Date: Mon, 4 Jun 2012 08:16:26 +1030
From: Marcus McNally <marcusis32@live.com.au>
Subject: Love On The Rocks - 39

Love On The Rocks -- 39

This story contains sexual situations between males. If material of this
nature offends you then you should not read this story.  If you are under
18 years of age you are probably not legally allowed to read this story.
This story is purely a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons
living or dead, or to events that may have occurred, is purely
coincidental. The author claims all copyrights in this story and no
duplication or publication of this story is allowed (except by the web
sites to which it has been posted) without the consent of the author.

*************

Getting Scruffy to go to bed in the laundry proved much more difficult than
I thought.  I figured that if Ty had been sleeping on the couch these past
weeks, Scruffy had become accustomed to sleeping on the floor near him.
With Ty away from home and me suddenly back in the house, he obviously
wanted to stay close.

"OK Scruff," I conceded as he lumbered past me into the bedroom.  "You can
sleep in here tonight but if you tell George, I'll have you neutered."

I undressed and sat on Ty's side of the bed.  I picked up the framed photo
of the two of us at the farm at Christmas, decked out in our Batman and
Robin costumes and adopting our classic Gotham City poses.  How happy we
were when that photo was taken and how secure I felt then in our loving
relationship.

It also raised another question I'd never considered.  Ty was already a
famous and much-loved Australian icon when I met him, and tonight's major
accolades from the music industry only served to increase his hero-like
status. Hidden away from the world in our fancy house, I don't think Ty had
any real concept of just how much he was now part of the Australian
celebrity landscape.

For the first time, I asked myself whether the fact he was `Tyson Hill' had
anything to do with my falling in love with him?  I'd like to think I
opened my apartment door that day and just saw a gorgeous guy whose face
made me go weak at the knees, but the fact is I knew when I opened the door
I was looking at `Tyson Hill'.  Not only that, I was a big fan.  In fact
his album was playing on the stereo when he came knocking.

I slipped into bed, settled on Ty's side, and pondered that thought for
quite a long time.  I came to the honest conclusion that if I'd answered
the door that day and Ty had been a serviceman named Joe who'd been sent to
check the air conditioner in my apartment, I'd still have seen `my kind of
guy' and gone weak in the knees.  Would I have still wanted him to kiss me?
You bet.

Before I turned off the lamp, I picked up the photo one more time. It made
me smile and it cemented two thoughts in my mind; that I loved my
curly-headed Robin with my heart and soul and that I wanted us always to be
as happy together as we were in that Kodak moment.

I slept well but woke early. Poor old Scruffy obviously needed to answer
nature's call but because he'd not learnt how to use an en suite, I had to
get up and open the balcony doors for him and wait for him to lumber back
inside.  It was only 6:10a.m., but I was awake, so the percolator and the
television were switched on.

As I sipped my coffee, I watched Sky News and caught their `capsule' report
from the ARIAs, which featured a lot of footage of Ty, both on stage and in
the audience. He radiated ebullience and I wondered briefly whether his
family questioned the change in his disposition?

No time to dwell, though.  I showered and dressed, fed Scruffy and Floppy,
and gave some thought to what I should do in preparation for the onslaught
of the Hills.  I jumped in the car and headed for the shopping strip where
I picked up scones and cakes, figuring morning tea would be appropriate.

I stopped at a patisserie for a coffee and croissant and above the clank of
dishes I managed to hear one of Ty's morning radio interviews.  I returned
to my car via the newsagent and picked up the local, interstate and
national daily papers, knowing they would all carry ARIA news reports.  I
intended to tear out the relevant pages and present them to Dot.  They
might be a peace offering should I need one.

At home I put the food on platters, located George's multi-cup electric
urns and fired them up, laid out crockery and cutlery, prepared tea pots,
put milk in its jug and sugar in its bowl.  All the while Scruffy sat in
the middle of the floor watching me, his head cocked to one side.  "Don't
know about you," I said to him, "but I'm a bit nervous."  Scruffy just
wagged his tail.  I wished it was that simple ...

The screech of car brakes in the driveway made my pulse accelerate.  I
moved to the foyer quickly and hoped I wouldn't be seen as I looked through
the blinds.  The car in the drive was Scott's and I could see Lachlan
trying to find a spot to park his Mazda in the street. Twenty seconds
later, when the front door opened, I was back in the kitchen pretending to
be busy.

The door opened and I heard the gasp before I saw Scott.  "MIKE!" he cried.
"Fuck!  Oh shit!  Jesus!"

I laughed and held out my arms as Scott darted across the room and
literally wrapped himself around me.

"Oh man!" he chattered excitedly.  "Fuckin' hell!"

I only had time for a quick hug before he disentangled himself and ran from
the room shouting, "Lachie!  Ellie!  Quick!  Mike's here!  QUICK!"

I walked into the lounge room to be confronted with an awkward-looking
Simon, suddenly aware he was alone with me.  He walked over and extended
his hand.  "It's good to see you Mike," he said, not quite looking in my
eyes.

I sighed.  "I don't want to shake your hand Simon," I said.

His awkwardness accelerated as his arm dropped to his side.  "Oh. Um ..."

"A hug might be nice though," I said and after a moment's hesitation, he
walked up to me and let me wrap my arms around him.  "It's good to see you
too, mate," I said.

I heard thumping on the porch steps and suddenly Lachlan was looming large
in the room.  "Mate!" he thundered.  "Is it fuckin' good to see you or
what?"

Simon made a quick jump sideways as Lachlan grabbed me and hugged the
breath out of me.  "Does Ty know you're here?" he asked.

"Yeah, I've been home for a couple of days."

"Man!" he grinned.  "This weekend just gets better and better!  So you and
Ty are back together?"

"Well," I hesitated, as George walked into the lounge carrying bags of baby
things.  "I'm back here for now.  Ty and I have to work things out."  I
didn't have to look at George to know he rolled his eyes.

Ellie walked in carrying matching babies and handed one to her husband and
one to me before leaning in and kissing me on the cheek. "You're doing the
right thing," she whispered in my ear.  "You've both gotta realise how
right you are for each other."

I almost dropped Roddy when I heard Scott yell from the porch, "Steve!
Fran!  Quick!  Mike's come home!  Quick, hurry!"

Steve was through the door as quickly as Lachlan had been and was as
enthusiastic as his boss.  "Mate?" he asked.  "I wasn't expecting this?"

I shrugged.  "You were right," I grinned.  "He fuckin' loves me.  And I
love him!"

"And we all lived happily ever after," sighed George, who'd suddenly
appeared with food.  "Anyone for cake?"

All through my family welcome, Scott was running around like a toy bunny
with an Eveready battery up its arse, unable to curb his enthusiasm.  When
he heard another car pull up outside, he was bouncing out the front door
again.

"Mum! Dad!  Mike's here!  He's come home!  Quick Mum, Dad can carry
everything!"

For once, Dot must have heeded her youngest son's urging.  She hurried
through the front door, stopped in the doorway of the lounge, and clamped
her hand over her mouth before walking towards me with her hands
outstretched.

"Michael," she said with tears in her eyes.  "Oh Michael ..."

I bent and hugged her as she rubbed my back and whispered, "It's so good to
have you back. You don't know how much I've worried about you and Tyson.
He's a good boy, you know.  I don't know what got into him for him to do
what he did ..."

I pulled back from the hug and looked Dot in the eyes.  "It's OK, Dot," I
assured her.  "Ty and I have some work to do, but I reckon we're gonna be
OK.  I'm glad I'm home."

Dot turned as Frank walked in draped in suitcases and carry bags.  "Look
Frank," she beamed.  "Michael's here.  He's come back!"

I looked at Frank and immediately sensed the same awkwardness I felt when I
first saw Simon.  "Hey Frank," I smiled as I extended my hand.

Frank shook it and said, "Hello Mike, nice to see you."

There was no time to dwell on Frank's subdued reaction to seeing me as Ty
leapt up the steps and bounded into the lounge room.  He walked straight up
to me and we hugged.

"Congratulations mate!" I enthused.  I wondered about the appropriateness
of kissing him, which I desperately wanted to do, but I was spared the
decision when George suddenly appeared in the room carrying a tray laden
with cups and saucers.

"Tea's ready!" George chirped and suddenly we were doing brunch.  I was
about to reach for a cup of tea when Lachlan leaned in and extracted Roddy
from my arms.

"It's time for their feed," he said, looking at Ellie.  She groaned.

"Do you need some help, honey?" Lachlan asked helpfully.

"Help?" Ellie sighed.

"Expressing," Lachlan smirked.  "If you're tired, I don't mind ... you
know, squeezing your boobs to get the flow happening.  If it might help?"

"Lachlan!" Dot gasped.

"Sorry Mum!"

As the day moved on, I got to talk to most of the family and explain in
some small way the reason I had been absent from their lives since I left
the farm.  Ty stayed by my side until his family's initial surprise gave
way to Hill family relaxation.

I was in the kitchen opening a bottle of wine when Scott wandered in.  He
was grinning as he walked up and grabbed me in a bear hug.

"I love you Mikey," he said as he clung tight.  "Not as much as Ty does of
course ..."

"I love you too mate," I assured him.  "And hey, you and Simon?  That's all
good?"

"It's great!" he bubbled.  "Better than it ever was."

Lachlan strolled through the door with two wine glasses that needed
refilling. "Hands off," he hissed at his younger brother.  "He's already
got a Hill boy ..."

By early afternoon, the lateness of the previous evening was taking its
toll on the family and it was George who suggested that perhaps everyone
would like a "nap" before dinner at 7:00.

Dot disappeared first with Ellie, to help settle her grandsons.  Lachlan
exited next, followed by Steve and Fran and finally Scott and Simon.  I
started to clean up but George was quick to intervene.  "Shoo!" he said.
"There's a multi award-winner who needs you ..."

"To stroke his ego?"

"No sir," George sighed.  "Unless it was his ego making that nasty tent in
his jeans!"

I gave George a quick hug, told him to wake us at six and headed for the
bedroom where I found Ty going through his luggage.  "Hey!" I said but he
ignored me as he kept rummaging, emerging finally with a pointy- ended
trophy.  "This one's for you mate," he grinned as he handed me his ARIA
award for Best Male Artist.

"Really?" I asked, touched.

"Yeah, really!" he said.  "It's yours.  The rest of them are mine though!"

We undressed and slipped into bed in our boxers.  I reached for Ty and
pulled him to me.  I kissed the top of his head as I positioned him for
sleep, but he resisted.  He turned to face me and before I could speak he'd
pressed his lips against mine.  He was tired, for sure, but I realised he
wanted to `celebrate' and that meant we'd be making love.  Fine by me!

Ty had said yesterday that he was looking forward to coming home and
letting me polish his trophy and as I slipped his boxers over his hips and
wrapped my hand around his trophy, I was about to show him the true meaning
of a polish ...

**********

We were still asleep when George knocked on the door to let us know it was
6:00p.m.  I had just propped myself up on a couple of pillows when Scott
glided into the room and scooted under the doona next to me.

Ty, lying on his side facing us, opened his eyes.  "What do you want,
asshole?" he sleepily asked his brother.

"Just checking that Mike's still here!" Scott smirked.

"He's still here!" Ty grumbled.  "Now fuck off!"

The sharp "Tyson!" we heard called from the hallway alerted us to the fact
that Dot was up and about.

"Sorry Mum!" Ty called back, as Scott folded his arms in defiance.  Before
Ty had time to object, a yawning Lachlan wandered into the room in his
boxers and singlet, scratched himself and crawled into bed next to Ty.

"Jesus!" Ty groaned.  "I wanted to sleep some more ..."

"It's not morning, mate!" Lachlan chuckled.  "We've still got dinner to go
and George is doing roast lamb!  Mum's making gravy!"

Ty reopened his eyes, wider this time.  "What's for dessert?"

"Whaddaya reckon?" Lachlan laughed.

The next person through the door of the master bedroom was Ellie, dressed
in a short toweling robe and carrying two very wide awake little boys in
her arms.

"How did I know you'd be in here Lachie?" she sighed, shaking her head.  "I
need to have a shower so I'm leaving the boys with you.  These are the
rules -- no holding them upside down, no throwing them in the air, no
playing `catch' with them and no giving them coffee.  Do you understand?"

"Yes" we all mumbled.

Ellie undid their rugs and placed the boys on the doona between us and they
immediately started kicking their legs and wriggling around, enjoying being
unconfined.

When Ellie had disappeared, Lachlan asked, "She didn't say anything about
not taking their nappies off, did she?"

"Nope!" said Scotty.

"Then check this out, guys!" he laughed as he leaned forward and unsnapped
their nappies.  The minute they were bare, their tiny hands reached for
their penises and they gurgled as they pulled on their foreskins.

We chuckled as we watched them, fascinated by their instincts.  We were
still engrossed when Dot appeared in the room.

"You boys aren't getting the babies all worked up are you?" she asked
accusingly.

"No Mum!" giggled Scott.  "They're getting themselves all worked up!"

Dot leaned over to look at the twins and sighed.  "You boys were exactly
the same as babies.  Couldn't keep your hands off yourselves!"

"Nothing much has changed with Scotty!" Lachlan roared.

"Hey!" Scott objected.

Dot started, "Lachlan, you'd better put their nappies back on, before ...",
but it was too late.  With a look of undisguised relief on his face, little
Roddy (or was it Matty?) suddenly started pissing everywhere and we all had
to jump back to avoid being sprayed.

"Some more washing for the hired help," tutted George who'd suddenly
appeared, followed by a freshly showered Ellie who also tutted.

"Seriously Lachie," she sighed.  "You're supposed to be an adult!"

Lachlan pouted.  "They love it when their nappies are off, sweetheart," he
argued.  "Look at them.  They're so happy!"

"Men are always happy when they're bare from the waist down, you clown!"
she laughed as she scooped them up and whisked them back to the change
table in the room she shared with her husband.

"Dinner is less than 30 minutes away and you all need to be dressed,"
George announced as he reached out and pulled the doona off us.

I was suddenly aware Ty and I were naked in front of Dot and I almost
slipped a disc as I sat forward to cover myself.

Dorothy tittered.  "It's alright Michael!  It's not anything I haven't seen
before!"

As George swept from the room he snorted, "You're right Dorothy.  It looks
like what you've seen before, only smaller ..."

Despite my embarrassment, the old man once again made me laugh.  "Hey
George!" I called out.  "We don't require your services any more!"

"Thank you sir," he called back.  "I'll just scrape the roast lamb into the
bin and be on my way!"

The Hill brothers deprived of one of George's roasts?  It was on for young
and old, with the three of them ganging up on me and roughing me up on the
bed.  Even though I was suffering, I was pleased that when Simon appeared
in the doorway, Lachlan urged him to hop in and find a spot that wasn't
being tickled or slapped.

It was Dot who called a halt.  She'd been standing back, enjoying watching
her boys having fun, but she was only too aware of George's strict mealtime
regimen.  She clapped her hands sharply.  "That's enough, boys!"  she
instructed.  "Everybody up and dressed for dinner ... now!"

Everything stopped suddenly and the Hill boys all obediently got up.
Lachlan, Scott, and Simon filed out of the room as Ty started pulling on a
pair of jeans.

"In the kitchen in ten minutes, you two," she ordered as she turned to
leave.  "Tyson, make sure you're wearing underpants."

"Yes Mum," Ty grumbled as he dropped his jeans.

Somehow we all managed to be in the kitchen at seven and it was Lachlan who
suddenly asked, "where are Steve and Fran?"

"They're still in their room," Scott announced solemnly.  "I think Steve's
dying."

"What?" I coughed.

"Well, you know," Scott grinned.  "We walked past their room and Steve was
making all these dying sounds, like this," he added before he went into an
exaggerated verbal impersonation of a man in the throes of sexual ecstasy.

"Scott Hill!"

"Sorry Mum."

"That is so my brother!" I laughed.

"And so my sister!" Ellie grinned.

George clapped his hands and immediately had everyone's attention.  "Can
someone go and pry Romeo and Juliet apart?" he asked.  "The rest of you can
sit at the table.  Dorothy, will you do the gravy?"

Scott scurried off to rouse the rooters and Ellie poured wine for the
drinkers as we all took our places.  The meal was only just served when
Steve and Fran walked sheepishly into the room.

"Sorry, we, um, slept in," Steve offered.

"Yeah sure you did!" Lachlan piped up.

The couple was spared more embarrassment as the Hill brothers suddenly
started fighting for the choicest cuts of lamb and the biggest roast
potatoes.  There was almost a full-scale fist fight over who would get
first dibs at Dot's gravy.

The meal was a joy and as conversations and laughter flowed I sat back and
allowed myself to appreciate just how fortunate I was to be a part of this
beautiful family.  Ty, Lachlan, and Scott were relishing their meals, yet
every time I caught Lachlan's eye he'd wink at me.  Scott kept looking at
me and smiling, Steve was watching me with undisguised happiness and every
now again Ellie would rub her hand along my arm and squeeze.

Dessert was served and all eyes turned to Ty.  He made a goofy speech
thanking his Mum for introducing him to the joys of ice cream when he was
four and had tonsillitis, thus beginning his lifelong love affair with what
he called "survival food".

He quickly looked at the container from which George had served dessert.
"God bless Sara Lee!" he said, hands in prayer pose. "And God bless mummy
and daddy, and my brothers and their partners, and God bless my Mikey too.
He doesn't love ice cream as much as I do, but he's got a great ass, so
thanks be to You!"

"Tyson!"

"Sorry Mum!"

I might have been mistaken, but I thought I heard Frank chuckle.

The ice cream all disappeared, the kitchen got cleaned, and we all retired
to the lounge for a while.  I tried to find a moment to talk to Frank, but
I was swamped by Scott and Lachlan who were both intent on showing me how
glad they were to have me back in the mix.  The conversation turned to
everyone's plans for the following day, the start of the new working week.

I was surprised to learn that in my absence, Ty had persuaded everyone to
stay on at Point Piper while he toured so that they could catch his Sydney
concerts before they headed back to Stanthorpe.

Ty had tour rehearsals starting late Monday morning and he would be gone
for the rest of the day.  Lachlan and Ellie were taking their boys to the
clinic to have them weighed and were then going shopping for more clothes.
"They're growing so quickly," Ellie sighed.  "Nothing fits any more, except
the clothes Dot knitted."

Steve and Fran were also going shopping and had plans to meet up with
Lachlan and Ellie for lunch at Circular Quay.

We were left alone for a while with Scott and Simon and another surprise
was learning that they had decided to enroll together at Martin College in
Darlinghurst, both studying part-time for a Diploma of Graphic Design in
advertising and multimedia.

"I thought you were going to enroll at Toowoomba and live in Brisbane?" I
asked.

"We checked it out, but the course was fulltime and there was no multimedia
component," Simon said.

"That's great guys!" I grinned.  "So the food bill's suddenly gonna
skyrocket!"

Scott looked quickly at Ty.  "Ah, no," he said.  "We talked it over with Ty
and we thought it would be best if we got part-time jobs and found our own
place."

I looked at Ty.  "They know they're welcome to live here," he shrugged,
"but I get that they want to start being independent.  Besides, they'll be
here often enough around dinner time I reckon!"

"So where are you going to live?" I asked them both.  "Have you started
looking for work?"

"We want to be in the city," Simon said.  "We've just got to find a place
that's small enough so it won't be too expensive."

"We haven't found jobs yet," Scott continued, "but we thought maybe Si
would try and find work in a supermarket, because he's done that
before. Not sure what I'll do, but I'll find something."

I had a light bulb moment.  "I've got a thought," I said, looking at Ty.
"The place I was renting is a one- bedroom apartment in Castlereagh
Street. It's fully furnished and there's still a month to go on my lease.
The rent's been paid, so you could move in there and then take over the
lease next month?"

"That'd be ace!" Scott chirped.  "But you might have to wait until we've
got jobs before we can pay you back the rent ..."

"Nah, don't worry about it," I dismissed.  "Consider it a housewarming
present from Ty and me.  Speaking of jobs, there's a supermarket at street
level under the apartments and I noticed they had a sign in the window
advertising for casual staff."

"Hey, that would be cool!" Simon grinned.  "I'd only have to go downstairs
to work!"

"There's also a gym downstairs Scott," I added.  "They're looking for
part-time staff as well, I think. I got to know the manager when I was
going there.  I could have a word with him if you like?"

"Hey!  You're the best Mike!" Scott smirked.

"What do you reckon, mate?" I asked Ty, keen to make sure he was included
in the process.

"Great idea Mike!" he nodded.  "It gives them somewhere to live and maybe
jobs as well, and like I say, the boys can come here whenever they want."

When the others joined us in the lounge room again, an excited Scott filled
them in on this latest development and while Dot made it clear she was
still of the opinion that Scott and Simon would be better off closer to the
farm where she could keep an eye on them, she agreed that taking over my
lease was not necessarily a bad idea.

One by one, the family started drifting off to bed.  The lovebirds were the
first to fly -- Lachlan and Ellie, and Steve and Fran.  Scott and Simon
soon followed and Frank made a quick exit, leaving George in the kitchen
making preparations for breakfast and Dot on the couch furiously knitting
larger size jump suits for her cherished grandsons.

When Ty and I finished our wines, Ty moved and sat down next to Dot,
leaning in to kiss her cheek.  "Goodnight Mama," he said.

"Goodnight, dear," she replied, trying not to forget the next stitch.  As
Ty started walking to the bedroom, she added, "Congratulations on your
awards, Tyson.  Your Father and I are very proud of you."

That reminded me!  I jumped up and rummaged around on the computer desk.
Sitting next down to Dot, I handed her a big bundle of newspaper and
magazine articles.  "I bought all the papers for you!" I smiled.

Dot put her knitting in her lap and leafed through the clippings.  "Thank
you Michael," she beamed.  "I'm going to have to buy a new scrapbook.  I've
filled three of them now!"

She reached up and touched my cheek.  "You're a very thoughtful boy."

She continued flicking through the articles.  "My, don't the boys look
handsome?" she said.  "There's Tyson with all his awards.  And look!
There's Frank and me.  Crikey!  Frank told me I don't look big in that
purple dress, but I do!"

"You look beautiful, Dot," I assured her.  "There's another shot in there
somewhere of Ty giving you a kiss."

Dot continued to ooh and ahh at the images before resuming her knitting.

"I'm off to bed now Dot," I said, stifling a yawn.  "Speaking of Frank
though, is everything alright?"

"What do you mean dear?" Dot asked as her knitting needles clicked at a
furious pace.

"He just seems, well, quiet?"

"You know Frank, dear," Dot sighed.  "It takes him a while to get used to
things.  He certainly wasn't expecting to see you here!"

"Oh," I replied, surprised.  I wasn't quite sure how to respond, so I said
goodnight and headed for the bedroom.  Dot's words echoed in my ears as Ty
and I made love that night and as I drifted off to sleep ...

**********

Frank was still on my mind when I woke in the morning, stroking Ty's hair
as he slept with his head on my chest.  It bothered me greatly that Frank
might not be happy that Ty and I were trying to get our relationship back
on track.  I needed to find out why.

Our morning started much the same as every morning when the Hills were in
residence, with a bed full of brothers and a lot of mucking around.

Breakfast was buffet style and we all ate as we were ready.  Lachlan and
Ellie were leaving first to keep the twins' weigh-in appointment at the
clinic.  While Lachlan packed the car with all the accessories necessary
for leaving the house with small babies, Ellie walked into the kitchen
carrying two bassinets.  Roddy and Matty were both wide awake and before
the bassinets even reached the table they'd been scooped up by Uncle Scott
and Uncle Ty.

"Now don't get them all excited!" Ellie warned as her sons giggled and
gurgled.

"They always seem to be smiling and laughing," I remarked as I watched
Scott and Ty fuss over them.

"Yeah, they're pretty cruisy," Ellie agreed.  "They only ever grizzle when
they need changing or they're hungry."

"They're like their Daddy," Lachlan chuckled as he walked back into the
room.  "They get narky if they can't get to their Mummy's boobies when they
want them!"

"Lachlan Hill!"

"Oops, sorry Mum!  Didn't see you there!"

"Bye bye, Dot!" Ellie smiled as she kissed her mother-in-law's cheek.  "I'm
taking my three children out for the day!"

They'd no sooner left than Steve and Fran appeared to wish everyone a good
day before they too headed off to the city.  Scott and Simon were dressed
for job interviews when they turned up in the kitchen.  Scott worked his
way around the breakfast platters making sure no leftovers remained, while
I wrote down the address of the apartment and handed it to Simon, along
with the keys.

"I'll call Dean, the manager at the gym, as soon as it opens," I told
Scott.  "Then I'll call and let you know what time you can see him," I
said.

"Thanks Mike!" Scott enthused as he punched me on the arm.  "And thanks for
the apartment.  We'll have our own place!  Woo hoo!"  He gave his Mother a
hug before he and Simon left the house.  I was pouring a cup of coffee when
Ty burst into the kitchen looking flustered.

"I can never find anything in this house!" he groaned.

Close behind him was George who patiently asked, "What have you lost this
time?"

"I need my book of chords, for a start, and all my plectrums have
disappeared.  I wanted to wear my dark blue anorak but someone's taken it
..."

George made an exaggerated sigh and disappeared, returning a few moments
later with all the items Ty was stressing over.

"Where did you find them?" Ty asked, scratching his head.

"The chord book was on your desk in the music room, where it's always
been," George replied.  "The plectrums were in the box in the top drawer of
your desk, where they've been as long as you've lived here and,
surprisingly, the jacket was in your wardrobe where it's been since the
last time you wore it."

"Thanks George," Ty said sheepishly.  "How do you always know where
everything is?"

"I'll give you a tip, sir," George deadpanned.  "I open my eyes!"

Ty grabbed his keys, kissed me and then kissed his Mother before walking
through the lounge room to the front door.  Before it closed, I heard him
call "See ya Dad!"

The ARIA Awards had upset George's cleaning routine and with the weekend
out of the question, today was the day bed linen was being changed.  Under
instruction, I went to our room and stripped the bed, returning to hand
over sheets and pillowcases for washing.

George and Dot teamed up in the laundry while I returned to the kitchen to
hopefully pour a coffee and actually finish it.  It was then I noticed
Frank had settled at the balcony table to enjoy his tea and read the
morning newspaper.  This was the opportunity I needed.

I picked up my coffee and walked on to the balcony, sitting down opposite
Frank.  He looked up over his glasses and said "Morning Michael."

"G'day Frank," I replied.  "Looks like another nice day."

"It should be fine until mid-afternoon, but there's a chance of rain
later."

There was an awkward silence before I spoke.  "Frank, is everything OK?"

"Yes of course, son.  Why do you ask?"

"Not sure really," I shrugged.  "You've just been a bit, reserved since
I've been back here."

Frank sighed as he closed and folded his newspaper before taking off his
glasses and looking out to sea.

"Dot said she thought you were surprised to find me here?" I pressed on.

"I was," he replied.

"Can I ask why?"

Frank looked at me intently before he spoke.  "Because I didn't expect you
to be so forgiving again," he said.

I was surprised.  "What do you mean?"

"You haven't been treated very well by this family," he said thoughtfully.
"I was very judgmental of you when I found about you and Tyson, but you
forgave me for the unkind things I said.  I was very disappointed when I
found out what Tyson had done to you, because he certainly wasn't brought
up to behave that way ..."

I sighed with relief.  "I thought you were sorry to see me back!"

It was Frank's turn to be surprised.  "Why on earth would you think that?"

"I'm not really sure Frank.  I suppose I just want your approval."

Frank smiled.  "You've shown me the kind of man you are Michael," he said.
"I've just been shocked to find out that Tyson isn't really the man I
thought he was."

"Frank," I replied.  "Ty did the wrong thing and he knows he did.  It takes
a big man to admit he was wrong and do something to ensure it doesn't
happen again.  I hope you'll see the positives and not the negatives."

"It takes a bigger man to forgive, as you have Michael," he said knowingly.
"For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also
forgive you."

I grinned. "You want me to impress you, don't you?" I asked.

"I'm waiting!"

"Matthew 6!"

"Matthew 6:14 to be precise," he smirked.

"So we're good?"

"We're good," Frank nodded kindly.  "It's great you've come back."

***********

The week went quickly.  Ty spent three full days rehearsing with his band,
from morning until quite late, and he arrived home hungry and tired.  Each
night I waited to eat my meal with him and listening patiently as he talked
through the changes he was making to his set list for the concerts.  I made
one or two suggestions which seemed to solve problems for him and finally
he seemed settled on the way the two halves of his show would run.

Scott and Simon had both struck pay dirt.  Simon landed the supermarket
job, starting immediately and with enough hours for him to comfortably
cover most of the rent when the lease transferred to their joint names.
Scott had obviously impressed Dean and he had been offered a part-time job
at the gym, only with less hours and more of a juggle ahead when the boys
started their Uni course.

I spent a morning helping them move their belongings from Point Piper to
Castlereagh Street and treated them to a "buy whatever you need" trip to
the supermarket.  Given they were two young men who'd never really had to
fend for themselves, it was amusing to see what they considered
"necessities"!

Once they were settled I called Max and arranged to meet him for a late
lunch near the office.  I let him know I would be back at work the
following Monday -- the first date of Ty's tour -- and he came to lunch
carrying an armload of folders crammed with case notes for me to brush up
on.

I spent much of my spare time in Ty's music room getting my head around the
needs of the firm's clients in readiness for jumping back in at the deep
end after the weekend.  By Wednesday I felt up to speed and in need of a
spell outside the house.

I invited Dot and Frank to lunch and this time I chose The Star in Pyrmont,
knowing they would see value in the famous all-you-can-eat buffet.  They
had a choice of 130 hot and cold dishes, and Frank's eyes lit up when he
realised he could return again and again to the fresh seafood section.

Dot and I stuck with sensible salads and fresh fruit but Frank, like his
three sons, couldn't resist trying a bit of everything.  He was clearly
full to the gills after cheesecake and lemon tart, but he couldn't pass up
a profiterole.

"Your eyes are bigger than your belly, Frank!" Dot chastised as Frank held
his stomach.  "You'll probably get indigestion and keep me awake all
night."

"I'm fine Dorothy," Frank retorted.  "I'll just have a light tea."

"You won't have any tea at all," Dot replied.  "You've had more than enough
food for one day."

"I said I'm fine, Dorothy," Frank said tersely.  "When I say I'm fine, it
means I'm fine.  End of story."

Dot sighed and when I caught her eye, I winked.  I settled the bill and
once we were back in the car, I surprised them by detouring through the
city and pulling up outside the apartment block Scott and Simon were now
calling home.

"Why are we stopping here, Michael?" Dot asked.  "Do you have to pick
something up?"

"I thought you both might like to see Scott and Simon's place!" I smiled,
to surprise and gratitude all round.  I'd sent the boys a text from the
restaurant so they were expecting us.  As we made our way into the
building, I casually pointed out all the security features like the closed
circuit TV cameras and lift codes.

I knocked on the door of Apartment 1512 and an excited Scott answered
straight away.  "Come in guys!"  he beamed, holding the door open and
kissing his Mother as she walked inside.

Simon appeared to greet us and both boys looked at me expectantly,
wondering if I'd noticed how much effort they'd put into organising the
apartment since I'd helped deliver boxes earlier in the week.  I gave them
the thumbs up -- they'd done a great job.

In the lounge, I noticed one of them -- Simon presumably -- had gone to
the trouble of making crackers with cheese and tomato toppings, which were
sitting on the coffee table with plates of chocolate biscuits and slices of
fruit cake.  As we sat, Simon disappeared to the kitchen to pour cups of
tea while Scott filled us in on his first day's work at the gym, which was
basically an orientation course.

When Simon returned, he talked about his new job at the supermarket where
his past experience had seen him walk into a position as a supervisor.

Despite some disapproving glances from Dot, Frank helped himself to the
snacks on offer.  I distracted Dot by encouraging the boys to give her a
tour of the apartment.  When they returned to the lounge, I could tell Dot
was satisfied it was clean and safe, but that didn't stop her discourse on
safety in the big city, the need to pay bills on time, her wish that the
boys would drive sensibly; no smoking, no drinking and no partying.  It was
when she got to the bit about not eating foods that would constipate them
that I wound things up.

We thanked the boys for afternoon tea, said our goodbyes, and headed back
to Point Piper.  They told us there were still more things to be picked up
from the house and that they'd be back later to collect them.

"How much later?" I asked.

"I dunno," Scott smiled.  "Around dinner time, maybe?

"As if I didn't know!" I laughed.  "You may as well stay the night, eh?
Ty's leaving early for rehearsals in the city so he can drop you back at
the apartment in time for you to get to work."

"Done deal!" Scott beamed.

As we walked to the lifts, I said to Dot, "I've got a feeling we'll be
seeing those two quite a lot at the house!"

"Well I'm glad to hear it," Dot said.  "At least they'll get fed properly.
Otherwise they'll just eat cereal, sandwiches and ice cream."  That led to
Dot and Frank bickering all the way back to Point Piper about whether Scott
and Simon should be allowed to eat what they want.

At home we found Lachlan stretched out on a couch with his arms around his
two sleeping sons, who were lying along his torso.  We didn't speak as
Ellie stood up from her armchair, gently picked the boys up, and tiptoed
down the hallway to their waiting cot.

"Who's a proud Daddy?" I grinned at Lachlan.

"Mate, they're just the best little guys, fair dinkum!" he grinned back as
he stood and kissed his Mother.  "I could just watch them all day.  They
make me laugh.  Matty's a comedian and Roddy's gonna be the studious one!"

Frank chuckled.  "Your Mother and I thought Tyson would be a painter, you'd
be a salesman, and Scott would be a comedian," he said, "and look how wrong
we were!"

"Well, you weren't far off!" Lachlan responded.  "Ty went with the Arts, I
turned my extraordinary good looks into being a poster boy for the
Australian Army, and Scotty still makes you laugh!"

George appeared from the kitchen and announced that dinner would be ready
at seven.

"Nothing for Frank," Dot instructed.

"What were you planning George?" Frank asked, ignoring his wife.

"Nothing much, sir," George sighed.  "Just seafood crepes with cheese
sauce, sides of Caesar salad and scalloped potatoes, followed by chocolate
mousse."

"I'll just have a small serve," Frank relied, to a backdrop of Dot's
tut-tutting.

Steve and Fran arrived home from another day out and shortly after Scott
and Simon arrived, timing their entrance just as dinner was served.  I was
waiting to eat when Ty got home but, as always, it was fun to watch the way
food just evaporated when the Hills were gathered.

Ty arrived home tired but enthusiastic about the way his rehearsals were
going and as the two of us ate in the kitchen, he excitedly filled me in on
the finer details of the show.  It sounded great.  I ate a reheated version
of what George had prepared for dinner, but Ty stuck with his massive plate
of steamed greens, followed by fresh fruit.  I knew he was already starting
to protect his voice.

We briefly joined the family for a catch up but Ty was tired and we excused
ourselves early.  As we climbed under the covers we both knew that sex
wasn't on the radar.

As Ty turned to me I said, "You need your sleep, but I'm thinking if I give
you a really big kiss it might activate your salivary glands and that would
help your voice?"

He smirked.  "Can't hurt to try!"

We kissed and it was a good one.  Ty rolled me on to my back, settled
himself on my chest, and in less than two minutes, he was out for the
count.

**********

Even though it wasn't usual, Ty was awake when I woke and for a change, he
was watching me sleep.  "Hey mate!" he grinned as my eyes opened and
suddenly marshmallow-soft lips were pressed against mine.

I fought the temptation to close my eyes and go back to sleep.  "What time
is it?" I asked groggily.

"Ten to six."

"You never wake at ten to six."

"I know, but I can't sleep.  The tour's on my mind and there's a three-hour
break in rehearsals today because a couple of the band members have a
previously committed recording session."

"You can have a nap."

"I was thinking ..."

"That's not good ..."

"We could have our first session with the counsellor, if she's not booked
out."

"Shouldn't you be focussed on the tour?" I yawned.

"I'd like to make a start on this before the tour gets underway," Ty
explained.  "But if you don't want to ..."

I rolled over and opened my eyes.  "Mate, I'm really looking forward to us
working with Janet, but you've got a lot on your plate at the moment."

"This is more important than anything else Mike ..."

"Well I'm up for it if you are," I said.  Fuck I loved this guy.

Ty ran his hand down my chest, over my stomach and grabbed my dick.  "I can
see you're up for it," he grinned.

I laughed.  "That just means I have to piss!"

"Really?" he asked, as he squeezed.

I groaned.  "No, that's a lie."

"You wanna fool around?"

"I think I need to be kissed first ..."

Ty pulled me close and planted a long, dreamy kiss on my lips.  Then
another and then another.  It was only when he slid his hand down my body
and once again gripped my manhood that I had to confess, "I actually do
need to piss!"  I slid out of Ty's grip and padded to the bathroom after
instructing him not to go anywhere!

I was just heading back to bed when the door opened and Lachlan stuck his
head in.  "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" he asked with a grin,
taking in the not-so flaccid state of my penis.

"Yes, as a matter of fact you are," grumbled Ty.

"Too bad!" Lachlan shot back as he sauntered into the room.

"Can't you go wake Ellie up or something?" Ty asked testily.

"Nah," Lachlan laughed.  "Just like when we're at the farm, she was woken
by a cock at daybreak this morning and now she's in a blissful sleep!
She'd clobber me if I woke her again!"

I slipped under the covers, moved closer to Ty, and lifted the doona for
Lachlan.  "Don't mind if I do!" he grinned, as he slid in next to me.

Ty sighed, propped himself up against his pillow and folded his arms.
Lachlan turned on his side, leaned across me and kissed his brother on the
cheek.  "Sorry mate!" he smirked.  "I was wide awake and I just wanted some
company!"

"You and Scotty are no good for my sex life!" Ty chuckled.  "Reckon I'm
gonna have to put a lock on our door!"

"Scotty'll just pick it!" Lachlan cackled.

"You guys talking about me?" Scott asked as he walked into the room,
stretching his arms and yawning.

"Oh great, here's the other one!" sighed Ty.  "What are you doing up at
this hour?"

"I was woken by the mattress squeaking from Lachie's room!" he giggled.
"Seriously Lach, you need to be on medication!"

"I read that sex is the equivalent of running 75 kilometres!" Lachlan
announced.  "No wonder I'm so damn fit!"

George suddenly appeared in the doorway.  "I believe that sex three times a
week for a year is the equivalent of running 75ks, Lachlan," he corrected.
"Let's not tamper with the facts!"

"Hey, George!" Scott piped up.  "Can we have breakfast now?"

"No, Scott," George smiled.  "Breakfast is at 8:00."

"I'll starve to death if I have to wait that long," Scott whined, making
puppy dog eyes at George.

"Here," said George as he tossed Scott a dog biscuit.  "It was for Scruffy,
but I'm sure he'll understand."

As George turned to leave the room, Scott looked at me and whispered
loudly, "He hates me!"

"He doesn't hate you, mate," I assured him.  "He gave you a biscuit."

"Can I get into bed too?"

"Sorry, no room on this side mate," I replied.  "Marathon Man beat you to
it."

"Ty?"

Ty groaned.  "All right!" he sighed.  "But no farting."

"You should value every precious moment you have with me now Ty," Scott
grumped as he jumped in next to Ty.  "I have my own place now you know."

"Yeah," Ty smirked.  "You've moved out, but today you're ... where?"

George walked back in to announce that as the rest of the household seemed
to be waking early, breakfast would now be served at 7:45a.m. sharp."

"Yay!" said Scott, punching the air.

Ty put his arms around his youngest brother and pulled him in for a cuddle.
"You know what?  I will miss you when you not here, asshole!  We all will."

"Not me," quipped George as he swept from the room.  "I hate him!"

**********

After breakfast Ty returned from his music room to tell me that he'd called
Janet and that today was her day off, but because she knew Ty was about to
go off on tour, she offered to see us at 1:00p.m.

"You want me pick you up?" I asked.

"Nah, it's out of your way," Ty frowned.  "I'll meet you there."

Ty called a five minute warning to Scott and Simon to be ready to leave,
before stuffing the things he needed for the day into his backpack.  Ready
to go, he turned and put his hands on both sides of my face.  "I love you,
mate," he said.  "You've gotta know that?"

"I know," I pouted between squashed cheeks.

"I wish I didn't have rehearsals.  I'd much rather stay home and get really
dirty with you ..."

I smiled across his shoulder and when he turned, he saw Scott and Simon
behind him looking bemused.

"That's sounds really disgusting coming from someone as old as you, Ty,"
Scott said.

"You two wanna walk to the city?" Ty asked.

Scott shook his head.  "We love you Ty," he said quickly.  "You're the
greatest."

He and Simon scampered to the car as Ty left the room to say goodbye to the
rest of the household.  He caught me on the rebound and this time I kissed
him.

"I'll see you later," I said as he stepped outside to face his day.

Steve and Fran left not long after, taking Dot and Frank with them for a
visit to the city.  Steve and Fran had more shopping to do and Dot and
Frank were looking forward to a day of walking around the fancy stores,
complaining about the absurd cost of things.

Lachlan and Ellie disappeared to their room, official excuse being that
Ellie wasn't feeling great.  Attending to the needs of two babies was
tiring and she wanted to snooze while the boys were sleeping.  Lachlan, I
gather, was with her for moral support although I wondered why, before he
closed their door, he'd stripped down to his underwear.

The house was suddenly quiet and George stuck his head around the door.
"I've made us some coffee, sir," he said.  "I've used the good beans!"

I took Scruffy for a walk on the beach and with time to kill before meeting
Ty after lunch, I checked my emails.  I answered separate messages from Mum
and Dad; Mum was wondering whether my `famous boyfriend' might consider
singing at a fundraising luncheon she was organising in Melbourne later in
the year, while Dad just wanted to check how I was doing.

There were several mails from Max, updating me on client issues and what
was happening at the office.  One of them alerted me to a pro bono case the
firm was taking on that he thought might be of interest to me.  It was
representing a struggling music school for unemployed kids in Palm Beach.
Four young musicians with social consciences had started the school,
scraping together the monthly rental of a seriously run down property that
neighbours were now complaining about.  The local residents had found out
that some of the kids had been in trouble with the law and they wanted the
council to "get rid of the riff raff" and shut down the "drug den".

Max certainly knew what pushed my buttons!  I was incensed straight away
that enterprise was being thwarted by high earners in a posh suburb, the
types of people who donate generously and publicly to help the less
fortunate, yet baulk when the less fortunate move into their
neighbourhoods.  The case notes Max forwarded convinced me that the motive
of the musicians was pure and that they had gone to great lengths to ensure
their `space' was a drug-free environment where kids with problems would be
welcomed to come and enjoy the simple pleasure of making music ... or to
"shoot the shit" with someone who gave a shit.

I was looking forward to getting back to work just to be able to get my
teeth into something so worthwhile.  These people needed a voice, someone
to walk in and say to them `OK, this is how we can make it work'.  I felt
proud to be part of a firm that was prepared to provide free legal
assistance for those who had the will but not the means to make a
difference.  No doubt it was Max who'd enabled it.

I stewed on it for much of the morning, until George tempted me out to the
balcony for a `submarine', a toasted baguette with olive oil, grilled
eggplant, roasted capsicum, avocado and melted cheese.  Served with
lemonade!

I had just blurted out the whole social injustice case I'd been handballed
when George gave me a 12:45 time check.  I had enough time to kiss him on
the top of his head, grab my keys and head to Kensington for our
appointment with Janet.

We pulled up at the same time and the happiness in Ty's face buoyed me.  I
knew how much we wanted this to work: so did I.  I knew, too, that it was
going to work.  I felt it every morning when I woke with Ty's head on my
chest.

Janet greeted us at the door and gave us both a hug. Five minutes later we
were sitting with her in her living room, drinking tea.

"I'm happy to be able to sit here and see you both together," she smiled.

"Yeah, we wanna get back to where we were, real quick," Ty grinned.
"Thanks for seeing us on your day off."

"You've both got a lot on your plates at the moment," Janet said.  "You're
about to tour the country Tyson, and Mike's about to go back to work.  Do
you feel you can focus on your relationship?"

"I can't go off on tour until I know that things are gonna be alright with
him and me," Ty replied.  "Mike I mean!"

"Mike?"

"Well I don't want Ty going off on tour worried about us, so it's good that
we can start the process together now and build on it when he gets back."

"Good!" Janet said.  "Today we're going to talk about transformation
learning, which will help you both by changing some of your frames of
reference."

Ty and I looked at each other.  "What did she say?" Ty asked.

I shrugged and Janet laughed.  "OK!" she said.  "We're just gonna talk!  I
must say you both seem relaxed and connected with each other.  How are you
both feeling?"

So began an hour's conversation in which Janet touched on whether we
understood each other's points of view, whether we ever tried to `walk in
each other's shoes', what being apart had taught us and how we were feeling
about being a `couple'.

Janet went on to explain that the process of transformation includes
action, reflection, application, and integration.  Our challenge was to
apply new ways of living together to make us stronger together than
separately and to integrate that transformation into our daily lives with
harmony.

She cited, as an example, my decision to stay home from the ARIAs and
encouraged Ty to share his feelings about that decision.

Ty looked at me before answering.  "At first I was disappointed," he said
hesitantly.  "I wanted Mike by my side.  After I thought about it, I
understood his reluctance to create a media circus.  His being there would
have taken the attention away from the awards, so once again he was being
thoughtful and considerate."

Janet looked at me.  "There was that," I nodded, "and I also needed some
time alone to prepare myself for being back at home and working with Ty on
`us'."

"How do you feel about the fact that you've just started this renewal
process, just as Ty is about to go away for three weeks without you?"

"I've always understood Ty's career and what it involves," I replied
confidently.  "I miss him when he's away, but this is how he makes his
living.  I know how much he wants to share his music with people and how
much his fans want to see him and be part of that sharing."

Janet smiled.  "You boys have made good progress in a very short time.  I'd
like to conclude today's get together by encouraging you to think of
something you can work on together, to balance your shared interests with
your separate interests."

"You mean like a project?" Ty asked.

"Yes, something that you can do together that will pool your individual
interests and talents."

"We could write a song together!" Ty grinned.

I laughed.  "Mate, I'm a lawyer!" I said.  "I have no musical ability at
all!"

"That's true!" Ty giggled.

"Mike?" Janet asked.  "Is there anything you can think of that could
involve you both in a creative way and make use of your particular skills?"

I thought for a few moments.  "Well," I ventured.  "There is something I
was going to mention to Ty ..."

I went on to tell Ty about the pro bono case I'd been assigned.  He was
initially incensed by the unfairness of it all, but then he started to
think about how he could help me.  Janet sat back in her armchair while Ty
and I tossed around ideas and possible courses of action for almost an
hour.  I was reminded of how prepared Ty always was to use his talent to
help people in need.

We only stopped our lively discussion when Janet reminded Ty that it was
time for him to get back to his rehearsals.  Somehow, three hours had
managed to slip by.  We thanked Janet for what she has helping us achieve,
and for giving up part of her day off to see us.

She gave us each a hug, and encouraged us to keep focussed on our life as a
couple.  She wished Ty well for his tour and reminded me that if I had any
questions, or just wanted to talk, she was just a phone call away.

"She's ace, eh?" Ty asked as we walked down the garden path.

"I really like her," I smiled. "She's good for us."

Ty and I had parked opposite one another but he walked me to my car.  As I
opened the door and went to climb in he kissed me, in broad daylight.  No
quick peck, either.  It was a pash.  When he pulled back, he took in the
surprised look on my face.

"Don't have to worry about that anymore!" he grinned.  "I've told the world
I like kissing guys and all I'm doing is kissing the guy I love."

Sitting behind the wheel, I laughed.  "Did you think about paparazzi?"

"Yeah," he nodded.  "If they're around, I hope they were shooting the kiss
from my right side.  It's my best angle!"

"I think I'll tell George I'll cook for you tonight," I pondered.
"Anything you fancy?"

"You," he smirked, "and I want you served hot!"

"I was thinking Beef Wellington?"

"Sounds yum, but I'm trying to stick to `voice' food ..."

"Got it!  Leave it with me."

I started my car and headed off in the direction of Point Piper while Ty
turned and drove back to the studio to continue rehearsing with his band.

***********

Dot and Frank were in a happy place when I got home.  In a city street,
they'd found a store that was acting as a temporary clearance house and Dot
had bought bales of wool at ridiculously low prices, so the twins were
guaranteed of jumpsuits, beanies and booties until at least their first
birthday.  Frank had picked up some tools "dirt cheap" and had also dragged
Dot into a book clearance store where I suspect he'd done a lot of advance
birthday shopping.

Lachlan and Ellie were home too and according to Dot, Ellie was still very
"tired" and Lachlan was keeping an eye on the boys while his wife slept.

George and I talked about the evening meal and agreed that he would cook
steaks, potatoes, and salad for the family and I would make `voice food'
for Ty and me later in the night.

Once again I grazed on antipasto while the Hills inhaled the meal George
had prepared.  Steve and Fran had still not arrived home, so it was Frank's
"stomach clock" that had determined when the food would be served.

Ty was home around 9:00p.m. and I happily served him a wok-fried green
vegetable medley followed by a stewed fruit compote and a glass of freshly
squeezed grape juice.  As we ate, he talked incessantly about the Palm
Beach music school and the brick wall the organisers were facing.

"What are we gonna do about it?" he asked eagerly.

"Well, I was thinking of calling a public meeting," I replied.  "That shows
willingness on the part of the organisers to listen to the concerns of
residents and it might throw off the detractors a bit.  It also gives me a
chance to catalogue the attitudes so I know what I might have to deal
with."

"Can you organise it for about a month from now, when the tour's over?"

"Why?"

"So I can speak at the meeting."

"As you?"

"Well, it's harder to turn up to things these days and not be `me'" Ty
grinned.

"You'd do that?"

"Of course!  I'd do it for the principle.  Four people are trying to do
something amazing here and they're being hindered at every turn.  I want to
encourage them."

"Mate, that would carry a lot of weight," I enthused.  "Leave it with me.
I'll do some investigating while you're away."

"Maybe don't mention my name yet," Ty cautioned.  "It might be best to keep
me up your sleeve, if you know what I mean?"

"I agree.  You can be my secret weapon!"

"I've got a secret weapon I'd like you to detonate tonight ..." Ty began,
as his face broke into a grin, but we were interrupted when George appeared
in the kitchen to make a quick meal for Steve and Fran, who'd just returned
home.

We headed for the lounge where the family was spread out on couches in
front of the TV.

"You guys are late!" I said to my brother and his girl.

"Yeah, we did the Sydney Harbour Bridge climb!" Steve smirked.

"Yeah?" Scott asked.  "You've gotta be careful.  That's a well known thing
that guys do when they want to propose!"

There was a moment where Steve and Fran just looked at one another and
smiled before Fran held her left hand up and showed off an impressive
solitaire diamond.

Ellie squealed, Lachlan leapt to his feet and I stayed rooted to the spot
as Steve and I locked eyes.

"You're getting married mate?" I asked, stunned.

He nodded.  "You bet I am!" he grinned.  "I found the perfect girl!"

There was much whooping and hollering as George busied himself organising
champagne and glasses so we could all toast the happy couple.

It was hard to take in; my little brother, the confirmed bachelor, was
getting married!

It was the first of two surprises ...

**********

Always happy to have your feedback.  marcusis32@live.com.au