Date: Sat, 11 Sep 2010 02:21:41 EDT
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening - Book 9, chapters 17-18

The Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening --Book 9 - by BW
Copyright 2010 by billwstories
Chapter 17 --  Proving My Love.

After I proposed to Jake, everything came to a standstill for a few
minutes, as everyone surrounded us.  Each of them wanted to congratulate us
personally and offer their own good wishes.  I don't think there was a
single person that failed to come up to us during this time and every one
of them looked sincerely pleased about what I had just done.  Most of the
boys told me 'it's about time' or 'I can't wait to tell our brothers at
college.'  I do know for certain that Jake and I were thoroughly elated.

Once the commotion died down, we finished up our marvelous evening with a
few more songs, before things began to wind down.  Duck and his girlfriend
were staying in one of the college boy's room, and Mark's girlfriend was
staying over with him too.  The only ones leaving were Susan and Shelly,
since Jane was using our guestroom.

After saying good night to Shelly and thanking her for joining us, I
allowed Dion to drive her home.  Jake and I then thanked and kissed each of
the women for her help and accepted another congratulation from them,
before Susan left and the rest of us went to our rooms.

I was certain most of the boys wouldn't go right to sleep, well except
maybe Dion, since he was alone, but I was positive Jake and I would be
staying up a little longer too.

"Damn, I never suspected you were going to do anything like that," he
confessed, once we were alone.

"Well, I hope you didn't say yes just because you were stunned," I teased.

"No, of course not," he confirmed, "but why now?"

"I'm not sure if I can give you an exact reason," I confessed, "but I can
enlighten you as to my thought process."  Jake nodded, to let me know this
would be fine with him.

"Well, since there aren't as many boys at home now, I've had more time to
think about us," I admitted.  "Then, when we discovered you had prostate
cancer and I feared I might lose you, I felt like an idiot for not doing
this sooner.  I may not think about us enough, with everything else going
on, but I want you to know I do love you and want to be with you always."

Jake didn't say a word in response.  Instead, he just wrapped me up in his
arms and brought his lips against mine.  At first, he kissed me very
softly, but as it continued, it became obvious there was a growing passion
and urgency behind it.  We ended up spending a great deal of time after
that expressing our feelings for each other, before making mad, passionate
love.  I think each of us felt fulfilled and giddy over the notion of
formally becoming life partners.  Oh, Jake won't change his name or
anything like that, but in reality that's kind of what we'll be doing,
although the State of Pennsylvania won't officially recognize it.  We can
and will get married in Canada, even though it won't be recognized here,
but it will serve to finalize the commitment we will be making at Easter,
as well as give us memories to share about actually tying the knot.

The following morning, we all slept later than usual, but after we woke up,
we were still awash in the warm feeling carried over from the previous
night.  No, not just from the sex, but from the wonderful, romantic evening
we had shared together.

Jane was already awake and in the dining room, by the time we came out of
our bedroom, and she asked if she could fix us some breakfast.  I told her
we'd just have coffee now and then I'd take us all out to eat, once the
boys came to life.  I told her she could grab something to tide her over in
the meantime, if she wished, but she said she was fine.  The boys began
filtering down shortly thereafter, and I was glad they all remembered to
slip on some clothes before they did so.  Once everyone was awake and
dressed, including Duck, Mark and their girlfriends, we loaded everyone
into the Yukon and went out for breakfast.

It seemed that everyone was ravenous this morning, so I suspected it was
the sex that had made each of them so hungry.  We had an enjoyable and
relaxing meal, during which everyone shared his or her thoughts about our
Valentine's Day bash.  Mark and Duck's girlfriends assured us they had a
great time -- even better than they usually had on Valentine's Day, which
made Duck and Mark flash hurt expressions at them.  However, the girls
continued unfazed and said they loved it and would like to join us again
the following year, if we decided to do this again.  They also said they
thought it was wonderful and very romantic the way I proposed to Jake,
which caused us both to blush.

Once we returned to our place, everyone began going his or her own way.
Duck and his girlfriend left first and then Mark took his girlfriend home,
before Ted and Jane said good-bye too.

"Josh, that was absolutely wonderful," Jane gushed.  "Even I had a great
time and I didn't even have a date."

"Maybe we can correct that next time," I replied, which caused her to blush
and turn her head.

"Yeah, Aunt Jane, you should bring a date too," Ted added.

"Oh, Teddy, dear.  I don't know if I could," she shot back.  "Would it mean
I would have to get all hot and sweaty having sex afterward, like you and
Sammy?"  This definitely shut Ted up and caused both Sammy and him to turn
a bright crimson.

After Ted and Jane left, the rest of us went inside.  Yes, we had missed
church this morning, but I think God will excuse us this faux pax, as long
as we don't abuse it.  The rest of the day we merely chilled out and
enjoyed the warm memories that lingered from the previous evening.

By this point, Jesse's mother had also completely settled in to her new
place.  She admitted she loved her job at the school, because Jesse said
hello and waved at her every day when he went through the line.  She also
stated that with him doing that, it helped make the job even more special,
although the pay did leave a little to be desired.  She did take my friend
up on his offer to waitress part time as well and worked for him three
nights a week, to earn a little extra money.  Overall, she seemed very
happy about the move.

When Jesse and Andrew went bike riding, they would often swing by to see
her at her apartment or at her job at the restaurant, although they didn't
stay for very long when she was working.  If she were at home, they'd visit
for a while longer, but always gave me a call first, to let me know why
they were going to get back a little later.  I have to admit it was working
out nicely and much better than I had anticipated.

As March rolled around, so did Jakes scheduled sixth-month checkup.  We
were both a little concerned that something else might show up, but Jake
was dreading the entire process, not just the results.  Sometimes, he had
to get in some pretty degrading positions for the tests to be run and he
wasn't fond of being exposed under less than favorable conditions.  As his
appointment date grew closer, I figured I'd better see how he was doing.

"Jake how are you holding up?" I asked.

"Okay, I guess," he said, unconvincingly.  "I'm just so worried the
doctor's going to find more."

"If he does, then maybe he'll just remove the entire prostate this time," I
offered, soothingly, "but I'd be willing to bet he won't discover a thing
wrong with you."

"I hope you're right, but I just have this feeling," Jake answered.  "I
can't get what happened to my uncle out of my mind and keep thinking it's
going to be my fate as well."

"You've got to stop having those negative thoughts and start thinking
positively," I suggested.  "Remember that old song, 'High Hopes,' by Frank
Sinatra?"  I started to sing it to him.

Next time your found, with your chin on the ground There a lot to be
learned, so look around

Just what makes that little old ant Think he'll move that rubber tree plant
Anyone knows an ant, can't Move a rubber tree plant

But he's got high hopes, he's got high hopes He's got high apple pie, in
the sky hopes

So any time your gettin' low 'stead of lettin' go Just remember that ant
Oops there goes another rubber tree plant

When troubles call, and your back's to the wall There a lot to be learned,
that wall could fall

Once there was a silly old ram Thought he'd punch a hole in a dam No one
could make that ram, scram He kept buttin' that dam

'cause he had high hopes, he had high hopes He had high apple pie, in the
sky hopes

So any time your feelin' bad 'stead of feelin' sad Just remember that ram
Oops there goes a billion kilowatt dam

All problems just a toy balloon They'll be bursted soon They're just bound
to go pop Oops there goes another problem kerplop


"Okay, Okay.  I get the point," he assured me.

"Do you really get the point, or are you just trying to get me to stop
singing?" I teased.  He gave me a funny look before he answered.

"Well, maybe both," he joked back, "but I get the point.  You know, that
song is just so dang silly that it made me chuckle and I temporarily forgot
about my problems."

"Then maybe you can use that to your advantage," I suggested.

"But how?" Jake wondered.

"I don't know.  Maybe you could think of it whenever you're starting to
feel depressed," I offered.

"I know!" Jake suddenly exclaimed "From now on, whenever I start thinking
about my uncle, I'll either start humming or whistling that tune.  I think
it will work as a distraction and remind me to keep positive."

"Good!" I replied.  "I count on it taking care of your negativism then.
Just don't hum or whistle it too loudly.  We wouldn't want the guys in the
little white coats throwing a net over your head and dragging you off."
Jake merely gave me a disgusted look, but I do believe he's going to try to
use that little trick from now on.

The rest of the time leading up to his appointment went quite smoothly, or
at least I thought so.  When the big day came, I went with him to provide
moral support.  I didn't go in with him while he was being examined or
tested, but I was there for him just in case something was discovered
during this process.  However, when he came out, he had a huge smile on his
face.

"The doctor said he didn't notice anything during the ultrasound or DRE,
but he did the blood work again and will send it off for testing.  We
should hear back in a few days, but it looks as if I'm clean."

We were both elated as we left, but got a mild shock as we exited the
doctor's office.  When we causally glanced down the hallway, to make
certain we didn't step out in front of someone else, we saw Dion and Shelly
going in to another office.  Dion hadn't mentioned anything about helping
her today, but maybe he just forgot.  They didn't happen to notice us
before they disappeared from sight, but I was interested to see what type
of an office it was.  As we passed by, Jake and I read the sign and
discovered it was a gynecologist's office and that raised even more
questions.

What was Dion doing here with her?  Did he just give her a ride or did he
come along for moral support?  We had no way of knowing, but then again,
the reason might be something altogether different.  I figured I'd ask him
about it later, when he got home, but right now I was anxious to take Jake
out to celebrate.  Although we don't do this often, we stopped at a fairly
nice bar, went in and each had a couple of drinks, along with some
appetizers.

While we indulged ourselves, Jake couldn't stop talking about how foolish
he'd been to think the worst and observed that I must consider him a whiney
baby for carrying on about it as he had.  I assured him that was not the
case and anyone that had gone through what he had, especially if they had a
similar family history, might have reacted the same way or even worse.  I
explained I thought no less of him for it, because I had similar dark
thoughts after my heart attack.  He thanked me for my understanding and we
went home to share the good news with the boys.

Dion didn't get home until shortly before dinner, so I didn't have a chance
to chat with him then.  I did ask him where he'd been and he told me he was
running an errand with a friend, which seemed to fit in with what Jake and
I had seen.  Therefore, I didn't press the issue at this time.

After dinner, Jake called Shannon to share the good news, so while he was
doing that, I went to look for Dion.  When I located him, he looked up and
spoke first.

"Dad, I was just coming to find you," he began.  "There's something I
really need to talk to you about."

"Oh," I replied, somewhat startled.  "Is it serious?"

"You might say that," Dion answered, so now I was really curious.

"Would you like to go to your room, my room, outside or somewhere else to
chat?" I offered and he thought about it briefly.

"Could you drive us down to the park?" Dion asked.  "We can talk about it
there, because I'm not sure I want anyone else to know just yet."

"Yes, that would be fine," I agreed, before I grabbed the keys to the Grand
Am and we took off.

When we got to the park, there was hardly anyone there.  It was still very
cool, although there was no snow on the ground, but there was also a biting
wind.  "Would you like to sit on the swings, at a picnic table under the
pavilion or would you prefer to stay in the car?

"Let's stay in the car and you can keep the heater running," he suggested,
so that's what we did.  Dion then sat quietly and didn't say anything else
for over a minute, so I thought I'd better push him in the right direction.

"Okay, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?" I asked, but then was
immediately taken aback by his reaction.  He looked up at me, through big,
sad deep brown eyes, and tears were streaming down his cheeks.  I had no
idea what was going on, but I certainly hoped he was going to enlighten me
soon.

"I was an idiot," he began, after a considerable delay.  "I did something
really foolish -- a humongous mistake, and now I don't know what to do
about it."  He was sobbing by the time he finished telling me this.

"I'm sure it looks worse than it really is," I responded soothingly, while
hoping to take away some of his overwhelming guilt and pain.

"You aren't going to say that when I tell you what's wrong," he replied.
"I did something you always warn us about and you were right.  It's all
blown up in my face now."

"Dion, I have no idea what you're talking about, so why don't you back up
and start at the beginning for me?" I suggested.  "Just take a deep breath
and tell me what's wrong."

"Okay, I'll try," he agreed.  "It all started when Trey went off to
college.  You remember how lonely I was and you told me to find something
to distract me from thinking about him, so I did.  I used my music to keep
me from missing him so damn much."

"Yes, I remember and by concentrating on your music, you've also been able
to showcase your talent, like at the Christmas concert," I acknowledged.

"Yeah, well that's what made it worse," he came back.

"Wait!  How did doing such a fine job at the Christmas concert make it
worse?" I wanted to know.

"Okay, I'll explain," he confirmed.  "In order to do so well, Shelly and I
had to spend a whole lot of time practicing."

"Yes, I remember," I conceded.

"And Shelly and I grew really close," he pointed out, "because we were
practicing together so much.  I felt I could hang around her and not feel
as if I was cheating on Trey, and it was really working.  Shelly and I were
growing close, having a great time and doing super with our singing, at
least that's what our music teacher kept telling us."

"Yes, and that's all true," I agreed, "but as of yet I don't see a
problem."

"Well, do you remember that Shelly and I went to that after concert party?"

"I do," I confessed.

"We had a great time and everyone congratulated us on what a fantastic job
we'd done," Dion continued.  "I think we were getting swelled heads and
then someone gave us a drink, to toast our success.  I didn't think you'd
mind and we only had a couple of drinks, so I wasn't really drunk."

"Okay, go on," I told him, to show him I wasn't upset about what he'd just
told me.

"Well, when I was taking Shelly home, she wanted to stop somewhere and talk
a little," Dion confessed, "so I brought her here.  We parked just over
there," he added, while pointing at a parking spot a little farther away,
"and we started talking."

Dion paused here, but I didn't say a word.  I wanted him to continue at his
own pace and didn't want to break his train of thought.

"She told me how she really liked singing with me and how we were perfect
together," Dion continued.  "She told me I had a great voice, I was
handsome and she'd heard I had other great qualities as well.  She then
leaned toward me and placed her lips on mine and we began to kiss.  Before
I knew it, I had my hands on her breasts and she had her hand on my dick,
and well, one thing led to another and we got out climbed in the back and
started undressing each other.  We ended up having sex, but the bad part
was, I did it without a condom.  I didn't have one on me, but I guess I was
so wound up and maybe the drinks helped to keep me from thinking straight,
so we had unprotected sex."  I now suspected where this was going.

"Dad, Shelly asked me to take her to the gynecologists office today," he
admitted, "and he told her she's three months pregnant."  Dion began
sobbing now.  "What am I going to do?  What am I go to tell Trey?  How am I
going to get you to trust me again?"

I pulled him against my chest and let him cry himself out for a few
minutes, before I responded.  Once he began to calm down a little, I lifted
his head, looked into his eyes and spoke.

"Dion, we all make mistakes and too often they also happen when we're
wearing beer goggles," I began.  "That's why I've always tried to warn you
boys about those things, because I hoped I could prevent you from falling
into those traps.  However, since you did, I'm not going to harp about it
and get all upset.  It's too late for that.  What we have to do now is
analyze the situation and see how we wish to proceed from here."

"You mean that?" Dion countered.  "You really don't hate me for making such
a dumb mistake?"

"Dion, I could never hate you for getting snared by human emotions," I
assured him.  "It's not to say that I'm not a little disappointed in your
actions, both in drinking to the point where it clouded your judgment and
by breaking one of our strictest rules about not having unprotected sex.
However, we all make mistakes, so let's just try to make the best of this
and see what we can do to reach a suitable solution to the problem."  Dion
flash a weak smile, in relief.

"Thanks, Dad," he said, almost in a whisper.  "I'm sure glad you're my dad
and not someone else."

"Me too, but let's get back to the problem," I urged.  "What did Shelly say
and what is she thinking about doing?"

Dion swallowed hard, looked up at me and began to speak.



The Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening --Book 9 - by BW
Copyright 2010 by billwstories
Chapter 18 -- A Major Decision.

"She freaked out when the doctor told her," Dion informed me, "although she
had a feeling she might be pregnant, since she missed her last two
periods."

"That would do it," I agreed.

"Well, she thinks her parents are going to go ballistic, because this could
ruin her plans about going to college," he continued.  "Shelly mentioned
the possibility of having an abortion, but said her parents would never
allow it, because they're big right to life people."

"That does present a conundrum," I agreed.  "So what if she has the baby?"

"Shelly says she can't keep it, so if she does give birth, she'll have to
give it up for adoption," Dion explained.

"And how do you feel about that?" I pressed.

"Awful," he replied.  "Trey and I have talked about having kids some day
and now I'll be letting one of my own be given away to total strangers."

"Have you thought about keeping the baby and raising him with Trey then?" I
asked.

"How can we do that?  We'll both be in college," Dion pointed out.  "That's
why Shelly can't keep the baby either, because then she'd have to forget
about getting her degree."

"Let's slow down here a minute," I suggested.  "First, are you planning on
telling Trey about this?"

"I don't know," Dion admitted.  "I don't want him thinking I cheated on him
and then not want to have anything more to do with me, like happened with
Kevin and Vinnie."

"But they worked their problems out," I pointed out.  "I'm certain you two
can do the same, if you discuss this with him."

"You really think so?" Dion pressed.

"Yes, I do.  I think Trey loves you enough not to let this bother him to
the point where he'll want to break up," I confirmed.  "And if you two have
talked about having children, then he might prefer to raise your child,
rather than someone else's."

"But how would that be possible, when we'll be away at school?" Dion asked.
"Even worse, we'll probably be attending different colleges too, unless I
don't go to college and just stay home with the baby."

"First, let's see what Trey has to say about this," I informed him, "and
then we'll try to work out the details and arrangements, if he's
agreeable."

"So you think I should tell him?" Dion challenged.

"Dion, it would be better if he heard if from you, rather than someone
else," I explained.  "This is a small community and word is sure to get
out, so I think it would be better if you told him what happened, instead
of letting someone else spring it on him."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Dion agreed.  "Do you think I should do it
now?"

"Why don't you wait until Friday, after he's finished his classes for the
week," I suggested.  "That way he'll have the weekend to think about it and
regain his composure, before returning to his studies."

"Good thinking," Dion retorted.  "Then he won't be able to blame me if he
gets bad grades from getting upset about it."  I didn't think that would
happen, but obviously Dion saw it as a possibility.

Once I drove back home, I went to share this information with Jake.  I
thought he should also be aware of the predicament Dion was involved in.
We chatted for nearly an hour about the pros and cons of what I'd suggested
and then we put it on a backburner, until Dion spoke with Trey.

It seemed as if Friday would never arrive, but when it did, things began to
happen.  This started after dinner, when Dion called Trey on his cell
phone.

"Hi, my love," Trey responded, when he discovered who was on the other end.

"You may not feel that way about me when you hear what I have to say," Dion
countered, and then proceeded to tell Trey the same story he had shared
with me.  When he finished, he waited, breathlessly, to see how Trey was
going to respond.

"Do you know if it's going to be a boy or girl?" Trey asked, which totally
surprised Dion.

"You mean this doesn't bother you?" Dion asked.

"Well, it does bother me that you had sex with a girl," Trey confessed,
"but if it means you're going to be a father and have a baby, then I want
us to be his or her parents."  I think Dion was flabbergasted.  He didn't
expect Trey to react in this manner.

"Are you sure?" Dion asked.  "I mean, the baby will always remind you about
what I did."

"If it means we can have a child that's part yours, then I'd let you fuck
every girl you meet," Trey teased.  "Yes, I'm positive.  Let's start a
family!"

"But how, since we're both going to be in college?  Do you think I
shouldn't go now?" Dion wondered.

"No, I don't think that, but talk to Dad and I'm certain he'll help us
figure something out," Trey offered.  "I think this might work out
perfectly for us."

They ended the phone call a short time later and then Dion came to find me.
He explained what Trey had told him and I just smiled.  I had a good hunch
it was how Trey might react.

"Okay, then the next thing for us to do will be to sit down and talk to
Shelly," I suggested.  "Do you think you could arrange it?"

"Yes, I'm pretty sure I can," Dion offered.  "I'll go call her and then let
you know what she says."

I figured it was the most we could do for now, so I waited for Dion to set
things up.  While I was waiting, I picked up some papers I brought home
from work, so I could go through them.  One was a flier for the
gay-straight alliance that announced their March event, which was going to
be held the following week.  They were having two speakers for a special
assembly; the first was going to speak about, "Being Gay in the
Twenty-First Century," while the other was going to address the topic of,
"The Risks Involved With Being Sexual Active as a Teen."  I found that very
ironic, seeing Dion was the president of the club and had been involved
with setting up this program.

Dion called Shelly and she agreed to meet with us the next afternoon.  I
asked where they were planning to do this and Dion said Shelly had
suggested getting together at her house, since her parents were going to be
away.  They would be attending a wedding for a friend's child, so we'd be
completely alone.  I agreed that would be fine, so Dion called her back to
confirm a time for this to take place.  It was sort of tense around the
house the rest of the evening and the next morning, as we waited for our
meeting to take place.

Saturday afternoon, Dion and I drove to Shelly's house at the appointed
time, to see what we could work out.  She greeted us at the door, took us
to the living room and offered us a drink.  We both accepted, because I
felt this topic might tend to leave us with parched throats, due to the
tension surrounding the topic.  Shortly after she returned, we got started.

"Okay, Dion's told me that you know I'm pregnant and want to see what you
can do to help," Shelly began.

"That's correct," I assured her.  "Have you any thought about what you
might want to do about this?"

"Yes, it's all I've thought about," she fired back.

"And what have you decided?" I followed.

"There's no way I can have an abortion," she began.  "My parents wouldn't
give their approval and none of us believe in doing that anyway."

"Are you going to keep the baby then?" I asked next.

"Probably not," she said.  "I want to go to college, so I can study music,
and I wouldn't be able to do that with a kid."

"What would you think of the idea of Dion raising the child then?" I asked.

"Isn't he going to college too?" she wondered.  "That would put him in the
same predicament as it would me."

"Not exactly, because here's what we've talked about," I began.  "I'm going
to make a suggestion and I hope you will be willing to hear me out."  She
nodded her agreement, so I continued.

"If you're willing to have the baby and then sign over full custody to
Dion," I went on, "then I'm willing to pay for all of your medical
expenses, if you don't have insurance, and also give you $10,000 to cover
the pain and suffering of childbirth.  You may then use the money to pay
for college or whatever else you might deem appropriate."  I gave her a few
seconds to think about this, before I continued.

"Do you think you might be interested in agreeing to something like this?"
I pressed, when she failed to respond.

"I was leaning toward giving the baby up for adoption anyway," she
answered, "so that part wouldn't be a problem.  The thing is, you still
haven't explained how Dion will be able to raise the baby."  She then
looked at him and continued.  "Dion, don't you want to go to college too?"

"Yes, Shelly, I do," he replied, "but Dad has an answer for that too."  She
suddenly turned back and faced me again.

"Shelly, if you'll do this for us, I'm going to retire and stay home to
take care of the baby, until Dion and Trey finish their academic pursuits,"
I explained.  "Once one or both of them have graduated, I will allow them
to raise the child, from that point on.  Does that answer you're question
and meet with your approval?"  Shelly thought about this momentarily,
before giving her response.

"Yes, I guess that would be as good as any other option I have," she
agreed.  She seemed to be lost in thought for a minute, and then said
something else.

"Dion would you also allow me to see our child from time to time?"  She
looked hopefully at Dion, as she awaited his reply.

"Of course!  Whenever you want," Dion agreed, once it dawned on him what
she was asking.  "Our baby will always know you are his mother and Trey and
I will be his two dads.  I would never cut you out, if you want to spend
time with our child, and I'm positive Trey will feel the same way."  Shelly
slowly broke into a smile.

"The only problem I see now is that the baby is going to be born in
September, which will interfere with me starting college," she pointed out.

"Only for a semester," I responded.  "You would be able to start your
coursework during the second semester, after the holidays.  I'll do
everything I can to get the university or college that accepts you to allow
you to delay your entry into their program until that time."

"If you'll do that for me too, then I don't see a problem with it and I
don't think my parents would have a problem with it either," she confessed.
"They've always liked you and thought very highly about what you've done by
taking in all of these boys.  They even love Dion, but they just don't like
the mess we caused."  She released a nervous little titter, after admitting
this.

"As long as you think your parents will agree to this too, do you want to
say yes now or wait and discuss this with them first?" I continued, just to
see where this was going to go next.

"I'm sure this will work out nicely, but I want to talk it over with my
parents first.  Is that okay?" she asked.

"Of course," I stated.  "And if they want to talk it over with Dion and me,
we'd be happy to come back and explain this to them as well."

"I think this will solve all of our problems," she confessed, "but there
might be a little problem."  I looked at her, wondering what she was
referring to.  I hoped it wasn't something that was going to send us back
to square one.

"It's just that I won't feel right about taking money from you, when you're
doing this to help us out," she admitted.

"Don't think that way," I urged.  "Just look at it as if I'm reimbursing
you for the work you're doing for us by having the baby.  In the long run,
you're doing us a huge favor, so I just want to give you a little
compensation for your time and trouble."

"Seeing you put it that way, I guess it would be all right," she confirmed,
so I think that issue was now behind us.

When we returned home, I sat down with Jake and began making some plans.  I
would have to announce my retirement effective this summer, or as soon as
the district could find a replacement.  I would stay on as a consultant, if
they wanted my help until the new guy adapted, especially since the
district had been so very good to me and allowed me time with the family.
I wasn't about to just up and leave them high and dry now, but I would
write my letter of resignation immediately.  By doing this, I'll be giving
them plenty of notice and time to search for a replacement.  I'll also do
all I can to assist them afterward and help them get a new superintendent
in place.

Jake and I had already agreed we would be fine financially.  I would be
getting a decent retirement package, so we wouldn't have to struggle,
especially since nearly all of the boys had accounts set up in their names
and most of them would be away at school.  This would not only allow me to
raise the baby, but I'd be able to spend more time with Jake, Sammy, Little
Ricky, Andrew and Jesse too.  It will be Sammy and Little Ricky's last year
home, since they will be seniors in the fall, so I feel this will work out
fine.

A couple of days later, Shelly's parents asked to meet with us, so I
invited them to our place.  I wasn't worried about this get together and
felt they were just making sure it was in the best interests of their
daughter.  When they showed up, Dion and I led the three of them to the
family room, where we could shut the door and speak privately.  Shortly
after they arrived, Jake brought in some refreshments and we got
comfortable, then I felt it was time to get the ball rolling.

"I imagine you've come to discuss the arrangements I've talked to your
daughter about?" I began.

"Yes, Shelly told us what you've offered to do, so we just want to make
certain she understood you correctly," her father stated.

"A wise precaution," I agreed, before I explained everything I had told
her.

"That's very generous of you," her mother stated, "and of Dion too.  I was
somewhat surprised that he agreed to let Shelly see the baby as it grows up
and all."

"I want the baby to know his mother," Dion confirmed, to her delight.

"And his other grandparents," she added, with a grin.

"I'm just worried about her going to college," he father interjected.

"As I told Shelly, it should only delay her by a semester," I reiterated.
"I have also told her I'd be willing to contact the university or college
personally, to make certain they would be agreeable to the delay.  Shelly,
where are you applying?"

"To the University of Pittsburgh, in their music department," she replied.
"I figured since I was already working on my vocal skills there, I might as
well continue."

"Me too," Dion agreed, so I looked at her parents again.

"Well, since the faculty members there are already working with her and
know about her amazing talent," I began, "and Dion is planning to go there
as well, I don't foresee the University will have any problems with this."

That seemed to be all they wanted to hear, so they thanked us.  Before they
left, however, Shelly's father did tease Dion about wearing a 'raincoat' in
the future.  However, overall it was a fairly amicable meeting.

Shortly after I turned in my resignation, I received a call from the board
president.  "Josh, you're not really doing this to us again, are you?" he
began.

"Yes, this time I see no other option," I told him.

"Josh, we've worked with you in the past and we'll continue to work with
you in the future, so you'll have all the time you need with your family,"
he agreed.  "We just don't want to lose you.  I've spoken to the other
board members and they all feel the same as I do about this."

"I really appreciate that," I replied, "but this time the situation is
different."

"How so?" he wondered.

"There will be a baby to take care of now," I explained.

"Josh, you're not taking in a baby, are you?" he asked, mildly shocked.
"Why in the world do you want to deal with an infant?  Have you forgotten
about the messy diapers, constant interruptions to your sleep, the endless
crying and constant supervision?"

"I haven't and that's why I need to retire," I emphasized.  "I'm not taking
this responsibility lightly and it's not just any baby.  One of my boys
made a foolish mistake and got a girl pregnant, but he doesn't want to give
the baby up.  The girl has agreed to sign custody over to him and then I'm
going to raise the baby, so he can attend college.  I know this isn't
setting a very good precedent in the community, with one of my sons
fathering a child at such a young age, so I'm hoping this will lessen any
impact it might have on the district.  If I step down and move out of the
limelight, so to speak, maybe the repercussions to the district won't be as
large."

"Josh, this is going to come as a total shock to one particular former
board member," he joked.  "He's been claiming all of your sons are gay, so
this will make him look like an ass again."  We chuckled briefly, as we
considered the irony.

"I wish I could convince you to stay on, but I see you've given this plenty
of serious thought," the board president reluctantly agreed.  "I guess all
that's left to do is wish you good luck with this endeavor and ask when
you'll be done for good."

"I'll stay on and help out as long as you think I'm needed, unless I think
you're stalling or taking advantage of the situation," I answered.  "I owe
you at least that much, for all you've done for me."

"And we appreciate that, Josh," he agreed.

The board president then told me they'd get a search organized and asked if
I'd help with that task, so I assured him I would.  Our conversation ended
shortly thereafter, but I knew word would spread throughout the district
quicker than a brushfire in a Santa Anna wind.

That evening, while my mind was on the baby, Jake got a call from his
doctor's office, telling him his blood work results were in.  Jake set up
an appointment for the following afternoon, since he didn't want to put
this off and worry about it any longer, so I agreed to meet him there.

I had plenty to do the next day and was almost late getting to the doctor's
office.  When I walked in, Jake had already checked in, so we sat and
waited.  When he was called, we were led to a small room and waited for the
doctor to arrive.  A short time later, the doctor walked in, greeted us and
smiled.

"The news is all good," he stated, relieving the anxiety immediately,
"Nothing showed up in your blood work either, so it looks as if you have a
clean bill of health for another six months."

Jake was overjoyed and thanked the doctor profusely.  Once he settled down,
we went out and set up an appointment for his next six-month check-up,
before going home.  It was indeed a joyous night and one that Jake and I
celebrated privately later, in our room.

At the end of the week, I received a call from the High School principal.
"Josh, did I hear correctly?" he began.

"If you're referring to the fact that I'm retiring," I replied, "then you
have."

"I never saw this coming," he continued.

"Well, neither did I, but circumstances cropped up that indicated this
would be my best course of action," I told him.

"Why?  What are you going to do?" he pressed.

"Spend more time with my family and take care of a baby," I answered.  "I
won't go into details, but there's a small child that will need my care and
I can only do that if I'm not working.  He will require my full attention,
so there wasn't much of an option."

"You've always been a great family man and an excellent father," he
responded, "besides being a wonderful boss.  I can't see me working for
anyone else now."

"Unless you're retiring too, I'm afraid you'll have to," I pointed out.

"There is another possibility," he implied.  "Josh, would you support me,
if I threw my hat into the ring for your job?"  I didn't even have to take
time to think about it.

"I'm not sure why I didn't think about that before," I began, "but I think
you would do a great job in the position.  You have the required
credentials and quite a bit of experience, since you've covered for me at
various times.  If you want to apply, you will have my full support."

"Thanks, Josh," he replied.  "I was hoping you'd say that."

And I meant it sincerely.  He has done a marvelous job at the high school
and has been my backup and covered for me whenever I was unavailable.
Beside that, he also knows the people in the district and has their
respect, so he should be a shoe-in for the job.  The only way he wouldn't
get the job is if some ringer applies from outside the district, but I
don't see that happening.  It was hard finding a good candidate before, so
I don't see anything different happening this time around or anyone
applying that would be better qualified than he is.

It seemed as if everything was falling together quite nicely for us.  Jake
got a clean bill of health after his checkup, Dion and Trey agreed to raise
Dion's little accident, Shelly and her parents have agreed to our offer, my
retirement will work out well and it looks as if I'll have an excellent
replacement.  I don't think I could have asked for more.

Oh, yes, I nearly forgot to mention that in the midst of all of this, we
made another trip to Chicago to participate in the St. Patrick's Day parade
again.  It was a much shorter visit this time and Jesse made an adorable
Leprechaun.  We arrived on Friday, which gave Andrew and Jesse time to
spend time with Barry again.  We all had a great time over the weekend,
even though Duck and Mark didn't join us this year.  The Flannerys were
perfect hosts, as they had been the previous year, and we had another
marvelous stay in Chicago.

By the beginning of the third week in March, I had another wonderful treat
in store.  Jesse's adoption was about to become legal.  We still had to
meet at the courthouse for the formal ceremony, but with Steve as my lawyer
and Jesse's mother in full agreement, I didn't foresee any problems.

When the big day came, things went so smoothly that we were in and out
quite quickly.  The same Judge that had presided over our last adoption
ceremony was in charge of this one too, so he had few questions or
concerns.  Steve gave him the background information he needed, before he
spoke with Jesse and his mother.  Since they were both agreeable to doing
this, it went through quite easily.

Jesse also chose to change his last name, so he would now officially be
known as Jesse Albert Currie.  Afterward, I took him, and everyone else,
out for a little celebration.  I think Jesse was more excited that Andrew
was really his brother now, rather than the fact that I was his father, so
I guess I see where I ranked in the progression of things.

Easter also fell in March this year, on the last weekend of the month.  It
doesn't happen very often, but it's how it worked out this year, so I began
making plans.  The boys were all coming home, with the exception of Frankie
and Nick, but Duck would be joining us as well.  It would be a very busy
weekend and there would be a lot going on during the holiday, so I had a
lot to plan.  I didn't want there to be any glitches.

The boys would be returning home on Good Friday and we'd attend services at
church later.  The next day, Saturday, I planned to hold Jake's and my
commitment ceremony and, amazingly, my pastor had offered to help us with
it.  He agreed to let us use the church for the event, although he made it
clear the church wouldn't be sanctioning this event, just him.  I agreed we
were more than happy with this arrangement and couldn't ask for more, so it
seems we had cleared the last hurdle.

Once that was behind us, we would celebrate Easter Sunday and the entire
family would be joining us for dinner.  I was euphoric that they were going
to be there to share in our happiness on Saturday and then we'd also get to
celebrate Easter together.  The weekend would be crammed full of activity
and I wanted it all to be as close to perfect as possible.