Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2012 21:04:08 -0500
From: crazy4u <rnielsen47@gmail.com>
Subject: The Lernier Family Chapter 25, 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.

Please contribute to Nifty so we can continue to enjoy these stories!

*** ***

Chapter Twenty Five – Kyle's English Class

Jeff watched Rick and Kyle throwing the football back and forth.  He could
see how the 15 year old boy idolized his father.  He wished that his own
children could look at him with the same admiration and love that he saw on
display in Kyle's face.

His thoughts went back to the court battle he had with his ex-wife.  He had
been given joint custody of his three girls.  His lawyer had advised him
not to push the judge to terminate her parental rights since the judge had
a history of ruling against every father who had entered his court.  The
judge had been doubtful of the evidence presented to him of his ex-wife's
neglect and abuse of their children.  He had sternly reprimanded the social
workers who offered testimony against his ex-wife and had asked how much
money I was paying them to testify on my behalf.  In the end, the judge had
granted him joint custody of the children.  The judge had also lectured he
and his ex-wife that if they showed up in his court again with a change to
the custody agreement that he would terminate our parental rights and put
the children in foster care where they could lead normal lives without the
emotional abuse we were inflicting upon them.

His ex-wife hadn't tried to change the custody agreement but had done her
level best to turn his girls against him.  They spent every weekend with
him but they came grudgingly and with an attitude that he found hard to
deal with at times.  He had gone out of his way to make sure they had
everything they ever wanted but it still wasn't enough.  In fact, the
oldest daughter, Jolene, had accused him of trying to buy their love by
giving them so much stuff.  He had been extremely hurt by her comment and
had to leave the room before he could speak without choking up in front of
them.  Jolene was a senior in high school and would be 18 years old soon.
Jolene had made it clear that once she turned 18 that she wanted nothing to
do with her father.  He had responded that he still loved her and if she
changed her mind, she would be welcome in his home.  Jolene had indicated
that she wouldn't be changing her mind.  The two younger girls, Caroline –
15 and Marie – 14, had adopted their sister's attitudes as well.  He had
tried everything to reach out to them and to establish a better
relationship with them but to no avail.  With Jolene's announcement, he had
just about given up any attempts to make things better.

He was brought back to the present when Kyle ran over to him and asked,
"Jeff, do you want to join us?"

Jeff smiled, "Sure.  Thanks for asking."  He trotted out onto the field.
Rick had driven them over to Lee District Park.  Jeff glanced over to where
Glenn was running soccer drills with the younger boys.  Todd and David were
assisting him.  He loved seeing how these two families worked together not
just in sports but in everything else they did.  He particularly was aware
of the closeness of the two couples.  Each couple was like the nucleus of
an atom with valence electrons that allowed them to tightly bond with the
other couple and the children of both families.  The children were very
fortunate to effectively have four parents to watch over them.  He knew
what that was like because the four men had become like his adopted
brothers.  They watched over him just as they watched over their own
children.  He knew he could count on them to be there for him.

He turned to see Kyle running down the field towards Zach who was
retrieving a soccer ball that had managed to end up in the parking lot.  He
watched as Zach kicked the soccer ball over to Todd and Glenn and follow
Kyle.

When the two approached, Jeff smiled and said, "Looks like you've been
recruited by Kyle as well."

Zach laughed, "Yes, Kyle can be pretty persuasive when he wants to be.  Are
you going to ask Ashley to join us?"

Kyle looked over to where his sister was seated on the grass with a book
listening to her music.  He grinned, "I can try."  He ran over to the edge
of the playing field and tapped her on the shoulder.

Ashley looked up and turned off her music, "What?"

"Come play football with us," Kyle said.

"Why?" she asked giving Kyle a look that said, "This had better be good!"

Kyle said, "I'll help you with your homework if you'll play with us."

Ashley thought for moment and then said, "You've got a deal.  You get to
help me with math and science."

Kyle nodded his head, "Okay."  He reached down and took her hand to help
her up.  She dropped her book on the ground and let Kyle lead her onto the
playing field.  As he neared Jeff and Zach, Kyle grinned, "I even got
Ashley to join us."

Jeff looked at Kyle in surprise, "How did you manage that?"

"I promised to help her with her homework if she would play ball with us,"
Kyle said.

Jeff laughed, "Way to go, Ashley!"

He high fived Ashley who laughed and said, "Kyle offered to help me so I
wasn't about to turn him down."

They spread out across the field as directed by Kyle.  Rick threw a pass to
Kyle who ran down field to snatch it out of the air.  He threw it to Jeff.
Jeff caught the ball and in turn threw it to Ashley who threw it to Zach.
As he waited for the ball to come to him, Jeff's thoughts returned to his
own children.  Why couldn't his children be as pleasant to him as the
Lernier children were to him?

Ashley shouted at him as she threw the ball to him, "Jeff, head's up!"

He looked up just as the ball hit him in the chest.  Reflexively, he
brought his arms up and hugged the ball to his body.  He smiled at Ashley
and shouted, "Thanks for the heads up!"

They played on the ball field until the sun started to dip below the
horizon.  The warm autumn afternoon quickly turned cold now that the sun
was gone.  They gathered up their things and headed back to their vehicles
in the parking lot.  Jeff rode with Cameron and Skye in the back of Todd's
Ford Explorer.  He turned to the twins and asked, "How did soccer practice
go?"

Skye responded, "Great!  Uncle Glenn and Daddy always do a great job of
getting us ready for our games."

Cameron said, "Our next game is on Saturday morning.  Will you come see us
play?"

"Sure, Cammy," Jeff replied.  "Is it at Island Creek Elementary School like
last week?"

"Yes, it is," Cameron said.  "Tomorrow, we are going to Kyle's football
game.  I like watching Kyle play."

Jeff agreed, "I do, too, especially since they have won the last four
games."

Zach said, "Kyle's team is doing very well.  I wish I could go tomorrow but
I have a game of my own."

"We will record your game so we can watch it when we get home from the
football game," Todd said.  Todd reached over and rubbed Zach's inner thigh
until Zach covered his hand with his own.

Zach grinned, "I wonder what you have in mind, Babe."  He glanced over at
Todd.  Seeing Todd's expression, Rick's pants got very tight in a hurry.
He knew they were going to have a good time tonight!

*** ***

As the children marched past me into the house, I said, "Time for homework,
baths and then it's bedtime."  I pointed at the twins and said, "JJ and
Josh, upstairs and into the bathtub with both of you."

Zach and Todd walked in the door with Cameron and Skye.  Zach asked, "May
Cammy and Skye stay over with you tonight?"

I looked at Zach and could see why he was asking us to watch the twins for
them.  I laughed and replied, "Yes, we will watch the twins for you.  Go on
home and enjoy yourselves!"

Zach grinned and took his husband by the hand.  Zach led Todd out the door
and across the lawn to their own home.  Cammy asked, "May we take a bath
with JJ and Josh?"

I looked at Cameron and said, "Yes, on one condition.  No splashing water
everywhere.  Last time you boys had a bath together, there was water all
over the floor and out into the hallway."

Skye said, "We promise not to splash water out of the tub, Uncle Glenn."

"Okay, go on upstairs with the twins," I said.

Rick came back into the foyer from the kitchen, "I'm starving.  What is
there to eat?"

I looked at my husband and laughed, "You are just like your boys!  All of
you are always hungry!"

Rick walked over and pulled me into his arms, "But you love us anyway."

I smiled up at him and leaned closer to kiss him passionately as I placed
my arms around his neck.  "Yes, I love you very much."  I released him and
took him by the hand, "Come with me and I will fix you a cheese quesadilla.
The rest of the boys will soon be asking for a snack so I might as well
make enough of all of you."

Rick laughed, "You make it sound like such a chore."

I turned around and said, "I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm complaining
because I'm not.  It just amazes me how much food we go through every
week."

"You shouldn't be amazed at all since you have three older brothers," Rick
said.

"That's true but I wasn't cooking for them all the time.  My Mom did that,"
I replied.  "Will you go up and help the boys with their bath while I make
the quesadillas?  I don't want them making a big mess in the bathroom."

Rick responded with a smile, "Yes, I'll go up and help them out."  Rick
wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close.  Our kiss lasted for
what seemed forever!  He let me go and said, "That is just a preview of
what's to come later tonight!"

I laughed, "Okay, Babe.  Seeing Zach all boned up must have given you big
ideas about tonight!"

Rick blew me a kiss as he left the kitchen and said, "Yes, it did!"

I pulled out the flour tortillas and the shredded cheddar cheese out of the
refrigerator.  As I put the quesadillas together, I thought about the
crazy, sexy man I married!  I had always heard that married couples settled
into regular routines and soon grew bored of each other but stayed together
because of their children.  It hadn't worked out that way for me and Rick.
Every day was a new adventure!  We both loved having sex and lots of it!
Somehow, we never got bored of making each other happy.  Of course, it
helps that we are both crazy about each other and are always looking for
new ways to show our love for each other.

My mind took me back to last year when we moved into our new home in
St. Catharines.  We had taken the children out of school for a few days
during October so we could celebrate Thanksgiving with my family.
Mrs. Reed had sent us off for a night on our own while she watched the
children.  Rick and I decided to return to one of our favorite places –
The Charles Inn.  We checked in to our room – the very same one we had
on our visit to the Charles Inn!  It had been a very magical evening for
us.  The memory of it not only made me remember how much I loved my husband
but made me extremely horny!

I was brought back to reality by the sound of four boys coming into the
kitchen.  Cameron and Skye raced to the table and took their seats followed
by JJ and Josh.  Cameron asked, "May we have some chocolate chip cookies
and some milk?"

"Sure, but you need to eat something besides sugar before you go to bed," I
said.

I handed each boy a plate with a quarter of a quesadilla on it.  JJ
exclaimed, "My favorite thing to eat!"

It wasn't long before the quesadillas were gone!  I pulled out the cookies
and some milk and served them to the boys.  Rick came into the kitchen and
looked at the boys and asked, "Where's my quesadilla?  Did you boys eat
them all?"

Josh grinned and said, "Yes, Dad, we ate them all but you can ask Daddy to
make you another one."

I laughed, "Well said Josh.  Do you want chicken and hot sauce in your
quesadilla?"

"Yes, please," Rick replied.  "The other children want a quesadilla, too."

I nodded my head, "I expected that as well.  I have already made theirs.
Will you tell them to come into the kitchen to eat them?"

Rick left the kitchen and returned with the three older children.  After we
ate our snack, Rick said, "Since we are all here, let's say our prayers
together then the little guys can go to bed while the rest of you finish
your homework."

We said our family prayer and Rick and I took the boys upstairs to their
beds.  We knelt with the boys in their room to say their prayers.  After we
tucked them into bed, Rick pulled me into our bedroom and locked the door.
He said, "We can check on the other children after I have my way with you!"
I started to protest but Rick covered my mouth with his – effectively
silencing me!

*** ***

Later, I went downstairs to see how the homework was going.  I walked into
the family room and found all three of them working on their homework.
Kyle looked up from his book and said, "Daddy, can I talk to you and Dad?"

"Yes.  Do you want to talk here or do you need to come upstairs to our
room?" I asked.

Kyle stood up and said, "Can we go upstairs?"

I nodded my head and followed Kyle upstairs so our room.  I sat on our bed
next to Rick while Kyle sat at the foot of the bed.  Kyle said, "Will you
promise not to get mad?"

Rick asked, "What's this all about, Kyle?"

"First, will you promise not to get mad?" Kyle asked urgently.

"Okay, we won't get mad," I said.

Kyle said, "I told off my English teacher, Mrs. Worrell, today.  I told her
that her entire course outline for this quarter was stupid and that we had
already read all of the literature she was assigning us and that we didn't
need to repeat what we had already done."

I looked at Rick and back to Kyle, "So what was her reaction?"

"She said that I didn't know what she was going to teach and that I would
learn something new from her," Kyle replied.  "I proceeded to tell her
everything she was going to do including the study of symbols in each of
the assigned novels.  The rest of the class agreed with me.  She got really
angry and sent me to the principal's office."

"Why didn't we get a call from the school?" Rick asked.

"We were out most of the day with the boys.  I haven't checked to see if
there are any messages," I responded.  "Let me check."  I left our bedroom
and went downstairs to the office.  Sure enough, the light was flashing on
the answering machine.  I pushed the button and listened to the message
from the school.  I returned to our bedroom and said, "There is a message
from school asking us to meet with the school counselor, Mrs. Worrell and
the chair of the English Department to discuss what happened today.  The
appointment is for tomorrow morning at 9 AM."

Rick looked at Kyle and asked, "Why did you decide to tell off your teacher
today?"

"I was tired of repeating the same material we covered in both eighth and
ninth grades.  We read the same stories and answered the same questions.  I
told her that I came to school to learn something and that she wasn't doing
her job.  Repeating the curriculum from previous years was an easy way out
for her.  She didn't want to put in the time to make new lesson plans and
prepare new material so she used what she had on hand from last year.  My
friends told me that Mrs. Worrell had moved up with them as their English
teacher and that it was their third time in her class.  She never changed
the course material.  In fact, most of them were turning in the same
assignments they had from the prior two years," Kyle said.  His disgust was
very evident in his expression and in his tone of voice.

"Did your classmates put you up to being their spokesman?" Rick asked.

"No, I did it on my own.  I was angry because she wasn't putting any effort
into the class and I didn't want to waste my time going over the same
materials.  I hated the novels the first time I read them and the analysis
of the symbolism, etc., etc., and etc., was extremely stupid the first
time," Kyle said vehemently.

"I think we got why you did it.  What do you think we should say tomorrow
when we meet with your teacher and the rest of the school people?" I asked.

"I want you to tell them that I need to be put in a different class with a
new teacher.  Mrs. Worrell is not a good teacher and I don't want to be in
her class anymore," Kyle said.

"Are you willing to give up orchestra and drama in order to get out of her
class?" Rick asked.

Kyle said, "I don't want to give up those classes.  I really like them."

"Do you remember the discussion we had with your counselor about your
schedule?" I asked.

"Yes, I remember.  She said that I would have to take my physics class
on-line if I wanted to fit in the two elective classes and that my schedule
couldn't be changed unless I gave up one of them," Kyle said.

"Okay.  Given that fact, have you decided which of the two classes you are
going to give up so you can be moved to a new English class?" I asked.
"You could dump both classes and then you could take physics during regular
school hours instead of on-line."

Kyle looked at me and shook his head, "I don't want to lose drama or
orchestra.  I am doing fine in the on-line physics course and I don't want
to change my schedule.  There is another English class taught at the same
time."

"Isn't that class already full?" Rick asked.

Kyle nodded, "Yes, it is.  My friend, Anson, is in that class."

"What are the chances that you will be able to get transferred into that
class?" Rick asked.

Kyle didn't answer but his face showed his frustration.  Finally, he said,
"I don't know."

"Kyle, we aren't trying to make you mad.  We just need to know where we
stand so when we meet with the school tomorrow, we have a plan of action.
We don't want to walk in there without knowing what we want.  We will
support you the best we can, Kyle, but we have to know what our options
are," I said.

Rick asked, "Would you consider staying in the class if Mrs. Worrell gave
you different novels to read and analyze?"

Kyle said, "Maybe.  Why?"

"It may come down to the fact that you can't get into another class without
losing the two elective classes you have chosen.  If that is the case, you
will be staying in the English class you have now.  I want to know what
changes you think should be made so you will feel you aren't wasting your
time," Rick said.

"You could ask Mrs. Worrell if you could be her teacher's assistant during
that class period.  I did that for a couple of my teachers in high school,"
I suggested.

Kyle looked at me and asked, "What would a teacher's assistant do?"

"I don't know if they have such a thing at Edison but at my school I helped
correct assignments and prepared materials for the teacher's other
classes," I responded.

Rick said, "Kyle, I want to ask you a question and I need you to think
about your answer before you give it to me.  Was there a better way to
handle the situation with your English teacher?"

Kyle thought about it and responded, "Yes, Dad, there was a better way.  I
could have talked to you and Daddy about the class and asked for your help
with the school to get to a better solution."

Rick smiled, "That is what I wanted to hear from you.  I want this to be a
positive learning experience for you.  I am glad you have started to
self-advocate when you need something; however, let's improve your methods
for any future issues that may arise.  There are other ways you could have
handled the situation like going to the teacher after class or after school
instead of confronting her in front of the entire class."

"I could have gone to the counselor and asked for her help with the teacher
as well," Kyle said.

"Yes, that is true, too," Rick responded.  "Kyle, I want you to make a list
of strategies for dealing with situations like this one.  There are no
wrong answers here because different situations will call for different
strategies.  What is important is that you have them and can choose the
appropriate plan of action to fit the circumstances."

Kyle said, "I will make up that list tonight."

"Good," Rick responded.  "Have you finished your homework?"

"No, but I am almost done," Kyle said.  He stood up and came over to give
us both a hug.  "Thanks for not getting angry with me for what I did
today."

"You're welcome, son.  We are here to listen to you and to help you learn
from your experiences," Rick said with a smile.

Kyle grinned, "You are the best Dads a guy could have!"

"You had better say that," I said with a laugh.

Kyle gave us both a kiss on the cheek before he left to return to his
studies.  I looked over at Rick and said, "You handled that very well,
Babe."

Rick smiled at me, "I had a good teacher."  He leaned over and kissed me.

*** ***

The next morning, we entered the school and went to the main office.  We
were soon escorted into a conference room where we were introduced to
Mrs. Worrell, Ms. Duffy and Ms. Short.  We waited for Kyle to join us.  We
had a nice discussion and Kyle decided to stay in the class but would study
a different set of novels instead of the ones Mrs. Worrell had chosen.  She
agreed to change her lesson plans and would work with the students to
improve the class.

As we stood up to leave the conference room, Mrs. Worrell came over and
said, "Thank you for coming today.  I'm sorry I got upset with you, Kyle."

Kyle said, "I'm sorry I called you out in front of the class.  I should
have met with you after class."

Mrs. Worrell said, "I am glad we have been able to work out our
differences.  I am glad to have you in my class, Kyle."

Mrs. Worrell left the room.  Kyle gave us each a hug and then left for
class.  Ms. Duffy said, "Thank you for meeting with us today.  I am the
faculty sponsor for the Gay-Straight Alliance here at the school.  Would
you consider encouraging Kyle to join us?"

Rick said, "We can mention it to him but I want Kyle to make up his own
mind about it."

"That is all I am asking you to do.  I have talked to Kyle a couple of
times.  He told me he had two Dads and that he loves you very much.  I
think that he could really help some of the other students understand that
being gay or having gay parents is okay," Ms. Duffy said.

"Like I said, we will mention it but we want Kyle to make his own decision
about whether to join the Gay-Straight Alliance or not," Rick said.

We followed Ms. Duffy out of the conference and left the office.  "Rick, I
am not sure I want Kyle to join the Gay-Straight Alliance," I said.

"Why not?" Rick asked.

"Because I don't want Kyle to become a target for harassment," I replied.
"I know that at other schools students who have joined the Gay-Straight
Alliance have been subjected to bullying and other forms of harassment."

Rick nodded his head, "I understand your concerns, Glenn.  That is why I
want it to be Kyle's decision.  Only he knows what his fellow classmates
are like and what they are likely to do if he joins the Gay-Straight
Alliance group at the school."

*** ***

Kyle went back to English and entered the classroom.  The substitute
teacher was sitting at Mrs. Worrell desk.  The teacher looked up and
acknowledged Kyle's return to class.  His name was Mr. Smith.  He had
retired from teaching at the end of the last school year but he filled in
occasionally as a substitute teacher.  Kyle knew Mr. Smith as Coach Smith
since he was the assistant football coach for the Junior Varsity.  Kyle had
just settled into his seat when the bell rang indicating that the period
had ended and it was time for the next class.  Kyle stood back up and
started for the door of the classroom.

Mr. Smith said, "Kyle, may I speak with you?"

Kyle smiled at Coach Smith, "Sure, Coach" Kyle walked over to the desk and
waited.

Mr. Smith looked up at the handsome young man standing in front of him, "So
tell me what happened during your meeting with Mrs. Worrell."

Kyle looked away from his coach and said, "I'm going to stay in this
class."

"That's a good thing, Kyle.  I was afraid you were going to be suspended,"
Mr. Smith said.

Kyle's gaze returned to his coach, "I'm not happy about being in this
class, Coach, but I will do my best."

"That's what I want to hear.  You are our best wide receiver and we can't
afford to lose you over a temper tantrum," Mr. Smith said.

Kyle looked down at the floor, "I'm sorry, Coach."

"Kyle, you are a natural leader.  You need to remember that your peers will
follow you and because of that you have an added responsibility to set a
good example for them.  What you did yesterday was a topic of conversation
during practice.  Did you forget that there are seven of your teammates in
this same class?  You showed a high degree of disrespect for Mrs. Worrell
and they all witnessed it.  I don't think that is the kind of behavior we
want to encourage.  What if one of them does the same thing you did but
ends up suspended from school or worse expelled?  You need to make sure
they know that what you did wasn't acceptable behavior for any student and
especially not for a member of our football squad," Mr. Smith said sternly.
"Look at me when I am speaking to you, Kyle."  Kyle looked up and met
Mr. Smith's eyes, "Kyle, I have a great deal of respect for you.  You have
a lot going for you, young man.  You are smart, good looking and have a
great personality.  As an added bonus, you have a rock solid family who
supports you.  I assume both of your Dads were here today?"

Kyle nodded, "Yes, they both came to talk with Mrs. Worrell and the
counselor."

"I thought so.  Don't take them for granted, Kyle.  I have seen how much
they love you and want you to succeed.  Don't' let them down.  Now run off
to your next class before the bell rings," Mr. Smith said as students
started filtering into the room for the next class.

Kyle left the room and hurried to his Spanish class.  He walked in just as
the bell rang.  Mrs. Rivera looked over at him as he took his seat.
"Bienvenido, Kyle.  Estoy muy agrecida que llegaste a tiempo."  ("Welcome,
Kyle.  I am glad you arrived on time.")

She continued to address the class in Spanish.  Mrs. Rivera was a
diminutive woman standing at 5 ft. (152 cm.).  She had jet black hair, dark
brown eyes and beautiful smile.  She loved to laugh and always had
something fun to do during class.  She was a native of Columbia and had
come to the United States as part of an exchange program.  She was teaching
Spanish at the high school while the teacher she replaced taught English at
her school in Columbia.

Señora Rivera, as she liked to be called in class, was one of Kyle's
favorite teachers.  She spoke only Spanish and insisted that the students
do the same.  Kyle listened carefully to how she pronounced her words and
tried to say them the same way.

Last summer, his Dads had decided to start teaching them Spanish at home.
They were not only learning to read, write and speak it but also studied
the culture, customs, etc., of the countries where Spanish was spoken.
Daddy cooked meals from those countries to introduce the family to
different types of cuisine to be found around the world.

As a result, Kyle's understanding of Spanish had grown significantly over
the summer months.  He wanted to speak as fluently in Spanish as his Dads
did.  Uncle Zach and Uncle Todd were learning Spanish at the same time as
he was which made Kyle feel it was okay to speak up and make mistakes
because he listened to them making the same ones as himself.

Señora Rivera stood at the front of the class and said, in Spanish,
"Please note the homework assignment on the board.  You will need to do
research on the internet to find Latino music.  Choose some music that you
like and write up a brief biography of the artist and bring in a sample of
their music to share with the class."  This was a great assignment for Kyle
since he had already been listening to a lot of Spanish music at home.

*** ***

Caroline and Marie Dunn were having lunch together in the school cafeteria
when they saw a group of football players file.  Caroline said, "Look,
Marie, there is that cute boy you like."

Marie looked over and saw him in the lunch line.  "I found out his name
from my friend Kim."

Caroline waited expectantly but when Marie didn't volunteer his name she
asked, "What's his name?"

"He is Kyle Lernier.  Kim's boyfriend, DaVonte is on the J.V. football team
with him.  DaVonte says Kyle is one of their best players," Marie said.

"Did you ask Kim to see of DaVonte would introduce you to him?" Caroline
asked.

"No.  I didn't ask.  I'm not sure he will want to have anything to do with
me since I'm a freshman.  He's a sophomore just like you, Caroline," Marie
said.

Caroline thought for a minute, "Doesn't Dad work for a Lernier family?"

"Yeah but their kids wouldn't go to Edison," Marie said.

"Maybe they are related," Caroline said.  "What are we going to do this
weekend?  I hate going with Dad every weekend.  It is so boring!  I would
rather be with my friends!"

"Maybe we can see if we can find out where Kyle lives and get Dad to drive
us by his house," Marie said hopefully.  "You know what?  I think we should
ask Dad if we can invite some of our friends over.  They could help us find
out more about Kyle."

The two girls continued to talk about Kyle and their plans to ferret out
any information they could find about him.

*** ***

Jeff was waiting for Rick and Glenn when they returned from the school.  He
greeted them as they got out of their car, "Good morning!"

Rick said, "Good morning, Jeff.  What brings you here?"

"I need to talk to you about something," Jeff said.  He followed Rick and
Glenn into their home and sat down at the kitchen table with them.

Rick asked, "What's on your mind?"

"I want to put a security detail on the children at their schools," Jeff
said.  "Things are getting so out of hand with the anti-gay stuff that I'm
concerned about the bullying and harassment they might be subjected to at
school."

"That is the reason we are planning to home school the twins, Jeff, but the
older children seem to be okay at their schools so far," Rick said.

"I'm with Jeff on this one, Rick.  Most of the teachers here are anti-gay
and wouldn't necessarily stop someone from bullying our kids," I said.

"But our children aren't gay," Rick protested.

"We don't know that for sure but that is beside the point here since they
have gay parents," I said.

"How would it work, Jeff?" Rick asked.

"I don't know, yet.  I was just thinking about their safety after hearing
some of the anti-gay statements made by teachers on the news last night.
If you give me the go ahead, I will do some further investigation into what
we can do to protect the children while they are at school," Jeff said.

Rick said, "Okay, look into it and get back to us."

Jeff nodded his head and stood up, "Thanks for hearing me out.  I know I
may sound a little paranoid but after what I heard last night I think it
would be prudent for us to be proactive about making sure the children are
safe."

"Thank you for looking out of us, Jeff," I said.

"It's my job, remember?" Jeff said with a smile.

"Yes, it is but I appreciate what you do," I said.

Jeff left us and I turned to Rick and said, "I saw some of those comments
posted on the internet this morning.  One of the teachers stated that he
wouldn't stop students from beating up a gay student because they are
sinners and deserve to suffer for their sin."

Rick said, "I saw that as well.  It was pretty shocking to hear that from
an educator.  It does make me stop and think that maybe we should
reconsider our decision to send the older children to public school."

"The public school teachers are simply following the example of our public
officials who spew out anti-gay policies and statements without thinking of
the impact it has on their constituents.  It emboldens government employees
to discriminate against gays and their families instead of treating
everyone with respect and dignity," I said.

Rick said, "I agree but what concerns me is the safety of our children."

"You know that Zach and Todd have been pressuring me to take them out of
the public schools," I said.  "Todd thinks that between the four of us we
can teach our children much better than the public school system."

Rick sighed, "Yes, I know, Glenn.  We have been over this ground many times
and we have always come down on the side of allowing the children to choose
between being home schooled and attending public school."

"I think it is still the right thing to do but that may change if things
continue to deteriorate with regards to the treatment of gays in this
country," I said.

Rick looked at me and said, "Glenn, let's not go there right now.  I know
you want us to move our family to Canada and I haven't forgotten my
commitment to living in St. Catharines during the summer."

I put my arms around his waist and said, "Since we bought the house in
St. Catharines, I have been much happier just knowing that at least part of
the year I can live in a country where I am treated like every other
citizen and I don't have to live in fear.  I am trying to be patient, Rick,
but the more virulent the verbal attacks become the more likely there will
be violence against gays.  I worry about us, our family and our friends."

Rick placed his hands on either side of my head and kissed me.  He pulled
back and gazed into my eyes, "We will be alright, Glenn."

*** ***

Garth was driving north on I-95 at that moment.  He glanced over at his
lover to see how he was doing.  Phil had received the call early this
morning from his parents' caregiver that his dad had passed away during the
night.  Since Phil had moved in with him, Garth had paid for a caregiver to
live with his parents.  Phil's sister had refused to care for them or have
anything to do with them.  This left Phil with the responsibility for
arranging for their care.  He and Phil had driven to New York every other
weekend for months now to check on Phil's parents and to give the
caregiver, Mrs. Piper, a weekend off.  Mrs. Piper was a widow who had
applied for the job when they had put it in the paper and on the internet.
Garth had helped Phil interview the applicants and to check out their
references.  Mrs. Piper was a retired nurse and had children living in the
area.

Phil pulled down the sun visor and looked into the mirror.  His eyes were
still red from crying.  He remembered how he had thrown himself into
Garth's arms after the phone call and had been nearly inconsolable for
quite some time.  Phil's love for Garth had grown tenfold over the last few
hours.  He already loved Garth but Garth's loving arms had comforted him
and his soothing voice helped him get his emotions back under control.
Garth had called the office and let everyone know what was going on and
that he and Phil would be making the trip north to make funeral
arrangements.

He looked turned to look at the love of his life.  He said, "Thank you for
everything you have done for me, Garth."

Garth smiled, "You are most welcome.  It is the least I can do for my
sweetheart."

Phil smiled, "Does this mean that we are more than just friends with
benefits?"

Garth laughed, "Yes, I think we can say that now.  I am not promising to
retire anytime soon so we can't start celebrating the fact that we are
taking our relationship to a new level."

"I love you, Garth," Phil said.

Garth expression grew serious, "Yes, I know.  I have known that you love me
for quite some time now."

Phil looked at Garth in surprise, "Am I that transparent?"

"Yes, you are Phil.  I think I knew you were falling in love with me the
first time we had sex," Garth said.  "I was just afraid to enter into
another relationship so I told you I only wanted sex and nothing else.  To
be honest with you, Phil, I fell for you the moment I laid eyes on you."

Phil looked over at Garth and smiled, "I wondered why you started flirting
with me so soon after we met!"

"Well, now you know," Garth said.  "It feels good to finally tell you the
truth.  When I retire, I want us to get married, Phil."

Phil's joy filled his heart and he asked, "Does this mean we are engaged?"

Garth laughed, "I guess it does.  However, don't expect me to buy a diamond
engagement ring!"

"I don't need a ring because I have you," Phil said.  His grief over the
loss of his father having been washed away by the happiness he felt now
that Garth had finally admitted that he loved him.

*** ***

Later that evening, we had just settled in for the night.  The twins were
in bed and the older children were watching a DVD in the family room.  Rick
and I had gone up to our room for a few minutes of alone time when my cell
phone rang.  I picked it up from my dresser and looked to see who was
calling me.

I looked over at Rick and said, "It's Robbie."  I answered the call, "Hey,
Robbie!"  Robbie could be heard crying into the phone.  "What happened,
Robbie?"

"It's Justin," Robbie said in between sobs.