Date: Mon, 18 Jul 2016 09:53:38 -0500
From: spiritofwolves2001@gmail.com
Subject: My Dad And Me: part 14

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All people and places in this story are fiction. This is just a story I've
been wanting to write.

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My Dad And Me: part 14

Over the next few weeks, dad and Randy were busy getting the mall built,
one coming to the restaurant each day, helping Jeremy and I run
it. Business was growing, so we had talked about getting a little help.

Dad had brought up maybe some temp help for when our weddings came and our
honeymoons. I had been thinking, we don't need to travel far from home like
we had planned. And maybe dad and Randy going on their honeymoon alone may
be a better thing so they can have their own alone time, same for Jeremy
and I, and there would be someone to run the restaurant when the others
were away.

Randy came from the site today to help at the restaurant. He immediately
jumped in to help cook. "Randy, I have a question for you." "Sure, Jay," he
said. "Well, with the restaurant up and going, I was wondering how we would
all go on the honeymoon together. I mean, you and dad will be leaving Danny
in charge, with Rex to help. Who are we gonna have here when it's our turn
to go? So I was thinking, what would you say if it was you and dad to go
first and then Jeremy and I after? And why go so far from home? There are
plenty of beautiful camping places here. And the lake house as well."

Randy smiled at me and said, "Always thinking just like me. I was wondering
the same thing. I brought it up to Rick, but we didn't really discuss it
much because of this place and Dan coming in. But he seemed to think the
same way. When he gets here this evening, we will talk about it."

So we spent the next few hours busy. Dad, Chad, Danny and Rex showed up
shortly after 6pm. Brendon showed up around 1 that afternoon since he had
some appointments that morning. We got slammed for dinner.

We were busy, but we hadn't gotten far behind. Chad was a big help, he was
a great waiter and he made good tips. Jeremy was pretty good at it
also. Dad helped make sure people got seated and tables were getting
cleaned, as did Rex. These guys amazed me at how willing they were to help
after a hard day at work.

Finally we started shutting down the kitchen and getting things cleaned
up. Around 9:45 the last customers left and said they would be back.

Dad came back to check on us and we were good. Randy motioned dad to come
over to us and Jeremy was called back there too. Randy looked at them and
said, "Jay and I got to talking earlier. He asked how we would run this
place while we all were on our honeymoon. Good point. So, babe, why don't
you and I go first and then they go when we get back? We would all get our
alone time and still be able to keep this place open." Jeremy smiled at me
and said, "I had been thinking about that myself. I was gonna suggest we go
to the lake house instead of camping. Stay close to home." Rick said,
"Yeah, we don't need to travel that far either. Let's just do the lake
house also. So we can do that."

So now that we had it figured out what we would do, we finished the
cleaning and counting of the drawer and locked up. Did the bank drop and we
headed for home, but my mind was wondering.

We showered and went to bed. I had a hard time falling asleep that night. I
was wondering if dad and Randy felt bad about the restaurant and it
preventing us from going camping for our honeymoons, and if they were mad
at me. I kept thinking about it and finally, I got up quietly and went to
the living room. I didn't want to wake any of them up.

I decided to work on some more recipes for the daily specials, and that
took my mind off the honeymoon issue. I didn't realize how long I'd been
working on them until Jeremy came downstairs to find me. "Babe, why aren't
you asleep?," he asked. "I couldn't get to sleep. Too much on my mind, so I
decided to come work on some recipes for the daily specials." Jeremy looked
at me with a questioning look and asked, "What's on your mind?"

I explained to him what I had been thinking about, how I felt. He held my
hand and said, "Babe, if our dads were upset about that, they would have
said no to your suggestion. Randy even said he had been thinking about that
as well. I don't think for one second, they are upset at you, or me, for
that matter, about this. So don't worry about that."

Just then dad and Randy came down and found us and asked what we were
doing. Jeremy explained it to them, and dad came to hug me and said, "Son,
we are in no way upset. Randy and I had discussed it ourselves. We could
have postponed the opening but we didn't. This is your dream, and we wanted
a hand in it. We aren't upset about anything. We love you both, your our
sons to love and take care of." I let a few tears fall. I don't know why,
but I had felt like the weight of the world was on me. And now I didn't. I
just cried.

Randy and Jeremy came to hold me with dad. I just felt like something
snapped. Maybe it was the fact I didn't cry when Jeremy's parents and
sister passed away, or when Randy's wife died. I felt like I needed to be
strong for everyone. Stress, life, it all gets to be too much sometimes,
and this was one of those times.

I think I cried for an hour, it seemed. Dad kissed my forehead and asked,
"Are you ok?" I said, "Yeah. I'm sorry, guys. I don't know why I broke like
that." Jeremy knew, and said, "It's because you've been strong this entire
year with everything that's happened. I could see it." Randy agreed,
saying, "I was wondering when you were gonna let it all out. You've been
strong for all of us." "I know. But still, I'm sorry." Dad said, "Stop
apologizing. You can only take so much before you break. You worrying about
us being upset was your breaking point."

I felt drained and ready to sleep. So we all went back to bed and dad and
Randy let me and Jeremy have one side and they took the other. Jeremy held
me close, kissed my cheek and said he loved me. I went to sleep on his
chest like I loved to, and slept good after.

Dad and Randy woke up before the alarm went off the next morning and turned
it off. They woke Jeremy gently, to tell him let me sleep. They would run
the restaurant this morning and that we could come in after I woke up.

I woke around noon and I was in a panic about being late and thinking dad
and Randy were gonna think I'm so irresponsible. Jeremy was coming to see
me when I flew out of the room to the shower. "Hey, slow down babe." I
practically yelled, "I'm so late, they are gonna yell at me." Jeremy
grabbed my arms and said, "Stop and listen! They said to let you sleep till
you woke up. They are there for us right now. Brendon is also. It's ok,
calm down."

I started breathing again. I seriously felt off the last few days. Last
time I felt off like this, was when grandpa passed away. I was gonna talk
to dad about that.

I showered and we got to the restaurant around 1pm. Dad smiled at me when
we walked in. "So, do you feel better?," he asked. "Not really. I feel
off. Remember me telling you how I felt before grandpa died?" Dad shook his
head yes. "Well, I feel that way again. I don't know why." Dad hugged me
and said, "Don't worry, Jay. We all have moments we feel off. Heck, I do
all the time. But you just go with the flow when you do. And I bet it has
to do with what you've had to deal with this last year. You are just
stressed, but it'll get better." I hugged dad and thanked him for listening
and talking to me.

I went to the kitchen to get started, and Randy was there and hugged me
when I walked in. He asked how I felt and I told him what I told dad. He
said, "We all have moments like that, son. You just go with it. Worrying
about it, or why you feel that way, doesn't help. Sometimes you know why
you feel off and other times you don't. You will be ok. And you know why
you feel off. Everything you've had to deal with this last year."  I hugged
him again and thanked him for listening and talking with me.

We spent the rest of the evening talking and he even got me to
laughing. Dad came back to help get some orders cooked up so we didn't get
behind. I felt better after that. Dad and Randy were my rocks, Jeremy's as
well.

We had a busy night. I think our dinner time was more hectic then lunch. I
was gonna start marinating some chicken for tomorrow, dad had already
gotten the roasts marinating. The chicken was the lunch special and the
roast was our dinner special. Marinated chicken breasts with some diced
tomato and bell pepper and onion, grilled, and some roasted garlic mashed
potatoes and a veggie. And the roast was gonna slow cook all night and
through lunch tomorrow and be pulled apart on top of some toast with home
made gravy from the drippings, and roasted garlic mashed potatoes as well,
with a veggie.

When closing time came, I was ready. I still felt drained. We cleaned up,
Randy and I made sure everything was off in the kitchen and the dishes put
up. Dad and Jeremy cleaned the dining area and dad counted the money. He
was showing Jeremy how to do that. We made the bank drop and headed home.

When we got home, dad made his home made hot chocolate for us, and we sat
at the table and talked about the next month. The weddings were coming up,
and I was gonna be 18 in August, Jeremy was turning 18 in June. Dad asked
us, "Do you boys want to wait until Jay is 18?" Jeremy looked at me and
said, "If he does, I'm fine with that. If he doesn't, I'm fine with that
too. I won't be mad if you want to wait babe." I smiled at Jeremy and said,
"Well, if we wait till I'm 18, no parental permission is needed. Which dad
would give easily. But, you sure you won't be mad if we wait till August?"
Jeremy hugged me and said, "I love you, Jay. I swear I'm fine with
waiting. You are who I want to be with for the rest of my life. And we have
time to plan this wedding . Our dads can have their own wedding and we can
have ours."

Dad and Randy hugged us and said, "That's fine with us." And I was already
feeling better anyway. No one was mad at me for the suggestion of the
honeymoons being done closer to home. And Jeremy was ok with waiting and us
planning our own wedding. When we went to bed, I felt so much better and I
slept so good that night. I was so tired I didn't even wake up to anyone
getting up to use the bathroom.
-------------------------------------------------

The next month flew by. Jeremy's birthday came and we had the party at the
restaurant. We put a sign up saying early closing on June 14th, closing at
4pm. That way we had 2 hours to get everything cleaned up, and what
decorations we had to put up. Plus I was able to get his cake made. I found
a recipe for a chocolate peanut butter cake with cream cheese swirled in it
and I knew he would love that. And I made a peanut butter cream cheese
icing to go over it. Jeremy loved peanut butter, so I knew this was the
right cake.

Randy was at the site today, but would be here by 6 and Rex, Chad and Danny
were coming with him. The party was set to start at 6:30.

I just got the cake done and was letting it cool before I put the icing on
it. Jeremy was helping dad and Brendon set up the decorations and I could
hear them laughing. It was 5:45. The cake would be ready in time.

Randy, Rex, Danny and Chad showed up. Rex and Brendon shared a kiss, as did
dad and Randy. I was so happy with everyone here. Jeremy didn't want a big
party. He didn't even invite anyone from school. He said the circle of
friends we had there now, was all he wanted to be there at the party.

So we started a bit early. Randy was helping me make some grilled burgers
and we had some chicken breasts cooking as well. Dad made potato salad, and
baked beans. I made a cucumber, tomato and onion salad. When everything was
cooked, they took it out to the tables and I put the icing on the cake and
wrote on it, "Happy Birthday, Jeremy. We Love You!"

We all ate, gave Jeremy his gifts and watched him open them. Rex and
Brendon got him a brand new leather wallet. Dad and Randy got him a couple
cd's he wanted and I got him a framed photo of he and I for our wall and a
wallet size for his new wallet, plus another gift at home. Danny and Chad
got him a phone holder for the dash of his car and a air freshener. He said
he didn't really want much, he already had what he wanted.

"Jay, come over here please," he said to me. I looked at him with a puzzled
look on my face. He just smiled and said, "Just bring your sexy butt over
here." I laughed at him and went to stand in front of him. He grabbed my
hand and said, "I finally was able to save enough to get this for you." He
pulled out a box and opened it. It was a good wedding band. "I know we
haven't married yet, but I want you to wear this." He dropped to one knee,
slid the ring on my left ring finger and said, "I love you and can't wait
for you to marry me!"

He stood up and I hugged him and kissed him. The others cheered and took
turns hugging us. When everything settled down, I went and got his
cake. Dad grabbed the ice cream, Randy cut the cake and served it. Everyone
loved the cake, especially Jeremy. He kissed me and said, "Babe, this cake
is awesome! One of my favorites you make." Everyone else agreed it was
good.

We sat and talked and joked, half decently sang songs and had fun. Around
10, we cleaned up and took the decorations down and stored them in the
back.

We ended up going home and showering. We told Jeremy to stay upstairs till
we told him to come down. We set up what we got him for his birthday, a
brand new flat screen TV. We told him to come down and his grew big. He was
so happy, he loved it. We let him pick the movie he wanted to watch and we
sat and watched it. The picture was awesome and he was happy. A 60" tv.

"Thank you all! I love it!," was all he could say. We hugged him. When the
movie was done, we went to bed. In 1 week it was dad and Randy's wedding
day.

I was getting nervous and excited about it. I wanted everything to be
perfect for that day. I wanted dad and Randy to have a smooth, perfect
wedding. They were the cutest couple. The way they kissed, whispered things
to each other, smiled at each other. You could see the love in their eyes
for one another. They would rub the others back or shoulder when they'd
walk by. Just pure, genuine love. It was sweet to see. Jeremy and I did the
same things. Dad and Randy always commented on it, saying we were the
perfect couple too.

And what I find even more funny, dad and Randy can't have a real fight. One
of them always makes jokes about it and ends up laughing and they kiss and
make up, and work out the issue. It's funny how they do that.

I was getting more sleepy as I kept thinking about things. I ended up going
to sleep, looking forward to the week coming up. I was next to dad tonight
so I snuggled up closer to him, which caused Jeremy and Randy to snuggle up
closer to me and dad and I drifted off to sleep, wrapped in the arms of the
men I loved.

Be watching for chapter 15!