Bill W

Castaway Hotel IX

Jun 2004 - May 2006

Chapter 1
Getting to Know You

I was working on my computer the following afternoon, when I received an IM from Peter:

AussiePeter: Pop, are you there?
JoshC818: Yes, Peter. I am. I take it you got back safely?
AussiePeter: I did, but now I want to c if this gizmo works.
Can U webcam now?
JoshC818: Yes, I'm not busy.

A few seconds later, I received an invitation to web-cam from Peter, accepted and slipped on my headphones. After a slight delay, his face appeared on my screen.

"It works!" I heard him exclaim.

"I was sure it would," I replied. "The web-cam, microphone and headphone are the best one the company offered."

"I know and thanks," he answered. "This is great. When I get through speaking with you, I want you to let the others know I'm on, so I can chat with them too. My buddy list is full with just the screen names of your family." He laughed after saying this and I also saw the humor in his comment.

We chatted for a little while longer, and Peter thanked me several times for all we did for him while he was with us, and then his parents got on to thank me too. It was the first time I had actually seen them, other than in the photos and videos Ricky had brought back with him, and their accents were even thicker than Peter's. I guess his might have become watered down a bit, after spending so much time with Ricky and then staying the better part of a year with us.

After we finished our conversation, I went to tell the other boys that Peter was online and soon some of them were chatting with him as well. Once they started, I signed off and left them to talk without me eavesdropping.

Shortly thereafter, I also called to make certain Barry had arrived home safely and his mother assured me he had. She also reported that he's been talking, nonstop, since he arrived and has told them everything we had done. Well, I'm sure he didn't tell them everything, and omitted what he'd done with Andrew and Jesse, but I got the idea. She and Farrell thanked me as well and assured me we'd all get together again, sometime soon.

As soon as we had all recuperated from our vacation and got our lives back in order, I informed the boys we had something else we needed to do. I had planned we would go out to the farm again and help with the haying, so the farm-homes could get as much stored away as possible.

Lester explained he had done the first cut with the boys right after school was out and they were now ready to do the second cut. He'd do a third cut between the end of July and before the boys started school again in August and was going to sell some of the bales from these two cuts to be transported to areas that had bad haying seasons, due to either a drought or excessive rain and flooding. I concurred that would be a good way to not only help out, but also ensure some additional income and make the homes more self-sufficient. I had no problem with his plan, as long as the farms had enough to meet their needs. Lester assured me they would, so I agreed it was a good idea.

When I asked about coming out to help with the haying, I was surprised by his response. "Josh, did you forget we got the round baler when we bought the tractors? That means we don't need your help with the haying, but if you want to give us a hand with the other work, we'd be happy to accept your offer."

I was a little taken aback, because I was thinking we'd be working with the rectangular bales again, like we had the previous year. I'd forgotten he'd talked me into purchasing the new baler and those bales were moved by a spear, which was attached to the rear of one of the tractors.

"Lester, we'd be willing to help any way we can," I offered. "We could come out this weekend, if that would work for you."

"Josh, that would be fine and then I can get some other things done, that I've been putting off," Lester agreed. I then confirmed we'd see them Saturday morning.

I had to work the rest of the week at school, to make up for some of the time I'd been gone on vacation, but Saturday morning I got the boys up early and we headed out to the farm. I left Andrew and Jesse with Lester's wife, figuring they could help her with the chickens and other chores, while the rest of us worked with Lester and the guys.

We started out assisting them with the milking first, and after we released the cows to pasture, Lester gave us a choice. "I know neither of these jobs is much fun and sort of messy, but they have to be done," he began. "We need to clean out both the barn and the chicken coop, so I'll let you choose whichever you'd prefer. Then my boys and I will do the other."

He was right. Neither job was very glamorous and both would be smelly and very dirty. However, I've dealt with chicken shit before and would much prefer to deal with cow patties. Therefore, I opted for us to clean the barn. Lester smiled and spoke.

"That would have been my choice too," he agreed, while flashing a slight grin. Then he turned around and took his foster sons off to the chicken coop.

It was a warm day, but I wouldn't call it hot. The boys and I sure did work up a sweat though, while cleaning out the barn. We finished before lunch and when Lester came back to check on our progress, he was surprised we were finished. Slowly, he looked the area over.

"Not bad, for a bunch of city slickers," he teased. "I actually came here to tell you the wife said it's almost time for lunch. I didn't expect you to be done already and was just planning to see how you were doing. Damn, you and your boys must have really worked hard."

"Lester, we did, but you forget we've done this before," I replied, "and Little Ricky grew up here. We used to come out and help Albert and him, from time to time, so we've had some experience, you might say."

"Yeah, I did forget about that," he confirmed, "but you did a great job. Now, just head over to the house and my wife will start feeding you, if you're interested."

"Lester, I appreciate the offer and we are," I confirmed, "but would you mind if we went out and took a dip in the pond first. We stink and so do our clothes."

"Josh, the misses is used to that, so it's not a problem," he assured us.

"Maybe not for you, but I think we'd have a hard time keeping our food down, if we don't wash up first," I replied.

"Ah, yes," Lester drawled. "You city folk might know how to clean up a barn, but you still don't have the stomach for it." He smiled and chuckled after saying this, to let us know he was only teasing. However, he was right. Our stomachs would have probably returned anything we deposited in them, if that smell was around to accompany it.

"Sure and take your time," he offered. "I'll tell my wife to hold things up a bit and grab a bar of soap you folks can use to wash up. The smells still going to be on your clothes though," he followed.

"Not if we strip down and wash our clothes first, before we wash ourselves," I challenged. "We can rinse our boots off too and leave them outside."

"Then you'll be all wet while you eat," he stated.

"We'll strip down to our underwear first," I began, "that is if the boys wore any." After saying this, I glanced around and saw a few guilty expressions, so I knew I'd hit the nail on the head with some of them.

"We'll wash our clothes first and ring them out, then we'll leave them in the sun to dry while we clean up our bodies."

"Won't the boys be uncomfortable doing that?" Lester asked.

"No, we've all seen each other naked plenty of times," I answered. "Living in a house with only guys, we tend to get a little lax when it comes to modesty." Lester chuckled.

"Your family is more farm boy than city slicker, in my book," he countered. "My brothers, my sons and I had all done similar things over the years. Hang on a sec and I'll be right back."

Lester ran off and came back carrying a couple bars of ivory soap. "Here, you go clean up and we'll meet you back at the house."

About that time, Lester's boys came over and saw us heading out. "They going home?" one of them asked.

"Nope, they're going out to the pond to clean up," Lester replied.

"Hey, can we join them?" another voice asked.

"Not sure," he answered. "Let me check." Lester then called out to me.

"Hey, Josh," he shouted. "Would you mind if some of my boys joined you."

"No, they can come if they want," I shouted back, "as long as they're not modest. There will be a lot of bare skin out here." I guess his foster sons didn't have a problem with that, because more than half of them came racing out to catch up with us.

Lester had seven foster sons, ranging from twelve to seventeen, and only the seventeen-year old and one of the fifteen-year olds didn't join us. I thought I'd better clarify what we were about to do, as we walked to the pond, in case they wanted to change their minds.

"Guys, we're going to be stripping down out there, rinsing off our clothes and then skinny-dipping in the pond, if you're still interested in joining us," I explained. "I just thought I'd mention that, so you wouldn't be surprised or in case you'd prefer to go back now."

"Hell, no!" the fourteen-year old shouted. "We do it a lot too, well, most of us do. The guys that didn't come with us are shier then we are. I think they got little dicks or something." Lester's boys all laughed when the fourteen-year old said this and my boys soon followed suit.

"Hey, it's all right with us, as long as you're cool with it," I added.

"We are," the twelve-year old answered. "I wasn't at first, but since I've been doing this with the others, I've gotten used to it."

"Hell, you should be," the sixteen-year old answered. "You're hung as well as some of the others, even though you're younger." The twelve-year old just grinned and puffed out his chest, after that fact was mentioned.

Before long we had proof about what we'd been told and noticed the twelve-year old was quite mature for his age. In a way, I was glad Andrew wasn't with us for this, because seeing this boy might have sent him into another bout of depression.

We rinsed our clothes off first, rung them out as well as we could and then laid them out in the grass to dry. However, I told the boys that were wearing underwear not to bother about rinsing them out too. I felt they probably hadn't gotten dirty, so there was no need to wash them out as well. Then we all hopped in the pond and washed off the best we could, with the two bars of ivory soap Lester had given us. Then, we just frolicked around in the water for a bit longer, but I herded everyone out to dry and get dressed.

I was somewhat surprised to see all the foster boys that came out with us were all circumcised. I had a feeling some of them might have been uncut, but that wasn't the case. However, no one questioned us about my boys that were uncircumcised, so I figured they'd either seen one before or learned about the difference in school. Either way, nothing was said and we all enjoyed the outing. Nothing sexual happened either and we merely had a good time soaking and relaxing.

Our clothes were still a little damp when we put them back on, but none of us cared. When we returned to the house, we merely took our food outside to eat, so we wouldn't get the furniture damp. It was just sandwiches and potato salad, but it was good and filling.

When we finished eating, Lester suggested we go over to the other farm, so we could help them out too. I agreed and we all loaded up in the hay-wagon Lester had hitched behind one of the tractors. That way, we wouldn't get our vehicles dirty once we were done there.

After we helped clean up the barn at the other farm, we rode back on the wagon with Lester. We then went back out to the pond to clean up again, before returning home. The same group of boys joined us again and I sensed they liked having us here. I don't think any of them were sexually interested in my boys, but they did enjoy horsing around with others in the same relative age group. Everyone got along fine and we agreed to come out and visit, from time to time.

During this trip to the pond, we let our clothes get a little drier before we put them back on, so we didn't transfer all that water to the seats in our vehicles. The boys with me happily chatted about what we had done and asked the other boys a lot of questions about themselves, after filling them in about their backgrounds. I think some of the foster boys might have been a little surprised that my boys had been in the foster care system and maybe even envious. I think some of them wished they had lucked out and ended up with us too, but I still believe this group was also pretty happy being where they were. I also had a feeling some of Lester's boys might be willing to try some things with my boys, the next time we went out there. I think they might have even been agreeable to it during this second outing, if I hadn't been there. I did warn my boys later that they would have to be careful about doing such things, in case some of the other boys reacted strongly to what they were up to.

We were now into July and the Fourth was approaching quickly. It fell on a Sunday this year, so I decided to have a cookout at home for the family. Monday was scheduled as the holiday, but the fireworks were still going to be set off Sunday night, so we looked forward to watching them too.

I contacted Lester and asked if he, his wife and the boys would like to join us and he said they'd be pleased. He also told me his boys still talked about when we came out there, so he knew they'd like to see my family again. I gave him a time and he said they'd be there.

I had also invited the extended family, so it would be a very big cookout. Mark would also be bringing his girlfriend and so would Duck this time, so the only one who'll be missing will be Frankie.

Before Lester and his boys arrived, I warned my boys not to try to do anything with them today. I wanted this to be a day for family and group activities, so they agreed. Once everyone arrived, I explained what I had in mind, and after some slight hesitation, everyone agreed to give it a try.

I quickly split our attendees into teams, no exceptions. Well, that's not quite accurate, since I told John and Margaret Spence they could sit out, since they were watching Arlene. She was doing fairly well so far, but we never knew when that was going to change. Vinnie and Andrew would be allowed to do other things as well, because their physical limitations would prevent them from participating in some of the activities.

As I placed everyone on a team, I tried to split the family units up, as much as possible. I did this because I wanted everyone to get to know the others better and the best way to accomplish this was by cooperating as a team.

The first activity I had planned was what I called the birdseed relay. Each team was given a small bucket of birdseed and a tablespoon, and they had to fill a plastic cup that was placed on one of our picnic table benches, about ten yards away. Each person was to scoop up as much birdseed on the spoon as he could and then race to the other end, without spilling it, and dump it in the cup, before racing back to hand the spoon off to the next person in line. The first team to fill their cup would win.

Vinnie and Andrew were going to be our judges, since this was one of the activities that would be too difficult for them. It was also made clear that their decision would be final, so my boys wouldn't try to argue and belabor the point. I used birdseed for this activity, rather than something else, because I felt we could just toss it in the lawn afterward, at least what we hadn't already spilled during the race, so the wildlife could feed on it.

I placed the boys first in each line, because I knew they were going to be extremely competitive, so by the time the spoons reached the adults, they would have no choice but to do the same. We were having a blast, cheering our teams on, until Vinnie and Andrew agreed there was a winner. It was the team consisting of Lester, Duck's girlfriend, Dion, Graham and the 13-year old from the farm home. There was no prize involved, but they did have temporary bragging rights, until we finished the next activity.

The next event would require partners, so we split everyone up according to age. Once I had two lines, in descending order by age, with the older group being in the first line and the younger group in the second, we paired off. That way, the oldest in the first line was paired with the oldest in the second, so it should even out that each group would be competitive. This way, there would be a younger, more athletic person to offset what the older person had lost in physical prowess, due to advancing age. Unbelievably, I got paired up with Ricky for the three-legged race and he started giving me grief right away.

"Hey, old man," he quipped, "you're not going to slow me down and make me lose, are you?"

"I just hope I don't break your leg while you're trying to keep up with me," I shot back, before disappearing into the house.

I came back carrying the strips of cloth Jake and I had cut up the night before and passed them out. While I was doing this, Andrew took up his position at the starting line, to get us going, and Vinnie moved down to the finish line, to declare the winner.

After everyone had one leg joined to his partner, Andrew gave the, 'Ready, set, go!' and we were off. There was some stumbling and a few pairs fell, some more than once, but we all made it to the finish line. The winners this time were Brandon and Lester's 12-year old, but then we quickly moved on to our next event.

This time, Andrew and Vinnie were also going to be included too, because I felt they'd be able to handle this. Therefore, we had to modify the teams slightly, to accommodate them. This time we were doing an egg toss. Vinnie thought he could throw the egg using only one crutch for support, on the side opposite his throwing arm, and then drop to his knees to try catching the return throw. After each toss back and forth, every team whose egg hadn't broken would take a step backward and increase the distance. In the end we had another pair of winners, but this time it was Mark and Lester's 16-year old.

We kept the same pairs for the next activity, because it was very similar. However, instead of tossing eggs this time, we were using water balloons. A few people got wet, but no one seemed to mind, and John, Margaret and Arlene were having a ball watching and cheering us on. In the end, we had a new set of winners. This time it was Mary Shay and Nick. She had been very athletic in her youth and apparently hadn't lost her touch, and she made sure to gloat about it with her husband afterward. Steve's balloon had burst in his hand when he tried to catch it, so he not only lost to her, but he was also wet from the chest to the knees.

That was the end of the activities I had planned, so after we finished, the boys went off to play soccer, shoot baskets or just talk a walk around our property. Dustin had agreed to lead those who were interested in taking the walk, because I didn't want anyone unfamiliar with the place falling into the ravine. Yes, it was similar to the ravine Andrew fell into when he had his accident, but otherwise they weren't related.

While the younger ones were involved in those activities, we older folks sat around and chatted, after Jake and I provided everyone with a drink. We were all pretty parched by that point and I didn't want anyone getting cramps from dehydration. As we talked, I was surprised to hear Mark, Duck and their girlfriends say how much they had enjoyed the various events and looked forward to joining us again. We all agreed it was different, fun and they got to know each other better, including the boys from the farm-home. They were really having a good time with my boys and Lester congratulated us for making them feel so comfortable. He said they were a little reticent about coming today, because they thought it would be lame, as one of the boys put it. However, he could tell by how they were acting, especially since some of them had won some of our competitions, that they were enjoying it as much as the rest of us.

Now, that things had quieted down, Jake and I fired up the grills and some of the boys helped us bring the other items out to the picnic tables. We now had several such tables for gatherings such as this and I was grateful I had planned ahead and purchased them. We used one to keep the food on and we would sit at the others.

Before it got dark, we drove down to where the fireworks were going to be held and found a good spot. It was quite an impressive display again this year, although most of it was of the aerial variety. However, once it ended, the Footes said they had to leave, because the cows needed to be milked and they had already put it off much later than normal. I told them I understood and we all said our good-byes, before they headed out. Tammy was the first to thank us for the great time, but then the boys started to come over too. One by one, they also thanked us and said they'd had a lot of fun and hoped we could do it again. I told them we would, although I wasn't sure when, and they said they looked forward to it. Even the 17-year old said he'd had a good time, but he did ask if he could bring a date next time. When I told him that would be fine, he looked even happier.

Shortly after they left, some of the others began to take off too. Before long, all that was left was my family, Mark, Duck and their girlfriends. Duck and his girlfriend were going to stay in the guest room, because Andrew and Jesse had offered to sleep on the sofa while they were here. We thanked the boys for their offer and it took away a problem for me, as to where I was going to put them. Mark's girlfriend was also going to be staying and would be staying in Mark's room, since they were both consenting adults.

Even though the official fireworks were concluded, I suspected there might be some romantic fireworks going off tonight as well. I was certain some of the boys would be going at it, so I hoped everyone kept the noise down so Jake and I could get some sleep. Oh, hell. What am I talking about? We'll probably be having our own fireworks display. After all, as Margaret Spence once said, we're old, not dead.

Chapter 2
Army Life

Now that we were into July, I had to start making arrangements for several things to happen. First of all, it was time for Brandon and Nick to go spend time with their parents, however Nick wouldn't be coming back. He would be staying in Oklahoma to attend college and Brandon would be returning for only a couple of days, before he went back to college too.

I also had another event to arrange for, but first I had to talk it over with the rest of the family. I didn't want to commit to anything without their approval and I wasn't certain how many would want to participate. I suspected most would, but I wasn't positive all of them would want to go.

After talking this over with each boy individually, all of them agreed they wanted to go see Frankie when he graduated from A.I.T. Since I had spent so much money on our vacation, I didn't want to incur the additional expense of flying everyone to Missouri. Besides, once we got there we'd have to rent a vehicle anyway, so I considered my options. It would take a little longer if we didn't fly and I really didn't want to drive the whole distance myself, especially since Jake wasn't going to be able to go. He had already used up all of his days off and didn't feel he could take off any extra time off, so he would be staying behind. Of course, I could have some of the boys share the driving time with me, but the problem was that if we drove, we'd also have to take two vehicles. Therefore, I opted to charter a bus and use a professional driver instead.

Since Frankie's graduation ceremony was on Friday again, we would leave Wednesday night and arrive Thursday night. We'd spend Friday and Saturday with Frankie and then leave again Saturday night, so we'd be home Sunday evening. That way, I'd only have to be away from work for one additional day, since I'd already been away so long on vacation.

When it came time to leave, I drove the Yukon and Dustin was in the driver's seat of the Suburban, as we left for the bus station. We left Jake the other vehicles and he could use whichever he wanted while we were gone. We arrived at the terminal well in advance of our scheduled departure time and the driver was a very friendly man in his 40's. After explaining we were just a family, and not a group, and going to see a family member in the service, we got underway.

He drove straight through the night and only made a rest stop, about four hours later. Of course, there was a toilet on the bus for us to use, but the driver had to make a stop at a rest area, so he could do the same. When he did, the rest of us picked up some drinks and snacks, and then about four hours later, we stopped for breakfast.

After downing a very filling meal at one of those national chain restaurants, we drove on. I sat near the driver and chatted with him, so he didn't fall asleep, as we looked for a motel. We found one a short time later and stopped and checked in. Although the boys and I had slept a little on the bus, we felt we could still use some place to clean up and change, and we'd use the motel pool while the driver got some shuteye.

The driver woke up by late afternoon and we boarded the bus again. Fortunately, we got to St. Louis after the rush hour, so we had few problems with the traffic. We stopped for a late dinner once we passed through St. Louis and then drove on to our motel, just a short distance away from Fort Leonard Wood. In fact, it was the same place Andrew, Jesse and I had stayed when we came here for Frankie's graduation from basic training. Both boys pointed out this fact to me, as well as to the others, and then they made themselves right at home.

Since Jake wasn't with us, the two little ones were going to share a room with me. Since there were sixteen of us and we were splitting up between four rooms, someone else would have to be in with us too, so Sammy volunteered. Since we'd be spending two nights here, Andrew and Jesse agreed to each spend a night sleeping with me, while the other shared a bed with Sammy. Andrew told Jesse he could spend the first night with me, which seemed to please Jesse.

After settling in, we spent some time at the pool, before we retired for the night. The ceremony was scheduled at ten the following morning, so we'd get up around 7:00, get ready, eat and then have the bus driver take us to Baker Theater.

Andrew and Jesse had packed the uniforms Frankie's friends had bought them the last time we were here and wanted to wear them to the graduation. I thought that would be fine and I figured Frankie would get a kick out of seeing them in them too. Some of the other boys teased the pair that they might have to stay here, if someone thought they were really in the army, and joked that they might even get sent over to Iraq. Andrew and Jesse were enjoying the attention and the other boys weren't getting to them, as they'd hoped.

Of course, Andrew and Jesse got a lot more attention after we arrived at the theater and the young man that greeted us even saluted the pair, before he showed us to our seats. Both boys thought that was pretty special and saluted him back, which caused some of the other visitors to comment and snap a picture or two. Damn, I didn't even think to do that.

I did notice there were about half as many people in attendance today, than the last time we came, if you excluded everyone that was with me. I guess that's to be expected, but I felt bad for the young men who didn't have anyone here for them, before they set out to defend our country.

The ceremony was similar to Frankie's graduation from basic training, except the awards were slightly different. Frankie was recognized, with a handful of others in his company, for exceptional achievement and was one of the few that were also promoted. This time he received a promotion from Private (E2, with a single stripe) to Private First Class (E3, with one stripe and a rocker underneath). I was extremely proud of him, yet again.

When we met up with Frankie outside, after the ceremony had concluded, he gave each of his brothers a very warm greeting. When he came to Andrew and Jesse, he showered them with even more attention than on our previous trip and commented how great they looked in their uniforms, which pleased both boys.

Frankie's friend from home was here with him again, but the other trainees we had met on our last visit weren't. They had gone to different forts for A.I.T., because they were pursuing other specializations. Frankie did, however, introduce us to a couple of others he'd made friends with during this cycle, and since none of them had anyone else show up, I invited them to join us during our stay. They were a little hesitant at first, until Frankie assured them it was all right and promised they'd have a good time, so they gave in. They were free until Sunday night, since they had no bed check on Saturday, so we could do any number of things.

We started off by taking everyone out to lunch and allowing Frankie's friends to get to know the family better. Frankie had told them a lot about us before we'd arrived, so we were able to forgo the typical comments and questions we would have otherwise faced. Once again, Frankie seemed to have made friends with the cream of the crop and we had a very pleasurable time with them.

Once Frankie's friends began to feel comfortable with us, they began to tease Frankie a bit.

"Hey, Currie," one of them yelled, "you must be a celebrity or something. Nobody else got a busload of people showing up for his graduation."

"Yeah, I'm surprised there's no press coverage or anything," another added. "Shit, there should be a whole bunch of photographers here to snap pictures of this proud family."

"Hell, the press should be here just to feature our youngest recruits," someone else suggested, while indicating Andrew and Jesse. "Two young Curries enlisted to defend our country before they were even old enough to go to high school." This elicited a smile or laugh from everyone, including the two boys.

"Man, your family could become the poster family for Stars and Stripes and its patriotic family of the year," his friend from back home teased. "The Curries defend the world from the evil axis. Heck, maybe we could get them all to enlist before they go back home."

"Let them finish college, before you start making other plans for them," Frankie countered, because he wasn't quite as amused by this suggestion. He didn't mind committing himself, but he knew many of his brothers didn't belong in the service and would make their mark in other ways.

The playful banter stopped a short time later, and then Frankie and his friends went to get permission to take us around the base, so they could show us some of the other areas they wanted us to see. When confronted by their request, the company commander called the battalion commander, who in turn called the brigade commander. If I knew it was going to cause this much work and trouble, I would have told them to forget about it. However, a short time later we were told we had been cleared. I was surprised by this courtesy, but even more so when we were informed the appropriate parties were being notified that our bus had been cleared for this, so we should not get stopped or hassled. Frankie and his friends then got on the bus with us, and while one of them gave the bus driver directions as to where to go, the others told us about everything we were seeing.

To my amazement, the rest of my boys seemed very interested in what they were being told and what they were viewing, as we wandered by their training areas and a few other locations. Frankie and his friends seemed pleased this was going so well, so they began sharing anecdotal information about their time here. It wasn't as humorous as the stories we heard about basic training, but some were cute, even if they weren't hilarious.

That evening, we also went out to dinner together and then just sat around chatting and having a few drinks together. We dropped Frankie's friends off at their barracks, but Frankie wanted to stay with us. He was going to stay in my room; since he'd talked Jesse and Sammy into letting him share their bed. Jesse seemed just as enamored with Frankie as he had been on our first visit and I realized he was sporting a huge case of hero worship. Frankie didn't seem to mind, so I allowed them to spend as much time together as could be arranged.

The next morning, after breakfast, we picked up Frankie's friends again and they suggested we go to the Lake of the Ozarks State Park. It wasn't very far away and the bus driver agreed to drive us, so we were off. It was quite a lovely ride, as we traveled along the Ozark Mountains to our destination, but I definitely wouldn't want to take this same trip during the winter.

When we arrived at the park, we started off by taking a swim. There was also a nice sandy beach at the swimming area, so after we were in the water for a while, the boys suggested we could sign out a volleyball and play a few games, because we had more than enough for four teams. There were nets already set up on the beach, at a location farthest away from the water, yet still in the sand. I only played in a couple of the games, but the boys kept going, as the next team challenged the winners to another match.

While the others were continuing their games, I took Andrew and Jesse out for a ride in a rowboat. Seeing I was the only thing powering the craft, it's a wonder we traveled very far at all. However, that pair seemed to really enjoy their time alone with me and splashed each other, and me, as we traveled along. It was a very relaxing time, since I allowed us to drift quite a bit and only rowed on the way out and when we were ready to come back in.

After I turned the boat in, we went back to where the others were still playing volleyball. Once those boys began to tire too, we all got on the bus and returned to the base. After dropping the others off to clean up and change, we went back to the motel to do the same, before picking them up again. We were all going out to dinner together again and this would be our final outing as a group, since we had to leave a short time later. I'm not sure if the boys were quite as sad about the thought of ending our visit with Frankie, but I knew it was going to be rough on me.

I had Frankie and his friends pick out the restaurant, and after we got there, I announced this meal was going to serve several functions. Since everyone looked confused, I thought I'd explain.

"The primary reason for this meal is because we all need to eat, but this will also be the last time we will be dining together, before we return home. Therefore, it was serve as a farewell meal and a good luck send off, as you all go to your various assignments. However, there is another reason, which some of you may be totally oblivious about. This coming Tuesday is Frank's birthday and he'll be turning twenty-one, so I want to celebrate that special event tonight too. I'm afraid the only present we have for you now is that we're all together, but we'll make up for it when you get back home." I think Frankie's friends were all impressed that I had made a special deal out of this and all congratulated him, as soon as I finished speaking.

"Dad, you know sharing this with all of you is present enough," he offered, before he got some ribbing from his buddies.

"What is this, the movie of the week?" his buddy from back home teased. "Is this going to be shown on the Hallmark channel or Lifetime? Don't be a fool, take whatever presents he wants to give you and run!" Frankie's other friends began to laugh.

"Yeah, Frank," another chimed in. "Maybe you can weasel a new car out of this or something."

"Maybe," Frankie admitted, "and this may sound corny, but having them all here means more than the rest of you could ever imagine." Seeing the sincerity on Frankie's face and sensing the emotion in his words, the others stopped joking around and realized Frankie meant what he said.

"Hey, we were only having some fun with ya," another added. "I guess we might be a little jealous about how lucky you are. Let's face it, you're the only one whose family came to see him, even though they all knew we might be going off to war next." That comment seriously dampened the good time we were having, so I thought I'd try to pick things up again.

"Guys, we're here for all of you," I stated. "If Frank feels this close to you, then we do too, and we thank you for whatever you may do to protect the country, and us, in the future."

The rest of my boys quickly chimed in their agreement, to let Frankie's friends understand I was speaking for all of us. That's when Andrew and Jesse stood up in front of their chairs and saluted them. I think seeing them do this was almost as touching as seeing John-John salute his father's casket (President Kennedy) so many years ago. I don't think there was a dry eye in the house, since people at the adjoining tables either witnessed or were informed about what my two little ones had done, as well.

For the remainder of our time there, I spent as much of it as I could speaking with Frankie and his friends. Before we parted company, they all thanked me for a great couple of days and expressed their feelings that Frankie was lucky to be part of such a wonderful family. I told Frankie to give all of them our address and urged each of them to keep in touch, before wishing them well. In addition to promising he would, Frankie also said he'd let me know where he was going to be posted next, just as soon as he received his orders.

After leaving the restaurant, we dropped Frankie and his friends off at their barracks, because they'd be staying there until they received their orders. After saying good-bye to each of them, I pulled Frankie aside for a couple of minutes, because I had something else to tell him.

"You know I'd set up an account in each one of your names, shortly after you first came to live with me," I began. "Well, now that you're twenty-one, I've had the account signed over for you to control and do with as you wish."

"Dad, you don't have to do that," Frankie protested. "Use that money to help take care of everyone else. Please."

"Frankie, I have accounts set up for all of you and I've still had plenty of money to take care of everyone," I answered. "Just consider this one of your birthday presents and use it wisely. I have plenty of confidence you will and it may help you get off to a good start when your enlistment is up."

"I don't understand why you keep doing all these things for me, but thank you," Frankie responded. "You've been so good to me and I don't know if I really deserved it. I was a real bastard when I first came to stay with you and I never blamed you for sending me away. I deserved it, but then I didn't understood why you let me come back afterward. You've always been more than fair to me and I only hope some day I can give you something in return."

"You already have," I replied, "by turning into the wonderful young man you are today. Frankie, I love you dearly, as much as I love any of the others, and you only got a second chance because you deserved it. You proved to me that you were man enough to accept responsibility for what you had done when you first stayed with us and then apologized to both Trey and me for your actions. That is what earned you another chance, so it was you, along with Trey's approval, which brought you back to our family. The only person you have to thank is yourself for turning your life around and becoming the great young man you are today."

"But I couldn't have done it without you," he pointed out.

"Maybe I showed you the way, but you had to choose to walk that path on your own," I explained. "Therefore, you deserve more credit that I do for what has happened since." At that point, Frankie merely hugged me and then took off for his barracks. I could tell he was choked up and was afraid of having an emotional outburst in public, so he opted to head inside, knowing full well that I understood how he felt.

Once I got back on the bus, we set off for home. Frankie had stopped and looked back before entering his barracks, so we all waved at him as we drove away. He waved back and then I continued to watch him, as he seemed to grow smaller, until he eventually faded from sight.

Now that we were on the road again, the boys chatted for a while about their time there and then began to doze off. I did too, although only briefly, and then I moved forward to chat with the bus driver. I knew this was a long and boring drive for him, since most of it was done on the interstates, so he thanked me for keeping him company. While we chatted, he told me he had been impressed with my boys and complimented me on all of them, especially Frankie. He said Frankie was very impressive and it was easy to see that his friends looked up and admired him. I thanked him for his kind words and then we started chatting about other things. None of our conversation was earth shattering, but we did discuss where we were on 9/11, about the war in Iraq and whether we thought Saddam had been involved with the disaster. We also speculated as to how long we thought it would take before Bin Laden and Saddam were captured and brought to justice.

During our time together, we also chatted about the economy and how current events might help to shape the future, before we turned our attention to lighter topics, like sports, our favorite television shows and what music we liked. I quickly discovered he was a big 'American Idol' fan, although I got the impression he preferred the 'Nashville Star' program more, since his favorite genre was country music. I mostly listened to his observations during this time, because I knew he wouldn't be sleeping if he was talking, and I didn't really have much to offer along this line.

Our conversation was only interrupted by a brief stop at a rest area, when he filled up the bus and used the facilities. Some of my boys also got off the bus, but most of them talked one of the others into bringing back what they wanted instead. They were getting kind of lazy.

The next morning we stopped for breakfast and then rode a little longer, before stopping and getting rooms. Although most of the boys had slept on the bus, I hadn't really, so I made sure some of them watched over the younger ones, while I took a nap. From what they told me, most were going to watch television in their rooms or swim in the pool, until it was time to leave again.

I went around and located all of them after I awoke and then we went off to grab a bite to eat. Even though I didn't realize it at the time, the driver was also up and eating at the nearby restaurant we walked to. Once we finished, we went back to our rooms, grabbed our things and loaded them on the bus, so we were ready to leave when the bus driver gave us the word. We drove straight through from that point on and arrived back at the bus terminal Sunday evening. After Dustin and I drove the rest of the way home, we unloaded our belongings and settled in. Jake was as happy to see us, as I was to see him, and he admitted the house was very quiet and lonely while we were away. I think I made him forget about that, once we were alone in our room.

The next few days were kind of quiet, after I returned to work. Thursday night I received a call from Robert, because he felt it was time to check up on us again. He asked about our vacation and I also told him about our trip to see Frankie. We were having a very pleasant conversation, and then Robert dropped a bombshell.

"Pop, I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but I think you have the right to know," he began, which made me begin to worry. I had no idea what he was getting at.

"Have you been in contact with Marie at all?" he asked next, which confused me even more.

"I did receive a short email from her, but I haven't really talked to her since the blowup at the house," I confirmed. "Why, what does that have to do with anything?"

"I just asked, to see if she might have contacted you and explained the situation herself," he replied.

"What situation?" I asked, rather tersely.

"Pop, I happened to call her a week ago, just to see how she was doing and she happened to mention she was pregnant again," Robert advised me. "She says she's due in the middle of August, so you're going to be a grandfather again. Hell, this one might even be born on your birthday."

I was taken aback by the news. Not only was Marie going to have another child, but it also might be born on the same day I was. The news rocked my world in the sense that I was going to be a grandfather again, but it was tempered by the fact that I also might never see this grandchild. I didn't know if Adrian would declare a truce long enough for me to visit or for them to bring the baby here, but I hoped that might happen. It was hard enough not seeing any of them, but not getting to meet my newest grandchild was more than I thought I could handle. Damn, maybe that's what they were hoping for, that I'd fold and give in to their demands. I won't do that, no matter how badly I wish to see this child, but I pray they might relent long enough for a short visit, one way or the other.

I had been dwelling on this development for over a week, while trying to see if I could come up with a way to improve the situation. I wanted to call Marie and speak with her directly, but I didn't want to place Robert in the middle, by having her know he had blabbed to me. It wouldn't be difficult for her to figure out he was my source and I felt she and Adrian might get upset and not speak with him any longer, if they found out. I was still debating this issue, when I received a call.

"Hi, Dad, it's me," the voice said.

"Hi, Frankie. What's up?" I replied.

"Well, I told you I'd call once I received my orders," he stated. "So I'm keeping my word."

"Okay, where are you going and what will you be doing?" I asked.

"Dad, are you sure you are ready for this?" Frankie countered.

"Why wouldn't I be?" I followed, while wondering what he was getting at.

"Dad, at first it looked as if I was going to be deployed to Iraq," Frankie answered, "but that's changed. I was told my battalion and brigade commanders fought to have a couple of us get a special posting. I'm going to be sent to Guantanamo, that's in Cuba, to work in the prisons there."

"I know where Guantanamo is," I countered, "but I didn't know there was a prison there."

"Yes. There is," he advised me. "I guess in 2003 the military brought ten prisoners from Afghanistan, because they felt they were too dangerous to leave over there. Since then, they've also brought a few terrorists to join them and I understand there going to be adding a new section onto the prison in early next year."

I didn't respond for a few seconds, so I heard Frankie's voice again. "Dad, are you still there? Are you all right?"

"Yes, Frankie," I replied. "I was just trying to put this into perspective and assess what it was going to mean for you. Even though we thought you might be sent to Iraq, this changes things. It sounds as if these are the most dangerous of the prisoners, so I hope it's fairly safe and secure there."

"I'm sure it is," he confirmed, "but I was told the CO wanted us to be sent there for the experience. The two of us that have been assigned there both have our two-year degrees and were at the top of our class during training. I guess they were impressed with us and thought this could help us advance in our careers."

"That part sounds good," I admitted, "and I guess we should just be proud that you did well enough to be selected. The few, the proud…"

"Dad, I'm not a Marine," he teased.

"But what is it going to be like for you when you're not working?" I followed.

"I guess there's a pretty big base down there, mostly Navy," he informed me, "but I hear there's plenty of stuff to occupy us. I've been told there's a mixed group working at the prison, including C.I.A. and private contractors. This is supposed to be top-notch and pretty advanced stuff, so I'm kind of excited about it too." This information made me feel a little better, but I was still concerned.

"Frankie, just be careful while you're there," I advised him. "These are dangerous men and who knows what they're capable of, if they get the chance. I'd like to get you back in one piece and still breathing."

"That's what I want too, Dad," he confirmed, "but I knew what I was getting into when I signed up. I'll be fine, so don't worry."

"Frankie, you know I'll worry, no matter what you tell me," I countered, "but please keep in touch. I want to hear from you as often as possible, whether it is in the form of a letter, email or phone call. I know you'll probably have Internet access there, so keep that in mind too, especially if you can get a web-cam hookup.

"I will, Dad," he concurred. "I love you and Uncle Jake, plus all my brothers too. Please make sure to tell them I said that. Okay?"

"Of course,' I agreed. "I'll be happy to pass your message along. Take care, son. I love you and can't wait until you return from there safely."

"Me too! Bye, Dad," he finished.

Now, I had something else on my plate to think about.

Chapter 3
Rough Times Ahead

As July was drawing to a close, I called Lester for an update. "Lester, it's Josh," I began. "How are things going out on the farm?"
"Hi, Josh. Things are pretty good here," he confirmed. "All the boys have been holding their own and we've had no major problems."

"I'm glad to hear that, but I'm also calling to see if you need us to come out again," I stated. "Do you need our help with anything?"

"As I said, Josh," Lester replied, "things are going well here and we're pretty much caught up with the work. I appreciate you're offer, but we won't need you and your boys at this time. My wife, the boys and I would love to see you all though, if you want to come out and just spend some time with us."

"I'll keep that in mind and let you know when we can do that," I agreed. "Take care, Lester, and let us know if your situation changes."

"I will, Josh, and thanks," he stated, as we ended our conversation.

Since Lester didn't need our help, I turned my attention to other things. The situation at school was pretty well set too, at least temporarily, and the family was doing fairly decent, so there wasn't a lot for me be involved with. Andrew would get his cast off shortly and Jake was getting ready to take his yearly physical for work, but neither of these events was going to be a big deal. Andrew was anxious to get the cast off, so he could start riding his bike again, although I warned him that wouldn't happened the next day. He'd have to build the strength up in his leg first. On the other front, Jake had no complaints concerning his health, so it would just be a routine examination and I didn't give either of these events very much thought.

During this time, I also heard from Brandon and Nick and they both seemed to be having a good time with their parents. They also sent their love. Nick had contacted Shannon several times before I heard from him, because they were both finding it difficult to be apart. None of us were even sure when they would be able to get together next, seeing each would be spending the holidays with his parent(s). Not only that, but they'd also be attending different colleges, so it appeared as if they wouldn't be able to get back together until next summer.

Brandon and Danny didn't have it quite as bad, but their time together would be severely limited too. Brandon would be here for a few days with Danny, before they each headed off to their own college, but at least they'd both be spending the holidays here. Brandon's parents were still going to join us at those times, so they could see Brandon too, while allowing the two boys to spend time together as well.

It was also approaching the date when the local school district would start again too, so things were picking up at work. I was busy preparing for the new teacher orientation, doing building checks and making certain the new supplies and equipment were properly distributed. I was also double-checking to ensure that all positions were filled and every student had been registered and assigned a class schedule.

At home, I was busy trying to get the boys ready for their classes and checking to ensure everyone's wardrobe was sufficient. I also purchased whatever supplies I could, prior to getting the lists from their teachers, while also making certain the college boys had everything they needed and knew whom they'd be riding with this time. It was going to be a big relief for Jake and I this year, because Dustin, Danny and Kevin would be driving everyone to their respective locations, as well as bringing them home for vacations.

As we got closer to opening day, I also verified that the school's speech pathologist was going to work with Jesse. Hopefully, she would be able to teach Jesse the finer points he needed to know, so his speech would become even more understandable. Andrew had brought Jesse a long way, but now Jesse needed professional guidance to complete this amazing journey. He was still having some trouble pronouncing certain letters, as well as a couple of other minor problems, so I felt the therapist would be able to help him get past this.
There was also one other situation I was involved with, but I was keeping the details from everyone except Jake. I was working with Captain De Luca of the State Police again, but this time he was acting as a liaison for us with another law enforcement agency. He had contacted the sheriff's department in Jesse's old hometown to get them to investigate whether Jesse's stepfather, who was employed as a corrections officer, was capable of committing such a crime. We were merely attempting to see if Jesse's claims of sexual abuse could be substantiated and verified, so something could be done to take this guy off the streets.

As always, Captain De Luca was very sympathetic and extremely helpful in getting the ball rolling, even though he faced multiple obstacles. In fact, he ended up having to apply additional pressure by calling in a few political favors, just to get the investigation off the ground. The obstacles he was facing came about because the suspect lived in another area and the crime also took place there. This was not only outside of his jurisdiction, but in another state as well. Besides that, since the suspect worked in law enforcement at the county jail, the sheriff's department had been unimpressed and unresponsive to his initial overture.

Even though Captain De Luca hadn't mentioned any specific name, he informed the sheriff that one of his employees was suspected of committing long-term child abuse. He gave the sheriff a rundown of what we knew, without mentioning it was a family member that had been abused. He felt that piece of data might prematurely tip his hand and he didn't want to give anything away, in case they weren't willing to act upon this information. He didn't want to provide them with anything that might give the perpetrator details he could use to find a way to explain things away, before he was confronted.

The sheriff seemed extremely reticent to cross the blue line and investigate someone that worked for him. He stated that since it was a minor's allegation against one of his men, he refused to act without corroboration. He went on to say it was common for a young person being confronted about a crime to make such an outrageous allegation, so the charges against him would be dropped. When Captain De Luca assured him the report came from a credible source and the witness was in no way being investigated for anything, he still wouldn't act without substantiation. Captain De Luca then advised him that this was what he was asking the sheriff's department to do, was to investigate and see if the charges could be substantiated. Captain De Luca even went as far as to state that child molesters seldom commit the abuse in front of others, to avoid having witnesses, but his words fell on deaf ears.

Frustrated, Captain De Luca contacted the two U.S. Senators from our state and the Congressional Representative that served our district to see if they could help. He asked them to see if they could encourage their counterparts from the other state to get an investigation started, to verify if a crime had been committed. After several days of waiting, Captain De Luca was notified that he needed to contact the major from corresponding State Police agency and give him all pertinent information, because they were taking his claim seriously. Not only that, but since the sheriff's department had failed to conduct an internal investigation of the claim, the State Police would now investigate the entire department for negligence, possible misuse and abuse of power, as well as determining if they were in the habit of covering up crimes.

Once this information was shared with me, I was then told I probably wouldn't hear anything further for a few weeks, while that State Police set up their surveillance and conducted interviews. I had been apprised that Jesse's stepfather was being observed, 24/7, until he was either cleared of the charges or indicted. I could only hope he'd be or had been foolish enough to do something else, so Jesse's claims would carry more weight.

Since this was being looked in to, I could now focus on other matters, beginning with Andrew's cast being removed. The orthopedist said his leg had healed very well and there should be no further problems. He also taught Andrew a few exercises he could do to strengthen the leg again and I was amazed that these exercises were remarkably similar to what Vinnie had to do for his condition. When we got home and Andrew filled Jesse in about what we'd found out, Jesse insisted that he'd help Andrew do his exercises and I had no doubt he would.

Shortly after that, Jake had his physical. He informed me the doctor the company sent him to had been very congenial, as he noted Jake's family history and inquired if he had any complaints. He then gave Jake a very thorough examination and even ran a few tests that Jake had never been given before. This impressed us greatly and we were pleased with his concern and attention to detail.

After performing the DRE, or digital rectal exam, the doctor informed Jake he thought he'd noticed something and wanted to run a couple more tests, to see if anything showed up. The doctor then had a lab assistant come in and draw some blood from Jake, so it could be tested for PSA, or prostate specific antigen. The PSA results have a high correlation with predicting prostate cancer, but the doctor would also use his blood to run a second test. He would also run an EPCA-2 test, which examines the early prostate cancer antigen and is another useful tool in predicting potential problems. The doctor also scheduled Jake to have an ultrasound done on his prostate in a few days, but Jake would have to go to the hospital for that to be done. Jake was told he should know what all of this meant a short time after that, but it did concern us. It was quite obvious the doctor was concerned Jake might have prostate cancer, although we prayed that wasn't the case.

The thought that something might be wrong with Jake had my mind reeling. I might be taking it better if I were the one they suspected had prostate problems and was under such intense scrutiny, since I was older. However, I never suspected anything like this would happen to Jake. Hell, he wasn't even forty yet, so it was way too soon for something like this to show up. Wasn't it?

To make matters worse, this wasn't the only thing I had to focus on at the time. We were also getting into the busy time at work, another grandchild on the way (although I might never meet him or her), Frankie was being sent to Guantanamo, Jesse's stepfather was being investigated, as well as fining out Jake might have prostate cancer. Damn, could it get any more hectic?

Fortunately, things at work were going very well. I had a great support group under me, from the other administrators on down to the custodians, and that took a great burden off my shoulders. They took care of making sure everything was in order, from the buildings being completely cleaned, with the floors waxed and polished, through the handling of supplies, filling positions and up to and including making certain the students' needs were being met. I don't think I could ever adequately thank them for their fine work, so I merely tried to show them how much I appreciated them by holding catered luncheons and pointing them out for special recognition, whenever possible.

The college boys were helping me out as well, by taking their brothers to the mall so they could get what they needed. Of course, I still had to supply the cash, but at least I didn't have to make all of those trips. Although I never suspected how fortuitous my teaching the boys how to drive and ensuring they got their licenses was going to be, it ended up paying off with great dividends. Not only were they helping out with the back to school shopping and running errands, but they were also going to be transporting the others to and from their campuses, which would allow Jake and I more time to focus on additional pursuits. I do try to tell them as often as I can how much I appreciate this, but they generally play it down. Most of the time they just smile and say, 'no problem, as long as you make sure we have the wheels,' or something to that effect.

Unfortunately, they would be leaving in two more days, to return to college, and I knew I was going to miss them. Three of our vehicles would also be going with them, but that wasn't what I was going to miss the most. I have always appreciated how the older boys continued to be there to help their brothers and keep things under control, especially when Jake and I were busy with other matters. To put it simply, I was going to miss seeing them around on a daily basis, because I've really grown to appreciate their company and stabilizing influence on the household. Well, maybe Ricky's influence isn't so stabilizing, but he sure keeps things interesting and fun.

During their last couple of nights at home, the partner's that were being split up were spending a lot of private time alone and trying to make it last until they returned for Thanksgiving. That was especially true for Dion and Trey, since Trey was leaving for his freshman year at college, but Dion was going to be a high school senior. Two nights before he left, Trey made his intentions known.

"Today and tomorrow you've got to give me enough of that bad boy to keep me going until November," he told Dion. "I'm used to having him whenever I want, so you've got to make this good."

Dion just grinned and assured him he would, as they slipped in to bed and began making out. They were both already fairly aroused, since they both been dreading this situation and knew they would have plenty of sex before they were separated. That's why it wasn't long before Dion was sinking his substantial shaft into his lover, and slowly grinding out that rhythmic and sensual dance of love that they had practiced so many times before.

They were so in to one another and knew each other so well that they moved as one. Whatever action Dion made, Trey responded in such a way that only intensified the pleasure for each of them. They knew exactly what the other liked and what made him feel good, so this erotic coupling had both of them peaking at the exact same time. As they reached the final stanza of their heated and emotional tango of love, they exploded simultaneously, filling and coating each other in their sweet boy juices. They repeated that scene later that evening, again the next morning, the following afternoon and one final performance the next night, before Trey departed the following day.

A couple of days later, Dion came up and asked if he could speak with me and I readily agreed.

"Dad, I'm really lonely now," he admitted. "I'm so used to having Trey around and I can't get used to him being gone. I really miss him. What am I going to do?"

"I know it isn't easy, but he'll be home for the holidays before you know it," I commiserated.

"But what am I going to do until then?" he wondered.

"I suggest you find something else to keep your mind off of it," I suggested. "Maybe you could concentrate on your singing or schoolwork, get closer to one of your other brothers or make a new friend."

"I don't want to make a new 'guy' friend, because I think I'd feel as if I were cheating on Trey, even if we didn't do anything," Dion confessed, "but I guess I could concentrate on my singing and schoolwork. You know I've gotten kind of close to Shelly Novak."

"To whom?" I asked, since I didn't immediately recognize the name.

"Shelly Novak," he repeated. "You know, the girl who takes voice lessons with me."

"Oh, yes. She seems like a lovely girl," I told him.

"She's also got a really great voice," he informed me, "and we joke around a lot, while we are riding to Pittsburgh for our classes. Maybe I can work with her more on our singing. That might help."

"Yes, it might," I agreed.

"And hanging around her won't make me feel like I'm cheating on Trey or doing anything wrong either," he added.

"Then I think you've come up with your own solution to your problem," I stated, hoping that might make him feel a little better.

Now that the back to school issues had been or were currently being taken care of, I focused on Marie's pregnancy again. I thought about calling her, just to say hello and see if she'd mention the pregnancy, but I was hesitant to confront her directly. As I said before, that would put Robert in the middle and I certainly didn't want to compromise their relationship, just because he had divulged this information to me. I put that call off for now and thought I'd wait to see if she contacted me for my birthday, instead. If not, I might get in touch with her later and tell her I just wanted to see how everything was going.

Frankie called me again, before he shipped out, to keep me apprised. After we spoke for a while, Frankie indicated he wanted to speak to the others, so I let everyone else spend time chatting with him. I knew this was probably because he wasn't sure how soon he'd be able to actually speak with us again, but it was nice to be able to chat with him. We all expressed our love for each other and wished him well, before he had to go. He said he didn't know when he'd be able to contact us again, but he'd do it just as soon as he could.

A couple of days after we spoke with him, the doctor's office called and left word that Jake's test results were in. The receptionist asked me to have Jake call and make an appointment to discuss the results with the doctor, because he wouldn't do it over the phone. We both felt it was the same as it had been with Nick, and the doctor wanted to deliver any news, good or bad, face to face.

When Jake called, the receptionist told them they had a cancellation and could squeeze him in the following afternoon, if that was agreeable. He explained he would have to call work and request to leave early, but said he didn't think it would be a problem. He told her he'd call back if it was, but otherwise he'd see them then. Once he told me, I asked if he wanted me to go with him, but he said it wouldn't be necessary and he'd fill me in about what was discussed when I got home. I asked if he was sure about doing it this way and he said he was, so I honored his decision. It wasn't easy, since I wanted to be there too, but he was definitely old enough to make the decision to do this on his own.

The following day, at work, I couldn't stop thinking about Jake and what he might discover. Even though I prayed it wasn't cancer, I knew if it was we'd consider the doctor's suggestions carefully and then make an informed decision. In fact, I spent my lunch hour researching prostate cancer online, so I'd have some idea what to say and do, once I got home.

The day seemed to drag on, but then I still got home before Jake did. I initially worried why it was taking him so long and wondered when he was going to show up. Did he get bad news and then drive off somewhere to think this over on his own? Would he do that or would he come home and talk it over with me? I thought he'd do the latter, but the later it got, the more I began to worry. I was just about to drive down to the doctor's office, to see if he was still there, when Jake pulled into the driveway. Unable to contain my curiosity, I rushed out to greet him.

"Well, what did the doctor have to say?" I pressed.

"He says he's gone over the results of my blood work with a cancer specialist, or oncologist, and I do have prostate cancer," he announced, and I think my heart stopped beating, at least momentarily. I think Jake noticed how distressed I looked, so he tried to play it down a bit.

"The doctor says we've caught it in a very early stage and he has arranged for the oncologist to do a biopsy in the morning. This will be done at the hospital and he says it's merely so he can definitely determine if it is malignant. He said the biopsy could be done as an outpatient, but he needs to use the ultrasound equipment, so he can make sure he tests both sides of the prostate."

"Do you want me to go with you this time?" I asked, deeply concerned.

"You may if you want, but I really don't see any need for it," he answered. "The doctor said it wouldn't take long, but the results won't be back for a couple of days. I'll be going in to work after he finishes, so I really don't see the need for you to be there."

"I'll go for moral support and in case you need anything afterward," I replied. "Jake, I've got to be there this time. I was a wreck not knowing what was going on."

"If that's what you want to do, I won't argue with you," he stated, "and then we can both go back to work afterward."

"What time is this being done?" I pressed.

"He said to meet him at the hospital at 7:00, so he could do it before he made his rounds," Jake answered. "I told him that would be fine and I could go in a little late to work, after he finished. He then said I shouldn't have any problems doing that."

At this point, I didn't know what to think. Jake probably had prostate cancer, but the biopsy wasn't going to take long and the doctor was allowing him to return to work, once it was over. Did that mean this might not be as serious as I feared and easily treated? I wasn't convinced and even the research I'd done had produced more questions than answers. I guess we'll have to wait until the doctor gives Jake his options.

We went inside at this point, but we agreed not to say anything to the boys until we had something more concrete to tell them. I asked if he wanted to call Shannon and at least give him a heads up, but he said he didn't want to distract Shannon from his studies, until he had all the facts. He was rather quiet throughout dinner and right up until we went to bed. Once we were alone, I decided to pin him down for more information.

"Jake, did the doctor tell you anything else?" I pressed.

"Yes, he told me I was kind of young for this," Jake began. "He said prostate cancer usually shows up in older men, usually 50 and over, but 40 on up is also within the norms. The thing is, I'm only 38, so I asked why it was happening to me. The doctor then asked if I had any family history of cancer, so I used my cell phone to call some relatives and make some inquiries. It turns out my mother's aunt had breast cancer and my mother's brother had prostate cancer. I didn't know it prior to calling, but that's what raised my risk level. Luckily, the doctor caught it early, during my physical, so the chances of my beating it are much greater than it otherwise might have been."

"I'm glad to hear that and we will get through this," I told him. "I went through something similar with Kevin, before you and Shannon moved in. Kevin had testicular cancer and ended up having one of his testicles removed, but he recovered nicely and hasn't had any other problems since."

"That's good to know and I hope it works out as well for me," Jake replied.

"I'm sure it will," I added, before we went to bed.

The next morning, I drove to the hospital to be there for Jake. After checking in, the oncologist came out to introduce himself and explain what was going to happen. After he left, Jake had to go get ready for the procedure. Although he knew I was out in the waiting room, I couldn't be with him. In total, he was gone less than an hour, before he came back out. I was somewhat surprised about how quickly it went and asked how he felt.

"I'm a little sore," he admitted. "He used the ultrasound to locate the prostate and then inserted a needle to do the biopsy."

"Did he do it through the rectum or perineum?" I wondered.

"Up the rectum," Jake answered. "I actually think that was better, at least as far as the discomfort level goes. I do have to take antibiotics for a while, to guard against infection, but this way everything took place internally and not in an area that would get rubbed continuously whenever I was seated." He had a point, but I wasn't sure how valid it was.

The next couple of days were very tense, as we waited to get the results of the biopsy back. Even though I was nervous as a man strapped to a bomb, Jake was even worse. He kept talking about how he felt when he learned his uncle had died of prostate cancer. Now, he was also beginning to question whether that would be his fate as well. No matter how much I tried to reassure him, he kept saying it was in his genes, so maybe we should start making arrangements. I knew what he was alluding to, but I kept putting him off by telling him we should wait to see what the doctor had to say first. When Jake got the call from the doctor's office telling him the results were back and asking if he could come in the following afternoon, he was almost at the breaking point.

"Josh, I'm not sure if I can last another day before finding anything out," he admitted.

"Jake, you'll be fine," I assured him. "In fact, I'll meet you there and go in with you, when the doctor tells you what he's discovered."

"Josh, you don't have to do that," he stated. "You already miss a lot of work because of the boys and I don't want to make matters worse."

"Jake, the board assured me there wouldn't be a problem with taking time off when they talked me into taking the position," I confirmed. "In fact, I tried to turn them down because I knew I'd probably be away a lot, but they made so many concessions that I almost felt as if I had to take their offer. I'm not worried they'll change their mind now, and if they do, I'll just retire, so don't try to go there." Jake knew better than to argue the point, so we both concentrated on preparing dinner.

Jake was as tight as a Dolly Parton's bra for the rest of the evening. I think the boys began to suspect something was amiss, seeing this had been going on for a while, but no one dared to say anything. I'm not sure of the reason they weren't pressing the point, but I'm glad they didn't. I'm not sure Jake would have handled it well.

The following afternoon, I did some more research on prostate cancer, but this time I concentrated on the biopsy procedure, possible results, treatments and odds of survival. I wanted to be ready to ask questions, if the news wasn't so good.

The rest of the day dragged on and I left about ten minutes before Jake's appointment time. I met him at the oncologist's office and went in with him when he was called. The doctor looked at us skeptically, when he came in and saw us, and he asked Jake if he was positive he wanted me in there while they discussed the results.

"Yes, I am," Jake replied. "We not only live together, but he's my best friend and he's here to support me."

"I'm here to help, if the news is too much for Jake to handle and it devastates him," I added. "I'm also here to make sure he also gets home safely and I'm also afraid he might be so upset he wouldn't catch everything you said."

"Well, that's fine with me and it might also be helpful," the doctor replied, and then he turned toward Jake.

"Mr. McCarthy, I know this is a cliché, but I have good news and bad news for you," he began. "The bad news is that you definitely have prostate cancer."

Chapter 4
Jake's Ordeal

"Mr. McCarthy, the good news is that even though you have prostate cancer," the oncologist continued, "it's been diagnosed very early, so there is a good chance we can contain and eliminate it for you." I think I started breathing again after I heard the doctor say this, but I wasn't sure about Jake. He seemed to be focusing solely on the fact that he had prostate cancer.

"Jake, did you hear what the doctor just said?" I asked. Calling him by his first name seemed to get his attention, but he looked at me with a blank stare.

"Jake, the doctor says this is treatable," I continued. "Jake, it means you won't suffer the same fate as your uncle." Finally, he began to respond.

"What do you mean?" he asked. "What am I going to do?" At this point, I felt I had better question the doctor directly for him.

"Doctor, what do you recommend for Jake next?" I pressed.

"The ultrasound and biopsy show the cancerous cells are only on one side of the prostate, but I'd like to do a CT scan, to make certain the cancer hasn't spread anywhere else. If the scan shows the cancer is indeed isolated, I suggest we use cryosurgery to remove the affected areas."

"Okay, I've done some research and understand you're talking about freezing the tissue, before removing it, but would you please describe the surgery in more detail to Mr. McCarthy?" I suggested.

"Certainly," the doctor responded. "Cryosurgery means, as your friend stated, that we will freeze the area where the cancerous cells are located, in order to destroy them, before we cut them out. If all goes as anticipated, that should end this crisis and we may not have to do anything more than that."

"So no radiation or chemotherapy?" I followed.

"No, if it's as limited as I suspect, then those procedures won't be necessary," the doctor replied. "They would only be used if the cancer has spread or is more severe than we have presently determined."

Jake then got involved enough to ask a few questions, before he made an appointment to have this done. Once all of this had been completed, we went home. I kept asking Jake if he was okay to drive or if he thought he should ride with me. I told him I could bring one of the boys back later and get his vehicle, but he insisted he was fine. I followed him the entire way, to be certain nothing went wrong, and we arrived home a few minutes later. We got out of our vehicles and went inside, and then I motioned Jake to come with me to our room, so we could speak in private. Once we were alone, I addressed him.

"Jake, are you really all right?" I asked.

"Yes, I am," he replied, although not convincingly, "but I'll admit I was thrown a little at first. When the doctor first told me I had prostate cancer, I thought he was confirming my worst fears and I was going to die. Suddenly, I began to worry that Shannon was going to be left on his own and you'd lose another partner – your wife and now me. I understand that's not going to happen now, well at least not right away. I'm sorry, but that's what was going through my mind."

"Don't apologize and I understand completely," I assured him. "However, I do think we should talk about what you're going to do next."

"I'm going to do as the doctor suggested," Jake responded, confused. "I already set up the appointment to go through with the scan and surgery."

"Jake, I didn't mean that," I replied soothingly. "I was referring to what you're going to tell Shannon and what, if anything, you're going to tell the rest of the family."

"Oh, that," Jake mumbled. "I was thinking about going to see Shannon this Saturday, so I could tell him in person what the doctor told us. I'll keep it positive and explain what's going to happen next. After I've answered his questions and concerns, then we'll tell the boys at home. I think we should wait to tell the other college boys when they come home next time, rather than bother them at school and tell them over the phone."

"If that's what you want, I'm fine with it," I confirmed, "but I'd like to go with you, when you do this."

"Okay, but I don't want any of the other boys to go," he replied. "I don't want to tell them until after we get back."

"We can do that," I assured him.

"Good, then I'll call Shannon after dinner and let him know where coming," Jake stated. "I wouldn't want to get there and not be able to locate him for a few hours." I concurred.

After dinner, I took Jake back to our room and got online. I quickly pulled up some of the information I had looked at previously about prostate cancer and the treatment he was going to undergo. We discussed it as we went, and by the time we were finished, Jake seemed to be more upbeat and optimistic about his chances. I was glad to see him seemingly on the mend, even before his operation.

He then called Shannon and let him know we were coming out to see him on Saturday. Shannon was confused and wanted to know why, but Jake just explained he missed him and wanted to see him again. I'm not sure Shannon believed what his father said, but he told Jake just to come to his dorm room and he'd be there and Jake agreed.

After Jake finished his call, I went to tell the others that Jake and I would be going away for a while on Saturday. I didn't explain why or what I'd be doing and merely told them Graham, Dion and Little Ricky would be in charge while we were gone, seeing they were the oldest still at home (in that order). The boys tried to discover where we were going and why we were leaving, but I merely told them Jake and I had something to do and we'd explain it to them once we got back. They eventually accepted we weren't going to tell them more, but I could see they were worried that something might be up.

When we went to bed later, I realized something else, which had totally slipped my mind. Tomorrow was my birthday, but I certainly didn't feel like celebrating. I hoped no one else would remember it either, because I just wanted to concentrate on Jake's situation, without any distractions. Yes, I believed he was going to pull through this, but there were still a few things that needed to get done in order for us to reach that point. I certainly didn't want my attention diverted by something as trivial as my birthday and then miss doing something. If that happened, it might cause the situation to take a turn for the worse, just because I was preoccupied and failed to spot a detail that needed to be handled.

I also discovered there was a flaw in what Jake planned to do. He had told me he wanted to wait and tell Shannon about his situation on Saturday, but that was when he was scheduled for the CT scan and cryosurgery. He had talked the doctor into doing both on Saturday so he wouldn't have to take more time off from work. The doctor agreed, so the CT scan was scheduled for 8:00 Saturday morning and then the surgery would take place before noon, if nothing more was discovered.

I guess we could go see Shannon Friday night, if we left directly after work, but it would be a tight squeeze getting there and back. I doubted Shannon would have a problem with our coming then, so it was probably our best option. Jake was already asleep when this occurred to me, so I figured I'd wait and tell him in the morning, rather than wake him. I'd also offer to call Shannon and let him know about the change, but I'd merely advise Shannon we had to do this on Friday, because I had something else come up that would tie me up on the weekend. Doing it this way will actually work out better and prevent Jake from having to reschedule the procedures. I'm also fairly certain Shannon won't mind.

When I awoke the next morning, I made sure to discuss the situation with Jake before he went to work. He agreed to the change and with my suggestion that I call Shannon and set it up. I assured him I'd take care of everything, so he left for his job and I went to take my shower.

When I came out of the bathroom a few minutes later, the house was fairly quiet, as I expected. While I was getting dressed for work, I began hearing the boys making their way downstairs. I thought this was strange, because they hadn't been getting up this early since we'd returned from vacation. This was their last week of vacation, and since they were fond of sleeping in, I didn't expect to see them before I left. Obviously, it appeared they had other plans.

I was still thinking about this, when all of the sudden I heard a chorus of "Happy Birthday, Dad." Even Little Ricky said it this way and he has been calling me Pop since he moved in with us. I guess he just didn't want to sound any different than the others.

After their greeting, each one stepped forward and handed me a card. I was a little surprised by this and said so. "One card from all of you would have been enough," I told them.

"No way!" Little Ricky replied. "We all wanted to give you our own card, with our own message inside."

"But you could have just put your own comments on the same card," I offered.

"No, we wanted it to be from just us," Andrew answered. "Even Jesse wanted to give you his own card."

"Yep, I luf you, Dad-dy," Jesse managed to add.

"Besides, you do so much for us that it wouldn't have felt right just to give you one card," Sammy stated.

"Dad, one card just wouldn't be enough," Dion confirmed. "Your special to each of us, but in many different ways, so we wanted you to see that from the different cards we gave you."

"We all agreed about that," Graham added. "We would have felt cheap, selfish and ungrateful if we hadn't."

"Well, I appreciate what you've done and I want to thank all of you for doing this," I confirmed. "I love you all so very much and your thoughtfulness just makes me love you even more."

"And I hope you know we all love you too," Little Ricky chimed back. I merely winked and nodded.

"Are you going to have a party this weekend, to celebrate?" Dion wanted to know.

"No, there's just too much going on," I responded. "By the way, Jake and I will be going away Friday night, as well as for part of Saturday and Sunday too, and I'm getting a little too old for parties. When you reach my age, you no longer want to be reminded that you're another year closer to the grave."

"Don't say that! And it's not fair!" Graham challenged. "You always make sure we each have a party, so you should have one too."

"It's sweet of you to think this way," I offered, "but I'll pass. I'll just have a party on the big years – you know the ones that end in zero."

"Uhnt uh,' Andrew objected. "That means you'd only have one party every ten years."

"That's plenty for me,' I confessed.

"We don't agree, so you'll have to let us do it for you," Sammy ordered. He was more forceful about this than I've ever seen him.

"Well, not this year," I replied. "There's just too much going on and there's too many other things to do."

"Like what?" Graham wanted to know.

"Jake and I have some things we need to do Friday night and we will be gone for at least half of the day on Saturday." I told them. "We also have to go away for most of Sunday as well, so there are just too many other things we need to concentrate on."

They looked disgusted after I told them this, but I merely walked away, because it was time for me to leave the house. I hoped that would be the end of this discussion, but I had a feeling this wasn't going to be their final word.

When I entered my office a short time later, I found a card from my secretary on my desk. I immediately went out and thanked her for remembering and then returned to get some work done. However, I wasn't very successful. Throughout the remainder of the morning, I received calls from the other administrators, a few of the department heads and some of the teachers that I had either worked with when I was a teacher or that worked for me at the middle school, so they could wish me a happy birthday too. I thanked each of them as well, but it did take up a great deal of my time. It is nice that people remember, but sometimes I just wish they'd let it pass.

After lunch, I went over to the middle school to conduct my pre-opening inspection and have my weekly meeting with the principal. When I got there, his secretary told me I could go right in, because he was expecting me. When I opened his door, I heard some people shout, "Happy Birthday," and noticed not only the middle school principal, but the elementary and high school principals as well. There were also several department heads and I noticed a cake on his desk.

After thanking them, we each shared a slice of the cake, along with his secretary, and then the others left, so we could go about our business. When we got back from walking the building and finished our meeting, he suggested I should take the rest of the cake with me, so I took it back to the office. I wanted my secretary to have a slice too and then I put the rest of it in the break room, so everyone else could have a slice as well. My secretary didn't act surprised when I showed her the cake, so I concluded she had somehow been involved. She probably called the middle school as soon as I left, to let them know I was on the way. How sneaky!

Anyway, after work I went home and the boys had already made dinner. When Jake arrived, he was extremely apologetic.

"Josh, I'm so sorry," he began. "I just forget it was your birthday. Please forgive me."

"There's nothing to forgive," I told him. "You've got a lot on your mind and having a birthday is no big thing."

"It is to me and I can't believe I let it slip my mind," he responded. "I had so much planned and then I dropped the ball. I'm so sorry."

"Forget about it," I advised him. "It's not a big deal."

"I'll make it up to you," Jake replied. "I promise."

I didn't respond this time, because I felt it would just keep this discussion going, so I went into the dining room with the boys. I was telling them about my day, when my cell phone rang.

"Hello," I answered.

It was the first of the college boys to call to wish me a happy birthday too, and over the course of the evening I heard from each of them as well. I was surprised they all remembered it and was deeply touched. In fact, the only one I didn't hear from was Frankie, but that didn't bother me. He was either on his way to Guantanamo or had just arrived there, so I didn't really expect to hear from him.

I also received a call from Robert, but none of my other biological children remembered. Well, maybe they did, but they didn't call. I tried not to let it bother me, but the thing that hurt the most was that I didn't hear from my grandchildren. Damn, I wish this estrangement would end.

That night, Jake was very affectionate after we went to bed, even though I told him all was forgiven. Actually, I felt bad this bothered him so much, because he had enough on his mind already. However, I wasn't able to convince him it wasn't a problem and Jake insisted we make love, even though he was probably still a little tender. He said he'd called the doctor to make sure it would be all right and was assured it would be fine.

We had just finished and were settling down to sleep, when my phone rang again. I didn't recognize the number, but answered anyway. "Happy Birthday, Dad," the voice said. "Sorry to call so late, but I just got off duty."

"It's okay, Frankie," I assured him, "and I wasn't really expecting you to call. I didn't know how difficult it would be for you to get to a phone to do this."
"It's not a big problem and we have a phone to use in our barracks," he responded. "I hope you had a good one."

"No birthdays are good any more," I quipped, "but all of you boys helped to make it special for me."

"Hey, we wouldn't have it any other way," he replied. After that, we talked for a few more minutes, but not very long. He told me a little about what it was like there, but he couldn't say too much. It was still an interesting conversation, and before he hung up, I thanked him again for calling and told him I loved him. He responded in kind.

Friday, Jake had arranged to go in to work early, so he could leave early too, and I also left for the day before my usual time, so we could drive to Shannon's college. I drove the entire way, since Jake was in a semi-daze beside me, and we got to the campus around dinnertime. We went directly to Shannon's room and offered to take him out to eat, since we were hungry as well. I also figured it might be easier to break the news to him while we were at the restaurant, surrounded by other people. I figured it might keep him from freaking out and overreacting.

Once we were seated, Shannon looked at us and spoke. "Okay, what's up? You didn't come all this way just to buy me a meal," he stated.

"Well, you're right about that," I replied, since Jake didn't respond right away. "We came here because your father has something to tell you." We both looked at Jake at that point, but it still took a few seconds before he spoke.

"Shannon, when I went to take my physical for work, the doctor noticed something," he began, and I immediately noticed Shannon stiffen slightly. "I have prostate cancer."

A look of horror suddenly washed over Shannon's face and I could only guess what he might be thinking. I thought Jake would say more, but he seemed to be lost in thoughts about something else, and then the waiter came to take our order. I waited until the waiter left, but when Jake still didn't say anything more, I jumped in to clarify the situation for his son.

"Shannon, it's not quite as bad as it sounds," I added. "The doctor says he's caught it early, it is only in a very limited area of your father's prostate and the doctor is going to operate tomorrow, to remove it."

"Tomorrow?" Shannon repeated. "Then I'm going back with you tonight. I want to be there when this happens."

"No!" Jake said, loudly enough to get the attention of some of the patrons at the tables closest to us. "I don't want you missing classes or worrying about me, instead of concentrating on your studies," he added, in a milder tone.

"Dad, I'm going to worry no matter where I am and I don't have any classes until Monday. I can go with you and then take the bus back on Sunday, so I won't miss anything, but I want to be there when this happens."

I looked at Jake and nodded, to let him know I agreed with Shannon. Jake finally gave in and Shannon looked very relieved. Our meal was delivered a few minutes later and once the waiter left, Shannon spoke again.

"Why didn't you call and tell me this sooner?" he asked.

"Shannon, I wanted to make sure what was wrong before I said anything," Jake answered. "We just found this out a few days ago and I wanted to tell you in person, not over the phone."

"Okay, I can buy that," Shannon agreed, "so thank you for coming here tonight. I still can't believe you thought I'd be happy staying here though, while you were being operated on."

"Shannon, it's not that I thought you'd be happy about it," Jake admitted. "I just didn't want to get you all upset and have your grades slip."

"I'll keep my grades up, but I don't believe you thought I wouldn't be upset just because I wasn't there. Damn, Dad, I love you and knowing you're going through something like this is bound to upset me. I don't want to lose you and you should know that."

"I do and I love you more for it," Jake confessed, "but I was just so worried about screwing up college for you."

"That won't happen and I can handle both at the same time," Shannon assured him, as we finished up our meal. Nothing more was said after that, well, at least until we got into the Yukon.

"Swing by my dorm, so I can pick up a few things," Shannon directed, "and then we can go home. I'm going with you to the hospital in the morning too, so don't try to slip out without me!"

"We won't," I promised, although I had a suspicion that Jake might have considered doing it, even before Shannon brought the idea up.

I did as Shannon suggested and drove over to his dorm. He raced inside and threw a few things together, while we waited in the car.

"Josh, I still don't think he should go back with us or be at the hospital tomorrow," Jake mentioned, once Shannon had disappeared.

"Jake, you know how you'd feel, if the situation were reversed," I countered. "He's old enough to make his own decisions and you've got to start realizing that. Just bite your tongue and let him do this. I think he should, so you're in the minority here.

Jake didn't look happy about my stance, but he didn't say anything more. We sat in silence until Shannon returned, but we were on the road again less than a half hour after he ran in to his dorm.

When we arrived home, the boys were still up, since it was the weekend. They looked surprised when Shannon walked in with us and wanted to know what was up. I looked over at Jake, to see what he wanted me to do and he was shaking his head. However, before we had a chance to do anything, Shannon solved the problem for us.

"My dad has prostate cancer," Shannon began, "so I came home to be with him. He's being operated on tomorrow." All of the boys were flabbergasted by this news, except for Jesse.

"Wot is pos-tate canker?" he asked.

"It's prostate cancer," I corrected, before I went on to explain what it was. I think all the boys listened and I'm positive they only had a slight idea about what it was before I did so. It's just that the word 'cancer' evokes a number of negative and scary notions, so I hoped I was able to put their minds at ease by the time I'd finished.

After telling Jake how worried they were and then wishing him well, I sent all of the boys off to their rooms, including Shannon, and then I took Jake into our room, so we could be alone. We spent the next few minutes discussing what had happened tonight and how Jake felt about it. Before we finished, I think he was actually feeling better about everything that had transpired and was actually glad Shannon was here. I hoped it would also put him in a better frame of mind when he went under the knife, because I thought he might fight harder now, even if it was just to prevent Shannon from becoming part of a traumatic ending to this worrisome tale.

Chapter 5
The Vigil

When Saturday rolled around, I woke Jake and Shannon up, fixed the three of us breakfast and then drove everyone to the hospital. Jake checked in and then we went to radiology and waited until he was called for his CT scan. They did the regular scan first and then another with contrast, which meant they injected a radioactive dye into his bloodstream to make things stand out more, before running the scan again. Once Jake was finished, we went out to the waiting room and sat, while the doctor and the radiologist looked over the results. A little while later, Jake's doctor came out to speak with us.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know this young man," the doctor began, since he was unsure if he should say anything in Shannon's presence.

"Doctor, this is my son, Shannon," Jake stated, and then the doctor and Shannon shook hands.

"Well, I have good news for you," he began. "The scan didn't reveal the cancer had spread and it looks as if it's localized on one side of your prostate. This means we can go in and remove it today, if you're up for that?" Jake nodded, although weakly, and then I asked a question.

"How long will he have to stay here, after the surgery?" I wanted to know.

"Since it will be almost noon before we're able to do this, I think it would be best if we keep him overnight," the doctor stated, "for observation."

"So I'll be able to take him home in the morning?" I continued, before Shannon could jump in to the conversation.

"As long as there are no complications," the doctor replied.

Jake agreed to have the procedure done right away, after he asked Shannon and I if we concurred. The doctor had already reserved an operating room, just in case, so everything was set. All we had to do now was have Jake admitted as a patient, which meant there would be a bunch of paperwork to fill out. We all went to the admissions department, while the doctor called ahead to arrange things. Once we got there, we sat down and answered all of the questions the intake specialist asked and Jake was given a hospital I.D. bracelet. The process was tedious, although not painful, but we were all glad when it was over.

Once that was completed, we had to wait about a half hour, before someone came to lead us to the surgical wing. We followed the orderly, as he led us down a maze of corridors, until he finally placed us in a small room. He gave Jake a hospital gown to put on, pointed out a locker where he could keep his personal belongings and told him he could change in the bathroom, if he wanted privacy. He then told Jake he was to wait on the gurney, but he could pull the sheet over him, until someone came to take him to the anesthesiologist.

Jake did as he was instructed and Shannon and I sat and waited with him until he was wheeled away. As they started to leave, I reminded Jake that Shannon and I would stay and be here for him, once the surgery was completed. He only gave us a weak smile in reply, since the shot they gave him before administering the anesthesia was beginning to take effect, and then they disappeared.

Shannon was a nervous wreck while we sat there and kept fidgeting in his chair. He couldn't get interested in the television program currently playing or in any of the magazines. He jumped every time someone entered the waiting area and it was apparent he was wound tighter than an expectant father.

By the time the doctor came out later, I thought Shannon was about ready to implode. However, he saw the doctor as he approached and shouted out.

"How is he?" The doctor merely grinned, before responding. I guess this wasn't the first impatient relative he'd had to deal with.

"He's doing fine and the operation went extremely well," he stated. "I have no doubt we got all of the cancerous cells and he shouldn't have any further problems. Your father will get to recovery in just a few minutes and should do nicely, but I do want him to come in every six months for a follow-up exam for a while. I think it's best we monitor this closely, although I don't foresee and more problems." Shannon and I both breathed sighs of relief.

"So he doesn't have any more cancer," Shannon pressed.
"None that we found," the doctor responded.

"When will he be able to go home?" I asked next.

"Unless he suffers some sort of a setback tonight, which I doubt," the doctor answered, "he should be able to go home tomorrow, after I make my rounds."

"Thank you, doctor, for everything," I told him. "By the way, did you go through his abdomen or the perineum?"

"The abdomen," he replied. "I believed that would be less intrusive in this case and he'll only have a small scar."

"How long before he can return to work then?" I followed. "I know Jake will want to know this information, as soon as he comes to." The doctor asked what type of work Jake did, before he answered, so I told him.

"If he promises not to lift too much, I'll allow him to return to work on Monday," the doctor confirmed. "Will that be all right?"

"I'm sure Jake will be satisfied," I agreed. "I think he was worried he might have to take an unpaid leave."

"I doubt that will be necessary," the doctor assured us. "Is there anything else?"

Neither of us seemed to have any more questions, so we thanked the doctor again and then he left. Shannon and I had to continue to wait where we were, until Jake was moved out of recovery and into a room. While we were waiting for this to happen, I turned and spoke to Shannon.

"Are you okay?" I asked, seeing he still seemed to be trembling.

"I think so," he responded, "it's just that I was sooooo scared. I was afraid I was going to lose him."

"I know, so was I," I admitted, before reaching over and giving Shannon a hug. "I don't think that will happen now."

"But will the cancer come back?" Shannon followed.

"That's always a possibility," I admitted, "but the doctors are going to require your father to come in for regular checkups, every six months, to make sure that doesn't happen. They'll keep a close eye on him, and so will I, so you don't have to worry."

"Thank you, Pop," Shannon replied. "I'm really glad he has you too."

I continued to hold Shannon as we sat there and slowly began to feel the tension drain from his body. We continued to sit and wait and I had only just released my grip on him when he said he had to get up and go to the toilet. He hadn't been back for very long before a nurse came in and informed us they were ready to move Jake and we could come along. We followed her out into the hallway and then trailed behind as she and the orderly wheeled Jake to a room. We waited in the hallway until they got Jake situated and then we went in and sat down beside him. He was awake at this point, although still a little groggy.

"How are you feeling?" Shannon asked, as soon as we were close enough for him to speak with his father.

"Okay, just tired," he responded. "I can hardly keep my eyes open."

"It's the anesthesia," I advised him. "Go to sleep and we'll wait until you feel better."

"No, you two go home," Jake urged. "I'll probably sleep the rest of the day, so just come back in the morning."

"No way!" Shannon exclaimed.

"Shannon, what good are you going to do here, if I'm sleeping?" Jake asked.

"I don't know," Shannon replied, "but I'm not leaving, unless they make me."

"Don't be silly," Jake challenged. "Josh needs to go home and take care of the others, and you've been here long enough. Just go. I'll be all right."

"Dad, I'm not leaving," Shannon insisted. "Pop can go home and take care of the others, but I'm staying here."

Jake looked perturbed, but he didn't have the strength to continue to argue, so he just closed his eyes and fell asleep.

"Go ahead, Pop," Shannon urged. "You can go home and take care of everyone else, but I'm staying put."

"Let me run out and call them, to see how they're doing," I answered, "but I'm sure they can take care of themselves."

Shannon nodded and I went to use the pay phone. The boys assured me everything was fine at home and told me to stay with Jake. I told them I'd call and order some pizzas and have them delivered and I'd also order one for Shannon and me. Since I was having two delivered at home, the pizza place agreed to deliver the third one to the hospital, as long as I promised to meet the driver in front of the lobby when he arrived.

I went back to Jake's room and explained everything to Shannon and he seemed pleased I had ordered us something to eat. I told him we'd stay until visiting hours ended and then we'd go home. Reluctantly, he agreed.

I was in the lobby several minutes before the delivery guy showed up, but I gave him a big thank you and a good tip for his effort. I had put the pizzas on my credit card, so I think he was happy and relieved that I remembered doing this for him.

Once I took the pizza back to the room, I went to the vending machines and bought both of us something to drink. Then Shannon and I sat and ate, while watched Jake and occasionally glanced up at the television that was playing in the background. Jake slept most of the evening, as he had warned us, but that didn't seem to deter his son. Shannon never complained and continued to sit and watch over his father, until we heard the bell that announced visiting hours were ending.

I drove Shannon home and the other boys greeted us as soon as they saw the Yukon pull in the driveway. They had many questions about how Jake was and how we were doing, and we answered each and every one of their queries. The boys seemed satisfied with the information and then I sent them all off to their rooms. I could see Shannon was still troubled and not himself, so I spoke to him, before he went upstairs.

"Look, I know you're worried and I am too," I began, "so would you feel better if you slept with me, on your dad's side of the bed?" His face lit up, as he glanced over at me.

"Yeah, Pop. I'd like that a lot," he confessed. "I was thinking about asking you if I could do that, because I didn't want to be alone tonight, but I was afraid you'd think I was just being a big wuss."

"Shannon, you should know me better than that by now," I replied, "so go get ready and collect the things you need. You can meet me back here, as soon as you're ready. Okay?"

"Yeah, that will work fine," he answered, before he raced up the stairs to his room.

By the time he came down again, he had showered, brushed his teeth and slipped on some clean underwear. I suspect he was concerned about what I'd think if he came down nude. When I saw him standing in the doorway, I motioned for him to come on in, because I had finished getting ready myself. Shannon rushed to his father's side of the bed.

"I sleep here, right?" he clarified.

"Yes, sir. That's where your father sleeps," I confirmed.

"What time are we going to the hospital tomorrow?" he wanted to know.

"Well, I figured we could go there for a while in the morning, come back and pick everyone up for church and then go back once we bring everyone home after brunch," I suggested.

"Uh, I'll just stay there and you can get the others and go to church," he countered. I merely looked at him and raised my eyebrows.

"Shannon, by the morning you'll be able to see your father is doing fine," I stated, "and I think your dad will also tell you he wants you to go to church and get a bite to eat with us, before going back."

"Why?" he wanted to know. "Going to church and saying prayers doesn't seem to help. We still lost Cody, didn't we?"

"It doesn't mean you'll always get what you want," I advised him, "but neither does sitting there, when you can't do anything to help. I'll tell you what. I'll make a deal with you." Shannon looked at me skeptically.

"We'll go early, see how your dad is doing and find out when he'll be released," I continued. "If he's doing well and will be released early, we'll just stay there and skip church. However, if he is doing well but won't be released until later, then you'll join us and we'll go back to pick him up afterward. Agreed?"

"But what if he isn't doing well?" Shannon challenged.

"I doubt that will be the case," I replied, "but if it is, then of course we'll stay there and won't leave him. Do we have a deal then?" Shannon thought about this for a couple more minutes, before he replied.

"Do I have too?" he whined.

"Look, I'm trying to meet you halfway," I explained, "instead of just telling you to do as I say. I think that's fair." Shannon thought about it some more.

"Okay, as long as Dad tells me he wants me to do that too," he confirmed. Since I knew Jake would feel the same way I did, I saw no problem with meeting his demands.

"It's settled then," I confirmed.

Shannon and I then got into bed and I turned off my lamp. Before long I felt him scooting over closer to me. "Will you hold me?" he nearly begged. "I think I'll sleep better, if you do."

"Of course," I agreed, before wrapping my arm around him and pulling him tightly against my side. Shannon seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as I did this and then I felt him relax and melt against my body. Who says a grown boy doesn't need a father's love and reassurance sometimes?

I awoke fairly early the next morning and Shannon woke up shortly after I got out of bed. I guess he must have felt I was no longer cuddling with him and opened his eyes to look for me.

"Pop, where are you?" he shouted. I peeked back into the room as I answered.

"Shannon, I'm just in the kitchen fixing myself a quick breakfast," I told him.

"Okay," he said, as he hopped out of bed and headed toward the bathroom. I couldn't help but notice his morning stiffy was leading the way.

Once he relieved himself, Shannon sauntered in to the kitchen. "Would you like something to eat?" I asked.

"I'll just have a bowl of cereal, but I can get it myself," he replied.

"There's juice in the fridge too, so help yourself," I told him.

While he was doing that, I fixed my toast and coffee and then sat down to join him. "Feeling better this morning?" I asked.

"Yeah. I guess I'm not as worried about Dad as I was yesterday," he confessed. "I'm sure the hospital would have called if he got worse, so I'm doing fine."

"I'm glad to hear that," I replied. "Dress for church, even if you don't end up going, and I'll go wake the others and get them started. I'm nearly ready myself."

"Okay. I'll be ready in a jiffy," he agreed.

After I woke the other boys, I told them to get ready for church and advised them I'd be back to pick them up after Shannon and I went to see Jake. They promised they'd be ready by the time I returned, so I kissed each of them on the forehead and went down and finished dressing. Once I was set, Shannon and I got in the Yukon and drove to the hospital.

Jake was awake and eating breakfast when we entered and he looked really good. He was sitting up, alert and appeared well rested.

"Good morning," I greeted him, as we entered. "You're looking well. How do you feel?"

"A little sore, but not too bad," he explained. "I just want to thank both of you for being here with me yesterday."

"Jake, since when do you have to thank us for wanting to be with someone we love and care about when he's in the hospital?" I asked, hypothetically. "Come on, do you think we'd let you be here all alone?" Shannon was flashing his father a dirty look.

"Dad, you must still be high on the drugs or something," he teased. "So when can we spring you out of here?"

"I asked that earlier and the nurses said the doctor won't make his rounds until after he takes his family to church," Jake answered. " I guess it will be some time after lunch then, if he agrees to let me go home." I saw Shannon grimace when he mentioned church.

"That's interesting," I interjected. "I was telling Shannon earlier that we'd go to church and come back to get you afterward, unless you were getting released earlier."

"That works for me," Jake shot back, before Shannon had a chance to insert his own two-cents into the conversation. He just groaned when he heard his father's reply. "In fact, if you see the oncologist in church, tell him to hurry over here, because I want to go home." Jake then chuckled at his own comment, while I was whispering to Shannon.

"You did promise," I told him, so his father wouldn't hear. Shannon just gave me an icy glare, which told me he still wasn't happy with the compromise.

We stayed with Jake a little longer and then I dragged Shannon out of there. Not physically, but he didn't hurry to keep up either. We went home and picked up the others next, before heading to our normal house of worship. The boys asked how Jake was doing as we drove there and I told them we should be bringing him home later. They were all glad to hear it and everyone's spirits seemed to be high, as we pulled in to the parking lot.

The church service went fairly quickly and wasn't painful, even for Shannon. I did suggest the boys thank God for pulling Jake through his ordeal and I'm sure they complied. As soon as the service ended, we bolted out of there, grabbed a quick brunch and then dropped the others off at home, before Shannon and I returned to the hospital. The doctor was still in with Jake when we arrived. He greeted us as we entered.

"I guess you're here to take him home," he added, after saying hello.

"We were hoping that would be the case," I replied.

"Yes, I'm releasing him," he confirmed. "He's done very well, so I see no need to keep him longer." I thought Shannon was going to run over and hug the doctor when he said this.

"Great, and do we need to do anything special for him or does he have any restrictions," I pressed.

The doctor then went on to tell us all we needed to know and then told me I could go down and get Jake's discharge papers, since he'd already called it in. So, without further delay, I went down and signed Jake out of the hospital and it wasn't long before we were taking him home.

Jake was still a little tender and winced a bit as he climbed into the front seat. I told him he didn't have to use his seatbelt, since it would rub across his stitches, and explained I'd just drive very carefully and slow. I didn't want him to get hurt in an accident, on top of everything else. He thanked me for that, but I didn't breathe easy until after I pulled into our driveway and parked.

Shannon quickly jumped out and helped his father get out of the Yukon, and then we walked on either side of Jake as we made our way to the house. Once we were inside, we waited on him hand and foot for the rest of the day, as we tried to hasten his recovery. I definitely think he knew he was loved.

Chapter 6
A Mighty Full Plate

Surprisingly, Jake recovered quite rapidly and returned to work on Monday. His supervisor agreed to place him on light duty for a few days, even though he wasn't required to do so. I believe he agreed to this because Jake had proven his worth in the past and had previously bailed his supervisor out on several occasions. Jake had always made himself available when the company needed him, whether it was to do additional tasks, work extra hours or cover when someone else called in. Since his supervisor realized Jake was one of his best and most loyal workers, he didn't want to risk leaving a bad taste in Jake's mouth by not helping out when Jake needed it. The supervisor also understood that if he refused and made Jake go home, it would be without pay, since Jake had used up all of his time off already, and it might sour their working relationship. He reasoned that something like this might be enough to cause Jake to become a disgruntled employee or maybe even quit, so to prevent that from happening, he did Jake this small favor. Jake and I both appreciated it and Jake thanked him several times for his understanding and cooperation.

Jake was a little tender that evening, after getting home from work. Although he only lifted light loads and spent most of his time processing paperwork, Jake still complained a bit about some minor pain where the incision had been made. I went and got him some pain relievers, to help ease his discomfort, and he began to feel better a short time later. The same thing happened over the next couple of nights as well, but other than that he was doing fine.

That weekend, Jesse teased me to go out bike riding with Sammy, Little Ricky and him. Since Jake was still taking it easy after his operation, I asked if he minded if I did this. I explained that it seemed to mean a lot to Jesse, especially since he was forced to ride in the seat behind us on the bicycle outing on vacation. Jake didn't even allow me to finish the explanation, before he began urging me to go and have a good time. Unfortunately, Andrew wasn't able to join us, since the doctor hadn't released him for this activity yet, but it thrilled the other boys and we quickly retrieved our bikes and headed out.

The three of them took me along basically the same route Jake and I had taken with them previously, which was a bit of a challenge. Even though they kept looking over their shoulders to see if I was keeping up, I held my own and we only stopped for a drink, shortly after we started back home. When we reached the house, Jake urged me to go take a nice long shower and then change, and he and the boys would have lunch ready by the time I got out. When I started to object to him doing this, he said he already had the grill fired up and the boys were doing most of the work. After reminding him that he needed to take it easy and not overdo it, he assured me he would and sent me off.

I had to admit the hot shower felt wonderful and took some of the kinks out of the old muscles, and then I changed and went into the kitchen to see Jake. When I did, he told me to head out back, because the boys had almost everything out there already, so I started for the back door. As I was going through the rec room to get there, I suddenly saw several people jump out in front of me, as they shouted, "Happy Birthday!" I'll be damned! They managed to arrange a surprise party for me anyway and I never suspected a thing. Yes, it was a little over a week later, but so what. We had spent last weekend consumed with Jake's health issues and I certainly wouldn't have been able to enjoy it, if they did this then. However, now I was willing to enjoy myself, despite any misgivings I had about them doing this for me.

As I looked about, I saw our extended family, as well as most of the boys that were still at home. Dion and Graham were missing, because they were outside watching over the food, but they wished me a happy birthday too, as I sat down at one of the picnic tables. I must admit, I wasn't expecting this and couldn't believe they managed to keep it a secret. Usually someone slips and says something, but not this time.

I must say, it was wonderful to have everyone here, but the mention of my birthday only reminded me that my newest grandchild had most likely been born, but no one had called to tell me anything. This did dampen my spirit some, but everyone managed to keep me distracted, so I didn't have time to think about it until after the party had ended. I did remember to thank everyone before they left, but I was readily aware this was going to be a long and difficult night.

Later, when we were alone, Jake wanted to know why I looked so down, so I explained what I was thinking. He tried his best to cheer me up and end my depression, but nothing he did worked. The only way I'd begin to feel better is after I learned the baby was born – and then got to meet him or her. Since I doubted that was going to happen, I planned on burying myself in work, so I wouldn't think about it as much.

School started the following week and the opening went very smoothly. It was somewhat surprising that it came off as flawlessly as it did, considering how my attention had been divided among so many other things. It is definitely a good thing that I have such a great support network and I'll make certain to reward them for their diligence and hard work as soon as I can. We do have a teachers' workday coming up in three weeks, when I planned to ask them for input on how things were going up to this point. I also had a speaker coming in to discuss some innovations I wanted to try to incorporate in the curriculum throughout the year, so I think I'll make sure we serve a very special luncheon that day. I have just the caterer in mind.

Jesse had also met with the speech therapist that had evaluated him at the end of the previous school year. She was amazed at how well he was doing and how much progress he had made, so she felt he should continue to improve over the current academic year. Oh, and after I told her why Jesse had been doing so well, she made sure to catch Andrew one day and praise him for all the effort he had provided to his younger brother. Needless to say, Andrew was bursting his buttons by the time he got home that night and relayed what she'd said to Jake and me. He did ask us not to tell Jesse though, because he didn't want Jesse to think he was doing it just to get praised. Even though I told him I didn't think Jesse would look at it that way, Andrew still asked us to keep it from him, so we agreed.

Wednesday, after I got home from work, I received a call from Robert. He just phoned to check in and see how things were going. I told him about Jake, but I could sense something else was on his mind.

"I'm glad he's okay now," he stated, "but haven't you heard from anyone else?" I suspected he was asking if Marie had called to tell me about the baby yet.

"Nope, no one else," I confirmed.

"Damn, I'm sorry, Pop," he commiserated. "I just don't understand why Marie hasn't called you. I thought she might by now."

"Why, did she have the baby?" I followed, since I was curious if he might know the answer to that question.

"I don't know," he countered, "that's why I was hoping they might have called you. I haven't heard from her either." Well, that answered my question.

"Hey, please let me know if you do," I added. "I really would like to know if I have a new grandson or granddaughter."

"I will, Pop. I promise. I love you," he closed.

Well, it was nice to hear from him and I appreciated his call, but I wish he'd had more information to share with me. Oh, well. I just wonder when I'll find out what Marie had, if I ever do. Yes, I'm sure I'll find out someday, but it's just that I have no idea when that will happen.

On another front, I also received some news from Captain De Luca about Jesse's stepfather. He had received word that a couple of things had come up during the investigation and he wanted to share the information with me. Before he did that, however, he made me promise that I wouldn't share it with anyone else, well except for Jake. First of all, there had also been an allegation he had molested a thirteen-year old before he had met Jesse's mother. He was working as a corrections officer at the time, but was also working security, part-time, for a retail store. It seems the boy he stopped for shoplifting claimed John had fondled him, while frisking him for merchandise, which John vehemently denied. He claimed the boy had made that up, in an effort to get out of the shoplifting charge. Seeing the store had video surveillance of the boy that showed him picking up several items and stuffing them in his clothing, his claim didn't stick and he was arrested. The charge against John was dropped as unsubstantiated.

Seeing they now had two reports of inappropriate sexual behavior with minors, the judge allowed them to unseal a juvenile offender file on him. The case happened a few months before John turned twenty-one and it seems he had been charged with sexually abusing two boys, ages seven and eight at the time. John did plead guilty to it when confronted, but his record was sealed, as long as he received psychiatric counseling, which was provided for by the county, and he didn't appear before the court with any other charges for a period of five years. Seeing he fulfilled those conditions, his record was unavailable for the earlier complaint, but he wasn't as fortunate this time.

Captain De Luca then went on to tell me that the District Attorney was offering him a deal, if he pled guilty. Since the statute of limitations hadn't run out on the previous complaint, made by the teenager, the D.A. was willing to not pursue that matter, if he'd plead guilty to molesting Jesse. John would have to agree to serve a ten to fifteen year sentence in prison and not have any contact with anyone under the age of eighteen, but it was also pointed out to him that he could end up doing consecutive ten to fifteen year terms, if he wanted to push it and take it to trail. The D.A.'s office was hoping John's lawyer would convince him to take the deal, especially with his prior conviction and two subsequent incidents. Captain De Luca said he'd call me, as soon as he got any word, so now we'd just have to wait and hope. This would certainly be easier on Jesse, if he didn't have to testify and could just put this behind him.

At school, the gay-straight alliance had its kick-off meeting, during the middle of the second week of school. The boys had made many posters publicizing this event and hung them around school, but this time the posters didn't get torn down. The club also posted messages on the website they had created for the club, plus they also had an announcement read over the P.A. system for the three days preceding the meeting. Oh, and I think I forgot to tell you something else that happed at the end of the last school year. There had been so much going on that I forgot to report who had been elected as officers for the club, so I shall correct that oversight now.

The boys had a very difficult time deciding whom they wanted to run for president, and then they had to convince him to go through with it, after the fiasco with Sammy. They chose this person very carefully; because they were worried they might be setting him up as a new target. They even came to discuss their choice with Jake and me, before they reached an agreement. This is how that session went, when Nick and the others approached us.

"Have you boys decided who is going to run for each office?" I asked. "I know you think one of you should run for president, since this club was your idea in the first place."

"We have, but unfortunately Trey and I will be in college, so we can't do it," Nick replied. "Graham and Dion will be seniors next year, which led us to think maybe it should be one of them, but we're also worried people might give them shit, so we've thought about this a lot. Even though Dion and Trey were close and people always saw them together, we don't think it will be a problem. Trey will be at college, so we feel people will just think they hung around because they were brothers and not consider any other connection. Besides, Dion has had a few experiences with girls and word got around school about them before. It probably wouldn't have, but the girls all mentioned what a big dick he had, especially the one girl who wouldn't do it with him because of it, so we don't feel anyone will try to claim he's gay. That's why we've decided he would be the best choice to run for president."

I then looked at Dion, who had a big smile on his face. I don't think it had anything to do with them wanting him to run for president, but because it had been pointed out that he was notorious for his physical assets. For that reason, I needed to see if he agreed with this proposal.

"Dion, are you certain you want to do this?" I inquired.

"Yes, I am," he stated, emphatically. "It's very important we get the club running and have the right activities from the start, so I'm willing to do it. Graham, Richard and Sammy have all agreed they'll help, but I'm the least likely to get crap from anyone at school. If anyone does say anything, I can just point out that I've been with my share of young ladies and they've more than spread the word around about it, if they still doubt me. I don't think the others would be able to do that, without having to prove themselves, like those guys tried to make Sammy do."

"Okay, if you're positive," I concurred. "I must admit that I agree with your logic and it seems you boys have really thought this through. Do you know if anyone is going to run against you?"

"Not that we've heard," he answered. "One of the lesbians that is very open about her sexuality has told us she'll run as vice-president and one of the straight girls is going to put her name in as secretary-treasurer. That's all we've heard about, but I'll let you know if that changes."

I thanked them for the information and later learned that those three ran unopposed. In fact, a motion was made at their second organizational meeting and was passed unanimously, by those in attendance. Now, it was up to them to get the ball rolling.

The boys informed me they had three things planned for the August/September time period, which I thought was a bit ambitious. However, after they explained it to me, I agreed it sounded good. First, they were planning to run the concession stand at the home football games, as a fund-raising project to help pay for some of the club's other activities. In our district, a group is selected to do this every year, so each interested party is asked to submit their proposal to the athletic department for consideration. They are required to list the items they plan to carry, the prices they would charge and specify the number of people who would be working at each game. Since the gay-straight alliance had signed up so many volunteers for this, and their offerings and prices seemed the most varied and reasonable, their proposal was selected as the best. Now, the concession stand was their baby for the season.

Second, the club was going to sponsor a dance after the second home game. It would be held in the high school gymnasium and they would charge a small admittance fee, but then everyone would be free to dance with whomever they chose. This dance wasn't just going to be for the straight couples, as the other dances had been. The alliance was going to make it clear that if students couldn't accept that boys might be dancing with boys and girls might be dancing with other girls then they should not attend. The high school principal had also assured me, privately, that he, his vice-principal and several faculty members would be there to supervise the dance and see to it that no problems happened. I thanked him for his involvement and foresight and offered to join them for that purpose.

The third thing they had planned was that they were going to make and enter a float in the homecoming parade. I told them these three activities were going to require a lot of planning and effort, but they assured me they had many other volunteers that were willing to help out, so they felt they were up to the challenge. After warning them, once again, how much energy would be needed, they convinced me this is what they wanted to do, so I gave them my blessings and support.

I was hoping these activities would pass by quietly, but that was not to be. When the August school board meeting was held, my dear friend – NOT – was happy to complain about one of their scheduled activities. We were in the middle of new business when he asked if he could have the floor to bring up something that concerned him. Since the board president had no reason to refuse him, we all held our breath as he stood up to speak.

"It has come to my attention that this gay alliance club is planning to hold a dance at the end of the month," he began. The board president and I both acknowledged this was correct.

"I've also heard that it's been announced that the queers will be able to dance with other queers and if the straight kids don't like it, then they can just stay home. Is this true?" It was obvious he was directing the question to me, so I responded.

"That is not the way things were stated," I began, "so please allow me to give you the facts." He merely sneered at my response.

"Since the dance is sponsored by the gay-straight alliance," I continued, "it has been publicized that anyone may dance with whomever they choose. This was done to make everyone feel comfortable with enjoying the company of any partner, but it was stated in such a way so it was not an 'in your face' declaration or challenge." The board member went to speak, but I held up my hand to stop him.

"Please let me continue," I urged him, and he reluctantly did. "This was also publicized to prevent problems and eliminate possible confrontations at the dance, if some students didn't agree with this idea. It was stated in a way to let everyone know this was going to be allowed and would definitely happen, so if any student felt uncomfortable being around such things, then it might be best if they skipped this particular dance. Everyone is welcome to attend and enjoy the dance, but only if they can accept the concept that everyone will have an equal right to dance with the partner of their choice."

"Once again we're catering to the fags and lesbos, while punishing the straight kids for being normal," he spat out.

"No one is being punished," I asserted. "All straight couples are welcome to attend, as long as they agree not to create a problem about free choice and free expression."

"You're not giving the straight kids any 'free expression,' he mocked, thinking he had me.

"Oh, they certainly do and they can express their disapproval by not attending," I offered.

"No, we're discriminating against normal behavior and those who aren't queer," he sneered.

"You know, I never heard you express concern about the discrimination that was happening to the gays, when they couldn't attend such events with their partners," I challenged.

"Because friggin homos shouldn't have any rights," he screamed.

"Oh, so now you're going to be the moral judge for who should and shouldn't have rights?" I pressed.

"Aren't you doing the same thing?" he scoffed.

"No, we're giving everyone the same rights and just letting those who disagree with uniform equality know that we won't tolerate disruptions of the peaceful expression of the same."

"It's the same damn thing," he fumed, "'cept you keep wrapping it up in your highfalutin lingo, to make it sound like that's not what you're doing."

"I'm sorry if you can't comprehend standard English and accept it for what it is," I taunted, "but we are following school policy and will not bow to the demands of a few, vocal bigots."

At this point, he was fuming so badly that he could only stutter and not say anything coherent or recognizable. Seizing upon this opportunity, the school board president moved on to the next topic, but not before the idiot board member interrupted one more time.

"When I get re-elected next month," he challenged, "you'll see from the number of votes I get that I'm not in the minority. There are many people out there that feel the same way I do."

"I think you mean IF you get re-elected," I countered, "because I hear there is quite a ground swell of sentiment against your insulting tirades. In fact, this may be your final meeting as a member of the board."

I saw the board president flinch and flash me a glare after I made this statement, so that was the last thing I said, before I took my seat. For the rest of the meeting, the board member merely glared at me, his face a deep crimson, his veins bulging and his contempt clearly evident. I kept my composure and ignored him, while silently praying my friends would get their candidate elected, so I didn't have to tolerate him any longer.

When I returned home, Jake was waiting up for me and was feeling more than a little frisky. As soon as I got undressed and slid into bed, he made his intentions known. He quickly rolled over and planted a very passionate kiss on me and then began what I can only describe as his prelude to lovemaking. He was all over me and I was definitely aroused, but I was also a little concerned.

"Jake, do you think you're really up for this already?" I asked, while thinking about the recent operation he had undergone.

"I feel fine and have been waiting to do this for days," he signed. "Please, don't say no. I'm ready, willing and still able, so just enjoy."

I felt he must know what he was talking about, so I gave up my objections and joined in. I don't remember Jake being this assertive and eager in quite awhile, so I wasn't sure if it was because he realized he had beaten the cancer, for now, or if he was just sexually starved. Either way, he wasn't about to be denied and I was more than happy to go along for the ride, so to speak.

Over the next hour, Jake and I enjoyed each other thoroughly and were even more active than we were on the cruise. We were alone for most of that time and had renewed our commitment and gotten reacquainted, you might say, but this time our connection went even deeper. This was more than just making love. It was about wanting, needing, depending upon and loving the other person, more than anyone or anything else. My love for Jake was a romantic love, not the fatherly love I felt for my children or the love I shared with the extended family and a few dear friends. I was truly and hopelessly in love with him, even if it wasn't always apparent to the rest of the world, but I'm working on that.

What a blissful night we spent, even after the lovemaking ended. I did check to make sure he wasn't in any pain or nothing bad had happened to him as a result of that session, but he seemed to be fine. In fact, we both were.

Chapter 7
Getting Into the Swing of Things

The next day, after work, I hopped on my computer to check my mail. I was pleased to note that in addition to the normal junk, I also received an email from Frankie. I quickly opened it to see what he had to say.

Dad,

I've been working at Guantanamo for a while now, and I'm sort of shocked by the prisoners they've got here. I can't say much, because you know how the army is about giving away information. Right now I'm just observing and assisting the more experienced guys, but all I can say is it isn't quite what I was expecting. I'm pretty sure I won't be able to use much of what they're doing here, once I get back to civilian life.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know I was okay and keeping the country safe from these terrorists, but looking around, I'm not positive that's quite what I'm doing. Say hello to everyone for me, especially Jake. I hope you told him I missed seeing him at my graduation, but I understand why he couldn't make it. I hope he and the rest of you are well and I'll contact you again, when I get another chance.

My Love to All,
Frank

After reading his message, I was convinced it was the most cryptic email I've ever received from Frankie. What the hell was he insinuating when he said he wouldn't be able to use the techniques he was learning there? Weren't investigative and interrogation techniques fairly standard and universal? And what did he mean when he said he wasn't sure if he was keeping the country safe from terrorists? Isn't that how we got into this mess in the first place?

I know he probably wasn't able to come right out and say things, because of the military censors, but this email was really out there. I thought back to the old World War II expression that 'loose lips sink ships,' which meant when people talk, the information can reach the enemy and cause losses, but I didn't see anything in his message that would do such a thing. Could it be possible that the censors had deleted some things and that's why Frankie's message seemed so obtuse? I guess it's possible, but I really would like to know what's going on. Maybe he'll be able to say more in his next correspondence.

Since I hadn't been able to tell him about Jake's bout with cancer before this, I thought I would do so in the return email. I would also tell him about everything else that had happened, including the fact that Marie was pregnant, although I've yet to hear what she had.

Back on the home front, tomorrow night was the first home football game and the boys were busy double-checking to see if they had ordered or picked up what they needed to pull this off. They were also contacting the other students that had signed up to work, to make certain they were going to be there. By the end of the evening they were pretty calm and felt all the bases had been covered, until someone mentioned about not having a cash box or getting change for it. They quickly jotted down what coins they would need, along with a sufficient quantity of ones and a few fives, so they could break larger bills, if necessary.

"Dad," Dion began, when he came up to me, "I know students aren't supposed to leave campus during the day, but I was wondering if you would write me a note so I could."

"Why do you have to leave during school hours?" I wondered.

"To get change for the concession stand," he stated. "I'm afraid we'll get busy with taking the items down to the stand after school and the bank closes early. It's kind of an emergency, so I really need to do this."

"Do you know what you need and do you have the money for it?" I followed.

"Yes, here's the list and here's the cash," he responded, while holding both out where I could see them.

"Why don't you give them to me and I'll get everything for you on my lunch hour," I suggested. "I don't want to set a precedent for this or have others believe that my sons can get permission to flaunt school policies."

Dion thought having me do it would be fine, as long as they had what they needed, so he handed me the list and money. "Thanks, Dad," he told me, before leaving. "I think that takes care of the only thing we'd forgotten to do."

Friday afternoon, I did run out on my lunch hour and went to the bank. I got everything Dion had requested and took it back to my office. I put it in one of the cash boxes we kept on hand for various school activities and planned on giving it to him after school. He was going to stop by and pick it up, so they could get everything ready for the game.

I attended the game too, to show my school spirit and support, and went to the concession stand at halftime, to see how things were going. Everything appeared to be running smoothly, even though the lines were quite long, as everyone tried to grab a little something before the second half began. I was also pleased to note the crowd seemed favorable to what they were offering and about how long they had to wait in line before being served.

After I got what I wanted, along with something for Jake, Andrew and Jesse, I went back to my seat. Andrew and Jesse were the only ones sitting with us this evening, since the others were all helping out at the concession stand. I guess I might as well get used to the fact that nearly all the boys are at college and three more would soon be following suit, with Sammy going off the year after that. It certainly is different, as the house continues to grow more and more quiet, but I knew that's what had to be. I just wasn't sure I could handle taking on any more responsibility and any new boys.

After the game, when everyone had returned home, the boys told me they were pleased with how things went and didn't foresee any problems for the other games either. They also told me how much profit they made, which wasn't bad for just one night. They also informed me many of those same people were going to be in charge of running the concession stand for the next game, so they could concentrate on the dance. The dance was going to be held following the next home game and the boys were excited that it was going to be open to everyone and their partners. Although I wasn't sure if any of them would be dancing with another boy, they merely seemed thrilled that the stigma might finally be lifted, so others could feel free to enjoy themselves in public. Maybe, just maybe, we might have come a long way, baby – but I'll reserve my final decision about that until after the dance has been held.

Saturday was a pretty laid back and relaxing day for us. We didn't have anything special planned and I think we were all enjoying this break from the hectic schedule we had been adhering to. Just after lunch, my cell phone rang and I noticed it was my son, Robert, calling. I couldn't imagine what he wanted, since I had spoken with him just a few days prior. Nonetheless, I answered, to see what was up.

"Hey, what's going on?" I began.

"I take it you knew it was me?" he teased.

"Yes, I saw your name on my caller I.D.," I replied. "So what's up? I didn't expect to hear from you again so soon."

"You should have," he responded. "I told you I'd call if I learned anything about Marie and the baby." How the hell did I forget that?

"So she called you?" I asked.

"No, I called there and Adrian told me she had a little girl on August 19, the day after your birthday." I was thrilled, but my joy was somewhat tempered. After all, Marie and Adrian hadn't decided to share this information with me and I was convinced I might never get to hold this granddaughter.

"Do you know anything else?" I asked, after a slight hesitation.

"Yes, the baby weighed in at 6 pounds 9 ounces and they named her Kylie Marie," Robert answered.

I was somewhat stunned he had so much information, but maybe I shouldn't have been. After all, they were upset with me, not him, and Robert was Kylie's uncle.

"Pop, are you still there?" Robert wondered, aloud. I had been lost in my thoughts and hadn't responded, so he thought we might have lost the connection.

"Yes, I'm here," I confirmed. "I was just thinking about the baby and wondering if I'd ever get to meet her."

"I'm sure you will," Robert assured me. "Marie even asked if I was going to call and tell you. When I didn't immediately tell her, she whispered that she hoped I would, so I think she's pushing Adrian in that direction." My heart leapt when I heard this.

"Really, she wanted you to tell me?" I questioned.

"Yes, she did," he stated. "I think she wanted to call you herself, but Adrian might have been against it. Just give them time and I'm sure she'll work something out." I wasn't as optimistic as he was, but I agreed to be patient. What else could I do?

Robert and I talked for quite a while longer, about world events and life in general, but nothing really specific or earthshaking. Before we hung up, I thanked him for calling and sharing the information about Kylie with me and told him it was the best news I could have received and would only have been better if I could get to see the baby too. He laughed and said I'd be able to do that in time, so we ended the call on that very positive note.

After I relayed this information to Jake and the boys, the boys wanted us to take them out, so they could buy congratulatory cards to send to Adrian and Marie. I thought it was an excellent idea, so I picked one up too. I thought by extending this peace offering, of sorts, it might be enough to push Adrian a little further in my direction. After all, I didn't think it would hurt to congratulate them on the birth of their child. I wouldn't put in a request to see them or the baby, but I wouldn't stop the boys from doing it. After all, it was their niece too.

When we got back to the house, we dropped the boys off and told them Jake and I had a couple more errands to run. They wanted to go with us, but I explained this was something we needed to do on our own, without explaining why. They only protested slightly, before Jake and I drove away. I didn't want them with me, because Jake and I had to pick up a few things we had previously bought for Jesse, but hadn't picked up yet. We were also going to purchase a few other smaller gifts, to complete what we were going to give him. This was going to be Jesse's first birthday party as a member of the family and I wanted him to remember it. He wouldn't be turning eleven until Thursday, but I elected to hold his party before then. Since some of the extended family already had plans for today, so I'd set the party up for tomorrow. I knew it would come as a big surprise to Jesse, since it was a few days early. I just didn't feel it would have the same impact if we waited until next weekend, after his birthday had actually taken place.

Since the members of our extended family had shared with me what they were going to get for him as well, I now knew what else I should pick up, to fill in the gaps. With that in mind, Jake and I went shopping and picked up several new items, in addition to everything else, which we stuffed into the Yukon. On the way back, we also stopped at the grocery store and picked up his cake, as well as the ice cream and a few other things we needed. When we returned home, we'd make it look as if at least part of our trip was to do some grocery shopping, hoping that would keep them from trying to pry into what we had been up to. We left the cake and presents in the car and would smuggle them into the house later, when the boys were busy doing other things.

In the meantime, we brought the groceries in and put them away and Jake snuck the ice cream into the rec room and put it in the large freezer there. Later, he also snuck in the cake and put it in the spare refrigerator in the rec room, because the boys hardly ever went to get anything out of it. It was mainly for the extra supplies that need to be refrigerated and we couldn't fit in the refrigerator in the kitchen.

I hadn't told the boys what I had planned either, since I felt they might give the surprise away. Therefore, Jake and I did all the preparations for the party, which we would hold after we got home from church. When the boys went out for their bike ride and Andrew was in his room, Jake and I brought all of Jesse's presents inside, and stored them in our room. It was kind of hard to keep them all out of sight, especially the one gift, but we managed and felt it would only have to work for a single day.

For the rest of the day, Jake and I stayed away from our room and tried to make sure the boys were occupied with other things. I started a conversation with them about what they were planning for the dance and then discussed what activities they had planned after that. I was hopeful there wouldn't be any problems at any of these events, but I couldn't shake my concerns that there might be a few students that might try to disrupt the dance. We were going to have quite a few adults there to guard against such an occurrence, but even the best plans can still fail.

Later, when we turned in for the evening, Jake and I were relieved we had made it through the day without things being discovered. We would get up early and go to church, and then we'd have the party once we returned home. Sally and Steve both have spare keys, which they use to check on the house whenever we are away, and I told them to let themselves and the others in before we got back. I told them they could hide in the family room and I'd send Jesse in, once we got back.

I even told Steve to have everyone meet at his place first and then he could drive them all up in one of our vehicles. Mary could drive Steve up before then, so he could pick up the Suburban to use for that purpose. I told him where I'd leave the key and then he could drive everyone to our place in it, so there wouldn't be a bunch of other cars parked in front. I know this was getting quite elaborate, but we were all excited to see how Jesse would react, once he became aware of what we were doing.

The next morning, after we got the boys up, we told them to come down for some breakfast, before we went to church. They all looked at me oddly, because this wasn't our normal routine, and one of them finally spoke up.

"Why? Aren't we going out to brunch afterward?" Sammy inquired.

"No, we're going to have a cookout after the service," I explained. "I heard it was supposed to be a nice day, so I thought it would be a good idea to do that instead, before the weather starts to turn colder. I also know the food always seems to taste better when it's cooked on the grill and we eat it outside, so I thought it would be nice to do this one more time." No one disagreed and happily did what I'd asked.

The service seemed to drag on today, possibly because I was so anxious to get back and spring our little surprise. Once the pastor gave the final benediction, I took my time leaving and stopped to chat with him, and several others, on the way out. The boys were getting antsy and wondering why I was dallying today, since I usually hustled everyone outside and into the Yukon, so we could go to brunch before the rest of the crowd got there. They couldn't figure out why I wasn't doing this now, since we still had to get everything ready for the cookout, but I was trying to give our guests time to get there and hide, before we showed up. I certainly didn't want to get there before they did or arrive before they were ready, because that would totally spoil the surprise for Jesse.

Finally, we loaded up the Yukon and were off, but I drove a little slower on the way back. Graham commented about this, saying I was 'driving like some 80-year old on his once a week trip away from the house.' I thanked him for pointing that out to me, while responding as if I were an old geezer and didn't have any teeth. The other boys laughed at my impression, but Little Ricky had his own observation.

"So that's how you're going to sound next year, when you're eighty?" he teased.

"You better believe it, you young whippersnapper," I replied, "and you're definitely sleeping in the doghouse tonight."

"But we don't have a doghouse," he shot back.

"Too bad for you then," I countered. "I guess you'd better start building one pronto, unless you just want to sleep in the yard, under the stars." Now the other boys were laughing at him and calling him 'Fido' and 'Rover.' They also warned him it was going to get pretty cold outside, when winter arrived again.

It was at that moment I pulled into our driveway, but the boys continued ribbing Little Ricky. "There's a nice spot under that tree," Andrew offered. "The ground's not too hard there and it might keep you drier when it rains."

"He'd be better off under the front porch," Dion countered, "and that would keep the snow off of him in the winter too."

"Yeah, if all the snow doesn't pile up outside and trap him under there," Sammy pointed out.

The boys were all laughing as we got out of the vehicle and headed toward the front door. I had my arm around Jesse as we made our way there and Jake unlocked the door for us. I guided Jesse toward the family room and he didn't seem curious as to why, until I opened the door and everyone yelled, "Surprise!" I think Jesse first thought that this was for me, until our guests began wishing him a happy birthday.

"Today's not my birf-day," Jesse informed me.

"I know. It's on Thursday," I agreed, "but we always have parties for the boys on the weekend, usually the one before their birthday." Suddenly, Jesse started crying.

"What's wrong?" I asked, concerned. "Isn't Thursday your birthday either?" After a few seconds, Jesse looked up at me and answered.

"It is," he confessed, "but I haven't had a pah-ty since I was seven. John said I'd have to ask, if I wanted one, but he knew I couldn't." Jesse started crying again, after telling me this, so I tried to comfort him.

"Well, you don't have to ask while you're here," I began, "although you could, since your speech has improved so much. Don't think about John any more and just have a good time. Today is just for you."

Andrew had already come over and put his arm around Jesse's shoulder, as he wished him a happy birthday too. The other boys followed, as well as our guests, and Jesse was now the center of attention. I don't think I've ever seen a happier kid in my entire life.

Jake went out and fired up the grills, while the boys, as well as a few of our guests, helped us carry everything else out. Andrew was busy explaining to Jesse that we would never have considered NOT having a party for him, although he confessed I had kept this a secret even from him. Jesse just smiled and hugged him, and then they went around to spend time with everyone else.

After we finished eating, I called Jesse over so he could begin opening his presents. There was quite a stack of them and his eyes bulged out from his head.

"Those are all for me?" he wondered.

"I don't know anyone else that's having a birthday today," I quipped back.

"That is more than I ever got for Chriss-mas," he told us, while pointing at the pile.

"Well, you may not get this much every year," I explained, "but we want to make your first year as part of the family special." Jesse merely smiled and thanked us.

Jesse received several packages containing new clothes, which he desperately needed. He had grown a little since he'd been with us, but he was also filling out and putting on some weight. For those reasons, he was quickly outgrowing the things he currently had. He also got a nice backpack, which he could use for school, and a few things to play with, but his final gift was what he loved the most. After he had opened everything else, Jake emerged from the house with Jesse's last present, which we had hidden under the bed, at least most of it.

"A new bike?" Jesse asked, as his eyes shot open as wide as they could get. "Is that for me?"

"It is," I confirmed, "and the doctor says Andrew should be well enough to go riding with you again by next weekend. He may not be able to ride as far and might have to stay where it is fairly flat for a while, at least until his leg gets stronger. When you do go out together, you'll now have a new, and slightly larger, bike to use."

Jesse hugged me, then Jake and finally Andrew, when he realized what this meant. His best birthday present of all was that he was getting his best buddy back, so they could do everything together again.

Chapter 8
Problems, Problems

When Thursday rolled around, we still acknowledged Jesse's true birth date and wished him a happy birthday again. The boys also gave him cards and small presents or gift certificates, because they felt bad they had nothing to give him at the party, since I'd kept it a surprise. It was very obvious that Jesse appreciated their gesture; although he did tell them he'd already received way more than he expected. In turn, the boys told him they always did something for their other brothers, so he should just get used to it and enjoy what he got. Jesse thanked them again and I could tell he truly felt special and an integral part of the family now.

That night, after they went to their room, Andrew gave him an additional present. Since we'd returned from the cruise, the boys pretty much stopped doing those types of things for a while, because Andrew knew I had originally wanted to keep Jesse out of those activities for now. However, he felt tonight was different and he used it to give Jesse a special treat.

As soon as they were in bed, Andrew rolled over and began licking Jesse's nipples, before continuing down the center of his chest, until he reached Jesse's bellybutton. Once there, Andrew let his tongue drift in and out of the tiny depression, which got Jesse giggling, so Andrew started to move a little lower. When he got to the point where his tongue touched the waistband of Jesse's underwear, Andrew hopped up on all fours. Then, he reached over and began pulling Jesses underpants off. Now that Jesse was naked, the real fun could begin.

Andrew quickly bent over Jesse's prone body and began running his tongue around Jesse's immature penis, which immediately sprang to life. When this happened, Andrew slid slightly lower and ran his tongue over Jesse's scrotum, but he also took time to allow each little marble to pop into his mouth, so he could lave it further. Once he released Jesse's little pouch, he licked up and down the throbbing shaft, before allowing his tongue to circle the head. This slow, erotic oral bath had Jesse squirming on the bed, which let Andrew know Jesse was now ready for the payoff. Andrew eagerly slipped his mouth over the knob and swallowed Jesse's wand down to the root, before he began bobbing up and down on it.

By now, Jesse was beside himself with pleasure, as Andrew hit all the spots he knew Jesse received so much enjoyment from. Jesse's little butt was bouncing off the mattress, as he met and mirrored each of Andrew's actions, and their cooperative effort worked as flawlessly as a well-oiled engine. They kept this up for a couple of minutes, before Jesse began to feel the tingling sensations building in his groin. Even though it only signaled the beginnings of a dry-orgasm, the intensity of the feeling was nearly as powerful as any climax the older boys might experience. Once his cock stopped twitching and his body settled down from the orgasmic convulsions it went through, Jesse lay motionless on the bed. Andrew merely looked up at Jesse's face, while sporting his own enormous grin, because he could tell how much Jesse had enjoyed what he had just done for him.

Once Jesse returned to his senses, he sat up and informed Andrew he wanted to do the same thing for him.

"You don't need to," Andrew explained. "That was just an extra birthday present from me to you – something for you to enjoy, but you don't have to return the favor."

"But I want too," Jesse countered. "I like doing it to you as much as having you do it to me. Pweeeeeze. Let me do it to you now."

"Jesse, are you sure?" Andrew asked, to verify Jesse truly felt this way. "I mean it, you don't have to do it to me too."

"But I weally want to," Jesse replied. "I didn't like doing it so much when I had to do it to John, but I liked it a lot when I did it with you and Barry. Pweeeeze. Won't you do it as another part of my pwesent?"

Hearing Jesse put it that way, Andrew wasn't about to refuse. Actually, once Jesse brought it up, he was looking forward to having it done to him too, but he just didn't want Jesse to feel he was obligated to return the favor. Now that he understood Jesse actually wanted to do this, he was more than happy to allow him to have his fun.

"Okay, if that's what you want," Andrew said, and almost before the words escaped his lips, Jesse was tugging down Andrew's briefs. Andrew wasn't sure if this was because Jesse enjoyed it so much or if he was afraid Andrew would change his mind, but either way, Jesse was on him, like a cat on a mouse.

In fact, Jesse skinned back the extra flesh and exposed the head of that little mouse and toyed with it, like the cat with its victim. He was all over it, moving it back and forth, sliding the skin up and down, and swiping at it with his tongue. This action caused Andrew to become erect within seconds, and Jesse soon grew tired of playing these games and swallowed his prey.

Jesse was attacking Andrew's dick, like a man on a mission, and wasn't about to stop until Andrew received as much pleasure form his actions, as he had felt from Andrew's. He was nodding up and down on that bad boy, while fondling Andrew's nuts with one hand and tweaking one of Andrew's nipples with the other. This multi-pronged stimulation had Andrew writhing and moaning on the mattress and frantically clawing at Jesse's head. Oh, not enough to hurt him, but enough to let him know the effect Jesse was having on him, and Jesse swelled with pride, knowing how much Andrew was enjoying this attention.

After a couple of frantic minutes of this sensuous and rhythmic dance, Andrew's body stiffened and then arched upward, as his torso shuddered with delight. His body was tingling from head to toe, as a powerful dry orgasm overtook him and then he crashed back to earth, with the mattress swallowing up his backside once again. When he was able to speak again, his thank you to Jesse came out as one very rapid and hectic run-on sentence, during which he didn't stop to breathe, even though he must have gone on for nearly two minutes. Jesse merely smiled, knowing he had brought as much satisfaction to his best bud, as Andrew had done for him. Once things settled down, the boys cuddled up beside one another and drifted off into a deep, blissful slumber.

Friday, during the day, was fairly routine and uneventful for us. We did have plans for later that evening, because we were all looking forward to attending the second home football game. In fact, this time when game day rolled around, the boys had everything they needed to open the concession stand and make sure it would be up and running. However, the concession stand was not their only, or primary, concern this week, because the game was going to be followed by the gay-straight alliance dance. Unfortunately, they still had a number of things they wanted to finish before the dance began.

You see, other than running the concession stand, this was going to be the first major activity the club had sponsored and the boys wanted it to be perfect. Each of them was running around like a chicken with its head cut off, as they tried to put the finishing touches on the projects they were working on. In fact, they were so worried they weren't going to finish in time that they even decided to skip going to the football game altogether, so they could use the time to finish getting set-up for the dance.

Even though they were just planning on playing CD's to provide the music, they were still working on which songs to play. They had put their CD collections together for this event and noted which songs would be appropriate and appreciated by their fellow students. With this in mind, they made a list of the songs they were going to use from each CD and got them set up in a fairly organized fashion. A couple of the boys were also working on putting up a large sign showing the gay-straight alliance was sponsoring the dance and welcoming EVERYONE to attend. They had put up multiple posters around school during the week, which basically said the same thing, but the boys wanted a larger sign for everyone to see as they entered.

I kept checking on the group running the concession stand and they were doing a marvelous job. Once the third quarter ended, they closed down and began cleaning up, so they could leave and help the others get ready for the dance too. My boys finished up what they needed to accomplish shortly after the other group arrived, so then they merely waited for the crowd to show up.

As soon as the game ended, I said good-bye to Jake, Andrew and Jesse, because Jake was taking that pair home. Neither Jake nor I felt it would be appropriate for them to be at the dance too, so we felt this would be best. Once they had departed, I began walking toward the high school and was soon joined by several faculty members and a horde of students. We were all moving in the same direction, so it looked as if the boys would have a fairly sizable crowd and the dance would be a success.

The policemen that had been there, to oversee the game and make sure there weren't any fights or incidents during or after the event, had also agreed to help with the dance. They were going to stay outside the entrance to the gymnasium, to prevent any problems and help control the crowd. I told them they would only have to stay until most of the students were inside and then they could leave. Before long, though, one of the policemen approached me, to bring something to my attention.

"Mr. Currie, there's a small group forming outside and it looks as if they're planning to protest the dance," he began. "What would you like us to do about it?"

"Let me check it out first, and see what they're up to," I answered. "I believe I might know who is responsible for this and can surmise what they're trying to do."

I then went over to the door and looked out at the scene unfolding a short distance away. I wasn't surprised to discover our disgruntled board member and four or five others carrying signs and shouting homophobic slurs. Knowing what was going on and anticipating how far they might be willing to go, I turned to the policeman and responded.

"Such conduct is not allow on school property, because their actions are in violation of school policy," I began. "Tell them if they want to protest, they'll have to do so on the public sidewalk and not on school grounds. Unfortunately for them, the sidewalk is about thirty yards from where they are currently standing. If they give you any trouble, you have my approval to arrest them and the district will file charges." He nodded and went back to inform the other officers.

I was hoping this group would just move and do as they were told, and most did. The only exception was the pain in my backside, our bigoted board member. When he was told what the officers were ordering them to do, he became verbally abusive. He referred to the policemen as 'Gestapo agents' and called them 'Storm Troopers.' Since he wasn't cooperating, the officers tried to forcibly guide him to the area I had designated would be appropriate for them to continue their activities, but this provoked the angry board member even more. In response to the policemen trying to move his demonstration, he ended up pushing one officer and then tried to take a swing at another, after the second officer had stepped forward to restrain him. Once that happened, he was arrested and taken away in a squad car. Seeing what happened to their leader, the others with him quickly moved to the area indicated. They must have lost heart, without him there to lead and egg them on, because they only stayed around for another fifteen to twenty minutes.

Once they departed, one of the officers returned to the school and advised me about what had happened. He said I could file a trespassing and unlawful demonstration complaint, but the guy was definitely going to be charged with assaulting two police officers. He said the first officer had shown considerable restraint in not reacting to the guy initially, especially after he got in the officers face and started calling him names, but he continued to be uncooperative. After several requests to move to the appropriate area, the officer tried to guide him to the location and that's when the board member turned and pushed him, which knocked the officer off balance and he fell. When another officer ran forward to get in between them and get the man to do as requested, the board member threw a haymaker punch at the cop. The policeman ducked the blow, grabbed the man's arm and brought it behind his back, so he could put him in handcuffs, before placing him in a patrol car. They took him off to jail after that, where he would be booked and charged.

Although I was dismayed to hear this report, I thought it would only serve as another nail in this guy's coffin, since he was running for re-election now. Even those sympathetic to his arguments would be less than favorably impressed by his subsequent actions. This was a very law abiding community, for the most part, and any assault on a police officer carrying out his duty would be looked down upon. I think that's why his other supporters left a short time later, once they realized he had gone too far.

I went back inside and the rest of the evening went very well. No one at the dance, other than the officers outside and a handful of chaperones I told about the incident, knew what had happened. I don't think any of the students realized what had taken place, but they had heard the board member and his followers ranting against allowing gays to dance with each other. However, none of them were outside when the altercation and subsequent arrest happened. I was fairly certain something would appear in the following day's newspaper though, and then the entire community would soon know what had occurred.

During the remainder of the evening, I wandered around the gym and chatted with some of the students, as they enjoyed themselves. I did see a couple of girls dancing with other girls, which isn't that unusual, except when it also happened during the slow dances. I was disappointed that I didn't notice any guys dancing with other boys, but maybe I was expecting too much, too soon. My sons were busy playing the CD's and making sure everything was going well, so they didn't get a chance to do anything like that either. Even if they could have, I'm not sure any of them would have, since I think all four consider themselves bi. Yes, Dion plans to stay with Trey, Sammy might be interested in Ted and Graham and Little Ricky had also been involved with each other, but I'm not sure any of them, except for Dion, saw himself as spending the rest of his life loving another male. I may be wrong and they might dance with each other if they are given the chance, but I'm fairly positive Dion would only dance with Trey, if he were to dance with another guy.

Once the dance ended, Dion thanked everyone for coming and said he hoped they'd had a good time. The student body then cheered their appreciation, which let the boys know they had, indeed, enjoyed themselves. Once the gym cleared out, the boys packed up their things and we all went home. Other than the problems caused by the adults outside the building, there were no other incidents.

We talked about this later and each of the boys seemed pleased with how things turned out. They weren't surprised to learn what had happened with the board member and chuckled over the fact that he got arrested. They said it served him right and he probably should have been arrested earlier and charged with inciting a riot, although I wouldn't exactly call what they did a riot.

Monday, it was the talk of the school. Several people, including my secretary, approached me and shared their own views concerning what had transpired. No one seemed to be supporting the actions of our board member, so I also hoped this was the way the rest of the community viewed his actions, as well.

When Captain De Luca from the State Police called me at school on Tuesday, I figured it was about the incident at the dance. However, I didn't understand how he would have gotten involved in that, unless the local authorities wanted him to investigate it, to make it appear impartial. Anyway, I picked up the phone and spoke to him.

"Josh, I have some news for you on the John Wells case," he began, referring to Jesse's stepfather. It hadn't even crossed my mind he might be calling about that. It's funny how the obvious things can sometimes slip out of sight.

"It seems he accepted the plea agreement and was released on bail," the Captain continued. "He was made to wear an ankle monitor, confined to his home and was set to plead out today. When a couple of deputies went over to pick him up and take him to court, he answered the door and asked them to wait a second, while he finished getting ready. He then went into his bathroom, and a few seconds later, they heard a gunshot. They pulled their service revolvers and ran to the door, unsure what had happened. It soon became apparent Wells had shot himself in the head with a handgun. He was pronounced dead at the scene." I was too shocked to speak.

"Josh, your son's problems are over," the Captain continued, when I didn't respond. "The guy took care of the situation himself and now Jesse doesn't have to deal with him any longer, except to forget it ever happened."

"That's going to take some time," I finally answered, "but what about Well's wife, Jesse's mother. Did he do anything to her?"

"No. A deputy went to contact her at work and informed her about the incident," he replied. "She was planning to leave him anyway, once she discovered what he'd done to her son, but I think it came as a complete shock and was too much for her to handle. She collapsed after hearing the news and had to be taken to the hospital, but the doctor's said she'd only fainted. She should be released shortly and the doctors say the incident was the result of delayed shock and extreme stress."

I was glad to hear that, because I didn't want anything to happen to Jesse's mother. Although she hadn't protected Jesse at home, she had been wise enough to get him away from there before something worse happened. I'll give her that much credit, although I'm not sure what she's going to do now.

I thanked Captain De Luca for the news and also for his help with this matter. He responded that he was just doing his job and I should continue to contact him if anything else arose. I thanked him again for everything he had done for my family and then sat back to think if I was going to share this information with Jesse. After all, I didn't want him to feel responsible in any way for his stepfather's death, but I did want him to know the situation had been dealt with and he didn't have to worry about the man any longer. I had to resolve this before I went home later, in case it aired on the news. It wouldn't be a local story, but a child molester that committed suicide rather than facing his punishment might make the national news.

When I got home, I didn't address the situation immediately. Instead, I waited to talk it over with Jake first, to see what he thought I should do. After speaking with him, I finally decided how I was going to handle this, but waited until after we finished dinner before I pulled Jesse aside. When he was about to leave the table, I asked him to come with me for a second and took him outside on the porch. Andrew followed along, so I debated if I should send him back into the house or let him stay. After considering it further, I decided Andrew might be an asset, rather than a hindrance, since he might be able to help Jesse work through this later. Therefore, I sat a boy on either side of me, as we took our places on the porch swing.

"Jesse, I think you'll remember that I told you the State Police were looking into what your stepfather did to you," I began. "Do you remember that?" Jesse merely nodded his head.

"Well, he was all set to take a plea agreement today, which would have meant he was going to spend quite a bit of time in prison," I continued.

"Do I have to tell what he did to me in court?" Jesse asked, looking panicked.

"No! By accepting the plea agreement, he would admit to what he did, but you wouldn't be mentioned by name, nor would you have to testify," I explained.

"That's good," Jesse replied, while breathing a sigh of relief.

"The thing is," I continued, "he never went to court."

"Why not?" Jesse asked, quite loudly. I could see he was worried about this now.

"Jesse, there's no need for concern and he'll never bother you again," I told him, as gently as I could. "Instead of going to prison, he decided he'd rather commit suicide. He's dead, Jesse."

"But how?" Jesse wondered.

"It's my understanding that he shot himself," I answered. "I guess he was just afraid of being locked up behind bars for what he'd done. He knows the other prisoners look down on those that hurt children, so they might have done bad things to him, to make him pay for what he'd done." Jesse looked thoughtful for a few seconds and then his eyes shot open in fear.

"What about my mom?" Jesse screamed.

"She's fine," I assured him. "She did faint when she was told about what your stepfather did, but other than that she is doing well." Jesse seemed to relax, after I told him this.

"Will I get to see her?" Jesse wondered.

"I'm not sure," I answered. "I guess we'll have to wait and see if she contacts us. If she does, I'll talk it over with you and see how you want to handle it."

"Does this mean Jesse is going to go back and live with his mother now?" Andrew asked, deeply troubled.

"Andrew, we don't know about any of that yet," I replied, "but if it comes up, I'll talk it over with Jesse and see what he wants to do. I know it will be a very difficult decision for him to make, so I hope you won't make it even harder for him."

"But he's my brother now and I don't want him to leave," Andrew confessed, while looking at Jesse. I could tell both boys were bothered about this, but for different reasons.

"I understand that, Andrew, but in the end we're going to have to do what's right and best for Jesse, not for us," I explained. "Let's not worry about that now though, because nothing has been said about it. Who knows, his mother may just want to be able to meet with Jesse from time to time, rather than having him come back to live with her. However, we won't know for certain until she contacts us."

This seemed to help reduce some of the tension each of them was feeling and they relaxed a bit. It doesn't mean they aren't still concerned about what decisions might still have to be made and what was going to happen, but they looked at it as something that would happen in the future and not as something that was going to take place today. Once I was certain they were okay with this, we went back inside, but I made sure they understood they could each come to me if they had any more questions or concerns. After agreeing that they understood, I let them go off on their own.

NEXT PART