Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2012 20:34:20 -0400
From: crazy4u <rnielsen47@gmail.com>
Subject: The Lernier Family Chapter 16, 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/

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similarities to persons living or dead are coincidental. If it is illegal
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This story contains descriptions of consensual sexual contact between adult
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*** ***

Chapter Sixteen -- Double Weddings!

We drove north from Washington, DC, to St. Catharines, Ontario, a week
before the weddings.  We followed Zach and Todd in their Lincoln Navigator
and the two happy couples drove up together in Eddie's Ford Explorer.  Jeff
rode with us in our new Range Rover.  Rick and I decided to pick up the new
vehicle just for this trip.  We like the new features in the Range Rover
including the entertainment package.  We rotated driving.  That way each of
us took a turn entertaining the twins.  Josh and JJ are good little
traveler!  We checked into the Holiday Inn -- St. Catharines Conference
Centre where Grandpa Scarborough had made reservations for the entire
family.

The next morning, we met in the private dining room Grandpa had rented for
the week.  The twins entered the dining room and saw the breakfast buffet.
JJ turned around and said excitedly, "Daddy, they have lots of pancakes!"

"I am sure they do, son," I responded.  "But you have to give Grandpa and
Grandma hugs and kisses before you get to eat."

JJ looked at me like I had totally lost it, "Dad...I know!"  The twins made
their way over to my parents' table.  My Mom smiled as each of them gave
her a kiss on the cheek.  They tried to escape my Dad but he caught them
and held both on his lap until they had given him a hug and a kiss, too.
He tickled them until Mom said, "Don, stop before you make a big mess."

Dad responded, "Okay, you two, I will let you go only if you promise to get
your Dad's to help you with your plates."

Josh said, "Okay, Grandpa, we promise."

Rick and I joined them.  I kissed Mom and then hugged my Dad.  "I am so
glad you came.  I have missed you both."

"We have missed you as well," Mom said smiling at us.  "Come here, Rick.  I
need a hug from you."

Rick did as he was asked and he smiled, "I am happy you made it."  He
hugged my Dad and then looked at the twins and said, "Come on, boys.  Let's
get your breakfast."

We helped the little guys get their plates and filled our own at the same
time.  We rejoined my parents at their table.  Josh sat next to Dad,
"Grandpa, will you help me cut my pancakes?"

"Sure, grandson," Dad replied smiling at Josh.

JJ, not to be shown up, asked Mom, "Grandma, will you help me?"

Mom laughed, "Of course, dear."

As we ate, more and more of our family members joined us until the room was
filled to capacity.  Jeff stood in the doorway looking lost until I waved
him over to our table.  I introduced him to my parents, "Jeff, this is my
Mom and Dad, Eva and Don Nielsen.  Mom and Dad this is Jeff Dunn."

Dad stood up to shake Jeff's hand, "Nice to meet you, Jeff.  Grab a plate
and help yourself to the buffet."

Jeff smiled, "Thank you, Mr. Nielsen."

"Please call me "Don" or Dad but not Mr. Nielsen," Dad said.

"Okay, Don," Jeff replied.  "I will be right back."  Jeff made his way over
to the buffet tables.

Mom said, "He seems like a nice man, Glenn."

"He is, Mom.  He has had a pretty rough time of it with his ex-wife," I
said.

"Yes, I remember you told me about that," Mom said.

Rick said, "He is our chief of security."

"Good," Dad said.  "I am glad that you still have someone protecting you
boys from all the crazy people south of the border.  I wish you would move
home, Glenn and Rick.  People here are much more accepting of gay
families."

"I have tried to convince Rick to move here but he's not ready to do that,
yet," I said.

Rick looked across the table at Dad, "I am concerned about finding a job,
Dad.  I want to be able to support my family."

Mom said, "Rick, you have enough income from the family business you
shouldn't need to work."

I didn't look at Rick.  He probably thinks I enlisted my parents to help
persuade him to move to Canada.  Rick must have read my mind because he
took my hand and squeezed it.  "Glenn and I have discussed this issue at
length.  Yes, we do have enough income coming in from the family business
to live comfortably.  It's just that I can't see myself sitting home all
day."

Dad smiled, "The reason you don't want to move here is more about leaving
behind your family than it is about the money, isn't it?"

Rick nodded his head, "As long as we live close to my sister and her
family, I can hold on to the hope that someday we can close the chasm that
separates us."

Jeff sat down next to Rick and started to eat.  He listened intently as we
continued our discussion.

"We understand your desires to be reunited with your family, Rick," Mom
said.  "However, you need to put the needs of your immediate family first.
With the growing hostility towards gays in the United States, we fear for
your safety and that of your family.  We have heard a lot of the
vituperative statements made by politicians, religious leaders, law
enforcement, judges, and many others that worry me."

Rick nodded his head, "Yes, things are getting pretty ugly and it will get
worse before it gets better.  Our enemies won't be happy until they have
changed the laws to make it illegal to be homosexual.  One pastor we know
of even called for the death penalty to be imposed on homosexuals."

"That attitude is the main reason we are home schooling our children," I
said.  "We thought of sending them to a local pre-school for a few hours a
day so they could be with other children their age but most of the
pre-schools are fun by religious organizations.  The few exceptions didn't
meet our standards so we decided that we would teach them at home.  Todd
and I enjoy teaching both sets of twins."

Josh interrupted our conversation, "May I have more pancakes?"

I nodded my head, "Yes, Josh, you may.  Let me help you.  JJ, do you want
more pancakes?"

He said, "Yes, please."

I took Josh over to the buffet table and refilled his plate as well as my
own.  (Yes, I know, I shouldn't have taken the extra helping of sausage and
eggs!)  Rick is always monitoring what we eat.  In fact, Rick looked at my
plate and raised his eyebrows in surprise.  "What?" I asked.

Rick frowned, "You know, "what," without me telling you, Babe"

I was about to get defensive when Mom cut in, "Rick, Glenn's allowed to
splurge once in a while as long as you keep him exercising properly and he
limits his caloric intake the rest of the time."

I stuck my tongue out at him which made the twins laugh.  Rick grinned,
"Okay, but only this once.  I don't want you to get fat.  I refuse to have
a husband with his gut hanging over his belt!"

I protested, "I have never had even so much as an inch of fat on my body,
ever."

"And you won't if you watch what you eat and get plenty of exercise," Rick
said.  Rick ruffled my hair.  He knew this would irritate me because I had
spent a great deal of time getting my short, blond hair stand up in perfect
spiky rows.  Instead of giving him the satisfaction of knowing he had got
to me, I stuck my tongue out at him, again.

Rick laughed.  Then he leaned over and kissed me.  "You love me and you
know it!"

I grinned at him, "Yes, I do love you and that is why you are the only one
who can mess up my hair and not die for taking such liberties!"

Jeff laughed, "I love watching you two because it is so obvious that you
love each other."  He turned to my parents and said, "Don and Eva, your
sons are great guys."

Dad replied, "Yes, we do -- that is when they behave themselves."

I frowned momentarily, "We always behave, Dad.  It's just that sometimes we
behave poorly!"

Rick added, "But you love us anyway!"

Dad sighed in resignation, "Yes, we love you despite our better judgment."

The boys finished their pancakes.  Josh looked around the room and said,
pointing to a nearby table, "There they are.  JJ, Cameron and Skye are
sitting with Eddie, Jamie, Scott and Alonzo."

We looked over and saw that Josh was correct.  I looked around for Zach and
Todd and found them at the buffet tables.  "Boys, you can go over and sit
with Cameron and Skye."

Josh and JJ climbed down and scampered over to where the twins were
sitting.  I turned back to my parents and asked, "When are we going to have
our board meeting?"

Mom responded, "Grandpa said we are going to meet after breakfast.  We will
have to leave the room so they can clean up and rearrange it for our
meeting."

Grandpa had decided that we should hold a board meeting since the entire
family was here for the two weddings.  He said it was a good time for
everyone to meet the two couples and introduce them to the family
corporation.  Eddie, Jamie, Scott and Alonzo had spoken with Grandpa last
week via conference call as we went over the legal papers for the purchase
of the apartments, business ventures, etc.  Jeff had been present as well
since he was our chief of security.  Grandpa had insisted that he accompany
us to St. Catharines.

After finishing breakfast, I turned to my parents and asked, "Do you mind
if we circulate around the tables to talk with the rest of the family?"

Mom said, "Go ahead, Glenn.  We will keep an eye on the twins for you while
you visit."

Rick said, "Thanks, Mom."

We stood up beckoned for Jeff to join us.  We led him from table to table
introducing him as we went.  All of my brothers and sisters were there as
well as my cousins, aunts, and uncles.  In addition, our friends from
Atlanta and Minneapolis were there as well.  We enjoyed catching up on the
news and seeing how their families had grown!

When we got to the table where Robbie and Adam were sitting, we were
surprise to see Justin.  We greeted each of them with a hug and kiss.
Robbie and Adam were doing well.  They had gotten married right out of high
school.  Sitting between them were three children.  Robbie turned to the
children, "Say, "Hello," to Uncle Glenn and Uncle Rick."

They chorused, "Hello."  I said, "Hello.  Let me see..."  I put my finger
on my chin while I thought for moment.  Then I pointed at each child as I
said his name, "You are Brian, you are Justin and you are Robin."

Each of the boys smiled as I named them.  Rick asked, "How old are you
boys?"

Robin held up three fingers and said, "We are three."

Adam smiled, "The triplets are three and a half."

I said, "That right.  They are almost exactly one year older than our boys.
Their birthday is a week before the twins' birthday, isn't it?"

Robbie nodded, "Yes, it is.  Where are the twins?"

I pointed to the table where they sat with Robbie's brother, Zach.  "They
are with Cameron and Skye."

Adam said, "I am very happy that Zach and Todd live so close to you.  I
know that Todd loves your family very much."

"We were sad to see them move to Washington, DC.  They lived next door to
us when Zach played for the Marlies.  We spend a lot of time with Ben and
Janice and their family," Robbie said.

"We were hoping to convince you guys to move to Toronto or at least
St. Catharines," Adam said.

Rick looked at me, "Are you sure you didn't tell everyone here to help you
convince me to move to Canada?"

I grinned, "No, I didn't but I am very happy they are on my side."

Rick frowned at me.  Robbie said, "You won't regret moving to Canada, Rick.
It is a wonderful country and we are very happy here.  Toronto is a great
city to live in with its outstanding night life and wonderful people."

Adam echoed his husband's sentiments, "We came here to attend the
University of Toronto and decided to make it our permanent home."

"Didn't your parents move here as well?" I asked.

"Yes.  Both sets of parents are here now.  That is why we want Zach and
Todd to move back to Toronto since the rest the family is here now.  There
is no reason for them to stay in the United States," Robbie said.  "I know
that Zach loves playing for the Capitals but I am sure if he really wanted
to come home that he could work a trade with a hockey club here or even
better, yet, he could change careers so he wouldn't have to be away from
home so much."

Zach and Todd came over with the boys.  Robbie and Adam jumped up and
hugged their brothers.  We pulled two more tables over so we could all sit
down and talk with Robbie and Adam.

Todd exclaimed, "You two look great!"

Adam replied, "Of course, we look great because we look just like you two;
only younger."

We all laughed because it was true.  Robbie is Zach's younger brother and
Adam is Todd's younger brother.  When Robbie and Adam got married, they
took the same last name as their older brothers: Anderson-Ingram.  At the
time, Robbie had said, "We want to make sure everyone knows we belong to
the same family."

Jeff looked puzzled so we explained to him the relationship between the two
couples.  He smiled and said, "Okay, now I understand."

Zach looked at Justin and asked, "How are things going?"

Justin responded, "Pretty good, now.  I moved in with Robbie and Adam a few
weeks ago."

"We're sorry that things couldn't be worked out between you and Brian,"
Todd said.

Justin smiled weakly, "It's better this way.  Our divorce was final last
month and he has returned to India."

I asked, "Why did Brian decide he had to return to India?"

"His parents were killed in car crash leaving his younger sisters with no
one to care for them.  His grandmother insisted that he had to return home
to become the head of the family," Justin said.

"But why didn't you go with him," Rick asked.

"Brian didn't want me to suffer because of the severe homophobia in their
society.  He refused to even consider taking me with him to India.  He
didn't give me a chance to try and convince him.  He moved out and filed
for divorce.  He left the country as soon as our divorce was final," Justin
said.  "We moved here a little over a year ago.  In fact, we helped your
cousin, Keith and his family, find a place in Minneapolis just before we
moved to Toronto.  We bought a place near Robbie and Adam.  Things were
going really well until Brian's family informed him that he needed to
return to India and take over the reins of the family business."

"Thank you for helping Keith out.  They have told me several times how much
they appreciated your help," I said.

Justin smiled, "It was only a small token of what we owe you and Rick.

I thought back to our college days at the University of Minnesota-Twin
Falls.  We had all been housemates at the time: Zach, Todd, Robbie, Adam,
Justin, Brian, Mark, Brandon, my cousin, Ben, and I.  I had a lot of
wonderful memories of my time there.  Thinking of Mark and Brandon reminded
me that I hadn't seen them, yet, this morning.

"Are Mark and Brandon here?" I asked.

Zach replied, "Yes, they are at the table near the door."

I looked towards the door and saw them.  I waved at them and Mark smiled
and waved back.  Their daughter, Giselle, sat between them.  Mark's parents
were there as well.  "I am glad they were able to make it."

Robbie asked, "Jimmy and Donica are here, too.  They are over at the buffet
table."

I looked around to see Jimmy helping his daughter with her plate.  Donica
carried a baby on her hip as she filled her plate.  It made me happy to see
how our friends' families were growing.  Ben had called me last night to
let me know they were going to be arriving late in the morning from Toronto
since he had a business meeting he couldn't reschedule.  I was very excited
to see all of our family and friends.  We managed to talk with most
everyone before we went upstairs to get ready for Grandpa's meeting.
Grandpa informed us before we left the dining room that we would holding
our board meeting in that dining room at 11 AM in order to give the hotel
staff time to clean up breakfast and rearrange the room for out meeting.

We entered our suite with the twins bouncing into the room excitedly.  JJ
asked, "May be watch cartoons, Dad?"

I laughed, "They know that you are the one that won't let them watch
cartoons, Babe.  It's up to you."

Rick looked at JJ and said, "Okay, but only until we go back downstairs for
our meeting.  Do you have your books and games ready?"

"Yes, Dad, we have our entertainment backpacks right here," Josh said
pointing to the backpacks that sat just inside the door to our suite.

Rick responded, "Good.  You can go ahead and turn on the television in your
room."

We heard a knock on the door and Rick turned to open.  Seeing Jeff, Rick
said, "Come in, Jeff."

Jeff smiled and asked, "Am I bothering you?"

"No, of course not," Rick said.  "Please come inside and make yourself
comfortable."

Rick and I made ourselves comfortable on the couch.  Rick put his arm
around my shoulders and pulled me close to him.  Rick looked across at Jeff
who had chosen to sit in the loveseat.  He saw that Jeff had a puzzled look
on his face and asked, "Jeff, you look like you have a question.  What's
up?"

Jeff hesitated for a moment and then asked, "Why I am being asked to
participate in your company's board meeting?"

Instead of answering his question directly, Rick asked a question of his
own, "Who do you work for?"

"I work for you and Glenn as well as for Zach and Todd," Jeff responded;
more than a little confused at the question.

"Let me ask the question a different way.  What company pays your salary?"
Rick asked.

"MST, Inc.," Jeff said.

"MST, Inc., stands for Mitchell, Scarborough and Turner, Incorporated,"
Rick said.

Jeff looked at me and said, "Your Grandpa must be the Scarborough that is
in the company name."

"Yes, he is the chairman of the board of directors.  My Uncle, Stan Turner,
is the Chief Executive Officer and Kerry's Dad, Joseph Mitchell, is the
Chief Financial Officer," I said.

Jeff said, "I remember meeting them this morning but I didn't know who they
were.  I mean I didn't know they had anything to do with the company
meeting.  But I still don't understand why I was invited to the board
meeting."

"All of the security chiefs from our various operations are here with us.
Grandpa wanted all of you here to participate in the various meetings he
has set up for today and tomorrow," Rick said.

Jeff's eyes widened with surprise.  "I wasn't aware that was more than one
security operation."

"MST, Inc., has quite a few business ventures that our friends and family
have gotten involved with over the years," I said.

"Like the business proposal you made to Scott and Alonzo?" Jeff asked, a
look of comprehension crossing his ruggedly handsome face.

"Yes," Rick replied.  "I think that Grandpa wants to combine all the
security operations into one.  He mentioned something about it being a
subsidiary company to the main one.  I don't know all the details but it
sounded like a good idea when he explained it to us last week."

Jeff smiled, "I had no idea what I was getting into when I agreed to be
your chief of security."  He paused for a moment to get better control over
his emotions and then continued, "Thank you for helping with my custody
battle with my ex-wife.  I heard from my lawyer yesterday that the private
investigator has turned up enough evidence against my ex-wife that he is
pretty certain I will get full custody of my girls."

"Has a new court date been set?" Rick asked.

"Yes, it has.  It's set for three weeks from now," Jeff said.  His anxiety
was very apparent in his voice despite his best efforts to control it.

"Don't worry, Jeff.  Everything will work out alright," I said.

Jeff smiled weakly and replied, "I hope so."

"Jeff, will you keep a close eye on Justin for us?  He has been suicidal in
the past and we are a little concerned that his divorce will send him over
the edge, again," I said.

"Robbie and Adam talked to us about their concern for Justin's well being,"
Rick said.

"Do you think that I could help him since I recently went through a nasty
divorce myself?" Jeff asked.

"We don't know but you could ask him if he wants to talk about it," Rick
said.

Jeff asked, "Can you give more information about Justin?"

"Sure," I replied.  We related to Jeff what we knew about Justin.

"Thanks for filling me in.  I will be very sensitive about how I approach
things with Justin," Jeff said.  There was knock on our door.  Jeff said,
"Don't get up, I'll get the door.  You two look so comfortable."

Jeff opened the door and before he could ask who it was, two children ran
past him into our room and pounced on us.  Egan and Diane attacked us with
hugs and kisses.

Egan said, "We missed you at breakfast this morning.  I was looking for you
everywhere!"

"We missed you, too, Egan," Rick said.

Diane said, "Where are the twins?"

"They are in their room watching cartoons.  You can join them if you want,"
I said.

The two children quickly disappeared into the twin's bedroom.  Keith and
Kerry joined us followed by Jeff.  We stood up and hugged Keith and Kerry.

"It's good to see you two," Keith said.

"We have missed you and the boys," Kerry said.

We have missed you as well," I said.  I held Kerry at arm's length and gave
her a knowing smile.  "You are expecting, again, aren't you?"

Kerry blushed and smiled, "Yes, I am.  I had hoped I wasn't showing too
much."

I released her and said, "You don't but you can't hide it from me.  I know
you too well."

Kerry laughed, "Oh, Glenn, I have missed you so much.  I had forgotten how
observant you are."

Rick said, "Please sit down and make yourselves comfortable."  Jeff pulled
over the desk chair while Keith and Kerry took the loveseat.  "Keith and
Kerry, this is our new chief of security, Jeff Dunn."

They both smiled at Jeff.  "Jeff, welcome to the family.  I am Glenn's
cousin and this is my wife, Kerry."

Jeff nodded his head, "Nice to meet you and thank you.  I didn't realize I
was being adopted into the family when I agreed to take the job."

Keith said, "We lived next door to Rick and Glenn for many years and we
have always treated our security people like they were members of the
family."

Kerry said, "Don't worry, Jeff.  You will adjust pretty quickly.  I know
that Rick and Glenn are wonderful guys and will do everything they can to
make you feel comfortable."

Jeff smiled, "Yes, I have seen them in action already.  I am just a little
overwhelmed by their generosity."

Keith said, "They are that.  Personally, I think they are too trusting
sometimes but they have always managed to surround themselves with good
people."

I said, "I agree that I used to be too trusting sometimes but just ask Rick
how much I trust government officials or nosey neighbors."

"That is not at all," Rick said.  "I happen to agree with him about the
lack of trust we have in our government officials to do the right thing.
They are more concerned about themselves and abusing the power entrusted to
them than they are about doing what is right."

Keith's expression grew solemn as he remembered when the twins had been
taken from Rick and Glenn.  "I'm sorry.  I shouldn't have said you were too
trusting."

"It's okay, Keith.  I think we have put too much faith in the general
goodness of the people.  Rick can testify that I don't trust anyone when it
comes to our children.  That is part of the reason we will be home
schooling the twins.  I don't think I will ever fully recover from what was
done to us by Arlington County.  It appears that Fairfax County is also in
the process of discriminating against us because we are gay men raising a
family."

Kerry asked, "What is Mrs. Reed going to do if the family court won't allow
you to adopt her grandchildren?"

"She was going to stop the adoption process in Fairfax County because it is
so biased against gays that there no way we could be given a fair
evaluation.  Mrs. Reed plans to move to New York with the children and then
we will file the adoption paperwork with the family court there," I said.

Jeff asked, "What was the reason they used to deny the adoption petition?"

"Moral grounds," Rick said.  "They claim that we aren't morally suitable
and therefore unfit to adopt the children."

"Won't they try to take away the twins next?" Keith said.  "It sounds just
like what happened in Arlington County."

"We don't know what they will do next," I said.  "It's just another reason
why I want to move here.  I'd much rather live in St. Catharines than live
in fear all the time that the state is going to try to take my children
away from me."  I glanced over at Rick.  His face showed that I had hit him
hard this time.  I don't think he had fully considered the implications of
the negative comments in the social workers write up about us being morally
unsuitable to raise children.

"Has the court even heard the petition, yet?" Kerry asked.

Rick answered, "No, but the home assessment and all of the other interviews
were positive except for a comment on each one that stated we weren't
morally suitable to raise children because we are a same sex couple.  They
wouldn't even acknowledge the fact that we are legally married and that we
have been in a committed relationship for a long time now.  According to
them, we can't provide a stable home environment for children because our
marriage is not recognized by the state of Virginia.  A copy of all the
paperwork was provided to our lawyer after we filed a discrimination and
defamation of character suit against the county as well as a suit regarding
the establishment of religion clause due to the introduction of the morally
suitable clause into the court system."

Kerry asked, "Have you seen Cory and Nancy?"

"Not yet, but I expect that they will be at the board meeting," I said.

Rick's watch beeped letting us know that it was time to return to the
dining room.  "Let's go, guys," Rick said.

We collected the children and we made our way back to the dining room.  We
entered it and found that it had been completely rearranged.  Long straight
tables had replaced the round ones and they were lined up in rows facing a
portable podium that had been brought in and placed at the front of the
room.  Keith and Kerry spotted Cory and Nancy and made their way over to
talk to them.  We joined Zach and Todd after dropping off the twins in the
back corner of the room where the rest of the children were gathered.

The back corner had been divided off with sound barriers to form a separate
room with a television set.  We saw that the younger children were watching
a DVD and that there were a variety of board games for the older children.
JJ and Josh quickly sought out Cameron and Skye and sat down next to them
to watch the DVD.

Keith, Kerry, Cory and Nancy joined us at our table.  We stood up and
hugged Cory and Nancy.  "It is so good to see you two.  How are the girls?"
I said.

Nancy smiled, "I am glad we could make it.  They are doing really well.  We
left Randy with the rest of the children.  We will have to get together
after the meetings and let our children get to know each other better."

"The twins have really grown since we saw you last summer," Cory said.

"That they have," Rick said smiling.

Grandpa, the Mitchells, and the Turners sat at the head table next to the
podium.  As Grandpa stood up, we took our seats and listened as he brought
the board meeting to order.  "Good morning!  I am glad everyone made it
safely here.  We have quite a bit of business to conduct."

He welcomed the newest members of our circle of friends -- Eddie, Jamie,
Scott, Alonzo, and Jeff.  Then he went on to share the financial statistics
of the company.  He congratulated everyone their hard work and praised us
for the successes we had seen over the last 12 months.

Then he said, "We are proposing a reorganization of the company and we want
your approval before we move forward."

We listened carefully to the proposal.  At different times, Uncle Stan and
Joe stood up and took over the narration of the changes we were being asked
to consider.  Each of us had a folder in front of us with the details which
they asked us to look over.

Grandpa said, "Let's take 30 minutes to answer your questions and then we
will ask for your vote of approval."

We peppered him with questions.  Some of which, Grandpa answered while
others he passed off to Uncle Stan and Joe.  At the end of 30 minutes,
Grandpa asked, "Are there any other questions?"

There was silence in the room.  Grandpa said, "It looks like there aren't
any more questions.  Let's move onto the voting part of this meeting" He
explained the voting procedure and we held the vote.  It passed unanimously
as we expected it would.  Grandpa said, "Good.  Now that you have approved
our proposed changes, we think it is time that we begin training our
replacements."  He outlined how he thought this would work.  Grandpa said,
"I won't be around forever and we need to ensure that there is continuity
in the leadership of our family business.  I want you to think about which
of you would be the best family members to begin training to take our
places running this company.  I know that most of you have graduated from
college and are pursuing your dreams.  From that perspective, this company
has served its purpose.  However, we need to ensure that your children also
have that same opportunity."

Uncle Stan stood next to Grandpa and said, "We know this is a lot to think
about.  We have planned a few hours for you to talk among yourselves.  We
will adjourn this meeting until 3 PM this afternoon."

There was an excited buzz in the room as everyone started talking at once.
I looked at Rick and asked, "Who do you think should become the chair of
the board?"

Rick thought for a moment and then he said, "If it has to be a family
member, I would recommend Keith.  He is very good with people and should be
able to handle the job of the chairman of the board.  I think Uncle Stan
should continue as Chief Executive Officer.  I don't know who could
adequately fill his shoes at the moment."

"I agree with you but I think someone should be shadowing him to learn the
ropes," I said.  I thought for a moment about whether I dared breathe a
word about the idea that had just popped into my head.  I decided to go
ahead and spit it out.  "What about you, Rick?  You could shadow, Uncle
Stan."

Rick looked at me in surprise.  He didn't respond for so long I thought
maybe I had made him angry at me for suggesting it.  I started to speak
when Rick put his finger in my lips and he shook his head.  "Let me think
for a minute before you say anything more about it."

Rick took my hand in his and then he turned me around to face him.  "I
don't think it would be a good idea for me to shadow Uncle Stan unless it
could be worked out that I could do it remotely."

I looked into his eyes and saw that he was seriously considering it but had
identified the one thing I hadn't thought about -- moving to Selma, NC,
was completely out of the question.  "You are right.  There is no way we
could move to Selma or anywhere in North Carolina.  They are too homophobic
there.  I wouldn't feel safe living there after everything that has
happened with your family."

Rick raised his hand to my face and lightly ran his fingers along my jaw
line, "I can't put you or the twins in danger by moving to North Carolina."

I nodded my head in agreement.  I looked down the table at Keith and said,
"Then maybe Keith would be the better one to shadow his Dad."

Rick agreed, "Yes, I think that would make more sense given the
circumstances but Keith doesn't want to live in North Carolina any more
than we do.  Keith and Kerry want to move back to Atlanta."

"I know.  Most of their friends still live in Atlanta.  I liked living in
Atlanta but I want to live somewhere that recognizes our marriage and we
have the same rights and privileges under the laws as heterosexual couples.
I am so mentally and emotionally battered by the hatred and negativity
directed at gays in the United States.  I want us to move to a place where
I don't have to worry about my safety and that of our family; a place where
we can raise our family without the fear of the government stepping in to
destroy our lives," I said looking into Rick's eyes.

Rick nodded his understanding, "Glenn, I am tired of the constant onslaught
of gay bashing that has become the norm but I am not ready to move just
yet."

Hearing his response started me to thinking of the many discussions we have
had about this subject.  I knew he would respond that way but I had hope
that one of these days Rick would be ready and we could move to a better
place to live.  I admit that I led a very sheltered life growing up on the
Canadian prairie.  I had never been harassed or bullied by anyone at
Kincaid Central School and even when I moved into town to attend high
school I had never been subjected to such vindictive and malicious behavior
as I had experienced in the United States.  Yes, there were some haters
among my peers, but for the most part everyone left me alone.  It helped
that my cousin, Ben, and his teammates on the hockey team had taken me
under his wing.  No one dared say or do anything to me about being gay for
fear of becoming the subject of the hockey team's wrath.

I am glad I decided to attend college in the United States because I met my
husband, Rick, at Georgia Tech.  However, my happiness with Rick has been
counterbalanced by the religious bigotry of supposed "Christians" and their
twisting of the government's responsibility to protect its citizens into
one of persecuting those citizens who don't fit into their definition of
upstanding, moral people. These "Christians" make a mockery of the United
States' Declaration of Independence where it states that every man has
certain unalienable rights such as life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness.  In addition, they trample on the Constitution of the United
States by establishing Christianity as the state religion.  The first
amendment states it very clearly -- "Congress shall make no law
respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise
thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right
of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a
redress of grievances."  What is even more disingenuous is their claim that
they are not discriminating against gays or establishing a religion because
they are only codifying into law a "definition" of marriage so it can't be
challenged as discriminatory or unconstitutional.

Rick touched my arm, "Earth to Glenn."  He waved his hand in front of my
face.  I blinked and turned to look at him.  "You left earth's orbit there
for a moment, Babe."

"I am sorry, Rick, I was thinking about some of our discussions about
moving to Canada." I said smiling at my sweetheart.

"I thought you might be thinking up something new to try and convince me
that now is the time to move," Rick said smiling.  "Please be patient with
me, Glenn.  Every time we visit your family, I get more and more
comfortable with the idea of moving here.  I really like St. Catharines but
I could never live in Swift Current.  It's too small and it's out in the
middle of nowhere!"

Nancy overheard Rick's comment and walked over.  "You are right about Swift
Current being a small town but it's a good place to raise a family.  Just
look at us.  We turned out okay, don't you think?"

Cory laughed, "Yes, you did turn out just fine."  He wrapped his arms
around his wife and kissed her.  That's when I noticed that my sister was
pregnant, again.

Nancy noticed the look of surprise on my face and laughed, "Yes, brother
dear, I am expecting another child.  You have to remember that Randy is
over a year old now.  We already know it's a girl and have picked out a
name for her: Jessica."

Rick pulled Cory into a big hug and said, "Congratulations!  I knew you
were good for something!"

Cory laughed, "Thanks, I think."

Nancy laughed as well, "Yes, Cory is good for many things."

The color rose in Cory's cheeks as Nancy went on to list some of those
things!  Finally, Nancy stopped and then said, "Most of all, he loves me
very much."  She kissed him on the lips and took his hand.  "I am starving.
Please take me to lunch, sweetheart."

Cory grinned, "She is always hungry.  You wouldn't believe how much she ate
yesterday."

"I would believe it.  Remember she lived with us when she had the twins?"
Rick asked grinning at Nancy.

Nancy stuck her tongue out at Rick causing Rick to laugh.  "Rick, have you
forgotten that I never get angry?  I just get even!"

Rick grinned, "I look forward to it!"

I took Rick by the hand, "Rick, stop teasing my sister.  You know she will
always win.  I haven't forgotten what she did to you the last time you
started teasing her."

The memory of it had all of us laughing.  Nancy smiled sweetly, "I do think
I did pretty well that time."

Rick was blushing furiously, "Yes, you did."

Zach grinned as he asked, "Dare we ask what Nancy did to Rick?"

Before anyone could answer, Rick said, "No, absolutely not!"

Nancy laughed and turned to Cory, "Let's go eat.  I think I have
embarrassed Rick enough already."

Rick looked at me and said, "Don't even think of telling anyone what she
did to get even."

I meekly said, "Yes, dear.  Don't you wish she could come live with us,
again?"

Rick gave me the "look" that said "forget it!"  I laughed, "But you have to
admit you love her like I do."

Rick smiled and said, "Yes, I do love your sister and yes we did have many
fun times when she lived with us."

We picked up the children and made our way across the street to Boston
Pizza.  We found that Mark and Brandon were already seated so we asked the
hostess if we could join them.  She and a couple of the wait staff moved
some tables around to accommodate us.

Mark and Brandon hugged us.  Mark said, "You guys look great!  I can see
that Rick is keeping you fit and trim, Glenn!"

I laughed, "Yes, he has been a real slave driver when it comes to working
out on the weights and running every morning."

Rick said, "You have got that right, Babe.  I can't have you getting fat on
me!"

Brandon gave me the once over from head to toe before he said, "I think you
look even hotter than you did when I met you, Glenn."

I blushed at his compliment.  Brandon laughed at my discomfort.  I still
wasn't used to his blatant flirting.  I knew he was completely committed to
Mark so I shouldn't let it bother me.

Rick and Mark laughed, "Brandon, you did it again."

He grinned broadly, "I love it when you blush, Glenn.  You look so cute!"

Keith said, "He is rather good looking isn't he?"

"You would agree since you look just like him," Brandon said laughing.  "In
fact, the first time we met you and Kerry I thought it was Glenn who was
making out with Kerry.  I was so totally floored I didn't know how to react
because Glenn has never shown any interest in girls."

"You were rather speechless that day," Keith said grinning at Brandon.

"But as soon as you opened your mouth to speak, I knew you weren't Glenn.
Your Southern accent gave you away," Brandon said.

Kerry said, "I am glad you and Mark were able to help us find a place."

"It is like Glenn told us when he helped us out, you are part of our family
and we take care of family," Mark said.

The hostess asked, "Are you ready to order?"

We found our seats and soon placed our order.  We had a great time visiting
with our family and friends.  It reminded me of our college days when
everyone would pitch in for beer and pizza and we would party until the wee
hours of the morning.

*** ***

Later that afternoon, we met, again.  It turned out that everyone thought
Rick or I should take over Grandpa's place as chairman of the board.  Rick
has the better head for business.  I knew Rick would never agree to take on
the chairmanship unless I refused it.  I asked everyone to consider Rick
and explained my logic to them.  By a unanimous vote, Rick was selected to
shadow Grandpa in preparation for taking over from him should he be unable
to continue in that position.

It was decided that we would wait to decide who would shadow the Mitchells
and Turners as officers of the corporation.  Grandpa suggested that we hold
another meeting at Christmas time to make our decisions about corporate
officers.  We all agreed and then Grandpa adjourned our meeting and told us
to go have fun.

*** ***

The big day had finally arrived!  We were all seated in the church waiting
for the two couples to enter the sanctuary.  The guys had taken the
marriage preparation course with Reverend Riegger.  They had opted to spend
a couple of days with the Reverend instead of spreading out the various
classes over a couple of weeks.  At the end of each day's classes, the guys
had met us for dinner.  Listening to them talking about what they had
learned reminded us of our sessions with Reverend Riegger.

My thoughts went back to their last day of classes, when Rick and I had
retired for the evening.  The boys were snug in their beds and we finally
had a few minutes to relax and enjoy some time alone.

Rick took me into his arms and said, "I am very glad we were married in the
church, Glenn.  Those sessions with Reverend Riegger helped us develop a
firm foundation for our marriage relationship."

"I am glad that the guys are doing the same.  I am especially grateful that
Reverend Riegger is still around to perform the wedding ceremony for them,"
I said.

"I am, too," Rick said.

My thoughts were brought back to the present when everyone stood up as the
wedding march started playing.  It was time for the best men to make their
entrance.  Zach and Todd came in first and stood on one side of the dais.
Then Rick and I came in on stood on the other side.  The two happy couples
came up the aisle.  Scott and Alonzo took their place between Zach and Todd
while Eddie and Jamie took theirs between me and Rick.  They were followed
by the ring bearers, Cameron and Skye for Scott and Alonzo, and JJ and Josh
for Eddie and Jamie.  JJ took my hand while he clutched the pillow with
Eddie's ring tied on it in his other hand.  I glanced over to see that Josh
had taken his Dad's hand and still had the pillow with Jamie's ring tied on
it.  I had been afraid that the twins would drop the pillows or worse, yet,
they would lose the rings before the ceremony was complete. I looked across
to the other side of the dais to see that Cameron and Skye had also taken
their fathers' hands as we had shown them during the rehearsal last night.

I breathed a sigh of relief that everything was going as planned.  Reverend
Riegger began, "We are gathered here today to unite in holy matrimony these
two couples.  They have completed the requisite classes and have shown that
they are ready to take a vow of commitment to each other."

As I listened to him continue the ceremony, my mind was taken back to that
special day when Rick and I were married in this very church.  I glanced
over at Rick and smiled.  He smiled and I knew he was also remembering that
special day.

I returned my attention to Reverend Riegger.  I was happy that both couples
had chosen traditional wedding vows.  The two couples had decided to recite
their vows at the same time.  When they had finished, Reverend Riegger
said, "You may now exchange rings and kiss your spouse."

Rick and I helped the twins untie the rings on their respective pillows and
then watched as they carefully presented the rings to Eddie and Jamie.
They exchanged wedding bands and then kissed each other at the same time as
Scott and Alonzo.

Reverend Riegger announced to the congregation, "I present to you Scott and
Alonzo Dickerson and Eddie and Jamie McGuire.  You may come up to the front
of the sanctuary to congratulate the newlywed couples."

After the ceremony, we traveled to the Stratford White House for the
wedding reception.  It brought back many happy memories for me and Rick.
We spent the evening dancing, eating and enjoying the company of our
friends and family.  During a break in the dancing, the two newlywed
couples joined me and Rick at our table.

Eddie said, "Thank you for everything you have done for us."

"We will never forget how you helped us to find each other," Jamie said.
"This is the happiest day of my life."

Scott seconded Jamie's sentiment, "Yes, this is the happiest day of our
lives, too.  I never would have believed that I would fall in love with
another guy but I did and I am so glad that Lonny feels the same way about
me."

Alonzo smiled at his husband, "Scott is the best thing that ever happened
to me."  He looked over at us and said, "I owe Zach and Todd a lot for
introducing me to you guys and I owe you guys for helping me find Scott."

Zach and Todd came over and hugged the two couples.  "Congratulations to
the happy couples!" exclaimed Zach.

Todd smiled, "We wish you the best of everything life has to offer."

We chatted with them for a few more minutes.  Then the newlyweds returned
to the dance floor.

Scott pulled Alonzo into his arms for a slow dance.  He kissed Alonzo and
then started nuzzling his neck.  Alonzo whispered into Scott's ear, "When
are we going upstairs to our room?"

Scott nibbled on Alonzo's ear and said, "Whenever you want to leave, Babe.
Some of our guests have already left to go to their hotels."

"Let's go up after this song is over," Alonzo said.  "I want to be alone
with my husband."

He gave Scott a grin that made Scott's heart skip a beat.  Scott never
tired of seeing that grin.  It still amazed him that he had found his soul
mate after so many years of searching.  He had traveled the globe and not
found anyone that made his heart race.  He returned Alonzo's grin and led
him off the dance floor as the song ended.  They passed Eddie and Jamie who
looked at them for a moment and then they both grinned.

Eddie said, "We will be right behind you.  We will see you in the morning.
The plane leaves Hamilton pretty early so don't oversleep."

Scott nodded his head and proceeded to lead his husband out of the
reception room and upstairs to their suite.  He and Eddie had decided to
honeymoon together.  At Rick's suggestion, they had booked a flight to San
Juan, Puerto Rico, where they were to meet their cruise ship.  Rick had
insisted on paying for both couples as part of their wedding gift to their
friends.  Scott was excited to be spending time alone with Alonzo.

He didn't mind having Eddie and Jamie along since there would be plenty for
them to do as a couple.  Alonzo had never been on a cruise and neither had
Eddie or Jamie.  Scott had been on several and knew they would have a
blast, especially since this cruise catered to gays.  He had gone on a gay
cruise once before and had enjoyed a brief liaison with a handsome young
man that had fizzled out once they were both back on land.

Scott opened the door to their suite and turned to pick up Alonzo and
carried him across the threshold.  He looked into his husband's eyes and
said, "I have always wanted to do that."

Alonzo laughed as Scott returned him to his feet.  "I love it."  Alonzo
threw his arms around his sweetheart and they shared a very passionate
kiss.  They helped each other out of their tuxedos.  They showered
together, washing each other and increasing their state of arousal.  They
quickly dried off and moved to their bedroom to consummate their marriage
on this extraordinary day.

Scott pulled Alonzo close and looked into his eyes, "Lonny, I love you.
Thank you for marrying me."

Alonzo responded, "I love you, too."  Alonzo kissed Scott tenderly on the
lips.  He pulled back and asked, "Where are we going on our honeymoon?"

Scott grinned, "It's a surprise.  You will find out tomorrow.  All I can
say is that we have a flight to catch in the morning."

Alonzo smiled, "You and Eddie have been so secretive about it.  Jamie and I
are practically going crazy with curiosity."

 Scott laughed, "I would have thought that you would have more patience
than Jamie since you are much more mature that he is."

"Thanks, sweetheart, I didn't realize I was getting so old," Alonzo said
laughing.

"Well, we are ten years older than Jamie," Scott said.

"Well, that is true.  Jamie is really sweet though and he and Eddie make a
cute couple," Alonzo said.

"I agree.  However, I am glad you waited to find me," Scott.

"So am I," Alonzo said.  "I didn't ever dream I would find anyone who loved
riding motorcycles as much as I do."

Scott nibbled Alonzo's ear before responding, "Yes, we do love our crotch
rockets."

Alonzo laughed, "You are so bad, Scott!"

Scott protested, "I am not!"

"Yes, you are!" Alonzo insisted laughing at Scott's pretense at being
insulted.  Alonzo reached down to massage Scott causing Scott to moan in
pleasure.  "Are you ready to do it, again?"

Scott answered by covering Alonzo's neck with kisses.

*** ***

Meanwhile, in the suite across the hall, Eddie and Jamie who had finally
managed to escape were just closing the door.  Eddie pulled Jamie into an
embrace and then helped his new husband out of his clothes.  Eddie slipped
out of his tuxedo and then led his lover boy to their bedroom.

Jamie snuggled against Eddie's chest.  "I love you, Eddie."

Eddie gently kissed his husband and said, "I love you, too."

Jamie said, "Thank you for being the man you are.  You have made my dreams
come true."

"So does this mean I get to be Prince Charming?" Eddie asked jokingly.

"Yes, it does," Jamie said.  "You came into my life and saved me from being
lonely."

"I didn't know what I was missing until you came into my life, Jamie.  I
thought I had it all figured out and then I met you and my whole world was
turned upside down," Eddie said.  "I have never been one to be very
sentimental but you have helped me to find my heart, again.  It had turned
to stone the day my parents kicked me out of their home but you turned me
back into a living, breathing thing, again.  I still don't know how to
manage all of the emotions I am feeling."

Jamie put his hand up to Eddie cheek and gently kissed this giant of a man
who he had married this morning.  "We will manage them together,
sweetheart."

Eddie's eyes glistened with unshed tears, "That's sounds so wonderful.
When you agreed to marry me, I didn't believe we would ever make it this
far.  I have never had any luck with relationships and feared that
somewhere along the way; you would change your mind."

"Eddie, you are stuck with for the rest of your life," Jamie said looking
deeply into his lover's eyes.

Eddie pulled Jamie closer to him as he kissed him.  Their passions flared
and soon overpowered them as they shared their love and desire for each
other.  As they lay sated in each other's arms, Eddie stared into his
lover's face and said, "I will always cherish you."

*** ***

That same evening, Mrs. Campbell was entertaining a number of prestigious
guests from the area in her home.  She had invited a mixture of people from
different social circles.  There were several judges and lawyers as well as
the mayor of Alexandria City.  To keep the General happy, she had invited
the commandant for Fort Meyer and a couple of the General's military
friends.  She also invited her sister and her grown children.
Mrs. Campbell's family was very prominent in the area.  She came from what
people called old money.  In her younger days, she and her sister had
rubbed shoulders with only the best and the brightest of the jet set.  To
some extent, this was still true.

She had planned this party a few weeks ago when she heard about the
discriminatory behavior of the family court employees working with her
adopted sons, Glenn and Rick.  They weren't really adopted but they were as
good as adopted because she and the General had taken them in when they
needed a home and had grown very close to them.  Their twin boys were the
light of her life.  In fact, she and the General had recently changed their
wills to leave everything they owned to the twins.  She knew that Glenn and
Rick didn't need the money but she wanted the twins to be well provided for
in the event something happened to their Dads.  She and the General hadn't
shared this information with Glenn and Rick.  Neither had they told the
boys they were going to pull some strings with the family court.  Two of
the family court judges were related to Mrs. Campbell -- one by marriage
and the other was a cousin.  Both of them were in attendance this evening.
She had also invited a very close friend who worked for Child Protective
Services in Fairfax County.

As she greeted her guests, she kept careful watch on the two judges.  After
dinner, the group had assembled in the music where Mrs. Campbell's niece
played the piano for them.  The General and his friends had retired to the
basement to examine the General's gun collection.  Several of the lawyers
had left as they had other appointments leaving the judges and
Mrs. Campbell's sister and family.

She started to implement her plan.  Her cousin, Judge Nicholas Bell, asked
her about the photos on her mantel.  "I thought you and the General didn't
have any children.  Who are those handsome young men in the photographs?"

"Those are my adopted sons, Glenn and Rick," Mrs. Campbell answered.  The
others in the room stopped their conversations to listen with interest.
She stood up and walked over to the fireplace.  She pointed to each photo
as she said, "This is Glenn and his husband, Rick, and their twin boys,
Jared James and Joshua Glenn."  She heard a sharp intake of breath and
turned to see who it was but failed to identify the individual.

Judge Bell asked, "Did I hear you correctly?"

"Yes, you heard me correctly, Nicholas.  My adopted sons are gay and were
married in St. Catharines, Ontario, while they were living with me and the
General," Mrs. Campbell said.

Her sister asked, "I knew you had taken in the two boys but you never
mentioned they were married.  How could you allow them to live in sin under
your roof?"

Mrs. Campbell asked, "Maxine, is it a sin to marry the one you love?"

Her sister replied, "It is if it's a guy marrying a guy."

Mrs. Campbell replied coldly, "The how do you explain your ongoing
relationship with your girlfriend, Maggie?"  Maxine froze.  She hadn't
expected her sister to out her in front of her family and her guests.  She
didn't know what to say.  "Yes, Maxine, I have known about you living with
your girlfriend since James died.  It's kind of hypocritical of you to
condemn my boys when you, yourself, are living with another woman."

Maxine's daughter, Emily Rushin, gasped and covered her mouth with her
hand.  Her husband, John, put his arm around her to comfort her.  "Mother,
is it true?" she asked.

Maxine slowly nodded her head.  "Yes, it's true, dear.  I have been very
lonely and Maggie is a great comfort to me."

Mrs. Campbell picked up the photo of the twins.  "These are my grandsons.
Their Dads are in the process of trying to adopt three children who were
placed in their home for three months when their parents died.  They lived
in Arlington County then and the family services people asked them to be
foster parents until a permanent home could be home for them.  They
eventually were placed in the care of their grandmother.  Since that time,
the children's grandmother was diagnosed with cancer and has petitioned the
Fairfax family court to allow my sons to adopt her grandchildren."

Emily Rushin looked away from her aunt's piercing gaze.  She knew exactly
who these men were.  They were the gay couple she had interviewed a few
weeks before and had recommended that the adoption petition be denied due
to moral considerations.  She didn't know how her aunt knew about it but
she knew without a doubt that her aunt was in possession of all the facts.

Mrs. Campbell turned to Judge Bell, "Nicholas, what would you think if a
gay couple such as my sons brought a petition to adopt children?"

"I would weigh the situation based on it's merits," he replied.

"Meaning you would summarily dismiss the petition?" she asked with a slight
edge to her voice.

"No, I would evaluate all of the facts before making a decision," he
replied.

"So would you reject their petition based on discriminatory statements made
by social workers and child protective services solely based on the fact
that my sons are gay?" she asked pointedly.

"No, I would want to have the children evaluated by a child psychologist
and other professionals," he said.

"Would witnesses to the good character of my boys sway your opinion of
them?" she asked.

"That would depend on who the witnesses were and what kind of a
relationship they had with the petitioners," he replied.  "Why are you
asking all of these questions?"

"I am asking you these questions because my sons' petition to adopt the
three children I have spoken of is on the docket to be considered in your
court.  The problem is that my niece has placed derogatory and utterly
false statements in her documentation for submission to the court for
evaluation," she said staring straight into Emily Rushin's eyes.

Nicholas said, "Those are pretty serious accusations.  Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am.  I have seen the documents with my own eyes and I have read the
report filed by Emily.  She condemns my sons for being married to the one
they love and states that the children would not be living in a healthy
environment living with gay parents," Mrs. Campbell said angrily.  She
continued, "Those boys have lived in my home and have given me and the
General more "Christian" service than anyone we have ever known.  They have
good hearts and would give you the shirt off of their backs to help you.
They are the most upstanding people I know."

The other judge, Rachel Alston, spoke up, "Have your sons filed a
discrimination suit against the county?"

"No, but they are in the process of doing so.  They asked me and the
General for advice and we told them to sue the county and the individuals
responsible for the discriminatory remarks including defamation of
character," she responded, again, looking directly at Emily Rushin.

Rachel said, "Ask the boys to hold off until I have had some time to check
out a few things.  I think this situation can be resolved fairly easily."

Emily looked surprised, "What do you mean?"

"I intend to speak with your supervisor and to several others at the court
to ensure that our people are not discriminating against well qualified
individuals based on their own religious beliefs," Rachel responded.

Mrs. Campbell said, "Thank you, Rachel, but I am afraid things have already
gone too far for a simple resolution."  She paused and looked at Emily,
again.  "Isn't that so Emily?"

Emily's face showed her shock and anger at being called out in front of her
family.  She didn't respond to her aunt's question but glared at her.

John turned to his wife, "What is she talking about Emily?  What have you
done?"

Mrs. Campbell said, "She has already falsified reports claiming that my
sons are abusive parents as are their friends, Zach and Todd
Anderson-Ingram.  She has contacted Child Protective Services to
immediately remove their children from their homes.  There is a warrant for
my sons' arrest based on the false accusations made by Emily about what my
sons have done to abuse my grandsons.  Emily did this in retaliation for
the lawsuit that has been filed by my sons against her and the county.
Isn't that what you have done Emily?"

Emily face contorted in anger as she answered, "Yes, I wanted to make sure
that their families are torn apart and that they pay for trying to ruin my
career.  I want them to rot in prison as the devil's spawn they are!  Yes,
I falsified the reports and I am the one responsible for taking down those
vile sinners who are perverting their children with their evil ways."

Maxine stared in horror at her daughter, "How can you be so vindictive and
hateful?  I didn't raise you to treat people like this nor did I teach you
to lie to force people to do what you want."

Emily turned on her mother, "You aren't any better than they are; living in
sin with Maggie."

"Emily, our church doesn't condone homosexual behavior but we don't accept
lawbreakers and liars either.  Doesn't falsifying your reports and making
false accusations constitute breaking the law?"

When Emily didn't respond, Mrs. Campbell said, "Mr. Williams, Mrs. Davis,
Mr. Sheppard and Mrs. Evans please join us."

At the mention of Mr. Williams name, Emily's face went white.  The four
named individuals entered the room along with two police officers.
Mrs. Campbell introduced everyone.

Mr. Williams announced, "Emily, as of this moment, you are suspended and
relieved of your duties with Fairfax County pending a further
investigation."

"You can't do that Mr. Williams," Emily said.

"I can and I have already done so," Mr. Williams said.  "I am the director
of Child Protective Services and disciplinary matters are handled by me.
Also, I have delivered copies of your forged documents to the police.  I
have informed the police of the false accusations against these men.
Hopefully, we can get the information to the appropriate authorities before
any damage is done to these families based on your desire for vengeance."

"How did you find out about the falsified reports," John asked.

"When Emily filed the new reports with CPS, Mrs. Davis called me about
them.  She remembered talking to a friend of hers from Arlington County
about a similar situation that occurred there involving a gay couple.  We
called Mr. Sheppard and Mrs. Evans in Arlington County and were surprised
to find that it was the same gay couple who moved from Arlington County to
Fairfax County.  We were even more astonished to hear that one of their own
social workers had nearly succeeded in destroying this family using the
same tactics Emily was using; namely falsifying documents to enforce their
own religious beliefs instead of objectively evaluating the circumstances."

John looked over at this wife in disgust, "Why did you do it?"

She looked at John in shock.  She had counted on his support and thought he
would take her side.  "Can't you see why I did it?  I wanted those children
to grow up in a normal home with the same opportunities as other children.
There is no way those children will ever be afforded a stable home
environment by those horrible men."

Mrs. Campbell said, "To me, you are the horrible person here.  You are a
monster who's only thought in life is to satisfy her own need to exercise
power and authority over others.  I see a cruel and absolute dictator whose
sole purpose in life is to make other people as miserable as she is."

John said, "This time, your aunt is correct, Emily.  You have some serious
thinking to do."

Emily gave her husband a sly smile, "No, I won't be thinking about it at
all since I haven't done anything illegal."

Mr. Williams said, "That is where you are wrong.  You have fabricated
evidence with malicious intent.  You falsified documents that would have
led to the incarceration of innocent men and caused the removal of their
children from their custody to be placed into foster care.  Your intent was
to do harm and to retaliate against them.  You have proudly confessed to
your crime in front of all these witnesses.  In addition, every word that
has been spoken here this evening has been recorded for use as evidence in
a court of law."

Mr. Williams nodded to the police officers who arrested Emily and took her
from the room in handcuffs.

Mrs. Campbell turned to Mr. Williams, "Thank you so much for helping me
stop my niece.  She has always been difficult to deal with.  In her mind,
there is only black and white.  Isn't that so, Maxine?"

Maxine nodded her head, "Yes.  Emily has always insisted that everyone
follow her rules no matter what the consequences."

Mrs. Campbell said, "Thank you, Mrs. Davis, for following up on what you
saw in those falsified reports.  If it hadn't been for you, my sons would
be going to jail and my poor grandsons would be traumatized, again, at the
hands of those who are supposed to protect them."

Mrs. Davis said, "I was only doing my job, Mrs. Campbell."

"No, dear, you went beyond the call of duty to ensure that the right thing
was done to prevent a great wrong," Mrs. Evans said with a smile.

"Yes, Mrs. Davis, you are to be commended," Mr. Sheppard commented.  "You
can work for Arlington County any time.  That is if you get tired of
working for my friend, Mr. Williams."

Mr. Williams smiled, "Yes, thank you for your hard work, Mrs. Davis."  He
looked around the room.  "I give you my apologies for interrupting your
evening."

Nicholas said, "Thank you for doing your best to ensure that these families
are not harmed."

Rachel agreed, "Yes, I am glad you were able to prevent a great tragedy
from happening because of one person's hatred for others."

Mr. Williams took his leave as did Mrs. Davis.  Mr. Sheppard and Mrs. Evans
joined the gathering and visited with the other guests.  Mrs. Evans shared
her experiences with Glenn and Rick and their wonderful twin boys.
Mrs. Campbell sat near the fireplace and reflected on all that had
transpired during the last few days.  She was glad that Mr. Williams had
contacted her about the accusations against her adopted sons.  What she
hadn't shared with the group for friends and family at her home tonight was
that she and Mr. Williams, Teddy as she called him, had dated for several
years before she met the General.  Even thought things had not worked out
between them, she and Teddy were still very close.  The General had always
respected her desire to maintain a warm relationship with Teddy and she was
grateful for her wonderful husband's wisdom in maintaining cordial ties
with one's closest friends in life.  How little had she known that the day
would come when Teddy would help her save her family from being destroyed
by one of her own blood kin; someone who had spent many weekends with her
dear aunt and had brought much comfort to her childless state.

It hurt her deeply to see Emily led out of her home in handcuffs.  She had
never been confronted with such a difficult choice.  She knew she had to
save her sons and their boys from the evil designs of her niece but at the
same time she wanted to shield Emily from the consequences of her actions.
In the end, she had come to the realization that she needed to protect her
two grandsons whose lives would be shattered by the events Emily had set in
motion.

She only half listened to the others as they talked.  The emotional impact
of what had just happened left her totally exhausted.  She leaned back in
her recliner and was soon fast asleep.

*** ***

The morning after the double weddings, Rick looked into Glenn's eyes and
smiled, "What would you say if we bought a house in St. Catharines?"

I looked at my sweetheart in surprise, "Are you saying we can move to
St. Catharines?"

Rick laughed, "No, but we can at least buy a place so we can live here
during the summers.  I am not quite ready to move here permanently, Glenn."

"But we can stay here every summer?" I asked excitedly.  I couldn't believe
that Rick was agreeing to buy a home in Canada.  We had talked about it
often since the Arlington County incident a little over a year and a half
ago.

"Yes, we can stay here every summer," Rick responded with a broad smile.
Glenn was acting like a kid at Christmas.  He loved how Glenn's eyes shone
and how happy he was at Rick's decision to buy a home in St. Catharines.

I said, "Thank you."  I gave Rick a great big kiss.

After we surfaced for air, Rick exclaimed with a grin, "I would have told
you sooner if I knew you were going to kiss me like that!"

I kissed him, again.  "You are the most wonderful man in the whole word,
Rick Lernier."

Rick said, "We can begin house hunting after breakfast."

"We don't have to go house hunting, Rick.  There is a house for sale just
down the street from Uncle Carl and Aunt Hannah's house on Guy Road.  I
think it will meet our needs, especially if it is to be our summer home," I
said.

Rick smiled, "I saw that house for sale and I thought it would perfect for
us.  It was seeing that house that made me think that maybe it's time to
buy a home here.  We come here several times a year anyway so it makes
sense for us to get our own place."

I kissed him, again.  "Rick, I love you."

Rick pulled me close and held me as tears of happiness rolled down my
cheeks.  He waited patiently for me to recover from the strong emotions I
was feeling.  "I am sorry, Rick.  I can be such a cry baby sometimes."

Rick smoothed my hair and gently rubbed my back.  "I knew that they were
tears of happiness, Glenn.  I am glad that you are happy."  He tenderly
kissed me and I melted into him.

*** ***

Author's Note:

Fairfax County Adoption Procedures -
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/courts/circuit/pdf/CCR-A-05.pdf

Adoption information for Ontario -
http://www.oacas.org/childwelfare/adopt.htm#whocanadopt



Gay Adoption Information

1.  http://gaylife.about.com/od/gayparentingadoption/a/gaycoupleadopt.htm

2.  http://gaylife.about.com/od/gayparentingadoption/a/gayadoptionstat.htm