off well, the doctor had indicated there were many more hurdles for him to overcome and we didn't want him to experience any setbacks. To that end, we were going to do our best to ensure he made it through this horrific ordeal.

During the service, I noticed Cody was sitting between Ricky and Graham again, but I knew his fascination with Ricky would probably be short lived. Once Ricky got into his classes and was back together with his friends, I knew the age difference would limit the amount of time he wanted to spend with Cody. It's not that Cody was that much younger, but Ricky's tastes included more mature activities.

Don't get me wrong. I don't think Ricky will totally ignore Cody, but I believe he will dole out the time he spends with him to coincide with when he isn't involved in pursuits he enjoys more. Besides, once Cody's current infatuation with the older version of himself eventually lessens, Cody will focus more on those closer to his own age, especially the one he is romantically attracted to. From that point on, they'd each go their separate way, but neither would be any the worse for the time they spent with each other.

In the end, I figured it would be Cody and Graham who would most likely end up together and depend on one another. They were closer in age, had a physical attraction to each other and had already shown a strong bond. Ricky was only a temporary distraction, or the 'novelty de jour,' but those types of attractions never seem to last for very long.

The church service was fairly short, at least when you considered how long they generally last, and afterward we were barraged by people who wanted to speak with Ricky or were curious to discover how Cody was making out with his treatments. They knew about Cody's situation because the pastor had asked the congregation to pray for him when he first began the procedure and this made me realize how nice it is to be part of a larger family too, like your church or the community, in general.

After we left the church, I took everyone out to brunch, which gave us more time to talk and enjoy each other's company. Going out to eat like this is one of my favorite activities on Sunday. I just love to have the family together and I'm always extremely proud of my boys, but that feeling is only magnified when we're out in public. This isn't just because they are such a great group, but I also never have to worry about them doing anything seriously wrong or inappropriate. There is an added bonus too, in that I never tire hearing compliments from total strangers about their manners and how well they conduct themselves. Whenever that happens, it always makes me feel exceptionally proud that they're my sons.

The boys spent the remainder of Sunday afternoon playing games and then after dinner we got our first look at some of the videos Ricky had taken on his trip. The first video showed Ricky's host family, their home and the school he had attended. We even got our first glimpse of Kylie and it was easy to see why Ricky was so taken with her. She was quite a looker and had a very infectious smile and personality. Watching how he looked at her on the screen and listening to the comments he made about her to his brothers, I could tell Ricky still had very deep feelings for her. Not only could I see he was still smitten, but I could sense a touch of remorse over the way their relationship had ended.

Even though I realized there probably wasn't anything I could do to make this situation any easier for him, I still felt his pain. I know what it's like to love someone so strongly, but find you're unable to be with him. That happened before I admitted to myself who I really was and I've regretted that lost opportunity ever since. Regardless of how desperately I wanted to console him, I kept my mouth shut and refused to broach this topic, until I could get him alone later.

The second video was of Ricky, his host brother, Peter, and some of their friends playing soccer. I was told Kylie taped all of this and it was quite jerky and focused almost entirely on Ricky, but the remainder of the tape included one of the day trips he had taken with his host family.

The next tape was of another trip they had taken together, but the end of that video contained a lengthy view of Ricky and Peter skinny-dipping in the host family's pool. Ricky quickly explained that this took place in December, between Christmas and New Year's, which is summertime in Australia. He told us only the two of them were home at the time and he had talked Peter into trying this with him. Ricky had placed the camcorder on the patio table and managed to flick it on when Peter wasn't looking. Therefore, no one actually took these shots, which explained why the boys kept disappearing out of the frame.

Ricky seemed amused that Peter had no idea he had done this or that he had pictures of Peter's tackle. Then, about halfway through viewing their escapades, Ricky informed us he was planning on sending Peter an email later, to inform him about the tape. He felt it was safe to let Peter know what he had done, now that he was back home.

Ricky said he was pretty sure Peter wouldn't mind that he had done this, but he wanted to make sure we all got to 'see' the real Peter, as he knew some of his brothers would be particularly interested in this cute guy. He was right on that point, because there were numerous comments about Peter's body and vital areas, and I could see the wheels spinning in some of my boys' heads, as they ogled this young hunk. Before the video ended, a few even began to seriously lobby me about bringing Peter to our home, as an exchange student.

The next video contained the visual record of the first portion of Ricky's solo trip. It gave us some great shots of a variety of Australia's native inhabitants, both animal and human, and we were amazed by what we saw. Ricky had zoomed in on some kangaroos hopping nonchalantly in the Outback and we also got a really good view of a pack of dingoes (wild dogs). He even had some close-ups of a group crocodiles sunning themselves on a bank, while a bunch of other crocs we lurking just below the surface of the water. It was a real eye-opener as to how close he must have been to them at that point, although Ricky emphasized there was a still a considerable distance between them.

Ricky also insisted he had never placed himself in any danger on the trip, or at any other time, and it was the zoom lens that made it appear as if he were closer than he actually was. I told him I was glad to hear that, but his brothers thought he had taken more chances than he was willing to admit, so they started calling him Mick. If you don't remember, that was Crocodile Dundee's first name.

On that same video, there was also a short segment that showed Ricky with some Bushmen. It wasn't what you might think though. This was an unusual group of Bushmen and they didn't cling solely to the old ways. These people made money allowing themselves to be photographed with tourists, which enabled them to purchase things they would not otherwise have access to.

This group also covered more areas of their body than we might normally have expected, but this was probably done to avoid offending the sensibilities of the tourists. They were still an interesting group and willingly performed a couple of traditional ceremonies, which were unique to their kind. They also eagerly demonstrated a few ancient survival skills, which had been passed down from one generation to the next, throughout the ages. It was quite enlightening and everyone seemed to enjoy sharing some of Ricky's fascination with the 'land down under.'

We decided to finish with that video and leave the rest for another day. Besides, I knew some of the boys still had homework to finish and the rest had other things to do, in order to be ready for their classes on Monday. Ricky would be rejoining his class at that time and I could tell he was looking forward to it, or maybe just looking forward to seeing a certain young lady again. Whatever the reason, he was in high spirits and looking ahead to the next day.

Ricky's mood was also more upbeat because he and Jay were back together again, plus the fact that he was bonding quickly with his newest brother. However, that last combination had me concerned, since Ricky was also trying to lure Cody into pulling some pranks with him. Cody was a little timid about doing such things, but given time I knew Ricky would win out. Despite that small detail, I'd say it had been a very successful homecoming.

Ricky's adjustment with returning to school went smoothly and he was glad to be back for the end of his senior year. He understood it meant he'd be able to attend the prom, enjoy the end of year parties and participate in the graduation ceremony. This didn't mean it would be all fun and games though. Ricky would still have to finish up the last couple of credits he needed to graduate and he'd be taking double sessions in some subjects, to make up for the semester he had already missed. We both knew it wasn't going to be easy, but Ricky had opted to do it this way and I trusted he'd hold up his end of the bargain.

Chapter 23
Many Plans

On Tuesday, Cody had his next appointment with the oncologist and I was anxious to learn how he was doing. After we were called in, one of the staff drew some blood from Cody's arm and took it to the lab to be analyzed. The oncologist had the ability to do this at his office, where our regular doctor had to use the hospital for such procedures.

We were left sitting in the examination room while the blood was being processed, but twenty minutes passed before the doctor joined us. Unfortunately, he wasn't smiling when he entered, but I hoped it was merely due to the fact that he was either busy or tired. He shut the door, turned toward us and spoke.

"I'm afraid things aren't going as well as I'd hoped," he announced.

"What do you mean?" I asked, while trying to control my urge to panic.

"The reintroduction of Cody's cells into his system hasn't worked as I anticipated," he explained. "From what I can tell, his body isn't producing new, healthy cells, as we expected. It's possible his cells weren't quite as healthy or strong as we had hoped, so they didn't take hold."

"Does that mean his body is producing more diseased cells?" I asked, concerned.

"No, not that I can detect," he told me. "However, we have to find a way to get his body producing the healthy cells again, and in order to do that, it looks like we'll need an outside donor."

"That's not a problem," I told him. "My family has been begging to be tested, to see if they could donate cells to Cody, so all you'll have to do is tell us where to go and when."

"I'm pleased to know they are so eager," he replied, "but Cody is not biologically related to any of the family, is he?"

"No. Is that a problem?" I wondered.

"Not a problem, exactly, but when the patient's own cells don't take, we'd prefer to use someone biologically connected to the patient," he explained. "There's a better chance of them taking that way."

I wanted to be honest and speak openly with the doctor, but Cody was in the room, so I didn't say what I'd planned. I wanted to spare Cody from having to listen to me explain that he had no living relatives and the various circumstances surrounding his life. After thinking about this some more, I whispered to the oncologist.

"I think we should speak in private about this, doctor." Regrettably, Cody overheard my comment.

"No way," he blurted out. "This is about me and I have a right to hear what's going on." He had this very determined look on his face as he said this.

"Cody," I began, as I tried to smooth his ruffled feathers, "sometimes it's better if we don't have to relive some of the bad parts of our life. I just wanted to spare you from having to go through that."

"You mean because my mother's dead and I still don't know who my father is?" he shot back. The harshness with which he stated this shocked me, but he was correct.

"Yes, that's partly it," I admitted. "I know discussing things of this nature can bring back many unpleasant memories and create anxiety."

"I don't care," Cody declared. "I want to be here, so I can listen to what's going on."

"Are you sure about this?" I asked. I was still hoping he'd change his mind, because I didn't want him to feel worse than he already did. However, after noting his look of determination, I had to concede he wasn't about to give in on this one.

"Yes, Dad, I'm sure," he announced. He was smiling broadly at me now and I knew it was because he had just called me dad. I'm not sure if he did this for the doctor's benefit or if he thought it would be an incentive to get me to do what he wanted.

"Okay, if you're so determined, you might as well listen in," I told him, in resignation. Then I turned toward the doctor and continued. "Cody's mother passed away, and as far as I know, she didn't know for certain who Cody's father was."

"That's not right," Cody interrupted. "She told me it was one of two guys, she just didn't know which one. She gave me their names, in case I ever wanted to look them up."

"Do you have those names?" the doctor asked.

"Yes. I keep the paper with their names on it with my other things," he explained.

"Do you think we could try to find them, to see if one of them is a match?" the doctor asked. "That would actually be Cody's best chance of beating this."

"If it will help Cody get better, I'd fly to the moon to find them," I concurred. Hearing me say this, Cody gave me the most loving look you could ever imagine. I think it was because he knew I'd do just about anything, if it would help him get better.

"Good," the oncologist replied, breaking the momentary connection Cody and I had established. It also caused us to look back at the doctor. "I'll need them located and tested as soon as possible, to see if either is a match."

"And what if they're not?" I asked.

"In that case, we'll test your family," he informed me. "If none of them is a match, then we'll search the National Marrow Donor Program registry."

"Can't you test us now, just to save time, in case we aren't able to locate them," I pressed. "I didn't want to waste valuable time later and jeopardize his chance for recovery, if that is the case."

"Yes, that probably would be prudent," he agreed. "I'll have my receptionist set up appointments for anyone who wants to be tested. We'll schedule the procedure to be done in two days, if that's all right with you. Just tell her the names and ages of those you wish to include."

"Do the boys have to be a minimum age to donate?" I asked, since I was afraid there might be.

"They would need to be at least 18, if they wanted to be part of the national registry," he stated, and I started to become discouraged. "However, younger donors have been used when they were related to the patient. Even though your boys are not blood relatives, I'd be willing to make sure they're all tested and use any of them who are willing." My spirits suddenly soared again.

"That's fantastic news, and I'm fairly positive the boys will be eager to help," I informed him. "I think the younger ones would have felt slighted and left out, if they couldn't at least be tested."

"Then we'll make sure everyone who wants to be tested is," he reaffirmed. "Do you know how many of these tests we'll need to arrange for then?"

"I'm not sure yet, at least not until I ask the boys when I get home," I replied. "I would suspect they would all want to be included, but I'll go home and ask them, just to be certain. Once I have a firm number, I'll call back and let your receptionist know. As I said, I'm pretty sure it will be most, if not all of them. Is there anything else you'll need from us or anything else we should do?"

"That's it for now, but I'll also forward Cody's file to the National Donor Registry, to see if they can come up with a donor match," he added. "We might as well get that started too, just to be on the safe side. That way we'll have an option, in case no one in the family matches."

"That's great and I promise to get back to you shortly about the number of my boys who wish to be tested," I confirmed. "I appreciate everything you're doing for Cody, Doctor, and thank you for all of your help."

Although I was hoping for better and more definitive news about Cody's condition, I was satisfied the oncologist was doing everything he could. Now that these issues were settled, we thanked the doctor and went out to pay the bill. I told the receptionist I'd call her back shortly, to let her know how many appointments would be needed. I figured I could bring the college boys back later, if it proved to be necessary. Once everything was completed, I guided Cody out to the car and drove home.

As soon as we got back, I urged Cody to bring me the paper with the two names on it. I wanted to get started trying to find his father as quickly as was humanly possible. That was enough to motivate Cody to race up to his room, well he went as quickly as he could, and he soon returned holding a yellowed and crumpled piece of paper. As he handed it to me, he spoke.

"I already know that neither of these men is very nice, so you don't have to worry about saying anything that might hurt my feelings," he confessed, although he looked slightly embarrassed that he'd had to reveal this information.

"Cody, who they are, or were, has nothing to do with who you are now," I explained. "You are one of the finest young men I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, and just because one of your parents might not have been the most upstanding citizens around, it certainly is no reflection on you. You have nothing to prove and nothing to be ashamed of."

"Thanks, Dad. I appreciate you saying that," he told me and I could see he was glad I felt this way. "The other boys have all told me you're great when they need you most, so I sure am glad I got to come here to live."

"Hey, I'm only taking care of my boys, the way a father should do," I reasoned, "and they're the finest group of young men a guy could ever hope to call his sons. Now, why don't you go do something fun, while I make some calls to see if we can locate these two fellows." He smiled, hugged me and gave me a peck on the cheek, before he went off to find something to do.

As I glanced at the two names on the paper, I began to appreciate the fact that Cody's mother had been smart enough to do this for him. It certainly saved us a lot of time and effort, but seeing the names also made me wonder which had been her pimp and who had been the John. I guess it didn't really matter, but if one of the two had to be his father, I was hoping it was the John. Maybe he was a nice guy in real life and was just unlucky at love. Maybe he just needed a sexual outlet from time to time, without the emotional bonds of a relationship.

I felt even more strongly about this because I knew the other was not only a pimp, but also a drug pusher to boot. I certainly didn't want Cody to have to bear that burden now too. However, I guess we'll have to cross that bridge when we come to it too.

Being uncertain as to how to go about finding these two men, I contacted my best friend and legal advisor, Steve Shay. I described the situation and asked for his advice as to what my next move should be. He quickly explained he had a private investigator he used from time to time and gave me the guy's name and phone number. He told me to get in touch with him and say Steve had referred me. I thanked him profusely, because I was once more in his debt. He continually came to my assistance, whenever I needed him, and you just can't replace that type of friend.

Once I was alone, I called the private investigator. He picked up the phone on the third ring.

"John Stokes Investigations," the voice answered.

"Hi, Mr. Stokes. My name is Josh Currie and Judge Steven Shay referred me to you," I informed him.

"Ah, yes, Steve. He's a good man and an even better client," he quipped. "Do you know him well?'

"Yes, he's my best friend," I confided. "We have been close for a very long time and he's also honorary Uncle to all my boys."

"All your boys? I take it you have a large family then?" he responded.

"You might say that and I'm calling you because I need your assistance to help one of them." I went on to explain the situation, by telling him about Cody's illness and emphasizing the urgency in finding the two gentlemen in question. I also gave him information about myself and explained how this was going to affect the entire family. He listened carefully and then spoke.

"What information do you have, to help me find these guys?" he wanted to know.

"The boy's mother left him a piece of paper, giving him their full names, nicknames and a third item, which I assume to be their date of birth," I replied. "I hope this information is sufficient and accurate, but I can't vouch for it."

"Well, let me copy it down and then I'll do some preliminary investigative work," he agreed. "Before you hang up, I'll try to give you an idea about the chances of my being successful in locating them. Did Steve also explain to you how I bill my clients?"

"Yes, and that's perfectly fine with me," I agreed. "I'll even pay you a bonus, if you can locate them quickly."

"Then I'll start as soon as we hang up," he quipped, "but before I do, you have to realize this might not be easy. I'll begin by seeing if they have any criminal history and I'll also try to determine if they've paid taxes anytime during the past ten years. Either of these sources would give me their last known address and social security number.

"If I can't locate them that way, then I'll check drivers' records, beginning with their last known state of residency. If that is unsuccessful, I'll spread my search out to adjoining states, until I find something. I will also check the Internet and scan the phone listings and such, and hopefully one of those searches will do the trick. If not, I'll resort to plan B, but I'll be in touch with you, just as soon as I learn anything."

I thanked him, hung up and then just sat and wondered how long this was going to take. Cody couldn't afford for it to be a lengthy and dragged out process, so I hoped my offer of a bonus would encourage the P.I. to come up with results in a timely manner.

I had already explained everything to Jake earlier and told him I wanted to have a meeting with the other boys, without Cody being around. I didn't want his presence to pressure them into making a decision they might not be comfortable with. Jake then suggested he'd take Cody out alone for a while, so the two of them could spend a little quality time together. That would give me the opportunity I needed to explain everything to the boys at home.

Jake was emphatic and very sincere when he told me to make sure I included him in on the list of those to be tested. I knew this meant a great deal to him, as well, since he had become fond of Cody too. Before he left, Jake said he'd take Cody to the mall, to distract him, and he'd allow him to select a 'welcome to the family' gift, from him. I told him that was an excellent idea and I suspected Cody wouldn't catch on to what we were up to.

After Jake and Cody left, I called the boys together for the meeting. I filled them in briefly about trying to locate Cody's father, but just in case, we would go ahead with having everyone tested that wanted to be tested too. Once they understood, I filled them in about the testing procedures that would be used to determine compatibility. I was careful to let them know everything it entailed, so they could make an informed decision. I wanted to make certain they understood every detail completely, before they committed to anything. Once I felt they were aware of what they were facing, I asked them to let me know if they might be willing to do this for their newest brother.

I didn't have to wait long for the answer to that question, as everyone began to shout various positive responses, such as "I do," "Include me," and "Me too." Even though I had expected this sort of response, I didn't expect them to react so quickly or make such an unconditional show of support. It was really a joy to witness and made me even prouder of each and every one of them.

When we finished our little meeting, I phoned the doctor's office, to let them know how many had volunteered to be tested. I think they were quite amazed that everyone had agreed, but quickly emphasized it should increase the chances that one of us might be a match. The receptionist explained she'd call the hospital lab to make sure they could handle this many and would then call me back to let me know how many of us they could handle and the times we should be there.

Once that was settled, she told me the doctor had mentioned that he wished all of his patients had this kind of support, but admitted too many had to go through things like this alone or with minimal family support. Although I knew in my mind it was true, my heart ached for all those who found themselves in such a situation.

When I'd finished my conversation, I phoned the boys in college, to let them know what was going on too. It also gave me an opportunity to see if they might want to get tested as well, since I didn't want them to feel left out of this opportunity.

After each of them informed me they wished to be included too, I told them to contact the local Red Cross unit in their area, to see what they'd need to do to be tested. I informed them they'd probably have to set it up to be tested for the national registry, but that would also make them available to Cody as well, since the registry would be searching for a match for him too. This way they might be able to donate to Cody, without having to miss classes and come home to do it.

Chapter 24
Digging Into the Past

The next day, the private investigator called to tell us he had located one of the two men we were looking for. It happened to be the pimp/drug dealer and he was currently serving a 20-year to life conviction for dealing drugs. I wasn't surprised to learn this, but I suspected he might already be dead by now. I figured he could have been killed by a rival drug dealer, died from an overdose or contracted AIDS from a drug needle or one of his pros. Fortunately, this was not the case.

Even though it was encouraging to discover he was alive, I now had the unenviable task of trying to convince him to do the right thing. I wasn't even sure he'd even know what doing the right thing was, even if it jumped up and bite him in the ass, but I had to get him to agree to be tested. It was imperative to determine if he was a genetic match to Cody. However, until I was positive he was Cody's father and was willing to help his son, I was not going to tell Cody that we had located him.

After thanking the P.I. for his diligent work, I contacted Steve, to see if he could arrange for the two of us to visit this guy in prison. I wanted Steve to join me for two reasons. First, I knew a lawyer would be able to get access to a prisoner more quickly than I could, and second, I wanted him there to advise me of any legal ramifications of anything I might do or offer this guy, to get him to cooperate.

Of course, Steve was more than willing to help and I suddenly felt better knowing I could rely on his company and counsel. He even offered to set this up for me, so shortly after I spoke with him; Steve called the prison and arranged a time for us to visit. He merely explained he had legal issues he needed to discuss with the prisoner, while knowing he couldn't be pressed for details about an attorney-client meeting. It didn't take long to receive our approval for this meeting and it would happen the following day, after we were tested to see if any of us were an acceptable match to Cody.

All night long, I mentally rehearsed what I was going to say, since I figured I'd only have one shot at gaining his cooperation. After carefully evaluating my options, I chose the approach I was going to use. I speculated it would be highly unlikely he would agree to be tested, unless we offered him some sort of incentive, especially since I knew his background.

As it became clear as to how I was going to deal with this man, I also tried to picture what he might look like. At first I thought he might be one of those dandy-type pimps, who likes to dress in expensive and outlandish styles of clothing, like you might see on one those police shows on television. Then I added in the fact that he also dealt drugs, so I began to envision him as a hardcore gang member. I now saw him as being rough, unyielding and totally uncooperative. I knew he was probably also going to be a tough nut to crack, which made me even more grateful Steve was going to be there too, so I wouldn't have to face him alone.

The following morning, Jake and I loaded everyone into the vehicles and drove to the hospital. When we arrived, the staff in the lab looked at us skeptically. I think they were surprised at how young some of the boys were. This could be due to the fact that they were used to the requirement that registry donors had to be between 18 and 60 years of age.

I must give them credit, however, as the lab was prepared for this large group to come in for testing and they proved to be quite efficient. As I talked to the young man working with me, he admitted they had expected members of a community organization, such as the Lion's club or the Kiwanis, or possibly even employees from the same business, but not this. He stated they certainly weren't anticipating a family, especially one that included so many young members.

While we were chatting, someone else called their supervisor and questioned testing children this young, but they were soon told the cells were for a family member and this had been okayed by the doctor. Once that had was settled, I was quietly asked if any of the boys were biologically related. I guessed they noticed the many differences. When I confirmed they weren't, I was informed the chances of finding an acceptable match were negligible. I responded by saying I understood the percentages, but I still wanted everyone tested, since I didn't want to lose a son and the boys didn't want to lose a brother. Once that was settled, the staff went about performing their duties.

The first group of five, which included myself, was taken to separate areas, divided by curtains, where the blood would be drawn. When that group was finished, the next set was led in, until everyone was tested.

Although a couple of the boys reacted slightly to what was being done to them, no one fainted or asked for the technician to stop. Before we left, I was told the boys did as well as most of the people they tested, so the staff figured we must all really love the person we were doing this for. When I concurred with that statement, many of the staff members wished us, and Cody, the very best.

I thanked them for their kindness and efficiency and commented that the procedure had taken much less time than I had anticipated. Even though we had been split up into three groups to donate, everything went smoothly and we would soon be able to go on with our daily routines. Before we left, I was assured the hospital would rush the analysis portion of the matching process and the doctor would be informed if anyone were a match. I thanked them once again and now we just had to wait until we got the results back. Hopefully, we'd discover at least one of us was eligible to donate to Cody.

Once we got back home, I kept the Grand Am to take on the trip, and let one of my high school drivers take the van. After I saw them off, I went to pick Steve up at his office. On the ride to the prison, I explained to him the things I planned to do and say, to get his assessment and advice. By the time we reached the prison parking lot, I was pretty sure how I was going to conduct this interview.

Since this was my first time visiting a secure facility, I was a little amazed and intimidated by what we had to go through. Steve told me later that the procedure we endured was much easier than the normal process mandated for those entering the prison. This was because we were considered legal representatives, so our status made us exempt from certain searches and other procedures, such as body cavity searches. Even so, we had to pass through two separate security stations, where armed guards watched our every move. We were patted down and searched for weapons and other contraband, but other than that, nothing more evasive happened.

Once the guards were satisfied we were clean, they escorted us through a series of barred doorways. We had to be buzzed through each one of these separately, in order to gain access to the areas beyond. When we reached our final destination, we were then escorted into a locked room, where we would be able to sit and talk with the prisoner. We had to wait for a couple of minutes before he was led in to the room and he didn't look pleased about seeing us. He was restrained, by use of handcuffs and shackles, with a chain connecting the two items. This was done for our protection and a standard way of dealing with those inmates classified as potentially dangerous.

"Who the hell are you guys and what the fuck do you want with me?" he spat out, shortly after the guard closed the door behind him.

"My name is Steve Shay and I'm an attorney," Steve began. "This is my friend and associate, Josh Currie, and he is the reason we are here. He has some questions he would like to ask you?"

"Well, whatever you want, I'm not going to help you," he replied, venomously.

"You might want to change your mind," I countered, "as there might be something in it for you."

"Then it's going to cost you big time," he replied smugly. "I don't give up nothin' for free and I'm not cheap."

"If you are cooperative," I began, "I will make sure you are properly reimbursed. If you are able to help me, I will see that money is added to your inmate account, but how much I add will depend on how well you cooperate."

I had done some research and discovered each inmate had such an account and they are one of their most valuable assets in prison. Since prisoners are not allowed to have money on them, any funds they acquire, either from working various jobs at the prison or money given to them by family or friends, are recorded in their personal account, which is maintained by the prison. The inmates can use this money to buy cigarettes, purchase certain snacks and drinks, or to secure a limited number of items from the prison run store.

"So, what is it you want?" he spat back.

"Do you remember Marianne Reynolds?" I asked, looking him squarely in the eye.

"Hey, man. I haven't seen that whore in years," he immediately countered, as a look of concern spread across his face.

"We know that and she's no longer alive," I responded, "but she is part of the reason we're here."

"Man, if anything happened to that bitch, I had nothing to do with it," he stated, defiantly.

"No one said you did," I assured him. "She died of natural causes."

"Then why did you mention her and what does it have to do with me?" he wanted to know.

"Did you ever have sex with her?" I followed. Before he answered, he studied me for a minute, to see if he could determine what I was up to.

"Oh, shit, man! Did that slut go and die of AIDS?" he nearly screamed. "And now you're here to tell me she might have passed that shit on to me, right?" You could just see the anger in his gaze.

"Well, she did die of AIDS, but that's not why we're here," I explained. "She had a son and he's been diagnosed with leukemia. We would like you to take a DNA test, to see if you are the boy's biological father."

"What the fuck difference would that make?" he shot back. "There is no way you can stick me with his bills, make me pay support or have him come live with me, so what the hell is up?" He was now eyeing me suspiciously.

"No, that is not why we're here either," I told him, while trying to remain calm. "All of his bills are covered and we don't even want him to know you are his father, if that is the case. However, if you do turn out to be his biological father, we are hoping you would also be willing to donate some blood and bone marrow, to help save his life."

"Fuck, if the kid's anything like me or his old lady, then he's probably better off dead," he quipped. This comment caused my blood to boil and I totally lost it at that point.

"You selfish son-of-a-bitch," I screamed at him. "He happens to be a great kid and I'm planning on adopting him, once we clear up the paternity issue. We were just hoping you might do the fatherly thing and help save him, if he is your son."

He thought for a moment, before he responded. "Well, I guess if you are willing to put enough cash into my account, I might be willing to help the kid out," he reasoned.

"I assumed you'd say something like that eventually, so here's the offer," I countered. "Listen carefully, because I'm only making it once and it's non-negotiable. If you don't agree with my terms, then we'll just go to the national donor registry, to find another match." I was trying to take away any thoughts he might have of trying to blackmail me into giving him more money.

"I'll give you $500, if you'll take the DNA test and another $1,000, if you end up donating blood and bone-marrow cells to the boy," I advised him. "I'll even double that to $2,000, if you also turn out to be his biological father. The extra thousand will be for your signing away any claim you might have to him. Is that a deal?"

"Well, it doesn't sound like much…" but I cut him off.

"I told you this was non-negotiable and a one-time offer," I reminded him. "It's a take it or leave it proposition, so is your answer 'yes', or 'no'?"

He eyed me suspiciously, like he knew I had him by the proverbial balls. I realized he wanted to try to get more out of me, but he was afraid of losing what I'd already offered. Finally, he relented.

"Okay, it's just a little blood and nothing I haven't done before." I knew he meant being stuck with a needle, when he used to do drugs.

"Fine. We'll arrange for a certified technician to come by and work with the prison doctor to take the DNA sample. I'll give the technician a check to leave for your account, once he has the genetic sample, and then I'll contact you, to let you know if there will be any further transactions required."

He merely nodded and Steve quickly wrote up an agreement for him to sign, stating what we had already agreed to. He even had a guard step inside, to witness the signing, so it was all totally legal. Once we had everything we'd agreed to in writing, we left the prison. I can't tell you how happy I was to be free of that constrictive environment.

Once we were out of the prison, in the car and on our way home, Steve turned to me and spoke.

"You would have made one hell of a lawyer or contract negotiator," he teased, before chuckling. "I don't know anyone who could have handled that situation any better. You offered him the carrot, and before he had time to figure out how to get two, you threatened him with none. Nicely played."

"Well, I have represented the school district in contract negotiations before, but could you believe the attitude of that arrogant bastard. Here we've got a kid's life on the line and all he can think about is what he's going to get out of the deal."

"Well, that's primarily the way he's conducted his whole life," Steve reminded me. "It's most likely also a contributing factor as to why he's where he is today."

"Yes, you're probably right, but you don't know how close I came to wanting to literally attack and beat the crap out of him. I saw red and wanted to rip his balls off for making those disgusting comments."

"I'm glad you kept your cool or I might have been coming here to visit you next." After saying this, he looked at me and burst out laughing.

"Very funny, but you probably would find that comical," I countered, sarcastically.

"Not really," he replied, looking serious, "because then I'd have to find a way to take care of all my nephews. I'm glad you've put them first in your priorities, before you attacked that piece of shit."

"Well, actually the boys didn't cross my mind at that point," I admitted. "The biggest reason I hesitated was because the guy was in chains. I've always been an advocate of fair fights and that wouldn't have been fair."

"You're right, because he'd probably have tried biting, kneeing or gouging your eyes out. Hell, he might have even used the chains to strangle you, if a fight had started," Steve pointed out. "If he had been infected with the AIDS virus by Cody's mother, then you would have been exposed to it too."

"I guess I'd never considered that," I admitted. "It's a good thing I have such high standards then." We both chuckled after I said this.

"Well, at least he agreed to the deal," Steve said, after a few more moments of levity, "so now we're halfway home."

"Yes, but I truly hope that slime ball isn't Cody's father," I emphasized. "I don't know if I'd be able to contain my contempt, if I had to tell Cody this is the case."

"We should know the results of the test quite soon," Steve informed me, "so you won't have very long to contemplate how you'll break the news to Cody, if this guy is his father."

I knew Steve was right, so I began to think about how I would tell Cody, if this were truly the situation. I think Steve knew what I was doing, so he didn't bother me the rest of the way, but I did notice him writing on a legal pad as I drove. When I stopped to drop him off at his office, he told me he'd take care of getting the tech to the prison, so I could concentrate on Cody. I thanked him and then turned my thoughts to the next problem.

How was I going to deal with the other guy, once we located him? Would he be as bad as the first guy or would he turn out to be a decent chap? Would I have to threaten or cajole him, or would he offer to help, once he learned how important his cooperation was? These thought continued to fill my mind as I drove back to my office.

The rest of the day and evening was pretty quiet for me, as I expected it would be. I continued going over various scenarios in my mind, dealing with both potential fathers, but none of them turned out exactly as I hoped. Something always seemed to go awry and Cody ended up the major loser each and every time.

Chapter 25
Cheers and Fears

Although I was still contemplating Cody's prognosis, the next day brought a new distraction. It all began when my secretary buzzed me and explained one of my sons was on the phone and wanted to speak with me. I panicked and concluded it meant something was wrong, so I took the call immediately. To my surprised, I discovered a rather excited Trey on the other end of the receiver.

"Pop, you won't believe this," he began. "Do you remember that contest my teacher entered me in last year? The one where she submitted my script about the World War II soldiers."

"Yes, Trey, I remember that quite well," I told him.

"You're gonna flip when you hear this," he continued. "She got a letter today and it said I've won a state award for it. In fact, she said I got something called the Pinnacle Award for my category. She told me it meant my script was the very best, out of all of the ones they got. Then she told me it is going to be sent on to the regional competition."

"That's great, Trey. I'm very proud of you!" I exclaimed. That's an extraordinary accomplishment and it will look great on your college resume, when you're ready to apply. I am so proud of you. This is really outstanding." I could almost see and hear him blush through the receiver.

"My teacher also said this would be announced over the school's P.A. system tomorrow morning" he informed me. "I'm not so sure about that, though. I'm worried people will think I got chosen just because I'm your son."

"First of all, they've all seen the film you put together and most realize it was an extraordinary effort on your part," I explained. "Second, anyone with half a brain will realize this was a statewide competition, one in which I would have absolutely no influence. Don't worry about what the simpletons might think, because you'll be getting a lot of richly deserved praise from people who know better."

"Okay, Pop, if you say so," he replied. "You know I trust your judgment. I just got a little worried."

"That's okay and I understand your concern," I admitted. "You may get a little flak from a few brain-dead individuals, but you'll get more congratulations and support from the overall school community. Just do me a favor and make sure you get a copy of that letter from the teacher, so I can see it for myself. I want to be able to read all the details about what's going on."

"I will, Pop, and thanks," he told me and I could tell he had much more confidence now.

"Anytime, Trey. I'm extremely proud and I love you," I added. "I'll see you at home later."

"Okay, Pop, and I love you too," he told me, before hanging up.

This temporarily kept me from thinking about which guy was Cody's father, but I was glad to have the distraction. Just as I would have advised the boys experiencing a similar situation, 'worrying about it will not change the outcome. Therefore, it's best to wait, until we know what we actually have to deal with.' Sometimes I even heed my own advice.

When Trey came home that evening, he had a copy of the letter, so I read it over, to see if there was anything specific I should be aware of. Trey's teacher had kept the copy and sent me the original, which was quite impressive in its own right. It was written on deluxe stationary, with embossed letterhead, and I decided to read it to the boys after dinner. That would give them a heads-up concerning what they'd be hearing tomorrow at school.

"Boys, I want to read something to you. It's about Trey," I started. "The contents of this letter will be announced at school tomorrow, only the high school though, at least as far as I understand it. I thought it best if you knew about it in advance, since Trey is worried there might be some negative reactions to it. This way you'll be prepared to deal with such things, if Trey's concerns prove valid. I don't think they will, but forewarned is forearmed." Now, I picked up the piece of paper and began to read from it.

The Scholastic Art & Writing Award committee for the State of Pennsylvania is pleased to announce Alexander Currie has been awarded the Pinnacle Award for his screenplay and film, entitled "Brothers Beneath the Flesh." As recipient of the Pinnacle Award, his submission was judged to be the very best in the category. His work will now be forwarded to the regional award committee, to be judged at that level. The announcement of regional winners will be made in late March, with the best from each region being forwarded to the national award committee.

At this time, the award committee for the State of Pennsylvania would like to congratulate this young man for his outstanding effort. A plaque signifying his accomplishment will be awarded at a banquet, to be held in Harrisburg on March 1st. Details and directions to the banquet facility will be sent under separate cover.

The committee would like to extend our sincerest congratulations to all the winners, and want each of you to know the Pennsylvania Department of Education, as well as the entire state, is extremely proud of your accomplishments.

A press release announcing your personal success has been prepared by our staff and forwarded to your hometown newspaper. A general article, listing all the state winners, has also been delivered to each news organization within this great state.

Sincerely,
The Pennsylvania Award Committee Chairperson"

I think the boys were quite impressed after hearing this and immediately began to congratulate Trey for having won this award. Of course, none of them could do it without intermixing their own brand of humor with their praise, so these are the types of responses Trey heard.

"Hey, Alexander, nice going," Dion began, tongue in cheek, because he knew Trey didn't like being referred to by his first name. Trey just glared at Dion for doing that.

"Does this mean I'm going to get paid for being in his film now?" Sammy wanted to know, smiling as he asked his question.

"This is primarily about the script," Trey advised him, so Sammy pretended to pout.

"Hey, does this mean you're going to be famous?" Ricky asked, his eyes bulging from their sockets. "Am I going to be related to the next Steven Spielberg or Stephen King?

"Could be," I butted in, "especially if he keeps going like he is. Who knows what might happen, if he wins at the next levels. He could come under the attention of some top film school or get offered an assistantship to some famous director or screen writer."

"Wow," Andrew commented. "Can I be in one of your movies? I'm cute enough, aren't I?" We all knew Andrew was being deadly serious about this, but we still had to smirk at his innocent enthusiasm and curiosity.

"Of course you're cute enough, Andrew," Trey told him, "and I'd love to have you in one of my movies, so don't let me forget it."

"I won't," Andrew told him, pleased with Trey's response. "Damn, I'm so excited."

All of our mouths fell open when Andrew said the word 'damn,' since I don't believe any of us had ever heard him use a word such as that before. Andrew noticed our reaction and realized what he'd said, so now he tried to make up for that mistake. "Sorry, daddy. I just got excited."

I merely smiled at him and winked, to let him know all was forgiven. He smiled back at me and then looked back at Trey and grinned, before he continued, "But, damn, this IS exciting." This time all of the boys burst into hysterics.

The phone rang at that precise second, interrupting the moment, and one of the boys answered it. Soon I was being called to take the call.

"Hello?" I responded, as I put the receiver to my ear.

"Josh, this is John Stokes," I heard. "I think I've located the other guy you were looking for. He's married, has a couple of kids and lives in western Pennsylvania. New Castle, to be precise."

"That's great news!" I exclaimed. "I'll drop your bonus money off at the office tomorrow. You did a great job."

After I told him that, he gave me the exact address and phone number for this guy, and from what I could gather, he was a much better prospect as a possible parent/donor for Cody. However, this news also made me wonder if he might also try to claim custody, if Cody did turn out to be his son. Now, I began to have concerns of my own. After we hung up, I called Steve, to see if he could go with me on Saturday, when I planned to approach this guy.

"Hello, Steve, this is Josh," I started, clumsily.

"Hi, Josh. What's up?"

"I just got a call from the P.I. and he said he's located the other guy," I informed him. "Do you think you could go with me this Saturday, to talk to him? He lives almost on the Pennsylvania-Ohio border."

"Give me a second to check my calendar." There was a brief pause, as I heard Steve jostling through some papers. "Yes, I don't see anything important scheduled. I'll also check with Mary, but I'm sure she'll be okay with it too. By the way, I heard the technician got the blood sample and it has been sent to the lab for DNA testing, along with Cody's sample."

"That's fantastic!" I agreed. "I just hope the results of the DNA tests are just as pleasant for me to hear. I really pray the pimp isn't Cody's father."

"I understand exactly and I'll second your prayer request," Steve confirmed. "If he is the father, it would be another rotten break for Cody and I think he has enough to deal with right now."

"That's precisely how I see it," I concurred. "Thanks Steve, you truly are the best friend a guy could have."

After I got off the phone with Steve, I told Jake about our plans. I also asked him to keep Cody busy that day, so he wouldn't have time to think about any of this. Jake told me he'd take care of it and then wished me luck, because he knew how deeply I felt about protecting Cody from any more pain. I certainly was lucky to have found this terrific guy, or more precisely that the boys were smart enough to hook us up. He has been great for me and equally magnificent with the boys, and I thought it was a stroke of immense luck that such a patient, understanding and affectionate lover had wandered into my life. He also turned out to be a great second-dad to all the boys, while giving me another fantastic son in return.

The next day was very interesting. Even though I wasn't at the high school when the announcement was made, I received an inundation of responses concerning it, after the fact. From what I heard, the announcement went something like this.

"I am pleased to make the following announcement," the principal began. "As most of you already know, last year one of our students, Trey Currie, wrote a screenplay and made a film. We were all fortunate enough to be able to view the film, but the efforts to bring him recognition for his work did not stop there.

"Realizing how truly remarkable Trey's talent is, one of his teachers submitted his screenplay to the Scholastic Art & Writing Award program. I am now pleased to announce that Trey's work has been singled out for special recognition and his script was named the Pennsylvania State Pinnacle Award winner for the category. This means his work was judged to be the very best of all those entered and his script will be forwarded to the regional competition. I would encourage all of you to congratulate Trey on his achievement and wish him well at the next level."

I heard Trey's homeroom went wild, once the announcement ended. The students whooped it up and hollered congratulations to Trey. He said many of his classmates shook his hand, slapped him on the back or gave him a high-five to emphasize their approval.

Dion reported a similar, but more subdued response in his homeroom, as everyone told him how pleased they were for his brother. The other high school boys reported similar responses in each of their homerooms too, so for the most part this went quite well.

Trey did tell me in private that he also received a couple of less than enthusiastic responses too. He showed me a note that read simply, 'The faggot can write. Big deal.' The other was a verbal comment, where someone behind him said, "How much did that cost daddy?" Trey did report the vast majority of the student body was very positive and encouraged him, telling him things like, "You earned this honor," or "You did a great job."

Once Trey finished, I informed him that after the announcement was made my office was deluged with congratulatory phone calls, from administrators, faculty and staff. Most stated they just wanted to let me know how pleased they were over Trey's success, but many also mentioned how important such an honor was for the entire school district. They felt this would gain our educational system statewide recognition and alert institutions of higher learning that we were more than just a backwoods, country school district.

In addition to their praise, the callers also expressed their hopes that Trey would fare well at the next level of competition. Many stated their belief his script was good enough for him to go all the way to the nationals. I told Trey many of those messages came from his former teachers and they expressed a sincere and deep faith in his ability, before also letting me know this ability has been lying dormant all along. Most mentioned they had seen flashes of this brilliance when they had him in class, but were never able to come up with a challenge adequate to draw the ability out. They also voiced their confidence that Trey would continue to shine academically, as well as in this competition.

Later, I received a call from a staff writer with the local newspaper. He was requesting permission to interview both Trey and I personally, for a special interest article he wanted to do for the Sunday supplement. I agreed to have him come to the office the next afternoon, after classes had ended for the day, and assured him Trey would be there as well. He thanked me for our cooperation, and reiterated he'd see us the following afternoon.

I also had a phone call from the local cable company. If you'd forgotten, they had helped Trey produce the film in the first place and now they offered to broadcast it on their public access channel again. They also wanted to do a video interview featuring the two of us and indicated they would air it right before they reran Trey's film, if that would meet with our approval. I replied that I would have to check with Trey first, but I suspected he wouldn't mind either the interview or their rerunning his film.

The person calling thanked me for our cooperation and then passed along the station's congratulations as well. Before we hung up, I tentatively set the interview to begin a half hour after I suspected the newspaper interview would end, but I would call them back to confirm the appointment later. The interview would be conducted at their studio, to make it easier for them to tape.

Once again, the entire family was impressed and overwhelmed by the support of the entire community. We were even being stopped on the street, in stores and at public events, as people told us how exciting it was that one of our own was doing so well. They told us Trey's success helped put our small community on the map, so to speak, and gave us all a modicum of special recognition.

They were also impressed by the fact that our small school district had helped to produce a talent of this significance, one that ranked among the best in the entire state. They said they loved it when friends or relatives living in other areas got in touch to tell them how they had heard someone from our area had been mentioned in their own local newspaper. It was a thrilling time for us all.

Chapter 26
A Ray of Hope

As we approached the end of the month, the tremendous amount of individual recognition Trey received began to wane. As this happened, my focus shifted back to Cody.

This shift began after I came home one afternoon and discovered a letter from the Genelex Corporation. I knew at once this was the laboratory the blood samples had been sent for DNA testing and I suddenly felt a little dizzy and light-headed. It was obviously the report specifying whether Cody's mother's pimp was also his father. I tore the envelope open, wishing to end the agonizing suspense as quickly as I could. I needed to learn the truth about his parentage. Excited, yet nervous, I began to read.

"The samples you provided were run through the Genelex testing procedures and it has been determined that there is 0% chance that donor A is the father of donor B. These results were verified, using a secondary testing procedure."

Damn. It worked. That piece of garbage isn't Cody's father. I was very relieved. I phoned Steve immediately, not only to tell him the good news, but to also ask him to draft a letter to the creep, telling him there would be no more money coming his way. Now, I just had to hope this other guy was a perfect match and would agree to donate merely for Cody's sake. Whether I wanted it this way or not, all of our eggs were now in one basket.

As Saturday morning neared, I grew more and more nervous. I didn't want to call this guy to arrange a time to meet him first, because I didn't want to spook or give him an indication something might be wrong. I felt it would be best if I just confronted him out of the blue.

For those reasons, we were just going to drive to his residence and take a chance we'd find him home on a Saturday. We'd also be taking a risk he'd be willing to speak with us. I don't usually go off half-cocked like this and not have a more detailed plan, but in this case I felt it would be a calculated gamble we'd have to take. Since Steve agreed with my reasoning, it gave credence to my plan and eased my paranoia.

It was a long drive, or at least it seemed that way, primarily because I was so nervous about this meeting. I couldn't stop wondering if this visit would go any better than the one with the pimp, but I had no way to predict it. I was hopeful that once we proved this guy was Cody's father, I would be able to get him to accept his responsibility and do what was best for his son. I also felt it would be an easier pill for Cody to swallow if this man was his father, rather than the pimp.

From the information the investigator had gathered for me, this guy seemed to be an upstanding citizen, with a family of his own. I was told he had a decent job, no criminal record and was well respected in the community. It sounded good and I was encouraged.

Once we verified he was Cody's father, I was planning to tell Cody this guy was never told Cody's mother was pregnant, let alone that he had a son and Cody existed. I was counting on the ignorance factor to be my ace in the hole, proving to Cody that his biological father never actually rejected him or shunned his role as a father. The reason he hadn't been there for Cody was due to the fact that he just never knew he was a dad.

Following the maps I'd printed off the Internet, I quickly found his street, which was located in a very nice neighborhood. The house was probably twenty or thirty years old, but it was very well maintained. Seeing his current situation, I began to wonder how this guy had gotten hooked up with a prostitute in the first place.

I parked along the curb and we watched the house for a brief time, to determine if there was any indication that someone was home. After noticing movement inside, I decide it was time to see if he was there. Nervously, I walked up to his house alone. I did this in case his wife or children were also there, since I didn't want to create a problem or piss him off. If I did, I knew he would be less likely to help us.

I figured if his family was home, I'd ask him to go with us for coffee or something, but if not, then I'd just wave to Steve and let him know he could join us. I was now standing in front of his door, ready to ring the doorbell, but I just couldn't get my body to cooperate. I was a mass of nerves and filled with trepidation. My hand was shaking like a leaf in a strong breeze and I more nervous than a virgin on her wedding night.

Realizing how important this was, I took a deep breath and tried to compose myself. Slowly, I began to overcome these strong emotions and was able to lift my index finger upward, until it made contact with the button. As I pressed it, I heard the chimes go off inside the house. Soon, a small, blond-haired boy, about 8 or 9 years old, opened the door.

"Hello, is your father home?" I asked.

"Yeah, just a second," he told me. "Daaaaaaaad," he screamed, as he walked away from the door. He left it open, with me standing there alone.

"It's for you," I heard him continue, as he disappeared from sight.

After a few seconds, a good-looking guy in his early thirties walked up to the door. "Hello. May I help you?" he asked, eyeing me suspiciously.

"I hope you may, but I think we need to discuss this in private," I responded in a whisper, while peering over his shoulder to see if anyone else was approaching. I didn't want to be overheard and hoped he got my drift.

"In regards to what?" he countered, suspiciously, while still keeping his voice down. It was obvious he was unwilling to take me at face value.

"About something it's better for little ears not to overhear," I answered, hoping this time he'd get my meaning. After hearing my last comment, he glanced quickly over his own shoulder, before he stepped out on the doorstep and pulled the door shut behind him. It seemed he had finally caught on to the fact this was a delicate matter that needed his undivided attention. He glared at me, before he spoke.

"Now what's this about?" he asked softly, but quite firmly.

"Do you remember a Marianne Reynolds?" I asked, in a low tone. He quickly looked over his shoulder again and eyed the door, to make sure it was still closed. When he looked back in my direction, I could read the panic in his eyes. Beads of perspiration were also beginning to appear on his forehead as he opened his mouth.

"I… I don't know," he stammered. "I… well, maybe it's… a… a possibility."

"Don't you agree it would be better if we continued this conversation somewhere else?" I suggested. "There's a lot to explore, concerning this topic?"

He scanned nervously over his shoulder yet again, to make certain the door hadn't opened in the past few seconds. "But what shall I tell my wife?" he wondered.

"You could tell her an old friend, high school teacher or college professor looked you up and wants to take you out for a drink," I suggested.

"That won't work," he countered. "She'd want me to invite you in. so she could meet you too."

"Where do you work?" I asked, trying to think up a new strategy.

"I'm vice-president of a bank," he responded.

"Could you tell her we just notified you of a problem concerning the bank and you have to go with us, to check it out?" I suggested.

"I don't think that would work either," he mumbled. "First of all, I'm not the one who would respond to those types of situations, and when there is a problem I need to handle, someone would phone me at home, not show up at my door."

"Can't you think of anything that WOULD work?" I pleaded.

"Not really," he told me, looking nervous. "I'm not the type of guy who has problems pop up like this, at least until now."

"Okay, how about this?" I offered, while praying my next idea might work. "We'll leave and drive down the street and take the first right we come to. We'll stop and wait for you there. You can drive down to meet us in a few minutes and then we'll follow you to a place you choose, where we can talk."

"But what will I say if my wife asks who you were and what you wanted?" he pressed, still not convinced this would work.

"Tell her we were Jehovah's Witnesses or a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints, hoping to convert you and your family to our religion," I recommended, thinking situations like that often arise in nice neighborhoods.

"But don't they generally give you a hand out before they leave?" he challenged.

"Yes, but tell her you were adamant that you didn't want any," I told him, hoping he'd find it acceptable.

"Okay, that might work," he agreed, hesitantly, "but then how am I going to get out of the house to meet you? What excuse shall I use?"

"Tell her you need to pick something up, check something out or that you're going to watch one of the college basketball games at your local hangout. Do I have to do all of your thinking for you?" I know I was a bit sarcastic, but I was desperate and my eyes were pleading with him.

"Hmmm, let me think," he replied, while taking up my challenge. "Well, the kids have been asking me to get a new mouse for the computer. The old one has been acting up."

"Great, then tell her that's what you're going to do," I agreed, eagerly.

"Okay, but I hope she or the boys don't want to go with me," he replied, concerned.

"Just think of an excuse why they can't go or don't give them time to ask," I indicated. "We need to do this quickly. It's very urgent."

"Okay, I'll join you shortly," he agreed.

I went back to the car, got in and drove down the street. When I came to the first street where I could make a right turn, I took it and then stopped and waited for him to show up. It wasn't long before he pulled up, signaled for us to follow and then we slowly made our way out of his development.

He eventually led us to a small bar, so we went in and ordered drinks. We carried them to a secluded table in the far corner, where we could talk without interruption or fear of being overheard. Once I thought he was comfortable, I broached the subject again.

"So, do you remember Marianne Reynolds?" I asked.

"I think you already know the answer to that," he shot back. "It's a name from my past, the very distant past. I was in college then and needed an occasional sexual outlet, without any strings or commitments that would interfere with my studies or my future. That's how I met her, but why are you here and bringing this up now?"

"It's a long story, but let it suffice that you and she are involved in something that also affects me," I explained. "There is also another person connected to this matter, someone whom you have never met."

"And whom might that be?" he wondered.

"Her son… and possibly yours too." His mouth dropped open after I said this and then a shocked and horrified expression spread across his face.

"Oh, shit. That can't be true," he mumbled. "She never said anything, so I never knew. Why would she wait until now to bring this up?" He thought for a moment and then continued. "Wait! She was a hooker, so how could she be sure the child is mine?"

"I don't have an answer for that, but she did leave the names of those she thought might possibly be the father," I told him. "The others have already been eliminated, so now your name is the only one left in the hat."

"No, this can't be happening," he stated, in disbelief. "I'm happily married, have two sons of my own and I don't need this now. It could destroy my marriage."

"Well, it doesn't have to get blown out of proportion," I told him, soothingly. "All we are asking is that you allow some blood to be taken, so it can be sent to a lab for a DNA comparison. It's that simple."

"And if it turns out this kid is mine?" he wondered. "I suppose Marianne will then sue me for child support. Once that happens, my wife will find out and my whole world will come crashing down. My wife will probably take my sons and leave, and then I'll end up paying child support for three kids, none of whom will ever want to see me again."

"No, that's not how it will play out," I countered, adamantly. "Let me fill you in about a few things." I paused briefly and took a deep breath before I continued.

"Marianne has passed away and her son lives with me. We don't want any money from you and your wife doesn't ever have to find out about any of this," I assured him. "The reason we need to know whether you're his father is because he has leukemia and needs a blood and bone marrow donation. The doctor says a related donor would work best and provide the greatest chance for him to get healthy again. If you are the boy's father, all we'd ask is that you donate the blood and bone marrow he needs, to increase the likelihood of his survival."

"Oh, God, I'm so sorry I was so insensitive about this earlier," he apologized. "Is he going to be all right? I hope so and I'll certainly cooperate, as long as everything is done discretely. I know I'd want the same consideration for one of my sons and, well, he just MIGHT be my son."

"This is my friend and lawyer, Steven Shay," I told him, "and he has drawn up an agreement for you to sign. All it states is you are willing to allow the DNA testing to be performed, to determine if the boy is your son. If the match is within acceptable limits, it states you will then agree to donate blood and bone marrow cells to help him. It also stipulates you are willing to sign off on your parental rights, so I might adopt him. Will any of this be a problem?"

He thought about it for a few seconds, before he replied. "No, in fact it would get me off the hook concerning my own situation, but I can't have the blood taken locally. Word might get back to her."

"You're not very far from Pittsburgh," I pointed out, "so I could arrange to have everything done there, if that would be better for you."

"Yes, it would," he agreed, looking more relaxed now. "Okay, set it up and let me know when you need me there. I'll take some time off from work and think up some excuse to tell my wife. Thank you for not blurting this out in front of her or the kids. That would have been devastating, especially if she found out I might also have impregnated a prostitute."

"It was the least I could do, as long as you are willing to help my future son," I reasoned.

The guy smiled at me and I could tell it was because he was appreciative of the fact that I was going to take care of this child, even if it turned out Cody was his son. He signed the contract willingly and we grabbed a total stranger to serve as a witness. Once everything was formalized, we left and went our separate way, but not before he gave me the information I'd need to contact him later.

As we drove off, we each had what we needed. This guy's secret was still intact and I had a man willing to be tested, to see if he could donate cells to Cody. All in all, it was a good day.

On the way back, Steve and I took a detour through Pittsburgh, so I could make the arrangements for his blood to be tested and for the possible harvesting of cells later. When everything was completed, we took off for home, more optimistic about Cody's future. I have to admit I breathed a sigh of relief as we drove out of the 'Steel City,' but I also understood Cody wasn't out of the woods yet. We still had to hope this guy was an acceptable match, so we could go forward with the donation process.

We got back late that evening, because we had spent most of the day on the road. I thanked Steve, yet again, for all his help and he merely smiled and told me he'd add it to my I.O.U. I told him it must be about equal to the national debt by now, which caused him to chuckle. He then got out of the car and I watched as he strode toward his front door. Damn, how would I ever repay him for everything he has done for my boys and me?

Since if was so late, I waited until the next day to call the guy and give him the information he needed. Once he had copied everything down, I thanked him, once more, for his cooperation. In a whisper, he reiterated his stance about hoping someone would have gone to the same extremes to help his own sons, if they were in a similar situation.

Now that everything was set, I told him I'd notify him once I got the results back, to let him know if a donation was possible. He indicated that if Cody did turn out to be his son, he might like to meet him, without Cody knowing whom he really was. He said this would just be to satisfy his curiosity and let him see what he had missed out on. I told him that would be fine and he could come to our house, or we could visit him, whenever it was convenient. I said I'd introduce him as the son of a friend and no one would ever question that explanation.

He then thanked me for being willing to do this for him, but I reminded him I was doing it for Cody. I just tried to make it simple for him and not create unnecessary problems. I also told him that until the test results were back, we wouldn't need to contact each other further. I thought telling him this would be best, in case he worried Cody or I might become a reoccurring distraction. I think hearing me say this gave him a little peace of mind as well. Now, we just had to wait and see what the tests showed.

Chapter 27
Pearls From the Oysters

I kicked March off by going to the banquet with Trey, to see him receive his award. Not all of us were able to go, however, since only a limited number of seats are reserved for each recipient. In this case, it turned out only three tickets were sent to each winner. For most families, this meant a ticket for each parent and one for the honoree, but in our case it meant we had to make a decision about who was going to attend with Trey.

When I asked for his opinion, Trey told me he wanted me to go with him, but he also wanted Dion there too, so he could share this special moment with him. He asked if I thought Jake would be upset about this, so I told him I'd speak with Jake about it later, but I doubted he'd be upset about what Trey wanted. Trey then stated he would do something special for Jake at another time, to make it up to him for not being able to go to the banquet too. He also wanted Jake to know he was still important and loved, but Dion and I would get the nod this time. I agreed with Trey that something special for Jake would be a nice touch and assured him Jake would probably appreciate that even more.

After we decided who would go, we also had to make our selection for the meal we wanted. The choices were unusually vague and our options were merely listed as beef, chicken or fish for the main course. Seeing I love fish, but seldom fix it at home, I selected that for my meal, but Trey and Dion both opted for the chicken. While making their choice, both boys expressed concern about the meal being prepared in a manner they might not care for, so I told them not to worry. If that happened, then we'd stop on the way home and let them get something more to their liking. This seemed to satisfy their apprehensions, so I sent our R.S.V.P. and meal selections back to the committee.

When the day of the banquet arrived, we left around 3:00 p.m., in plenty of time to get there early. Even though the banquet wasn't scheduled to begin until 7:00, and it would take approximately two hours to drive there, this would still give us a cushion. Trey and Dion wanted to allow a little extra time, in case we had problems along the way. If not, they concluded we could find other things to do before the banquet started.

In looking over the brochure about the event, I figured we might be able to check out some of the artwork and read some of the other entries if we arrived early, but I also hoped we might even find an opportunity to speak with some of the other winners and their parents. Let's face it, this was going to be a gathering of a very elite and impressive group of young people and I wanted to take advantage of being there, so I could learn what motivated the others to rise to this level of achievement.

Seeing we only made one very brief stop along the way, to stretch our legs and use the toilet, we reached our destination well ahead of schedule. After weighing our options, I thought it would be best if we went directly to the banquet hall, rather than doing anything else first.

When we arrived there, we discovered the award winning projects were displayed throughout the room. The artwork was hung in various high visibility locations and the winning writing entries were arranged neatly across a long table, for others to peruse. Trey and I read some of the poems and short stories, before reading the synopsis the committee had placed on the dramatic scripts, novels and other longer works. Once we finished going over everything, we took a quick walk around the hall and studied the various award-winning artwork.

I was extremely impressed by the high level of achievement exhibited, in both the written and visual mediums, and concluded the young people who submitted these projects were very gifted. They had utilized a variety of forms and techniques to express their creative side and I began to doubt many adults could have equaled or surpassed their efforts.

Now that we'd finished perusing everything, we looked for our table and eventually located our seats. It was at this point we made another discovery. The seating arrangements had been made according to the various submission categories. Therefore, we were located at a table with two others who had written dramatic scripts.

In an effort to get to know them, I started asking questions about their projects and soon discovered they took very different approaches. This might have been due to the fact that the category was far ranging and there were several subcategories the authors could gear their work toward. Trey had done a screenplay meant for a film, but the boy next to us wrote his script for television, while the girl to the other side of us wrote a play for the stage.

Before the meal was served, the three authors discussed many areas, but their main focus was on their reasons for selecting the media format they had used. I found the discussion quite interesting and enlightening, as they explained how difficult it was to select their wording so the readers would get the nuances of their intended meaning. That's when I realized this was not something any of them had just slapped together. They had spent many hours writing, proofreading, editing and eventually rewriting, so their effort alone deserved an award.

Once the authors had finished their discussion, the parents added their two-cents on the topic. They were eager to inform us what they did to support their child's effort. They had done various things, from offering suggestions and constructive criticism, to using motivational techniques to encourage their child to keep going when they became frustrated or suffered temporarily from writer's block.

I think all of us could identify with nearly everything that was said, although I added very little to the conversation. I did get the impression that some of these parents were very pushy and had possibly forced their children to succeed, so I wondered if entering this contest was actually the child's idea or the parents'.

When the banquet finally began, we listened to the opening remarks from the committee chairperson and then the meal was served. It was a very nice sit-down dinner and we soon discovered our concerns about the meal selections were completely unfounded. I was served broiled filet of sole, done in lemon and a small amount of butter, and the boys had a chicken breast, breaded and prepared with just a touch of seasoning. We were also given a small salad and there were rolls and several side dishes placed at each table. For dessert we were brought a crème de menthe parfait, which put a nice finishing touch on dinner.

Once the meal concluded, the keynote speaker was introduced and it turned out to be the Governor of the State of Pennsylvania. As he began his address, he commented on how proud the entire state and educational system was of the accomplishments of the students represented in the hall. He then wished them luck as they moved on to the regional competition and hinted that some of them might also receive recognition at the national level.

His speech wasn't as long as any of us had anticipated, and when it was over, the plaques were handed out. Each individual received a nice ovation when he or she stepped up to accept the award and the presenter made a very detailed comment as to why the committee had chosen that particular piece, over the other entries. It was not only enjoyable, but also highly informative.

When the banquet ended, we said good-bye to those we sat with and exchanged farewells with others we had become acquainted with during our brief time there. Trey, Dion and I then made our way back to the car, where we took a few moments to admire Trey's plaque. I told him, once again, how proud I was of him and that after meeting the other winners, his accomplishments seemed even more impressive. That was because he had done it entirely on his own, without anyone pushing him to achieve.

When we arrived home, everyone else wanted to see the plaque too. Once it had made it from one family member to the next, I asked Trey if he would prefer me to hang it in the family room or if he wanted to keep it in his own room. After thinking about it, he told me he thought it would be more appropriate if he hung it in his room, as it wasn't as if we had a trophy wall where we hung everyone's awards. I told him it was entirely up to him and I'd do whatever he wanted, but he stuck with his decision and took it upstairs.

On Monday, when I went back to work, I began shuffling through the stack of paperwork that had accumulated on my desk. As I made my way through the multitude of budget requests, personnel evaluations and various other items, I came across a paper listing the All-State Band and Choir selections. Normally, I would have just glanced through the list, to see how many of students selected I might know, but one name in particular jumped out at me. It was almost as if my eyes were drawn to it by some sort of magnetic force, but right there was the name Dion Currie, under the tenor section.

Reflexively, I did a double take, to make sure I hadn't misread it, but it appeared as plain as life. Suddenly, I had another family member to be more than a little proud of. Obviously, his name had been entered and chosen before he was awarded the vocal scholarship and his music teacher agreed to also give him private voice lessons. This, in turn, made me wonder where his talent would take him, once he'd polished off the rough edges.

I also began to wonder if either boy would have reached this same level of recognition, had they not come to live with me. After thinking about it for a while, I concluded they probably would have, provided they were fortunate to have had teachers along the way who encouraged them to use and refine their talents. The potential would still have been there, no matter where they lived, but the only variable would have been whether or not anyone would have noticed and nurtured that ability. All they needed was encouragement and a little guidance to help them develop their incredible potential, so chances are they still would have blossomed in another environment.

About an hour later, I received a call from Dion's music teacher, asking if I had seen the All-State selections. I later discovered she had just gone to her school mailbox and retrieved her copy of the same letter, thus alerting her about Dion's selection for the first time as well. Although she had nominated him and sent samples of his singing, a statewide committee reviewed the nominations and made the final selections, so she had only limited input into this process.

When I told her I had, she expressed her excitement and said she'd be more than willing to look up Dion's class schedule and let him know the good news personally, unless I wished to tell him later, at home. Since she had done the most to help him blossom and reach this point, I told her I would leave that privilege to her. I also knew Dion would enjoy it more, hearing the good news from her.

After thanking me several times for allowing her this privilege, she offered her congratulations. In response, I thanked her for all of her hard work with Dion and then she went off to find him. After we hung up, I sat back and thought about how my sons continually managed to amaze me. They have all given me so much to be proud of, yet they still continued to exceed my expectations.

By the time he got home, Dion was so excited that he was literally bouncing off the walls. He had already told all of his brothers about the honor, having informed many of them when he ran into them at school. He pounced on me before I even got in the door and enthusiastically informed me about his selection. Once he'd finished, I admitted I'd already seen the letter at my office and had also received a call from his music teacher. I also made it a point to let him know how proud I was of him. He beamed and then looked over his shoulder to see if anyone else was around, before he turned back to me and whispered.

"I guess Trey's not the only one with talent in this family." I just smiled at him and nodded, knowing this was extremely important to him, to prove he didn't have to take a backseat to anyone, especially his lover.

Since I had never been involved with the All State process before, I contacted Dion's music teacher, to find out what it would entail. She informed me that the students on the list would be required to meet with the group they were selected for, either band or choir, so they could practice for a special performance. She then gave me the date for this statewide concert and said she'd be happy to take him to the rehearsals. The two students selected from our district were also the two that had won the vocal scholarships, with her help, so she was already doing a great deal for them. After thanking her, she offered to provide me with a list of dates and times for these sessions, so we could mark them on our calendar.

On another front, Nick came up to me later and asked if I'd be willing to help him find a way to learn Portuguese. He said his Spanish teacher was only willing to give him a list of programs available that would do this, since she didn't know Portuguese herself. Nick asked if I'd order one of them for him, since he was anxious to get a head start with the language, so he'd be ready to go to Brazil.

I told him that would be a wise move and I'd be willing to help him check the programs out, so we went to my room and searched the Internet. We looked up each of the programs his teacher had recommended and read the information provided. We finally narrowed our selection down to three choices, and then I looked for reviews about their success. After doing a considerable amount of reading, we settled on one particular program and I ordered it. It would be delivered to the house in a few days.

As soon as Nick and I had finished, a small group of others approached me. They had overheard our discussing his preparations to be an exchange student and felt it was time to get me working on something for them. They wanted me to contact Peter's parents, to see if we could bring him from Australia to live with us as an exchange student.

This group consisted of Ricky, Cole and Sammy, and although none of them would characterize themselves as being gay, they were still interested in having me bring Peter over. Ricky had told them so much about Peter that they wanted to get to meet him too. They told me they thought they'd all get along and learn from each other, and they seemed to be both serious and adamant. That's why I agreed that Ricky and I would contact Peter's parents and discuss the situation with them. It would be their choice, not ours, as to whether they wanted their son to do this, so we'd have to abide by their decision.

Ricky and I waited until later that night to call them. With the time change, it would make it early afternoon there. I let Ricky speak first to set this up, since he knew them better. After he had spoken to them for a few minutes, he announced I had something to discuss with them too and handed me the phone. After exchanging the usual pleasantries, I got to the point of this call.

"Not only did I want to call and thank you for everything you did for Ricky," I told them, "I also have a proposition for you. Ricky and some of my other sons have suggested that we should have Peter come here, as an exchange student. Although this wouldn't be arranged by an organization and done through formal channels, we'd still like to give him this opportunity. I'm willing to pay all of his expenses, both travel and while he is here, and I will give you the option of allowing him to stay with us for six months to a year. It's entirely your choice."

"That's a very generous offer, mate," Peter's father finally responded, after a short pause. "Would you allow us time to talk about this first, before we give you our answer?"

"Of course," I told him. "I didn't expect an immediate response. Talk this over as a family and then you may have Peter send us an email, so we can call you back and discuss this further. We'd like to do this for him, after all you did for Ricky."

After assuring me they'd discuss this and get back to me, we ended our call. The boys were optimistic after I told them about the conversation and started making plans for Peter's eventual visit. I warned them not to count their chickens before they hatched, but Ricky assured me Peter's parents would let him do this. They had even mentioned it might be a good idea for Peter to experience something like this while Ricky was there, so he was certain they'd give him permission to do it now.

As it turned out, we had our answer within a week. Peter's father called back and asked to speak with me, so he could let me know what they had decided.

"My wife and I have chatted this over with Peter," he began, "and have agreed to allow him to do this. We feel it would be a valuable experience for him and he is anxious to see Ricky again." His last statement made me wonder if he wanted to see Ricky again so he could pay him back for the skinny-dipping video Ricky hadn't told him about until after he returned home.

During our discussion, Peter's parents agreed to many things. They were willing to allow Peter to join us at the end of May, when the first term of Peter's school year ended. I had asked them to allow Peter to come then, so we'd have time to show him some of the local sites and also be able to include him on our summer vacation plans. I had already told his parents what we were planning to do and I thought it would be great for Peter to see other areas of our great country as well. They had already cleared Peter's absence during that time with the local school officials, so it would not be a problem.

They had also agreed to allow Peter to spend the entire year with us, so when he returned he'd just pick up where he left off, beginning the second term of his current academic year. Of course, he'd lose an entire year in the process, but they figured there was no rush to have him graduate and attend University, as they put it. They felt this would be a valuable experience and learning tool and more than make up for him being a year behind his current classmates.

Both of Peter's parents thanked me several times, for giving their son this wonderful opportunity, and then they put Peter on the phone.

"Blimey, Mr. Currie," he began, "you're even more aces than Ricky said. I can't believe you're willing to do so much for me. You are an alright bloke and I want you to know I appreciate this."

After telling him I understood and just wanted a chance to treat him as well as they'd treated Ricky, his demeanor changed.

"Does this mean you and your sons are all going to go bonkers on me and do things like Ricky did?" he wondered.

"If you mean are we going to pull pranks on you, the answer is no," I informed him. "I wasn't referring to those kinds of things, but rather repaying you for teaching him about Australia and showing him a good time. That's what I'd like to do for you, while you're here."

"Oh, I'd love to see the States," he confessed. "Ricky said he'd have me over some time, but I thought he was just blowing smoke."

"I don't think he was, but I'm certainly not," I reiterated. "I'm looking forward to meeting you and showing you a good time. You might still have to worry about Ricky pulling his pranks on you, but not the rest of us." He laughed.

"I can handle him, sir," he assured me. "Ricky said he'd told you about the pictures I took of him and I still have them on my computer. I'll bring it with me, and if he gets too bonkers, I'll just show them around to his schoolmates there. That will teach him." I roared.

"It certainly will," I agreed, "so I'll tell him to watch his step, because you're bringing a secret weapon with you. I won't tell him what it is, but I'll make sure he thinks twice before he tries anything."

Peter thanked me and we talked a little longer, before we ended our call. He sounded like a great kid and I was looking forward to meeting him.

Chapter 28
Mixed Messages

It seemed like it took forever before the day of his adoption arrived, mainly because each day Cody would ask me how much longer it was going to be before he was really my son. It was kind of like a kid on a trip repeatedly asking, "Are we there yet?" I knew it was only because he was anxious for it to happen, so I couldn't get annoyed or upset with him. However, I would definitely be relieved when it was official.

The afternoon of the ceremony, I picked Cody up after school, along with some of my other sons. The rest the boys were driven to the courthouse by my high school driver, since no one wanted to miss welcoming his newest brother into the fold. Jake also had taken time off from work to attend and Steve, Mary and Sally were there too.

The judge looked very serious and conducted the ceremony in a very formal manner. He took time to question both Cody and I in his chambers first, before he agreed to do it. When we went back into the courtroom, the judge made the official announcement and then handed Cody the documents making it legal. It was almost as if he had just handed Cody a check for a billion dollars. Cody took the papers and raced around the courtroom, so he could show them to all of his brothers and Uncle Steve. He wanted everyone to know he was now a Currie.

I think the judge was amused watching Cody do this. A slight grin split his otherwise stern countenance and his eyes sparkled as his gaze followed Cody from person to person. I also saw him give Steve a nod and a wink when they made eye contact, so I concluded he was as pleased by Cody's response as the rest of us were.

Once Cody had worked out his excitement, I took everyone out to celebrate, as was our custom. However, even I was surprised when we arrived home later. Unbeknownst to me, Sally, Mary and Steve had hung a banner from our porch before they came to the courthouse. It read, "Welcome to the family, Cody Currie."

Cody was even more thrilled about this and asked if he'd be able to keep the banner forever. I told him he could and then he and some of the others raced into the house, while I went to collect the mail. I glanced at the various letters I'd received, as I walked up the driveway, and then I noticed one return address in particular. It was another letter from the Genelex Corporation.

I wasn't expecting to hear from them at this time, so it gave me an eerie and foreboding feeling. Without waiting to get inside, I ripped open the envelope. I hoped this letter would give me more positive information, similar to their last correspondence, which revealed the pimp was not Cody's father. I began to read it excitedly.

"The samples you provided were run through the Genelex testing procedures and it has been determined that there is 0% chance that donor A is the father of donor B. These results were verified, using a secondary testing procedure."

It was the same standard form letter they used for all paternity cases, but this time it wasn't the information I wanted to see. How could this guy not be Cody's father? Cody's mother had only left two names and now we've discovered neither of these men had turned out to be biologically connected to her son. This was a major setback and it also meant there was probably no way we'd be able to locate a blood-relative who could donate cells to him. I couldn't help but wonder what we were going to do next?

I went into the house and told Jake I had to run a quick errand, but I didn't reveal the contents of the letter to him, not yet. I grabbed a set of keys, hopped in the Grand Am and took off. I raced down to Cody's oncologist's office, to see what he might suggest we do next. I told the receptionist I urgently needed to talk to the doctor, so she asked me to have a seat, until the doctor was available. That took about twenty minutes – twenty minutes of pure agony for me. Finally, I was led back to his office, but I was like a horse in the starting gate, while waiting for him to join me.

"What's the emergency, Josh?" the doctor asked, as he entered the room. "Is something wrong with Cody?" I was somewhat startled by the sound of his voice, as I had been lost deep in thought and hadn't heard him enter the room. I turned toward him now and responded.

"No, but I've received the paternity test results back in the mail," I informed him, "and neither guy turned out to be Cody's father. What are we going to do next?"

He looked at me thoughtfully. "That is a setback," he confirmed, "but it's not the end of the world. We will just check the results of your family's tests and then go from there. We still have them and the Donor registry to fall back on."

I nodded and then thanked him, but my mind was spinning. I really wished he had better news for me than that.

When I got home, I went to find Cody and took him aside, so I could explain everything to him. I began by telling him that neither of the men his mother had named were his father, but he couldn't understand how that could be.

"My mom said it had to be one of them, didn't she?" he asked. "How could she have been wrong? She had to know who my father was, didn't she?"

At this point, I began to think Cody wasn't completely aware of all the details concerning his mother's past. That was probably just as well and might spare him the pain he would feel if he learned his mother was a prostitute. Now I had to think quickly, to keep this illusion in place.

"People can make mistakes or forget things over time," I suggested. "They might also tell people something they're not sure about, just to make them feel better. I'm not sure if your mother did any of these things, but obviously the information she left you was flawed in some way. She probably didn't mean to mislead you and she may have truly believed it herself. Anyway, we have to deal with the truth, as we know it now. Are you okay with that?"

"Yeah, sure," he agreed. "I've gone this long without knowing who my father is, so I guess it really isn't that big of a deal any more. Besides, I've got you for my dad now, so I don't need anyone else."

At this point he looked up at me and gave me his special grin. It showed a mixture of love and appreciation, which touched me deeply. I'm not sure if you can possibly realize how it made me feel, but that's why I pulled him against my chest and hugged him as hard as I dared.

"I'm glad you feel this way," I told him, "because you're definitely loved here. I want you to know that every one of your brothers has been tested, to see if he is a match. They all want to be able to donate cells to you and I think that's pretty special in itself. However, I also want you to know, it was completely each boy's idea to be included and no one was forced into doing this. There was no pressure put on them and they had the option to say no, but they didn't. They wanted to do it for you, because they love you as a brother. Jake and I love you too and we've also been tested."

Cody began to tear up. "What's wrong?" I asked, confused. He looked at me with an expression I couldn't quite read.

"It's just that I've never had people who would do so much for me before," he confessed. "It's just so different here and I'm so happy. I know you love me and everyone else does too, so sometimes when I think about it, it just makes me cry." He paused for a second, before he continued. "That doesn't make me a wuss, does it?"

"Heck, no!" I exclaimed. "It just makes you human – and a very sensitive and caring human too." He looked relieved after hearing my response.

Once I felt he was ready to continue, we talked about his situation a bit longer. We discussed many things, beginning with his medical problems, before moving on to the rest of our family. I also went over the types of things that might happen in the future, so he would be prepared. Cody was very attentive and remained quite calm, no matter how serious the situation seemed, and I was quite impressed by his level of maturity and how he accepted his lot in life. He was truly one of a kind.

I had been busily working in my office for most of the day when my secretary told me I had a call from one of the teachers. She asked me if I wished to take it or if I wanted her to take a message, so I could return the call later. I told her I could spare a few minutes, so I picked up the receiver and said 'hello.'

"Mr. Currie, this is Ann Baxter," the voice on the other end stated. "I'm the art teacher at the middle school."

"Hello, Ann. It's nice to hear from you," I replied. "What may I do for you?"

"I have something to bring to your attention. It's school related," she added, "but it also affects you personally. That's why I wanted to speak to you in person first."

"Now that you've piqued my curiosity," I responded, "what is this about?"

"It's about some artwork I'd like to enter in an area competition," she continued, "and my question concerns a particular piece done by your son, Andrew."

I was caught off guard by this comment, because Andrew hadn't said anything about submitting his artwork to be judged. "I'm surprised to learn this," I admitted, because Andrew hasn't mentioned anything about it. Not only that, but I can't imagine what the problem is."

"Andrew has completed two pictures that I feel are worthy of being entered," she told me. "The first is a watercolor of what I assume to be your home and the area around it. However, it's the other one that I felt I must speak to you about. After mentioning my intentions to Andrew and discussing this with him, I realized I needed your express permission before acting."

"I'm sorry, but I'm not following what you're getting at," I confessed.

"I apologize, but I'll get to the point now," she stated. "The second work Andrew completed is a charcoal sketch of one of his brothers, but he told me he didn't think it would be a good idea to send this one in. In fact, he insisted I only enter the first picture, but not the portrait. He wouldn't explain his reaction, so I thought I'd call you to discuss this. I was curious if you had any insight into why he might not want the second picture entered too."

By now I was even more puzzled than before. "Do you know which boy the portrait is of?" I asked her, hoping the information might shed some light on the matter.

"Yes, he said it was of his brother, Cody," she explained, and suddenly the pieces of this puzzle began to fall into place.

"I think I understand what the problem is," I began. "Cody is ill. He has leukemia. I think Andrew might be concerned about Cody's feelings, especially with everything else he is going through at this point."

"I'm so sorry to hear this," she told me. "Please accept my sincerest apology for intruding and my wishes that he gets better soon. In light of this information, I won't submit that piece."

"I'm not saying you can't enter it and I'm glad you brought this to my attention," I countered. "If I could have the time to talk this over with Andrew and Cody, which I'll do tonight at home, then I'll call you back tomorrow, to let you know what we've decided."

"I'd really appreciate that," she responded, "because I truly believe it's the better of the two pieces. I'm just sorry this comes at such a bad time and you have to take time out of your busy schedule to address this. In fact, you don't need to notify me personally. You can just have Andrew advise me what you're willing to do. I won't be turning anything over to the committee for three more days, but I did want to speak with you about this first. I really think the portrait has a chance of being awarded a major prize."

"That's nice to know and I'm really glad you called me," I told her. "I want to thank you again for bringing this to my attention and I'll talk it over with both boys this evening. One of us will let you know our decision, as soon as we are able."

After hanging up, I thought about our conversation for a few more minutes. I had realized prior to this call that Andrew had some artistic talent, since I'd seen other things he had drawn. I knew he had some ability, but I didn't realize his work was that good. Once again, I thought I was just being a proud parent making more of a son's accomplishments than was his due. Was it possible I had another extremely talented son?

Thinking back, I even remember seeing Andrew studying Cody, although at the time I thought it was merely curiosity about Cody and his disease. Now, with the use of hindsight, I can conclude he was using the time to studying Cody's features, so he could draw this portrait. Even though I now understood what he'd been up to, it didn't tell me why Andrew had selected Cody as his model, instead of one of the other boys. I guess I might discover his reasons later, after I've had an opportunity to speak with him about this matter.

Before dinner, I had an opportunity to pull Andrew aside and filled him in concerning what I already knew. After hearing what I had to say, he looked surprised that his teacher had called to tell me about his decision. I think he probably felt that once he told her not to enter the portrait, it would be the end of his problem. Carefully I tried to dig beneath the surface, to see what was up.

"Your teacher said the likeness was of one of your brothers," I told him. "Would you mind sharing which one?"

He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, but didn't look at me directly. "It's Cody," he said, dryly.

"Ah, and why did you happen to choose him?" I wondered.

He looked toward his feet at this point, which I took to mean that he didn't want to answer my question. I thought I might need to reassure him, before he answered.

"Andrew, I'm not going to be upset or anything like that," I stated. "I just want to know why you chose to draw a picture of Cody. That's all."

"But the reason might make you mad," he admitted, in a frightened and concerned tone.

"No, it won't," I responded. "I just was curious to learn why you chose Cody. I'm sure you had a good reason and I just want to know what it was."

He didn't respond immediately and I could tell he was thinking about what he should do. Finally, he relented and told me. "It's because Cody's sick," he blurted out, succinctly.

"Okay, I think I'm beginning to see now," I confessed. "You chose him because of his illness, and I can understand that, but was there any other reason?"

"Kind of," he hedged, but his head was still hanging down. I couldn't figure out why he was being so guarded with his answers.

"And what else made you decide to use Cody as your model?" I pressed, but once again he hesitated. Seeing how nervous he was about explaining this to me, I tried to reassure him a little more. "Andrew, you can be honest with me. You should know that by now."

"I do," he agreed, "but even I might get upset, if someone else said this."

"Well, I won't get upset, so please tell me," I urged.

"It's because if Cody gets worse and his looks change, or if something worse happens to him, I would always be able to remember what he looked like now." He began to cry when he finished telling me this.

Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and hugged him against my chest.

"There's nothing wrong with that reason, and I think it's a very good one," I told him, as delicately and convincingly as I could.

"But it's like I'm saying Cody's not going to get better," he whimpered. "I don't want anyone to think I'm saying something bad is going to happen to him and I want him to get better, I really do. It's just that I'm afraid he won't."

"That's okay, Andrew" I said, while squeezing him again. "I think we're all worried about that and it was a wonderful gesture on your part to draw a picture of him."

He looked up at me with those big, brown, tear-filled eyes and seeing him in such distress nearly broke my heart. Automatically, I reached out and brushed some of the moisture from his cheeks.

"I just don't want it to be like it was with Brent," Andrew continued, before burying his face in my chest. "It's just that most of the time I can't remember what Brent looked like," he continued, but his voice was slightly muffled from being against my shirt, "and I don't want the same thing to happen with Cody."

There it was - the final piece of the mystery. Andrew was afraid something bad was going to happen to Cody and he didn't want to forget him, the way his memory had faded concerning Brent.

"I think that was excellent reasoning and a wonderful idea on your part," I assured him. "I also think you should let your teacher enter the picture in the art fair, so others can see and appreciate him too."

He looked up at me and his expression suggested he still didn't think I was right. "Daddy, don't you think Cody will figure out why I drew his picture, if it gets entered in the art fair?" he whimpered.

"What if we sit down and explain it to him first," I offered. "You can tell him you drew a picture of him, so you'd always remember what he looked like now, and we don't have to say anything more. I don't think that will upset him or be a problem."

"Are you sure?" he wondered, still not convinced.

"Yes, I am," I replied, with as much conviction as I could drum up.

"Will you do this with me… help me tell him, that is?" he pleaded.

"Of course I will," I agreed. "Do you want me to get him or will you?"

"I'll go get him, but you wait here," he told me, nervously. After assuring him I would, Andrew rushed off to find Cody.

Before long he returned, dragging Cody with him. He held Cody's hand and led him to where I was waiting, so I could help him get through this awkward moment. Cody looked completely confused about what was happening and had no idea why Andrew had brought him to me. Andrew had only told Cody he needed to come with him, before he pulled him to my location. Reading the surprise and concern on his face, I decided to get directly to the point.

"Cody, Andrew drew a picture of you," I began, "and his art teacher wants to enter it in the area art fair. The problem is Andrew is afraid you might have a problem with him doing that. Would you?"

Cody's apprehension now turned to surprise. "He drew a picture of me?" he asked, astonished. I nodded my head, and Andrew looked a bit sheepish, as Cody stared at him.

"Wow, that's really neat!" Cody exclaimed. "And your teacher wants to enter it in the art fair? That's awesome. Hey, maybe my picture will win you a prize," he continued, much to Andrew's surprise and delight. "I know I'm really handsome," he teased, "so I'll bet you'll win first prize."

Now, the two boys were looking at each other and both were beaming from ear to ear. I thought Andrew's fears had been laid to rest, until he spoke.

"So you don't mind?" he asked, to be sure.

"Mind? No way. This is excellent," Cody shouted. "I might even become famous, like Mona Lisa." After saying this, Cody hesitated for a second, before adding an afterthought. "And you would too," he added, almost apologetically for leaving Andrew out. "You drew it, so you'd be the famous artist, and then we'd both be famous. I'd really like to see it, if it's all right."

"It's at school, in the art room," Andrew explained. "But I'll show it to you tomorrow, if you want. You can go with me when I tell the teacher she can use it for the art fair."

"Awesome. I can't wait," Cody shot back, excitedly.

Now that everything was out in the open, the two boys took off, side-by-side. Cody was eager to go tell everyone else what Andrew had done and how they were both going to be famous now. I chuckled to myself as I considered how another crisis had been averted. However, this did give me more insight into Andrew, as well, so I'll make it a point to look for a picture of Brent for him, one that he can keep.

I've always understood and taken it for granted that Andrew was a caring and sensitive young man, but I'd forgotten how the same qualities can manifest themselves in other ways. In Andrew's case, those traits evolved into a deep concern for Cody's welfare and remorse over forgetting what Brent looked like. I guess I'll have to stay a little more in tune with his, and everyone else's, feelings in the future.

The teacher was thrilled when Cody and Andrew showed up to tell her the news and Cody was awestruck when he saw the portrait.

"You did that?" he asked, amazed. "That is totally awesome. Did you have a picture of me when you drew it?"

"No," Andrew admitted, sheepishly. "I just watched you and then remembered what you looked like."

"Oh, man," Cody sighed. "You really are good. It's like looking in a mirror, except it's in black and white and doesn't have any color." After saying that, Cody giggled.

"I guess I haven't had much color since I started the chemotherapy," he continued, while smiling, so Andrew could see he wasn't upset. "I love it and want to thank you for picking me for this."

That comment made Andrew's day and things settled down afterward. Well, not exactly. For the rest of the night and the next day, Cody went around bragging about the portrait and how he was going to make Andrew rich and famous. It was really great to see him so upbeat, even when I knew he wasn't feeling very well.

While the euphoria was still evident, I heard back from the doctor. He called me at school, to bring me up to date.

"Josh, the lab has sent me the test results," he began, "and I'm sorry to tell you that neither you or any of the boys is a match with Cody."

"Damn, I was hoping that at least one of us would be," I responded, disappointed. "What do we do now?"

"I'm still waiting to hear back from the national registry," he informed me, "and I expect to get word from them soon. Chances are good they'll have a match."

"I certainly hope so, because we're running out of options," I commented, stating the obvious.

"Josh, this is not the time to give up hope," he emphasized. "A donor will turn up. I'm sure of that. In the meantime, just keep positive and try not to let Cody read any disappointment in your expression or demeanor."

"I'll try to do my best, Doc," I agreed, "and thanks for calling. Even though it wasn't what I wanted to hear, I needed to know the results."

Now, I had to inform the rest of the family about this news. After thinking about what I was going to say, I called everyone together, so I could do it at one time.

"Boys, I just talked to the doctor," I began, "and the test results are in. Unfortunately, none of us is a match with Cody." I saw everyone's face drop, everyone's except Cody. He was still flashing us that cute little grin of his.

"That's okay," he told us, reading our disappointment. "The doctor will come up with someone, but thanks for trying to help." Seeing his reaction, I began to wonder if anything would ever get this kid down. Bringing my attention back to the situation at hand, I decided it best to support his position, as strongly as I could.

"Cody's right about this," I concurred. "The doctor has already sent Cody's file to the national registry and we should be hearing back from them shortly. There are many people who have registered with them and I'm sure there will be multiple matches. I suspect they're probably just trying to make sure which match is the best to use. I expect we'll get word from them just as soon as they figure out which donor is the closest match. I wouldn't even be surprised to hear from them at any second."

Just as I said this, the phone rang.

Chapter 29
Better Days Ahead

The boys gave me a quizzical look when the heard the phone, as if they wondered if I could read the future. Being the closest to it, Sammy picked it up.

"Hello, Currie residence. This is Sammy," he stated, and then there was a pause. "Yes, he is. Just one second please." At that moment, he turned toward me. "Dad, it's for you," he added, while reaching the phone in my direction.

"Hello, this is Josh Currie," I answered.

"Josh, it's Steve. I just wanted to check in to see if you'd heard anything about Cody's situation," he asked.

"Oh, hi, Steve," I said, before noticing the boys release a collective sigh. "We've just learned that none of us was a match, so we're waiting to hear from the doctor. He told me he'd call just as soon as the national registry comes up with a match." As you may have noticed, I was trying to put a positive spin on this, to let Cody and the rest of the boys know I didn't wonder IF they'd find a match, just WHEN the match would be found.

"Just let me know when you hear anything, all right?" Steve replied. "Mary and I are both concerned and we've made appointments to be tested too."

"I know you're both concerned, Steve, and I thank you for getting tested," I told him. "That's why I consider you such a good friend and a great uncle to all the boys. You'll be among the first I contact when we hear anything."

"Thanks, Josh, and we'll say a couple of extra prayers for Cody too," he added.

"We appreciate that, Steve. So long," I told him, before hanging up.

When I set the phone down, I could tell I didn't need to explain the call to the boys. They had pretty much pieced it together for themselves. However, Pat was the one who broke the silence.

"Damn, Dad, I think we were all beginning to believe you were psychic or something," he teased. "You just said we'd hear from the doctor and then the phone rang. That was almost spooky, but it would have really been scary if it had been the doctor's office calling." Most of the boys all snickered when he said this.

"I might be good, but I don't have those kinds of powers," I shot back. "Otherwise, we'd never have to worry about anything. If that had been the doctor's office calling, it would have just been a coincidence." I smiled after saying this and then the phone rang again. This time Cole answered it.

"Hello, this is Cole Currie," he stated and then his expression changed. He looked directly at me and continued. "Dad, it's the doctor's office calling." I raced over to take the call.

"Josh, I have great news for you," the doctor began, as I answered the phone. "The registry has found a donor match for Cody, so we've leaped the next major hurdle. I'll set up a time for him to come in, say the day after tomorrow, so I can inject him with the cells that are harvested. Another doctor will remove them from the donor sometime late tomorrow, and seeing they should be used within twenty-four hours, according to acceptable medical procedures, we'll inject them into Cody early the follow day. I have already made arrangements to have the delivery made overnight, so there should be no problem. Everything seems to be going our way right now, so I just hope this trend continues."

"Me too, and that IS great news, doctor. I'm sure Cody will be glad to hear this too, and I can't wait until we can put all of this behind us." I looked at Cody and smiled, letting him know things were going our way, and the other boys began patting him on the back and congratulating him. "What time do you want us there?"

The doctor and I went on to discuss the details of the procedure, so I could prepare Cody for what he would be facing, and then I assured the doctor we'd meet him at the hospital early that morning. By the time I hung up the phone, the house was filled with joy, excitement and the noise of many boys expressing their happiness and relief.

The one who felt the most relief at this moment, other than Cody, was Andrew. Even though we'd talked about it and I thought he'd gotten past his issues concerning the portrait, I think subconsciously he still harbored bad feelings about it. I believe he felt that by drawing the picture of Cody he was indicating he didn't think Cody was going to pull through and he'd feel responsible if something happened to Cody now.

I felt Cody had managed to ease Andrew's apprehensions when he gave him the green light to enter the drawing, especially after he said he thought it was pretty special Andrew had selected him to be his model. Be that as it may, it was obvious Andrew still had some concerns. However, after hearing a donor had been found, things were looking up and he was no longer as deeply worried about something terrible happening. Now, he could allow his artwork to be entered, without feeling guilty.

After analyzing the Andrew situation, I looked over and discovered Graham and Cody kissing and hugging. They were totally oblivious of the rest of us, even though we were excited for Cody too.

At this point, Jake came over, placed his arm around my shoulders and gave me a slight squeeze, in an effort to let me know he was there for me as well. He was aware of how worried I've been about all of this, since we've talked about it many times, so he must have decided it was an excellent opportunity to give me a little reassurance too. It was nice he did it, as it showed how much he cared, and I guess it's the little things like this in a relationship that can help to strengthen it.

In our case, he always seems to be there when I need him the most, however I must admit I don't always let him know how important his actions are to me. Regrettably, I've also missed a few chances to be there to reciprocate when he needed a little emotional support from me. It's not that I don't care, it's just that I'm so focused on the boys or my job that I tend to develop tunnel vision. On occasion, I've even taken him for granted. I'll have to make it a point to correct my oversight and find an appropriate way to let him know how special he is to me.

The rest of the evening was just one big party at our house, as we celebrated our good fortune that a donor had been found. In the back of my mind I knew other things might still go wrong, but I didn't think this was the time to focus on those possibilities. Instead, I acknowledged that Cody needed this type of celebration, if only to lift his spirits and put him in a positive mental mood, so I was more than willing to let it continue.

Whether you are aware of it or not, there was more to my decision than just the fact that it would make Cody feel better about his situation. I've often heard doctors and other medical professionals say that part of the healing process is psychological, so I used this opportunity to convince Cody that his chances for recovery were very good. I felt putting this positive spin on things might do as much for him as the fact that we'd just located a donor.

After letting the boys carry on for a while, I informed them it was time to go to bed. Although they grumbled for a while first, they finally did as they were told. As they began to head off to their rooms, I noticed Cody and Graham walking hand-in-hand up the stairs, so I thought maybe they'd continue the celebration on their own.

Later, as I walked around checking on things, I heard something going on in their room, so I put my ear to the door. It was then I realized what was making the noise I heard. It was the gentle hum of an electric razor. This made me conclude one of them felt a little trim was in order, before the games began. I eventually discovered that was indeed the case, since Cody's pubes had been left unattended for a couple of weeks. However, once they were gone, the two boys got into it, pretty hot and heavy.

In an effort to show Cody how much he meant to him, Graham not only shaved his soul mate, but also followed that up by taking him into the shower, where he washed every inch of his body. Graham made sure it was lovingly offered and tenderly done, such as when a parent bathes a child. However, once he journeyed south of his waist, neither of them could control their raging hormones any longer.

It began innocently enough, as Graham began to wash Cody's recently shaved pubic triangle, but once he began to clean Cody's penis and scrotum, Cody's little soldier sprang to attention. This alerted Graham that little Cody was ready for active duty, so Graham took the hint and did an immediate oral inspection of the area. He used his tongue to trace every inch of its surface and then began to determine cleanliness by taking Cody's weapon deep into his mouth. Graham let his saliva wash over it, to test for a hint of any unwanted substance, but the saliva also gave it a smooth, glistening appearance, as if it had just been oiled.

When Graham began to polish Cody's barrel, the clip slowly filled with ammunition, as little bullets of semen began to fall into place in the seminal tubes. After a few minutes of this activity, Cody's weapon was fully loaded and Graham reached down and released the safety, when he rolled Cody's balls around within the fleshy ammo pouch. Within seconds, Graham slowly squeezed the trigger. He did this by increasing his pace and doubling his suction, until the rounds began to fire.

Uncontrollably, shot after shot of Cody's immature seed sprang from his barrel and hit the bulls-eye within Graham's throat. His effort qualified him for his marksmanship badge, but he continued to fire until every round had been used up and the clip was emptied. When the 'all clear' signal was given on the firing line, Cody's knees began to buckle, so Graham helped him switch from the standing to prone position. This round at the range was over and it was time for the next shooter to take his place.

Once Cody regained his sensibility, he switched places with Graham, so he could return the favor. He was determined to put Graham through his own callisthenic routine and bring him as much pleasure as he had just received. Cody quickly volunteered to be Graham's personal trainer and started off by putting him through a little stretching routine, as he rubbed and kneaded Graham's penis, until he worked it out to its full length. Once that had been accomplished, Cody began to do oral push-ups on Graham's pole, although he couldn't count them off aloud at the time.

Next, Cody had Graham add a few thrusts to the routine, when he let his finger wander around Graham's body, until it found its way in and out of Graham's rear door. After that, he began to work on Graham's endurance and increasing his stamina, to get him to last as long as he could. Cody tested Graham's limits to the fullest and did everything in his power to make Graham give in to his training techniques, and eventually Graham was unable to hold out any longer.

Realizing fluids are also very important during an exercise cycle, Cody checked Graham's fluid level, while refilling his own. Cody took careful measurements, as Graham released several strong volleys of his boy-juice into Cody's mouth. Knowing how precious this nectar was, Cody made sure to swallow every drop, to avoid the effects of dehydration after such a strenuous workout. Once Graham's orgasm had subsided, the boys finished up the exercise session with a quick rubdown, to make sure all the toxins were worked out of the muscles, especially the main muscle. Then they went back to their room, to unwind and rest, thus ending their night of wild abandon.

The hours passed quickly and it was soon time for Cody's appointment. Although all of the boys wanted to go to the hospital and be with him when he received the donor's cells, I decided it would be best if they carried on with their normal routines. There was nothing they could do for Cody and they wouldn't be allowed to be in with him while the procedure was taking place, so the only thing they could do was spend their time in the waiting room.

I told them it would be best if they just expressed their support to Cody before he left that morning and then be there for him when he got back. I did have to handle a few minor confrontations about my stance on this issue, especially from Graham, but the boys finally realized I wasn't about to give in and didn't pursue it further.

When the time came, I was the only one who accompanied Cody to the hospital and we were only there for a few hours. The procedure didn't take very long, but the doctor wanted Cody to stay there for a while longer, so he could see how Cody's system was reacting to the introduction of cells from someone else. After a few hours of close observation, nothing unusual was noted, so we were allowed to return home. Now, it would just be a matter of time before we would know if this procedure worked any better than when Cody's own cells had been reintroduced into his body.

The next few days went fairly smoothly and the entire family went back to their normal routines. When I took Cody to see the oncologist a few days later, the doctor told me Cody seemed to be doing well, but he'd wait before he'd say anything more definitive. He explained he couldn't yet tell if the cells were beginning to duplicate as they should, but everything else looked fine and Cody seemed to be responding well. We thanked him for his help and told him we'd see him again in a few weeks, before we went back about our business.

The next day at school, I got some more good news, however this had nothing to do with Cody. It was a letter concerning Trey's script and its entry into the regional competition. The letter had been sent to the school and addressed to the teacher that had submitted it into the competition, and at lunchtime she brought Trey over to my office, so she could read it to both of us at the same time.

"To the family of Alexander Currie,

The regional committee, for the northeast region of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, is pleased to announce the dramatic script, 'Brothers Beneath the Flesh', submitted by Alexander Currie, has been awarded the regional Pinnacle Award for this category. Receiving the Pinnacle Award means this script was judged to be the best among all entries for the category. This work will now be forwarded to the national selection committee, to be judged at that level. The announcement of national winners will be made at the end of April.

Congratulations on your outstanding work and best of luck at the national level. A regional awards banquet will be held in Boston, on Saturday, April 19th. Details and directions to the banquet facility will be sent in a separate letter.

A press release announcing your achievement has been prepared by our staff and will be forwarded to your hometown newspaper. Another article, listing all regional winners, will be delivered to each news organization within the region, for publication at their discretion.

Once again, congratulations on your high level of achievement.

Sincerely,
Chairperson for the northeast region"

What could I say? I was speechless. I had been sufficiently impressed when Trey had won the state competition, but having won the regional competition too, plus having it sent on to the national level, well, that was more than I think any of us ever expected. Now, Trey and I sat stunned by what we had just heard, but his teacher was beaming.

"Oh, I'm so proud of you," she said. "I knew it was good, but now we have proof it was even better than just good… it was excellent!"

We both thanked his teacher for her kind words and for submitting Trey's script in the first place, as well as her continued support. She took Trey back to school with her when she left and I had a few moments to contemplate what this meant for him in the long term.

Even though Trey had expressed an interest in working with computers, maybe even designing software, I think I'm going to discuss the possibly of him exploring his writing talent further. Under the circumstances, who knows what type of opportunities it might present for him? As I've mentioned before, this was going to look extremely good on his college transcripts and if he were to apply in a related field, it might even have more of an impact on his admission or ability to get into a better school. However, the final decision would be his alone, but I would make sure to point out all his options, before he made his choice.

That evening, we informed the rest of the family about the good news and assumed it would also be mentioned in the morning announcements at school again. The boys really whooped it up in Trey's honor and made sure they let him know just how impressed and proud they were of his accomplishments. There was also a lot of good-natured ribbing about Trey becoming rich and famous from writing a screenplay for a movie or possibly penning a best-selling novel.

The boys also kidded him about whether he'd even open his own Castaway Hotel some day, once he was financially independent, to give other boys a similar opportunity. Although he said he might, I wasn't sure if he was serious about actually wanting to do something of that nature or if he was just trying to keep his brothers from gaining the upper hand at this point. I think I'll also discuss this possibility with him sometime too.

The next day, as we suspected, the announcement was made in school and, once more, Trey got a standing ovation from his homeroom. From what I understood, he also got a standing ovation when he entered the cafeteria at lunchtime. I guess even the rest of the student body realized what an impressive achievement this was and were willing to give Trey his due, even though some of them might have been jealous of his new notoriety. It took a great deal of maturity for them to do this for Trey and I wish I were able to find out who first stood to applaud. We all owed him or her a huge vote of thanks, on Trey's behalf.

The following weekend we decided to hold a special party for Trey, to give our extended family a chance to recognize his outstanding level of achievement. We invited the Shays, the Spences, Aunt Sally and the Beckers, but Mark would be there too, since he was currently living with us. We also invited my grown children and their families to join us, but knew the chances of their getting away would be slim. They did call to offer their apologies for not being able to attend and also took the chance to congratulate Trey personally, over the phone. As they told him how proud they were of his accomplishment and how special it was, they also told him they'd like to read his script, the next time they came for a visit. Hearing them say this made Trey feel good too.

When Saturday afternoon arrived, the festivities began with us having a meal together, although it was nothing fancy. After we ate, we topped the meal off with a congratulatory cake, which contained a special message for the honoree. We even gave Trey the privilege of cutting it.

Although we had informed everyone that presents weren't required or expected, they still brought congratulatory cards to give Trey, to acknowledge his success and wish him well at the next level of competition. Having family and close friends around at times like this makes even the best of moments seem even better.

Before I decided to throw this party for Trey, I had questioned how appropriate it might seem. However, after weighing the pros and cons, I decided it would not only be good for Trey, but it might also have an impact on the other boys as well. By making such a big deal over Trey's success, I hoped to do more than just let Trey know how proud we were of what he had accomplished. I hoped this would also inspire some of the others to go the extra mile and reach for that little something, which might seem just beyond their grasp.

Even though a couple of my boys had problems with school, others were flourishing. Trey, Dion and Andrew had all recently been singled out for their talents and Kevin had won a scholarship. The other college boys had their own share of success and were doing well, but there were others who talents were yet to be developed. I hoped this might inspire them to try just a little harder to reach their potential.

Who knows, Trey's writing ability, Dion's voice, Andrew's artistic talent and the scholastic aptitude of some of the others might encourage them to put forth just that much extra effort and grab for the brass ring, thus bringing them to the same level of success the others were enjoying.

Later that evening, after the celebration had ended, we merely settled in for the rest of the night, that is everyone except Dion and Trey. While the rest of us watched a movie on television or did some other trivial types of activities, they went up to their room, so Dion could give Trey his personal reward. I think he must have mentioned this to Trey before they disappeared, because Trey seemed more distracted than usual and showed signs of being more than a little excited. Needless to say, I didn't think any of that was a result of the party. Anyway, while the rest of us stayed downstairs, the two of them slipped away, so Dion could pay special attention to his chosen partner.

Once they got to their room and closed the door, Trey discovered some of the perks of fame. It began when Dion slowly began to remove Trey's clothing, but he didn't merely undress him. He had something more than that in mind. As Dion removed each article of Trey's clothing, he also gave that area of the body a little special attention as well.

First, he removed Trey's shirt and began to kiss and nuzzle the area around his neck, something he knew Trey was very fond of. He was now deeply engrossed in the part of the body the shirt collar had covered just a few minutes before, and Trey was loving the attention and sensations. After Dion removed Trey's undershirt, he began to suck and nibble on Trey's nipples, thus reminding him that even a boy can enjoy this type of stimulation.

Next, he unbuckled Trey's belt, unsnapped his pants, pulled down the zipper and then let gravity take Trey's trousers to the floor. Now, Dion let his hands wander over Trey's plentiful ass cheeks, so he could massage them through his underwear, and then Dion dropped to his knees, so he could massage Trey's thighs and calves with his long, slender fingers. Once he had done this for several minutes, he reached up and lowered Trey's boxers, exposing his genitals.

It was clearly evident that Trey was highly aroused at this point, which was exactly what Dion wanted. Once Trey's penis was free, Dion wrapped his fingers around the shaft and pulled it gently toward his lips. As he did this, he used his other hand to play with Trey's scrotum and manipulate the watery orbs inside. Trey began to moan audibly at this juncture, as he was definitely enjoying the stimulation Dion was giving him.

Encouraged by this obvious sign of pleasure, Dion flicked his tongue along the length of Trey's engorged member and teased the helmet through the opening in his foreskin. After he had played with the glans for a while, he drew the foreskin back and exposed the head completely. Then he slid his mouth over the tip and swallowed as much of the shaft as he could. Eagerly, he now began to bob his head back and forth over its length, gently massaging Trey's penis with his lips and tongue.

By this point, Trey was really moaning and caught up in the overwhelming pleasure he was feeling, but Dion knew there was more he wanted to do for his partner. Knowing the things that Trey enjoyed the most, Dion removed his hand from Trey's ball sac and slid a finger up his crack, until he could insert it into Trey's waiting chute. Quickly he located the prostate and began to draw little circles on it with that finger, which sent Trey to the pinnacle of excitement and made it impossible for him to holdout any longer.

As Dion initiated that now familiar shudder, which traveled throughout his lover's body, Trey released his torrent of boy cream. It had raced up from the testicles and flowed through the tubes, before it flooded Dion's mouth. Dion didn't flinch or back off when this occurred, but, instead, began to lap and swallow the thick, warm liquid. He continued to add even more suction while he did this, until he was sure he had drained every ounce of liquid that Trey had to offer. Once he knew Trey had been completely siphoned of his pearly seed, Dion pushed Trey backward, toward the bed, until his legs were pressed up against it. Once he had Trey in that position, Dion gently nudged his lover onto the mattress, to put him in position for the next phase of his plan.

As Trey was making himself comfortable, Dion hurriedly shed his own garments, until he stood naked at the foot of the bed. Dion quickly added a dab of lube to his penis, knowing Trey didn't require him to use much any more, and then he grabbed Trey's ankles and lifted his legs, to let him know what was next. Enthusiastically, Trey pulled his knees back to his chest and awaited the entry of Dion's long, slender tool. Carefully, Dion positioned himself to make his final approach, like a pilot guiding his aircraft in for a landing, and soon Dion's nosecone was pushing against Trey's portal.

Dion kept adding more and more pressure, until his slender craft slid down the runway, and he didn't come to a stop until his own manhood had gone as far in as it possibly could. Now, Dion began to rock gently back and forth, like the pontoons of an amphibious plane riding up and down on the endless waves. Continually, he rode the crests of those swells, while stroking the sides of Trey's hanger in the process, thus teasing his sensitive prostate. After several minutes of this energetic activity, Dion realized it was time to unload his cargo, so he made one final thrust and sent his creamy luggage sliding down the ramp and into Trey's cargo hold.

It only took a few more thrusts, until the last of the freight was unloaded, and then Dion began to kiss Trey, while nuzzling his head in the crook of Trey's neck one more time. The pair exchanged kisses and this passionate embrace lasted for several more minutes, as they continued to let each other know how much they appreciated and enjoyed this lovemaking session. Once they both came down from their sexual highs, Dion sidled up behind Trey, like two spoons in a drawer, and that's the way they fell asleep.

I am so happy those two have such a close relationship, and one that I suspect will last, even though the going isn't always smooth. I think they have finally admitted to themselves that they don't want anyone else and are committed to remaining together for the long haul.

Chapter 30
Ups and Downs

As the days of April began to pass and the weather grew warmer, it was time to take Cody back to the doctor for his next checkup. I tried to approach each appointment with a certain amount of optimism, but there was always a nagging doubt at the back of my mind reminding me of the possibility that something might still go wrong.

We had already been to the hospital, to have the lab work done, so now we were waiting to meet with the doctor, so we could be informed about the results. As we sat there, I prayed harder than I ever had that the report would be good. I did not want this left in the hands of fate. As we waited in the reception area to be called, I tried to keep a smile on my face and maintain a positive attitude about everything. I didn't want to let Cody see I had doubts concerning his recovery, even minor ones. It must have worked, because I don't think he suspected a thing and stayed relaxed while we waited.

Before long, our names were called and we were led to one of the examination rooms, where we would wait for the doctor to arrive. He walked into the room a few minutes later, and immediately began to give Cody a routine check up. He felt Cody's glands, listened to his lungs and performed the other types of things a doctor generally does, and when he had finished, he looked at Cody and spoke.

"Cody, how do you feel today?" he inquired.

"Good," Cody responded, instantly.

"Any problems lately?" the oncologist pressed.

"Not really." Cody's responses were very short, but that didn't seem to bother the doctor.

"Fine. I didn't notice anything in particular either," the doctor stated, "but I am a little concerned. The cells just aren't multiplying as quickly as I'd like." He did have a mild worried expression on his face as he said this.

"Is this a problem?" I wanted to know.

"Not a problem, just a concern," he emphasized. "The cells are beginning to multiply, just not at the rate I was expecting." He didn't look upset, so neither Cody nor I were panicking.

"We'll give it some more time, to see if the situation improves," he continued, "and I suspect it will."

"That's good to hear," I responded. "Is there anything we should know?"

"No, we'll just keep an eye on him, like we have been doing," the oncologist told me, "and we'll run some more tests in a month. By then we should know how well this is taking."

Cody and I thanked the doctor and left. We were a little concerned, but not overly worried, and I continued to keep Cody upbeat about his situation. I even made light of what few concerns he had, without lying to him or giving him a severely inaccurate impression of what he was facing. I wanted to relieve some of the doubts he might have about his chances of pulling through, but I didn't want him to believe there was absolutely nothing to worry about. I knew this was a fine line I was walking, as I tried to maintain a balance for him, but after weighing our options against the possible effects they might have on Cody, I didn't see that I had much of a choice.

As I drove to school, I knew we had to continue on with our lives, at least the way they stood at this moment. I dropped Cody off at his school and told him I'd see him later, and then I drove back to my office. I had much to do there, but I was slightly preoccupied, as I thought about everything the doctor had said. I analyzed it carefully, while trying to determine if there was any hidden meaning in what he had told us. Finding none, I put this out of my mind and carried on with school business.

Later that evening, everyone wanted to know how Cody had made out at his appointment, so we tried to explain everything as best we could. I was very careful not to say anything that would cause the boys to worry or jump to conclusions about what might happen and very selective in the words I used to relay what the doctor had told us. After nearly a half-hour of going over what we knew and answering questions, I decided it was time to switch topics.

As deftly as I could, I moved on to discuss other things that were happening in our lives. Although I mentioned Trey, Dion and Andrew's successes, as well as Nick's going to Brazil and Peter coming to stay with us, many of the topics I covered were much more mundane and lacked the potential impact of Cody's condition.

A short time after our meeting broke up, I noticed Cody and Graham slipping away again, so I assumed they felt a little celebration was in order. I smiled as I watched them leave and then I went back to what I was doing. It was only about ten minutes later when I heard a commotion on the second floor, with someone screaming and a lot of banging going on.

I raced up the stairs, to see what was happening, and discovered the noise was coming from Cody and Graham's room. I flung open the door and burst into the room, only to discover Cody sitting on Graham's back, facing Graham's feet, pinning him to the bed. Cody's hand was filled with what I guessed was the back section of Graham's underwear and both boys looked up as I entered. I think they were shocked by my sudden appearance, but once they overcame their surprise, they began to question what I was doing there.

"What's the matter, Dad?" Graham asked, since he was unsure about why I had burst in on them.

"I thought I heard someone getting killed up here," I answered, and they began to look a little sheepish. It was then that I realized I had been mistaken about the seriousness of the situation.

"We're sorry," Cody told me. "We didn't mean to upset you."

"I'm not upset, but what the hell was going on up here?" I persisted.

The two boys looked at each other, before one of them responded. "I guess it's mostly my fault," Cody told me, looking down at Graham.

"Do you mind explaining?" I asked.

"Well, Graham has been treating me like I was going to break any second," Cody continued, "so I just wanted to show him he was wrong."

"And how did you think you were going to accomplish that, by killing him?" I joked.

"I wasn't killing him, I was just giving him a wedgie," Cody replied. Now, I understood why there had been a section of Graham's underwear extending from within his trousers and in Cody's grasp.

"But what about the screaming?" I wondered, since I still wasn't clear about what had taken place.

"I'm sorry, Dad," Graham responded, "but that was me. I was just yelling at Cody, trying to get him to stop what he was doing. He pulled my underwear so hard it not only went up my butt, but it was crushing my balls too."

"Ah, I see, but what was all the banging?" I tried to clarify. "I guess that was me too," Graham continued. "When I tried to break free from his attack, I guess my arms and feet banged the wall a few times."

"But it was me too," Cody added, "because I was making the bed jump a little, as I bounced on him while pulling on his underpants."

"You're not mad at us, are you, Dad?" Graham wondered, aloud.

"No, I'm not angry. I was just worried someone was getting hurt," I added, while staring at the two of them. They both looked extremely guilty at this point.

"We're sorry," Cody apologized, "and we won't do it again."

"That's okay. I really don't mind you boys fooling around like this," I assured them. "I just wasn't sure it was all in fun when I first heard it."

"It was," Graham told me, with a smile, "and thanks for worrying about us, Dad."

"That's okay. I was young once too, even though that might be hard for you to imagine," I quipped.

"Why would that be hard for us to imagine?" Cody asked, puzzled. I guess he didn't catch my little joke.

"Well, because it's hard for someone your age to imagine someone my age being young once," I told him. "I mean, back when I was a kid, there were only thirteen colonies… I mean states."

The boys looked at each other, then back at me, and then they began to grin. "You aren't THAT old, Dad," Graham retorted, almost as if he was trying to convince me of this fact.

"Maybe not, but not that far off," I teased. "Maybe there were actually twenty some states when I was your age, then."

Cody laughed the loudest now. "Then you were born before the Civil War," he concluded, impressing me with his quick calculations.

"Yep, and I met President Lincoln once too," I countered, continuing to play the game with them. Now both boys were laughing and joking with me, and Graham slowly slid out from beneath Cody. He rearranged his underwear in the process, so they weren't riding up his crack, but we continued our little game.

Once we tired of joking around, I took the opportunity to leave them alone again. I think Cody had made his point with Graham and I concluded they might have some other things they'd rather do with each other. I closed the door behind me as I exited and quietly went downstairs.

Over the next few days, things slowly returned to normal and everyone began to focus on issues specifically affecting them. However, that ended when a couple of other situations cropped up. It wasn't as if we didn't have enough to worry about with Cody's health issues, but neither of these new occurrences had anything to do with him.

The first situation came to my attention late one weekday afternoon. I was in my office working when my secretary came in to tell me I had a call from the local police department. I picked up the phone quickly, figuring it involved the school district in some fashion. Once I said hello, the voice on the other end filled me in about what I needed to know.

"Mr. Currie, this is Sgt. Nichols. Are you the legal guardian of a young man named Vinnie Rydell-Shay?" This question caught me totally off guard.

"Yes, I am," I finally responded. "Is he in some sort of trouble?"

"Not exactly, but he's been involved in an accident." His voice was emotionless, but I could tell by his tone that the situation wasn't minor.

"How serious was it?" I wanted to know, but I might also have started to panic at this point.

"The boy was slightly banged up and bruised in the collision, but the vehicle he was driving has extensive damage." Again, he was just reporting the facts and was very dry and expressionless.

"What happened?" I asked, wishing to know more of the details. "Was there another vehicle involved or did he run into something?"

"There was another vehicle involved," he replied, "and that one was damaged extensively as well."

"And was anyone injured in the other vehicle?" I pressed, and I was now really beginning to panic.

"The passengers in that vehicle only received minor injuries as well," he reported.

"So what actually happened and was anyone at fault?" I kept trying to drag information out of this officer, but he seemed reluctant to give me much at one time.

"We're not exactly clear on the details surrounding the accident, even after interviewing those involved and a couple of witnesses," he stated. "We'll have to continue investigating this, before we'll be able to sort it out."

"Can you just give me an idea about what happened, without pointing blame?" I was getting irritated now and definitely wanted an idea of what took place.

"The 4-Runner the young man was driving hit the side of another SUV," he began, while retaining his unemotional demeanor. "The impact was forceful enough to tip the other vehicle over and severely damaged the front of the 4-Runner." At least he gave me some details this time, although I still wanted more.

"Will you give me an idea how this accident happened?" I pressed him. I still wanted to learn the details surrounding how this had occurred.

"There is some confusion as to whether the young man was anticipating a green light or running a red light," he stated. "It is also possible the other driver was running a red light, but the two vehicles collided in the middle of the highway. The other vehicle was tipped on its side and clogged up a busy intersection."

"Was anyone else in our car at the time?" I asked, since I didn't know if any of the other boys had been with Vinnie at the time.

"No, the driver was alone." I was now a little relieved and beginning to calm down. I just had to figure out where Vinnie had been heading and what had actually transpired.

"And where is Vinnie now?" I asked.

"He and the other driver are here at the police station, making their statements," Sgt. Nichols reported. "All the occupants received medical attention at the scene and both vehicles were towed away."

"Okay, I'll be right down to pick him up," I informed him. "Would you please tell Vinnie that?"

"Yes, sir, I will," he confirmed. "I shall see you shortly then."

As I drove to the police station, I tried to envision what I was going to discover. I understood Vinnie hadn't been hurt badly, but the vehicle had, so this made me wonder if the authorities would be able to sort through the details and determine who was at fault, by the time I got there. I pulled into a parking space on the street, in front of the police station, and got out of the Grand AM. I walked inside and informed the officer working the desk as to who I was and why I was there. Immediately, he paged someone to come and get me.

Before long a young officer was escorting me to another area, where I discovered a shaken Vinnie. As I gave him the once over, I could see he was none the worse for wear, but he did look very worried. When he saw me enter, he grabbed his crutches and raced toward me. "I'm sorry, Pop," he whimpered, "but it really wasn't my fault." I hugged him, to let him know everything was all right.

"Why don't you just tell me what happened then?" I urged, to let him get this off his chest.

"I was coming up to the light and saw it was changing," he began. "I could see the green light turn yellow, for the cars going the other way, so I only slowed down, but didn't stop. That's because I knew my light was going to turn green any second. It WAS green when I started through the intersection, but suddenly this other car was in front of me and I hit it. She must have run the red light."

"Well, that hasn't been determined yet," I told him, to let him know I was going to wait and see what the police investigation turned up.

"What? Don't you believe me?" he nearly shouted. He seemed very upset at this point.

"Vinnie, I'm sure that is how you remember things, but I just want to see if the police come to the same conclusion," I explained. "I'm not saying you're lying, but sometimes things happen so quickly that it skews the way we remember them." He still had a pout on his face as he listened to my response, but I think he realized he wasn't going to change my mind.

At this point I began to talk to the officer investigating the accident, to see what his take on this was. "So, do you have any idea of what actually happened out there?" I asked.

"I shouldn't be telling you anything, so this will be strictly off the record," he began, "but two of the witnesses claim the light had turned green before your son went through the intersection. However, a third witness said he thought the light hadn't turned yet, so it's inconclusive. Your son does have numbers on his side, but I'm not sure how much that will factor in, if this should go to court."

"Do you think it WILL go to court?" I wanted to know now.

"Only if the insurance companies decide it's necessary, but I doubt it," he added.

At that point, I thanked the officer for the information and then asked him if I could take Vinnie home. He said I could, so we got ready to leave. The officer did one other thing before we left though, and that was to inform Vinnie that his license would be suspended for six months. This was an automatic suspension and was mandatory when a new driver was involved in a serious accident within a certain amount of time after getting his or her license. Unfortunately for Vinnie, his accident fell under those guidelines.

This pronouncement really upset Vinnie, but he forced himself not to say anything at this time. I knew that would come later, and it did, in the car on the way home.

"That's not fair," Vinnie screamed. "It wasn't my fault."

"Vinnie, you'd be wise to learn that life ISN'T fair, and besides, there is no conclusive evidence this accident wasn't your fault."

"Then you don't believe me?" he challenged, while looking at me incredulously.

"I didn't say that, and this isn't hinging on what any of us believes," I countered. "The law just isn't interested in guilt in this case. It's only interested in how long a driver has had his license and how severe the accident was. This wasn't a fender bender. Your car was totaled and the other vehicle has extensive damage too. The only reason it wasn't considered totaled was because it was hit in the side, so the front end and engine weren't damaged severely. Just accept this as a harsh lesson to learn and wait out the sixth months, until you get your license back."

"This sucks. It really sucks," he spat back.

"Yes, I'm sure that's the way you see it," I commiserated, "but when you get your license back, just drive a little more defensively. Okay?"

"And what is that supposed to mean?" he snapped. He had another sour look on his face as he asked this.

"What I mean is, you can't just watch the lights to decide whether it is safe to enter an intersection," I explained. "A defensive driver would have glanced in both directions first, just to make sure no one else was doing something wrong, something that would endanger them too."

He didn't respond to this statement and stared out the window instead. I wasn't sure if he was acknowledging the point I had just made or if he was still concentrating on the perceived unfairness of the situation. Regardless of his reason for not responding, I said nothing more and we drove the rest of the way home in silence.

When we arrived at the house, Vinnie told the other boys about what had happened and they were more eager to accept his view that the punishment was unjust. I let them continue discussing this without adding my two cents, because I knew it wouldn't do any good to try to debate with them. Instead, I went on with my own business, while silently thanking God that no one had been seriously injured.

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