Date: Sat, 15 May 2010 12:56:27 EDT
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening - Book 6, chapters 13 - 14

Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening -- Book 6 by BW                    
Copyright 2009 by billwstories
Chapter 13 -- Another School Year.              

**Author's Note:** Please read the disclaimer in Chapter 00 before you read
this.

As September started, it was filled with a flurry of activity.  First of
all, Nick, Trey and Vinnie were all scheduled to take their road tests.  I
was a little worried about two of the three, but if they did the things
we'd practiced, then they would be fine.  That meant Vinnie couldn't get
too aggressive, as he was prone to do, and Trey couldn't be too timid, as
was his habit.  However, when the day of their test arrived, everything did
not go as I'd hoped.

Nick and Trey had opted to ride down with Jake, in the Grand Am, since they
had chosen to take their test in that vehicle.  Nick went first and did
very well, but Trey's attempt didn't go as smoothly.  He was a little
hesitant carrying out some of the requests his examiner made of him, but
did each task very well once he committed to it.  He was very nervous when
the testing session ended, because he wasn't sure he had done well enough
to pass.

Once he parked for the final time, the two of them sat side by side, but
didn't speak, while the examiner checked his notes.  Trey was almost ready
to pass out from the stress of waiting, but then his examiner spoke.

"You are overly cautious," he stated, "but I guess I'd rather see that than
someone who is reckless.  You'll have to work on responding to situations a
little more quickly than you did today, but I suspect that will come with
practice and experience.  You've passed your test.  Congratulations."

Trey wasn't sure he'd heard correctly, so he asked the man if he'd really
passed.  When the examiner confirmed he had, Trey started breathing
normally again.  A huge grin also spread across his face as he got out of
the vehicle and then he happily informed Jake and I about the good news.

Finally, it was Vinnie's turn to go, but he was taking his test in the
4-Runner.  It suited his condition best and he felt more comfortable in it,
so it made more sense for him to use it instead.  That's why we took both
vehicles to the test site, to ensure Vinnie would have the best chance of
passing.

Vinnie was doing well until he came to one particular traffic light.  It
was changing from green to amber as he approached and this caused some
indecision on his part.  At first he was planning to stop, so he hit the
brake, but then he realized he was nearly in the intersection and would
have to slam the brake on to stop in time.  If he didn't, he'd end up
stopping in the intersection, so he took his foot off of the brake and
stomped down on the gas pedal instead.  This sent the 4-Runner lurching
forward again, but, unfortunately, the light was already red as he passed
under it.  This meant an immediate failure, for running a stoplight.

Vinnie was heartbroken when he returned, since he never considered he might
fail his test.  Even though I assured him he could take it again, as
quickly as the DMV would allow, he still didn't perk up.  I even took him
inside, so we could schedule another exam before we left, and eventually
his morose demeanor began to disappear.  He was still disappointed and
embarrassed about being the only one to fail this time around, but it might
work to my advantage.  Maybe now he'll be more inclined to listen to my
words of caution and less confrontational.

After we put the driving test behind us, the next item on the agenda was
our meeting with Judge Shay.  I warned Vinnie that he should have concrete
reasons and goals for what he wanted to accomplish, because this would help
Judge Shay decide how to advise him about his future.

Even though I had spoken with Steve in advance and told him what I could
about the things Vinnie had mentioned to me earlier, I was certain it
wasn't enough.  Those details would only give him the groundwork to build
on, so this would be Steve's turn to hear from Vinnie directly.  That's why
I wanted to make certain Vinnie knew exactly what he wanted and how to
express his desires.  Once we took seats in Steve's office, he moved his
chair in front of us, instead of talking to us from across his massive
desk.

"Vinnie, Josh and I have talked about your conversation with him and he's
informed me you don't want him to adopt you.  He says it has something to
do with your relationship with Kevin.  Is that correct?"

"Yes, it is," Vinnie confirmed.  "If Pop adopts me, it would make Kevin and
I brothers.  The problem is, I don't think I'd feel right later, if it
turns out we want to become partners for life."

"I can see your dilemma," Steve agreed.  "Is that the only thing that
concerns you?"

"No, there's more," Vinnie admitted.  "I'd actually want Pop to adopt me,
if it wasn't for the problem with Kevin.  Pop's been really great and I
love him a lot.  I also love living here, so I don't know what I should do.
I guess it's just me, but I can't get past the part of Kevin and me being
brothers, instead of lovers."

"What if I came up with a solution for you?" Steve asked.

"Could you really do that?" Vinnie wondered.

"Yes, I just might know a way to get around your concerns.  Would that
help?"  Steve challenged.

"I guess it might," Vinnie replied, more hesitantly than I expected, "but
it would depend on what your idea is.  I don't want to have to leave and
live somewhere else."

"That wouldn't be necessary," Steve assured him.  "I've talked the idea
over with my wife and she agrees with it too.  If you would allow me, I'd
like to explain it to you now.  I think we have a proposition you might be
interested in."

"Okay, that's what we're here for," Vinnie acknowledge, although not very
tactfully.

"What if WE, my wife and I, were to adopt you instead, and then turned
around and make Josh your permanent guardian?  You'd still live with him
and the other boys and be part of the Currie family, but Kevin and you
wouldn't legally be brothers.  Josh has even offered to include you in his
will, but legally you'd be our son and part of our family.

"I know this is a big step and I don't want you to rush such an important
decision," Steve continued.  "For that reason, I want you to take your
time, even if you need a few days or a week to think this through.  When
you're ready, just have Josh give me a call, so you can let me know what
you've decided.  We'll proceed from there, when I have your answer."

After Steve finished talking, he and I could almost see the wheels turning
in Vinnie's head, so neither of us said anything.  We didn't want to
interrupt or interfere with his thought process and concluded he would need
plenty of quiet time to think this through.  Neither of us was expecting
him to make a decision then and there, but we suspected some questions
might pop into his mind that he'd want answers to, once he started thinking
about this suggestion.  If that were to happen, then we could address those
issues immediately, before he forgot what they were or blew them out of
proportion in his mind.

As he considered the proposal, his face began to brighten and he actually
began to smile.  Then Vinnie turned toward us and spoke.  "That sounds
great!  I can't think of any problems with your idea and I want to thank
you and Aunt Mary for offering to adopt me.  I love you both already, but
now I love you even more.  I'd be honored to have you as my parents."

"Vinnie, I told you that you could have time to think this over," Steve
reiterated, "if you want.  Maybe you should take the time to talk this idea
over with Kevin first, before you decide.  You don't have to give me your
answer now, because I want you to be certain that it's what YOU want to
do."

"I don't need to think about it any more," Vinnie assured him, while
smiling broadly, "and it's the perfect solution to my problem.  I don't
know how you thought of it or why you want to do this, but I can't think of
anything I'd like more.  Having you and Aunt Mary as my new parents would
be incredible, but you'll still be my Pop, " he added, after turning in my
direction, to let me know he hadn't forgotten about me.

Once he said this, he gave both of us a hug, but then he paused for a
second, before he continued.  "I do have one question for you, though.  If
you adopt me, would I then call Aunt Mary and you mom and dad?"

"That would be entirely up to you," Steve told him.  "You could do that, or
you could continue to call us Uncle Steve and Aunt Mary.  We'd have no
problems with either choice.  We're just glad we can offer you an
alternative, to help you solve your problem."

"Yeah, it's better than I hoped for.  This way, Kevin and I can still stay
together and we won't technically be brothers.  We'll still be able to
marry later, if that's what we both decide to do, and Pop will still be
there for me too.  Yeah, I think this will work fine."

"Fantastic!" Steve exclaimed.  "I'll have the paperwork drawn up and we can
make it legal, as soon as everything is approved."

"Thanks, Uncle Steve," Vinnie told him, while giving him another hug.
"That helps me out a lot.  I was really worried about how we were going to
do this.  Pop, is this all right with you?"

"Certainly!" I agreed.  "Anything that helps you and makes you happy is
fine with me.  We're both lucky to have a guy like Uncle Steve to help us
out with these situations, aren't we?"

"We sure are," Vinnie replied, before turning back toward Steve.  "Uncle
Steve, will you tell Aunt Mary I said thank you, but I'll come over to your
house as soon as I can, to thank her in person.  This is awesome!  Thank
you, so much."

A few moments later, we left Steve's office and Vinnie couldn't wait to get
home, so he could call Kevin and tell him about everything we had just
discussed.  Although I was pretty sure none of this would be a problem for
Kevin, I felt he would also feel better that Vinnie didn't have to confront
the issue of their being brothers AND lovers in the future.  Now they could
continue on as before and explore the love they felt for each other.

My assumptions were correct and Kevin thought if was the best option too.
He and Vinnie discussed the idea in great deal, while trying to see if they
could uncover any hidden problems they might not have anticipated.
However, after a lengthy effort, they couldn't come up with anything, so
both boys were elated.  Everything was progressing smoothly.

Now that Vinnie's problem had been settled, and other than continuing my
duties as superintendent, the next item on my plate was helping Nick
complete the forms to qualify as an exchange student.  He was still very
determined to do this, now more than ever, and the emails from Ricky just
seemed to strengthen his resolve.  Even though Nick was currently in his
junior year in high school, he was definitely planning far beyond his
current situation.

Along this vein, Nick had signed up for an extra heavy academic load for
the current year, which mildly surprised me.  Nick was not what I'd call
overly ambitious or the extremely studious type, so his taking on
additional work wasn't what any of us would have expected.  In addition to
the typical junior year coursework, he had also enrolled in a senior
English class and honors Spanish.  This would be a tough schedule, but if
he's able to complete it successfully, he won't have to worry about coming
back from the exchange program and taking extra courses just to graduate.

Boiling it down to the basics, this meant Nick would be taking two English
courses, along with math, science, history, honors Spanish and an advanced
computer lab.  It was going to be a tough year for him, but it didn't seem
to dampen his spirit or deter his ambition.  It was obvious the extremes
he'd go to in order to fulfill his dream to go to another country and still
graduate on schedule.

As Nick jotted down his ideas for the essay about himself, and while he
attended an assortment of meetings with the various screening committees,
he began to focus on going to Brazil.  I wasn't certain how he had narrowed
his choices down, so I thought it would be best if I discussed this with
him, before he finalized his selection.  I just wanted to make certain he
had considered all of the appropriate variables first and it was what he
really wanted.

When I pressed him as to why he had chosen Brazil over all the other
options, he explained he'd been told that Brazil was the most likely place
to have openings.  In turn, this also meant it would give him the best
chance of being selected to go.  He had even taken the time to research the
country, by using the school library and various search engines online.  He
knew about the country, the schools and a little about the people.  After
hearing this, I concluded he knew what he was doing, but I thought I'd be
remiss if I didn't check out exactly how much he understood.

"Did you know they speak Portuguese in Brazil, and not Spanish?" I asked.

"I thought they spoke both," he told me, "but I've heard they're kind of
the same.  It's sort of like the English the Barstows speak and how we
talk."

"Well, some people might speak both languages, but Portuguese is the
official language," I told him.  "Although there are similarities with
Spanish, it IS a different language and not quite as close as you're
implying.  Now that you know this, do you think you might want to change
your mind?"

"I don't know," he admitted, honestly.  "Let me talk to my Spanish teacher
and see what she has to say about it.  If it's not too different, I don't
think it will be a problem, but if it is, I'll have to think about it
more."

"That's a smart approach," I confirmed, "but did you also realize that
because they are south of the equator, their seasons are the opposite of
ours.  It's the same in Brazil as it is for Ricky in Australia?  That might
mean you would have to leave right after our school year ends, like Ricky
did, so you won't get a summer vacation.  Are you all right with that?"

"Yeah, I've already thought that might happen," he assured me, "but I think
being in another country will be like a vacation in a way, even though I'll
still be in school.  I know it's not going to be easy, but I really want to
do this, Pop."

"Okay, but I want you to call your parents again and get their input too.
If all of you agree, then I don't see any other problems."

"Thanks, Pop.  I'll do that."

True to his word, Nick spoke with his parents and also checked on the
differences in the languages with his Spanish teacher.  After doing both
these things, he decided he would be able to survive and communicate with
the people there, although it might take a little extra work on his part.
In fact, he was even kind of excited about learning a third language.  Man,
this kid is just full of surprises.  Just when I thought I had Nick figured
out, he goes and fools me again.

On a totally different front, Cody was a little easier to read.  He was
fitting into the family quite nicely and the growing bond between Graham
and him was becoming quite apparent to everyone.  Graham had spent nearly
every night, since Cody had arrived, sleeping in Cody's room.  They were
also taking showers together and Graham was fussing over him like a wet
nurse.

When I questioned Graham about his views on all of this, he told me that he
was really beginning to like Cody a lot.  Even though he thought of himself
as being bi, not just gay, he might be tempted to try a gay relationship,
for Cody's sake.  He said they had so much in common that he couldn't think
about being away from Cody for very long.  He also told me he felt he
needed to be there for him all the time and when they weren't together, he
felt like a part of him was missing.

When I asked him if they had been doing anything sexually, he told me they
hadn't done much, just jacked each other off a couple of times.  I told him
that was fine, as long as they both agreed to it, and he told me it was
actually Cody's idea.  Graham explained he hadn't planned on doing anything
unless Cody brought it up first, so he had played kind of dumb where sex
was concerned.  When Cody eventually mentioned doing something, Graham said
he gave in quickly, because he wanted to do those things too, almost as
much as Cody did.

A few hours later, I had an opportunity to ask Cody about this too.  "Hey,
Cody, how are things going?"

"Great.  I really like it here a lot."  He was smiling and truly seemed to
mean what he said.

"I see you and Graham seem to be getting close, wouldn't you say?"  I
followed, while looking him in the eye.  He was still smiling, but
beginning to look a bit apprehensive as to where this conversation was
going.  I think he was a little unsure about what my reaction was going to
be concerning what he'd been up to.  I think he figured I had somehow
learned about his activities with Graham, and even though he'd probably
heard stories from some of the other boys about things I did and didn't
allow, he still appeared apprehensive.

 "Yeah, I really like him," he admitted, coyly.  "I think we're going to be
good friends."  His smile faded slightly and I could tell he was trying to
figure out if I was going to drop this or continue.

"And I think he likes you too.  Do you agree?" I followed.  I was trying to
reassure him that he wasn't alone in his feelings, while exploring the
topic further.  However, now he began to eye me suspiciously and was a
little slow to respond.

"I hope so," he finally admitted, before eyeing me some more.  Finally, I
guess he decided it might be better to confront the issue head on.  "Is
that okay with you?" he asked.

"Sure, as long as both of you are happy with the situation.  Have you boys
done anything together?" I pressed.  I think this question caught him
totally off-guard.

"What do you mean?"  His eyes were nearly popping out of their sockets at
this point and his mouth was agape.

"You know, have you done anything of a sexual nature.  It's okay, you know,
as long as you were both willing.  I just don't want anyone to be forced
into doing things he isn't ready for or doesn't want to do."

"We both wanted to do it," he blurted out, and then stopped, after
realizing he had said more than he had planned.  Now, he had a look of fear
on his face, like he was waiting for me to explode or to punish him for
what he'd said.

"Hey, it's all right, really," I told him, as soothingly as I knew how.  "I
suspected you might have done something, like masturbate each other."

"Done what?" he asked, unsure of the term I had used.

"You know, jacked each other off… wanked… given each other a hand
job."  I had kept going because he didn't seem to understand what I was
saying.  When I finally caught a spark of recognition in his eye, I
continued.  "Masturbation is the correct term to use, when you stimulate
your penis, or someone else's, to orgasm with your hand."

There was a look of disbelief on Cody's face, like he was shocked that I
had brought up such a thing.  After he got over his initial surprise, he
finally responded.  "Uh, do you talk about things like this with all your
boys?"  I chuckled.

"Actually, I do," I confirmed.  "We're very open about things around here,
even sexual topics.  I hope that doesn't bother you."  He looked
thoughtfully at me this time, while studying my facial expressions and body
language.  When he was convinced I was serious and sincere, he answered me.

"No, not really.  It just kind of surprised me," he admitted.

"Well, maybe I should tell you about how we do things around here then," I
suggested.  "Let's sit down and I'll try to explain it to you."

We went into the family room, which was empty, and I closed the door behind
us.  I sat in my favorite chair, and to my surprise, Cody was in my lap
almost immediately. I thought he might be apprehensive about doing it this
time, due to the topic, but that didn't seem to faze him.  Unfortunately,
though, he was also doing his bouncing and squirming routine and managed to
crush my old nads yet again.  I let out an "umph', and Cody turned toward
me, with a look of horror etched on his face.

"I'm sorry, did I hurt you again?" he asked.

"It's all right.  I'll just start wearing a cup when you're around," I
teased.  He looked shocked when I said this, but after I laughed, he began
to laugh to, and then he hugged me.

"I really do like it here.  I like it here a lot," he confirmed, before he
started to relax.  He settled down and put his head against my shoulder,
making himself comfortable.

I then went on to tell Cody about how we were honest and open with each
other and how I was willing to allow most things, as long as no one was
hurt or coerced into doing anything they didn't want to do.  I also told
him about how we did things as a family, including our last vacation and
the nudist camp.  Hearing this, Cody lit up.  It seemed he thought that was
the neatest thing he had ever heard.

"So you all went around naked together?" he wondered.

"Yes, we did," I confirmed.

"Graham and the others told me they did that at home, but I didn't know you
did it in front of other people too," he stated, amazed.  "Will I be able
to try it some time?"

"If you wish," I told him, which earned me another smile.  I could tell he
definitely wasn't going to be shy when it came to his body.

After we were done with our talk, I think he was more comfortable with the
way we did things and I was fairly certain he would be more open with me in
the future.  He continued to sit with me a while longer and we talked about
school and many other topics.  The time we spent together was important and
I felt we were beginning to form a bond, as I had hoped.



Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening -- Book 6 by BW                    
Copyright 2009 by billwstories
Chapter 14 -- A Time to Remember, Celebrate and Worry. 

The next event on our calendar was the September 11th memorial activities.
These events began a few days prior to the actual date, because the country
had been put on alert that other terrorist attacks might occur on that
date.  Consensus was that those responsible for the initial attack might
plan some sort of follow-up on the same date.  Therefore, it was felt it
would be safer if the activities were spaced out, with only the final
events being held on the actual anniversary.

We sat down and discussed our various concerns as a family.  We did this by
talking about what had happened on 9/11, what might happen if something
else occurred and what we could do as a family to memorialize those events
and honor the memory of those who died in the attack.  After quite a bit of
debate and compromise, we finally agreed on what we thought would be
appropriate.  Now, all we had to do was to wait for the appropriate day to
arrive.

On the morning of 9/11, we all went outside before the boys went to school.
As we stood on our front lawn, I offered a prayer for all those who had
perished on that day, including Vinnie's parents.  When that was completed,
we spent another minute in silence, to afford the boys the time to address
things in private and in their own way.  Once that moment had ended, we all
left for school.

I understand many of the boys watched the national memorial services on
television, in their classrooms and under the supervision of their
teachers.  After those activities had concluded, they also discussed what
they felt, both then and now, and I was pleased with the way the whole
topic had been handled.

Later that night, after dark, we all went outside on the lawn again.  I had
passed candles out, so everyone had one, and at 9 p.m., I lit all of them.
We stood holding the candles in front of us for about ten minutes, to honor
of those who had died.  After we extinguished the flames, the boys went to
their rooms and plugged in the electric Christmas candles we always placed
in our windows for the holiday.  We left them glowing for the rest of the
night, as another attempt to recognize the suffering of a year ago.

I guess in retrospect, I might have also been thanking God that what
happened didn't take place on the day we visited the World Trade Center.
We had gone to that site before the September 11, 2001 attack and the boys
had very vivid memories of our visit.  Maybe it was due to that episode,
and knowing Vinnie's parents had been on one of the planes that crashed
into the World Trade Center, that we were touched more personally, and
deeply, than most of the rest of the country.  With the exception of the
friends and family of those who had lost loved ones or the lucky one who
had survived the disaster, we felt a particular closeness and loss
concerning those events.

Later that evening, we watched a show talking about the families left
behind and the sixty-one children who lost one or both of their parents
that day.  That's when Cole came over and sat on the arm of my chair, put
his arm around my shoulder and spoke softly to me.

"Some of us never knew our fathers, while still more of us lost them
somehow, but I'm sure glad we ended up with you as our dad."

I was touched, so I put my arm around his waist and hugged him to me.  I
didn't know if anyone else had heard what he said, until I felt Cody
bouncing around on my lap, managing to crush my nuts once more.

"Are you going to be my daddy too?" he wanted to know.

"If you decide that's what you want, then it will happen," I told him.
"When we reach that point, it will be totally your choice."

"Really?" he squealed, before he hugged me too.  His reaction made me
realize that was exactly what he wanted to hear, to ease his concerns and
put his world in order once more.

Before they went to bed, nearly every one of the boys approached me.
Although what they did or said varied slightly, it all boiled down to the
same message.  They wanted to thank me for giving them a good home, a
future and plenty of love.  I told each of them it was my pleasure, since I
had received much in return, although most feigned a look that suggested
they didn't believe I had received just compensation.  Whether they agreed
or not, I have.

Since Vinnie is the only one who was directly affected by the attack, I
made my way to his room, once the others had departed.  I felt it was
important that I talk to him about this in more depth.  It was too bad
Kevin was away at college, because I think he would have been able to help
calm Vinnie down, but we have to deal with the hand that's dealt us.

When I knocked on his bedroom door, he didn't respond, so I knocked again.
This time I heard a weak, "come in," in reply.  When I opened the door, I
could see Vinnie sitting on the bed, with tears streaming down his face.  I
moved in and sat beside him on the bed, before I spoke.

"Would you like to talk about it?" I asked, to get a dialogue started.  He
merely nodded in response, because he was still sobbing.

"Okay, tell me what you're thinking," I prodded.

"I miss them so much and I just can't understand why they had to be on that
damn plane on that particular day," he responded.  I could feel both
sadness and anger in his reply.

"No one ever really understands why something like this happens," I told
him, "and maybe it's better that we don't.  What is important is that you
miss them.  That means they are still in here," I said, while placing a
finger on his chest, over his heart, "and that means they'll also remain in
here," I added, now placing my finger against his head.

"But it's just not the same," he sobbed.  "I do miss them, but that's just
part of it.  I also feel a little guilty about it, because I'd never have
met Kevin and never come to live with you, if they weren't on that plane.
I have a feeling that might be part of the reason it happened to them, but
why couldn't I have met Kevin some other way, without my parents dying?"  I
was glad Kevin wasn't here to hear Vinnie say this, since I believed he
would have somehow felt responsible for Vinnie's parent's deaths too.

"None of us has the answer to that question, nor are we responsible for it
in any way," I told him.  "There is another way to look at this though.
God might have felt so badly that your parents were taken from you that he
gave you Kevin to help heal the pain and give you a reason to go on.  It
may not have happened SO you could meet Kevin, but maybe it was only
something that resulted BECAUSE it had happened."

"I never looked at it that way," he told me.  "Why do you think it might be
that, instead of what I said?"

"Well, someone had to give Graham those visions about you after 9/11," I
explained, "so I just concluded it was God's way of letting us know you
needed our help.  I just had no idea at the time that Kevin would be
involved, but since that's what has happened, I've based my conclusion on
those facts."

"I guess I can see it your way now too," Vinnie told me, "so maybe I was
wrong hating God and thinking it was his fault.  If he gave me Kevin to
make me feel better, he sure knew what he was doing."  I could tell he was
serious when saying this, so I gave him a hug of support.  It would have
been better coming from Kevin, but since he wasn't here, I stood in as
proxy.

Although things did settle down after our discussion, we talked briefly a
few more times during the week.  During those talks, Vinnie asked me many
questions, to clarify my position or to help him deal with the loss, but
the week ended with Vinnie coming to terms with his parents' deaths and
accepting the idea that he was then guided to us for love and support.

The following weekend was not as dramatic or emotional, but it wasn't
uneventful.  A few weeks before, I had suggested we hold Andrew's twelfth
birthday party that Saturday.  I hadn't even considered 9/11 when we made
that decision, so I hoped we could keep in upbeat and fun.

Andrew had asked if he could invite several friends and, of course I
agreed.  I knew who each of them were, once Andrew told me their names,
because they had all attended my school.  Not only were they all good kids,
I also knew they also wouldn't create any problems.  It also made me glad
that Andrew felt close enough with each one to ask them over.  Sometimes I
fear my boys get too bogged down with each other to make friends their own
age, so this was definitely a good sign.

The party turned out to be our typical birthday bash, although some of the
activities were toned down and geared to twelve-year olds.  In the end,
they all seemed to have a good time, especially Andrew, and another
milestone had passed.

Other than those occasions, most of the rest of our time was spent at
school and traveling to various events.  There seemed to be many special
activities the boys wanted us there for, both locally and those away at
college, and Jake and I were eager to show our support.

Outside of the smaller functions, our first major dilemma arose for events
happening two weekends later.  Unfortunately, three of the colleges had
scheduled parents' weekend on the same day and put us in somewhat of a
bind.  This left me to try to figure out how I was going to be with
Frankie, Brandon and Kevin at the same time.  Yes, Jake and I would split
up, if need be, but that still left only two of us to cover three different
locations.  This was not going to be an easy decision.

Since I wanted to get their input on this matter, I called the college boys
and discussed this with them.  I came away from those talks with a couple
of alternatives I had not previously considered.

While speaking with Frankie, he offered to forego our coming to his campus,
as we had been there for parents' weekend the year before.  He felt we
could just come up some other weekend to spend time with him and he'd be
just as happy.  I thanked him for his offer, but told him I wouldn't be
able to advise him what I was going to do until I spoke to the others.  He
said that was fine, so I called the next boy on my list.

When I talked to Brandon, he informed me his parents had called to tell him
they were going to fly up for parents' weekend, so I didn't have to worry
about being there.  He said, although he'd miss us, it would be better if
Jake and I spend our time with Frankie and Kevin.  After talking to him
about this some more, I told him we'd do that, but we'd all come out to see
him a few weeks later.  He said that would be fine and I felt he liked the
idea we weren't going to forget about him completely.

We ended up deciding that Jake would take some of the boys and go visit
Frankie, and I would take the rest of the boys to visit Kevin.  We let
everyone choose where they wanted to go, and Cole, Pat, Nick and Shannon
decided to go with Jake.  That meant Vinnie, Cody, Graham, Sammy, Andrew,
Trey and Dion would go with me.  I knew it didn't split evenly, but that
was fine and now we could iron out the details for our trips.

Jake and I decided to leave on Friday, after work.  Since the first part of
our trip would be in the same direction, we would stop for a brief break
and say our good- byes before we split and went our separate ways.  Leaving
early also meant we could avoid most of the rush-hour traffic and wouldn't
have to fight the last minute rush to get there on Saturday.  We'd be able
to spend Friday night enjoying the prearranged festivities and then spend
the night in a motel.  We'd stay over Saturday night as well, so we would
be rested and relaxed for the ride home on Sunday.

Friday night, we not only took Kevin to dinner, but we also asked Jeff and
his mother to join us.  Kevin and I wanted them to get to know some of my
other boys, even though I only had the younger ones with me.  After they
accepted, we had a very nice meal and all of the boys did a lot of talking.
They answered all of Jeff and his mother's questions about what it was like
to grow up in such a large and varied family.  I take it they noticed that
Vinnie was handicapped, Dion was black, and Sammy and Andrew were oriental.
(I say that with tongue in cheek.)

The boys were very open and honest with their answers, maybe too much so
for Jeff's mother.  She seemed surprised to learn that some of the boys
considered themselves to be gay, but it wasn't because she hated gay
people.  She was merely stunned to learn that boys this young would know
and talk about such things.  If only she realized that her son's roommate
was one of those gay boys and Vinnie was his lover, I wonder how she would
have reacted then?

I also introduced them to Cody and explained he had only recently come to
join us.  They asked him a little about his past, which he answered without
reservation, and when they asked him if he was glad he came to live with
us, he gave a resounding "Yes!"  Needless to say, they were impressed by
his positive reply, as well as taken in by his angelic demeanor.

Jeff's mother spent a great deal of time with the youngest boys and seemed
to take great pleasure doting on them.  Even though the boys generally felt
they didn't need assistance, they happily let her do whatever she wanted
for them, which in turn pleased her.  I think most of them enjoyed a
mother's attention for a change, especially Cody, so I didn't interfere and
merely watched in fascination.

Following dinner, we took a stroll around the campus, with Kevin and Jeff
showing us around.  Along the way, the pair introduced us to a few of the
friends they'd made so far, as well as to other classmates and dorm
residents.  We were even included in a dorm party that was being held and I
was pleased to see no alcohol was being served.  It may have been because
there were numerous parents on campus at the time, but I hoped that was the
norm and not the exception.

On Saturday, after taking everyone out for brunch, including Jeff and his
mother, we all went to the football game together.  Even though Temple
lost, we still enjoyed ourselves, although it would have been much better
if they'd won.  Once the game ended, we took a walk, to check out the
surrounding community.

It wasn't quite as small town as I was used to, but it was still geared
toward meeting the needs of the college community.  There were small shops
and eateries catering to the students, and a few bars that were happy to
entertain those old enough to drink.  I think we were fairly impressed, yet
still had a few reservations about some of the things we saw.

Later that evening, we went out to eat together again and then we went to
the huge campus social being held, complete with entertainment.  The entire
day flew by quickly and we were all quite tired when it ended, so we turned
in after that.  We planned to meet early the next morning for a final meal
together and then we'd be on our way home after that.

We had a nice breakfast and then attended an interdenominational church
service together.  It was a very predictable event, with the minister
welcoming the students and their parents first, and then going on to
deliver a pretty standard sermon after he finished.  Once the service
ended, we said our good-byes to Kevin, Jeff and Jeff's mother.

This was the roughest time for Vinnie.  He had enjoyed being with Kevin
again and was upset because he had to leave.  Noting this, I worked it so
he could have some time alone with Kevin before we left.  I wanted to give
him a chance to give Kevin a special good-bye, hoping it would placate him.

Even after having this opportunity, Vinnie was still reluctant to part from
his lover.  I did try to console him by mentioning the fact that Kevin
would be returning for Thanksgiving, but it was still weeks away and not
soon enough for Vinnie.  Eventually, I did manage to drag him away, but he
sulked all the way back.

Once we returned home, I compared notes with Jake and the other boys about
their weekend and discovered it was very much the same as ours.  Now, we
could get ready for the next event on our calendar.

The following weekend was spent at Dustin's college, because it was
parents' weekend there.  The weekend after that we spent at Penn State,
with Danny, doing basically the same thing.  Honestly, I was grateful when
all these weekends came to an end and the feelings of déjà vu were behind
me.

Near the end of October, something else came up.  It all started when
Graham came to me one night, looking quite concerned.  I wasn't sure what
to expect when he began to speak.

"Dad, I think we have a problem," he told me.

"And what sort of problem might that be?" I asked.

"It's about Cody and I don't know what to do."  I wasn't sure what he was
referring to, but I definitely wasn't ready for something like this.

"Okay, what kind of problem are we talking about?" I pressed, wanting to
get to the meat of the matter as quickly as I could.

"I don't know how long it's been there, but I'm seeing a gray shadow around
Cody," he informed me.  "Not like with Brent, but more like what you had,
just not as dark."

"And when did you first start noticing this?" I followed, trying to pin
this down.

"It might have been there the whole time, but I guess maybe I was looking
at something else.  I was too busy noticing how cute he was.  I guess I was
also surprised when he picked me, over Sammy or Andrew.  They're really
closer to his own age."

"Well, maybe he is into 'older' guys," I quipped, but quickly got back to
the point.  "So, what else can you tell me?"

"Not much, but the other morning I was watching him sleep and that's when I
realized he had a gray shadow around him.  Maybe it was because we had
those real white sheets on the bed at the time, so it stood out more.  I'm
sorry I didn't see it before, but I think you should take him to the doctor
and have him checked out."

"That sounds like a great idea, and I'll follow your suggestion," I assured
him, "but I want to talk to Cody first, to see how he's feeling. In the
meantime, I don't want you to tell him or anyone else about this until
we're sure."

"Okay, I'll keep it a secret," he agreed.  "I don't want him to get mad at
me because I haven't told him about my 'gift.'  I wasn't sure he'd be able
to understand it and didn't want to scare him away.  I've also asked all my
brothers to keep quiet about my ability too.  I don't want to lose him.  I
like him too much."

"Okay, Graham, I'll be discrete, but I will investigate this further," I
confirmed.  "I trust your perceptions too much to ignore a warning like
this."

I left Graham thinking about the implications this could have for us and
then waited an appropriate amount of time before I approached Cody.  I did
that to make sure Cody didn't realize Graham had tipped me off about this.
When I found him alone, I asked him to take a walk with me.  He looked
confused, but did as I requested, and we took a walk in the woods.

"I just like to pull you boys aside every once in a while, to find out how
things are going," I offered, as way of explanation.  "How have things been
going and how have you been feeling?"

"Fine.  Why?" he replied, still confused.

"I was just curious and a little concerned about you," I told him.  "We've
been doing a lot of things and I haven't had much time to sit down to talk
to you, so I just wanted to make sure nothing seems to be troubling you?"

"Well, sometimes I do feel extra tired, and sometimes I have trouble
catching my breath when I'm playing," he offered, "but it's no big deal."

"Well, what if we just make sure it's not a big deal?" I asked.  "Would it
be all right if I set up an appointment for you to get a complete physical.
I just want to be sure you, like all of my other sons, are healthy.  I
generally do this when someone new comes to live here, so is that okay?"

"Sure, I don't mind," he agreed.

"Great!  I'll let you know when it is then," I replied.  I was relieved I
would get to the bottom of this before long.

We continued our walk, but it was mainly so I could observe him.  It also
gave me a chance to show him more of our property.  As we took our stroll,
I had flashbacks to when I took Ricky for this very same walk, just after
he first came to live with me.  The feeling of déjà vu was overwhelming,
but this time it evoked a favorable response, unlike the repetitive
parents' weekends.

Although I knew this was a different boy and different circumstances, the
similarity was uncanny.  Maybe these feelings were influenced by the
physical similarity between the two at this age, but it was almost as if I
had been allowed to take a walk through a time portal.  I didn't notice
anything unusual about him while we were out, so I secretly hoped Graham
was wrong this time, but Graham's track record with predictions was too
impressive to ignore.  I would now make the appointment with our family
doctor and express my concerns.


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