Date: Thu, 10 May 2012 22:06:01 -0400
From: crazy4u <rnielsen47@gmail.com>
Subject: The Lernier Family Chapter 14, GM Relationships

Comments on the story are appreciated and may be addressed to the author,
Russ Nielsen (rnielsen47@gmail.com) To read more of my stories, you can
find them at my story site - http://www.saskboystories.blogspot.com/

All the usual disclaimers apply. This is a work of pure fiction. Any
similarities to persons living or dead are coincidental. If it is illegal
to read this where you live, don't read it. If you are under legal age
where you live, don't read it.

This story contains descriptions of consensual sexual contact between adult
males. Passing through Nifty's main page to get here is your way of saying
it is legal for you to be reading it.

*** ***

Chapter Fourteen -- Joshua

This was Memorial Day weekend and we had invited a bunch of our friends
over for a day of boating and then a cookout in our backyard, hopefully
with lots of fresh fish!   As I worked in the kitchen with the rest of the
guys, I thought back over our preparations for this holiday weekend.

*** ***

We had sat down with Zach and Todd to draw up a list of friends to invite
over when the four boys entered the room.  Cameron's purposeful walk and
the look on his determined face signaled that he had been elected the boys'
spokesman.

When the boys had lined up in front of us, Cameron asked in his most grown
up voice, "May we invite some of our friends, too?"

"Yeah," Skye declared, also in a serious tone of voice, "We want to make
sure you invite someone over for us to play with and not just big people."

Zach and Todd looked at each other and then across the kitchen table at me
and Rick.  I shrugged my shoulders and said, "It's okay with me."

Rick laughed, "Okay, boys, who do you want to invite?"

Cameron immediately spoke up, "We want Kyle, David, and Ashley to come over
with their grandma."

Joshua, not to be outdone by Cameron, said, "JJ and I want Nana and the
General to come.  We like riding with the General on his motorized
wheelchair."

Skye said, "May we invite some of our teammates over as well?"

Zach thought for a moment, "Okay, but it will have to be one for each of
you.  Otherwise, we won't all fit on the sailboats."

Cameron and Skye conferred with each other before Skye said, "We want to
invite Trevor and Jimmy."

Todd smiled, "I think that would be a good idea.  We know their parents
pretty well since we have been coaching the boys' soccer team for a couple
of years now.  Trevor is an only child and Jimmy has a younger brother,
Connor, who is about JJ and Josh's age.  They have been very accepting of
me and Zach as gay parents so I think they will make a nice addition to our
guest list."

I asked, "Josh, do you want to call Nana and ask her if she wants to come
over with the General?"

Josh nodded his head in the affirmative.  I pulled out my cell phone and
hit the speed dial and handed the phone to Joshua.  He said, "Hello, Nana,
this is Joshua."

"Hello, Joshua," Mrs. Campbell answered.  She covered the mouthpiece and
said to the General, "It's Joshua."

The General grinned, "I wondered if we weren't going to hear from the boys
about some sailing this coming weekend."

Joshua said, "We want to invite you and the General to go boating with us
this weekend."

"I think that would be lovely.  Tell your Dads that we will be there,"
Mrs. Campbell said.

Josh handed the phone back to me and said, "Nana says they will be here."

I spoke into the phone, "Hello."

"Good morning, Glenn.  We will be over early Monday morning.  You know how
the General likes to get an early start when he goes out on the boat,"
Mrs. Campbell said.

I laughed, "Yes, we do know how the General likes to do things.  We will be
ready.  Don't worry about bringing anything.  Just make sure to bring the
General."

"I can do that.  We will see you boys in a few days," Mrs. Campbell said.

I cut the connection and then we called to make sure Kyle, David and Ashley
could come.  Their grandmother said that they would be happy to spend the
holiday on our boat.  Zach and Todd made their phone calls as well.  Soon
we had the boys' invitations issued and had confirmed that our friends
would be coming with us.

We also decided to invite Jamie, Eddie, Scott and Alonzo.  The two couples
were making steady progress towards forming what looked like stable, loving
relationships.  I was amazed at how quickly Alonzo and Scott had bonded.
They seemed like they were made for each other.  Rick accuses me of being a
matchmaker and this time I am proud to say I did a good job matching up two
my dear friends.

*** ***

Todd asked, "Do you think that the guys will get engaged this weekend?"

"I think that Scott is going to pop the question to Alonzo because he asked
me last week if I knew of a reputable jeweler," Rick said smiling.

I nodded my head and added, "Alonzo asked to see our wedding photos and
kept asking questions about the reception center and how much we had spent
on our wedding.  He was very interested in what was needed to get a
marriage license in Ontario."

Zach laughed, "Did you tell him to visit the city government's web site?"

"I did and I even went on-line and downloaded the application form for
him," I said.

"It sounds like they are pretty serious about it then," Todd said.  "What
about Eddie and Jamie?"

"I think they are already engaged but haven't made it official, yet," I
said.  Seeing the look of surprise on the guys' faces, I elaborated, "I
overheard Eddie talking about their wedding plans yesterday with Jamie.
When they saw me coming down the stairs they suddenly stop talking so I am
sure they haven't announced it to anyone."

"I am glad that they have found each other," Rick said.  "They are all
great guys and deserve to be happy."

Rick and I finished cooking breakfast while Todd and Zach finished making
lunch for us and our guests and packed it into several coolers to be loaded
on the boats.  With the table set for breakfast, we went upstairs to wake
the boys and get them ready for the day.  Zach and Todd turned into Cameron
and Skye's room while we went into the twins' bedroom.

I love living next door to Zach and Todd.  We live like members of an
extended family instead of being just good neighbors.  They have rooms at
our house so they stay with us any time they want and we have rooms at
their house.  Mostly, I am glad that the children have the benefit of being
raised by four parents instead of two.  Fortunately, all four of us have
very similar ideas about raising children so we have had minimal
differences of opinion.

We walked into the boys' room.  Rick flipped on the light and said, "Good
morning boys.  It's time to get up."

"Breakfast is waiting for you.  We made your favorite pancakes with
chocolate chips, scrambled eggs and link sausages," I said grinning at Josh
who stretched and yawned widely.

"Do we have to get up?" JJ asked as Rick picked him up.  JJ automatically
placed his arms around his Dad's neck and snuggled close to him.

I leaned down and picked up Josh who followed his brother's example and
clung to me.  He kissed me on the cheek and said, "May we eat first and
then get dressed?"

I looked over at Rick who grinned and nodded, "Okay, you can wait until
after breakfast to get dressed."

We carried the boys out into the hallway where we met Zach and Todd
carrying their boys towards the stairs.  We weren't surprised to see that
Cameron and Skye were still in their pajamas as well.

We trooped into the kitchen and got everyone situated at the kitchen table.
We reached out to take the hand of the person on either side of us.

Todd said, "I'll say grace."

We listened to Todd and then said, "Amen," when he was finished.  You would
have thought the boys had never been fed by the way they demolished the
pancakes!

I said, "I believe we just set a record.  I don't think I have ever seen
breakfast disappear so fast!"

Cameron looked at me and said, "We were hungry!  Besides, Uncle Glenn, your
pancakes are the very best in the whole world!"

I grinned, "Flattery will always win you more pancakes."  I stood up and
crossed over to the warming oven.  I pulled open the door and removed
another plate of pancakes.  I placed them on the table and said, "They are
all yours."

Skye crowed with delight, "Thank you, Uncle Glenn!"

Zach laughed, "You are spoiling our boys, Glenn!"

"Isn't that what uncles do for their favorite nephews?" I asked grinning
across the table at Zach and Todd.

"Only if we get to spoil Josh and JJ when you are at our house," Zach said
smiling.

I laughed and exclaimed, "Deal!"

Josh asked, "May we have more pancakes Daddy?"

"Sure," I replied and added a couple of pancakes to each of the twins'
plates.  Rick poured the maple syrup and helped them cut up their pancakes
into bit-sized pieces.

We had just finished cleaning up the kitchen when we heard the doorbell
ring.  Rick said, "I am sure that is the General and Mrs. Campbell.  I will
go let them in.  Will you help the boys get dressed?"

I nodded my head and smiled, "Okay, Babe."  I took the twins by the hand
and led them back upstairs where I helped them get dressed for the day's
activities.  Before long we were back downstairs.

Seeing the General and Mrs. Campbell, both boys ran over and hugged
Mrs. Campbell.  Josh said, "Nana, I am so glad you came."

JJ turned to the General, "May we ride with you?"

The General grinned, "I thought you would never ask!  Climb aboard and we
will see if this old chair can handle you two."

Both boys climbed onto the General's lap.  Josh said, "General, let's go
down the hall to the elevator.  I want to show you the two-way radios our
Dads got for us."

The General smiled, "Sure.  I am so glad your Dads put in an elevator for
me so I can visit with my favorite grandchildren."

The General and Mrs. Campbell are the twins' honorary grandparents.
Mrs. Campbell insists on being called "Nana" but the General has always
been the General so the boys call him that like everyone else.  The boys
know that the General loves them very much.  He always gives them rides on
his lap and spoils them with all kinds of special treats.  The General
informed us early on that it was his duty as a grandparent to spoil our
boys as much as possible, a duty which he performs with much energy and
zeal!

Mrs. Campbell laughed, "The General has been acting like a big kid all
week.  He has been so excited about going boating and spending time with
the twins.  He is almost worse than a kid at Christmas!"

"The boys are just as excited to see the General.  They have already
planned out every activity to make sure the General is well entertained!
We had to remind them that the General needs to have some time to rest in
between all of the things they have for him to do today," Rick said
grinning.

I walked over to Mrs. Campbell and gave her a hug and a kiss, "Thank you
for coming and bringing the General.  We love having you with us for the
holiday."

Mrs. Campbell smiled, "I couldn't have kept the General away even if I had
tried."

Zach and Todd joined us in the living room.  They both came over and hugged
Mrs. Campbell.

"How are my boys?" Mrs. Campbell asked.

"We are doing very well," Zach replied smiling at her.  "Cameron and Skye
hitched a ride with the General in the elevator.  They are just as excited
as Josh and JJ to see their favorite General!"

Mrs. Campbell smiled, "The General is in his element.  He has always wanted
children and grandchildren.  Every day I thank God for sending you four
boys and your children into our lives.  It has given the General a reason
to go on living.  He considers you four to be his surrogate sons."

Todd's eyes sparkled with unshed tears.  The General had counseled with him
and Zach at various times over the years and had helped them overcome some
of the bumps that had appeared in their relationship.  "I feel very much
like he is a father to us," Todd said.

Zach nodded his head in agreement, "Yes, I know that he helped me to see
that I needed to make some changes to help save our marriage.  He gave us
the love and support we needed during that time."  Zach kissed Todd lightly
on the lips, "I am very grateful that the General was there when Todd
needed someone to help me see the error of my ways."

Mrs. Campbell smiled, "The General tends to be pretty direct when it comes
to telling you the way things are even if you don't want to hear it."  She
paused and looked at me and Rick, "The General's health was rapidly
declining and made a dramatic turn for the better after Rick and Glenn came
to stay with us.  It has continued to get better every day.  With the
arrival of the twins, the General insists that he has a serious job to do
and intends to be around to see them grow up into fine young men.  Of
course, things have continued to improve.  Zach and Todd, thank you for
sharing your boys with us as well."

The doorbell rang at that moment.  Rick got up and answered the door.
Three children rushed in the door and hugged Rick.

Kyle said, "Thank you for inviting us to go boating with you."

"Yes, thank you for having us over," Ashley said smiling up at Rick.

David nodded his head, "Thanks."  David is a boy of few words.  He is
autistic and often doesn't speak to anyone for long periods of time so his
one word greeting was a good indication of the excitement he felt at being
invited to go boating today.

Rick said, "You are most welcome.  The boys and the General are already
downstairs if you want to join them."

The three children raced down the hallway and soon disappeared.  Mrs. Reed
entered the house at a much more sedate pace.  She grinned at Rick, "Thank
you, Rick.  You don't know how excited they are."

Rick smiled and said, "I am glad you were able to come."  He hugged
Mrs. Reed and said, "Please join us in the living room.  Mrs. Campbell is
already here."

"I saw the Campbells' car in the driveway.  She is such a wonderful
person," Mrs. Reed said as she made her way slowly into the living room."

Rick noted with sadness that she wasn't looking well.  Over the last few
months since they had started the adoption process, he noted how her health
seemed to be deteriorating before his eyes.  He closed the door and
followed her into the living room.  Rick's thoughts took him to the
interview they had with the social workers from the family court a couple
of weeks ago.

*** ***

The social worker, Mrs. Rushin, asked, "How has the homeschooling worked
out this year?"

Glenn replied, "Todd and I are homeschooling our children together which
has paid huge dividends for both sets of twins.  Todd is the scientific one
who loves math and science and I bring the music and language arts side to
our team teaching experience.  Rick and Zach help us teach the basics
(e.g., math, reading, and writing, etc.) by helping the boys with their
homework in addition to taking on the responsibility for teaching sports
and physical fitness."

Todd added, "By having Rick and Zach help with homework, it reinforces the
concepts we have taught the boys during the course of the day."

"But more importantly, it allows us to be part of the teaching process,"
Zach said.  "I want very much to be a big part of their lives, and helping
them with their homework gives me that opportunity."

"I like it because I get to teach those things I like to do best --
sports," Rick said smiling.  "Zach and I have taught the boys how to play
hockey and football."

"Glenn and I teach them the basics of how to exercise properly as well as
teaching them soccer, dodge ball, etc.  It makes a nice break from the
academics we teach in the mornings and afternoons," Todd said.

"It sounds like you have worked out a good system to teach the boys the
basic skills they need to pass the state-mandated standards of learning
tests," Mrs. Rushin said with a smile.

"Our goal is to have them not only pass them but to ace them," Glenn said.
"The boys play soccer in the local youth soccer league so they are able to
learn how to be good sports and how to interact with their teammates."

Mrs. Rushin was making notations in her book as we showed her the lesson
plans we used and textbooks we used in teaching the boys the core subjects
required by the school system.  We also showed her that we were
participating with various other homeschooling groups to provide our boys
with the opportunity for interaction with other students as well as support
for others who have decided to home school their children.

Mrs. Rushin asked, "Why did you decide to home school your boys?"

Zach answered for us, "We decided early on in our marriage that we did not
want to subject our children to the bullying and harassment that we
experienced attending classes in the public schools where we grew up.  We
want our children to have a safe learning environment free from the
prejudice and hatred of others."

Mrs. Rushin nodded her head, "You do know that Fairfax County has strict
policies against bullying and harassment."

"Yes, but those policies are only as good as the people enforcing them.  I
know for a fact that many teachers and administrators turn a blind eye to
those who bully gays in the schools," I said.

Mrs. Rushin scowled.  She did not like to be contradicted or challenged.
Rick saw her look and said, "Mrs. Rushin, we have chosen to home school our
children as the best way to educate our children which I believe is legal
in the state of Virginia.  We are obligated to teach them core materials
and ensure that they pass the state mandated tests, etc."

Todd said, "If you wish to see the boys' scores on the state tests, I have
them right here."  He passed them to her.

She took them and a look of surprise crossed her face.  Mrs. Rushin said,
"Congratulations!  The boys have done very well on their standards of
learning tests."  She handed back the scores to Todd.

Mrs. Rushin's visit was the last in a long line of evaluative sessions we
had endured since filing the adoption paperwork with the court.  Glenn had
been a saint during the entire process.  Rick was very proud of his husband
for his self control, given the level of scrutiny they had endured.
Hopefully, they would be able to complete the adoption process very soon.

*** ***

Rick's thoughts returned to the present as Mrs. Reed slowly sat down in the
armchair next to Mrs. Campbell.  She noted his look of concern and smiled,
"Don't worry, Rick.  I am not as bad off as I seem."

"I just worry about you, Mrs. Reed," Rick said.

She smiled and said, "I appreciate your concern, dear, but I am doing just
fine.  I have completed all the paperwork the family court has requested of
me and my lawyer has read over everything so far.  You should be hearing
from the family court very soon."

Rick nodded his head in agreement, "Yes, Child Protective Services (CPS)
and the social workers from the family court have conducted their
interviews already."

Zach smiled and said, "Yes, they sure did and Glenn didn't even throw them
out of the house for their impertinent questions."

"You don't know how hard that was for me to keep from decking that last
one.  She is such an ignorant wench!" Glenn declared.

Mrs. Campbell exclaimed, "Glenn!"

"I am sorry, Mrs. Campbell.  It is just that she had no right to ask
questions about things that have nothing to do with discovering if we are
fit parents or not," Glenn said.

Rick put his arm around Glenn's shoulders, "Glenn is correct in that the
questions were totally inappropriate.  I contacted the woman's supervisor
after she left and complained about her offensive behavior.  I also called
our lawyer who also contacted the family court and filed a complaint with
the court.  We completed the home study over a month ago but the questions
this lady asked were very biased against gays.  The people at the court
house said they would review her report and then send out a different
person to interview us if they found if it contained any prejudicial
statements."

"I have already heard that the write up was not favorable.  My lawyer
contacted me yesterday," Mrs. Reed said.  "He said that her supervisor
reprimanded her for her misconduct during the interview but that the write
hasn't been changed."

I was getting a little agitated about the fact that Mrs. Reed had access to
this information and we hadn't heard anything from our lawyer about it.
Rick could see I wasn't happy about what I was hearing.  He said, "Let's
talk about this later.  We are waiting for the remainder of our guests to
arrive and then we will head down to the boat dock and get underway."

A few minutes later the doorbell rang.  This time Zach got up and answered
it.  We heard him greet the guys and invite them to join us in the living
room.  Eddie, Jamie, Scott and Alonzo walked in to the room.  Rick
introduced everyone.  We heard Zach welcoming the rest of our guests.

Jimmy, Trevor and Connor were directed downstairs to join the rest of the
children while their parents joined us in the living room followed by Zach
who said, "Everyone, I want you to meet Bob and Sherry Bushor.  Their son,
Trevor is a member of the twins' soccer team.  This is Nate and Paula
Henderson.  Their son, Jimmy, also plays on the twins' soccer team."

Rick went around the room and pointed out who we were.  Rick continued,
"Now that we are all here let's get everything loaded into the boats.  The
plan is to sail down to the Potomac for a while and then we will drop
anchor.  We will tie the two boats together so we can visit and enjoy the
day.  The Bushors and the Hendersons will go with Zach and Todd for the
trip out while the Campbells, Reeds and you four will sail with us."  Rick
pointed to the four guys standing beside him who all nodded and smiled.

Zach smiled, "Let's collect the children and the General.  Everything is
stacked by the back door ready to be loaded.  If everyone will grab
something and bring with you down to the boats, we will make quick work of
loading the boats."

We soon had all of our gear loaded into the two sailboats along with all
the people in their life jackets.  Zach and Todd showed Bob and Nate how to
help with the sail, etc., while Rick and I did the same with Eddie, Jamie,
Scott and Alonzo.

The General took up his post at the tiller where we had secured his
wheelchair.  It had taken four of us to lower him down the steps to get him
onto the dock but it had all worked out.  We keep a regular wheelchair for
him at the house so we can get him down to the boat.  His motorized
wheelchair weighs a ton and there is no way we could have lifted it without
tipping the General out of it.

As soon as the ropes were loosed and the boats were free of the dock, the
General gave us the high sign and started the engine to back us out into
the river.  He turned the bow downstream and moved us out of the way so
Zach could get their boat out into the middle of the river behind us.  We
made quick work of raising the sails and were soon moving at a good clip.
The children were below deck while we set the sails.  Afterwards, we
invited everyone to come up and feel the wind as we sailed along.

Kyle looked up at Rick and said, "I love sailing on your boat, Dad."

Rick smiled and replied, "I am glad you like it, son."

Ashley climbed up on my lap and hugged me, "I am so glad we get to spend
time with you this weekend, Daddy."

Mrs. Campbell asked, "How long have the children called you "Dad" and
"Daddy," Glenn?"

Before I could answer, Ashley said, "They have been our Dads since our
parents died.  We live with Grandma but Glenn and Rick are our Dads and we
spend a lot of time with them.  We live only a few blocks away from them."

Mrs. Campbell smiled, "Thank you for telling me, Ashley.  Do you think you
could call me "Nana" like the twins do?"

Ashley looked at Mrs. Campbell for a minute with her head cocked to one
side.  She smiled, "Okay.  That will be wonderful.  We will have Grandma
and a Nana just like we have a Dad and a Daddy."

She climbed down from my lap and made her way over to Mrs. Campbell and
reached up her arms to be hugged.  Mrs. Campbell leaned over and hugged
Ashley and then asked, "How old are you, Ashley?"

"I am 8 years old now but I will be 9 in July," Ashley said.  "Kyle is 12
and Aaron is 10."

Mrs. Reed said, "Kyle and Ashley love being around people and are very
social.  Aaron is very shy and doesn't like to be in large groups."

Mrs. Campbell smiled, "I can see that Ashley is quite the young lady."

Ashley nodded, "Thank you, Nana.  I think you are pretty special yourself."

Kyle and Aaron each had one of the twins on their laps sitting on either
side of the General.  I could see that they were asking questions and that
the General was enjoying all of the attention.  I turned to Rick and
smiled, "Today is so perfect."

Rick responded, "Yes, it is."

We looked behind the boat and saw that Zach and Todd had everyone up on
deck just like we did.  We waved to them and they waved back.  We moved
towards the bow to join the four lovebirds.

Eddie grinned as he moved over to make room for us.  "Jamie and I are
engaged to be married."

"I thought you might be," I said.

Jamie laughed, "You know us too well, Glenn.  Eddie thought we could hide
from you guys but I told him you would figure it out pretty quickly."

"We want to be married in the same church where you and Rick were married,"
Eddie said.  He paused to smile at his sweetheart, "Jamie has seen your
wedding photos and wants the same thing for us."

Jamie said, "You two are my role models and I know that Eddie and I can
have a wonderful family just like you have."

Rick said, "I am very happy for you two.  Congratulations!"

Scott smiled and said, "We have some good news as well."

Alonzo grinned broadly, "Scott proposed to me last night."

Rick exclaimed enthusiastically "Congratulations!  We wondered if that is
what Scott had in mind when he started asking questions about jewelers,
etc."

"I am very excited for you guys.  Have you guys chosen a date, yet?" I
asked.

Eddie nodded his head, "We were just talking about having a double wedding.
We think that July 4th would be a great day to be married because everyone
will be celebrating our anniversary with us every year."

"Scott and I think July 4th will give us enough time to get everything
ready," Alonzo said.  "We like the photos taken at the White House of you
guys at your reception and the church seems like a nice place as well."

"We thought we could split the costs of the wedding if we planned a double
wedding," Jamie said.

Scott said, "We want to honeymoon in Montreal.  I have always wanted to go
there and now would be a perfect time."

Rick and I enjoyed talking with the two couples as they discussed their
wedding plans.  We made a few suggestions and then returned to the stern of
the boat to see how the General was faring with our boys.

The General looked like a school boy who had just gotten out for the
holidays.  He was smiling and laughing with the boys.  He looked so happy.
I put my arm around Rick's waist and leaned over to whisper in his ear, "I
think the General loves entertaining the children."

"I agree," Rick said and kissed me lightly on the lips, "just like I love
entertaining my lover boy."

I blushed and laughed as Rick put his hand on my behind and squeezed.  "You
sure are frisky this morning," I said.

"It's the fresh air and the wonderful company," Rick replied, kissing me,
again.

Ashley came over and took my hand, "May we play games in the cabin?"

"You certainly may," I replied.  "Do you remember where the games are
kept?"

"Yes, I will get them down.  Will you play with me?" Ashley asked looking
up into my eyes.

"Yes, I will play with you," I replied.

Ashley climbed down the ladder into the cabin and walked over and pulled
out her favorite game, Connect Four, and took it over to the table.  She
pulled out the pieces and set it up.  She looked up and smiled, "It's all
ready to go."

"You go first, Ashley," I said smiling as she chose her favorite color,
yellow, leaving me with the red pieces.

As we took turns playing, Ashley asked, "Are you and Dad going to adopt us
like Grandma says you are?"

"Yes, Ashley, we are.  We have been working hard to make that happen," I
said.  "Do you want us to adopt you and the boys?"

With her hand half way to placing another yellow piece in the end row,
Ashley paused and said, "Yes, Dad, I want all of us to be together.  We
love you and Dad and the twins.  Grandma says that she doesn't feel very
good and wants us to be settled with you and Dad before she joins Mom and
Dad."

I was shocked to hear her words about Mrs. Reed.  I knew that she wasn't
doing well but the fact she had told the children that she was going to die
soon really bothered me.  No wonder the children had been so clingy the
last few times they had been over to see us.  It had puzzled us because we
hadn't done anything different.  We have always shown lots of love towards
these children.  I didn't respond but took my turn.

Ashley placed her yellow piece in the slot then she looked into my eyes.  I
saw the tears rolling down her cheeks and her voiced cracked as she said,
"Grandma said she is going to die because the cancer in her body won't go
away."

I reached across the table and took her hand in mine.  I guided her around
the table and helped her climb up on my lap and I held her tight as her
tiny frame was wracked with sobs.  In between fits of sobbing, she said, "I
don't want Grandma to die, Daddy."  She clung to me as if I were a life
preserver that had been thrown to her just as she was going under.

I gently smoothed her hair and said, "I don't want your Grandma to die
either, sweetheart.  Your Dad and I will always be here for you."

Mrs. Reed and Mrs. Campbell joined us in the cabin.  Mrs. Reed looked at me
and said, "Ashley told you."

I nodded me head silently still comforting the distraught little girl in my
arms.  Mrs. Reed sat down across from me and with great sorrow said, "I am
sorry I didn't tell you sooner.  I hoped that the chemotherapy would slow
the cancer's advance but it hasn't.  When the doctor told me that the
cancer had spread even faster than before, I felt compelled to tell the
children just in case they came home and found me gone."

Mrs. Campbell said, "You poor dear trying to hide such a terrible thing
from everyone.  What can we do to help?"

Mrs. Reed said, "You can help me persuade the courts to let Rick and Glenn
adopt my grandchildren or at least the very least get the judge to agree to
allow you and the General keep them as your foster children so they can
still be close to Glenn and Rick."

Mrs. Campbell nodded her head, "That is the least we can do.  I know how
much these children love Rick and Glenn.  I remember when they first came
to visit my home with the twins.  They had such a wonderful time with the
General."

Mrs. Reed said, "Thank you so much.  I am sorry to put such a damper on our
holiday celebration."

"We will make sure this is a holiday the children will always remember," I
said smiling.  "Now, no more tears.  We must make the most of the time that
we have with each other to make warm memories that we can cherish forever."
I lifted Ashley's chin so I could look her in the eyes, "Okay, Ashley?"

Ashley nodded and tried to smile.  She reached up and wrapped her arms
around my neck and hugged me tight.  I returned the hug and then she kissed
me on the cheek and said, "Daddy, you always know how to make me happy."

She climbed down and then said, "I am going to see what the boys are
doing."  She climbed the ladder to the deck and left us looking after her.

Mrs. Campbell said, "That little girl is very special."

Mrs. Reed smiled, "Yes, she is."

We chatted until we heard the boys shouting in excitement.  We climbed the
deck to see what all the commotion was about.  Joshua said, pointing to the
shore, "Look, Daddy, There is our favorite restaurant!"

Mrs. Campbell said, "It is our favorite one as well.  It has been a while
since the General and I have been there."

Rick said, "We are going to have lunch there on the way back.  Right now we
are going further down river to our favorite fishing spot."

Kyle said, "Are we going to the same place where I got the giant flounder?"

"Maybe.  It depends on how quickly we can get to where we are going," Rick
said.

David was looking at the navigation charts and said, "It's about 70
nautical miles from Dad's house to the mouth of the Potomac River.  Are we
going to fish in the Chesapeake Bay today, Dad?"

Rick turned to David and asked, "Is that what you boys want to do today or
do you want to fish along the river at some other point along the way?"

"I want to try and catch a flounder today," Kyle said.

"If we go to the Chesapeake Bay, we won't be able to eat at Tim's
Rivershore Restaurant today.  I am okay with fishing for flounder but you
boys need to talk among yourself and you might want to use the
walkie-talkies we gave you to talk to Cameron and Skye to see what they
want to do," Rick said.

David said with a smile, "I forgot we had those."  He pulled his out and
pushed the talk button.  "Calling the Turtle Dove, come in, Turtle Dove,
this is the Red Dragon."

There was static for a moment and then we heard Skye answer, "Red Dragon,
this is Turtle Dove, over."

Aaron explained what the boys wanted to do and then waited, "Red Dragon to
Turtle Dove, What do you want to do? Over."

There was silence on the other end.  Aaron started to push the talk button
when Skye started talking, "Turtle Dove to Red Dragon, we want to fish for
flounder."

The General grinned, "I thought that might be the answer."

Kyle was ecstatic!  "Yeah!"  Kyle capered about the deck and gave me and
Rick a big hug.

Rick laughed, "You would think Kyle had just won the lottery or something."

Mrs. Reed said, "He did in a way.  He has talked about fishing for flounder
all week."

The rest of the way to the bay, the boys talked excitedly to anyone who
would listen about the big fish they planned to catch.  We finally arrived
at the mouth of the Potomac and moved further into the bay before we let
down our anchors and lashed the two boats together side by side so we could
visit with everyone on the other boat.

We helped the boys set up their fishing gear and then relaxed as we waited
for the fish to bite.  The guys got their fishing poles out as well so we
had a line of eight poles lined up.  I looked over at Zach and Todd who
were helping the twins with theirs.

They grinned and Zach said, "This is the perfect way to spend Memorial
Day."

"Yes, it is," I replied with smile.

Bob and Nate each had a fishing pole as did their boys, Jimmy and Trevor.
Bob said, "If we all catch our limit, we will have quite the fish fry when
we get back home tonight."

Nate responded, "I hope we do.  I love fresh fish."

Sherry said, "Just remember, I am not cleaning them.  You have to clean and
fillet them before I'll cook them."

Bob laughed, "I am sure we can take care of that chore before we leave for
home."

We broke out the food and had a nice lunch on deck.  It was a good thing I
thought to bring lots of sunscreen as the day was sunny and warm.  It
wasn't too long after lunch that the first fish took the bait and
practically pulling the fishing pole out of Eddie's hands.  Fortunately,
Jamie grabbed his pole until Eddie got a steady grip on it and began the
process of reeling in his catch.

Rick stood ready with the net and scooped the fish out of the water as soon
as it broke the surface near the boat.  He held the fish still while Eddie
cut his hook out of the fish's mouth.

Eddie looked at Rick and asked, "What kind of fish is this one?"

"It's a croaker.  They are good eating," Rick said.

Eddie grinned, "I have never eaten croaker before.  I can't wait to taste
it."

Jamie put an arm around his fiancé and gave him a kiss on the lips, "That's
for being such a great fisherman."

Eddie laughed, "I guess I had better get busy if I am going to get that
kind of attention for catching a fish!"

We all laughed and Jamie's cheeks turned a pretty color of red.  "Don't
worry, Eddie," I said.  "I am sure that Jamie will give you a huge reward
later even if you don't catch any more fish today."

That made Jamie even more embarrassed.  The General laughed, "Jamie, don't
let these guys give you a hard time.  They are just jealous because Eddie
loves you and not them."

Jamie finally laughed and responded, "You are right, General.  Eddie is all
mine, and no one else's."

Just then, Kyle let out a yell, "I've got one."  He started reeling in his
line.  Rick stowed Eddie's fish in our ice chest and then joined Kyle to
help him with his catch.  It took Kyle a while to bring in the fish.  He
started to tire so Rick held the pole while Kyle reeled in the fishing
line.  I picked up the net and leaned over and scooped up the fish and
brought it aboard.

Kyle shouted, "It's a flounder.  Grandma, I caught a flounder!"

It was a nice size one.  Rick pulled out the hook and the flounder found
its way into the ice chest.  The rest of the afternoon saw the rest of the
guys catch a couple of fish each.  Both sets of twins caught several fish
each.  We had quite a day between catching fish, basking in the sun and
using the binoculars to identify birds, etc., as we floated in the bay.
The sun was low in the sky when we put away the fishing gear and loosed the
boats from each other.

The General used the motor to take us a fair distance away from Zach's boat
before we raised the sails and began our journey back up river.  As we came
abreast of the restaurant, I asked, "Do want to eat at the restaurant or
are we going home to throw our fish on the grill?"

The gang answered in unison, "Home to grill the fish!"

We docked the boats and began the process of taking our gear back into the
house.  As soon as everything was back in its place, we took the fish out
to the garage and began the process of cleaning them.  Rick asked Kyle, "Do
you remember how to clean and fillet the fish?"

Kyle nodded his head, "Yes, I do."

Cameron and Skye watched Kyle clean his fish.  Cameron asked, "Dad, can we
do that?"

Zach replied, "Not yet, sweetheart.  You need to be a little older before I
will let you use a knife like that."

Cameron's face showed his disappointment but then he smiled and grabbed the
fish he had caught and handed it to Kyle, "Please clean mine next."

Kyle smiled, "Sure, Cammy.  Watch carefully and I will show you how it's
done so when you are older you can do it, too."

Bob and Nate were busy showing their boys how to clean their fish.  Trevor
and Jimmy both wanted to clean their own fish but were told the same thing
as the twins -- they had to wait until they were older.

Josh and JJ were gathered around me as I cleaned the fish we had caught.  I
looked at Josh and said, "I know what you are going to ask and the answer
is no."

Josh grinned, "I know I can't use the knife but can I help cook them on the
grill?"

"Yes, you can help me with the timer.  We don't want to overcook them so I
will need a couple of helpers to make sure we turn them over when the time
comes," I said smiling at my two little guys.

JJ said, "I have a watch."

Josh said, "I have one, too.  That means we can watch the time for you."

"Yes, it does," I replied.

I finished cleaning our fish about the same time as the rest of the guys
finished cleaning theirs.  We cleaned up the mess we had made and then
washed off the fish with water from the hose.  Josh handed out plastic bags
to the guys for their fish.  We carried them to the backyard where I had
aluminum foil, salt, pepper, lemons and other spices waiting to be used.
We season our fish and placed them on the grill to cook.  The boys watched
the time and let us know when we needed to turn the fish over.  Rick and
Zach supervised the grills while Todd and I brought out the food we had
prepared for dinner -- a variety of salads and fruit to go with the fish.
As soon as the fish was cooked, we all sat down and ate a wonderful dinner
complete with tiki torches and a nice fire in the fire pit.

We roasted marshmallows and made `smores for dessert.  Mrs. Reed said,
"Thank you for such a wonderful day.  I love `smores.  They remind me of my
youth when my parents took us camping."

I roasted a couple marshmallows.  I put them between two graham crackers
with a piece of milk chocolate in the middle and waited a few minutes for
the chocolate to melt.  Rick sat next to me on the bench in front of the
fire with his arm around my waist.

He asked, "Are you planning to share that with me or do I have to make my
own?"

I laughed, "You know that I will always share with you!"

Rick kissed me on the lips and then let me feed him half of my `smore.
Rick said, "Thank you, Babe."

I handed him the rest of the treat and said, "I expect to be amply rewarded
for sharing my `smore with you."  I grinned broadly and winked at him.

Rick finished swallowing before he leaned over and whispered in my ear,
"You have earned an evening of the best sex you have ever had."  Rick's
husky voice sent shivers of anticipation down my spine.  He nibbled my ear
and then kissed me on the lips.

Sherry, who had been watching us, smiled and said, "You two remind me of
newlyweds."

"We still are," Rick said.  "That is how we see ourselves.  We are also
best friends as well as lovers."

"We still treat each other the way we did when we were first married," I
said.

"Spending time with you guys has really opened my eyes to the fact that gay
marriage is a very positive thing.  Between your two families, I have seen
the evidence that gay families are just as loving, caring and nurturing as
straight families," she said.

Bob said, "I admire you guys for your courage to raise a family with so
much negativity surrounding gay marriage in today's society."

Zach said, "It hasn't been easy.  Just ask Rick and Glenn about their
experiences with evil-minded people."

Nate said, "I wish that more people could see your two families.  Maybe
they would stop saying such mean things about gays or trying to
discriminate against them."

"Nate, I agree that most reasonable people would stop their harassment of
gays but there are so many religious zealots who have made it their mission
to eradicate gays from the world.  Even if they were to see how wonderful
gay parents are with their children, they would never admit that gays are
capable of raising children just as well as straight couples if not
better," Paula said.

Zach said, "The religious leaders of this country have tried to dehumanize
gays.  Their aim is to get society to accept the fact that it's okay to
discriminate against gays.  Gays are being victimized at the hands of these
so called "Christian" ministers along with their many followers."

Nate spoke up, "That is not true of all denominations though.  Our church
is very accepting of gays and has many support services for our gay
members."

Paula said, "Yes, our church is very open.  You should bring your boys and
join us for Sunday services."

I looked at Rick and then at Todd and Zach.  Todd replied, "Thank you for
the invitation, Paula.  We will talk it over as a family and let you know."

The conversation moved to the newly engaged couples and their wedding
plans.  The children played games and chased each other around the yard
playing a game of tag.  It grew late and soon our guests bid us farewell
and left us.  We made quick work of cleaning up and then took the twins
upstairs for their baths.

As soon as everyone was in bed, Rick took me in his arms and said,
"Mr. Lernier, your presence is requested in our bedroom."

I grinned and kissed my lover boy, "I am all yours, Babe."

Rick laughed, "I am glad you acknowledge that fact!"

The rest of the evening with my sweetheart was just as magical as our first
night together!

*** ***

The next day was very busy for all of us.  Josh was a little warm when woke
up so I took his temperature.  It showed that it was 101.1.  I called our
pediatrician and made an appointment to see her.  She checked him out and
recommended that we keep him hydrated and to use acetaminophen to keep his
fever down.

I followed her directions and kept the Josh under close observation all
day.  That evening after Rick came home, we ate dinner and got the boys
ready for bed.  Josh was sitting on my lap as we read stories together when
he started shaking violently in my arms.

"Rick, come quickly!" I shouted as Josh started flailing around with his
arms and legs twitching and jumping in every direction throwing his head
back and forth.

Rick saw what was happening and pulled his cell from his pocket and dialed
911.  Rick described what was happening to Josh to the dispatcher who said,
"The paramedics are on their way.  Place the child on the floor and turn
him on his side.  Make sure there is nothing obstructing his airway."

Rick relayed the instructions to me.  I gently laid our boy on his side and
held onto him to keep him from rolling around the floor.  Rick checked his
mouth and made sure he was breathing.

I looked at Josh's face.  It had gone totally white and his eyes had rolled
back into his head as his seizure continued.  "Rick, how long will it be
before the paramedics arrive?"

Rick replied, "Any minute now."

JJ asked, "Is Josh going to be okay?"

"I don't know, sweetheart.  We will have to wait and see," I said trying
not to let my concern show in my voice.

Eddie called on the intercom to inform us that the emergency responders had
arrived and Rick raced to the door and returned with the paramedics.  They
quickly assessed the situation taking over from me as they worked on Josh.
The violent, spastic movements of his limbs came to an end but he was still
rigid; his muscles wouldn't relax.  The paramedic talked with the emergency
room doctors informing them that Josh was still seizing with his jaws
clenched shut and his eyes completely unresponsive.

The lead paramedic asked us, "Do you know what may have precipitated the
seizure?"

Rick replied, "No.  This is the first time we have ever seen anything like
this."

"Do either of you have a family history of seizures?" he asked.

I didn't respond at first as I tried to recover from my surprise that he
knew that Josh was related to both of us.  My brain finally unfroze and I
said, "My little sister had grand mal seizures when she was about 18 months
old.  They put her on some medication to control them.  She eventually
outgrew them," I said.

He repeated the information to the doctors at the hospital.  He said, "The
child's temperature is 100.1.  His parents gave him acetaminophen.  They
said his temperature was 102.2 when they gave him the fever reducer."

He listened for a few minutes and then turned to us, "Has the child seen a
doctor recently?"

Rick answered, "We took him to see the pediatrician this morning about his
fever.  She told us he had the flu and to keep him hydrated and to keep
giving him acetaminophen to keep the fever down."

"The doctors think he is suffering from febrile seizures due to his high
temperature but they don't know for sure until they run some tests," he
said.  "The ambulance should be here any moment.  We need to get your boy
to the hospital as soon as possible."

Two more paramedics showed up with a stretcher and they placed Joshua on it
and strapped him down.  His poor little body was still rigid and convulsed
every minute or so.

The other paramedic asked, "Who is going to ride with us to the hospital?"

Rick said, "Glenn, you go while I take JJ over to Zach and Todd's.  I will
meet you at the emergency room.  To which hospital are you taking him?"

The paramedic answered, "Mount Vernon."

"Okay," Rick said.  He turned and went into the kitchen and soon returned
with Josh's health insurance card and the legal documents I needed to make
sure the hospital didn't give me any hassles about not being his dad.

I gave JJ a hug and said, "Daddy is going with Josh.  Will you stay with
Cameron and Skye while Dad goes to the hospital?"

JJ nodded his head, his eyes wide as he watched his twin brother being
carried out of the room.  When he didn't answer, I took him in my arms,
"Josh will be okay, JJ.  I promise.  The doctors are going to help him at
the hospital."

JJ said, "Okay."

Rick said, "You need to go, Glenn."

I kissed Rick and said, "I love you."

Rick said, "I love you, too."

I walked out the door to the waiting ambulance.  The paramedic helped me
into the back of the ambulance and then climbed in on the opposite side of
Josh.  As they closed the doors, Josh started convulsing violently.  The
paramedic quickly released the restraints and turned Josh onto his side,
clearing his airway.  He looked at me and asked, "Can you hold him on his
side like this?"

"Yes," I replied and did as he asked.

He opened the window into the cab and said, "We aren't going anywhere,
yet."  He consulted with the emergency room doctors; telling them was
happening.  They gave him instructions which we followed.  I was so
terrified for our son.  His body contorted into all kinds of weird
positions.  It was like he was a marionette with someone pulling his
strings forcing him to make these grotesque body movements.  After a few
minutes, Josh's body relaxed and the seizure ended.

The paramedic strapped Josh down, again, and relayed the information to the
doctors who told him to get Josh to the hospital as soon as possible.  He
passed on the information and the ambulance driver switched on the
emergency lights and the siren and roared out of the driveway and down the
street.

The paramedic looked at me and said, "I am Barry McCormick.  I live a
couple of blocks from here.  I have seen you and your family walking
through the neighborhood.  I have also seen you and your husband running in
the mornings."  His comments had the desired effect of distracting me from
the seriousness of the situation.  I stared at him trying to process the
information.  Since I didn't respond right away, he continued, "My wife and
I have three children -- a boy and twin girls.  My girls are the same age
as your twins."

Something clicked and suddenly knew exactly who he was.  I had seen his
family many times as we had passed their home.  I nodded my head, "I
remember seeing you in the neighborhood.  I had no idea you were a
paramedic."

Barry smiled, "Most people don't.  I work shift C at the Gunston Fire and
Rescue Station.  We are Fairfax County's station 20."

"We drive by it all the time.  I am glad you were able to arrive at our
house so quickly," I said.

"I am, too.  We knew it was serious when they relayed the information to us
about it being a small child," Barry said.

"How long will it take for us to get to the hospital?" I asked.

Barry understood the anxiety in my voice, "We should be able to get there
in about twenty minutes maybe sooner.  We have to make sure everyone moves
out of our way before we can proceed through intersections.  We don't want
to have an accident on our way to the hospital."

"Do you think Josh will be okay?" I asked.

Barry smiled, "I think so now that the seizure is over.  The doctors at the
Mount Vernon Hospital are pretty good at figuring things out.  I am sure
they will be able to help your son."

His comment reminded me of his statements at the house.  I asked, "How did
you know that Josh is a blood relation to both of us?"

Barry grinned, "I talked to your neighbors, Zach and Todd.  They said that
your sister was your surrogate mother and that your husband is their
natural father."

I breathed a sigh of relief.  I was afraid that the whole neighborhood had
been gossiping about us.  "I am glad you didn't find out through the
grapevine," I said with a smile.

He smiled, "There is a very active group of women in the neighborhood who
try to get into everyone's business.  I grew up three houses over from your
place.  My parents still live there.  I know all of the neighbors pretty
well.  They are all good people and know when to stay out of people's
business."

I took a moment to look him over and noted his strong, wiry frame; his buzz
cut brown hair, striking blue eyes and an overly generous smile which
transformed his rather rough features into a thing of beauty.  He was
exactly my height I remembered as we stood together before getting into the
back of the ambulance.

Barry's smile grew even broader if that were possible.  He said, "We are
both married, remember?"

I blushed and dropped my eyes to the sleeping boy between us.  "I'm sorry.
I didn't mean to offend you."

Barry laughed, "You didn't offend me in the least.  In fact, I am rather
flattered.  I was worried that I was getting too out of shape to attract
anyone's attention."  I looked up and met his eyes.  He reached over and
patted me on the shoulder.  "It's okay.  Really it is."

I smiled, "I love good looking guys.  Rick is always teasing me about how
obvious I am about it."

Barry said, "I completely understand.  My wife tells me the same thing
about looking at other women.  She says it's okay to look but that's it."

I laughed, "Rick tells me the same thing.  I know how fortunate I am that I
found Rick."

"You really love him, don't you?" Barry asked.

"Yes, I do.  I would be so lost without him," I said.

"I can tell by the way you look when you talk about him," Barry remarked.

We rode in silence for a while; listening to the sirens.  Barry said, "We
are almost there.  After this is all over, please stop by and visit with me
and the family.  We would like to get to know you better.  Zach told us
about some of the bad experiences you had in Arlington."

The memory of those dark times clouded my face and brought a look of pain
that startled Barry because he quickly said, "I am sorry if I have spoken
about something I shouldn't have."

"It's okay, Barry.  The deep wounds we suffered at the hands of those vile
servants of evil are still very tender and painful," I said.

Barry nodded his head, "I'm sorry you were subjected to such hatefulness by
those who should have been looking out for your welfare."

I didn't speak because of the lump that had suddenly formed there.  Here
was a representative of the Fairfax County government apologizing to me for
something that happened in a neighboring county.  It was a little
overwhelming.  Fortunately, I didn't have to say anything because we had
arrived at the emergency room and the doors of the ambulance were opened.

I climbed out and moved to the side as the paramedics carried Josh from the
ambulance into the emergency room.  I could see Josh was so exhausted from
the ordeal that he didn't even open eyes.  I quickly followed them inside.
Barry introduced me to the triage nurse, "This is the child's father."

The nurse asked me to sit down at her desk and started asking me questions
as she completed the hospital's forms.  I showed her Josh's health
insurance card and she took down additional background information about
Josh's condition.  She then stood up and said, "Mr. Lernier, please follow
me.  I will take you back to see your son."

She took me to an alcove where Josh lay in bed asleep.  The curtain was
pulled between his bed and the one next to it.  There was a line of ten
beds.  All of them had the curtains pulled and I could see that each one
was occupied.  "You are very busy tonight," I commented to the nurse.

"Yes.  It seems everyone decided tonight was the night to have an accident
of some sort.  It seems to happen like this at the oddest hours," she
responded.  "The doctor will be with you shortly."

I sat down in the chair next to Josh's bed.  I didn't wait very long before
a young physician stepped into the alcove and asked, "Are you the boy's
father?"

"Yes, I am," I replied.

He said, "I am Dr. Yang.  We want to run a couple of blood tests to rule
some of the worst causes of seizures as well as to look at his blood
counts, etc."

"Okay.  How long before we will know what is going on?" I asked.

"It may take a few days before the tests come back.  We want to give him an
injection of Rocephin just to make sure it's not a bacterial infection like
meningitis.  There have been several cases of meningitis identified in the
area over the last few weeks.  Rather than wait for tests to come back
positive, we want to begin an aggressive treatment to prevent any further
damage.  If we wait, things could become much worse."

I nodded my head in understanding.  I knew how serious meningitis could be
and I agreed with the doctor's assessment.  "Go ahead with what you have
outlined," I said.

Dr. Yang replied, "Good.  I will send the nurses in to draw his blood and
to give him the Rocephin injection."

A few minutes later, Rick was escorted back to join me.  Rick asked, "What
did the doctor say?"

I repeated what Dr. Yang had told me.  The nurses came in and asked us to
step outside while they drew Josh's blood.  One of them smiled at us and
said, "We know how hard it can be to see us draw your little one's blood.
We won't be long and we promise to be as gentle as we can."

I took Rick's hand and squeezed it.  Josh started screaming and I clung to
Rick to keep myself from running in and ripping Josh away from them.  Rick
said, "It's alright.  It won't be long and it will be over."

He turned me to face him and put his hands on my face to wipe the tears
from my face.  "Josh is going to be fine," Rick said trying to comfort me.
All I could think about was our little boy screaming in terror as they
inserted the needle to draw his blood followed by another needle with the
antibiotic.

I looked up into Rick's eyes and saw that they were bright with tears and
that he was just as torn up by what was happening as I was.  I brushed his
cheek with my fingertips.  "Thank you for being here.  I don't think I
could deal with it alone," I said.

Rick took my hand and led me back towards the alcove as one of the nurses
came out from behind the curtain.  Seeing us, she said, "I'm sorry but it
had to be done."

I wouldn't even acknowledge her for fear of losing control.  Right at the
moment I hated her for inflicting such pain on my little one.  We saw that
the other nurse was trying to comfort Josh who was crying uncontrollably.
Seeing us, he struggled to get away from her.  I rushed over and took him
in my arms.  Josh clung to me as if his life depended on it.  I smoothed
his hair and said, "It's alright.  Everything will be okay."

Rick changed places with the nurse and sat down opposite us and took Josh's
hand in his, "We won't leave you.  We promise."

Josh's tears started subside as did his sobs of terror.  I looked up at the
nurse, "He is burning up, again.  Did the doctor leave orders to give him a
fever reducer?"

"He did.  I will be right back," she said.

I glanced over at Rick and asked, "Did you get her name?"

Rick nodded, "Her name tag said her name is Millie."

She returned with some orange colored medicine, "The doctor wants to start
out with ibuprofen followed by acetaminophen in four hours.  He wants to
use the two medicines in tandem to control the fever.  He believes the
seizures were caused by the boy's high fever."

She tried to give Josh the medicine but he wasn't having anything to do
with her.  He would turn his head away and bury his face in my chest.
Finally, I said, "Let me give it to him."

She acquiesced and handed me the medicine cup.  I said, "Josh, this
medicine will make you feel better.  Please drink it for me, sweetheart."

Josh reluctantly let me put the little cup to his lips and he swallowed the
medicine.  I handed the cup back to Millie who left us.  Rick dozed off
while I held Josh who lay on my chest like a limp rag.  I gently patted his
back as his breathing slowed and evened out.  Soon he was asleep.  I must
have zoned out as well because the nurse was shaking me awake saying, "It's
been four hours, Mr. Lernier.  We need to wake Josh up and take his
temperature and give him another dose of medicine."

I sat up as did Rick.  I gently woke Josh and gave him the medicine after
which the nurse took his temperature.  She smiled, "His temperature is back
to normal."

She left us for a moment but returned with Dr. Yang.  Dr. Yang said, "We
have the results of the blood tests back.  His white blood count is
elevated as we suspected.  I am releasing you to go home but I want you to
see your regular doctor tomorrow.  Here is a prescription for an oral
antibiotic.  Do you have children's ibuprofen at home?"

"Yes, we have both ibuprofen and acetaminophen," I said.

"Good.  I want you to follow these directions.  It is important that we
keep his fever down because I believe that is what caused the seizure.
Your pediatrician will call you with the rest of the test results in a day
or so," Dr. Yang said.

The nurse said, "I will be back to walk you out after you have dressed
Joshua."

Rick pulled out Josh's pajamas from the bag he had brought with him from
the house.  I looked at him and smiled, "What would I do without you?"

"You would be a total basket case," Rick said with a grin.  He helped me
dress Josh.

The nurse returned and we were escorted out of the emergency room.  I put
him in his car seat and buckled him in and turned and got into the front
seat next to Rick.  I said, "Are you okay to drive?  I can drive us home if
you are too tired."

"No, Babe, I am fine," Rick said smiling at me.  I leaned back and closed
my eyes as Rick negotiated the streets that led to Route 1.  He turned left
and proceeded to drive us home.

Eddie opened the gate for us as we approached the house.  He came out of
the guard shack and asked, "How is Josh?"

"He is going to be okay," Rick said.

"Good.  I will see you guys later," Eddie said and returned to his post.

I looked over and noticed that Jamie was sitting next to him in the guard
shack.  I smiled and said, "I think we are getting two for the price of one
tonight."

Rick laughed, "Yes, we are.  I just hope they don't forget that they are in
a public place.  I wouldn't want one of the neighbors to call the cops on
them for indecent exposure!"

We pulled the car into the garage and Rick carried Josh up to his bed.  I
followed in his footsteps barely able to coerce my body to move.  I was so
physically exhausted.  When we were finally in bed, Rick said, "I have set
the alarm to go off in one hour so we can give Josh his next dose of
medicine."

I groaned, "I know we have to do that but I am so tired."

Rick said, "I have set two different alarms to make sure one of us gets
up."  He pulled me close and I melted into his embrace and was instantly
out.  An hour later, the alarms both went off as planned.

"I will get up and give Josh his medicine," Rick said.

"I will help you because I know Josh is still traumatized by what happened
in the emergency room," I said.

Rick smiled, "Are you sure you aren't talking about yourself and not Josh?"

I put my arm around Rick's waist, "Okay, I am still traumatized by what
happened.  There, I said it."

Rick hugged me and we went into the boys' room and woke Josh up.  While I
held Josh, Rick went downstairs to the kitchen and retrieved the medicine.
He returned and he gave it to Josh.  I put Josh back to bed and we returned
to our room.  Rick set the alarms to go off again in two hours and we
collapsed into our bed.

*** ***

Author's Note:

Here is a great resource for information about homeschooling your children:
http://www.vahomeschoolers.org/

Tim's Rivershore Restaurant is accessible by car and boat -
http://www.timsrivershore.com/index.shtml

Important Potomac River navigation information:
http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/nsd/xml2html.php?xml=coastpilot/files/cp3/CPB3_E45_C12_20120118_1806_WEB.xml