Bill W

Castaway Hotel
Next Generation, Book 2

Chapters 16-24

Chapter 16
Interesting Times

Frankie arrived at the house just before 7:00 on Saturday. As soon as Benny heard his car pull into the driveway, he went shooting out of the family room, raced out the front door, and gave Frankie a big hug when he met him on the sidewalk.

"Thank you for bringing me here. I like being here a lot."

"And I'm very glad you're happy and doing so much better." Frankie said before entering the house, and then he quickly glanced around the foyer. "I'd like to apologize to the rest of you for not getting home for Christmas, but I had to work."

"We understand and there's no need to apologize," Dad told him.

"Thanks, and who owns the Lexus?" Frankie followed and then waited for an answer.

"That's my car. Do you like it?" Ricky replied.

"Yeah, it's nice, just a bit too flashy for my tastes."

"Well, when you're in sales you have to look the part if you want others to believe you're successful."

"Ok, but now I have a different question for you. With the lamp post on and the Christmas lights lit up, I noticed something else as I walked past your car. Why is there a snowman in the driver's seat?"

Ricky's mouth dropped open and his eyes bulged from their sockets. "What? There better not be! It could melt and not only make a mess, but it might ruin the seat too!"

After saying this, he bolted out the door without even putting on a jacket first, so the rest of us followed him outside to see if it was true. Sure enough, there was a small snowman, about three feet [1 m]tall, proudly arranged on the seat. I also noticed that whoever had done this had placed a large sheet of plastic over the seat first, to protect it.

Judging from the thickness of the plastic, I determined it came from the same roll that Jake had used in the fall to winterize the draftier windows in the house. Come to think of it, that would have been the same roll that Elliot used earlier to cover the hole where the window used to be after his car was vandalized.

"How the hell did they manage this," Ricky wondered aloud. "I'm positive I locked the car when I first got here so no one would mess with it, and it's still locked, so how the hell did they pull this off?"

"Someone must have used the old tennis ball trick to unlock the door and then locked it again when they were done," Frankie offered, trying hard not to laugh.

"What the hell is the tennis ball trick?" Ricky shot back.

"It's a gimmick thieves use to unlock car doors so they can steal the car or the things inside. There are videos on YouTube that show how it's done."

"Damn! So YouTube has videos instructing thieves how to break into cars?"

"No. The video was originally posted to help people who accidentally locked themselves out of their car, as an alternative to calling a locksmith or breaking the window to get inside, but the crooks picked up on it too."

"Along with the shithead who stuck the snowman in my car," Ricky sneered as he unlocked the door.

While Ricky was hauling the offending passenger and plastic out of his vehicle, the rest of us went inside. It was cold out and no one wanted to stay outside for very long, but while we were walking to the door I noticed Elliot, Noah, Benny, and Joshie all grinning and giving each other fist bumps. I guess that explained who'd pulled the prank, but I was worried Ricky would be looking to pay the offending party back later.

"So how are things going for you, Frankie?" Dad asked as we walked into the living room and sat down.

"I'm doing fine and things have been going fairly well. I love my job, but I just wish I lived closer so I could visit more often."

"Yes, we'd like that too."

"Yeah, we would," Benny added. He was sitting next to Frankie and would have been sharing Frankie's uniform if he could have gotten any closer.

About that time Ricky came flying back in the house. "I don't know who the hell did that, but once I find out they're gonna pay for it!"

"Oh, so you can pull pranks on people, but then you get mad if they do it to you?" Jake challenged.

"Whoever did this was messin' with my ride!"

"Just get over it and consider the situation even," Dad advised him. "I don't want to get caught in a prank war that ruins what little time I have left here at home."

I don't think Ricky wanted to let the culprit or culprits off the hook, but he didn't want to mess things up for Dad either. On top of that, I think he was more than a little intimidated by the fact that Frankie was also here. Although Frankie had never done anything to him directly, Ricky had seen Frankie in action and didn't want to be on the receiving end of what Frankie could dish out. Therefore, things quieted down and we were able to visit in peace.

When Brandon and I took the boys up to bed later we decided to confront Benny about the prank. "Did you have something to do with the snowman in Uncle Ricky's car?"

Benny looked up sheepishly, but when he saw we weren't angry, he answered. "Yep, cuz of what he did to me."

"And I helped too, along with Noah and Elliot, because Benny didn't know what to do to get even," Joshie added.

"So was this Noah or Elliot's idea?" Brandon followed.

"Elliot told us how to do it and unlocked Uncle Ricky's car," Benny admitted. "He put the plastic inside too, but me, Joshie, and Noah made the snowman. The different parts weren't very big or heavy, so Noah was able to put it together for us too."

"Ok, but no more pranks now. You've gotten even with your uncle, so quit while you're ahead," I suggested. "I don't think Ricky will try anything now, at least not during this visit, but you might have to watch out the next time he's here."

"K. We won't do nuttin more," Benny agreed.

The next morning after having breakfast together, all of our guests began to pack up their belongings as they got ready to leave. Most had to return to work on Monday, and even though Sammy, Andrew, and Graham were teachers and on vacation, they decided to go home too. They knew Dad would be leaving for the airport today as well, so they opted to return home and take care of a few other things.

Around 4:00, they said their goodbyes. We'd enjoyed our time together, but all good things must come to an end. Sammy, Andrew, and Graham left first, followed a short time later by Pat and then Frankie. Ricky left last because he'd offered to drop Dad off at the airport and save Jake from making the roundtrip. He lived in Philadelphia and the airport was only slightly out of his way, so it just made sense.

We all hugged Dad before he left, along with telling him we'd miss him and couldn't wait until he returned. He said he'd miss us too before giving each of the boys a hug and a kiss on the forehead. Then, he got in the car with Ricky, and we waved as they backed out of the driveway and drove away.

Once everyone was gone, I turned to Ian and spoke. "I'm sure you didn't expect to get caught up in all of this wackiness when you decided to spend the weekend here."

"No, but it was fun. Nothing like that ever happens at our house, and I had a good time laughing at what went on."

"I'm glad, but at least now you know what you'll be getting into if you become part of this dysfunctional family." He laughed and nodded.

"Are you spending the night or going home?" Brandon followed.

"I thought I'd stay one more night, if you don't mind."

"No, not at all. I was just wondering so I'd know how much to fix for breakfast in the morning. Do you want to get up with us or should I just leave the food for you to heat up in the microwave later?" He looked at Elliot before answering.

"We'll get up and eat with you. That way I can say goodbye at the same time, because I'll be going home before you get out of work. Besides, the food always tastes better after it's first made and doesn't always do well when it's microwaved."

"Yes, I know, and we'd prefer that you join us anyway. It will give us a chance to say goodbye to you as well, in case we don't see you again before you leave for Stanford."

Ian nodded and smiled in response.

Later, when we were getting Benny and Joshie ready for bed, Benny made a comment. "This Christmas has been really fun. I'm gonna have a lot to tell my friends when I go back to school."

"Yes, it can be fun telling others what you did and what you got for Christmas," I agreed.

"And I could never do that before cuz I didn't have many friends, but I didn't want to tell them that I didn't get nuttin for Christmas either. I also didn't want them to know that I was locked in a cage most of the time."

"Yes, I wouldn't have wanted to admit that to anyone as well. It must have been awful, but it will never happen to you again."

After tucking the boys in bed, Brandon and I went to make sure our clothes were laid out for the next day. It had been a fun, long weekend with the family, but now we had to return to work, although Dion, Trey, and the boys were still off from school.

After we got dressed in the morning, I went to wake the boys while Brandon headed downstairs to fix breakfast. Then, we all sat down to eat together before Brandon and I left.

"In case we don't see you again, have a safe trip back to Stanford," I told Ian.

"I'll second that, since we probably won't see you again if you're celebrating New Year's Eve with your family. On the other hand, you could always drop over with Elliot sometime on New Year's Day," Brandon followed.

"Yeah, we can probably do that, seeing Elliot will be with me."

"And he'll have my car," Brandon added.

"Ok, we'll stop by later then. I'll even tell my parents we're going to eat dinner with you too, if that's ok."

"That will be fine. When are you heading back to school?"

"My parents are taking me to the airport next Sunday."

"I guess that means you won't be here to see Elliot's car when it gets fixed," I pointed out.

"No, but he'll send me photos and I'll see it when I get back this summer."

"Ok, that works. Just make sure you two stay out of trouble on New Year's Eve."

"Oh, we will."

When we finished eating, we said goodbye and the younger pair headed to the family room to play video games, while the older three went upstairs. I figured Noah was going to hop back in bed, but I wasn't sure if the other two were going back to sleep or planning on fooling around for awhile. They might be trying to store up for the long sexual drought ahead when they returned to school.

When I got to work, my staff was in a great mood and happily exchanged stories about what they'd done during their time off. Brandon told me at lunch that his staff had basically done the same thing, but both staffs also thanked us for their Christmas bonuses and the holiday luncheon. We told them that not only were they welcome, but we insisted they'd earned those things by working hard all year.

When we got home that evening, Trey greeted us shortly after we walked through the door. "Dad called to let us know that he'd arrived back in Atlanta and told us that he hoped we'd enjoy the little surprise he left with Jake for later."

"Did he give you a hint as to what he was talking about?" I asked.

"No, he just said we'd recognize it when the time came."

"Hmmm, it's just like him to be so cryptic. Did you tell the boys this too?"

"Not exactly, but we'd put Dad on speakerphone when he called so they heard everything he said."

"And how did they react to his pronouncement?"

"They tried to get him to tell them what the surprise was, but he merely told them he was sure they'd enjoy it when they found out. I'm fairly certain that they've been trying to figure out what the surprise might be ever since the call ended."

"Yes, they don't like it when they don't know all of the details. Dad used to do that to us too, especially when we went on trips," Brandon stated.

"Yes, I remember that very well," Trey agreed.

The boys tried to question us at dinner to see if we knew what the surprise was, but they pressured Jake in particular. They were intent on finding out what Grandpa Josh had been referring too, but Grandpa Jake's answer was fairly short and just as cryptic.

"He wants it to be a surprise, so you'll find out when the time comes."

Needless to say, the boys weren't very happy with him, but they let it drop when he said they'd find out what it was before the end of the week.

Tuesday went much the same, with the boys occasionally pestering us to see if we'd discovered what the surprise was, but we could only tell them we didn't know. Brandon and I would have to work the next day too, but then we'd have Thursday off, seeing it was New Year's Day.

On Wednesday, Brandon and I rushed home after work because we had to get ready to go out with the family to celebrate. We had the boys wear their suits, since we'd reserved the smaller private dining room at our favorite restaurant. Just because Dad wasn't here didn't mean we wouldn't make a big deal out of the holiday. Pop was joining us as well, along with Uncle Steve, Aunt Mary, and Aunt Sally. Kevin and Vinnie were going to meet us at the restaurant too, but Cole, Dustin, and their wives had already made plans to go out with friends instead.

Joshie rode in the SUV because he wanted to be with Benny, even though his dads were driving their own vehicle. They understood his reasoning, though, and let him come with us. They merely placed Wyatt in his booster seat and got ready to leave, and Jake decided to ride with them because their vehicle wouldn't be as crowded.

Benny started looking around as soon as we pulled up in front the building and got out of the SUV, because I was allowing the valet to park it for me. Benny's head appeared to be on a swivel as we went inside, as he eagerly checked everything out. He was fascinated by the statues and other decorations, along with the well dressed wait staff as they led us back to the private dining room.

"Wow! This place is really fancy!" Benny stated as soon as we were alone in the room.

"Yes, and we only come here on very special occasions, like tonight. It's also why we had you wear your suit."

"Yeah, I thought so, but I don't mind. It's worth it just to see this place."

"I'm sure you'll find the food is worth it too," Brandon chipped in.

The Shays and Aunt Sally arrived next, followed a few minutes later by Kevin and Vinnie. Now that we were all present, we ordered drinks and chatted for a short time before ordering our meals.

Joshie talked Benny into having the child's prime rib, because that was what he was having, while Dion ordered chicken fingers for Wyatt. Trey cut up Joshie's meat for him, while Brandon did the same for Benny and Dion helped Wyatt. When Benny tasted the prime rib his eyes lit up, before he turned toward us and spoke.

"This is really good! I never had nuttin like this before."

"Yes, we've had it before too and it is really good," I concurred.

"I'm glad you listened to Joshie and gave it a try," Brandon added.

"Me too!" Benny replied.

After we finished eating, we invited everyone to come back to the house for coffee and dessert. They agreed and followed us there. When we got to the house, Brandon played some music softly in the background while I made a fresh pot of coffee and everyone else sat down at the dining room table.

Trey had made a chocolate cake with fudge icing earlier in the day, primarily for the boys. Brandon and I had stopped at the bakery on the way home and picked up a large cheesecake, after stopping at the grocery store to get three different toppings for it, so each person could choose what he wanted. While Brandon and Trey were cutting the various items and giving everyone what they preferred, I poured each adult a cup of coffee and Dion gave each of the boys a glass of milk. Then, we chatted while enjoying our tasty treats.

When we finished, we moved to the family room and turned on the TV so we could watch some of the celebrations going on around the world. I didn't realize that Jake had wandered away in between and didn't notice he was missing until he returned several minutes later. Then, fifteen minutes before midnight he whispered to me.

"Have everyone put on their jackets and move out to the front yard as quickly as you can." He wouldn't tell me anything more as he put on his jacket and went outside as well.

I did as he asked, while explaining that I had no further information to share, other than we needed to hurry. Shortly after we got outside, a variety of bright lights and loud booms filled the air, as Jake set off a series of fireworks.

"Is this Grandpa Josh's surprise?" Noah asked.

"It would seem so," I answered. "I knew fireworks were now legal in Georgia, but I never imagined your grandfather had bought some and then shipped them home."

"So that's what was in those boxes," Dion mused.

"It seems so, although there might have been some other things inside those boxes as well."

For the next fifteen minutes we watched the dazzling display and noticed that many of the neighbors had come outside to see what was going on as well. We heard some loud cheers from them, along with squeals of delight from the boys, as we all enjoyed this little treat Dad had set up for us.

Once the last of the fireworks had faded into the nighttime sky, we headed indoors again. I immediately called everyone to the dining room so we could make a toast. Dion and Trey carried in the appropriate glasses, while Brandon and I got the beverages out of the fridge. We had bought champagne for the adults and sparkling grape juice for the boys. After everyone had a glass, we lifted them and I made a toast.

"Happy New Year to each of you, and may this new year be better than the last!"

Everyone else added his own comment before downing his drink. Shortly after that, our guests thanked us, said goodbye, and returned to their homes. Once they were gone, we hurried the boys up to bed. It had been a fabulous evening and there was little doubt in my mind that everyone had enjoyed himself.

"I had a lot of fun today," Benny told us as we were tucking him in bed. "I got to try food I'd never ate before and had some cake too, but I also got to see the fireworks. I'd only seed them on TV before tonight."

Brandon and I were shocked by his admission, although we probably shouldn't have been. It was just that we often forgot how many of the simple things in life Benny had missed out on before he came to live with us.

"So what did you think of them?" Brandon asked.

"They were really awesome and I could feel it in my chest when they went boom."

"Yes, that would be from the sound waves created by the explosion. You can feel them hit your body almost immediately," I explained.

"It kinda scared me at first, cuz I didn't know what it was, but then it was kind of fun. It made me feel like I was going off with the fireworks too."

"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it," I added, before kissing Joshie and him goodnight.

In the morning, we had breakfast first and then went to the family room to watch the parade on TV. It was fun noting Benny's reactions to what was happening on the screen, and then after the parade ended some of us stuck around to watch the college football games.

Around 3:00 Ian and Elliot showed up. A few minutes later they came into the family room to say hello. "I knew we'd find the rest of you in here watching football," he whined and rolled his eyes.

"I know Elliot doesn't care for football, but how about you, Ian?" I responded.

"I watch the games with my dad sometimes, but I can live without them too."

"Then you and Elliot should get along quite well with each other," I joked.

They disappeared shortly after that and went to spend time with Dion, Trey, and Brandon, since they weren't interested in the football games either.

Brandon and Trey arranged to have dinner during halftime of one of the games, since they knew they'd have a tough time dragging the rest of us away from the action. As we were eating, Ian and Elliot filled us in about their night with Ian's parents, and the boys told them about what we'd done.

"You should have called and told us about the fireworks, cuz we'd have come here to watch them too," Elliot groaned.

"Grandpa Jake didn't tell us it was going to happen beforehand and merely asked me to get everyone outside just before midnight. I'd have called if I'd known about it."

"That's ok, but I hope Grandpa Josh has Uncle Shannon or Uncle Nick send more fireworks next year."

Dinner worked out well and we got back to the family room just in time for the second half kickoff. I only took one more break before the final game ended, and that was so I could go up to help tuck Benny and Joshie in for the night.

Since Brandon wasn't interested in the games, he turned in before I did, seeing we had to work the following day. I ended up getting a little less sleep than normal, but I knew I'd be fine. I had worked on a lot less sleep than this when I was an intern, so I felt I'd have no problem going without a full eight hours tonight.

Elliot and Ian spent the night too and were still at the house when we got home from work on Friday. "I'm going to stay here tonight too, if it's ok," Ian explained. "Then, I'll return home in the morning and spend the rest of the weekend with my parents. They're taking me to the airport on Sunday, so this will be the last chance me and Elliot will have to be together until summer."

"As we've told you before, you're welcome here anytime and for as long as you want," Brandon assured him.

"Yes, we enjoy your company as well, and you help to keep Elliot off our backs," I teased.

"Hey, I'm never a problem," Elliot objected.

"Unless you're pulling one of your pranks," I countered, which caused him to make a face in response.

Elliot was going to be with us a week longer than Ian had been with his family, so we didn't mind sharing him. Seeing Brandon and I had to work a half-day on Saturday, we said goodbye to Ian before we went to bed Friday night and told him to have a safe trip back. He said he would and that he'd see us again in May.

When we got home from work on Saturday afternoon, we were immediately able to tell that Elliot was slightly depressed and missing Ian already. "Saying goodbye is always difficult," I offered.

"Yeah, and we had such a great time being together again."

"Once you're back at college you'll be so busy that the time will fly by, and then before you know it you'll be returning home to spend the summer with him."

"Yeah, I know, but it doesn't stop me from missing him."

"I understand, but try not to dwell on that, because it will only make the situation worse."

Elliot nodded in agreement, but I understood nothing had really changed for him and he was merely humoring me. I'd just have to find a way to keep him distracted until he left too.

Chapter 17
The Holidays Come to an End

When Brandon and I got home from work on Monday, I went inside to get Elliot and then I followed him when he took his car to the body shop. Elliot was just about to drop the key through the night slot when the manager came to the door.

"I was just getting ready to lock up, but I'll take the key for you."

"Thank you, sir. I appreciate you working my car into your busy schedule."

"It's my pleasure. I would hate to see you driving around with it looking like that," he added after glancing over to where Elliot had parked. "Don't worry. I'll get the electric sander and run it over the damaged area before I leave so no one else will be able to read what was scratched into the paint."

"Thanks, I really appreciate that."

"I'll call when it's done and let you know when you can pick it up."

"Ok, and thanks again." Elliot then hopped in the car with me and we headed home.

Trey had dinner ready when we got back, so we called the boys to the table and sat down to eat. During dinner, Elliot told the others about how nice the manager of the body shop had been and what he'd done so no one else would see what had been scrawled into the paint.

"That was really nice of him," Dion agreed.

"Yeah, you should probably leave him a nice tip when you pick the car up," Noah offered.

"Maybe I will," Elliot replied.

After we finished eating, Joshie talked Elliot into playing the 'Peanuts Theme Song' for him again, but Elliot also played some other songs too, including a couple Benny had suggested. It was nice to see the three of them getting along so well.

When bedtime came, Joshie and Benny talked Elliot and Noah into showering with them again, and then they all slept together in Elliot's bed. It was a little crowded with the two younger ones in the middle cuddled against the older pair, but no one complained. I guess it was their way of making the most of Elliot's last week at home for awhile.

Even though he had Brandon's car to use in the interim, Elliot was still antsy about getting his own vehicle back. He said something about it every night at dinner and then asked when we thought it would be done. We merely reminded him that he'd originally been told it should be ready by Friday, so that was most likely when he could pick it up. I think it was why he was so excited when the manager called on Thursday afternoon and told him he could pick it up anytime.

Elliot even managed to talk Trey in to driving him there before we got home from work, so the manager wouldn't have to wait around for one of us to take him later. We were told that when he brought it home he asked Noah, Benny, and Joshie to check it out, and then he took them for a short ride. Needless to say, Brandon and I were mildly surprised when we saw his car in the driveway when we got home from work.

"Wow, they must have done a rush job for you," I remarked when I went inside.

"Yeah, they did and it looks terrific. The insurance company paid for everything except for the deductible, so when I paid my share of the bill I followed Noah's suggestion and left a tip. I told the manager it was for what he'd done when I first brought the car in and for doing such an amazing job. I think in the future he'll let me jump ahead of his other customers if I ever need his help again."

"That's nice, but let's hope you'll never need his services after this," Brandon offered.

I noticed the other boys were getting a little teary eyed when they realized there was only a little more than a day before Elliot would be leaving for school. He was planning on starting out Saturday morning so he'd have Sunday to take it easy before classes began on Monday. That way if he ran into any trouble on the trip back, he'd still have time to resolve the issue without missing any classes.

The four of them also showered and slept together on both Thursday and Friday nights, making the most of the time they had left. I also heard Elliot playing the 'Peanuts Theme Song' and some other tunes for them each night too, probably at the younger pair's suggestion. It was nice to see the four of them so close, although there were still a few minor disagreements, such as when Elliot wanted to stop playing and the younger boys wanted him to continue. I also understood there were a couple of disagreements about one group or the other hogging the PS4 during the day, but Dion or Trey had handled those situations.

After breakfast on Saturday morning, Elliot went upstairs to get his things and then took them out to his car. When he came inside the four boys gave him a hug before he came over to say goodbye to Brandon and me, as well as to Dion and Trey.

"Thanks for all your help while I was home," he told Dion and Trey, "and I'll miss each of you when I'm at school. I didn't realize just how much I liked being here with all of you, but I'll see you again after I take my last final in the spring."

"Just drive safely and obey the speed limit, both on your way there now and when you return at the end of the semester," I urged. "Call us when you get to your room, no matter the time, so we'll know you made it back in one piece."

"Ok, but you worry too much."

"Maybe, but your grandfather always made us call him whenever we went someplace when we were the same age you are now. In fact, he still does it at times." Each of us laughed after I said this.

We then walked Elliot out to his car and waved as he backed out of the driveway and started down the road. It was a bittersweet parting.

"I liked it when Elliot was home," Benny stated as we walked back to the house.

"Me too," Joshie added.

"I liked it best when he let me hang out with him at the mall and took me places," Noah agreed. "I can't wait until I get my license."

"We'll talk about that when you turn sixteen," I replied, which earned me a grin.

"Ok, and I'll hold you to it."

After we went inside, Brandon and I started on our weekend chores while the boys went off to do their own thing. We didn't see them again until lunchtime when we all ate together.

"Are we going to do anything special today, or are we stuck at home?" Noah asked.

"Did you have something in mind?"

"Nah, I just don't want to spend the whole weekend cooped up in the house."

"I wish we could go swimming," Benny offered, innocently.

"Actually, I could take you to the Boys & Girls Club to do that, but you'd have to wear your swimsuits. They won't let you skinny dip in their pool." I teased.

"I know, and I wouldn't want to be naked if there were girls there too," Benny agreed.

"I have a feeling that may change when you get older," I joked. "Is this something you'd all like to do?"

"Yeah," they all chimed in response.

"Joshie, go check with your dads to see if they mind. If they don't, then we'll all get our swimsuits. See if Wyatt and your dads want to go too, and I'll ask Brandon."

Joshie and Benny ran off to do that while I went to find my other half. "That might be fun," Brandon agreed after I presented the idea. "The exercise will be good for both of us."

"Great, so let's go see what Dion and Trey had to say."

Joshie ran up to us when we got back. "My dads want to go too, so we'll all go swimming together," he announced, beaming.

"Great, but that means we'll have to take two vehicles."

"Ok, but I'll tell them I want to ride with you."

"And I'll check to see if Pop wants to go with us," Brandon added.

"Good idea," I concurred. "I don't want him to feel left out or unwanted."

It turned out that Jake was eager to join us as well, so Brandon, I, and our two sons packed our swimsuits and towels in a duffle bag, while Dion and Trey did the same for their family, and Jake packed his own bag.

"You know, after Benny came to live here, I think you've ended up adopting our son too," Dion teased before we headed out to the cars.

"I know and I hope you don't mind."

"Not really, although sometimes I feel bad that he'd rather do stuff with you guys."

"You're always welcome to join us, and you certainly have our permission if you ever want to take Benny to do things with your family, since he's the only one Joshie is really concerned with."

"I'm not so sure about that," Dion responded as he looked me in the eye, while at the same time raising his eyebrows up and down. "I have a feeling he likes being with the rest of you just as much as he enjoys being with Benny."

"Maybe, but I don't think he'd be doing this as much if Benny wasn't here."

After saying that, we all went outside and loaded into the vehicles. Jake rode with Dion, Trey, and Wyatt again, while Joshie hopped in with us.

As soon as we got to the Boys & Girls Club, we went directly to the locker room to change. Although it hadn't dawned on me at the time, this would be the first time that Benny would see his Grandpa Jake naked too.

"Ewww, he's even hairier than you," he said in a whisper.

"Yes, he's quite hairy and a real bear."

"He's a bear?" Benny shot back amazed.

"Not a bear like you might see in the woods, but that's what people call really hairy guys."

"Oh, ok."

As soon as everyone was ready, we headed out to the pool together. To my surprise, there were only a handful of other people there at the time, including the lifeguard. We all jumped in and started swimming, but as soon as the other people left I went over to have a quick chat with the lifeguard.

"Would you mind if we tossed the boys into the air for a bit?"

"I'm not supposed to allow that, but since you and your family are the only ones in the pool I won't stop you."

"Thanks," I told him before I went back to inform Benny and Joshie what he'd agreed to.

We often did this at home when there weren't too many in the pool, so the boys knew what I was talking about. They squealed with joy as each of the adults took turns tossing them into the air and letting them fall back into the water. I know Noah probably would have liked to do this too, but he had grown too big and too heavy for us to accommodate him any longer.

After doing this for a while, we took a break to catch our breath and sat along the edge of the pool with our feet dangling in the water. "That was fun," Benny said as he slid closer to me.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"We should do this more often," Noah added. "There are only a few months when it's warm enough to swim at home, so we should come down here when it gets colder out."

"Yes, we can do that, if you boys want to. It's just that you've never suggested it before."

"Yeah, it was kinda dumb of us not to think of this, huh?"

"Not dumb, you just weren't considering all of your options."

After spending a little more time swimming and horsing around, we went into the locker room to shower, dry off, and change before heading home.

"Thanks, that was lots of fun," Joshie said on the drive back.

"Yes, it was," Brandon agreed. "Just let us know when you want to do it again, because we enjoyed it too."

The boys all cheered after Brandon said this, so I was certain we'd be doing it again in the very near future. When we got home, the boys went off to play video games, while Brandon and Trey turned their attention to dinner and I went to do more of the laundry. This included the towels and swimsuits we'd just used.

After dinner, we discovered that the Star Trek movie with the new cast was going to be playing on TV, so we all went in to watch it. There have been a lot of reincarnations of this series, but now they've gone back and recast the original crew.

It's amazing when you think about all of the differences there are between those of us that live in the house, because we still have one thing in common. We all seem to like science fiction/ fantasy books and movies. Therefore, we all got comfortable and settled in to watch the flick together.

Elliot called while the movie was on, so we paused the show and put him on speakerphone. "I got back a couple of minutes ago and I didn't speed either," he assured us. "I only made one quick stop to pee and get gas, if you were wondering how I got here so quick."

"I'm glad you made it there safely and the trip went well. Just call once in awhile to let us know how you're doing."

"Ok, I will, and thanks for making my time at home so much fun. And Dad Brandon, thanks for letting me use your car. Benny, Joshie, and Noah I'll see you again this summer. Love you all."

"We love you too," we all chimed in before he hung up. Then we hit the play button to resume the movie again and watched the rest of it.

When it ended, we let Joshie and Benny skip their shower, since they'd taken one earlier at the pool. Dion, Trey, Brandon, and I all went up with the boys to tuck them in and kissed them both goodnight.

"It's neat when you all do this together," Joshie pointed out as he looked at the four of us.

"Yeah, but call Noah and have him come here too," Benny urged, so Brandon went to Noah's room to get him. Noah came over clad only in his underwear, because he'd been in bed when Brandon got there.

"Dang, so now you need the whole family to put you to bed," he griped playfully.

"Yeah, because we love all of you," Benny replied. I think he'd responded in this manner because of the way we'd ended the phone call with Elliot, who had told us the same thing.

"Ok, as long as you put it that way then I don't mind," Noah said before bending down to give both boys a kiss and wishing them pleasant dreams before returning to his room.

"I'm really glad I got to come here to live," Benny confirmed just before I turned out the light.

"We are too," Brandon and I agreed.

"Me too," Joshie chirped. His fathers had already left to go downstairs so they weren't there at the time, but we filled them in when we caught up with them a minute later.

Sunday morning as we finished eating breakfast, I decided to see what the boys wanted to do today.

"How would you guys like to go to see a movie this afternoon?" I asked.

"Sure, but what exactly do you have in mind?" Noah replied. "Is there a certain movie you want to see?"

"Not really. I just thought it would be something fun to do together."

"Ok. So what's playing?"

"I'm not sure, but we can jump online, log into Moviefone, and check," I countered. We were soon looking at the listing of the movies playing locally.

"What's 'Into the Woods' about?" Noah wanted to know.

"It's a musical based on several Grimm Brothers' fairy tales. Brandon and I saw it performed on stage, but I'm not sure if it's something you boys would enjoy. It's kind of dark, so it might not be appropriate for the younger group."

"How about 'Annie'?" Joshie suggested.

"Nah, I've heard the song 'Tomorrow' more times than I want to already," Noah groaned. "Besides, I don't really want to see a stupid musical." I think his statement just confirmed that he wasn't gay.

"How about 'The Penguins of Madagascar'," I offered as an alternative.

"Yeah, that would be good," Benny agreed.

"I'm not sure I want to see that," Noah moaned, rolling his eyes.

"Come on, Noah," Benny urged. "You've watched the shows 'bout them on Nickelodeon with me and Joshie before."

"Yeah, I guess I have, haven't I. Ok, it's better than staying home," he conceded.

Dion and Trey agreed to take Wyatt and join us, but Jake opted not to go with us this time. Once that had been settled, the rest of us loaded into the vehicles and set out for the cinema complex at the mall.

In addition to enjoying the popcorn and drinks we'd purchased, the movie was quite enjoyable as well. We all found it funny, especially the boys, and they couldn't stop talking about it afterward. I didn't think it was the best of the Madagascar movies, but it was still entertaining, even for us parents.

"That was really funny," Benny enthused.

"Yeah, and there was enough humor in it for everyone, even the older guys" Noah added.

"Older, like in us or you?" Brandon asked.

"All of us, including you really old dudes," Noah replied tongue-in-cheek. If I hadn't been driving and could have reached him, I would have playfully cuffed him for that remark.

When we arrived at home we discovered that Dion and Trey had enjoyed the movie too, but not nearly as much as Wyatt. "I wike penwins," he informed us.

"Yes, they were really cute, weren't they?" Brandon agreed.

"I wiked Skipper duh best."

"He was definitely the one in charge," I confirmed, "but they were all cute and funny."

I was glad we'd found something that everyone had enjoyed, each in his own way. The humor could be interpreted and appreciated on different levels, including some sexual nuances, so it truly was enjoyable for more than just the kids.

After dinner, we spent the rest of the night chilling out as we prepared to return to work and school the following day. Benny and Joshie talked Noah into showering with them again, but we questioned whether we should let them all sleep together.

"Maybe you should sleep in your own beds tonight, so you'll get a good night's rest," I offered.

"I sleep really good when I was with Joshie, Noah, and Elliot," Benny retorted.

"Me too," Joshie concurred.

"I don't mind and don't have a problem sleeping with them either," Noah confirmed. "Neither one moves around very much and it's kinda nice when they both cuddle with me."

I glanced at Brandon before I made up my mind. "Well, if you'll agree that you won't horse around and think you'll get enough sleep, then I guess we can let you do it again."

"Thanks, Dads," Benny and Noah replied.

"Yeah, thanks, Uncle Danny and Uncle Brandon. I really like doing this too," Joshie chimed in.

"Ok, just get to sleep," I added as they settled into bed, and then Brandon and I kissed each one goodnight. "Joshie, your dads will be up shortly to say goodnight too."

"K," he said, before Brandon and I went downstairs and sent the other pair up.

Brandon and I only stayed up for another hour before we turned in as well. It had been a busy, but fun weekend, so we wanted to get plenty of rest for the upcoming day.

Chapter 18
Uncertainty

Nothing of much importance happened until the end of January when we received an unexpected phone call from Little Ricky. It happened on a Thursday night so I knew something was up, because he only got in touch with us on the weekend unless it was related to business.

"What's up, bro?" I asked after learning who was on the other end of the line.

"Danny, I have a favor to ask of you and Brandon," he replied.

"Don't tell me you have another boy you want us to take in," I said, but only partially in jest. Why else would he be calling during the week?

"You've had Benny for a few months now and I've got another boy I need to find a spot for. The problem is, he's turning out to be difficult to place."

"Why's that?" I followed, starting to get a little concerned.

"Mainly because of the last home he was in, which was in a neighboring jurisdiction. The supervisor there called our office to see if we could help, because they had nowhere to put him."

"Then you'd better fill me in about this boy before I give you an answer."

"Ok, I can do that, so here's what I know about him. I was told that after he'd been taken to the emergency room, the local D.S.S. was informed about the situation. They then discovered that the family he'd been living with had been pimping him and a couple of the other children out. This home wasn't sanctioned by the agency and the couple in charge weren't certified either; they had merely taken these kids in to live with them. After the youngsters were there, the couple started letting others know that the minors' 'services' were for sale for the right price.

"As I said, this wasn't a home associated with or sanctioned by D.S.S. and the couple involved took these kids in on their own. We've learned they would get close to families that were down on their luck and then offer to let their children live with them. The kids' parents thought the couple was just being kind and giving them a chance to get back on their feet by not having to support their kids for awhile. The parents had no idea what the couple was actually planning to do with the youngsters, but that doesn't absolve them of culpability.

"This situation only came to light after this boy was rented out to a trucker and then refused to cooperate with him once they were alone. The trucker was irate and beat the boy into submission to get what he wanted. Afterward, the trucker was afraid the family would call the police once they discovered what he'd done and saw how badly the boy had been beaten, so he simply left the kid at a rest stop instead. Someone stopping at the rest area discovered the poor kid, who was barely conscious at the time, and called the State Police. When the cops learned what had happened, they got the local D.S.S. involved. Since the agency didn't have an opening for the boy, they eventually called us for assistance."

"Have you cleared this with Aunt Sally? From what you've just told me I'm not sure this would be the right place for the boy."

"Yes, I told her everything and she agrees that you and Brandon are our best option. That's why she told me to call you."

"But I take it the offender was a male trucker who attacked and abused the boy, so are you sure a gay household is the best place for him?"

"Yes, because our only other option is where he is now, but that's only a temporary solution. He's currently housed at a juvenile detention center, even though he hasn't been charged or convicted of a crime. It was the only safe place that would accept him, but they won't keep him longer than a few more days, since he hadn't been sentenced and wasn't placed there by Family Court. They only agreed to do it until we could find a suitable home for him."

"Seeing his parents only let him live with those people, can't the boy just return home?"

"No, that's not possible at this point, because as I said before, his parents are still culpable for what happened. They had allowed him to live with this couple and then didn't check to make sure he was safe and well taken care of, so they've now been declared unfit parents. In light of this decision, the court has declared him a ward of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and we've been charged with finding him a suitable foster home."

"Ok, just give me a chance to talk to Brandon about this and then I'll get back to you. To be honest, I'm worried this kid's problems are more than we're prepared to deal with. As I said earlier, I'm concerned that he may react negatively, possibly even violently, to being placed in a gay household, especially after what he's just been through."

"We've considered that as well but have come to the conclusion that you're still our best hope. Seeing you're a doctor, you can monitor how he's healing physically, and you, Brandon, Dion, and Trey are all good with kids and might be able to help him heal emotionally as well."

"I'm not as sure about that as you seem to be, but I'm not saying 'no' just yet either. By the way, how old is he and what's his name?"

"His name is Ryan and my sources told me he turned thirteen this past fall."

"So that would make him about two years younger than Noah and two and a half years older than Benny."

"Yes, he would fall between those two in age."

"Ok, I'll talk this over with Brandon, Dion, and Trey, seeing we'll all be involved with the boy if we take him in. I'd feel a lot better if Dad were home to help out with him too, but the last I heard he'll be remaining in Atlanta for a few more weeks."

"He'd be really good for this boy, but I'm sure the rest of you can handle the situation until he gets back."

"Like I said, I'll talk it over with the rest of them and then get in touch with you later to inform you of our decision."

"Ok, and thanks. I look forward to hearing your answer."

As soon as I got off the phone, I asked the other three to join me in the dining room after the kids were in bed, because I had something I needed to discuss with them. I explained that I didn't want to get into it while the boys were still up, because I didn't want our sons to overhear what I had to say, so they agreed to wait.

As soon as we were sure the boys were asleep, we each got a drink and then sat down at the dining room table so I could fill them in about Little Ricky's request. They were just as skeptical as I had been, but none of us wanted to leave a kid hanging with no suitable place to live. Therefore, we agreed to meet with him in person, and if the meeting went well we would take him in on a trial basis. We'd let him know this too, so I called Little Ricky to inform him of our decision.

"Great, that takes a big load off my mind," he stated after hearing our answer.

"Remember, we only want to talk to him to see if he's agreeable to living here, and if we accept him it will merely be on a trial basis, so we can see how it works out and how he gets along with everyone."

"That's still better than what he's facing now. Can I drop by with him tomorrow evening?"

"Yes, around 7:00 will work," I agreed. "That way we'll be finished with dinner and I'll merely ask the boys to stay in the family room while the rest of us meet with you and this boy."

"Ok, that sounds good and I sincerely hope this works out."

As soon as I hung up, I immediately began to wonder if we were doing the right thing. It wasn't that I didn't want to help the kid, but I was concerned he might not get along with the other boys and would disrupt the household. He could also be a negative influence on the others, especially considering what he's been through. Putting my concerns aside for the moment, I went to fill in Brandon, Dion, and Trey about what I'd just agreed to.

The following night we hurried through dinner, cleared the table, and put everything away before we sent the boys to the family room. I told them we were considering taking in a new boy so they weren't to come into the dining room until we called them. I told them we adults wanted to speak with the boy alone first, and then we'd introduce them if we agreed to let the boy stay with us.

Since this was somewhat similar to how we'd first met Benny they didn't question it, although they wanted to know if they'd get to talk to him as well. As soon as I told them they'd be able to spend some time with the boy too, I pulled Noah aside and asked him not to let that conversation get out of hand. I merely advised him that I wasn't sure if the boy might have a problem with us being gay, so if things started heading in a negative direction he was to come and get one of us immediately. He agreed, which made me feel slightly better. Now, we just had to wait for Little Ricky and Ryan to arrive.

When I saw Little Ricky's car pull in the driveway, Brandon and I went to the front door, opened it, and watched them get out and walk toward the house. I immediately noticed that Ryan was a couple of inches shorter than Little Ricky, and I could also see strands of platinum, blond hair sticking out from under the stocking cap on his head. He appeared to be on the slender side, although it was somewhat difficult to judge with the winter clothing he had on.

As they got closer, I could see his face was bruised and slightly swollen, but he still appeared to be quite handsome. I hoped his inner beauty would match his normal outward appearance as I opened the door to welcome them inside.

"It's nice to see you again, Richard, and it's a pleasure to meet you too," I began as I offered the boy my hand to shake. "My name is Danny and this is Brandon." I then stepped aside for them to shake hands as well. "Let's go into the dining room to talk."

"Ryan, would you like a soda, a glass of milk or water, or would you prefer a cup of hot chocolate?" Brandon asked as he followed us.

"Soda would be good."

"And a cup of coffee for you, Mr. Becker?" Brandon followed.

"Yes, that sounds wonderful."

Dion and Trey were already at the table, so I merely introduced them. "We all grew up in this house and still live here with our dad. He's in Atlanta right now taking care of one of our brothers, but he should be returning home in a few more weeks."

"So none of you are married?" Ryan asked looking skeptical.

"Not yet," I answered simply.

Brandon soon came in with the requested drinks, and then we let them take a couple of sips before we began.

"Ryan, I want to be upfront with you and explain some things before we get started. I think it's important that we're all open and honest, otherwise this probably won't work out." As I paused to take a breath, I noticed that Ryan was looking at me strangely, possibly apprehensive.

"Let me explain what I'm getting at. This house contains three gay couples. Brandon and I are partners, and so are Dion and Trey. Our dad and his partner also lives here, and you'll meet them if you decide to stay. We all have sons living here as well, and you'll get to meet them too, if you agree you might want to stay here."

"So everyone in this house is gay?"

"No, not everyone. Let me explain. Our dad was married to a woman and had four children with her. When she died, he decided to take in foster children, and that's how we came here to live. The three of us were adopted by him, and Brandon came to live with us when his parents moved to Texas. We happen to be gay, as are a couple of our brothers, but most of the others are straight. Mr. Becker also lived here for a time after his father died and his mother went to live in a nursing home. The rest of us ended up here for various reasons and became part of a really big family."

"So your dad was married to a woman, but now he's with a dude?"

"Yes. I guess you might say he's bisexual. I just want you to know that no one in the house will do anything inappropriate to you, so you don't have to worry."

"If you guys have sons, are they gay too?"

"Brandon and I have three sons. Our oldest, Elliot, is a sophomore in college, and he happens to be gay as well. Our middle son is Noah and he's a freshman in high school, but he appears to be straight. Our youngest is Benny and he's in fourth grade, so he's too young to tell. Dion and Trey also have a son, Joshie, who's in fourth grade, as well as a three-year-old named Wyatt."

"Will I get to meet them?"

"Yes. We just asked them to wait in the family room while we were meeting with you."

"Oh, ok."

"Seeing I've told you about us, I have a question for you. Now that you know we're gay, are you interested in staying with us or do you have a problem with our sexual orientation?"

Ryan didn't answer right away and picked up his soda to take a sip instead. I saw him swallowing several times, much more than required for the little bit of soda he'd just drank, so I knew he was having trouble deciding. He looked at each of us a few times, and then he looked at me and spoke.

"You said no one would mess with me or make me do anything I didn't want, right?"

"Nothing of a sexual nature, but you may have to do chores or homework that you aren't fond of." The last part made him crack a grin.

"I was askin' cuz of what happened at where I was staying. I 'spose you heard about that."

"Yes, and it's the reason I explained everything the way I did, so you'd know we were gay but only interested in our partners."

"So you don't mess around with the other boys or make them get naked for you."

"We don't mess with them sexually, but I'm a doctor so I've seen all of the boys naked when I've given them physicals and such. We also have given the younger boys baths, but we've done nothing inappropriate with any of them." I didn't tell him that the boys often ran around naked because I didn't want to scare him off.

Ryan just nodded slightly, but didn't respond. That's when I decided to give him a little more information. "As I said, I'm a doctor, a pediatrician to be precise, and Brandon is a dentist. Dion and Trey are teachers. Trey teaches English at the high school and Dion teaches vocal music at the middle and high schools."

"Dang. What does your dad do?"

"When we first came to live with him he was the principal of the Middle School, but then he became the superintendent later. He's retired now and takes care of things around the house for us."

"So you all have really good jobs."

"Yes, I guess you could say that. So what are you thinking? Are you interested in staying here with us?"

"Yeah, I guess. It sounds better than where I'm at now. I'm at a kid jail and have to stay by myself cuz I wasn't sent there by the court. I think I'm in the part of the building where they put the boys when they break the rules, and there's nothing to do so I sleep a lot."

"That sounds awful," Trey acknowledged.

"It is! Can I talk to your sons before I have to give you my answer? I want to see what they're like too."

"Yes, we've told the boys that you were coming tonight and they'd get a chance to meet you too."

"Do they know what happened to me and why I look like this?"

"No, we didn't tell them about any of that. If you want, you can just explain that you got beat up where you used to live and that's why you might come here to live. They'll all believe it, since they've seen worse."

"Ok, that's cool, but I don't want them to know about the other stuff."

"That's fine and we won't tell them."

"So when do I get to meet them?"

"If you're ready, I can take you to our family room and introduce you now."

"Yeah, that would be cool."

I then led him there and introduced the boys, except for Wyatt. Dion had said he was going to get him ready for bed while Ryan was with the others. I merely had the boys exchange names and then left them alone to talk. I wouldn't have known what was said except that Noah filled me in later. They chatted for about forty-five minutes, and when they came out to join us I asked Ryan a question.

"So what do you think?"

"Everyone seems ok, so does this mean I'll be coming here to live?"

"If that's what you want."

"Like I said earlier, it's better than where I'm staying now."

"We can do it on a trial basis then, to give you a chance to decide if this is where you want to be. It will also give us an opportunity to make sure everyone gets along with each other."

"Yeah, ok. So when will I be coming to stay?"

"You can stay starting now, if you want. You can look at the empty bedrooms and decide which one you'd prefer, and then Mr. Becker can drop your belongings off tomorrow."

"Yeah, that's cool, if it's alright with Mr. Becker."

"I don't have a problem with it either," Little Ricky confirmed.

"Fortunately it's Friday, so there's no school tomorrow, although Brandon and I will have to work half a day. However, Dion and Trey will be here, along with Noah and the other boys, so you can either stay here with them or go to the office with me. If you go in with me you can wait in the reception area or hang out with one of my staff. I'd like to give you a complete physical too, if you wouldn't mind, just to make sure you don't have any medical problems."

"Ummm, if you don't mind, I think I'll just stay here. I don't like the place I'm at now and Noah seems pretty cool so I'd rather stay with him. Uh, can we do that physical thing here too?"

"Yes, I can bring home whatever I need, if that's the way you want to do it. I was just worried that you might have a problem with me giving you a physical, since I'm gay."

"Yeah, I thought about that, but you're a doctor and I've had physicals before, so I know what to expect and what shouldn't happen." His comment led me to believe that he'd meant it as a warning to make sure I didn't try anything funny.

"As I told you before, nothing of a sexual nature will happen. I just want to make certain you're healing properly and have no other medical problems."

"Does that mean I'll have to get naked?"

"Not totally naked, but I'll have to examine your entire body. I'm sure you've had physicals before and have had to do that."

"I guess. Do I have to pee in a cup too?"

"Yes, and I'll probably draw some blood as well, so I can have the lab do a work up on it."

"As long as you promise it won't hurt too much."

"You'll just feel a little prick. That's all."

"Ok, I guess I can live with that."

"Brandon will give your teeth a cleaning and inspect them at another time, but you'll have to go to his office for that."

"Yeah, ok."

Brandon and I then took him upstairs and showed him the empty bedrooms. After looking at each one, Ryan asked which rooms the rest of us were in and then he chose the bedroom next to Noah on the third floor. After Elliot left to go to college, Noah decided to move out of the bedroom across the hall from Elliot's old room. He then took his belongings to one of the bedrooms that Dad had added in the attic to handle our growing family. Noah told us he'd relocated because he liked the idea of having added privacy, which made me wonder what he was planning on doing up there. I think Ryan's room choice had a similar logic behind it, since he'd be more isolated from the rest of us.

Anyway, Brandon vacuumed the rug while I dusted, and I sent Noah down to the second floor to retrieve the pillowcases and sheets from the linen closet so we could make the bed. Once that had been taken care of, I showed Ryan which bathroom he could use to take a shower before turning in. I told him we'd be back in a half hour to see how he was doing.

As soon as Ryan went in the bathroom, Noah asked Brandon and me to follow him to his old bedroom so we could talk. We agreed and he was soon filling us in on what had happened when the boys chatted with Ryan in the family room.

"He talked with all of us for about twenty minutes, but then he wanted to ask me some questions alone. I told Benny and Joshie to play video games while we did this, and then Ryan got really serious."

"Are you gay?" he asked first.

"No."

"Has anyone here ever tried to mess with you or forced you to do stuff?"

"No, never!"

"So you've never done anything with another guy?"

"I didn't say that, because I've tried some stuff. All guys do that, not just gay guys."

"So what have you done and with who?"

"I messed around a little with Elliot a few years ago. He's my brother and is away at college now. We mostly jerked each other off, but we sucked each other a couple of times too. I just wanted to see what it was like, but we never did any of the butt stuff."

"Elliot's gay, right?"

"Yes, but he didn't force me. I wanted to do that stuff so I could see what it was like."

"Are you sure, cuz there was a guy who tried to make me do stuff with him? It's part of the reason I'm here now."

"Look, no one will do anything like that to you while you're here. You heard Joshie and Benny. They love living here, but I've got to warn you that we sometimes walk around naked, since it's only us guys living here. During the summer we go skinny dipping in the pool too, but only because we want to."

"I won't want to do that, but you have a pool?"

"Yeah, it's out back. It's a big, above ground pool."

"Neat, but I don't want to get naked to swim in it."

"You won't have to, if you don't want, but if you try it you'll find out it's pretty neat."

"So Joshie and Benny do that too."

"Yeah, and they love it. And Elliot does too, as well as all our dads."

"So all you guys swim naked?"

"Sometimes, but not all the time. I'm sure they'll wear their swimsuits if it makes you uncomfortable, though. We have to do that when we have visitors and when we go to the Boys & Girls Club to swim."

"So it's pretty cool here?"

"Yeah, it is. Our dads are all great, and so are Grandpa Josh and Grandpa Jake too."

"Who are they?"

"Grandpa Josh is our dad's dad and Joshie is named after him. Grandpa Jake is Grandpa Josh's partner."

"Oh, that's right. They're gay too, but I'm not sure if I'll get used to guys doing stuff with each other. I hope they don't do that in front of us. They don't, do they?"

"They might kiss or hold hands, but that's about it."

"It sounds gross and I don't want to see that stuff, but I guess I can just turn away or close my eyes."

"You'll get used to it and it's not a big deal or that bad. I thought the same thing when I first got here, but now I hardly notice when they do it any more."

"I don't know if I'll ever get like that. It just seems so, ummm, icky."

"It isn't, but other than that this is a really great place to live. We do all kinds of stuff together, like swimming, playing miniature golf, going to the movies, and other things. Most of the time we all do that stuff together too."

"I guess it sounds pretty good, so maybe I'll give it a try. I'm just warning you that I'll be out of here in a flash if they try anything."

"Don't worry, that will never happen."

After Noah filled us in, we now had a better idea about what we were up against. It was obvious that Ryan was leery about what might happen and had made it clear that he wasn't interested in male to male contact. At least he wasn't spewing homophobic slurs or running out of the house to get away from us, so that was a good sign. I was just concerned about how he might react if he misunderstood something we did or misread our intentions about something we said. I just hoped that if anything like that happened it wouldn't turn into a major problem.

Once we finished chatting with Noah, Brandon and I went up to see how Ryan was making out. His bedroom door was open and he was merely clad in a pair of briefs when we arrived, but when I knocked on the door he screamed back.

"Don't come in yet. Just a second!" he told us as he quickly grabbed the towel he'd just used to dry himself and wrapped it around his waist. That was a little disheartening, since he wasn't totally naked and still felt the need to cover up. "Ok, you can come in now."

"We didn't mean to make you nervous, but we told you earlier that we'd be back to see if you needed anything."

"Nah, I'm fine. The shower felt good and I'm ready to go to sleep now. The bed seems fairly comfortable, because I laid on it for a couple of minutes before I showered."

"We're glad you approve, so we'll let you go to sleep now. I suppose you're too old for us to tuck you in."

"Yeah, I don't need that and thanks for not just doing it."

"Ok, and you're welcome. Sweet dreams and you know where our room is if you need anything. Either that, or you can ask Noah to help you instead, or ask him to get us for you."

"Yeah, I won't come to your room because you guys probably sleep naked and I don't want to see that."

"Just so you know, we usually wear our underwear to bed, but you can do whatever you're comfortable with."

"K. Thanks."

"Goodnight and we'll see you tomorrow afternoon, since we'll be working in the morning."

"K. Goodnight."

I pulled the door shut as we were leaving so he wouldn't freak out if Noah or anyone else wandered past his open door.

Chapter 19
Ryan

The next morning, Ryan wasn't up when we were ready to sit down to eat with everyone else. I wasn't sure if he had trouble getting to sleep or if he was just enjoying a little extra shuteye, but I didn't want him to miss out on the special breakfast Trey and Brandon had prepared. Therefore, I asked Benny to go wake him up. Of course his shadow, Joshie, followed him upstairs when he went to do it.

A couple of minutes later they returned, but Ryan wasn't with them. "What's up? Where's Ryan?"

"He got mad when we walked into his room to wake him up. He was already awake, but was upset that we just walked in to get him. He told us to leave and knock next time, and then he said he'd come down after he got dressed."

"Yes, you probably should have knocked first and not just barged into his room," I confirmed.

"Why? I don't do that with nobody else," Benny confessed.

"I know, but we're more open and have seen each other naked before," I explained. "He's still a little shy and isn't ready for that to happen, so I think he was just concerned you might walk in when he didn't have anything on."

"What's the big deal?" Joshie followed. "He's a boy and ain't got nothin' we ain't got."

"That's true, but he's just not ready for everyone else to see it yet. Just give him some time and things might change."

"K, but I hope he stops being like that, cuz I want to swim with nuttin on when it gets warmer," Benny said before letting the subject drop.

When Ryan came downstairs a few minutes later, we had one more introduction to make before we ate. "Ryan, this is Grandpa Jake. You'll see a lot of him while you're here."

"Ummm, I hope you mean I'll just see him around the house and not that I'll see a lot of him because he's naked."

I think we were all stunned by his remark, but no one said anything in response. Instead, we told him what we were having for breakfast and asked if it was ok with him.

"Yeah, that sounds good. It's better than the crap they fed us at the detention center."

I think we were all walking on eggshells for the rest of the morning, since we were afraid of how Ryan might react to what was said or what we did. I think we were all wondering how much longer this would go on and if we could live like this for any length of time.

After his little outburst, we finished eating and I was glad to see that he seemed to be enjoying his meal. When we finished, the boys invited him to play video games in the family room.

"Ok, but I'm not very good at it," he confessed. "There was never one of those things where I lived, so I only got to play a little when I spent time at a friend's house."

"That's ok," Benny replied. "I think you'll like the games me and Joshie play, cuz they're easier."

"I'll give it a try, but don't get mad if I don't do very well." At least he was willing to do this with the boys, even if he didn't seem to be totally into it.

The boys were heading to the family room as Brandon and I took off for work. We talked about what had happened as I drove and agreed that this probably wasn't going to be an easy transition.

When we got home later, we took a minute to discuss what had happened at breakfast with Dion and Trey, to get their input and observations. Then we talked with Jake so we could fill him in about Ryan's background. He hadn't been at the house when Ryan first arrived because he was out with some of his co-workers celebrating one of their birthdays, and Dion and Trey hadn't explained it to him either. They were too busy keeping an eye on the boys and didn't want to be distracted by having the conversation until they saw how the boys were getting along.

Jake admitted that he'd been slightly hurt by Ryan's comment earlier, but now understood why Ryan had said those things and wouldn't hold it against him. We thanked him for his understanding and then went to change.

I checked in on the boys a couple of times to see how they were getting along and they seemed to be having fun. The other three were giving Ryan pointers about how to improve on the video games and he appeared to be listening and trying to do what they were telling him. After his earlier outburst, this was an encouraging sign.

We all got together again a short time later for lunch, but this meal wasn't nearly as fancy as breakfast. However, the boys all seemed to enjoy it.

"Ryan, how did you like playing the video games?" I asked as we were eating.

"They're fun and I think I'm getting better."

"Yeah, he is!" Benny confirmed. "He's doin' much better than when he started."

"So what are you boys going to do next?"

"Ummm, they let me play most of the time so I could learn what to do, so they didn't get to play much," Ryan offered. "When we go back we're gonna start playing against each other, so they get to play too."

"That sounds like fun and I'm glad you're having a good time."

"I am. I didn't think I was gonna like this place, but it's kinda neat and you guys eat really good too."

"You can thank Brandon and Trey for that, but Grandpa Josh will probably be doing most of the cooking when he gets back."

"He won't be doing all of the cooking, though, because we're planning on helping him more than before," Trey interjected.

"I think we all are," Dion agreed. "Since he's been gone we've come to realize just how much he does around here, so I think we should all pitch in and do more to help out."

"Yes, he works hard," Jake concurred, "but he loves that he can still help out and he's pleased that you boys are all doing so well."

"And we owe nearly all of our success to him," I added. "Most of us came here after some pretty bad experiences, but then he took us in and showed us how we could grow and blossom under his guidance."

I noticed that Ryan was taking in every word of what was being said and appeared to be thinking about it. I was hoping he might feel that we could do the same thing for him.

Little Ricky showed up around 2:00 with Ryan's possessions, after making the trip to the juvenile detention center to pick them up. A few of us went outside to help him, after we noticed he was taking several bags out of his car. We thanked him for doing this, and then asked if he would stay and visit for awhile. When he agreed, we headed to the dining room as the boys went back to finish playing their games.

Once we all had a cup of coffee, Little Ricky began asking questions. "So how are things going with Ryan?"

"It's hard to say," I confessed. "He apparently isn't comfortable being here, although he hasn't freaked out or anything like that. He's made some comments that have let us know his limits and others that have caused us to cringe. He's also done a few things that have let us know he's still leery about what we might do." I then explained what I meant by this statement.

"I was encouraged that he didn't immediately run outside and ask me to take him out of here, so it can't be too bad," Little Ricky followed. "Prior to this, every time I visited him at the detention center, his first question would be when I was going to find him someplace else to stay. Since he didn't do that this time, I'm cautiously optimistic."

"I'm glad you feel that way, and we'll do everything we can to help Ryan fit in, but I think it would be best to take a 'wait and see' approach," Jake suggested.

"Little Ricky, you can't imagine how generous Pop's comment is," Dion offered in explanation. "Pop didn't form a favorable first impression of Ryan when he met him at breakfast this morning, because Ryan made an offensive remark concerning him."

"It's alright, though, because now I understand what prompted him to say it," Jake countered.

We talked about this some more before Little Ricky apologized and said he had to leave. We thanked him again for his help and walked him out to his car. After he left, Brandon and I went to get Ryan so we could help him take his belongings up to his room and put them away. We also planned to mentally inventory what he had and inspect each item thoroughly before either placing it in the dresser or hanging it in the closet.

Ryan didn't have a problem with doing this and even seemed pleased to be unpacking his belongings. Once that was done, we filled him in about something else.

"Ryan, we're going to take you shopping tomorrow to pick up some other items that you'll need," I informed him. "We'll get you a few more clothes for school, but we'll also get you a swimsuit, since we go swimming with the boys on occasion. Can you swim?"

"Yeah, I can!"

"That's good, because we have our own pool."

"I know. Noah told me about it. He said you guys swim naked sometimes, but I don't want to do that."

"That's ok and we'll just have everyone wear their swimsuits from now on. I don't think anyone will mind, except for maybe Benny. He really likes going skinny dipping."

"Really?" Ryan stated, looking shocked.

"Yes, he does. He seems to enjoy the freedom of swimming naked, and like most kids he also enjoys being able to check everyone else out to make sure he's developing properly."

"Oh."

"Brandon and I will make a list of the things we think you'll need, and then we'll pick them up after lunch tomorrow."

"Do you pick the stuff out or can I tell you what I want?"

"We'll decide what things you'll need, such as x number of pants and shirts, possibly a pair of shoes, a swimsuit, or whatever else we feel might be appropriate. Then, we'll let you pick out the particular items we buy and most times we'll go along with whatever you choose. We'll let you select what you like, as long as there is nothing about it that we don't approve of."

"Like what?"

"Well, some t-shirts have designs or slogans on them, so if we think they're offensive, derogatory, or vulgar then we won't let you get that particular item. There might also be a few things we feel are inappropriate, such as clothing that's designed for much older boys, but other than that we'll usually go with what you want."

"K. That's cool. I didn't think you'd get me anything at all."

"If it's something you need, then we'll get it for you."

"That's neat."

"Before we do, though, are you ready for your physical? I brought the things I'll need home with me earlier and would like to do this before I return to work on Monday."

"Yeah, ok. Are we going to do it here?"

"Yes, we can do it in your room, but I'll just need to get the things I brought home first. While I'm gone I want you to strip down to your underwear." He seemed to blanch when I said that. "Do you have a problem with doing it?"

"Nah, I guess I knew it was going to happen, but I just don't like people seeing me without anything on."

"I can understand that, but this is purely for professional reasons. I want to make sure you're healthy and have no medical problems."

"I know."

I then went to my bedroom and grabbed the bag with the things I'd brought home with me earlier. I carried it to his room and knocked on the door. "Come in."

When I walked in he was standing in just his briefs and I got to inspect him visually. He was quite slender, as I'd suspected, but I wondered if this was natural for him because he had a high metabolism or if he'd been malnourished. I wasn't sure because he'd eaten quite a bit at breakfast and then again at lunch, so I figured his physique must be due to one or the other. As I studied him, I noticed he was using his hands to cover the bulge in his briefs. This worried me slightly and I wondered how he was going to react when I told him he had to lower them.

After I finished listening to his heart and lungs, I inspected his ears, nose, and eyes next, before I checked his reflexes. I then sent him over to pee in the small jar I'd brought home, and when he returned I drew two vials of blood from his arm. I would use one of the vials to run HIV and STD tests, because there was no way of knowing if the trucker had any diseases and I doubted he'd used protection. I would place the jar with the urine and the vials of blood in a small bag before storing them in the fridge in the rec room until I returned to work. Now, it was the moment I had been worried about.

"Ryan, I'm going need you to pull your underwear down so I can check out that area as well. I'm sure you must have done this before when you had a physical and the doctor asked you to turn your head and cough."

"Yeah, I have, but is it necessary?"

"Yes, it is, or I wouldn't ask you to do it."

Although Ryan didn't look convinced, he slowly lowered his briefs and exposed his three inch [7 cm] flaccid, circumcised penis. There was a dusting of pubic hairs above it, indicating that he'd begun his trek through puberty, but now it was time to check his testicles.

"Why are you doing that?" he wanted to know.

"I'm just making sure they've both descended to their proper place in your scrotum. It could lead to other complications if they haven't, but you're fine."

After I'd said this, I asked him to turn his head and cough. When I finished examining that area, I had one more thing I needed to do.

"Ryan, when the guy beat you up, did he also penetrate you?"

Ryan immediately looked up at me with his mouth hanging open and tears forming in the corner of his big, brown eyes. His lower lip and jaw was quivering, so I waited for him to calm down a bit before I pushed for an answer. After a few moments, though, he regained his composure and spoke. "Yeah, he stuck his dick in my butt and it hurt like hell."

"Did you mention this to the doctor when they took you to the hospital?"

"Nah, and I wouldn't put on one of those stupid gowns either. I only let them check me out from the waist up, cuz that's where I got beaten."

"So he didn't know what else the trucker did to you and he didn't check to see if the trucker had injured you there as well?"

"Nope."

"Then I'll need to check that area now. I know you aren't going to be happy about this, but I'll need you to turn around and bend over the mattress?"

"Can't we just skip this?"

"No, I want to make sure the trucker didn't do serious damage to you back there, since you said it hurt like hell. In order to do this, I'm going to put on a disposable glove and add a little lubricant to it so I can examine your rectum. I promise I won't hurt you, but I need to be certain there's no external or internal damage."

Although he looked mortified, he didn't say another word and merely did as I'd asked. I carefully inspected and examined the area, both visually and digitally, but other than some puffiness, bruising, and slight tearing, there didn't appear to be any other significant damage. Once I finished, I decided to explain the situation to him, but I was very careful to word what I said in a way that wouldn't worry or scare him.

"Ok, you're fine and you can get dressed again because we're all done." Ryan yanked up his underwear while I continued. "I want you to know that you have a minor fissure on your anus, which is a small tear where he forced his penis into your rectum. It should heal without any problems, but it may itch slightly as it heals. You'll also need to keep that area really clean after you go to the bathroom to help the healing process. After you wipe with toilet paper, wet a washcloth and run it over the area again, to help ensure it's clean.

"I'll also give you some antibacterial cream to apply there as well, to limit the potential of infection, but it will also help to reduce the itching. You'll need to apply this each time after you use the toilet, and again after you shower. I will need to examine the area again later to make sure you are healing properly. Are you ok with this?"

I could tell he was in deep thought and I hoped I hadn't just upset him, seeing he'd been so cooperative, but I wanted to make certain he understood what had happened to his anus. I just wanted him to be ok, and was relieved when he finally responded.

"Yeah, what you just did wasn't that bad, so I guess I can do it again, but only if you think it's really necessary."

"I do."

"K, and thanks for being so gentle and not trying any funny stuff. You made it so I didn't mind you doing it at all."

He studied everything I was doing as I packed up my gear. I'm not sure what he was thinking at the time, but I knew I was going to be a nervous wreck until his test results came back and I was sure he hadn't picked up anything. Once I finished and was getting ready to leave, I spoke to him again.

"I'm glad you let me check you over and I appreciate how cooperative you were. I think we'll be able to get along just fine, as long as you continue being so cooperative."

"Yeah, I guess I can do that. You've all been really nice so far, so I'm not as worried as I was when I first got here. I like Noah, Benny, and Joshie too and they've all been great to me."

"I'm glad this is working out, because I'll be honest with you and admit that I've been a little worried at times. I'm glad to see that you're relaxing a bit and aren't acting quite as nervous now. I hope things continue to improve from here on out."

"Yeah, I'm still kinda worried, but not like I was at first. You've all been super so far and I'm beginning to feel better about being here."

"Good, and like I said, we'll be taking you shopping tomorrow."

"Yeah, I can't wait."

The rest of the day went well too, and the boys spent most of it together. Some of the time they played video games, but I also saw them outside having a snowball fight. It was nice to see them interacting in such a normal fashion, laughing, and having a good time.

At dinner, Ryan did something else that surprised us. "Grandpa Jake, I'm sorry about what I said earlier. Noah told me that I'd hurt your feelings and it made me feel bad. I wasn't saying that about you, but I had a bad experience before I came here and I guess it made me kinda sensitive about certain things. I'm really sorry and I hope you're not mad at me."

Jake grinned. "All is forgiven and forgotten. I hope you like living with us and I look forward to doing whatever I can to help."

After hearing this exchange, I think we were all becoming a little less concerned about Ryan being here, although it didn't mean we were out of the woods just yet or that everything was perfect. I was still expecting some rough times ahead, but nothing like I first feared. I remained slightly apprehensive, but I was starting to believe this might work out after all.

Later, when it was time for the boys to get ready for bed, I took Benny and Joshie up for their shower. After advising them that they wouldn't be able to shower with Noah for the time being, I explained it was to avoid a negative reaction from Ryan. I felt that he might get the wrong impression about what they were doing, seeing Noah was so much older than they were, and felt it prudent to avoid any misunderstandings for now.

I'd talked it over with Brandon, Dion, and Trey earlier and we all agreed this would be best. We didn't think there'd be a problem with the two of them still showering together, since they were nearly the same age and one of us would be in with them. I was pleased when Benny and Joshie didn't get upset about this and said it was ok as long as they could still shower with each other.

After they finished up, Joshie and Benny left the bathroom and headed to their bedrooms to put on clean underwear. We didn't realize that Ryan was coming up the stairs at the time, although that fact soon became apparent.

"Hey, put some clothes on or wrap towels around your body!" he screamed at the two naked boys. "I don't want to see you like that!"

"Why not? We're all boys?" Benny shot back as he turned toward Ryan.

"Yeah, there's nothin' wrong with us doing this," Joshie added as he turned to face Ryan too.

"But it doesn't mean I want to see your junk," Ryan replied. He must have looked down, though, because it soon became obvious that he'd noticed Benny's penis. "Whoa, what's wrong with your dick?"

"Nuttin. It's just that I'm uncircumscribed," Benny replied.

"What he means is he's uncircumcised," I corrected.

"And so is Uncle Trey and some of our other uncles. I know cuz I seed them."

Ryan appeared shocked by Benny's revelation, but it didn't stop him from replying. "But it looks more like an elephant's trunk than a dick!"

I took over at this point and explained the differences. Not only did I tell him how circumcisions were performed, but I also went into detail about the reasons some parents had it done to their sons. When I finished, Ryan made another comment.

"Ok, but I like how my dick looks better."

"That's because it's what you grew up with and all you've ever seen," I offered. "If you'd been uncircumcised, you probably would have liked that better."

"I don't think so," he spat back defiantly.

I then sent Joshie and Benny to their rooms and planned on asking them to be a little more modest in the future, at least until Ryan was feeling more comfortable being here.

"You mean we won't be able to swim naked either?" Benny wondered.

"Summer is a long way off yet, so things may change by then. Just don't make a big deal about this and we'll wait and see how things go." It didn't appear that Benny was happy with my answer, because he slunk away looking totally miserable.

After Ryan went to shower and get ready for bed, I tried to explain to Benny and Joshie about why Ryan might be acting the way he was. Although they didn't totally understand, they agreed to do as I asked and not run around without anything on for the time being.

"I hope he changes soon, cuz this is gonna be a pain," Benny offered as a parting shot.

I then let the others know we were ready for them to come up to tuck the boys in. When we went downstairs afterward, I filled Brandon, Dion, and Trey in about what had happened.

"Hopefully he'll get over it and this will turn out to be only a minor setback," Brandon offered.

"Yes, he's still new and I think he'll adjust in time," Dion added.

"This may just be the lingering result of what happened to him before he came to live with us, so maybe he'll relax concerning this later," Trey chimed in. "I think all boys get curious and try to check out other boys eventually, so I'm sure he will too."

"I know Benny certainly hopes so," I replied, which caused the others to smile.

When we woke up the following morning, we were surprised when Ryan came downstairs a few minutes after we did, which was well ahead of the other boys. "It must be you're really hungry this morning, since you came downstairs so early."

"Yeah, maybe a little, but I just wanted to be with you guys. I like it that you all talk to me like a grown-up and don't treat me like I'm a little kid. I'm kinda excited about going shopping too. Before this, my mom or the people I lived with would just buy my clothes and give them to me. They never let me go with them to pick out what I wanted."

"You'll discover that we allow the boys to make many of their own choices, although sometimes we have to overrule their decisions. However, as long as they're reasonable we allow the boys to get what they want or decide what they want to do."

"That's great and I'm glad you do that."

When Brandon and I were getting ready to take Ryan shopping after lunch, the other boys announced that they wanted to go with us. Since we weren't sure how Ryan would feel about this, we asked him if he'd mind.

"Nah, they can help me pick out some stuff too, especially Noah. I like the things I've seen him wearing and hope he'll help me pick out neat stuff like that." This boy was truly full of surprises.

We drove to the mall to pick up the things we felt he would need for now. We had him try everything on in the dressing rooms first and then he'd come out so we could make sure they fit properly. We also offered our opinions about how they looked on him, especially the boys, and even though I'd been slightly worried about doing it, he took our comments well. The process seemed to go fairly smoothly and he appeared to be more comfortable being around us.

When we returned home, Brandon went up to Ryan's room with him and helped to put things away. When they finished, they came downstairs and joined us again. "Thanks for buying all those things for me and for letting me pick out most of it. That was neat."

"I'm glad you approve and like the things you got."

"Yeah, I like all of them a lot."

"Now you just have to select what you want to wear for your first day at school, and then I'll drive you there in the morning to be enrolled. What grade were you in at your old school?"

He hesitated for a second and looked at me oddly before he replied. "I'm sposed to be in eighth grade, but I got held back a year for missin' so much school."

"That's not a problem and it's actually better to be one of the older kids in your grade." He grinned when I said that. "I've told my staff that I'd be a little late getting in to work tomorrow so I can get you enrolled. Seventh grade it is then, and just so I don't look stupid while we're doing this, what's your full name and when is your birthday?"

"Oh, yeah. I guess I forgot to tell you that stuff. My name is Ryan Edward Hayes and my birthday is October 13th."

"Thank you, because I know they'll ask for that information. You see, this isn't the first time I've had to do this, so I know what to expect."

After dinner we all went to the family room together to watch TV before going to bed. Everyone had school or work the following day, so the boys were turning in early to make sure they got enough rest.

When the program ended, Brandon told Joshie and Benny he'd take them upstairs for their shower. Before they left, however, I pulled those two boys aside and offered a suggestion.

"Do me a favor and wear your underwear to the bathroom after you get undressed, and then wrap your towel around your waist when you go back to put on a clean pair. That should be enough to avoid any problems." They both nodded that they understood and I sent them off with Brandon.

A short time later, Noah and Ryan went up to get ready for bed too. They used a different bathroom than the younger pair and Noah liked to shower in the morning, rather than at night, so I didn't anticipate any problems.

When I went upstairs to help tuck the younger boys in bed, Benny had something to tell me. "We did like you said, but we didn't see Ryan nowhere."

"That may be, but I think it's better if you get in the habit of doing it this way, at least for now."

"K, but I hope we don't have to do it for very long, cuz it's a pain in the butt."

"I'm pretty sure this is only temporary," I replied, earning me a grin.

After I left them, I went up to say goodnight to Noah and Ryan. I stopped in Noah's room first, so I wouldn't make him stay up if Ryan had any questions or wanted to talk. Then I went over and knocked on Ryan's door.

"Come in." I opened the door and peeked inside. Ryan was already in bed.

"I just came by to say goodnight and see how you were doing?"

"I'm ok and was just thinking about tomorrow."

"Nervous about starting a new school?"

"Yeah, kinda. I won't know anyone there, because Noah, Benny, and Joshie all go to different schools."

"Yes, that is a problem, but it's only for half a year. I'm sure you'll make friends, and then Joshie and Benny will be going to the Middle School with you next year."

"But that's a long time from now."

"It is, but this is a nice community and people are pretty friendly, so you might make out better than you think."

"I hope so."

"Just give it a try and don't make up your mind too soon. Give everyone a chance and they might surprise you."

"K."

I then wished him sweet dreams and left, hoping that his first day at school would go well.

Chapter 20
Bumps in the Road

After I woke up the next morning, I went to make sure Ryan was awake and getting ready to go with me. He was half dressed when I got to his room, so I told him I'd see him at the breakfast table.

While we were eating, the other boys went out of their way to tell Ryan that he'd like his new school and that everybody there was really great. Noah also told him that most of the teachers were nice too, and Dion reminded Ryan that he'd be there part of the time, if he ever needed anything. I figured that before we came downstairs Brandon must have said something to the others concerning what I'd told him before we went to sleep the night before.

"Yeah, I forgot about that, Uncle Dion. So I'll know at least one person there." I was surprised and impressed that he'd called him 'Uncle Dion'.

"Yes, you will, and I'll help out with whatever you need. Just remember that while we're at school you'll have to call me Mr. Currie." Ryan nodded to show he understood.

After we finished eating, I drove Ryan to the Middle School and led him inside. We went directly to the main office and I told the secretary I was there to enroll him. She quickly retrieved the paperwork I'd need to fill out and handed it to me, so Ryan and I sat down to do it together. Once we'd finished and handed it back to her, she sent us to the guidance office to pick up his schedule.

After he had that too, the guidance counselor paged a boy with an identical schedule to come to the guidance office. He then introduced him to Ryan and told the boy to show Ryan around and help him find his classes. I thanked the counselor for doing this, handed him my business card, and told him to call me if there were any problems. I also wished Ryan a good day, and then I left to go to work.

I thought of Ryan off and on throughout the day, and during lunch I said something to Brandon about how things had gone. "I hope Ryan doesn't have any problems this week. He certainly doesn't need anything like that to happen right now and I hope he gets off to a good start."

"I agree, but I'm sure he'll be fine," Brandon replied.

I didn't receive a phone call about him, so I felt things must have gone well. I was anxious to see what he'd have to say about it when I arrived home later and found him in the family room with the other boys.

"So how was your first day?" I asked directly.

"It was good. Owen stayed with me all day long and showed me around."

"I take it Owen was the boy the guidance counselor called down while we were there?"

"Yeah. Me and Owen got the same schedule, so he had me follow him to our first class and then we stayed together for the rest of the day."

"So you've already met someone and made a friend?"

"Maybe. He is kinda nice and I hope he'll be my friend."

"I'm glad to hear that." I then let the boys go back to what they were doing, as I went out to say 'hi' to Dion and Trey. I also wanted to ask Dion what he knew about a boy named Owen.

"If it's the boy I'm thinking of, he's a good kid. He and Ryan should get along well."

Later, while Brandon was in with Benny and Joshie as they took their shower and Trey was bathing Wyatt, I pulled Dion aside to chat about something else.

"Dion, Valentine's Day is on a Saturday this year and I know Trey's birthday is the following Monday, so would you like to plan on going away with him for a romantic weekend? If you do, then Brandon and I would watch the boys for you."

"Really? That would be great, but won't it mess things up for you? How will you be able to do anything special with Brandon if you guys are babysitting for us?" "I think Pop will be willing to help out on Valentine's Day, seeing Dad's still in Georgia and he won't be going anywhere. I also feel Noah is old enough to watch the boys and handle most situations if Brandon and I go out for dinner. I just want to ask Pop to be there too, just in case any problems arise."

"That would be great and thanks for offering. Just let me know if Pop agrees. If he does, then I'll start planning something special, since Trey did that for my birthday."

After I checked with Pop, he said he wouldn't mind helping out, since he'd only be able to Skype with Dad and could do that while listening for any problems. I thanked him and said I was going to ask Noah to do most of the babysitting and only wanted to make sure he was around if there was an issue Noah couldn't handle. Pop said he understood and it would leave him even more time to chat with Dad. Now, I just had to make plans for Brandon and me.

The rest of the week went quite smoothly and the boys were all in a good mood when we got home Friday night, but a mild disagreement arose during dinner.

"Joshie wants to watch a high school basketball game on TV later, and the teams aren't even from around here," Noah complained.

"So why is that a problem?"

"Because there's a movie on that I want to see."

"How do you two feel about this?" I asked Benny and Ryan.

"I wanna watch basketball with Joshie," Benny stated.

"I'd rather see the movie," Ryan answered. Damn, that meant there were two that wanted to do each thing.

Believe it or not, we only had one television in the house now. That's because when the other one died we didn't bother to replace it, since we usually watched TV together. Now, I realized that decision had been a mistake.

"So they're both on at the same time?" Dion asked, since his son was involved too.

"Yep," Noah replied.

"When do they start?"

"At 8:00."

"Well, that gives us over an hour to figure this out and come up with a solution."

They were all apprehensive about what we might decide, but they agreed to give us time to discuss this without them. Over the next several minutes the rest of us tossed around a few ideas before we agreed on one. Dion and I then took off in different directions to get the items we needed, while Brandon and Trey rearranged a few things. Before 8:00, everything was set.

Since the cable was still connected in the living room, Dion had gone to get another box from the cable company, since they were open late. He'd called to make sure before heading out, though, while I went to purchase another television. We all agreed to chip in to buy a replacement for the one that used to be in the living room and thus solve the problem. While Dion and I were doing that, Trey retrieved the TV stand from storage and dusted it off, and Brandon rearranged the furniture to make room for it.

The boys saw me returning with a large box and came rushing out to see what I had. "Did you just buy a new TV?" Ryan asked, looking amazed.

"Yes, we used to have two, but when the other one stopped working, we never replaced it. Since our families are growing now, we felt this situation might happen again and decided it was time to get another one. Dion went our to pick up a new cable box while I was getting the TV, so now we just have to set it up."

"So who gets to watch the new TV?" Joshie followed, which let me know we'd just created another problem instead.

"We'll flip a coin and I'll let you call it, since you mentioned it first. Whoever wins the coin toss will get to choose which TV he wants to watch."

The boys seemed fine with that idea and Joshie happened to win the coin toss too, so he and Benny watched the basketball game on the new television. Even though they'd lost the coin flip, the other pair was still happy because they got to watch the movie.

When we hooked up the new box, I was glad to see that Dion had made sure to get the type with a built in DVR. That would allow us to record up to three different channels at once, or to watch one channel while recording two others at the same time. Having it should eliminate any future problems of this nature, and I was glad the current situation had been resolved so easily.

Later, after their shows finished, we sent the boys upstairs to get ready for bed. We gave them a few minutes to prepare first, since they didn't have to take showers tonight, and then the four of us went up to tuck Joshie and Benny in bed. After we finished with them, Brandon and I went to say goodnight to Noah and Ryan.

"Thank you for making it so I could watch the movie earlier," Noah said when we were in his room.

"You're welcome, but we did that for everyone, not just for you."

"I know, but I still appreciate what you did."

When we went over to say goodnight to Ryan, he had his own comment about what had happened earlier.

"You guys sure spend a lot of money. I didn't expect you'd go out and buy a new TV just so we could all watch what we wanted."

"That's not normally the way we handle things, but we'd talked about buying a new television before this happened. Since the four of us have jobs, we merely agreed to all chip in to buy it. Just don't get used to that happening when other problems arise."

"I know, but it was still kind of neat. I've never lived anywhere that they could do stuff like that. My parents didn't have much money, and neither did the other people I lived with, and I think that's why they let the trucker do that to me. He told me he'd already given them the money so he was going to get what he'd paid for."

"I'm sorry that happened to you, but you don't have to worry about anything like that happening while you're here," Brandon replied.

"I hope not, and I'm starting to believe you guys aren't going to do anything like that."

"We're glad you're beginning to realize that fact, because none of us will ever do anything to hurt you," I added before Brandon and I said goodnight, wished him sweet dreams, and shut the door behind us.

On Saturday, after we got home from work, we had lunch with the family. After we finished eating, we decided to do something special for the boys, as sort of a reward for being good most of the time. Brandon and I also hoped that Ryan would see it as a reward for softening his attitude toward us, so I mentioned my idea to all of them.

"Is anyone interested in going to see a movie?"

I heard a chorus of 'yes', before one particular voice spoke up. "What are we going to see?" Noah wanted to know.

"I thought we'd let Ryan choose this time, since this will be his first trip to the cinema complex with us. What do you think about that, Ryan?"

"You mean you're gonna let me pick the movie we're gonna see!" he gasped.

"Don't you want to do that?"

"Yeah, sure. It's just that I never got to do it before. This is so cool."

The boys then followed me when I went to get my laptop and logged on to Moviefone to see what was playing. After perusing his choices, Ryan spoke up.

"Ummm, how about 'The Boy Next Door'?"

I looked at the blurb about the movie quickly, since I didn't know anything about it. "I'm afraid not. It's rated 'R' and sounds a bit too mature for this group."

Ryan looked disappointed, but then he turned his attention back to the screen. Before long another voice spoke up. "How about Paddington?" Benny wondered.

"Nah, I don't want to see that," Ryan replied.

"Remember, I said this is Ryan's choice, so let him make up his mind," I added.

A minute later Ryan came up with another suggestion. "How about 'Strange Magic'? It looks interesting and it's rated 'PG'."

"That sounds fine and we all like fantasy, so I think it's an excellent choice," I concurred. "Just let me go talk to Dion, Trey, and Grandpa Jake to see if they want to go with us."

"Yeah, that sounds good," Trey agreed. "I've seen the trailer on TV and it's a George Lucas film, so it should be good."

"And it's animated, so we can take Wyatt too," Dion agreed.

Unfortunately, Pop wasn't as excited about seeing it with us and decided to stay home, so the rest of us got ready to leave. The boys had to shower first, since they hadn't done it the previous night, and then they got dressed. Once again, Joshie wanted to ride with us, so Dion, Trey, and Wyatt loaded into their car and met us there.

After we purchased our tickets, we bought popcorn and drinks before going inside. Once we were settled in, I heard Ryan make another comment. "This is so cool. Not only do we get to see the movie, but we get popcorn and soda too. I hardly ever got to go to a movie at a theater before, but I never got popcorn or soda while I was there."

He obviously saw this as a very special treat, so I hoped he would subconsciously tie it to his improving attitude and how he was trying to fit in. The other boys were excited about this too, but not nearly as much as Ryan, since the others had done this with us before. Now, we settled in to watch the flick.

The movie had goblins, elves, fairies, and imps that were involved in a battle over a powerful potion. Even though the younger boys seemed to enjoy it, I think Noah and the rest of us were slightly disappointed and didn't feel the movie had lived up to the hype. I was mainly concerned with what Ryan thought, though, since we'd done this primarily for his benefit.

"So what did you think of the movie?" I asked when it ended.

"It was cool and doing this was a lot of fun. Thanks for bringing us to see it."

"You're welcome," I responded, as we herded everyone out to the two vehicles.

When we got home, I heard Dion telling Pop that he'd made a smart move by not going. Pop merely chuckled in response.

Brandon and I began doing our chores while the boys went off to entertain themselves. Other than checking on them a couple of times, to make sure they weren't getting into trouble, we didn't see much of them until dinner, and then not for very long. As soon as they'd gobbled down their meal, they hurried off to watch TV. I guess they'd seen a commercial for something and had agreed they wanted to see it.

Since the boys were doing their own thing, the rest of us chose to do something different this evening and reverted to an activity we hadn't taken part of in a long time. We decided to play Canasta. This was something we did in the glow of lanterns or flashlights to pass the time at night on camping trips or when the power went out at home. Pop happened to mention it and we all agreed it sounded like a good idea.

We did that until it was time for the boys to get ready for bed. We agreed they didn't have to shower tonight and could just brush their teeth before hopping in bed. After the younger three headed upstairs, Noah pulled me aside to talk something over.

"Are we going to do anything special tomorrow?"

"We haven't decided yet. The rest of us still have things we need to do around the house, so you boys may be on your own tomorrow. Was there a reason you wanted to know?"

"I was thinking that I'd call my friend, Adam, and see if I could spend some time with him if we weren't doing anything. I haven't done much with him in awhile and he said something about it at school the other day."

"Yes, I suppose that will be alright, but I'll let you know for sure in the morning."

"K, and thanks."

Once he headed upstairs, Dion, Trey, Brandon, and I went up to tuck Joshie and Benny in bed. As we were doing that, I heard a commotion coming from the third floor, so I left quickly to see what was going on.

"What the heck is all the shouting about?" I asked when I ran into Noah in the hallway.

"Ryan didn't lock the bathroom door and I accidentally walked in on him while he was taking a dump. He started screaming at me and telling me to get out, so I told him next time to lock the door first so I'd know he wanted his privacy."

"I'll wait here so I can talk to him about it when he's done, but I'll let you know the bathroom is free before I do that."

"Thanks." He then went to his room while I waited for Ryan.

When he came out of the bathroom, I told him I'd say goodnight in a few minutes, and then I went over to let Noah know the bathroom was free.

"Ryan's in his room now, so you can go use the bathroom."

"K, but I hope he didn't stink it up." I merely smiled and then walked over to Ryan's room.

I knocked before entering and heard him say, "Come in." Once I was standing beside the bed, since he was already under the covers, I asked a question.

"What was all the screaming about a little while ago?"

"Noah came into the bathroom while I was using it, so I told him to get out."

"Didn't you lock the door?"

"No, I forgot."

"Then you can't get mad if someone walks in on you, because they wouldn't know what you were doing. He probably thought you were just brushing your teeth."

"Maybe, but he could have knocked, since the door was closed."

"And you could have locked it."

"Ok, so maybe it was my fault too."

"Maybe you could tell Noah that tomorrow and offer an apology, so there are no hard feelings."

"Yeah, alright. It's just that I was taking a poop."

"That's fine, but now maybe you won't forget to lock the door next time." Ryan scowled after hearing what I'd said. "And as long as you just did that, it would be a good time for me to check the area again, to make sure it looks as if it's healing properly. Would you mind doing that now?"

He hesitated momentarily before he replied. "K, if you think you need to do that."

"I do."

I did a quick visual inspection of the area and everything looked fine, so I said goodnight and wished him sweet dreams as I prepared to leave. Brandon arrived just as I was getting ready to go, so he told Ryan goodnight too. Then, I explained everything to Brandon once we were downstairs.

"He's got to expect things like that, especially if he forgets to lock the door behind him."

"That's what I told him, but I think he sees that now. I don't think Noah was upset, but I suggested to Ryan that he should apologize too, since Noah didn't realize he was walking in on him."

"I just hope he gets over being so modest, or at least stops blowing up when something like that happens."

"Yeah, me too."

We went to bed about an hour later, still wondering if there was something we could do to speed up the process without upsetting Ryan. We certainly didn't want to experience any more of these types of confrontations, even though they had only been minor problems.

After we finished breakfast on Sunday, the younger boys went off to watch TV or play video games while Noah called his friend to see if he could visit now. Brandon and I got busy taking care of some other matters, such as paying bills and balancing the books from work, but I went in to check the boys a few times. They seemed to be doing fine and appeared to be getting along well, so I left them alone.

It was just before lunchtime when I received a phone call. It was from Little Ricky and he wanted to know if he could stop by for a quick visit.

"Sure, that would be fine," I agreed.

"Ok, I'll see you in about an hour then."

When he showed up, he spent a few minutes with the boys first, before sitting down to chat with the rest of us. When Dion, Trey, and Pop excused themselves to do other things, Little Ricky, Brandon, and I got down to business.

"So how have things been going?" Little Ricky asked directly.

"There have been a few minor problems, but I think he's beginning to trust us more and isn't quite as nervous about being here," I answered.

"I'm glad to hear that, and it will make Aunt Sally happy too. She was afraid that Ryan wasn't going to fit in."

"There have been a few problems, but nothing serious, so I think things are going to work out just fine," Brandon chipped in.

"Good, but I'm here for another reason as well," Little Ricky admitted. "The D.A. from the county where Ryan used to live is trying to get the trucker who raped him to accept a plea agreement, but so far they haven't reached a deal. If this goes to trial, Ryan might have to testify about what happened."

"That could be a problem," I pointed out. "Ryan doesn't like to talk about the situation and I was lucky that he even admitted some of it to me when I gave him his physical. I doubt he'd be willing to tell the story in front of a bunch of strangers in court, even if it meant the trucker would go free if he didn't."

"I hope that doesn't happen, so I'll push the D.A. about working something out. I'll suggest that he might offer to keep the man segregated while in prison if he cooperates, while also pointing out what the other prisoners would likely do to him if we don't agree to that. I'll encourage the D.A. to explain that if this goes to trial, then it will also be in the news so everyone will know what he did, so he'd probably get a pretty rough welcome when he gets to prison."

"I hope that convinces him, because I have a feeling Ryan will fight having to testify. We'll do what we can to convince him, if it comes to that, but I think you'll probably have a better chance convincing the trucker."

"Then I'll do my best."

Little Ricky left about a half hour later, leaving us with this situation still hanging over our heads.

Chapter 21
A Time For Lovers

Once Little Ricky left we had lunch. While we were eating I mentioned an idea to the boys about what we might do next. "How would you boys like to go swimming in about an hour?"

"Yeah!" they all chorused back.

"How about you?" I asked Dion, Trey, and Pop next.

"That sounds like a great idea," Pop agreed, while the other two chimed in their agreement as well.

"Ok, then. After we finish eating I want each of you boys to go to your room, get your swimsuits, and grab a towel from the linen closet. Then, bring them to us so we can pack them in our duffle bags."

They all nodded their understanding, but as they were leaving the table I grabbed Ryan's arm and pulled him aside for a quick chat. "If you haven't figured it out, we're all going to be changing in the locker room."

"I don't want to do that."

"I had a feeling you might have a problem with that, so I have two suggestions. You can either change in one of the other rows of lockers, or you can change facing the wall so the others won't see anything and give you some privacy."

"I don't want to change by myself cuz someone else might be there or could come in before I'm done. And I don't want to change facing the wall neither, because everyone will still see my butt."

"You'll have to do one or the other, or maybe we should just stay home."

"No, I want to go, so I'll figure somethin' out."

"Go get your things then and we'll pack them with our things."

I then called Noah quickly to see if he wanted to go with us. He did, so he told his friend he had to come home, without telling him the reason for his departure.

Brandon and I then went to retrieve what we needed as well before packing everything in our bag. When Ryan brought his things down, he didn't hand it to me and merely stuffed it on top of everything else. I wasn't happy about that, but rather than create a scene I figured I'd just talk to him about what he'd done later. Now, we headed out to the vehicles, with Joshie riding with us and Pop going with Dion and Trey. Once we got to the Boys & Girls Club, I watched Ryan closely as we went into the locker room to change.

I was more than a little surprised when I handed out the various items they'd given me at home, because I realized Ryan had only added a towel. I looked at him questioningly as I handed it to him and waited to see what he was going to do next. He merely began undressing and that's when I noticed he had worn his swimsuit under his other clothes.

He sat with his back to the rest of us and didn't turn his head in the slightest. I took that to mean he was worried about seeing the rest of us naked too, so I signaled the boys not to say anything when one of them was about to comment about his peculiar behavior. We finished changing and moved past Ryan once we had our swimsuits on. Now that we were all ready, we headed out to the pool and jumped in.

I spent the first few minutes watching Ryan to see how well he was doing, and determined him to be a capable swimmer. I then turned my attention to Brandon and spoke.

"I guess he wasn't ready to change with us. I should have suspected something when he put his own things in the duffle bag, but I thought he was merely confused about the way we did things."

"Yes, that was pretty sneaky, but now he'll have to wear wet jeans on the ride home, because the water will soak through from his swimsuit. It's pretty cold out, so I'm glad he won't have to be outside for very long, or he might wind up with frostbite in some pretty sensitive areas."

"That would teach him, but I'll speak to him later."

There were quite a few more people in the pool today than on our previous visit, so we weren't able to toss the boys into the air like we'd done before. The boys were upset about it, but I told them we'd make up for it when we were able to use our pool at home, once the weather broke. They accepted my answer, although they still weren't totally happy about it.

We swam for more than an hour before we decided we'd had enough. We then went to the locker room to shower. Ryan did it in a hurry and with his swimsuit on, since I told him to do it to rinse the chlorine off his body. Then, I asked him to dry as well as he could with his towel, including his trunks, since I didn't want them to turn to ice once we were outside. He looked mildly shocked when I'd pointed this out, since he'd never considered that factor when he decided to do this. Once we were all dressed again, we left to return home.

"Put your towel on the seat before you sit down," I told Ryan before he hopped into the SUV. "I can see the water soaking through your jeans already, so that might help to keep the seat a little drier, although your towel is most likely damp too."

"Ok, I will, and that was fun. Thanks for taking us there."

"Yeah, I liked it too," Benny agreed. "I just wished there weren't so many other people in the pool." We knew what he meant by this comment, although I wasn't sure if Ryan understood.

When we got home I pulled Dion aside. "Have you planned anything yet?"

"Yes, I have and I'll tell you about it later. I can't do it now because Trey will get curious if I don't join him soon."

He then took off, but I was glad to hear that he'd been able to work out something for the following weekend. I'd made reservations for Brandon and me too and just hoped we'd have as much fun as they were going to have.

While Ryan, Benny, and Joshie were playing video games, Noah came up to speak to me. "I couldn't believe what Ryan did."

"Yes, it shocked me too. We'll give him more time and see if his attitude changes. If not, it's going to create a few problems, because I know Benny won't be happy."

"At least he didn't make a scene, seeing he was in there while we were changing too."

"That's true, but he made sure he didn't look around either."

"Yeah, I noticed that."

The rest of the day was fairly normal, as Brandon and I focused on our chores while the boys entertained each other. After dinner we watched a movie together on TV before making sure the boys headed up to bed. I asked Ryan to stay behind so we could talk.

"What you did today was pretty sneaky, but I think I should explain to you why we don't wear our suits under our clothes. Since it's winter, wearing damp clothes can create a problem, especially if the SUV broke down and we didn't have heat, but it could also cause you to become ill. We might have also stopped somewhere on the way home, but I didn't want to do that, since others might think you'd wet yourself and I didn't want you to be embarrassed. We don't do it this way just so we can see the boys naked and it's for their own good, so next time I hope you do like the rest of us. We'll give you your privacy without you having to go to that extreme."

"Ok, maybe it was silly of me, since I didn't think about wearing wet stuff out in the cold and I didn't mean to keep you from doin' other stuff neither. I'll try to do better next time."

"I hope so." I then let him go up to his room to turn in.

On Monday, I pulled Noah aside so we could talk about the upcoming weekend. "I'm sure you realize this Saturday is Valentine's Day and I'd like to ask a favor of you, since you don't seem to have any plans for that day. Dion and Trey have plans, and Brandon and I wanted to go out too, so would you be willing to watch the other boys for us?"

"Really? You're going to put me in charge?"

"Yes, but don't get carried away and go off on some kind of power trip. Grandpa Jake will be here as well, in case something comes up and you need help, but you'll be the one responsible for making sure there are no problems."

"I won't let you down. I promise, and thanks."

"You're welcome, and I imagine you'll be able to do the same types of things you usually do with the boys and you'll all get along just fine. However, I'll also tell the other boys that if there is a problem that you're the boss and I expect them to do whatever you say."

"Neat. I like that."

"Just remember, we'll deal with any issues or complaints the next day."

"K."

Now that this had been taken care of, we went about things as we normally would, while also getting ready for the weekend. I wasn't going to say anything to the other boys until just before we left the house on Saturday. That way they wouldn't have time to plan anything, just in case they were tempted to take advantage of the situation.

During the week Dion also offered to share what he'd planned. "I made reservations for us at Mount Airy Casino Resort in the Poconos."

"Really? That seems like an odd choice since you guys don't gamble."

"Not really. I checked out their website and saw that there's lots of other things to do there, so we won't have to gamble unless we want to. It just seemed like a nice place to get away. I looked at a couple of other resorts first, because they advertised romantic getaways for couples, but I soon decided against those places. After perusing the literature I was afraid they were only talking about straight couples, so I was worried about how they might react if we showed up instead."

"That's a good point and it's probably a wise decision to avoid those other establishments. I hope you two have a great time at Mount Airy."

"Thanks, and thank you for watching the boys so we can get away."

"You're welcome, and I might ask you to return the favor sometime, although it might not be for Brandon's birthday. That's in early March and I'd rather wait until we had better weather."

"I know what you mean, but we'll return the favor anytime you want."

Things proceeded pretty much as usual until Thursday night when Joshie came up to me. "Daddy and Poppy said they're going away tomorrow and me and Wyatt will be staying here with you."

"Yes, they want to spend some time alone and have two reasons for doing it. First, Saturday is Valentine's Day and they want to do something special with each other, but Monday is also your poppy's birthday, so they're going to celebrate that too."

"So we aren't gonna have a party for Poppy?"

"Sure we will. We'll just do it Monday night after dinner."

"Oh, ok." He then walked off, satisfied with my answer.

After dropping the boys off at home on Friday afternoon, Dion and Trey took off for their weekend away. Pop and Noah had agreed to keep an eye on the boys until Brandon and I arrived, since Dion and Trey usually watched all of them until we got home from work. When we reached the house, the boys were all in the family room playing video games, so we popped in to say hello.

"How's everything going?"

"Good. My dads left already," Joshie replied.

"I'm glad."

After we went to let Pop know we were home before going to our room to change, I helped Brandon with dinner, since Trey wasn't here to fix anything tonight.

Everything was going smoothly and we spent a quiet evening watching a movie with the boys. Since Benny and Joshie wanted to sit on Brandon's and my lap again, Wyatt climbed up on Noah's lap as he sat in one of the recliners and cuddled against Noah's chest. I think Noah liked that Wyatt did this, because I saw a grin spread across his face as he wrapped his arms around his nephew.

When the movie ended, Brandon went up with Joshie and Benny to take their shower, while I gave Wyatt a bath. As I began to wash him, Wyatt asked a question.

"Where my toys?"

"Just a second and I'll get them." There was a container with the toys his fathers put in the tub with him whenever they gave him a bath, so I retrieved it.

"Can you play wid my toys wid me?" he quickly followed.

"Sure, Wyatt. That sounds like fun." I then did as he'd requested.

"Joshie say Daddy and Poppy goed on a trip."

"Yes, they did. They went away for your poppy's birthday."

"Dey did?"

"Yes, they wanted to do something special for Valentine's Day and your poppy's birthday."

"So Daddy'll give Poppy his prefent dere?"

"Yes, I guess you could say that," I answered, knowing we had completely different ideas about what that meant.

"When dey comin' home?"

"Not until Sunday night. That means you'll spend the next two days with us."

"K," he answered as if it wasn't a big deal.

"Unka Bandon wash me 'fore, but me like you doin' it too."

"I'm glad to hear that and I like helping you."

Once we were done, I helped him put on his pajamas and tucked him into bed. After I kissed him on the forehead he made another comment. "Daddy 'n Poppy kiss me here," he said, pointing at his lips.

"Ok, I'm sorry I messed up," I apologize and kissed him again, but this time on the lips. "I'll make sure Uncle Brandon knows it too."

"K." Wyatt then closed his eyes and I quietly slipped out of the room.

From there I went to see if Benny and Joshie were ready to be tucked in and they were just coming out of the bathroom with Brandon. After they hopped into bed, Brandon let me tuck them in before we both kissed them goodnight. I'm not sure why they each still had their own bedrooms, since they seem to prefer sleeping together.

When we got downstairs, I filled Brandon in about giving Wyatt a bath and having him ask me to play with his toys. "Oh, yeah, he made me do the same thing when I gave him his bath the last time we watched him. Sorry I forgot to mention that to you."

"It's ok and it wasn't a big deal. It has just been a long time since I gave anyone that young a bath and I really enjoyed doing it."

"That's right. I did it the last time we watched Wyatt and Joshie, and Dad usually does it when Dion and Trey go away whenever he's here."

"It's funny because I examine small children nearly every day, but I think this is the first time I've given a child a bath since I did it for Jordan and Nicky when they were little."

"Damn, that was a long time ago, seeing they're both in college now."

"Stop making me feel like an old man."

"Well, they are a little older than Elliot, so get used to it, old timer." Brandon giggled after saying this.

"Very funny, but if I'm an old timer then you are too."

"I know, but it doesn't bother me like it does you." He then stuck out his tongue to emphasize the point.

"I'll have a better use for that after we go to bed, so keep it in your mouth until then," I teased.

"Oh, that sounds like fun and I can't wait."

When the time came, I made good on my promise and we not only kissed and made out, but we engaged in a little oral foreplay before making love. I may be an old timer, but I'm certainly not dead or in need of any aids, like Viagra.

On Saturday, Brandon and I were busy doing our usual chores, as well as covering the cooking and kitchen duties. This meant we didn't have much time to spend with the boys until after we'd cleaned up the kitchen after lunch. Before we did that, however, I had to run an errand first, and when I got back Brandon and I walked into the family room, collapsed on the sofa, and prepared to watch whatever the boys had on TV.

Noah had the remote as he sat in one of the recliners with Wyatt on his lap, and before long Benny, and Joshie had taken up their usual places with us on the sofa. Ryan kept glancing at us, and I felt it was to see if we were doing anything inappropriate with the boys.

Brandon and I were surprised to see that the boys had agreed to watch the movie 'Cars', but quickly discovered they'd done it for Wyatt's benefit. Brandon and I thought it sweet that the older boys had chosen to do this, and Wyatt was obviously enjoying the action on the screen.

When the movie ended, I thanked the others for doing that for Wyatt and was mildly surprised by their reaction.

"He always has to watch what we want to see, so we let him pick what we watched today," Benny explained.

"That was very nice of you."

"Ryan and Noah said it was ok too, not just us," Joshie added.

"Well, I was thanking all of you, but now I have something to tell you. Tonight, Brandon and I will be going out for dinner to celebrate Valentine's Day. You'll be staying here and I'm putting Noah in charge."

"So he can tell us what to do?" Ryan asked quickly.

"For the most part you'll do whatever you normally do, but if there's a problem then Noah will decide how to handle it. I just want you to know that Brandon and I will deal with any problems tomorrow, if anything should happen while we're gone."

"What are we gonna do for dinner?" Benny wanted to know.

"Grandpa Jake's going to order pizza and Noah will fix each of you a salad to go with it. I hope you're all ok with that."

"Yeah," they replied, nearly in unison.

Brandon and I then went to shower and get dressed to go out, because I'd reserved a table at our favorite restaurant for tonight. When we came downstairs, I hurried out to the rec room and retrieved the boutonnieres I'd run out to purchase earlier. After I pinned his to his lapel, he did the same for me, and then we said goodbye to the boys and headed out to the car.

"Have fun!" we heard the boys yell to us as we were leaving.

"And don't stay out too late," Noah added, making us grin.

When we got to the restaurant, we were led to a secluded table next to a window that overlooked the well manicured lawn behind the building. When the cocktail waitress arrived, we both ordered a glass of wine while we decided what we were going to order.

Brandon and I each opted to have surf and turf, and chatted while we waited for our meals to be delivered. "I hope there aren't any problems while we're gone," Brandon stated.

"I'm sure the boys will be fine, hun. They're all good kids and get along normally, so I don't expect tonight to be any different."

"Yeah, you're probably right. I wonder how Dion and Trey are making out?"

"They're probably eating dinner now, just like we're doing, and did their making out earlier." Brandon gave me a strange look after I'd made a joke out of his comment.

"Knowing them they might not have even gotten out of bed since they arrived last night."

"Lucky them."

The meal was fantastic, as usual, and then we had to make a choice from the special dessert menu for couples. We decided to order the cheesecake topped with cherries, and when it was delivered, we discovered it had been made in the shape of a heart. When the waiter brought it to the table, he also dropped off a small package.

"What's that?" Brandon asked, while pointing at the wrapped parcel.

"It's a present for you. Happy Valentine's Day, my love." I'd dropped off my gift for Brandon earlier in the week so the waiter could bring it to the table along with dessert.

"This is your gift to me? But I left your gift at home."

"It doesn't matter, but I wanted to give you my gift while we were having dessert."

"That's what I was going to do, but I had a different type of dessert in mind."

"Oh, I like that idea too, so we'll enjoy both." I then handed the package to him.

Brandon looked at it for a moment, almost as if he wasn't sure if he should open it, but I urged him to go ahead. When he unwrapped the box and looked inside, his jaw dropped slightly as he gazed at the item it contained. It was an engraved silver pocket watch, so he picked it up and began to admire it.

"Turn it over. It's engraved." He did and read the inscription. 'May my time with you always be this wonderful. Love, Danny.'

"It's beautiful and I love it."

"I'm glad. I picked it out because I knew you didn't like to wear a wristwatch at work and thought this would be more appropriate."

"It's perfect."

We split the cheesecake down the middle and enjoyed our half. It had been a romantic and wonderful dinner.

The restaurant also had entertainment, which was merely a pianist playing a variety of romantic songs. There was also a small dance floor, so we got up and enjoyed a couple of slow dances with each other. Seeing so many people in the community already knew we're gay, there were no negative comments when we did this. We even noticed a few people smiling at us, as we held each other close.

We soon gave up our table and moved to the bar so we could continue dancing and enjoying the evening. We weren't drinking very much and merely sipped our wine, but it was enough to allow us to stay and enjoy more time together.

When we arrived home, Benny and Joshie were already in bed, but Ryan and Noah were still up. "I'm glad to see you made it home before midnight," Noah teased, even though we'd only beaten it by a few minutes.

"We didn't want to risk being turned into pumpkins or toads if we stayed out too late," Brandon replied.

"You guys are silly," Ryan observed, as we began urging Noah and him to head up to bed too.

As the boys were going upstairs, we went to let Pop know we were home and immediately regretted that we'd taken so long. This was due to the fact that he appeared to be having trouble keeping his eyes open when we got to his room.

"You could have gone to sleep and Noah would have come and got you if there was a problem," I pointed out.

"I wouldn't be much of a babysitter if I fell asleep on the job," he replied with a grin.

"Well, thanks for covering for us, but get some sleep now. We'll see you in the morning."

We closed his door as he climbed into bed, and then we went up to say goodnight to Noah and Ryan.

After getting ready for bed, Brandon brought out a small package and handed it to me. "Happy Valentine's Day, Babe."

I took the gift from him and slowly unwrapped it. Inside was a lovely, silver money clip that contained a circular frame in the center, about the size of a half dollar. Inside it, Brandon had placed a photo of the two of us.

"It's engraved too," he offered, so I turned it over and read the inscription. 'To the most valuable thing in my life. Love, Bran'.

"It's perfect and I'll cherish it always."

We then hopped into bed and started making out, which soon led to bigger and better things. When the love making ended, we cuddled together and fell asleep. It had been a fabulous Valentine's Day.

Chapter 22
Making Progress

On Sunday, we opted to take the boys out for lunch since Brandon and I were exhausted and didn't feel like fixing anything. We invited Pop to go with us and told him we were planning on going for a swim afterward. He thought it was a good idea and agreed to join us.

Now that I knew what we were going to do, I pulled Ryan aside for a little chat. "We're thinking about going out to lunch and then heading over to the pool again, but I wanted to ask you a question first. Are you ok with changing in the locker room this time, because I'm not sure what we might do afterward and don't want you wearing a wet swimsuit around again. We just won't go swimming if you're not ok with this."

He looked at me for a few seconds before answering. "I'll give it a try. I know everyone else does it, so I guess I should be able to do it too."

"I know you're not comfortable with it, so if it's a problem we can just find something else to do instead."

"No, I want to swim, but I'm just worried there will be other people there too."

"Yes, there probably will be, but our family usually hogs up a row of lockers so everyone else uses a different row."

"So it will just be us when we're changing then?"

"Pretty much, although others may pass by. You can take a locker near the wall and face in that direction, if it would make you feel better."

"Maybe, but I'll have to think about that."

"So are you sure you're willing to do this?"

"Yeah, I'll give it a try."

After telling the other boys about what we'd planned, they went to get their swimsuits and a towel so we could pack everything together. When Ryan returned, he handed me the towel with his swimsuit on top, so I'd know that he meant what he'd said. After I placed them in the bag, we headed out to the SUV, with Pop riding with us this time.

We stopped at a local diner in town for lunch and then headed over to the Boys & Girls Club. I grabbed the duffle bag from the back before we went inside, but since we'd just eaten I took the boys to the game room first. They played table tennis and air hockey, as well as shooting pool. We did that for about an hour with the boys taking turns challenging Brandon and me, as well as each other. Pop got a kick out of teaching them how to use a cue stick and lining up their shots on the pool table, so everyone was having a good time. When I thought we'd waited long enough, I led them to the locker room to change.

"That was fun," Ryan stated as we were walking there, and then someone else added his two cents in agreement.

"Yeah, I've never done none of those things before," Benny chimed in.

"We've got all that same stuff in the rec room at home, so you could've, if you wanted to."

"But nobody told me about it or showed me how to use them."

"We can do that too, if you want," Joshie agreed. "It's fun and we can do those things when Noah's playing his video games."

"Yeah, let's do that," Benny concurred.

After we entered the locker room to change, I watched Ryan out of the corner of my eye to see how he was doing. He slowly and carefully took off his clothes, while trying to hide as much as he could as he removed his briefs, but at least he was getting past the first hurdle. I also noticed he would occasionally glance around, but I wasn't sure if he was checking the rest of us out or if he was just trying to see if anyone was watching him. When he finished putting on his swimsuit, we headed out to the pool and jumped in.

As I bobbed to the surface, I turned to Brandon and spoke. "So what did you think of what just happened?"

"You mean in the locker room?" he asked, uncertain if it was what I was getting at.

"Yes. I told him before we left the house that I wanted him to change in the locker room this time. He was reluctant but gave in, although he seemed more concerned about someone else coming into the locker room than he was with any of us seeing him naked."

"Yeah, I was surprised when I realized he hadn't worn his trunks under his jeans again, like he did the last time. He not only changed with the rest of us, but I think he was checking us out too. For someone who'd claimed he didn't want to see Joshie and Benny's junk before, it didn't appear to stop him from looking today."

"I noticed that as well, but it's good that he's letting down a few of his barriers."

"Yes, and hopefully this will help him feel closer to all of us and stop him from worrying that any of us are going to try something with him."

"I hope so too."

There was only one other guy in the pool when we got there, but he left shortly after we'd entered the water. He'd been swimming laps and must have figured he couldn't do that with the boys in the pool, so he got out and went to change. Once he was gone, I went over to check with the lifeguard about tossing the boys in the air again. It was the same lifeguard as before and he smiled as we spoke.

"Yeah, go ahead. Your kids seemed to have a good time doing it when you were here the last time, so I'll pretend not to see anything."

Since we had his approval, that's exactly what we did. Ryan loved doing this as much as Joshie and Benny, so they kept Brandon, Pop, and me busy. I even noticed Noah tossing Wyatt, although not nearly as high as we were doing, but he also did it for Joshie and Benny a few times too. That gave us a needed respite from time to time, but after about twenty minutes we decided to call it quits.

"That was fun," Ryan gasped as he swam over to us. "Thanks for doing that with us."

When we decided to call it a day, we went to the locker room to wash off and change. I watched as Ryan shyly slipped out of his swimsuit, grabbed his towel, and wrapped it around his waist before heading to the shower. When he got there, he carefully removed the towel, hung it up, and then walked to a showerhead in the corner to rinse off the chlorine. He did his best to remain facing away from us, but at least he was doing it without making a fuss, which was another good sign.

After we finished, we went out and got dressed again, and that's when I thought about doing something else on the way back. I whispered to Brandon and Pop that I was going to stop at Friendly's for ice cream to reward Ryan, without telling him that's what we were doing. They agreed it was a good idea, so we stopped there before heading home.

The boys were thrilled that we did this, and I felt we'd all burned enough calories in the pool to be able to splurge. Ryan looked at me and grinned when the dish was set in front of him, and I knew it was because he was thinking about my comment about maybe stopping somewhere else on the way home. I felt he was glad he'd given in and didn't have wet jeans like before, because that might have been embarrassing. I thought this would be enough positive reinforcement to ensure we wouldn't have a problem on future outings.

I wasn't sure if Dion and Trey would be at the house when we arrived, but quickly noticed that their car wasn't in the driveway. Obviously they weren't back yet, so we went inside and I threw the wet items in the washing machine before Brandon and I began to fix something for dinner.

Dion and Trey showed up before we sat down to eat and came out to chat with us in the kitchen, after saying hello to the boys. "So did you have a good time?" I asked.

"Yes, it was great!" Trey replied. "Everything was perfect, including our room. It was elegant and had a king size bed that was super comfortable."

"And I'm sure it saw plenty of action," Brandon teased.

"Maybe," Trey responded shyly.

"And you wouldn't believe the shower. It had four different showerheads," Dion added, drawing our attention away from the bed.

"And I'm sure there was some action in there too, when you two showered together," Brandon joked.

"Damn, did you have spy cams in our room?" Trey shot back with a grin.

"Nah, it's just what we would have done. So how was everything else?"

"It was fabulous," Dion answered. "They had several different restaurants that we could choose from, but we ate most of our meals at the buffet, except for Saturday night. That's when we went to their fanciest restaurant and had a super romantic dinner."

"Yes, there was a candle on the table, along with a lovely floral arrangement that had some small balloon hearts mixed in with the flowers," Trey added. "We both had filet mignon and it was so tender that it melted in our mouths, and then we shared a Death By Chocolate for dessert."

"So other than spending time in your room doing who knows what, well maybe we know what you were up to," Brandon added with a wink, "but did you do anything else besides eat?"

"Hell, yes!" Dion responded. "We spent time in the heated, indoor pool and pampered ourselves in the spa too."

"Yeah, we spent most of Saturday afternoon in the pool and spa," Trey confirmed, "and it was wonderful!"

"Well, we're glad you enjoyed yourselves and the boys were all great. There were no problems and we enjoyed our time with them."

When we sat down to eat, the boys had all kinds of questions for Dion and Trey too, but they only received the G-Rated answers to their questions. Joshie and Wyatt each wished their poppy Happy Birthday and asked if we were going to have cake and ice cream.

"His birthday isn't until tomorrow, so we'll do that after dinner tomorrow night," Dion answered. This seemed to placate them, so the boys began telling their fathers about their weekend with us.

After that, we spent the evening watching TV together, but this time Joshie and Wyatt sat with their fathers. After Benny made himself comfortable on Brandon's lap, we noticed Ryan was staring at us. I wasn't sure what he was thinking, but he soon let us know.

"Aren't you guys too old to be sittin' on their laps?"

"Nah, it's nice and we like doin' it," Benny answered.

"Yeah, we're just showin' that we love each other," Joshie chimed in. Ryan didn't look convinced, but he turned back to focus on the program instead.

When the shows ended, Trey offered to take Joshie and Benny up for their shower. I think this surprised all of us, because Trey hardly ever did this, so he must have missed the boys while they were away for the weekend. Joshie and Benny eagerly agreed and went upstairs with him, while Dion gave Wyatt a bath at the same time.

Shortly after they left, Ryan went up to take his shower too, and Noah headed up to his bedroom as well. Brandon and I waited until we heard Joshie and Benny going to their room, and then we went up to say goodnight to them. After we did that, we went up to say goodnight to the older pair.

We stopped at Noah's room first, and I took this opportunity to thank him for his help on Valentine's Day.

"Actually, I kind of liked doing it," he replied. "I didn't have to do much, but it felt good knowing I was in charge."

"And we appreciate that there were no problems," I added, before we walked over to Ryan's room.

After knocking on his door and being told we could come in, I decided to confront him about something. "Do you have a problem with Benny and Joshie sitting on our laps?"

"Nah, I just wondered why they still did it, cuz I thought they were too old."

"So do you still feel that way?"

"I'm not sure, but I don't think so. What they said kinda made sense, but I've just never done that with anyone before."

"So you never did anything like that with your parents?"

"Maybe when I was little, but not that I can remember. They weren't really around much, because they were always workin'. My dad had a good job when I was born, but he lost it when I was two or three. He didn't get another good job after that, so he had to work two jobs and still didn't make as much as he did before. My mom worked too, and then she spent the rest of her time workin' around the house."

"That's a shame, because doing those types of things helps children bond with their parents." After I said this he looked up at me thoughtfully, and then we told him goodnight and turned off the light as we left his room.

Nothing was said about this the next morning as the boys got ready for school, so I wasn't sure if Ryan was still thinking about what was said or if he'd merely put it behind him. I thought I might discover which was the case when we arrived home later.

Brandon and I didn't watch TV with the boys that evening either, because Dad called shortly after we'd finished celebrating Trey's birthday. Dion, Trey, Brandon, and I stuck around to listen in as Pop spoke to him, since the boys were already in the family room. Pop put the phone on speaker, but he did most of the talking. Dad called to tell us he'd purchased a ticket to fly home on Sunday, March first, and this time he was coming back for good.

We were all thrilled by this news and told the boys when we went in to send them up to shower and get ready for bed. They were all thrilled by the news too, although Ryan was more subdued than the others seeing he hadn't met Dad yet, but we knew his attitude would change once we introduced them.

At breakfast the following morning, Joshie and Noah both made comments about how it would be nice to have Grandpa Josh home again. Ryan listened, but didn't say anything, although he seemed noticeably surprised that the others were so excited about this. Hopefully, he'd come to be as close to his new grandfather as the others were.

After dinner that evening, we all agreed to go to the family room to watch TV again, but the boys went to get drinks to take in with them first. Dion and Trey were already seated in the two recliners, with Wyatt sitting on Dion's lap, while Pop sat in the rocking chair, so Brandon and I sat on the sofa. We were expecting Benny and Joshie to come in and sit on our laps, but before that happened Ryan walked up to us and spoke.

"Can I sit with you this time?" We were momentarily caught speechless as he waited for an answer.

"Sure, if you want," I agreed. "Just decide how you want to do it." I responded that way because I wasn't sure if he wanted to sit next to us or on one of our laps, since we'd just discussed this. As I answered him, I also noticed Benny, Joshie, and Noah were watching what he was up to as well, because he'd walked into the family room ahead of them.

"Ummm, can I sit between you?" Ryan followed. This came as another mild surprise.

"Sure, if that's what you want to do," I concurred, as Brandon and I slid apart. "It's just that we weren't expecting this."

"Yeah, I know, but I've never been around adults that paid attention to me before, except the guy who wanted me to do stuff that I didn't want to do. I kinda like this, because it makes me feel special, and I'm not worried that you're gonna make me do nasty stuff either."

We were pleased to hear him say this, although I wondered how much the other boys had overheard. I was curious if Ryan's comment might have been enough for them to start piecing things together, if they'd paid attention to what he'd said. They might have, because instead of sitting with us they all sprawled out on the floor to watch TV instead, allowing Ryan to have us all to himself.

"Make yourself comfortable," I urged, as I lifted an arm and placed it around his shoulders. He flinched at first, but then relaxed, and eventually I felt him leaning against me. Once the show started, everyone focused on the TV and didn't pay any more attention to what we were doing.

We watched a couple of shows sitting like that, and when the last one ended we sent the boys upstairs to get ready for bed. This time Dion was going to watch Benny and Joshie, so he left with them. Before he took off too, Ryan made a comment.

"Thanks, that was kinda nice. I'd never done nothin' like that before and I think Benny and Joshie might be right. It did make me feel closer to you guys."

"We're glad and we enjoyed it too," Brandon replied. "You can sit with us anytime you'd like." Ryan smiled before he left to go upstairs.

As soon as he was out of sight, I turned to Brandon and spoke. "He appears to be making progress and I'm very encouraged by what just happened."

"So am I," Brandon agreed. "This might be a little easier than we thought."

"Maybe, but I'm not going to count my chickens before they hatch," I replied. "This was a good start and I hope he continues moving in this direction, but I want to take a wait and see approach."

"Yeah, I know, but that was a huge step in the right direction."

We gave the boys a sufficient amount of time to get ready for bed before we went upstairs to say goodnight. Joshie and Benny were already in their rooms, so we stopped to bid them sweet dreams first. Then, we headed up to the third floor to make sure the older pair were in bed too.

Noah always acts like we don't need to do this any longer, but we can tell that he still enjoys the extra attention. After saying goodnight to him, we went over and knocked on Ryan's door. Even though he said we could come in, he was walking around in just his underwear getting his things ready for school. We were surprised that he'd let us enter while he was like that, but maybe after changing with us in the locker room he was starting to let down his guard.

"I'm just about done, so I'll be ready to get in bed in a second," he offered.

"Take your time. We don't want you to forget anything you'll need for class," Brandon responded.

As soon as he was done, he climbed into bed and we wished sweet dreams before turning off the light and leaving his room.

"The boy continues to amaze me," I said as we walked down the stairs.

"Yeah, when I saw how he was dressed I thought he was going to throw a fit."

"Me too! So the time with us in the locker room must have helped."

Thursday was hectic at work, so I was kind of tired by the time we sat down for dinner. Luckily, I was still lucid enough to hear Ryan when he asked us a question. "Are you going to watch TV with us tonight?"

"We can. We were planning on relaxing anyway, and there are a couple of shows that we normally like to watch."

"Good. Then can I sit with you again?" I quickly looked over at Brandon, but I also noticed the expressions on the boys' faces as well. They seemed to be surprised that Ryan wanted to sit with us again.

"Sure, if that's what you want to do."

"Yeah, it was kinda nice last time."

When we went into the family room later, Ryan sat between us again, but this time Benny and Joshie came over and stood in front of us too.

"Can we sit on your laps?" Benny asked. It was obvious that they were feeling left out.

"Sure, one of you can sit on my lap and the other on Brandon's." This seemed to make them happy, so we all prepared to watch our shows together.

I think Dion and Trey were a little surprised to see the boys with us on the sofa when they came in a few minutes later, but they didn't say anything. They had stayed behind to clean up the kitchen and put the dishes in the dishwasher, so they hadn't witnessed what transpired. They merely looked at us bewildered and shook their heads slightly, before taking their usual seats in the recliners, and this time Wyatt sat with Trey.

When the programs ended, we sent the boys up to shower, and Trey went with Benny and Joshie this time, while Dion gave Wyatt his bath. Brandon and I waited a few minutes before we went up to tuck them in, and we said goodnight to Joshie and Benny first. Ryan was just coming out of the bathroom when we got to this room, with only a towel wrapped around his waist.

"Oh, I guess I'm slow tonight," he said, but we were surprised he wasn't freaking out.

"That's ok, we'll wait," I told him.

"Nah, come on in," he said, as he walked over to his dresser and pulled out a clean pair of underwear. Then he dropped his towel and put them on with us in the room with him.

I think Brandon and I were both slightly dumbfounded by this, and then we watched as he moved over to the bed and got in. He didn't say anything and merely smiled at us as we walked over to the bed to wish him sweet dreams.

After going downstairs again, Brandon looked at me and spoke. "Well, that was definitely a surprise."

"Yes, it was. He kept his back to us for the most part, but it was still remarkable."

"I wonder why the sudden change? He's certainly acting out of character lately."

"That's true, so maybe the swimming has something to do with it. Whatever the reason, I just hope he continues showing progress."

On Friday, Ryan sat with us again when we watched TV and seemed to be more comfortable doing it now. After the movie ended, we sent the boys upstairs to get ready for bed. When we went up to tuck them in, though, we were in for a little surprise. As we were coming out of Benny's bedroom and closing the door behind us, we saw Ryan standing in the hallway waiting to ask us a question.

"So you do that every night?"

"Yes, we do, and Dion and Trey do it with us most nights, since Joshie is their son."

"I thought so, cuz I've watched you a bunch of times from that room over there, so I could see what yuh were doin'."

Even though we hadn't noticed what Ryan had been up to all week, it turns out that he'd been hiding in Noah's old room while the younger pair were taking their shower. Then, he would watch us as we tucked them in and patiently remained there until we were done. When we went upstairs to say goodnight to Noah, Ryan would sneak up to the third floor to shower. That's why we'd been catching him coming out of the bathroom so often that week, after we'd finished saying goodnight to Noah first.

"It looks kinda nice and Benny and Joshie act like they enjoy it too," Ryan added. I think that comment surprised both of us.

"Yes, they like it when we tuck them in at night," Brandon followed.

"Ummm, I guess I wouldn't mind if you wanted to do that for me too then," he followed, while looking slightly nervous. I wasn't sure if it was because he was worried about what else we might do when we tucked him in, or if he was afraid we'd say 'no'.

"Sure. We can do that if you want," Brandon agreed.

"Yeah, I think I'd like to try it. I've never had anyone do that for me before, least not that I can remember, and I was kinda wondering what it would be like."

"Then you'll soon find out," I concurred as we followed him to his room.

Surprising us yet again, Ryan stripped down to his underwear right in front of us, without seeming self-conscious in the least. Then, Brandon pulled the bedding back, waited for him to climb into bed, and then covered him up. Ryan had a huge smile on his face as Brandon tucked the bedding around him and then we both said goodnight, wished him sweet dreams, and prepared to leave the room.

"Aren't you gonna kiss me too, like you did with Benny and Joshie?"

"We didn't think you'd want us to do that," I replied, surprised yet again.

"Yeah, I'd like to try that too, but only on the head or cheek, not on the lips."

"Sure, that will be fine, because we kiss Joshie and Benny on the forehead too," Brandon agreed as he bent over and kissed him gently. Then I did the same.

"Night, Dads," Ryan said as we were leaving.

"Goodnight, son," we both replied before walking out of his bedroom and shutting the door behind us.

When we got downstairs, we filled Dion and Trey in about what had happened and they were just as shocked as we'd been.

"Not only has he changed in front of us, but now he wants us to tuck him in too. He even wanted us to kiss him before we left," Brandon stated in disbelief.

"Maybe I can understand why he doesn't mind changing in front of us, since I'd seen everything when I gave him his physical and he's been changing in the locker room with all of us. But that doesn't explain why he suddenly wanted us to tuck him in and kiss him goodnight."

"I'd say he feels more comfortable now," Dion added, "but it's still quite a change."

"Yes, it is, and I hope he doesn't revert back to the boy who first arrived here," I agreed.

Brandon and I couldn't stop talking about what had happened for the rest of the night, because we couldn't imagine what had prompted this sudden change. We ended up concluding that it might have only been a one time thing, just so he could see what it was like, so we wouldn't say anything more about it to him. We were afraid that if we did then he might be embarrassed and reverse course, so we'd just wait and see what he did next.

Chapter 23
Getting Back to Normal

The next several days followed pretty much the same pattern, with Ryan sitting with one or both of us whenever we joined the boys in the family room. He also made sure we tucked him in bed when we went up to say goodnight, and that seemed to become a very special time for him as well. We enjoyed doing those things with him, and now we were getting ready to spend another weekend together.

Brandon and I were busy doing our chores while Benny, Joshie, and Wyatt watched their Saturday morning shows on TV. Ryan decided to join them too, since Noah wasn't home, because we'd allowed him to spend Friday night with his friend, Adam, and didn't expect him back until noon. Since no one was currently bothering us, we got quite a bit done, as Brandon finished cleaning the downstairs while I completed several loads of laundry. There was still more left to do, but only a third of what was there when I started.

When the boys came out to join us for lunch, including Noah, since he came home about a half hour before we sat down to eat, they began to tease us to do something. "Can we go swimming again?" they wanted to know. "We don't want to sit home all weekend."

"Sure, I don't see why not," I agreed.

I checked with the others and they all wanted to go too, so we were soon getting our things together to leave. After packing up our gear, we loaded into the vehicles and headed out for the Boys & Girls Club. When we got to the locker room, Ryan basically did the same as he'd done before, still acting bashful about anyone else seeing him naked. It was ok, though, since he wasn't making a big deal about doing this.

When we went out to the pool there were several others there already, so it looked as if we wouldn't be able to toss the boys into the air today. They obviously figured this out too, because they were a little grumpy at first, but then they gradually began to behave like they normally would.

About forty minutes later I noticed that all of the other people had left, but I wasn't sure if it was due to our presence or if they had merely tired themselves out while completing their workout. Unnoticed by the boys, I slipped over to chat with the lifeguard, but before I was able to utter a word, he merely smiled, winked, and nodded his head to let me know the answer to my unspoken question. He had apparently anticipated what I was going to ask.

Since I had his approval, I went back to tell the others, which immediately perked up the boys. However, Jake didn't look nearly as pleased, because he'd been swimming laps and appeared to be pretty tired.

"You can sit this one out and we'll take care of the boys," I told him.

"No, I'll toss each of them once, but that's it. I haven't got enough strength left to do more than that today."

"Ok, as long as you're sure." He nodded and we began tossing the boys into the air and letting them drop into the water.

After about fifteen minutes, Brandon and I were tired too, so we told the boys that was all we would do for today. They seemed slightly disappointed, but took the news in stride, happy that they'd been able to do it at all.

When we went into the locker room, Ryan wrapped his towel around his waist as he went with us to the shower. He also faced away from us most of the time, but he wasn't quite as careful this time and occasionally turned in our direction. He seemed to be getting a little better each time we did this, so Benny might get a chance to go skinny dipping this summer after all.

After dinner, we went in to watch a couple of shows with the boys, and Ryan sat between us again, while Benny sat on Brandon's lap and Joshie did the same with Trey, since Wyatt was on Dion's lap this time. I was feeling like I was missing out, since no one was on my lap, so I put my arm around Ryan again and he slowly leaned against me.

When the last show ended, we sent the boys upstairs to get ready for bed. Before he left Ryan asked another question. "Are you gonna come up and tuck me in again?"

"Of course, if you want us too," I agreed.

"Yeah, I do."

"Then we'll be up in a few minutes."

We gave the boys time to brush their teeth first, since they'd all showered earlier, before we went upstairs to tuck them in. We tucked Benny and Joshie in first, said goodnight to Noah, and then headed over to Ryan's room. He was standing beside the bed in his underwear, apparently waiting for one of us to pull his bedding back so he could get into bed.

After Brandon did that for him, Ryan smiled, climbed onto the mattress, laid down, and then waited to be covered up. After Brandon did that too, we each kissed him on the forehead and wished him pleasant dreams before leaving the room.

"Night, Dads, and thanks."

"You're welcome, son," we replied.

When Brandon and I went to bed later, we talked a little more about the changes in Ryan. "Damn, after first being leery about whether this was going to work out, I'm starting to feel really good about taking him in," Brandon said.

"Yes, I agree. Maybe his initial reaction had more to do with getting beat up and raped, rather than how he really felt deep down. I suppose having those things happen to you could make you bitter and a lot more cautious about getting close to others, at least temporarily, but he seems to be changing his tune a bit now. I think he liked going swimming with us earlier and then sitting with us tonight, but he seems to be fond of us tucking him in as well."

"It certainly seems that way, and I'm glad he's starting to loosen up a bit."

"Yes, me too."

On Sunday, Jake got up early so he'd be ready to go pick Dad up at the airport. We asked if he wanted one of us to ride along with him, since it was a boring trip, but he said he'd be fine. We interpreted that to mean that he wanted some alone time with Dad first, before he brought him home.

Since Brandon had finished his chores already, he spent time with the boys while I finished doing the laundry. When I finally joined them, the boys were all excited about Grandpa Josh coming home, even Ryan. It seemed the others had been telling him stories about the grandfather he hadn't met yet, so he was anxious to finally meet him. Brandon and I were very happy to see that.

When Dad and Pop arrived home later, we all rushed out to welcome him back. "I'm happy to see you all again," Dad said as we approached, "but I want to meet my new grandson first."

We were a little surprised by this, but then again Dad often did things we didn't expect. However, it made a major impression on Ryan, because he had a huge grin on his face as he moved ahead of us and walked toward Grandpa Josh. "Hi, I'm Ryan," he said as he reached his hand out to shake.

Dad totally ignored the offered appendage and wrapped him up in a bear hug instead. "I'm very glad to meet you and welcome to the family. I hope you like being here with us."

"Yeah, I do," Ryan replied as he hugged his grandfather back.

Dad then made as big a fuss over Joshie, Benny, and Wyatt too, but he was a little more subdued when he greeted Noah. He told Noah he realized he was a man now and would probably prefer to be treated as such, which made Noah grin before Dad wrapped him up in a hug anyway.

We went into the family room so we could chat. We began to pepper Dad with questions about Shannon and how he was doing, but after a few minutes he said that was enough, because he had questions of his own.

"Jake told me a little about you on the way here, but now I want you to tell me about yourself," he said, looking at Ryan. "How old are you, what types of things do you like, what do you think of school, and anything else you want to tell me?"

Ryan was temporarily stunned by Dad's direct approach, but after he started talking it didn't seem as if he was going to stop. He told Dad all about himself, including what he thought when he first came here to live and some of the changes he'd made since he'd been with us. Dad listened to him very attentively, nodding and grunting in response, as well as smiling at Ryan in a very reassuring manner. When Ryan finished, Dad looked at him and spoke.

"Thank you very much for sharing all of that information with me, and I hope we become really close. I'm close with all my grandsons, as they might have told you, so I expect the same to happen with us. I'll be home a lot more than your dads or uncles, since I'm retired, so plan on spending some time with me too."

"Ok, I think I'd like that."

Dad got off to a much better start with Ryan than we had, but I assumed most of that was due to the changes in Ryan since he'd first arrived. He was a lot more open, and much less defensive than when he'd first showed up, so Dad had an advantage we hadn't had.

Later, we had a big family dinner and as we sat down to eat, Dad had something else to say to us. "You don't know how much I've missed things like this. It was nice being with Nick and Shannon, and I really enjoyed it when Jake was there too, but I really love being home with the family. It's the simple things like this, the family dinners and the special times together that I appreciate the most, and I've really missed being here with all of you."

"We missed you too, Papa," Joshie quickly added, since he was probably the one closest to his grandfather. They'd spent untold hours together since he was born and they'd done a great many things together, including Dad working with him on sports.

The rest of us then offered our own comments, basically saying the same things, because we were all glad he was back too. He took a big load off our shoulders with everything he did around the house, but he was also there for the boys when we weren't home. He definitely played a big part in all of our lives.

When the meal ended, Dion, Trey, Brandon, and I went in to watch TV with the boys, but Dad and Pop said they wouldn't be joining us. They explained they were tired and going to turn in, but we suspected that they were planning to get reacquainted, rather than immediately going to sleep.

After watching a couple of shows with the boys, we sent them up to get ready for bed. Brandon went with Benny and Joshie this time, and I waited for them to finish before I went up to tuck them in. When we finished with the younger pair, we went upstairs to say goodnight to the other two.

When we got to Ryan's room, we were surprised to find his door open, but even more surprised to see he was naked. When he saw us standing in the doorway, he looked up and spoke.

"Hi, Dads. Are you coming up to tuck me in?"

"Yes, unless you've changed your mind," Brandon replied. I think we were both waiting for him to realize he had nothing on and then panic.

"Nope. I like when you do that."

He then walked over to the dresser, grabbed a pair of briefs out of the drawer, and then casually put them on. Obviously, he was aware that he'd had nothing on when we got there, but it didn't appear to bother him this time. Was this merely a momentary lapse, or was he starting to feel more comfortable being around us and becoming less paranoid?

We then performed our normal routine, but this time I pulled back the bedding, let him climb into bed, and then covered him up. Brandon and I then kissed him on the forehead and wished him sweet dreams before turning off the light and closing the door behind us.

"Do you think he realized what just happened?" Brandon wondered as we were going downstairs.

"It would seem so, since he went to get his underwear and put them on with us standing there."

"I was totally amazed, but pleased. I just hope he doesn't realize what he did later and then freak out."

"Me too, so I'm crossing my fingers."

The work and school week started out well, as Dad resumed his normal duties. The laundry was all caught up, so he didn't have as much to do the first day, but he had his own things to take care of after being away for so long.

He chatted with the boys when they first got home, and Joshie made him promise that he'd work with Benny and him with their sports as soon as the weather improved. Ryan immediately asked what sports they were talking about, and after they told him he asked if he could do it with them too. Dad told us later that Ryan said he had wanted to play sports, but he was never allowed to since some of the leagues charged a fee to join and he didn't have a way to get back and forth. Dad then told him he was more than welcome to do it with them, and that we'd take care of the fees and transportation if they joined a league later.

Dad already had dinner planned and started by the time Trey got home, so when Trey saw this he told Dad that he wanted to help out as much as possible in the future. He told Dad that he shouldn't have to do all the cooking from now on and they could share the duties. Dad said it wasn't necessary, but he'd appreciate the help if that's what he wanted to do, and Trey assured him it was.

That night after dinner, Joshie, Benny, and Ryan asked Dad to go with them to the family room quickly. They wanted to show him how Benny and Ryan were doing on the video games before the rest of us got there to watch TV. What we didn't know was that Jake had asked the boys to do this so he could speak to the rest of us privately.

"I want to hold a welcome home party for your dad on Sunday, so I'm hoping Dion and Trey will help me call those living in the area to join us. It will be too short of a notice for those living out of town and too much of a hassle for them as well, so we'll just invite those who live close by."

"Sure, we'll do that," Dion agreed.

"And what do you plan to have at this party?" Trey followed.

"I thought I'd order pizza, and a cake for later."

"Ok, then I'll fix a potato salad to go with it," Trey offered.

"And I'll fix a macaroni salad," Brandon chipped in.

"And I'll order and pick up the cake," I agreed.

"And I guess I'll make most of the calls," Dion added.

"That would help greatly, and I'll take your father out somewhere on Saturday so you can do that without him seeing what you two are cooking up," Jake concluded. It now looked as if everything was arranged so we could pull this off.

Pop went in with us when we joined Dad and the boys to watch TV. Dad and Pop sat in the recliners, so Dion plopped down in the rocking chair this time. Trey had stayed behind because he had papers to correct, which he was doing at the dining room table, so the rest of us got comfortable and ready to enjoy the show.

I think we were all surprised when Joshie went over and sat on his Papa's lap this time, which proved just how much he had missed him. Benny then came over and sat on my lap, and Ryan sat between us again, so I wrapped my arm around his shoulder and held him close too, as Noah took a seat on my other side. Dad looked over and smiled at us, since he saw how close Ryan and Benny were to us already.

When we went upstairs to tuck them in later, this time Ryan had his underwear on when we got to his room. He was still waiting for us to tuck him in, though, which we were happy to do. We thought he might say something about being naked the previous night, but it was never mentioned. We weren't sure if this meant it was something he wanted to forget, or if he just didn't have a problem that it had happened.

After kissing him on the forehead and wishing him sweet dreams, we went downstairs to spend some time with Dad. "I see both boys have obviously bonded with you," he said as we began our conversation.

"I believe Benny bonded with Joshie first and then transferred it over to us too," I replied, "but Ryan was a little tougher. This sudden change only happened recently, and I'm not sure if you've been told about his background."

"Jake filled me in about most of it, but I'd be happy to get your take on it too." Brandon and I then filled him in about everything we knew about Ryan's past. When we finished, Dad looked at us and grinned.

"I'm glad I asked you to do that, because you told me some things Jake had either forgotten or didn't know. You also gave me a slightly different perspective on some of the facts that Jake had mentioned. From what you told me, it seems like everything is going well."

"For the most part, and we're encouraged about the changes we've seen in him lately, but I'm not ready to declare this a total success just yet," I replied. "We're both hoping he won't regress, but after what he's been through, who knows what might set him off and cause him to revert back to his old ways."

"Let's pray that doesn't happen. So what else have I missed out on while I've been away?"

"Not much. Other than getting our two new sons and then adjusting to one another, everything else has been pretty much the same. I think you saw at Christmas that Benny seems to be particularly fond of Frankie, seeing he was one of the troopers that rescued him. In that same light, Ryan seems to like Little Ricky in much the same way, since he was instrumental in bringing Ryan here to live with us."

"I'm glad there are others in the family that those two seem close to as well."

"And they both get along great with Dion and Trey too, because we've all been doing a lot with each other."

"That's great, and it appears that I'm going to be involved with them as well, since Joshie wants me to help them all with their athletic goals."

"Even Ryan?"

"Yes." Dad proceeded to tell us in about his conversation with the boys after they'd arrived home from school on Monday.

We were a little surprised when we first learned about this, because, other than swimming, Ryan hadn't shown any particular interest in sports. This was good to know, though, and something else that would help him bond with Joshie, Benny, as well as with Dad.

Tuesday went much the same as Monday, but when I got an opportunity to get Dad alone later, I asked a favor of him. He already knew that the next day was Brandon's thirty-first birthday when I asked if he would pick up the cake that I'd ordered from the bakery, so I wouldn't have to do it after work. He said he'd be happy too, which left one less thing for me to worry about.

When we woke up Wednesday morning, I immediately wished Brandon a Happy Birthday and gave him a very passionate kiss. When we got downstairs, Dad and Pop wished him the same and then Dad announced he'd fixed a very special breakfast for the occasion. He then made each of us pancakes, topped with strawberries and whipped cream, which was much more elaborate than when we fixed them.

When the others joined us a few minutes later, they all wished Brandon a Happy Birthday too, and Noah, Benny, Ryan, and Joshie each gave him a kiss on the cheek too. From the look on his face, I'd say that had made Brandon's day.

We drove into work a short time later, and at lunch Brandon told me his receptionist, hygienist, and assistant had all wished him a Happy Birthday too. Then, on the way home he told me they had a small cake waiting for him when he got back from having lunch with me.

When we got home, the boys came running out to greet us and asked if we'd spend some time with them in the family room. We thought they were doing this because it was Brandon's birthday, so we told them we would join them after we'd changed. We first headed to our room, but said hello to Dad and Trey before we went upstairs. They were fixing dinner in the kitchen and merely waved and said 'hi' in return.

After we'd put on more casual attire, we joined the boys in the family room. They asked Brandon what he wanted to do, seeing it was his birthday, and he replied that he was just happy spending time with them. I sat in the rocking chair so the boys could all sit with Brandon on the sofa, and I thought it was really nice of them to be doing this.

Rather than watching Nickelodeon or the Disney channel, the boys found a movie they thought Brandon would like. Then, Benny and Ryan sat on either side of him, as Joshie sat on the other side of Benny and Noah sat beside Ryan. It appeared that Joshie was willing to take a backseat to the others, so to speak, seeing Brandon was their dad, and Noah gave the younger boys priority.

When we were called out to dinner, we discovered another reason the boys had asked us to join them. Dad had made a banner wishing Brandon a Happy Birthday and had hung it on the wall, with a helium filled birthday balloon on either side of it.

"You didn't have to go to all this trouble," Brandon said when he saw what Dad had done.

"I might not have had to, but I wanted to. So sit down and enjoy." Brandon grinned and shook his head slightly as he took his seat.

After we finished eating, Dad brought the cake in and lit the candles on top, a big '3' and a '1'. Then we sang Happy Birthday to Brandon next, before enjoying the cake and ice cream.

We were just about to leave the table when Brandon's cell phone rang. "Hello!"

"Happy Birthday, Dad!" came the voice on the other end. It was Elliot.

"Thank you, and I'm surprised that you remembered."

"Hey, I don't forget the birthdays of the people I love!"

"Thank you, and I appreciate that."

They spoke for another couple of minutes, before Brandon offered to let the rest of us speak to Elliot too. Although we'd told him about Ryan before, the two had never had a chance to talk and become acquainted, so Brandon handed the phone to Ryan next.

"So you're my new little brother, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess so. Everyone's told me about you and I can't wait to meet you."

"I can't wait to meet you either, but I'll be here until May. I hope they haven't told you any bad stuff about me."

"Maybe a little, but most of it's been good." I think we were all wondering if Ryan was just trying to get a rise out of Elliot by that comment, but Elliot didn't bite.

"Don't believe them and you can make up your own mind when I get home."

After Elliot and Ryan finished their conversation, everyone else got a chance to chat with him for a couple of minutes too. They all wanted to say hello and ask how he was doing, before we finally ended the call.

I waited until we went to bed before I gave Brandon my card. When he opened it he nearly let the certificate fall out that I'd placed inside. "What's this?" he wanted to know.

"Read it and you'll find out." It was my gift to him, a promise to take him away for a romantic weekend, just the two of us, as soon as we could arrange our schedules so we could get away.

"Oh, I think I'm going to like this," he stated with a sexy grin, before running his tongue seductively across his lips.

"Then you're probably going to love this next present even more," I stated, as I began to undress.

"You've got that right," he said as he began to do the same, but I stopped him.

"No, hun, tonight I get to do that for you."

Brandon and I then made love before going to sleep, and I did my best to show him how much I truly loved him. We'd been together since we were teens and I loved him as much today as when we first met. I hoped we would always be together and I still looked forward to the day that we finally, and officially, could get married.

Chapter 24
An Unusual Week

Thursday night after dinner we went in with the boys to watch TV. Dad and Pop were busy doing something else, as the rest of us herded the boys into the family room and got comfortable. Joshie sat on Dion's lap, while Trey held Wyatt, and Benny had opted to sit on Brandon's lap again. That's when Ryan stepped in front of me and spoke.

"Ummm, I haven't ever done nothin' like this before, but would you mind if I sit on your lap for awhile?"

I didn't hesitate and answered immediately. "I wouldn't mind at all and I think it would be nice."

He quickly got ready to take his place, as a huge smile spread across his lips. Then, he snuggled up against me and let out a contented sigh, which I thought was cute.

"I don't remember ever doing this with anyone before, but I think I like it. It's kinda nice."

As soon as he said that, I wrapped my arms around his chest and gave him a squeeze. He turned and smiled at me again. "Thanks. I liked that too."

"Me too," I agreed.

He sat with me the entire time until we sent them up to get ready for bed. Before he left, however, there was something else he wanted to know.

"You're still gonna come up and tuck me in, aren't you?"

"Of course we are," I assured him, as I patted him on the butt and sent him upstairs to shower.

After he took off, I thought about what I'd just done and realized that maybe I shouldn't have given him the gentle tap on the backside. He didn't seem to react to it, though, but now I realized it could have created a problem. I was wondering if he might say something about it when we got to his room, but I guess we'd soon find out.

After tucking Benny and Joshie in, we said goodnight to Noah before going over to Ryan's room. He was standing beside the bed waiting for us to arrive, so I walked over, pulled back the bedding, and allowed him to climb into place. Then, I covered him before Brandon and I wished him sweet dreams and kissed him on the forehead.

"Night, Dads, and thanks. I love being here with you guys."

"We're glad and we love having you here too," I replied, although I'd hesitated momentarily before speaking, since I was slightly unsure about how I should respond.

I'd tried not to read too much into what he'd just said, because he'd only said that he loved being here, not that he loved us, so I didn't want to risk a possible adverse reaction by saying I loved him. He had definitely changed since he'd first arrived, but I wasn't sure how he'd react to a guy saying he loved him. Rather than taking that chance, I opted to word my response carefully and only mirrored what he had said to us.

"I really mean it. When I lived with my parents they weren't around very much and I was never able to do anything because we didn't have much money. Our house wasn't very nice either and I didn't even have my own room. The juvy place was even worse, and I was afraid I was going to be put in a really bad foster home with mean parents after I left there. Then, when I heard you guys were all gay I was worried that you were going to want to do the same crap to me that the trucker did, but you've been really great and I love it here. I just wanted you to know that I love living here with all of you."

"We're glad and we love having you here with us too. Sweet dreams," I added as I bent down and gave him another kiss on the forehead. He then closed his eyes, so I turned out the light and Brandon and I left his bedroom.

"So what did you think of that?" Brandon asked once we were downstairs.

"I'm encouraged, and it's another step in the right direction, but I don't want to read too much into it."

"What do you mean?"

"He only said he loved living with us, not that he loved us. I think it would be best if neither of us got the wrong impression or acted in a way that might set him off. Since he didn't say he loved either of us, I'm leery about saying I love him. He might get the wrong idea and then react badly, reversing all the gains he's made so far."

"You might be right about that, so I'll be careful about how I phrase what I say to him too."

Friday turned out to be fairly hectic, since we were all running around to pick up the things we needed for Dad's party. We wanted to do it before Saturday, so Brandon and Trey would have time to fix their salads and hide them in the refrigerator in the rec room until Sunday.

When we first got home, Brandon went in to talk to Dad about what we were having for dinner, but it was merely a ruse meant to distract him so I could sneak our purchases into the rec room until tomorrow. Then, I came back and said 'hello' to Dad too, before we went to see what the boys were up to.

After dinner we all headed to the family room to relax and see what was on TV. This time Ryan got to Brandon first and asked him a question. "Can I sit on your lap tonight?"

"Sure, I'd like that."

Brandon's reply brought a smile to Ryan's face as he wiggled his way onto Brandon's lap. That meant Benny sat with me, Joshie was on Dion's lap, and Trey held Wyatt, while Noah sprawled out on the floor. Pop dragged the other rocking chair out of the living room and brought it back to the family room so he and Dad would each have one to sit in. They both smiled at us when they saw what Ryan was doing again, and even though it felt good, I wasn't sure if we were out of the woods yet.

When we tucked the boys in later, Ryan paraphrased what he'd told us the night before, which was that he loved living here. We told him we were glad and loved having him with us, before kissing him on the forehead and wishing him sweet dreams.

After having breakfast together on Saturday morning, Pop advised us that he and Dad were going out for awhile, but he didn't tell us where they were going. He also said they probably wouldn't be home for lunch, so we'd know how much time we had to do everything, and we told them to have fun. Joshie teased to go with them, and then Benny and Ryan stated that they'd like to go too, but we had to disappoint them and tell them 'no'. We explained that this was to give their grandfathers time to be alone, since they'd been apart for such a long time while Papa was in Georgia and Grandpa Jake was here with us. I guess they must have understood our reasoning, because they eventually relented, although they weren't happy about it.

I was busy helping Brandon and Trey in the kitchen while Dion was entertaining Wyatt, and the boys were doing something in the rec room. Brandon and Trey were in the middle of their preparations when we heard a commotion coming from the rear of the house. Since I was the only one free, I went back to see what the problem was.

"What's all the shouting about?"

"Ryan's cheating and puttin' a spin on the ping pong ball," Joshie spat out in anger.

"I just figured out how I could do that and didn't think it was cheating," Ryan offered in his own defense.

"It's not cheating and it's actually a good strategy," I replied. "Joshie and Benny, if you play this game with other boys then they're likely to do the same thing, so you might as well learn how to handle the spin by practicing with Ryan."

"But it makes the ball harder to hit and it bounces funny off the paddle," Benny griped.

"Yes, because that's what it's supposed to do, but there are ways to compensate for the spin. You'll just have to try different things until you find a way to do that. When you do, it will probably mean that Ryan will have to find new ways to counter what you just did."

After hearing what I'd said, I could tell Joshie and Benny were now determined to figure this out so they could do something similar to Ryan. Since they'd stopped fighting, I went back to the kitchen and continued helping the other two.

Dad and Pop didn't return home until nearly 2:00, and when they came inside Dad was carrying a bag. Although we didn't ask them about it, the boys weren't about to let it pass unchallenged.

"Whatcha got?" Joshie asked his Papa as he pointed at the bag.

"While we were out I discovered the last of the Hobbit movies had just been released on DVD, so I bought all three so we could watch them at home."

As soon as he finished saying that, three of our hooligans began cheering and dancing around. Once they calmed down, they wanted to know if they could watch one of them now, so Dad came to check with us first, before giving them an answer.

"This was something I wanted us all to do together, so are the four of you able to take a break to join us?" he asked Dion, Trey, Brandon, and me.

We talked it over quickly and agreed that would be fine, so we all went to the family room to watch the first DVD, "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey." I have to admit that I was surprised there was a great deal more material in it than had been in the book. I heard later that the director and writers had drawn some of the background information from the appendices of "The Return of the King."

The boys thoroughly enjoyed watching it, though, especially when the dwarfs took over Bilbo's house, ate all his food, and started throwing his things around. They also got a kick out of the journey too and loved the scene about their encounter with the trolls, as well as their escape from the orcs with the wizard Radagast the Brown. They were also fascinated seeing Rivendell and were disappointed when the movie ended. They then wanted to know when we were going to watch the next one, so we told them we'd see. They weren't happy with that answer and kept bugging us to watch it later, after dinner.

At first we didn't want to do that, because we'd just sat through the first film, but they were insistent. We tried to put them off by telling them we'd decide later, but that only quieted them down until we finished eating. Then, they started in all over again.

After the six of us talked it over, we finally agreed it would be easier to just give in, so we went in with them to watch "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug." The boys got a thrill out of the barrel chase down the river, with the orcs trying to kill Bilbo and the dwarfs, with the elves doing their best to kill the orcs and capture the dwarfs again. The boys were also in awe of Smaug's enormous size, especially when they saw him in flight, as well as all of the treasure Smaug was hording. They were equally disappointed with the people of Laketown, but that was all forgotten as they watched the exciting final showdown with Smaug.

When it ended we sent the boys up to shower and get ready for bed. They grumbled a bit about doing this at first, because we hadn't told them they had to look nice because there would be a party the next day. We were afraid that if they knew, one of them would accidentally spill the beans and Dad would find out about it.

To cheer them up a little, we told them we'd watch the final Hobbit DVD with them tomorrow night, so they took off to do what they'd been asked. After giving them a sufficient amount of time to finish up, we headed upstairs to say goodnight.

Joshie and Benny both wanted to talk and held us up, so by the time we got to Ryan's room he was sitting at the desk waiting for us to arrive.

"I wondered how long it was gonna take before you finally got here," he stated as we walked through the door.

"If you were cold or tired you could have hopped in bed and we could have tucked you in once we got here."

"Nah, I like it when you help me get in bed too."

"Ok, then get your skinny butt over here so we can do this," I added playfully as I pulled back the bedding to let him climb into bed. Then I covered him up and tucked the bedding around him, before kissing him on the forehead and stepping aside so Brandon could do the same.

"Thanks for watching both movies with us today, Dads. They were great and I really enjoyed them."

"We're glad and sweet dreams."

"I love you both!" he followed with a grin. Whoa! This time he actually came out and said it.

"We love you too," Brandon responded, and we could see his smile broadened, even though I'd already turned off the light.

Brandon and I then walked downstairs in stunned silence, as we assimilated the true meaning of those words. Had that been the final hurdle to him feeling as if he was now part of our family, or was it only because we'd given in and watched the second movie with them? I decided to ask Brandon his thoughts on the situation.

"So what did you think of what just happened?"

"I was surprised, yet extremely pleased. I hope it means that he feels we really care about him and he now sees himself as part of our family."

"It's been fairly obvious that he's changed and grown, but he also seems to be more comfortable living here, so maybe this seals the deal for him."

"I certainly hope so, because then we can adopt Benny and him at the same ceremony."

"Yes, we could do that, but it's going to create a minor problem. I'd originally planned on giving Benny his certificate on his birthday, but Ryan's birthday isn't until October. That's too long of a gap in between and too great a time for Benny to have to wait."

"Yes, and Christmas is even father away, so what are we going to do?"

"I'm not sure yet, but we'll figure something out." Brandon and I then got in bed and fell asleep contemplating the situation.

Trey and Brandon set their alarms to get up early the following morning so they could fix breakfast before Dad started doing it. They made home fries and took both the bacon and sausage links out of the freezer, but they were also planning on making omelets for us this time.

It was good that we didn't all come down together, because it would have been nearly impossible for them to keep up, but this was working out great. When Dad asked why they were fixing breakfast, they told him it was to officially welcome him home.

I had gotten up when Brandon did, so they fed Dad, Pop, and me first. Since the boys still weren't awake, they fixed something for themselves as well. When Trey finished eating, he went to wake Dion and Wyatt next and then he fixed their meals. Joshie and Benny came down after that, with Noah and Ryan showing up last.

Once we had all eaten, we took the boys aside and told them to go upstairs and put something nice on because we were expecting company. We also told them not to say anything to their grandfather about this, though, because it was a surprise. Once they heard this, they did as we asked without complaint.

We'd told everyone else to arrive between 11:00 and 11:30, so they'd have a chance to visit with Dad before we sat down to eat. Kevin and Vinnie showed up first.

"Welcome back, Dad," they greeted him after coming inside.

"Well, it was nice for you to come see me like this."

Pop was standing behind Dad at the time and doing his best to signal them not to let the cat out of the bag. Luckily, they caught on to what he meant by his antics and made it sound like they'd just decided to stop by.

Dustin and his wife, Katie, showed up a few minutes later, which made Dad begin to question things. "It's odd that you all just happened to show up at nearly the same time."

"We came because we felt guilty about not seeing you at Christmas, so we decided to get here as soon as we could after you got back," Dustin replied. He and Katie had been among those that hadn't come home for the holiday, since they were celebrating with Katie's family. It also meant that Dad had a lot to ask him.

"Ok, I guess that makes sense," Dad conceded. "So tell me, Dustin, how's your HVAC business going?"

"Business has been really good and I'm doing quite well. The hot summers we've been having have caused many ACs to break down, and the winters keep me busy working on furnaces. I have a lot of steady customers who set up yearly maintenance on their systems, so it seems I'm always on the go."

"It sounds as if things are working out for you then. Are you still glad you went into that line of work?"

"Yeah, I like what I'm doing, I'm making good money, and I love being my own boss. It's just that sometimes I feel like I'm working too much." We all laughed after he said that.

"Yeah, don't we all?" several others chimed in.

"And how about you, Katie? What have you been up to?"

"Since Dustin's been so busy, I took over the office for him. I answer the phones, make appointments, and I also take care of the books. He used to do that too, but he was having trouble finding the time he needed to get it done, so I offered to do it for him. Besides, it's the only way I get to see him, because when he's home he's either eating or sleeping." Her comment made us all laugh too.

The Shays and Aunt Sally showed up next, followed closely behind by Jesse and Little Ricky.

"Now this is a little too much to just be a coincidence," Dad protested as more people kept showing up.

"Ok, I invited them to a Welcome Home party for you," Jake finally admitted.

"You sly dog," Dad countered as he playfully punched Jake in the shoulder.

After they'd all had a chance to chat with Dad, we noticed that Cole and Beth had parked on the street in front of the house, because the driveway was full. They hadn't come home for Christmas either, because they'd spent it with Beth's family last year.

"Cole, it's nice to see you," Dad greeted him. "How's the auto repair service working out?"

"It's what I wanted to do and I'm happy with the way things are going. Since I've become the boss, it means I get to choose which jobs I want to work on and which ones I give to the others."

"It's always good to be the boss," Dad agreed. "How about you, Beth? What are you doing?"

"Not much. I haven't found another job since I got laid off, so I'm still looking."

"For anything in particular?" Kevin asked.

"No, we could just use me having a paycheck to fill in some of the gaps, so I'm open to anything."

"Well, I was getting ready to advertise for another cashier, since my business has picked up so much. If you're interested the job is yours."

"Great, and I'll talk to you about it more before we leave." That was a fortuitous case of good timing.

The pizzas were delivered at 12:30, so we all went to the kitchen to fill our plates before heading into the dining room to eat. We'd also quickly set up the banquet table for the overflow, and the boys were good about sitting at the banquet table with Dion, Trey, Brandon, and me. This allowed our guests to sit at the dining room table with Dad so they could visit with him.

Fortunately, Jake had ordered more than enough pizza, and Brandon and Trey had made extremely large bowls of salad, so there was plenty to eat. Once we were all full, we took a break to chat some more and give the meal time to settle a bit before we brought out the cake and ice cream. That's when Little Ricky pulled Brandon and me aside.

"I hope things are going well and everything is working out with Ryan," Little Ricky began.

"Actually, they're going extremely well," I replied. "I'm totally amazed by how he's been responding and he seems totally comfortable being with us now. Just to give you an idea of what I mean, he's asked to sit with Brandon and me while we were watching TV, and he's also asked us to tuck him into bed at night, like we do with Benny and Joshie. He's even let us see him naked and didn't freak out."

"Wow! That is one hell of a change," Little Ricky agreed. "What do you think caused it?"

"I believe some of it has to do with what he's seen us doing with the other boys and how they respond," Brandon answered. "Just before he did this complete turnaround, he'd screamed at Benny and Joshie for coming out of the bathroom naked and not using their towels to cover up. He was very emphatic as he told them they needed to put something on because he didn't want to see their junk. Then, a couple of weeks later he did the same thing in front of Danny and me and acted as if it was completely normal."

"That's great to hear and I'm glad this is working out. I have to admit that I was more than a little concerned when I placed him here, even though I didn't let on at the time. Aunt Sally's been asking how he's doing as well."

"Yes, we spoke to her about him earlier," I confirmed. "All I can say is, so far, so good."

"I'm sure Aunt Sally must have been pleased hearing that too," he added before we went back to join the others.

"It might be a good idea if you pulled Ryan aside before you leave, so you can get his take on how things are going. I know he trusts you, so this way you'll find out how he really feels about living here, since we can only give our impression by the things he's done."

"Yes, that sounds like a good idea and I'll do it before I leave."

After another hour had passed, we decided we were ready for dessert, so we went in to have the cake and ice cream. After we finished with that, everyone stuck around for another hour before saying goodbye and heading home.

Little Ricky pulled Brandon and me aside before he took off. "I talked with Ryan and you were absolutely correct. He told me he loves it here and thanked me several times for making it happen. I never thought I'd see that kid quite so happy, and I don't know what you've done, but keep it up."

"Thanks, we will, but like I told you with Benny, I think the boys had a lot to do with his adjustment and gradually fitting in," I explained.

"That's not what Ryan told me. He adores you two and says you've been great. He even told me that after living here he's completely changed his mind about gays. He says everyone here has been really great and he wants to remain here forever."

"That's nice to know, and thanks for all of your help," Brandon replied.

"No, it is I who should be thanking you. I hope all the boys we place here do as well as Benny and Ryan."

"No need to rush on that. We're still trying to figure out when we're going to adopt these two."

"Oh, they'll love that, and I'll try to give you a break for awhile, but I can't make any promises."

We thanked him again and walked him out to his car. As he was backing out of the driveway, Ryan came racing out of the house so he could wave goodbye to him to. Once Little Ricky's car disappeared from sight, the three of us went back inside. It had been a really nice party and we were all convinced that Dad had thoroughly enjoyed himself.

After a hasty dinner later, the boys reminded us that we'd agreed to watch the last Hobbit film with them, "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies." In this part, the dwarfs, elves, and men had to decide whether they were going to unite or be destroyed as the orcs and wargs attacked. There was a great deal of action, and the boys seemed to enjoy it, so that's basically all that mattered. As soon as the movie ended, we had to hurry the boys upstairs to shower and get ready for bed, since they still had school in the morning.

As we were bidding them goodnight, each boy thanked us for watching all three DVDs with them, as well as for the party. I think they all felt it had been a good weekend, even though they didn't get to go swimming, but there was always next weekend to do that.

We were finishing the last of our duties and just about ready to leave Ryan's room when he added one final comment. "Night, Dads, I love both of you."

"Goodnight, son," we each replied. "We love you too."

NEXT PART