Date: Wed, 22 Sep 2010 01:01:39 EDT
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening - Book 9, chapters 29 - 30

The Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening --Book 9 - by BW         
Copyright 2010 by billwstories
Chapter 29 -- Many Reasons to Celebrate.    

The first week back, after our vacation to Australia, we just 
took it easy and readjusted to our own time zone.  That is 
everyone except poor Jake.  He only had what was left of 
Saturday, as well as Sunday and Monday to recuperate before 
he had to return to work.  He seemed to handle it quite well 
though and I was impressed.  

Early in the second week, Nick left to go back to Oklahoma, so 
he could spend some time with his parents before returning to 
class.  I wasn't sure when we'd see him next, but we would 
keep in contact.

During this time, I also started urging the boys to start 
checking to see what items they would need for school and then 
make a list of those things, so we could pick them up.  I asked 
them to check both their clothing and various supplies they 
would require, which included some small furnishings for the 
college boys.  They would be leaving in less than a week and a 
half, so they didn't have a lot of time to waste getting their act 
together.  

There was also going to be a little vehicular switch that needed 
to be made.  Since Dustin had graduated from college and 
wouldn't be carrying the others back and forth this year, he 
didn't need the big SUV.  I was going to let Brandon use it 
instead, because Brandon had been part of that loop and was 
the next oldest driver in the group, even though he wasn't 
technically my son.  Dustin knew this was going to happen 
after he graduated, so he didn't give me any problems about it.  

In return, I was going to let Dustin use the Grand Am to get 
back and forth to work at a local HVAC company.  He was 
going to be learning the ropes there and getting a chance to 
experience all aspects of the business.  The current owner was 
planning to retire in a few years and had agreed to sell his 
business to Dustin at that time, if Dustin was interested.  That's 
why Dustin was going to work in the field first, so he could 
learn the nuts and bolts of the operation.  Once he had that 
down, he'd move into the office and become involved with the 
business and financial end of things.  

August was also important for another reason.  Kevin was 
turning twenty-one on August 8th and I would be doing the 
same thing for him that I had done for the others who had 
reached that age.  I was having my lawyer make arrangement 
to turn over his account, so he would have full control over the 
assets.  I did sit down with Kevin first, to explain this to him.  

"As part of your birthday present this year," I began, "I am 
turning over control of the account I'd set up in your name.  I 
think you already know that I've done the same thing for 
Frankie, Dustin, Danny and Pat, so now it's your turn to 
receive the privilege.  Since I saw how well you handled the 
scholarship issue with Jeff, I know I can trust your judgment 
and you won't spend the money foolishly.  So far, I have been 
using it to pay your college expenses and expect you'll be 
continuing to do this, but the remainder of that money can be 
used for whatever you deem will benefit you in the long term."

"Thanks for doing this, Dad, and for everything else you've 
done for each of us," Kevin responded.  "When I came here to 
live with you, my biggest worry was just to have a place to live.  
I hoped it would be a place where I wouldn't have to hide 
being gay, but you gave me much more than that.  You've 
always been there when I needed you, especially when things 
looked the worst, like when Dustin dumped me, Brent died or 
when I had testicular cancer.  You also made sure I had the 
money I needed for college and enough left over to start life on 
my own.  I'm not saying I'm going anywhere, but wherever I 
end up, I will always feel my home is here with you.  Where I 
end up living will mostly depend on where I get a job after I 
graduate, but I'll always look forward to coming back here to 
visit.  I love you, Dad, and thank you so much for everything."

I was deeply touched by his words and hugged him after he 
finished.  I told him how much I loved him too and that I was 
very proud of how he has always conducted himself, even at 
the worst of times.  We held his birthday party that weekend, 
so the whole family could celebrate with him, but I'm glad I 
had given him this particular gift in private.   

The next week in August was fairly hectic for us, because the 
various groups of boys were finishing up their preparations to 
return to school.  They were busy making runs to the local 
stores and the mall, so they could pick up new clothes, supplies 
and furnishings for their rooms and apartments, as well as any 
last minute additions they had made to their lists.  Once each 
of them had everything he needed or wanted, the college boys 
began packing up and getting ready to take off for their 
campuses.  The drivers also had to pick up the rental trailers 
and have them hooked up to their vehicle, so they could start 
loading everything inside.  

That Saturday, I was busy helping the boys with this, when 
Kevin asked if I'd run down to the rental place with him, so he 
could get the trailer for the 4Runner.  I thought his request a 
bit odd, since he should be able to do this on his own, but I 
concluded there might possibly be something else he wanted to 
discuss, so I agreed.  On the way there, Kevin talked about the 
apartment he would be sharing with Vinnie and Trey, but the 
conversation didn't produce any earth-shaking information.  
After we picked up the trailer, we drove back to the house and 
I was still confused as to why he had wanted me to go with him. 

As we walked in the door, my mind was still preoccupied about 
his motives and I wondered if he had changed his mind about 
approaching me.  For that reason, I nearly jumped out of my 
skin when a whole bunch of people jumped out from all 
directions and shouted, "Surprise!"  Damn, I can't believe I 
had fallen for this.  Kevin had merely asked me out as a ruse, 
so the rest of them could set up for a surprise birthday party.  
Why hadn't that thought entered my mind?

Suddenly, I was surround by the family, as each of them bid 
me a happy birthday and shared their good wishes.  

"Well, Dad, you've finally reached the speed limit," Robert 
teased when he reached me.  He was playing on the fact that I 
was turning fifty-five this year.  

"Yes, wiseass," I retorted.  "I've reached the speed limit, so 
now I'm just waiting for you to get rid of your training 
wheels."  I think that shut him up for a few seconds, but 
someone else distracted me.  

"Papa, are you really that old," Nicky asked, after someone 
explained Robert's joke to him.  

"I sure am, little man," I responded.  "I've lived through 
eleven presidents so far and hope to see a few more."  

"Wow, you mean you were alive when Washington and 
Lincoln were president?" he followed, which elicited a whole 
chorus of laughter.

"No, little man, I don't go back quite that far," I answered, 
"but I was born when Truman was President." 

"Who's he?" Nicky asked, confused.  

"You'll learn about him someday, or at least I hope you do," I 
told him and then we moved on to other things.  

A little later I came to my new little princess, Kylie.  "And this 
little darling will be turning one tomorrow, so we'll have to 
give her our presents before she leaves," I announced and all 
the boys chimed in their support for that idea, so we decided to 
make this a joint party.  Unfortunately, because I didn't know 
this was going to happen or that the rest of my children and 
grandchildren were going to be here, I wasn't prepared.  Now, 
I'll have to run out and purchase her gifts and give them to 
her, before she returns home with her parents.  

Since Kylie was just turning one, she didn't appreciate what 
was going on.  Since the rest of us did, we made a big fuss over 
her and she did enjoy all of the attention.  Kylie even got to 
taste ice cream for the first time and it was really cute to see 
her facial reaction to the treat.  

Much to my surprise and amazement, the party lasted several 
hours before some of the extended family started to leave.  The 
first to go was Jesse's mother, since she was tired from 
working so much, and the Spences left shortly thereafter.  
Arlene had started to become more cantankerous as the day 
wore on, so they felt it would be best if they didn't wait for her 
to ruin the party.  I felt bad that Little Ricky had to deal with 
this again, but he seemed to accept it as something that merely 
happened sooner or later.  I think he was just glad it was later 
and not sooner, in this case.   

I had a nice time and was very happy to be surrounded by my 
loved ones again.  My children and grandchildren were staying 
overnight, so we quickly made room for everyone, which no 
one had problems with.  It turned out to be a wonderful 
birthday for me, since everyone that could attend did.  

On Sunday, not only did my biological children leave, because 
they had to work the next day, but the college boys took off too.  
The same three vehicles took off again, each in a slightly 
different direction, but this time there was one new driver.  For 
the first time, Brandon would be taking Dustin's old route.  He 
would be heading to Pittsburgh and taking those attending 
college to the west of our home, while Kevin drove those 
attending colleges in the Philadelphia area and other locations 
to the east.  Danny was going to Penn State, so he took the 
group going to colleges in the central region of the state.  I was 
happy that the college boys were spread out well enough that 
this arrangement was working out quite well and no vehicle 
was overcrowded.  

I was quite sad once everyone left though.  Oh, I knew they'd 
all be returning to visit from time to time, but it was never 
quite the same, unless they were here for a long period of time.  
Once they all left, there would only be Sammy, Little Ricky, 
Andrew and Jesse, along with Jake, to keep me company.  Yes, 
Mark, Dustin and Cole were also living at home as well, but 
they had their jobs and their own friends, so they seemed to 
manage to keep fairly busy and weren't around that often.  It's 
not that I blame them for not being around very much, but the 
house sure seems quiet after several years of mass hysteria.  

The following week, Jake went for his one-year checkup.  Yes, 
it's hard to believe, but it's been a whole year since he was first 
diagnosed with prostate cancer.  When he went to be tested this 
time, he was slightly less apprehensive than in the past, but he 
still wasn't looking forward to the less than modest positions 
he'd have to assume to complete the exam.  However, it was 
obviously worth it.  When the results came back a week later, 
Jake was told nothing new had shown up and he was cleared 
for another six months.  

At home, things were a little less hectic too.  Since the gay-
straight alliance wasn't running the concession stand this fall, 
because they had done it the previous year, Sammy and Little 
Ricky didn't have as much to do.  All of these things added up 
to mean that the school year started off pretty quiet for us.  
The gay-straight alliance was going to sponsor a dance after 
one of the football games again, but that wasn't until early 
October and we didn't foresee any problems this time.  This 
was due to the fact that nearly every dance that had been held 
at school, no matter which group sponsored the event, had also 
welcomed all couples to attend, regardless of sexual 
orientation.  It was nice to see the district had made some 
progress concerning this issue.  

Of course, I wasn't involved in any of these activities this year, 
except as any parent might be, but I still kept track of what the 
boys were up to.  Little Ricky and Sammy had also formed an 
attachment to each other and had grown nearly as close as 
Andrew and Jesse were.  Since Graham was in college and out 
of the picture, so to speak, those two spent a great deal of time 
together.  Both pairs also kept pretty much to themselves, so 
this left Jake and me a chance to do the same.  

On Friday evening, after we came back from watching a 
football game, the boys began joking around and playing 
games until they went to bed.  When they did, Andrew and 
Jesse decided to have some fun first, before they went to sleep.  
After they showered, they hopped in to bed and quickly began 
sucking each other off.  

Jesse was doing an admirable job on Andrew and had him 
worked up into quite a fevered state, but this time when 
Andrew exploded, Jesse was surprised.  Once he pulled away, 
he let Andrew know what had happened.  

"Andrew, you shot some stiff in my mouth," Jesse announced, 
beaming.  

"No way!" Andrew protested.  "I don't even got any hairs 
down there yet."  

"Yes, you do.  See," Jesse corrected him, as both boys stared at 
Andrew's crotch.  Sure enough, there were less than a handful 
of very short black hairs sticking out of his pubis.  

"Dang, when did that happen?" Andrew wondered aloud.

"You've had them for a while," Jesse told him.  "I think the 
first time I saw one was after Daddy's birthday, but I thought 
you knew.  That's why I didn't say nothin'," Jesse added.

"It's okay, Jesse.  It's just that I hadn't noticed," Andrew 
admitted.  "I guess I just gave up and stopped looking, because 
I thought nothin' was ever gonna happen."  

"But it did and your thing's getting bigger too," Jesse added, 
which caused Andrew to look down again.  

"You're right!" Andrew exclaimed.  "It does look longer AND 
thicker."  Suddenly, Andrew was feeling better about himself.  
So good, in fact, that he came down to share the news with me.  

"Dad, Dad," he was shouting, as he descended the stairs.  I 
thought something was wrong, so I came shooting out of my 
room to find out what the problem was.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

"Look," Andrew stated, thrusting out his hips.  The light was 
dim in the foyer, so I pulled him into my room.  That's when I 
noticed the hairs.

"Congratulations," I told him.  "See.  I told you to be patient 
and it would happen."

"Yeah, but it sure took long enough," Andrew scowled.  "And I 
think it's bigger now too AND thicker."  I wasn't sure, but I 
agreed with him anyways.  I certainly didn't want to spoil this 
moment for him.  

"And Jesse said I shot some stuff," Andrew continued.  

"But you didn't see it?" I followed.  

"Um, no," Andrew sort of stammered.  "I guess Jesse 
swallowed it."  Jesse was standing red-faced off to the side, so I 
felt I had to let him know he hadn't done anything wrong.  

"That's okay," I replied, "you can see it some other time, but 
congratulations.  I'm glad it has finally happened."

"Yeah, even though it's only a couple of weeks before I turn 
fifteen."  

"Well, you're past the crisis point now, so just enjoy," I urged.  
"This should make your sophomore year in high school more 
memorable now."

"Yeah, my freshman year kind of sucked, because everyone 
made fun of me," Andrew stated, "but this should end that 
now."  

I was glad this had finally happened for him.  He had seemed 
to be doing better dealing with it since Jesse joined us, but it 
appears he hadn't been telling me everything that was going on 
at school.  It seems he had still been having trouble there, but 
now he should quickly catch up with the rest of his classmates.  
Within a couple of months, no one will be able to tell Andrew 
has just recently entered puberty.  

Everything else was fairly normal for the next couple of weeks, 
as we neared the middle of September.  This meant that 
Shelly's due date was quickly approaching and Dion was 
becoming a gigantic mass of nerves.  Since he was at college, he 
kept calling me at home daily to see if I'd heard anything yet.  I 
assured him I'd call the minute I did and suggested it would be 
better for him concentrate on his studies and not fall behind.  I 
knew this probably wouldn't work and he'd remain distracted 
until after the baby was born and he got to see him, but it was 
worth a try.  

Andrew's fifteenth birthday was on a Monday this year, so I 
planned to have a small party for him on Sunday.  Since most 
of his brothers were away at college, the number of attendees 
would be far below our normal quota, but Andrew was fine 
with it.  Since he now really felt like a young teen, these types 
of things didn't seem to bother him any longer.  

Andrew and Jesse started their celebrating early and dragged 
Jake and I out for a pre-birthday bike ride on Saturday.  I 
could tell Andrew was feeling more grown up, because the 
route he took us on was quite strenuous and exhausting.  Jake 
and I did make it all the way to the end, but it was quite a 
workout.  I guess we should have kept exercising after we got 
back from vacation, rather than taking a short hiatus from 
working out, and then maybe we wouldn't be dragging now.  

On Sunday, the local members of our extended family dropped 
by, including Jesse's mother.  She had gotten to know Andrew 
quite well too, since he was always with Jesse when he stopped 
in to see her.  Therefore, Andrew made sure to invite her as 
well.  

She basically knew everyone there, since she had been to some 
of our other gatherings, but after she saw Steve and I joking 
around, she came up to speak to me.  

"You know, that first day we met I didn't want to believe you 
and Steve were so close," she confessed.  "I'm ashamed to 
admit it, but I was a little skeptical of your explanation.  I 
thought you just wanted your lawyer there to make sure 
nothing went wrong, but it's nice to see you were being honest 
with me about your relationship.  I had a feeling I could trust 
you back then, seeing how Jesse seemed to love being with you, 
so it's nice to see I wasn't mistaken."  

Since part of the reason I had asked Steve to go with me that 
day was to protect us legally, I couldn't be upset she had 
reached that conclusion.  However, I didn't want to admit it to 
her now or it might jeopardize our relationship.  I didn't want 
Jesse to be put in the middle and then have to decide whom he 
felt closer to.  Instead, I concluded it would be best if we left 
this issue alone and allowed her to enjoy her time with us.

Although the party was quite small, it went very well and 
Andrew got some nice gifts.  I knew his brothers would give 
him their presents when they came home for Thanksgiving, 
since it's what they always did.  The boys always belatedly 
honored the birthdays they had missed the next time they came 
home, so no one ever felt left out or less important than anyone 
else.  

Andrew and Jesse seemed to be having a great time at the 
party.  They were busy making their rounds, to see to it that 
none of the guests felt neglected.  After they spent some time 
with Jesse's mother, she came over to speak with me again.  

"Thank you so much for everything you've done for Jesse," she 
began.  "I can't remember the last time I saw him this happy 
and he sure seems to have made a very special friend in 
Andrew."

"Yes, they are indeed as close as two peas in a pod," I 
remarked, using a very old expression.  "It's been good for 
both of them since Jesse arrived, even though Andrew is four 
years older."

"Is he really?" she countered, surprised.  "I never knew that 
and guessed them to be about the same age."  

"Andrew's oriental parentage has something to do with that," I 
commented, "but he was also a little late entering puberty.  
Regardless of their true ages, the boys are still very close and 
Andrew was mostly responsible for Jesse's speaking again and 
for his rapid development afterward."

"I know, Jesse told me the same thing and I'm very grateful to 
Andrew for doing that," she confessed.  "I'm sorry I didn't see 
what my ex-husband… well, I guess he wasn't even that was 
he?" she commented, more to herself.  "Well, anyway I feel 
terribly guilty about what John did to Jesse and how he set his 
development back and prevented him from progressing as well 
as he has here."  

"That's all water over the dam, so I think it's best you just put 
it behind you for now," I suggested.  "Jesse has and I don't see 
anything positive coming out of you continuing to mentally 
whip yourself for what John did."  

"Thank you.  That is very kind of you to say," she replied.  "I 
can see why Jesse loves you so deeply.  You are truly a gentle 
and caring man.  You are exactly what he needed."  

We did talk a bit longer, but I tried to steer her toward other 
topics, such as how Jesse was doing in school and how she 
wanted to handle the upcoming holidays.  First, I told her how 
our family typically celebrated and she agreed to join us.  She 
admitted that she had been certain at least some of our 
extended family wouldn't accept her, considering how she had 
abandoned her son, but she didn't feel that way any longer.  
She said she was very pleased as to how everyone had been 
treating her and was looking forward to joining us for the 
holidays.  

Andrew's party ended before dinnertime and then we went 
inside.  The daylight hours were beginning to grow shorter 
now and soon winter would be upon us.  It was a sad, but 
expected fact of life.  

I was sitting at home late Tuesday afternoon, when the phone 
rang.  Since I was the only one there at the time, I answered it.  

"Mr. Currie, this is Shelly," the voice on the other end 
responded.  She sounded panicked.  "My water just broke and 
I'm having contractions.  Could you please come pick me up 
and take me to the hospital?  I'm all alone here.  My parents 
aren't home."  

"Of course I can, Shelly," I agreed.  "How far apart are your 
contractions."  

"I haven't been timing them, but they're probably several 
minutes apart," she answered.

"Then we've still got time, so don't worry," I stated, as calmly 
as I could.  "I'll be there in a few minutes, but in the meantime 
I want you to pack a few items to take with you -- things you'll 
need, if you haven't done so already.  Have you called your 
doctor?"

"No, I called you first," she admitted.  "I figured if you weren't 
home or couldn't take me, I'd have to call a taxi or ambulance 
next."  

"Okay, that's fine, but call your doctor now and then pack 
what you'll need.  I'll be there before you're finished."

Shelly thanked me before we hung up.  I grabbed what I would 
need to take with me and then I hopped in the car and set off to 
pick her up.     



The Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening --Book 9 - by BW         
Copyright 2010 by billwstories
Chapter 30 -- Joshie.    

Once Shelly had been admitted, I went to the phone to make a 
couple of phone calls.  First, I called Jake, to let him know I 
might be late, and then I called the school and left a message 
for Sammy.  I told him to make sure everyone got home safely 
and to keep the house in one piece until Jake and I got there.  
Then I called Dion.

"Hello."

"Dion, it's Dad.  Are you able to talk or are you in class or 
something?" I asked.  

"No, I'm in my dorm room," he told me.  "I finished my last 
class at 2:00.  What's up?"   

"Well, I figured I'd better call, since I just took Shelly to the 
hospital," I announced.  

"She's having the baby?" he screamed back.

"That's why I brought her to the hospital, but she hasn't had 
the baby yet," I explained, with a tinge of sarcasm.  

"Will you call me when she has it?" he pleaded.  

"Of course I will," I assured him.  "And you may come home 
this weekend to see them.  Just tell Brandon, so he can plan on 
driving you back."

"I can drive," Dion stated.  

"I know you can, but you'll be so rattled and excited that I 
think I'd feel better if Brandon brings you," I replied.  "Just 
humor me and do this.  You're too inexperience as a driver, 
and with all the excitement and your mind thinking about 
other things, there's too great a chance you could have an 
accident.  Please, just ask Brandon to do this."  

"Okay, okay, I will, as long as I can come home to see them," 
Dion agreed.  "Just call me as soon as the baby is born."

"I will, Dion, just calm down," I urged him.  "I'll call you as 
soon as I hear anything."  Dion thanked me and then I went 
back to see if there had been any news about Shelly.  

Nothing had happened yet and it was nearing 6:00.  I asked the 
doctor if it would happen soon and he merely told me she 
hasn't come close to dilating sufficiently to give birth.  He said 
it would still be at least a couple more hours before that 
happened.  With this new information, I decided to leave for a 
short time and gave my contact information to the maternity 
room staff, so they could reach me if there was any change.

I drove to Shelly's house first, to notify her parents.  They said 
they'd just arrived home a short time before and wondered 
where she was.  Obviously, Shelly forgot to leave them a note, 
so I explained the situation to them.  Shelly's parents said 
they'd go to the hospital shortly, once they grabbed a quick 
bite to eat, so I told them I was going home to do the same and 
would see them there afterward.  

When I reached the house, Jake and the boys had a ton of 
questions for me, the most important of which was -- has the 
baby been born yet?  I told them that hadn't happened, but 
Dion had been called and was coming home this weekend.  I 
also let them know Shelly's parents were on their way to the 
hospital too, so I think it filled them in on all the important 
information.  Since that had been cleared up, I went to refresh 
myself, before I sat down to eat dinner with them, seeing they 
hadn't eaten yet.  

During the meal, I arranged for Dustin and Cole to take the 
boys to school the next day, in case I was still at the hospital or 
got home really late tonight.  Dustin agreed to take the older 
boys to the high school, since he left first, and Cole would take 
Jesse.  They also agreed to pick the boys up again later, but 
explained everyone would have to wait a bit, until they got out 
of work.  I told them I'd call if I could pick them up, so the 
boys wouldn't have to wait, or the boys could actually walk 
home and get there sooner, if they didn't want to wait at all.  
The high school boys then agreed to walk over to the middle 
school to pick up Jesse, if they decided to do that.  

When I returned to the hospital, Shelly parents were already 
there and quickly informed me she still hadn't given birth.  
Her mother told me Shelly contractions weren't coming any 
closer together, but seeing it was her first child, the doctor 
wanted her to stay, so he and the nurses could keep an eye on 
her.  

As the hours passed and it grew closer to midnight, Shelly 
parents began to debate what they wanted to do.  They had to 
work the next day, so they didn't know whether they should go 
home, get some rest and then go to work, or if they should stay 
there and just call in later and tell their employers they 
wouldn't be in.  It turned out that Shelly's father had a very 
important meeting the next day, so he opted to go home, but 
Shelly's mother wanted to stay.  I offered to take her home 
whenever she wanted, so her husband left and thanked me for 
helping them out.  

It was after 1:00 in the morning when a nurse came out to 
speak to us.  "You're daughter has just given birth to a healthy 
baby boy," the nurse explained.  Shelly's mother breathed a 
sigh of relief.

"How much did the baby weigh?" I asked.  

"Let's see," she said, as she glanced down at a notepad.  "The 
baby weighed seven pounds, four ounces and is twenty-one 
inches long."  

"And he's healthy?" I followed.  

"Very," she stated, with a grin.  "He has a great set of lungs 
and really screamed out when the doctor smacked him on the 
butt."  She giggled.

"His parents are both gifted singers, so he comes by those pipes 
naturally," I teased back.  

"Can we see her," Shelly's mother asked next.

"Shortly," the nurse explained.  "We are just making sure both 
of them are cleaned up and then you may see her and the 
baby."  Hearing this made us feel better, so we remained there 
until we could go in with them.  

When we entered, I thought Shelly looked as though she'd 
been through hell and back, but she managed to flash us a 
weak smile.  She was holding the baby, and he was cute, but it 
was far too early to tell what his coloring would be.  Shortly 
after we got to see both of them, a nurse came in and took the 
baby and then Shelly told us she wanted to sleep.  We agreed 
that was a good idea and told her we'd see her the next 
morning.  I drove her mother home, and when I let her off, I 
told her to call me when she was ready to go to the hospital and 
I'd pick her up.  She thanked me and then I drove home too.  

Jake woke up when I came in, so I told him it was a boy and 
the rest of the vitals.  Then I put a note on the refrigerator 
door for everyone else to read in the morning.  

By the time I woke up, the house was empty and the sun was 
shining.  When I looked at the clock, it read 9:28.  I quickly 
jumped out of bed and hopped in the shower.  Once I'd 
finished there, I dressed and went in to the kitchen to fix some 
breakfast.  Before I did that, however, I checked to see if I'd 
missed any calls, but I hadn't.  Therefore, I texted Dion, since I 
wasn't sure if he might be in class.  

Dion, it's a boy 7lb 4oz 21 in born 9-14 around 1:00 Call Dad

I know it's a bit cryptic, but it takes me a while to type any of 
this stuff out using the phone.  I see my sons do it with ease, but 
I'm a little less talented and it takes me much longer.  Ten 
minutes later my phone rang.  

"Josh, it's Shelly's mother," the caller announced.  "I'm ready 
to go to the hospital, whenever you are."

"Great!" I replied.  "I'm just going to grab a quick bite to eat 
and I should be there in say, thirty minutes or so."  She said 
that would be fine, so we ended the call.  

I had just started to scramble some eggs when the phone rang 
again.  

"Dad, are they both alright?" Dion asked.   

"They're both fine, Daddy, so relax," I teased.  

"What's the baby look like?" he pressed, and I knew what he 
was after.

"He's adorable, but it's too early to tell his features or his skin 
tone," I answered.  "We should be able to tell a little more by 
the time you arrive.  Just don't be surprised if it takes a few 
weeks before you know what he'll look like for sure.  

"By the way, have you settled on a name yet?" I asked.  
"They're going to need it, to fill out the birth certificate."  

"Yes, I've picked out the baby's name, but I've only told 
Shelly," he stated, rather cryptically.  "She knows what it is."  

"And you don't wish to share that information with me?" I 
asked, confused.  

"I guess I can tell you, because she probably will anyways," 
Dion replied.  "I'm naming him after the two people I love 
most in this world.  The baby's name will be Joshua Alexander 
Currie."  I choked up and couldn't speak momentarily.  He 
was naming the baby after Trey and me, since Trey's legal 
name is Alexander. 

"Dad, are you there?   Are you alright?' I heard Dion ask, 
frantically.  

"Yes, I am," I assured him, after a second or two delay.  "I'm 
sorry I didn't say anything sooner, but I just got a little 
emotional and couldn't speak."  

"So you're okay now?" Dion followed.

"Yes, I'm fine," I confirmed.  "It's just that I was a bit 
surprised over your choice of a name.  I thought maybe you'd 
combine your name and Trey's."  

"I never even considered that," he replied, quickly.  "I've 
always known I'd name my first son after you and then I 
added Trey's name as his middle name, because you are the 
two people I care most about in this world."  

"Well, thank you and that's quite an honor," I told him, "so I 
hope I can live up to it.  But one more thing before you go.  
Have you also discussed with Shelly about whether he is to be 
circumcised or not?"

"Yes, she knows that too," he answered.  "Trey and I discussed 
that also.  There were pros and cons on both sides, but I finally 
decided I liked being cut, so the baby will be too."

Seeing that issue was settled, I said good-bye, but before I hung 
up, Dion told me he loved me and would see me Friday.  
Brandon had agreed to drive and it worked out that neither 
Brandon nor he had any classes Friday afternoon, so they were 
leaving earlier than anticipated.  I told him that would be fine 
and I'd see them both then.  I also told him I loved him too and 
then he hung up.   

Once the call ended, I sent a text to Trey and gave him the 
same information I had told Dion.  I didn't tell him the baby's 
name, however, since I thought Dion should have the honor of 
doing that.  

I then finished fixing my breakfast, and after I had eaten, I 
went down to pick up Shelly's mother, so we could go to the 
hospital.  Shelly was in her room, but the baby wasn't with her 
when we arrived.  We chatted with Shelly for a bit and asked 
how she was feeling.   After she confirmed she was feeling fine, 
we walked down to the nursery to get another peek at the 
baby.    

While we stood looking in the window, she mentioned she had 
already given the hospital the information for the birth 
certificate and the baby had been circumcised.  I thanked her 
for taking care of all of those details and told her Dion had 
filled me in earlier about the information.  Shelly then looked 
up and winked at me, before she spoke.  

"Dion really does love and admire you," she confirmed.  "He 
told me he wanted the baby to have your first name and I 
agreed it was a perfect choice."  She then hugged me and 
thanked me for my help, before we walked back to her room.  

We stayed with Shelly a little longer, and then I excused 
myself, so I could take care of some other matters.  I left her 
mother there, but I stepped out of the room.  As I passed the 
nurses' station, I saw her doctor and stopped to inquire about 
the baby.  He remembered who I was.

"So the baby is healthy and doing well?" I asked.  

"Your grandson is in excellent shape and has a fine pair of 
lungs," he teased.  "The nurse told me what you said about his 
parents being singers."  He then chuckled.  "I must also tell 
you that I've never circumcised a newborn with such a lengthy 
penis," he joked.  "That kid is going to be well endowed."  

"Yes, he comes by that honorably too," I quipped back.  "His 
father is quite well hung as well."  The doctor just chuckled 
again and congratulated me, before he returned to what he was 
doing.  I went home knowing I had many phone calls to make 
and many questions to answer.  

Throughout the remainder of the day, I called or texted all of 
the boys and told them the news.  I immediately heard back 
from some of them and one of the most frequently asked 
questions was if the baby was as well hung as it appeared on 
the sonogram.  I merely told them what the doctor had said 
and they were astounded a baby could be that large already!  
What the hell - so was I.

Trey was among those that called and he let me know he had 
already spoken with Dion too.  Trey then asked if I had heard 
what the baby's name was, but I was uncertain about how to 
respond.  After thinking about it quickly, I concluded I should 
be honest with him, so I told him I knew, without saying what 
it was.  

"Can you believe Dion named the baby after the two of us?" 
Trey asked, which let me know my precaution was 
unnecessary.  "I thought he was going to name him Dion Jr. or 
at least something with his name included, but he used our 
names instead."

"I know and I was as shocked as you are," I confirmed.  "I feel 
it's a great honor he has bestowed on each of us."   

"Yeah, I know," Trey agreed.  "I know how much Dion loves 
you -- heck, we both do, so I thought he might name the baby 
Dion Joshua or Joshua Dion.  I just never suspected he would 
use my name at all."

"Well, he loves you as much as he loves me," I replied.  
"Maybe even more.  In fact, I'm sure he loves you more.  You 
two are going to be partners for life and I'm just his dad."  

"Not JUST his dad," Trey corrected.  "You re the best dad any 
of us could have hoped for."  I saw this was quickly becoming 
maudlin, so I changed the topic.

"And you know the baby was circumcised?" I asked.  

"Yes, Dion was pretty insistent about that, but it's fine," Trey 
answered.  "Have you seen him?  Is it huge, like Dion's?"  

I told him what the doctor had said.

"Damn, another blessed soul," Trey responded, almost 
dreamily.  "His partner will be very lucky indeed."  

Damn, Trey had the kid grown up already and having sex.  
Give him time to get out of diapers first.  I didn't say that, but 
I hope he didn't make comments like that around the baby as 
he was growing up.  I think I'd better make sure to speak to 
Trey and tell him so, before he does make that kind of blunder.  

"Dad, would it be okay if I borrowed the 4Runner and came 
home this weekend too, so I can see our son?" Trey asked.  I 
was a little surprised he had put it that way, but I shouldn't 
have been.  Trey and Dion had agreed to raise the baby as their 
son.  In fact, Trey was going to adopt the baby as soon as he 
graduated from college, so he would have a legal stake in 
Joshie's life too. 

"That will be fine, as long as you take it easy," I told him.  "If 
Kevin has any questions about this, just tell him to call me."  
Trey agreed, and then we ended the call.

I was in and out of the hospital the rest of that day and the 
next.  Shelly was discharged Friday morning and I stopped to 
get her mother, so we could bring Shelly and the baby home.  
Since I had a newborn's car carrier in the front with me, her 
mother had to ride in the back.  A short time later, we had all 
of them in the car and ready to take off.  I dropped Shelly and 
her mom off at their house and they thanked me for 
everything.  Shelly kissed the baby good-bye and then Joshie 
and I continued on to our home.  Once there, I began to 
prepare for the onslaught of relatives and visitors I knew was 
going to follow.  

I had already done a great deal of shopping to prepare for this, 
so I had plenty of formula, baby bottles, diapers, a couple of 
newborn pacifiers, some rattles and other toys, plus a crib with 
a musical mobile.  I also had my favorite rocking chair situated 
so I could get to it easily and a collection of books stacked near 
it.  I read to my children and grandchildren from the day I 
brought them home and this baby would be no different.  Oh, 
I'd start off telling him nursery rhymes and singing him songs, 
if my voice didn't scare him, but I'd also read some of the 
stories.  Many were Disney books, which I'd had in the house 
for my other grandchildren, and now they'd be used on little 
Joshie.  By the way, that's what Dion told me we were going to 
call him, at least until he got older.  He thought that way it 
wouldn't get confusing as to whom people were talking about.  

Since nearly everyone called me Dad, I didn't see a problem, 
but I was fine with calling him Joshie.  If memory serves me 
correctly, that's what I was called when I was little, so he'd 
have to endure the same fate -- well, until he was old enough to 
insist we call him something else.  

Once the boys arrived home from school, Joshie became the 
center of attention.  Everyone talked to him and wanted to hold 
him, and Joshie just seemed to enjoy all of the attention.  He 
wasn't scared or troubled by so many different faces, which 
was good, seeing what he was going to have to put up with 
living here.  He also became the focal point of curiosity when I 
changed his diaper, as everyone wanted to get a look at his 
already legendary feature.  I was surprised that some of the 
boys did this several times and acted as if it was going to grow 
even larger in between changings.  Needless to say, he was the 
talk of the house.  

Dion and Brandon arrived shortly after the other boys got 
home.  Dion immediately picked up his son and began talking 
to him.  

"Hi, little guy.  I'm your daddy," Dion cooed.  "Well, I'm one 
of your daddies and you already met your Papa, whom we 
named you after.  Your other daddy should be here shortly 
and then you'll get to meet him too."

It was so sweet to watch them interacting together and Dion 
was really reveling in his new role.  Watching this made me 
realize it was going to be hard for Dion to leave Joshie when it 
came time for him to return to school, but I hoped he would 
enjoy the couple of days they had together before this 
happened.  

Trey arrived home about a half-hour later and was also 
immediately smitten by our newest addition.  "Oh, Dion.  He's 
just so cute and perfect," Trey gushed.  "And look at those cute 
little fingers and toes.  Oh, my God, he's so precious."  

"Joshie, this is your other daddy," Dion announced, as he 
introduced the pair.

"Dion, don't you think it's going to get confusing for him, to 
call both of us Daddy?" Trey asked.  

"Yes, it probably will," Dion agreed, "but we'll figure 
something out -- unless you already have."

"Well, I was thinking maybe we should do like Dad and Pop," 
Trey admitted.  

"So you want to be Pop to him?" Dion asked.

"Not exactly," Trey countered, "because I think that would be 
confusing for Jake, but what do you think of the idea of Joshie 
calling me Poppy?"

"I think that is perfect and will work out fine," Dion 
confirmed, and then leaned in and kissed Trey very deeply.  

"Hey, be careful you don't squeeze Joshie between us and hurt 
him," Trey said, pulling back slightly.  

"Oh, he's going to learn to love being affectionate with both of 
us and with us being affectionate with each other," Dion 
countered, only to get a strange look from Trey in return.  
About that same time, the baby started to cry.  

"Dad, what's wrong?  Why is Joshie crying?" Dion asked, 
mildly panicked.  

"He probably just needs his diaper changed and maybe a 
bottle," I answered.  "Would you two like to do the honors?"  

"Ummm, would you show us how?" Dion asked.

"Which one?  The diaper or the feeding?" I wondered.

"Ummm, both.  I mean, we've never had any babies around 
here except for Kylie," Dion answered, "so we really don't 
know what to do."

"Okay, Daddy and Poppy," I responded, "come here and Papa 
will teach you what to do."  

I first showed them how to change Joshie.  I placed him on my 
bed, after grabbing a diaper, and then unfastened the old one.  
I was about to remove it, when I heard Trey speak up.  

"Holy fuck!  Look at the size of his dick!" Trey exclaimed, 
while checking the baby out.  "Damn, sweetie.  He's going to be 
even bigger than you."  Dion just grinned as he checked his son 
out.  

Once I'd showed them how to change the diaper, I taught them 
how to heat the bottle next and then gave them a quick lesson 
on feeding Joshie.  After they agreed they were ready to take 
over, I let them take turns feeding Joshie after that.

When bedtime rolled around, I asked the boys if they wanted 
to take Jake's and my room for the night, so they could be 
close to the baby.  I had his crib set up there and didn't want to 
take it down and move it to their room.  I told them Jake and I 
were willing to switch rooms for the night, if they wanted.  

"Ummm, I'm not sure we should do this by ourselves yet," 
Dion responded.  "Would you stay with us, so we can learn 
what we'll need to do?"  

"I'd be happy to, but there won't be enough room for all of us.  
I'll stay with one of you for the night, but the other will have to 
wait until tomorrow," I explained.  "That way, each time 
Joshie wakes up I can explain how to care for him."

Jake heard our discussion and immediately volunteered to 
sleep in Shannon's room, since no one was currently using it.  
Although Trey was looking forward to spending the night with 
Dion, he agreed to sleep alone, so Dion could stay with me.  
Since everything seemed to be set, I'd just have to see if Dion 
would hear Joshie and wake up when the baby cried during 
the night.