Bill W

Castaway Hotel I

Chapters 31-40

Chapter 31
We Just Keep Growing

Thursday, the contractor showed up and began work. That night, Dustin was worried about where he was going to sleep, as his room was a mess, when one of the boys suggested he ask if he could sleep with me. I told him he could use my room to share with one of the boys, while I used their room, but he wouldn't hear of it. He said he'd like the opportunity to spend the night with me, so I agreed.

After he was settled under the covers, I got in on my side of the bed and made sure I didn't crowd him. However, as I lay there, I began to realize he was inching closer to me. His movements were barely noticeable, but I could tell the gap between our bodies was definitely getting smaller. This surprised me at first, until I began to think about it in the larger context. If he went into foster care at three and was never close to any of the families he lived with, then he's probably never had an opportunity to bond with an adult before, so possibly he thought this might be his chance.

I suspected his current actions had probably been influenced by some of the things Ricky and Danny might have told him, possibly details from our trip. From his actions, I assumed he probably already knew I slept with the various boys and cuddled with them while we were away, but I wasn't sure if this was a test to see if I would also do this with him. I wouldn't jump to conclusions, though, and would wait to see what types of moves he made next.

Although he was older and larger than the other boys, it didn't mean he was emotionally mature. Having been deprived of attention from an early age, I wondered just what he was looking for this evening. That started to become clear when he was right beside me and he placed his head upon my arm. Even though it was dark in the room, there was still enough moonlight coming through the window for me to notice the contented look upon his face as he did this. I think this entire scenario might have been a subconscious attempt on his part to make up for some of the love and tenderness he'd missed out on while growing up.

When I awoke the next morning, Dustin was still snuggled up tightly against my body and he had his arms wrapped around mine. I wasn't sure if that made him feel safe or whether it was a way to make sure I didn't leave him during the night. Whatever his intention, I felt closer to him because of it.

During the day Friday, I spent most of my day out running errands and checking on things at my school. A couple of the newly hired teachers were there, getting their classrooms ready for the first day, and it gave me the chance to chat with them and get to know them better. When I finally decided to call it a day, I headed home, anxious to be with the boys again. I hadn't been there long before the phone rang and I was somewhat amazed that none of the boys made a move to answer it, so I did.

"Hello," I greeted whoever was on the other end, "Currie residence."

"Hi Josh, it's Sally again." I thought she was probably calling to see how Dustin was adjusting.

"I hope you realize people are going to start talking about us, if we keep contacting each other so frequently," I teased.

"Yes, I suppose so," she agreed, although I wasn't sure she had caught the intended humor of my comment. "I hate to keep imposing on you, especially so soon after placing Dustin there, but this problem sort of involves him, too."

"I'm intrigued," I admitted. "When you began, I assumed you had another boy who needed a home, but I can't image how that could possibly have anything to do with Dustin, so please tell me what's up."

"Remember when I told you that Dustin had been caught having sexual relations with his foster-parents' son?" she began. "Well, last night the police picked up a boy who'd been caught shoplifting some food. The boy wouldn't give the officers any information, but they could tell he was just healing up from a fairly bad beating. The police told the kid that if he wasn't going to cooperate, they'd have to send him to a juvenile detention center until he opened up. That's when the boy announced he would tell them everything, if they could get him put in the same foster home as his friend.

"After hearing this, they called me, to see if I knew anything about the boy he was referring to. After talking to this young man, it turns out he's the same one that Dustin was having his little fling with. His name is Kevin Baxter and his dad beat him pretty severely, after he threw Dustin out. That same night, Kevin ran away from home and has been living on the streets ever since. He told the police there was no way he'd ever go back home, so we went out to talk to the parents, to get their take on things. After a pretty heated confrontation with the father, it was evident he didn't want his son back, so I got him to sign Kevin over to foster care, but only after the police agreed they wouldn't charges him with child abuse, for what he'd done to Kevin. In essence, he gave up his rights to the boy, but Kevin has repeatedly told me that he only wants to go to the same home as Dustin. I know this is a lot to ask of you, but would you consider taking him in?"

I didn't even have to think about it this time. "Bring him right over," I quickly agreed, which wasn't quite the answer Sally was expecting. I think she figured I would ask her for time to think about it first, and talk to the boys. That is why I had to explain my sudden change in attitude.

"I don't have to ask the boys this time, because they told me the last time they thought we should help anyone who needed it. It might help Dustin, as well, not that there have been any problems, but I can still tell there was a small part of his life he had been sorry to leave behind. I think that was most likely this boy. Just bring him over and I'll round up the boys for a welcoming party."

"Oh, Josh, you're a real lifesaver," she gushed. "Thank you so much and we'll see you shortly. I just have to run to the police station to pick him up first. I had to leave him there, while I got things sorted out."

"I'll see you then," I said before hanging up the phone. Now, I went in search of my brood. Once I rounded them up, I gave them the basics, but intentionally withheld some of the information.

"Boys, Mrs. Swarthout called me again," I began. "There's another boy that needs our help. They'll be arriving shortly and I want you all to make him feel at home. You know how the rest goes."

"Sure, Dad, no problem," Danny responded, for all three of them. Dustin looked a little confused by all of our reactions, but I was sure the boys would quickly fill him in about how we all felt. All we had to do now was wait for them to arrive.

It wasn't very long before Sally pulled in, leading another young man to our door. I hadn't told anyone any details of my conversation with Sally, because I wanted to see what kind of reactions there would be. I even made sure to keep Dustin from looking out the windows first, to get his true reaction. He was right beside me, as I opened the door.

"Kevin?" Dustin he uttered, startled. "What are you doing here?"

"I ran away," Kevin blurted out, as he began to sob. "Dad beat me real bad after he caught us together, so I took off from there. He might have even killed me, if mom hadn't stepped between us. He even hit her and screamed that it was all her fault that I turned out to be a fruitcake."

"Is that why you're here?" Dustin pressed.

"Kinda. A few days after I ran away, the police found me and were going to lock me up, but I told them I wanted to be in foster care with you. So here I am." That's when Kevin noticed the other boys, and then looked at me, before realizing he might have said too much, too quickly. Dustin saw his reaction as well, and set about to ease his fears.

"Don't worry Kev, they're cool. This is a great place and you're going to like it here. This is our dad, Mr. Currie, and these are my brothers, Danny and Ricky." Kevin looked at Dustin as if he were trying to figure out if this was the same kid he was looking for. He was completely taken aback by what Dustin had just said and was so flabbergasted that he could only go through the motions of shaking the boys hands and exchanging greetings. Once he returned to his senses, they all began to talk about boy things, until I asked them to give Kevin the grand tour of the house and help him choose a room. They immediately raced upstairs, leaving me to speak with Sally.

"Josh, I'm impressed," she beamed. "Dustin is already referring to you as dad and to Danny and Ricky as his brothers."

"Yes, but none of that was of my doing," I admitted. "He seemed to hit it off with the boys and fit right in. I'd give the other two most of the credit for his transition."

"Still, that's remarkable progress for less than a week," she explained. " I wish I had more foster parents like you. This place is becoming the Currie Hotel for society's castaways. The kids that others don't want end up here, thriving as they never have before."

"Well, thank you for the compliment and I think I like what you just said. You're right about this place and you've just convinced me to give it a name. As per your suggestion, my home will now officially be known as 'The Castaway Hotel.' I'll have to tell that to the boys, because I think they'll get a chuckle out of it."

"That's wonderful!" she exclaimed. "I wish I knew how you did it. I bring the boys here, so distraught and all alone. Then you take them, and a short time later, they're happy, healthy, normal young men again. You must have some sort of magic I don't know about."

"The only magic here is love and understanding," I explained. "It seems these boys have never had anything like that and they just blossom, once they get it and see what they've missed. That's all I give them and that's all they've asked for."

"I think if it were that simple, we'd have a much better success rate in foster care," he objected. "No, Josh, you and your home are special and the results you get are remarkable. I'm glad you decided to become a foster parent."

"Thanks, Sally, but I should be thanking you. By talking me into helping these boys, you've brought a new meaning and purpose to my life. I now have these young people who need me and love me. It's changed my life completely."

"As you've changed theirs. I can't see any losers in this game and that, in and of itself, is impressive. Thanks again, Josh, and I'll try not to bother you any more – at least not too soon."

"Don't worry about it," I shot back. "If there are boys out there who need us, we're available. The Castaway Hotel still has openings and we're on call seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day."

"I'm glad to hear that," she told me, with a chuckle. "I wouldn't keep asking you, if I saw you were struggling at all, but you appear to have everything well in hand. Please tell the boys I said good-bye, because I need to get back to work. My office doesn't seem to run as smoothly as your home."

Sally winked after saying that and then left. I didn't see any of the boys for quite a while after that, but I gave them room to get acquainted. It might also be that Dustin and Kevin were making up for lost time. Whatever the reason, I didn't bother them. When the boys returned sometime later, they joined me in my office, where I had been working.

"Dad," Kevin said with a smirk on his face, "you don't mind me calling you that, do you?"

"Certainly not," I assured him. "I just thought you might have some problems doing it, since you do have your own father. Dustin still hasn't felt comfortable enough to do that yet."

"Well, Danny told me his story and it wasn't all that different from mine," he admitted. "He said he only has one dad now and that's you. After that, Dustin and I talked everything over and he made me realize I feel pretty much the way Danny does. I don't have any other father now," he told me, defiantly. "Especially not after everything he did and said to me. I want you to be my dad. Okay?"

"Well, I'm sorry to hear you've given up on your family, but I certainly liked the sound of it when you called me 'dad.' If that's what you've decided to do, then go right ahead," I told him, trying to make him feel welcome.

"Thanks, Dad," he continued. "I was wondering if it would be alright if we moved one of the other beds into Dustin's room, so he and I can be together again?"

"What do you think of that idea, Dustin?" I inquired, to make sure I didn't commit Dustin to an idea he might be opposed to. However, I had the impression they had already talked this over, before confronting me with this plan.

"I'd really like that," Dustin confirmed. "Kevin and I shared a room at his house too, so it will be like old times, but with a lot nicer family."

"Well, if neither of you has a problem with it," I informed them, "then I certainly don't have any objection."

"Great!" they both yelled.

"Thanks, Dad," Dustin added, testing the water, before all four of them went racing back up the stairs again. Soon I heard the sounds of a bed being disassembled and then reassembled in another room.

The contractor had finished his work on Dustin's room that morning, and I had to admit he'd done a nice job. The room looked great. The bottom half of the walls were covered in a dark, walnut paneling, with the area above it covered with wallpaper. It was a racecar motif, on a cream-colored background, and needless to say, Dustin was also thrilled with it. Now, they called me up for the official inspection, once they had it exactly the way they wanted it. He and Kevin were glowing, as they showed me how they had arranged their room.

"Hey, it looks great," I agreed. "I hope it always stays this neat and clean." Kevin and Dustin turned toward each other and began to laugh.

"We'll work on that, Dad," Dustin confessed. "Our last room did get a little messy." We all had a little chuckle over that, and then we all went downstairs to chat.

"Kevin, I know this will be your first night with us, and I wish we had more of an opportunity to get to know you better first, but we have visitors coming over this evening. We'll be picking up Jay and Brandon shortly and they'll be spending the night and most of tomorrow here.

"They're cool and like brothers," Dustin announced, helping me out. "You'll like them."

"I don't mind, Dad," Kevin assured me. "I'm just happy you're letting Dustin and me live here together. It was really nice of you."

"No, I'm just being selfish," I replied, which caused them both to flash me a puzzled look. "I very much enjoy the company, even though sometimes I feel I've gotten more than I bargained for. Regardless, I love every minute of it and wouldn't change a thing."

"And we love it too," Dustin confirmed, "so, thanks."

Within the hour, I was loading everyone into the van, so we could pick up my other two 'sons.' On the way back, we rented a couple of videos and picked up the sheet pizza I'd ordered before we left. After reaching the house, we watched the first movie, while we ate. It was an action flick that Dustin had selected, and after they finished gorging themselves, the boys got comfortable. When the first movie ended, we decided to take an intermission between films, and that's when the other four other boys disappeared, leaving Dustin, Kevin and me alone to talk.

Kevin seemed eager to fill me in about a great deal of his life. He admitted he was sure he was gay and that he and Dustin had been fooling around for some time before they had been caught. He said his father wouldn't accept the fact that he had a 'pansy' for a son and that's why he beat him, hoping it would 'make a man out of him'. Well, it obviously didn't work, so now he has no son at all. While we were still talking, I quickly realized the other boys had gone to take their showers, because they were now returning, strolling back into the room without a stitch of clothing on. Kevin looked at them in total shock and Dustin merely giggled.

"You guys sure don't like clothes?" Dustin commented, chuckling.

"We prefer to not have to wear them," Danny began. "We're all brothers and we don't care if you see us without anything on. We did this the whole time we were on vacation together, in the motel rooms, that is."

"Aren't you worried people will see you through the window?" Kevin asked.

"No, Pop closes the blinds after dark and if someone sees us, well, we'll give them a thrill," Brandon teased.

"Yeah, it's no big deal," Jay added. "It's only a naked body. Besides, we'll see each other in the locker rooms after soccer practice, anyway." All the boys agreed and things started to get back to normal. A short time later, Dustin and Kevin must have slipped away, and I only noticed when I heard the shower running again. Before long, they rejoined us, having decided to leave their clothes behind, as well. That's when I got my first good look at my two newest sons.

As I mentioned before, Dustin was 5'8" [1.73 m] and had a very solid build. He also had what I guessed to be a 6" [15 cm] circumcised penis with a nice covering of black pubes and a slight happy trail leading to his navel. Kevin, on the other hand, was about 5' 6" [1.68 m], had an impressive swimmer's build, shoulder length dark brown hair, midnight blue eyes, a nice golden skin tone. Other than the bruises that currently covered his body, he was quite good looking. He also had about a 5.5" [14 cm] uncircumcised cock, with a small horseshoe of dark hair surrounding it. I must admit, I didn't think he had much pubic hair for a 14 year-old.

"Great. Now, there someone else who's uncut, like me," Jay shouted.

Jubilantly, Kevin came over to stand beside him. "Us natural boys have to stick together, don't we Jay?" Kevin joked, as Jay smiled and hugged him.

My living room was now awash in the nakedness of six gorgeous young male bodies. Even though I was enjoying the scenery, I was also pleasantly surprised that Dustin and Kevin had decided to join the others. It couldn't get better than this.

Now that the boys had finished their nightly preparations, we put in the second movie, another action film, which Kevin had picked out. Gradually, they all got comfortable again, as they got ready to watch it. Dustin and Kevin came over and sat on either side of me on the couch, and soon I felt Kevin's head leaning against my shoulder. I lifted my arm and wrapped it around him to let him know that he was loved and welcomed here, and he didn't hesitate enjoying our closeness.

When the movie ended, I sent the boys to bed, but Brandon and Danny hung back. I suspected what they wanted, but silently hoped I was wrong. "Pop, have you thought about what Danny and I asked you, after we got back from vacation?" they asked, once the others were out of earshot.

"I have and I take it you've both thought this over and decided you still want to do it?" They both nodded in response. "I'll close up down here and then meet you in my room. We'll talk more about it then." I advised them. They both smiled and burst up the steps, while I locked the front door and turned off the lights on the first floor, before going up to my room. Brandon and Danny were on my bed when I arrived. I shut the door to my room and turned to the boys.

"Boys, I've thought about this a great deal since you first mentioned it to me. Although I think I understand WHY you might want to do this, I still can't agree it's necessary or the right thing to do. You boys seem to think this is essential, so we can show each other our love, but there are many other, more appropriate, ways to do this. I think we should just stick to those methods and forget about having sex."

They both started to protest but I stood my ground, even in the face of this intense pressure. "Boys, you both know I love you, as much as life itself, and I would do almost anything for you, but this just wouldn't be right. Brandon, even though you're not one of my foster sons, you're just as welcome and loved as the others. You and Jay are as much a part of this family as any of the other boys and I love you two as much as any of the rest. I will do things with you and for you. I will also be affectionate with you, but that will not, and must not, include intimate contact. I will have to draw the line when it comes to sex. If you boys still feel this way when you are older, we can revisit this issue again, but for now the topic is closed."

They both looked at me and then at each other. It was several minutes before anyone spoke, but Brandon finally broke the silence. "I think we're both more than a little disappointed, but we do understand why you might not want to do this. It wasn't just to prove our love for you, because it was also meant to extend that love to new levels. Even though we don't agree with your decision, we will honor it, as you have honored so many of ours. I just want you to know that I still love you as much as ever, Pop."

"That goes for me too, Dad," Danny added. "I guess we weren't being very fair to you, putting you on the spot like that, but thanks for being a real dad and doing what you think is right for us. I guess we knew it probably wasn't something we should have asked, but it was something what we wanted, for our own personal reasons. I guess we didn't think about the difficult situation we were putting you in. We're sorry for being so thoughtless."

"Apology accepted, although unnecessary," I offered, trying to lessen the tension that had seemed to build in the room during the past few minutes. " Why don't I go downstairs and leave you two alone for a while. You can take turns playing me when you have sex, if that will make this easier for you, and then I'll join you after you're done. We can all sleep together in my bed tonight, if that meets with your approval." They both nodded, energetically.

"Anything you might need you'll find in the nightstand," I advised them, before I departed, leaving the boys alone, so they could enjoy their sexual fantasy without me.

Once the door had closed, Danny reached out and pulled Brandon to him, lifting his head and bringing his lips down to meet his lover's. Brandon pressed his lips against Danny's and slipped his tongue into Danny's mouth. Danny let his tongue run all around Brandon's oral muscle, before he began to suck on it. Then, Danny caught Brandon's lower lip between his own. After releasing it, he slid lower and started to nibble on the tender outer covering of Brandon's neck.

Brandon's hands were all over Danny's body and he was concentrating, intensely, on Danny's slender frame. Danny began to kiss his way down Brandon's chest, only making a brief stop to work on Brandon's cute, dark-pink nipples. Danny used his tongue on those pert little nubs, licking them thoroughly, before he began to suckle on them, as if Brandon were his wet nurse.

After Danny had done all he could to enjoy those tender, baby breasts, he continued to slide down Brandon's abdomen, until he reached his naval. He made a quick stop there as well, allowing his tongue to dart in and around the depressed opening, before proceeding toward his main target. Brandon was already quite erect, as Danny reached his love stick, and Danny licked his way around it, before he moved down to work on Brandon's family jewels.

Danny licked the outer covering of his ball sac, before taking one of Brandon's gonads into his mouth. He swirled it around, tonguing as much of the surface as he could, and then he exchanged it for the other walnut-sized orb. Brandon was beginning to squirm under the attention, as Danny worked his way back up to Brandon's rigid pole. He kissed its entire surface, before trying to lick it clean, and then he slipped his mouth over Brandon's bone and began his effort to bring his friend off.

Brandon began to thrust upward, to mirror Danny's movements and wordlessly let him know he was in desperate need of releasing his load. Danny increased his suction, to give his friend more pleasure, and Brandon's thrusting became quicker and more urgent. Danny worked him harder and was soon rewarded with several bursts of Brandon's sweet boy-seed. Danny swallowed what he had to, so he wouldn't choke, but he kept the rest in his mouth, so he could savor the flavor. He was still sucking on Brandon's wilting member when Brandon spoke to him.

"Thanks, Danny, that was wonderful, but now I want you to make love to me, the way I wanted Pop to. I want to feel you inside me."

"Okay, if you're sure. Give me a second and I'll lube you up." Danny grabbed the KY from the nightstand and put a big dab on his finger. He greased the outer rim of Brandon's hole and then worked one, two and, finally, three fingers into his buddy's tight chute. Gradually, he stretched it, while at the same time giving him additional pleasure, by stroking his prostate. Now, Danny quickly greased up his own mast, eager for the love making to begin.

As he looked down at Brandon, he saw the blond had a huge grin on his cute face. He was also on his back, with his legs pulled up to his chest, letting Danny know he was ready. Danny lined up his cock with Brandon's lubed hole and pushed the head lightly against the guardian of the gate. Hesitantly, the protector gave way and the knob slipped into Brandon's moist tunnel. Danny looked into Brandon's eyes, in order to make sure he was all right, before slowly inching the rest of his penis into the tight passageway. He continued on, until the front of his thighs brushed against Brandon's ass cheeks, confirming he was all the way in. Before he did anything else, though, Danny bent down and began kissing his lover passionately, while he slowly began working his plump sausage in and out of Brandon's back door.

He did this using long, smooth strokes, like I had taught him, and Brandon's ass muscles were literally trying to suck the juice from Danny's balls. Brandon was moaning beneath him, as he kissed Danny back – with all the lust and love he could muster, and his hands were tugging at Danny's waist, which was his signal for Danny to go faster. This time, Danny fought against his partner's urging, in order to make the encounter last as long as he could. Brandon was like a wild man below him, jerking and groaning each time Danny's shaft brushed against his prostate, and he continued to carry on, like a nympho in heat. He was definitely enjoying Danny's effort.

Danny was beginning to feel the churning down deep in his loins and knew his climax was not far behind. He increased his pace, stroking faster and faster inside his friend, and Brandon's noises were becoming louder with every thrust. Danny was very close to the brink now, and he progressed to using short, rapid strokes, knowing this would cause him to shoot his wad up Brandon's tender ass. Danny's orgasm was ready to explode, so he arched his back, thrust his pelvis as far forward as he could and deposited several ropes of hot boy juice in his lovers butt. Danny could feel the fluids working their way back down Brandon's hole and the liquid eventually began to dribble out onto the bed. Danny started to pull out of the well-used hole, but Brandon grabbed his hips and held him in place.

"Not yet. Stay in me a little longer," he begged. Danny nodded and left his shrinking dick in his friend's sheath, while kissing him over and over again.

"Thank you, Brandon. That was wonderful. I really enjoyed it," Danny admitted.

"Not nearly as much as I did," Brandon confessed.

Chapter 32
Bonding

After Brandon slowly recovered from his post orgasmic bliss, he made a quick trip to the attached bathroom to freshen up and returned with a warm cloth for Danny. As Danny was cleaning up, Brandon nibbled playfully on Danny's ear lobes and then seductively licked around Danny's outer ear, occasionally stopping to let his tongue dart into the ear canal. Once he was satisfied with his performance there, Brandon worked his way down to Danny's neck and across it, until he had moved over to Danny's other ear. Before Brandon had completed this process, Danny had finished his hygienic preparation and was able to concentrate completely on his lover's actions.

Brandon repeated his previous efforts on this new area, until he felt he had done everything worthwhile there. Gradually, he lowered his head, until he was able to reach one of his friend's nipples. Brandon tenderly nursed on this young breast, gleefully playing with the erect little nubs that stood out so proudly, before nursing on them like a newborn. As Brandon switched from one to the other, Danny groaned in appreciation, as Brandon gave these two long-neglected boy parts the attention they so desperately needed. Brandon made sure that each brown delight got exactly the same amount of attention and he snickered at the way Danny was squirming under his diligent touch.

Over the next several minutes, the blond swabbed a path down Danny's body, from his sternum to his navel, savoring his partner's sweet boy taste and washing away any impurities from the surface. As soon as he finished investigating Danny's bellybutton with his oral probe, he slid lower, until he reached his lover's pubic mound.

He prolonged Danny's anticipation and suffering by avoiding his penis, as he slowly licked his way around Danny's genital region. After darting his tongue in and around the dark triangular patch of pubic hairs, he eased lower, until he could reach Danny's tight ball sac. He gently bathed the outer area with his tongue, before taking first one, and then the other of Danny's testicles into his mouth. He would swirl the sensitive orb around in his oral cavern, lightly sucking on it at the same time, knowing Danny could hardly keep still while enjoying Brandon's deft touch.

After concluding he had paid that region sufficient attention, Brandon lathed his way up Danny's erect shaft, while letting his tongue swirl around the entire length. He then used that muscle to trace the ridge of his mushroom-shaped head and toy with the sensitive 'v', which is on the underside, below the tiny slit.

By this point, Danny was begging Brandon to give him relief, so the blond took mercy upon him and slowly slid his mouth over Danny's throbbing organ. While applying pressure with his lips, sliding his tongue along the underside and adding as much suction as he dared, he began his version of the timeworn dance of oral gratification.

Without warning, Brandon suddenly felt a tickle deep in his throat and tried to clear it. As he did so, Danny squirmed under this additional stimulation. Seeing his lover's reaction, Brandon intentionally cleared his throat a few more times, just to see what would happen. Each time, Danny's hips would buck, as he tossed his head back, with his eyes completely closed, enjoying the added vibrations rippling from the tip of his erection to its base. After repeating that process a few more times, Brandon unexpectedly released Danny's penis from his mouth and dropped lower.

Forcing Danny's legs a little wider, Brandon dove toward Danny's perineum, the area between his scrotum and his anus, and immediately went to work trying to stimulate this most sensitive of areas. After bringing as much enjoyment to Danny as he could through his actions, Brandon did something he had heard about, but never thought he'd have the guts to try. Tentatively, he lifted Danny's legs a bit and let his tongue stretch out toward Danny's hole. After making a few hesitant stabs at that region, he began to shed his inhibitions and explore Danny's netherworld.

Danny was shocked by Brandon's actions, but enjoyed them nonetheless, as he realized this activity could bring him a new kind of enjoyment he had never experienced before. As Brandon got bolder and probed deeper, Danny entered a world of bliss he never previously knew existed and was thrown into a brief depression when Brandon stopped this attention.

"Do you still want to do this?" Brandon asked, in order to be certain Danny still wanted him to make love to him.

"Yeah, I'm positive," Danny replied, "although I wouldn't have objected if you'd continued what you were doing for a while longer." Brandon giggled.

"Maybe next time," Brandon offered, as he reached for the lube and began preparing both himself and his boyfriend for this next step.

After greasing up his own rod, he lovingly lubed and stretched Danny's back passage, until he was able to get three fingers into the opening. When Danny agreed he was ready, Brandon lined his hard-on up with Danny's hole and gingerly began his entry. Slowly, he pushed against Danny's rosebud, until the sphincter gave way to the pressure, and then he eased into his lover's tight tube, using slow and steady pressure.

When the blond had penetrated Danny to his limit, he began his thrusting motions and kissed Danny all around his handsome face. Once again, Brandon began to drink in the clean, boyish smell of his partner, enjoying the apricot-scented shampoo that still lingered in Danny's hair, from his shower. Brandon was becoming intoxicated with his lover's clean, manly scent, while he continued to thrust, using long, steady strokes. He was working the brunette with the skill of a diamond cutter, making sure to use the correct angle and applying the right amount of pressure, to get the maximum sparkle from this gem.

As Brandon pounded away, he took special care to aim for Danny's prostate on each inward-stroke. In return, his lover would emit a low, throaty noise, which almost sounded like a kitten purring, whenever Brandon's rod brushed against the sensitive gland.

Brandon was beginning to feel those unique tingling sensations building, starting near his toes and working their way up his legs, toward his groin. Instinctively, he increased his pace and was now pummeling Danny's love-tunnel harder and faster. As Danny's moaning became louder and louder, Brandon tried to coax him into quieting down a little, so they wouldn't rouse the others. Danny complied as best he could, but he was enjoying this far too much to be completely silent.

While the athletic blond continued to hammer away at Danny's butt, his seed began to rise up his pole. Danny also used his own hand to masturbate himself, as he knew he was also close. After only a few more thrusts, Brandon exploded and emptied his load of love-juice into his willing partner, and that caused Danny to erupt too. After kissing and enjoying each other for a while longer, Brandon slowly rolled off of Danny and cuddled on the bed next to him, while Danny enjoyed the lingering pleasures of his recent ride.

"Thanks, Brandon," he whispered to his friend, once he'd returned to consciousness. "That was really awesome – even better than I could have hoped for." Brandon's acknowledging smile was the only response Danny got.

I made sure to stay away long enough for them to do whatever it was they were planning, but once I felt sufficient time had passed complete their acts of love, I rejoined them in my bedroom. They still wanted me to sleep between them, so they both could be near me, and I obliged. I held them tightly throughout the night, trying to let my love pass from my body and flow into theirs. I wanted them to know they were loved, without having to be sexually active with me to prove it. I think my efforts were successful.

Going downstairs to breakfast the following morning, we got some strange looks from Jay and Ricky. They had been sleeping together in Ricky's room, which shared a wall with mine. After a few minutes of wondering what was bothering them, I concluded that Salt and Pepper had disturbed their slumber. After Danny and Brandon left the room, the dynamic duo told me that instead of teaching the other pair any more about sex, I should first teach them how to keep the noise down, so they didn't keep everyone else awake. I apologize to the boys for the oversight and Brandon and Danny's insensitivity to their beauty rest, before agreeing to speak to the other duo about trying to avoid a reoccurrence of last night.

When I went back upstairs later, I also noticed something else. As far as I could tell, the pair had not used any condoms this time. There were no wrappers left lying around, and considering I had asked them not to flush the used condoms down the toilets, I also did not see any signs of protection anywhere. I had asked the boys to dispose of the prophylactics in the trash when they were finished, and not place them in the toilet, because condoms can clog up the plumbing in the house and slip through the screens at the waste treatment plant and damage the sensitive equipment needed there. Since I saw no signs of them using protection, I decided I'd have to speak to them about this oversight later, when I could get them alone for a few minutes.

Now that we were beginning to adjust to being home again, we were also falling back into our normal routines. Along the way, we managed to discover Kevin had been the goalkeeper for his old soccer team and was interested in seeing if he could still tryout with the others. The boys all assured him the coach would most likely give him the opportunity, especially since they didn't have any strong candidates for keeper. Therefore, in order to make sure Kevin was ready was his local debut, the boys asked me to drive them to the school early, so they could work out with each other, before tryouts began. I agreed, but stayed nearby, so I could watch how they all did.

I was impressed with how good each of the four older boys were, skill-wise, and felt none of them should have to worry about making the team. The younger pair, however, still had some work ahead of them, especially Jay. I planned to encourage the older boys to do some individualize coaching with Ricky and Jay, to help them improve more rapidly. However, as I was following this train of thought, tryouts officially began. The four older boys went off with the coaches for the JV/Varsity teams, while my munchkins went over to join the modified group. I was glad Jay and Ricky wouldn't be competing with the older boys.

I stayed and watched their entire practice, and once they had finished, they all came directly over to join me. "Aren't you going to shower?" I asked.

"We plan on playing more at home," Kevin responded, "and we'll shower there, after we're done."

"Very well. Let's go then," I agreed.

Once we were all loaded, I opened the front windows of the van, to make it a little more breathable. The combination of sweaty boys provided quite a pungent air and I thought we could all use a break from it. "You guys looked good out there," I told them, as we pulled out of the parking lot.

"Did you see Kevin in goal?" Dustin inquired. "He's as quick as a cat in there. The coach really liked him."

"From what I could tell, I think the coach was impressed by the way each of you played. I'm going to be very proud to have my sons make up such a large portion of the team." They all thanked me for the compliment, before the younger duo presented their addendum.

"We're not as good as the rest of them," Ricky admitted, "but I think we'll make our team."

"That's only because you're younger and less experienced than the older boys," I told him, trying to keep both of them from getting discouraged. "I'm glad to hear that you think you'll make the team, though. I'm sure your brothers will help you improve your skills, if that's what you really want. If they do help you, though, just listen to what they tell you and you'll soon be doing as well as they are."

"They might be able to help Ricky, but I'm not sure about me," Jay added, somewhat sadly. "I not as good at sports as the rest of them."

"Jay, give yourself some credit," I told him. "You did a decent job during baseball season and helped your team get to the playoffs. Any problems you had were just because you're at that awkward stage at the moment, but that won't last forever. You'll eventually grow into your body and your coordination will catch up. Don't get down on yourself, and please don't give up. If you are willing to work at it, I'm sure you can do just as well as the others."

"You really think I can get better?" he asked, still not sure if I was being honest or just being kind. However, I didn't have to respond. All the boys answered for me.

"Yes!" they emphatically shouted, before informing both boys they were better than they thought. They told them that if they were sufficiently dedicated and were willing to practice hard, they would be happy to help them improve their skills. The dynamic duo quickly agreed, so the older group quickly set up additional practice times, working around the various teams' schedules.

Later that evening, before I took Brandon and Jay home, I asked Danny and Brandon to join me in my office for a few minutes. They looked puzzled, but did as I asked. As soon as the door was shut, I posed my first question. "Guys, I have no problem with what you did last night, but I do have a question for you. Did you use condoms?"

They quickly looked at each other, turning slightly red-faced as they did so, and then turned back toward me. "I didn't think we had to," Danny told me, "since we haven't had sex with anyone else."

"Well, that's not quite true," I told them, "as you have done things with the other pair, but if you're talking solely about intercourse, then you are correct. However, there are various sexually transmitted diseases that can be spread through all forms of sexual contact."

"We're sorry, Pop," Brandon told me, obviously flustered. "We won't do it again, without using a rubber."

"Look, maybe we can simplify things without making it a big deal," I offered. "I'll call my doctor and set appointments to have all of you checked over, and if he gives you a clean bill of health, you can avoid the condoms when you do things with each other. That is, providing no one has sexual contact with anyone outside of the household. If that happens, then that person, and anyone having contact with him, will have to practice safe sex. Would you agree to that?"

They both said they would and I told them I'd inform the others about this too. I even told them I'd pay to have Brandon and Jay checked out at the same time, just to be on the safe side. The others agreed to my proposal, once I presented it to them, and I think everyone was relieved by this compromise.

About an hour later, I had to take Brandon and Jay home, and I was actually sad to see them go. They have become a very important cog in our family life and I think we all miss them, when they're not around. However, at the same time I was also a little grateful to be able to spend some quality time with the other four. After we got back, I went to the kitchen and started preparing dinner, while Dustin and Kevin went into the office to get on the computer and Danny and Ricky went off to watch TV. About twenty minutes later, Kevin came in where I was working and asked to speak to me. I said that would be fine and go ahead, but he said he needed to talk to me privately. I wasn't sure what this was about, but I turned everything down to a low heat and took him into the family room. I closed the door behind us.

"Dad, the other boys said I could talk to you about anything and I hope they're right," he began, looking more than I little nervous. "I kind of have a problem."

"Well, I'll help you if I can," I agreed. "What the matter?"

"I think there's something wrong with one of my balls," he admitted, explaining his nervousness.

"What do you mean?"

"It doesn't feel right. I think it might have a lump or something." I couldn't believe my ears. I hoped this was not what I was thinking.

"That doesn't sound good," I informed him, trying not to jump to conclusions. "I think we might have to have this checked out." I was meaning it might be a good idea to take him to the doctor, but he thought I meant doing it there and now and began to drop his pants.

"Hold on," I advised him. "I think it would be best if we do this upstairs, so I'll meet you up in my bedroom in just a minute."

Kevin nodded and headed for the stairs, while I turned everything completely off in the kitchen, since I didn't know how long this might take. All kinds of things were racing through my mind, as I went through the motions of performing this menial function, and I wondered if the beating Kevin received from his father might have contributed to his current situation. I was considering all the possibilities as I trudged up the stairs, and when I walked into my room, Kevin was already laying on my bed, with his shorts around his ankles. I sat beside him and felt his testicles with my thumb and first two fingers. He was right. One of the testicles did seem to have a lump on it.

"Does it hurt at all?" I asked.

"There's no pain, it just feels funny. I first noticed it after my dad beat me up. You know, after that thing with Dustin. At first, I thought it was just a bruise from him pounding on me, but it hasn't gone away."

"Does it cause you any problems when you urinate or ejaculate?"

"I don't think so, but I've never really thought about it then," he admitted. "You can jerk me off to see, if you want."

"I'll be honest with you, Kevin. I am very concerned about this," I told him, while consciously avoiding his offer. "It may be nothing, but I'll make an appointment for you with my doctor, just to be sure. I'll call his office just as soon as they open on Monday."

"Don't you want to check it out, to see if it hurts when I shoot?" he asked again, maybe a little too eagerly.

"I'm not sure you need me for that," I replied. "I think you can do it for yourself or you can have one of the other boys give you a hand, so to speak. Would you like me to send one of them up?"

"Yeah. Would you ask Dustin to come up here? I know he'll help me find out if it hurts at all." I nodded my understanding.

"So you've told him then?" I asked.

"No, you're the first one I've talked to about this," Kevin responded, still a bit nervous about the situation, "but I guess it's okay if the others know too."

"Yes, I'm sure it will be," I agreed. "I'll go down and send Dustin up here. Do you want to use my room or your own?"

"Can we just do it here?" he almost pleaded.

"You can and you may," I responded, get a somewhat puzzled look from him in return. However, I didn't think this was the time or the place for a more in-depth grammar lesson.

After returning downstairs, I pulled Dustin aside, telling him briefly about Kevin's situation, before sending him up to my room. From what I was told later, he was very gentle with Kevin, tenderly rubbing his testicles and penis with his hand, as he attempted to get Kevin hard. Kevin was very responsive to Dustin's touch and his little buddy was soon standing, proud and tall. Dustin teased his foreskin for a brief time, until it was easily slipping back and forth over the head. Kevin was merely watching and grinning, while he was doing this.

"I love the way you treat my dick," he explained. "You seem to know what makes it feel good and what makes it hurt. Most guys want to uncover the head right away and don't realize how sensitive the tip can be, seeing it's covered most of the time. You don't force things and just roll the skin around a bit, while you're giving me pleasure. That's nice."

"Well, I'm glad you like it." Dustin offered, as he continued to play with Kevin's dick. In due time, he began to stroke the slender shaft, in order to coax Kevin's love-juice to the surface. Kevin's eyes were now closed and his breathing was becoming labored, signaling he was nearing orgasm. Dustin watched him closely, as his body went rigid and he thrust his hips upward, prior to releasing five blasts of hot, boy spunk. It was white and creamy, and soon pooled in various spots on Kevin's abdomen. Kevin remained still for a couple of minutes more, before he cleaned up, and then both boys came down to talk to me.

"It didn't hurt at all, Dad," he told me, with a look of relief on his face, but then he paused. "You know, I really like having you as my dad. I could never have talked to my own father about a problem like this."

"I like having you for a son, too," I admitted, "and I'm glad you trusted me enough to let me help you with this. You boys are all very important to me and I will do anything I can to keep you safe. I'm very glad you didn't experience any pain while masturbating, but I'm still going to call the doctor's office Monday morning and make an appointment for you."

"Thanks, Dad," he said, just before he started to go back into the other room. However, before he got very far, he spun around and came back to speak with me. "Can I sleep with you tonight? I know the other boys do it once in a while, and I think I'd feel better knowing you were close by."

"May I sleep with you tonight?" I corrected him.

"You may, if I can," he joked, knowing what I was trying to get across to him. We both laughed and I told him he could.

Even though he didn't experience any pain, I could tell Kevin was very worried about his current situation. I believe that was what prompted him to want to sleep with me too. I think most children want a parent by their side in times of distress and sickness, no matter how old they get. I also think this is especially true for those who never got that attention at home when they were younger. Oh, I'm sure the others had some input into it as well, or maybe it was the fact that everyone seemed to know Danny and Brandon shared my room the night before, as Ricky seemed to take pleasure out of making his brother squirm, as he imitated the noises that came through his wall the night before.

Thank God the boys all knew it was Danny and Brandon, and realized I hadn't been present at that particular time. Although I love and trust them, an accidental slip of the tongue could prove not only embarrassing, but possibly costly as well. Such an allegation, even if unsubstantiated, might jeopardize my ability to continue in my profession, not to mention the expense of retaining some high-priced defense lawyer to get me out of hot water or DSS coming to take the boys away. No matter how much I might have been tempted, I know I did the right thing in turning down the boys' request. Fulfilling such a fantasy might have ended up turning into a horrible nightmare.

Chapter 33
Problems to deal with

Sunday, the boys played soccer amongst themselves for most of the day. Kevin seemed fine and did everything he normally would have, but I was still very concerned about his condition. I wish it were already Monday, so I could make the appointment. In order not to spook him, I was careful not to let him see how worried I was. There was no need to alarm him further, but I thought it would be prudent if I monitored his activities throughout the afternoon and evening.

I was on pins and needles the entire day and slept very little that night, even with Kevin bunking in with me again. As I watched him sleep like a baby, I was only able to take several short catnaps before dawn approached. I tried to make it appear as if it was just another normal day, but I watched the clock the entire time and couldn't believe how slowly it seemed to be moving. After dropping the boys off at the high school, Ricky and I went on to the middle school, where I raced to my office and waited to be able to make my call.

I would be willing to bet I was probably the first person to phone my doctor's office that morning, possibly even catching the staff before they were comfortably settled in, but they did connect me to the doctor almost immediately. After hearing what I had to say, he told me to bring Kevin in at 2:30. I called the high school and asked the secretary if she would kindly inform Kevin about his appointment and I also asked her to also let him know that I would pick him up in front of the school at 2:00, sharp. Then, I informed my secretary and the assistant principal that I would be leaving early today, so they could cover for me. I left a few minutes before two, to drive to the high school, which is just a short distance down the street from my school. I was pleased to discover Kevin was outside waiting for me, as planned.

Other than the usual hellos, nothing else was said during the ride. We checked in at the desk and then sat down, waiting to be summoned. When Kevin's name was called, he reached his arm out to me.

"You're coming with me, aren't you, Dad?" he asked, showing how nervous he was.

"Of course, if you want me to," I assured him. He took my hand and I followed him into the examination room. After weighing and measuring him, the nurse advised him to strip to his underwear and sit on the examination table. She added the doctor would be in shortly, just before she closed the door.

Once we were alone, Kevin slipped out of his clothes, but then moved over and sat on my lap. I didn't discourage this, since it would only take him a second to hop up on the table when the doctor arrived, so we waited. After a few minutes of nervous anticipation, the doctor entered. We exchanged greetings and then he asked Kevin if he wanted me to stay, while he examined him.

"Yes, I want Dad here with me," he responded, somewhat forcefully. The doctor merely nodded and gave me a wink, knowing I didn't have this son when I came in for my last appointment.

The doctor asked Kevin to remove his briefs and lie on the examination table, which Kevin did, without hesitation. The doctor took his time examining his scrotum, feeling around the sensitive area, but then he made a strange face.

"There is a definite lump there," he informed us. "I'm going to order an ultrasound and some blood tests, which are to be done at the hospital, first thing tomorrow morning. It's the only way I can determine if this is testicular cancer or just a cyst."

"What's the difference?" Kevin wanted to know.

"A cyst is non-threatening, in most cases, and is caused by a build up in fluids around the testicle," the doctor explained. "Sometimes they have to be removed, but other times they may be left to run their course. Some will disappear on their own, over time."

"But what if it's cancer?" Kevin continued.

"Testicular cancer is most frequently found in males between the ages of 15 to 35, although it is not confined to that group," he informed him. "You are just probably at the right age to be at the beginning edge of that critical period. If we discover you do have testicular cancer, then we'll have to react fairly quickly"

"And do what?" Kevin wanted to know, while the doctor looked over at me, for a clue as to what he should do next. I merely nodded my approval for him to answer Kevin's question.

"If it is cancer," the doctor began, "the testicle will most likely have to removed, but don't be alarmed. If it should come to that, one testicle will be more than enough to supply you with what you need to make you a father."

"Aren't there any other choices, doc?" Kevin asked, searching for other possibilities.

"No, I'm afraid there aren't," the doctor told him, solemnly. "Anti-cancer drugs are usually ineffective in this situation, because they aren't sufficiently absorbed by the testicles. An orchiectomy, or the surgical removal of the testicle, is generally the best option and often the only way to deal with the problem. Tomorrow you will have an ultrasound and blood tests to help me make the determination about which problem you suffer from and which course of action would be best to follow. The ultrasound will let me see the growth and examine its size, shape and density. I'll also have your blood checked for certain markers, in particular beta HCG and alphafetoprotein. These markers will indicate whether the growth is cancerous or not. Once we have this information, I'll be able to give you a more intelligent answer about where we go from there."

We thanked the doctor and he left the examination room. Kevin dressed quickly, but I could read the concern still registering on his face. Rather than return to school, I took him directly home. I thought it might be best if he wasn't forced back into a setting where he had to cope with others, while dealing with the implications of everything he had just heard. He was very quiet during the ride home and went directly into the house, heading for the family room.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked him, once we were inside. He nodded his head, so I went in and sat down in my recliner, before motioning him to come sit on my lap. He had hardly gotten comfortable before he burst into tears. My heart ached, as I considered what this must be like for him, so I hugged him tightly, as I waited for him to calm down again.

"I'm scared, Dad," he told me. "What if they have to cut off my balls… or something more?"

I pulled him against me, stroked his hair and kissed his forehead. "Shhh, baby. You'll be fine," I tried to soothe him. "Even if it is cancer, they'll only remove the one testicle. Many people live normal, healthy lives with only one. You've discovered this early enough so they most likely won't have to do more, if that's what you're worried about, and I'll be with you the whole time. I love you, Kevin. I'm here for you and I won't let you down." I kissed him several more times, on the forehead and also on the cheek, and held him as tightly as I could. After a few minutes like this, he began to calm down. Slowly, he raised his head and looked at me.

"I love you, Dad, and thank you," he added. "All the others told me I could count on you, and they were right. I'm still a little scared, but not as scared as I'd be if I didn't have you to help me."

I kissed him, again, and hugged him some more. No further words were needed. Later, we went back to the school, in order to pick up the other boys. They wanted to know how Kevin was, so I explained to them about tomorrow's tests. They were extremely supportive of their brother, offering to go with him, if he wanted them to. In fact, I thought they went out of their way to be extraordinarily nice to him that evening. To top it off, Dustin never left his side.

As the hour grew late, Kevin asked me if he could sleep with me again tonight, and I agreed. This seemed to bother Dustin greatly, so I took him aside, to speak with him alone. I explained that, for tonight, Kevin needed his father, not his lover or his friend. After hearing me out, Dustin began to understand what Kevin was going through and fought to control the 'green monster' that had been growing inside of him. Although he wasn't romantically involved with Kevin, he had still been a little jealous about not being the one Kevin sought out at this time. Now, he began to let go of some of those feelings.

For the rest of the evening, Kevin clung to me, acting as if he thought I'd disappear, if he relaxed his grip for even one second. I didn't actually sleep much again that night and only dozed off occasionally, getting a few minutes of shut-eye at a time. I spent most of my time holding on to Kevin, stroking his hair and kissing his forehead whenever his body tensed and jerked, as he fought with visions no person his age should have to face.

The next morning, I discovered that Kevin hadn't slept well either, as he recalled the litany of little things I had done to try to ease his troubled mind. After thanking me for everything, he gave me a hug and I sent him off to get ready for his big day.

The previous evening, I had made arrangements for a friend to give the other boys a ride to school, as Kevin and I had to leave early for the hospital. Kevin thought about having his brothers go with him, but decided their presence would make him even more nervous than he already was. Therefore, we left them behind and made the trip alone.

The staff on duty let me stay with Kevin throughout his tests and informed me my doctor would call us with the results, once they were in. Reluctantly, I took Kevin back to school, kissed him good-bye and told him I'd let him know if I heard anything from the doctor.

Although my mind was still in a haze, I went back to work, but I'm not sure I was of much use to anyone. Fortunately, my secretary and the assistant principal understood my preoccupation and took over most of my duties. The teachers were also very supportive and went out of their way to make sure there weren't any major problems throughout that day. I appreciated everyone's effort, and just before the final school bell rang, I got the call I had been anticipating and dreading.

"Josh, things are looking up," my doctor began. "It appears this is only a cyst, but I want to see him again in another month, so I can re-examine him and rerun the tests, as a precautionary measure."

I thanked him for the good news, but decided to wait and tell Kevin until after he'd finished his soccer practice. Before I took him back to school, we had made a quick stop to purchase a jockstrap with a cup for him and Kevin promised to wear it from now on, whenever he played sports. Knowing this, I concluded the distraction of working out with the others would be good for him and I didn't want to interrupt his practice, just to tell him he was fine. As the time neared for me to go get the boys, I left my school and made the short drive to the high school. I only had to wait a short time for them to appear, but after they were all in the car, I spoke to Kevin.

"Kevin, the doctor called me a little while ago and told me that it looks like it's just a cyst. He wants to see you again, in a month, just to make sure though." A huge smile flashed across Kevin's face, as the weight of a thousand burdens had been lifted from his chest. He waited until we got home, however, before he started hugging everyone and jumping around.

Things definitely improved from that point on. I did manage to impress upon him how important it was that he had discovered the lump so early. If it had turned out to be cancerous, the early detection would have made a major difference in how severe the problem might have become. I informed all of the boys that they should examine themselves regularly, in case they had a similar situation. They all said they would, but hoped I would examine them as well, for fear they might miss something on their own. After agreeing to do this for them on a quarterly or semi-annual basis, things started to return to normal.

After experiencing the past few days dragging by, time suddenly seemed to jump into warp speed. We were now three weeks into the school year and the boys' soccer teams had already completed the early portion of their schedule. Besides the scrimmages, the older group had won all three of the games their team had played, while the younger boys' team was 1-1. Ricky and Jay had improved a great deal and even surprised themselves, thanks to the patient help from their brothers. Ricky had been moved to midfield, because of his boundless energy and improved skills, while Jay remained at striker.

We were now coming up to the Labor Day weekend and I thought it would be best to make plans with the boys for the holiday. "We've got a three day weekend coming up," I reminded them, "and I'm not sure what you boys are used to doing, but I've got some ideas, if you're interested."

"Sure, Dad," Danny said, to start things off. "What do you have in mind?"

"Well, I have a couple of ideas to be precise. First, I thought we could have a cookout or two that weekend. I can barbecue steaks on Saturday, chicken on Sunday and then we can do hamburgers, hot dogs and sausage links on Monday. What do you think?"

"That sounds good to me," Ricky answered, while rubbing his belly.

"What's the other idea?" Dustin wanted to know.

"I thought we should throw a birthday party," I answered, which caused everyone to start looking around.

"Who is this party going to be for?" Danny inquired. "None of us have a birthday coming up in September."

"No, but we did miss one," I informed them. "Kevin had his birthday just before he moved in with us, and I don't think he ever got a chance to celebrate or enjoy his special day." Kevin nodded his head, knowing he happened to still be in police custody on his birthday. It was a few days after his dad knocked the crap out of him.

"I thought we should acknowledge his birthday, even if it is a little late," I continued. "We can throw a party for him over the weekend, as long as he doesn't mind that our timing is a little off."

Kevin looked at me and grinned. "Thanks, Dad. I can live with you all being a little off," he advised us. However, none of us were sure if he was referring to his birthday, or if he thought we were all a bubble shy of level.

"It's settled then," I enthusiastically announced. "Kevin, do you have anyone you'd like to invite?"

"Could I invite some of the guys from the soccer team?" he responded.

"Most definitely," I agreed. "Brandon and Jay will most likely be here anyways, and I'll invite Mrs. Swarthout to join us too. In addition to that, you may invite whomever else you wish, as long as you let me know how many to expect. I have to make sure I have enough for them to eat. Do you want to have the party on Sunday or Monday?"

"I think Monday would be better," Kevin answered.

"Monday it is, then. Let's say around noon." He quickly agreed.

"Wait, I just had another idea," I advised them. "What do you think of inviting Jay and Brandon's parents over for our Sunday cookout? That way we could have an extended family celebration and Jay and Brandon can spend the night here, so they're with us for Kevin's party too. I think their parents might be a little more inclined to let them spend so much time with us, if we include them in on some of our activities too. We can even ask their parents if they want to join us on Monday too. What do you think?"

"I think that's a great idea, Dad," Danny offered. "Brandon says his parents sometimes complain about how much time he spends here with us. It might make it easier if they were here with us too."

"It sounds like a plan then, but we'll make one minor change," I added. "We'll have the chicken on Saturday and save the steaks for Sunday, if the O'Haras and Curtises agree to join us. I'll go call and invite them now."

I went and phoned both families and they were each surprised and appreciative of our offer. The O'Haras said they had no plans for that day and would be happy to join us, while the Curtises said they would change their Sunday plans to Saturday, so they could also come. I also invited them for the birthday party, but they said they thought that was more for the younger crowd and declined that part of the invitation. I told them they could at least join us for the cookout portion of the celebration and they said they'd think it over and we finished our conversations.

I thought this was going to work out well, with all three families getting to know each other better, and it should also make them more comfortable about allowing their sons to spend so much time with us. All of the boys got involved and started helping to plan the activities for both Sunday and Monday. The birthday party did take up most of their attention, however, because they wanted to make sure there was enough to do, without it seeming like a little kid's party. I had no problems with that and let them make most of the suggestions.

As an afterthought, I also called 'Aunt Sally' and invited her to join us on Sunday too, figuring she might like a day around some adults, besides the party with all of the young men. "Josh, I'd be thrilled to come both days, as long as you and the boys don't mind," she advised me. It's so very thoughtful of all of you that you're making me feel like part of your family."

"Well, you are," I responded, without hesitation. "Without you, this family wouldn't exist and the boys certainly want their Aunt Sally here, so they can show their appreciation for what you've done for all of us."

Sally didn't say anything right away in response and I assumed she might have been a little choked up at the moment. However, when she did speak again, it was only to thank me and tell me she'd love to spend a part of each day with us. I was pleased by the way this was all working out.

Chapter 34
Inhumane Treatment

The rest of the week went by quickly for all of us. Friday afternoon my secretary told me I had a call and that Sally Swarthout was on line one. I immediately answered it.

"Hi, Sally. I hope you're not about to tell me you can't come for either Sunday or Monday's celebrations," I began.

"No, Josh, I will be there both days, but that's not why I called," she announced, getting to the point quickly. "I have another problem that I hope you can help me with."

Although I thought I knew what she was about to spring on me, I was in too good of a mood to refuse her anything. "I'll see what I can do," I agreed. "What's your problem?"

"Josh, I have a pair of brothers who need a home. I was hoping they could be the two newest guests at the Castaway Hotel," she urged. "The police found them in their apartment this afternoon, after the school alerted the authorities that the boys had missed several days of school and couldn't be reached by other means. The police went to the home and discovered the boys had been abandoned and hadn't eaten for a few days. They're in my reception area right now, and I was hoping you might be able to take them in, as soon as your school day ended. The youngest is eleven and a half and the older one will be thirteen, in a little over a month."

I thought for a minute and then answered. "Sure, Sally. When would you like to do this?"

"As soon as it's convenient for you," she told me.

"I've got some running around to do this afternoon, such as picking the boys up and all, so it would probably be best if you dropped them off at my office, say between 2:30 and 3:00. That way I can introduce them to the boys a few at a time, and they can even watch them play soccer for a while too."

"That sounds fine, Josh," she concurred. "Thank you, again, and I'll see you then."

I'm not sure we were quite ready to add more to our brood, but as the boys had said before, 'if someone needs our help, then we'll help them.' So that was precisely what we were going to do.

Sally arrived with the new boys around 2:45 and my heart ached the minute I saw them. You could tell at first glance they had not been eating well for longer than just a few days. They were adorable, but so thin and frail that it made them appear a bit pathetic. They were not much more than a collection of skin and bones.

"Mr. Currie this is Cole (indicating the older one) and this is Graham Van Cott."

"Nice to meet you Cole and Graham," I said, while reaching out to shake their hands. Hesitantly, they offered them to me and I was careful not to crush their bony fingers. "We'll be leaving here shortly to pick up my other sons, I informed them, hoping that might help to break the ice. "You'll meet them then and I think you'll get along well." They didn't respond and merely looked at me.

"Boys, make yourself at home in my office," I suggested, "while I walk Mrs. Swarthout to her car." They each nodded and then sat in one of the chairs in my office.

As I walked Sally out, she told me their story. "It seems the boys' father abandoned them when Cole was three or four and they haven't seen or heard from him since," she began. "Their mother's boyfriend has been living with them for the past several months, but he and the boys' mother left them alone for a while, while they went out drinking the past Tuesday night. The thing was, they never returned. The boys stayed in the apartment by themselves, and ate whatever crumbs they could find, but the place was totally devoid of food.

"When I went to get them, it was apparent their mother and her boyfriend had been spending whatever money they had on themselves and on having a good time, and weren't providing for the boys. I gave the boys a sandwich when they first came in, but their stomachs were having some trouble coping with something that heavy. I know this will not be easy for you to cope with, seeing they are in such poor condition, but I can't think of any place better for them right now. Even though they're a bit younger and a little easier to find a home for, I think they'll thrive best at your place. Thanks again, Josh. You don't know how much this means to me."

"I think I do, Sally, and we'll be fine," I assured her. "I'm sure the other boys will be more than willing to help these two fit in and we'll try to include them on our weekend festivities." After thanking her for all the information she had provided me, I transferred their meager belongings to the van and went back to check on my two newest boarders. After speaking with them briefly, I led them out to the van, strapped them into the front seat together and went to pick up my soccer team.

The four boys had puzzled expressions on their faces, when they noticed the two newcomers in the front seat. However, they merely climbed into the back of the van. "Hi, Dad," Kevin greeted me. "Who are your new friends?"

"Not new friends, boys, they're your new brothers. The older one is Cole and the younger one is Graham. We'll do the formal introductions when we get to the house." The boys all said a quick hello and welcomed them to our family, before we headed to our home.

Once we got there, I had to unbuckle my new sons, since they either didn't know how to do it themselves or didn't have the strength to manage on their own. Once we were out of the van, I guided them into the house and to the living room, so we could all sit down and get acquainted. Cole sat next to me, so I quickly reached out and pulled Graham onto my lap. They both collapsed against me and seemed to melt into my body. I took my time and introduced them to each of their new brothers, but I could tell from their demeanor that they probably wouldn't remember anyone's name. Cole and Graham were apparently very weak and not totally with it.

"How about a snack to tide you over, while I fix dinner?" I suggested. The other boys jumped at the idea, while Cole and Graham sat silently beside me. After gently placing Graham on the sofa, beside his brother, I went out and cut some apples into wedges and placed them on a tray with some grapes and a jar of peanut butter, which they could dip their apples into, if they so desired. The other boys liked to do that and I hoped Cole and Graham might to, as the protein in the peanut butter would be good for them.

After leaving the snack tray behind for them to enjoy, I went out and began getting diner ready for everyone. However, I also prepared some soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for Cole and Graham. After hearing what Sally had to say, I figured their stomachs might not be able to handle the regular meal I was fixing for the rest of us and felt the soup would be best, but the grilled cheese was also there, if they needed something a little more substantial. I explained the reason for the separate meals to all of the boys, since I didn't want any of them thinking Cole and Graham weren't allowed to partake of what the rest of us were sharing.

As they began to eat, I found myself having to help them at times. They sometimes seemed like children half their age. After dinner, I took them to the television room and we all sat down to watch a program on the tube. I pulled both boys onto my lap, trying to make them feel welcomed and comfortable, and held them against me for about an hour. Looking around the room, I could tell the other boys were visibly shaken by the younger ones' physical condition, as they continually glanced over at them, to see how they were doing. After a while, the older boys decided to ask their new brothers to choose what we were going to watch next. It was then that I saw Cole and Graham surrender their first smiles, as they made their selection.

After we watched a couple of different shows, I took Cole and Graham up to the bathroom to clean them up. As I began to remove their clothing, it was obvious they hadn't been cleaned up properly for quite some time either. It appeared they had settled for just sponging off their faces and arms, but I had no idea how long that had been going on. I was debating between giving them a bath or shower, but either way, I didn't feel they were strong enough to cleanse themselves adequately. Eventually I decided to give them a bath, because I was afraid one might slip and fall, while I was washing the other. In order to get things going, I sat Cole on the toilet seat and Graham on the edge of the tub as I filled it, but I held on to him tightly while I drew the water. When the water level was sufficient, I placed Graham and then Cole into the warm water. As I began to soap them up, I suddenly realized I had forgotten something important, so I called down and asked Ricky to come up and join us.

"What do you want, Dad?" he asked, as he walked through the bathroom door.

"Ricky, seeing you're the smallest, I need you to get me two pair of your underpants and two tee-shirts, once each for Cole and Graham. We'll have to run their clothes through the washer tomorrow. It's too late to do that now."

Ricky did as I asked, without complaint, and quickly retrieved the garments, while I bathed the boys. He brought them in and set the items on the edge of the sink, while I finished up. Needless to say, the water was disgusting looking when I finished, but it helped me to discover the boys were more handsome than I had first thought. Now that we had removed most of the dirt, I could begin to see they were both quite adorable, even in this emaciated state. If it weren't for their skeletal build, I would have thought they were as cute as two frisky puppies, freshly cleaned and adorned with a red bow. However, they weren't completely clean yet, so I drained the tub, rinsed it out and refilled it with fresh water, to finish the job.

Once I felt they were as clean as I was going to be able to get them, I took another good look at them and will describe them for you. Cole is about 5' [1.52 m] tall, while Graham is closer to 4' 9" [1.48 m], and it would be possible to count every rib on each of their frail bodies, if I were so inclined. Cole's hair had most likely been very blond when he was younger, but it was darkening, now, as he got older. His hair was cut short and parted on the left, while Graham had dark brown hair, quite thick and bushy, and it was parted on the right. Both boys had brown eyes – a deep piercing kind of brown. However, my biggest surprised came when I got to inspect their boyhood.

Cole had a very well formed 4.5" [11.5 cm] cut penis with a nice ring of blondish pubic hairs at its base, although there were a couple of bald patches mixed in. Graham's organ, on the other hand, was about 3.5" [9 cm] long, uncut, but he also had a couple of dark pubes resting above his prick. What surprised me the most was not that he was reaching puberty, but that one of the brothers was circumcised and the other was not! It would be a few more weeks before I learned the reason for this. Cole told me later that his father had been in the military when they were both born. Cole had been delivered at the army hospital at Ft. Dix, New Jersey, but Graham had been born while they lived in Germany. Graham happened to arrive three weeks early, while their dad was on leave and the family was out sightseeing. When his mother went into labor, she developed problems and they weren't able to get back to the base in time. That's why Graham was born in a German hospital. Seeing circumcision is not as routine a procedure there, as it is in the States, Graham went uncircumcised and his parents opted not to have it done later. Thus, one was and one wasn't cut.

After their bath, I dressed both of the boys as best I could. Ricky's underwear fit Cole fairly well, but it was very loose on Graham's small frame, so he ended up having to hold his briefs in place. I then took both boys into my room and placed them on my bed. They would sleep in with me tonight, since there was a temporary shortage of empty beds left to accommodate them. I'll make sure to go out and pick up more tomorrow. In the mean time, my king-size bed would be more than adequate to accommodate us all. Besides, that way I would also be able to monitor them, in case they have any adverse reaction to being in a strange place tonight. In fact, I may just have them stay with me for a while longer, until they more fully recover. I'll make sure they have their own rooms and beds, once they're stronger.

After tucking them in, I left for a while, to go down and spend some time with the others. I felt this would give us some private time, where we could discuss our latest arrivals. I was certain the boys had plenty of questions they were dying to ask and they did. After answering their queries as best I could, they seemed shocked that adults could have been so heartless, but were better prepared to accept Cole and Graham's circumstances. I thanked them for their understanding and praised them about how they had been with the boys earlier, before I left them again, to go back and spend time with our newest additions.

I stripped down to my underwear and snuggled in with my two little waifs. I chose to lie between them, so I could hold them both as close to me as I could tonight. I wanted each of them to understand they were now in a place where they were loved, wanted and would be cared for.

Saturday morning, I asked Cole and Graham what kind of cereal they wanted for breakfast. They looked at each other and then shrugged their shoulders at me. "Come on, what's your favorite kind. If we don't already have it here, I'll go out and get some for you," I urged, hoping this would get me an answer.

"But we don't know," Cole answered, looking a little scared and confused.

"You don't know what?" I asked in return, somewhat befuddled by his reply.

"We don't know what kind of cereal we like, because… because we've never had cereal before," he now admitted, while looking a little sheepish about divulging this fact.

"You've never had any cereal at all?" I pressed, thinking maybe he had misunderstood my question.

"Not that I remember," he responded.

"Then what did you eat for breakfast?"

"If we had anything at all, it was usually just some toast with butter on it," Cole informed me.

"And that's all you ever ate in the morning?" I countered.

"Well, one time we did have some cold spaghetti I found in the fridge and another time we shared a piece of pizza that was still in the box on the table when we got up," he added.

The other boys overheard our conversation and I could read the reactions on their faces. I judged their response to be a mixture of sadness, shock and even anger, after learning how deprived these two had been. Without any coaxing from me, they began pulling out all of the different cereal boxes from our pantry and tried to explain what each tasted like, which isn't an easy task. When they found they weren't being successful, they pulled out two bowls, filled them with milk and then dumped in a small sample of one of the cereals, so the two boys could try it for themselves.

One by one, the boys patiently went through the various types, so by the time Cole and Graham finished tasting a cross sampling of the various boxes, they were already full. However, the process was not without its benefits. Along the way, the two boys had discovered a couple of different cereals they were particularly fond of and had even asked for a second small helping of each. Next time, they would be prepared to make their choice, without hesitation.

As the other boys began to eat as well, they began pouring themselves glasses of orange juice to go along with their meal. That was when we also discovered Cole and Graham had never tasted orange juice either. As I was pouring each of them a small glass, I wondered what the other boys thought about this news, on top of everything else they had heard. I know I was beginning to feel that I'd like to go out and locate their mother, so I could wring her selfish neck.

Chapter 35
Our Family Melds

After breakfast, I asked Kevin and Ricky to watch the two younger boys for a while, so I could take Danny and Dustin to help me cruise garage sales. I was glad we had today free, so we'd be able to do this. Following leads we found in the classified ads section of our local paper, we stopped at a couple of dozen places and eventually purchased a double bed, a single bed and two dressers. They were actually in pretty good shape, which kind of surprised me. I'd never been the garage sale kind of guy; since I felt that people would only be getting rid of the junk they no longer wanted. However, one of the garage sales was the result of a family moving out of the area and they felt it would be cheaper and easier to buy new things, rather than pay to move their old stuff. Another of these sales was being held by a man whose wife had recently passed away, and whose children were grown and not living at home, so he was getting rid of almost everything, so he could move into a smaller place. I was quite pleased with what we found.

After we loaded all of these items into the van, we went straight home and the boys helped me carry everything into the family room, until we decided where to put them later. Then I took my two helpers back out, this time to cruise a furniture store, where we bought new mattresses and box springs for each of the beds. Even if I got a good deal on the frames and dressers, I wasn't about to allow my boys to use mattresses that someone else had owned. Once we had those safely in the van, we drove home and unloaded our purchases, once again.

The four who had stayed behind had spent their time in the television room and never saw or heard us bring any of the items into the house. After we finished that chore, the three of us went in to join them and they were shocked to see we were back. As soon as the program they were watching ended, I addressed them.

"Cole and Graham. We're going to have to fix up a place for you, so you can have your own space. Would you boys prefer to stay together, in one room, or do you want a room of your own?"

They looked at each other and seemed to communicate without speaking. After a short pause, Graham turned toward me and answered for them. "Can we stay together? I don't want to be all alone."

"You certainly may," I quickly agreed. "We can put two of the single beds into one room or one big bed in that room. Which would you prefer?"

"You mean we can each have our own bed?" Cole asked, not sure he had heard correctly.

"Yes, if that's what you want."

"I think that would be great," Cole told me, before he turned toward his brother. "What do you think, Graham?"

"That would be okay," Graham stated, hesitantly, "as long as they're in the same room and not too far away from each other."

"That can be arranged," I assured him. "Now I just need to know what kinds of things you like, so I'll have some idea about how to decorate your new room?"

"I like animals," Graham replied eagerly, and then he giggled. It was an infectious laugh, which made the others giggle too.

"Dad, can I see you alone for a minute?" Danny interrupted. I knew he wouldn't do this without a good reason, so I agreed and excused myself, so I could go with him into my office. "Dad, why don't you show them my room? If they like it, I'll move into the front bedroom, next to Dustin and Kevin's room. I think I'm getting kind of old for the jungle room, anyway."

"That's an extremely generous offer, Danny, and very thoughtful," I told him. "Why don't you and I take them up and see what they think of it?" Danny grinned at my suggestion and eagerly nodded his head. Feeling a special glow within us, we went back to the television room, collected our two little wards and lead them upstairs, so they could see the bedroom in question. I explained that Danny had offered to let them have his room and would be happy to take another, if they liked it. Graham's eyes lit up the second he walked in and Cole's mouth fell open.

"If you like this room, you can move in here, just as soon as we fix up the other room for Danny," I told them

"You mean this would be our room?" Graham asked, still unwilling to believe it could possibly be true.

"Yes. You and Cole would share this room," I clarified.

"Wow, we've never had anything this nice before," Cole added, and then he looked at Danny. "Are you sure you want us to have this?"

"Yes, I do," Danny told them, while displaying a grin that showed nearly every tooth in his mouth. "I want my two new brothers to have the best room in the house." Both boys went over and wrapped their arms around their big brother. Once they had sufficiently thanked him, I spoke to him too.

"Danny, let's go down and look at that other bedroom," I suggested, once the boys broke their grip. The two little ones joined us, but they looked at Danny in disbelief, once they saw what the other room looked like.

"Danny," Cole said, "why do you want to give us the nice room and then move into this one. It looks like a girl's room."

"It does, now," I answered him, "but I'll have it fixed up and make it like new for Danny. It will look a lot better when we're done." Turning toward Danny, I continued. "I was thinking you might want to put the same type of walnut paneling on the bottom half, like we did in Dustin and Kevin's room, and I'll even give you the double bed that we picked up earlier. That will make it easier for you when Brandon stays over. What would you think of that?"

"I'd like that a lot, Dad," he agreed. "That will be perfect. I like how Dustin and Kevin's room turned out, but I don't want it exactly the same. Can I choose a different wallpaper pattern, since I'm really not fond of the one Dustin chose?"

"Of course you MAY," I added, with a wink. "That will be fine. Let's take a quick run to the store and see if we can find something you'd like. I'll call the contractor Tuesday and ask him when he can start."

Just to prove that Danny wouldn't be as bad off as they now suspected, we showed Cole and Graham Dustin and Kevin's room, explaining it had also looked like a girls room before we redecorated it. Somewhat relieved by the knowledge that Danny hadn't gotten gypped in the deal, the little ones followed us downstairs. I then informed the others what we were planning, so they could help keep an eye on the younger pair again. Now that everyone was up to date about what was going on, Danny and I went out and jumped into the van, eager to go pick out the wallpaper pattern for his new room.

Danny selected a very nice design – one that displayed the solar system and also dealt with space exploration. I kind of knew before then that Danny was a science buff, but this added another dimension to this fascinating young man. I never realized how much you could discover about a person, while just doing a little redecorating.

Before we retuned, we made another brief stop so I could purchase a couple of items for Cole and Graham. I bought them each a couple of pair of shorts, a couple of t-shirts, two sets of sweatpants and sweatshirts and some underwear. I made sure everything had elastic in it, which could expand as the boys put on weight, but I didn't want to get them too much, until they reached their normal weight.

When we returned home, I went out and lit the grill, since it was already getting late. I then took out the boneless chicken breasts, which had been marinating all day in the barbecue sauce, in preparation for cooking them. After putting them on the grill, I asked Cole and Graham if they thought they could eat chicken or if they wanted a hamburger or hot dog instead. The shocked me when they announced they each wanted a hot dog, but I accepted their request. I put those on the grill as well, while the older boys entertained their brothers. While our dinner was cooking, I also threw together a tossed salad and an Italian green bean salad, so the boys would have a balanced meal.

I made sure Cole and Graham each had a small piece of chicken too, thinking possibly they had never tried that either. However, I soon discovered they had, but they claimed it hadn't been as good as my barbecued bird. I wasn't sure if they were sincere or merely trying to make me feel good, after everything we'd done for them.

After we ate, I decided it would be fun to take all of the boys to see a movie. We got out the newspaper and studied the listing of what was showing, before discussing which movie we were going to see. The boys ended up selecting a Disney film, because they thought everyone would enjoy it, especially our two newest members. The boys raced out to the van, while urging me to move a little faster, and then I drove us to the theater. After buying our tickets and then some popcorn, candy and drinks for each of them, we went in to sit down. When the previews started, Graham's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets and he exclaimed, "Wow, that sure is a big television!" Needless to say, that's when it dawned upon us that neither boy had ever seen a movie that wasn't on TV.

After trying to get the other boys to politely stifle their laughs, I explained the difference between the two forms of media to Cole and Graham. They then told me they'd seen a couple of movies in school, but they weren't nearly as big as here, but most of the time they'd just watch videos on a television monitor. Sadden by this information, I sat and wondered how many other children in our area might never have experienced the thrill of the large screen. These thoughts were interrupted, however, when the movie began.

Cole and Graham sat transfixed and totally enthralled by the magical scene before them. I actually had more fun just sitting and observing them, rather than watching what the studio had put together. When the film ended, they were so wound up that they chattered, non-stop, all of the way home. I think we all enjoyed watching their excitement and listening to them telling us what they liked best, while reveling in their innocence. I think we each also shed a silent tear or two over the lost portion of their youth and the neglect they had endured. By the time we returned to our place, it was nearly bedtime and the older boys began their evening shower ritual.

Somehow, during the excitement of the day and their continuing comments about their evening, I didn't think to warn Cole and Graham about the boys' nightly activities. It wasn't until the parade of naked bodies began, that it even occurred to me.

"Hey, they're not wearing any clothes," Graham noted, before he began to giggle. Somehow, nudity is always a laughing matter with the little ones.

"Yes, they like to run around that way," I admitted. "I'm sorry I forgot to warn you that the boys prefer to remain naked after their showers, since they know they can only do this when we're alone. That also includes when a couple of their friends are here too. All other times when we have visitors, the nudie hour is strictly forbidden, unless I give special permission first. I hope this doesn't bother you and I want you to know that you don't have to go naked, if you don't want."

"Hey, look Cole," Graham squealed in delight, "Kevin's pee-pee is just like mine."

Kevin smiled and walked over to Graham. "That's right, little brother. I wasn't cut either and I've still got all of my skin." Kevin was prepared for this, since I had mentioned to him earlier that Graham was also uncircumcised. "When Jay comes over, you'll see that he's just like us, too."

"Who's Jay?" Graham asked, slightly confused.

"He's one of our good friends, who is really more like another brother," Ricky added. "He and Brandon will be coming over tomorrow afternoon and staying until Monday night. They stay here with us a lot and they like to run around without their clothes on, as well."

Cole looked at me. "Can we do it too? Please?" he whined.

"Sure, if you want to, but first let me give you your bath. Then you can run around nude for the rest of the night, if that's what you want."

Immediately, Cole and Graham made an attempt to pull me off the coach, signaling their desire to be able to enjoy this activity as quickly as they could. I gave them the fastest bath I had ever given to one of my children, since they weren't nearly as dirty as the previous night, and then dried them off. When we went back downstairs, everything went fine, at least as soon as the other boys got over the queasy feeling they felt from seeing how sickly the two little ones looked. Ricky was the most shaken by the sight of their unclothed forms. Even though he had seen them briefly the night before, being able to count nearly every bone in their body was just too much for him.

"How could parents not feed such cute kids?" he whispered in my ear. "The cops should lock those parents in a cage and feed them only once a week. Maybe that would teach them what those two must have gone through and what it felt like."

"I doubt it," I replied, shaking my head. "Their mother and her boyfriend were into the booze so badly that nothing else mattered to them. It would probably take much more than missing a few meals for them to learn any lesson." I happened to look up at Kevin at that moment and saw that tears beginning to pool in his eyes. Excusing myself from Ricky, I walked over to him to see if I could help him in some way.

"What's up, big guy?" I asked, in an effort to break the ice.

"I was just thinking about how I'd felt sorry for myself, after what happened between me and my dad. I thought I had it bad, but it was nowhere near as bad as they had it. At least my folks fed me. Looking at them, I feel like a big baby for feeling so sorry for myself." I gave him a hug, as the first measure to reassure him.

"You did nothing wrong and it's only human to feel sad when things get as bad as they were for you," I told him. "Just be glad they'll never have to worry about being hungry or lonely again, at least as long as they live here." Kevin turned, hugged me and kissed me, full on the lips. That alone shocked the hell out of me.

"I love you, Dad," he gushed, after removing his lips from mine. "We all love you very much. Thank you for everything, because who knows what would have happened, if you hadn't been there for us." I couldn't think of a response, and I was too choked up to speak, even if I had, so I just stood there and hugged him tighter.

That night I lay awake for longer than normal, not because of any problems or because I was troubled about what the boys had endured before they came to me. It was because I was appreciating the fact that my life was now full and I knew I was truly, and deeply, loved.

Sunday, Brandon, Jay and their parents arrived shortly after lunch. We were planning the cookout for dinner, but I wanted to spend as much time with everyone as we could. As a precaution, Danny and Ricky had called and warned all of them about Cole and Graham, because they didn't want them to be shocked when they saw the boys. As they got out of their cars, none of them let their reactions betray how they actually felt, when they saw how our two newest family members looked. After making the formal introductions, the boys stayed outside to play, while I led the adults indoors. After offering them all a drink, we moved back outside to watch the boys and get acquainted.

Sally arrived just as we were seating ourselves around the picnic tables, so I made quick introductions and explained Sally's vital connection to us. I then took her drink order, went in and got what she wanted, and returned to join in the discussion. As we talked, we also watched the boys enjoying themselves.

One of my sons had grabbed the old rubber playground ball I had lying around and brought it out so they could play kickball, instead of soccer. They figured both Cole and Graham would know that game, since it is a playground and summer activity staple, and it would allow them to participate with everyone else. I was appreciative that the boys took time to think about the two younger ones and proud as I watch how they dealt with their weakened condition. To level the playing field, the older boys made several intentional fielding errors, although they were good enough actors so Cole and Graham didn't catch on, yet it made both of them feel better about themselves.

We all got a kick out of watching the boys enjoy themselves, but I was particularly proud as I watched my eight sons having such a good time. Yes, I absolutely consider Brandon and Jay my sons too, even though I would never do anything to interfere with their relationship with their own parents. After the boys finished their game, I was pleased to see Cole and Graham laughing and joking with the others, totally enjoying themselves and bonding with their brothers.

Now that the game had ended, Cole and Graham came running over to where I was sitting and filled me in on everything they thought I had missed. They were so excited about what had happened and it was evident they felt like they were officially part of our family. After listening to each of them recall his exploits, I left the boys to do whatever they were planning next.

We adults also continued to enjoy ourselves and I fixed everyone a new drink, since we had all finished what we had. As we chatted, we began to gain a better insight into each other and both sets of parents were happy to fill Sally in about why they allowed their sons to spend so much time with us. Although I surmised she was already well aware about what they were going to say, I do think she discovered a few small surprises along the way. During these discussions, we also got to know each other better and felt closer as the minutes passed.

As it approached dinnertime, I went inside to get the steaks, so I could throw them on the grill. The fathers stood around the grill chatting with me, while the ladies stayed at the picnic table and continued to chitchat with each other. After leaving both fathers to keep an eye on the steaks, I went back into the house, to start dragging out the other items, including the salads. As they saw me pass by and realized what I was doing, the ladies followed me inside, to lend a helping hand.

"Josh, you have a lovely place here," Audrey Curtis told me, as she looked around. "How do you keep it looking so nice… and so clean, with all of your sons? I didn't think a man on his own could do so well, because I'm sure my home would look like a pig sty, if my husband and son were left alone for any length of time."

Brenda tittered and agreed with her. "Same with my pair," she concurred.

"Thank you for your compliment," I offered, sincerely, "but I couldn't do this without the boys' help. They do a great deal to make sure this place looks nice when their friends come over."

"How in the world do you do it?" Audrey asked. "You'll have to share your secret with me."

"With me too," Brenda added, while Sally merely stood off to the side with that 'I told you so' look on her face.

Once we had lugged everything outdoors, we called the boys over to eat, after Pat and Howie informed me the steaks were done. Cole and Graham were each hesitant to take any steak and just put some salad and chips on their plate, before sitting down. Noticing this, Danny and Kevin moved over to sit beside the two boys and cut up several smaller pieces from their steaks and placed it on the younger boys' plates, urging them to try it. Somewhat reluctantly, both boys did and soon discovered they liked it. I should have realized their hesitation was due to the fact that they'd never had steak before either.

Seeing what the older pair had done, I picked up the platter with the remaining steaks and cut one in half, before giving one half to Danny and the other to Kevin, to replace what they'd so unselfishly shared with their brothers. Then I cut up the final one, and split it between Cole and Graham. I think the other adults had noticed what the boys had done too, because they were looking at them with great admiration, as I went back to sit down.

After dinner, the boys offered to do the cleanup, and they did a good job too. Even Jay and Brandon pitched in to help, which nearly floored their parents. "Josh, you've really got to share your secret with us," Brenda teased me. "Brandon never does that at home."

"And I didn't think Jay had ever scraped off or rinsed a dish off before, until I saw him do it here," Audrey added. "I think I want him spending more time around you and your sons, if you're going to rub off on him like that." After we all laughed at her comment, we decided to move the party inside.

The boys dug out some board games and set them up, one on the dining room table and the other on the card table they had set up in the living room. Once again, the older boys made sure to invite Cole and Graham to join them, but this time they also included the rest of us in on these activities. Some of us chose to play Monopoly in the dining room, while the others played Life in the living room. I think everyone had a good time.

When the games finished, Sally and both set of parents announced it was time for them to leave. After saying good-bye to the rest of us, they headed out to their cars and drove off. However, before they did, they thanked all of us for the wonderful time and the mothers kissed their sons good night, while their fathers reminded them to behave. How typical.

Once the other adults had departed, the shower brigade began. I bathed the two little ones again and then they insisted on parading around the house in their birthday suits. When Jay finished his shower, he saw them and got very excited.

"All right!" he shouted. "We've got another one who's not cut." Graham looked at Jay and smiled, knowing that Jay was referring to him.

"Yep, you're just like me and Kevy," Graham responded, with an obvious feeling of pride. It wasn't quite even in numbers yet, but there were three uncircumcised boys out of the eight. As I looked around the room and watched them interact, I came to a conclusion. I'm definitely going to have a couple of signs made for the foyer. I'll talk to my contractor Tuesday, when I have him come to measure for redecorating Danny's bedroom. I want one to read, 'The Castaway Hotel,' and a smaller one to add, 'and Nudist Colony.'

Chapter 36
Kevin's Big Day

When Labor Day arrived, I ran out early to pick up Kevin's birthday cake, so things would be set before everyone else arrived. I also fixed macaroni and potato salads for this get together too, besides purchasing all kinds of snack foods and drinks, knowing they all went together nicely with the hamburgers, hot dogs and sausages I'd be preparing to go along with them.

Beside Mrs. Swarthout, Kevin had invited six other friends and his guests were already beginning to arrive. Once everyone was there, the boys played soccer in the yard and even allowed Cole and Graham to play, but on opposite teams. I was impressed as I watched that the older boys, including their friends, made sure the little ones each had a chance to kick a goal. Our newest additions were thrilled by their total acceptance by all of the others and were amazed that the big boys would even kick the ball to them, from time to time.

Jay and Brandon's parents showed up while the boys were playing their game, so I fixed all of us drinks and we sat down to watch them. About an hour later, I fired up the grill and put the uncooked meat, salads and soda on ice on a table along the outer family room wall, in preparation for them getting hungry. I informed everyone that they just had to place their orders when they were ready and I would do the rest.

All day long, there was a constant stream of hungry young men headed my way and it seemed as if I was always tossing something more onto the grill. Pat and Howie were more than eager to help me, so I gratefully accepted their assistance. When I was sure everyone was full, I called them back to the picnic tables again, so we could have the cake and ice cream.

We lit the cake and I led everyone in singing 'Happy Birthday' to him. I think Kevin was a little embarrassed by this to begin with, but after his friends got into it and embellished a second chorus on their own, he began to lighten up. I then had him cut the cake and Sally, Brenda and Audrey helped me pass out the sweets, making sure each boy got a very healthy portion.

Once everyone had finished eating, I had Kevin open his presents. I gave him (from his brothers and me) a new pair of soccer cleats, a CD player he could put in his room, a couple of CD's that he had mentioned he wanted, a thin gold chain and some additional clothes. I think his friends were impressed, and possibly even a little jealous of his haul. He also got some nice gifts from the others too, including Sally's traditional gift to the boys, which was greatly appreciated.

Around 8:00, everyone started to head home, since the boys had school the next day and the adults had to work. Kevin thanked them all for their gifts and for coming, and once everyone had departed, I sent my boys in to prepare for bed. Tomorrow, I would have to enroll Cole and Graham at my school, as Cole was in seventh grade and Graham was in sixth. If you remember, my school is a 5-8 building. They would be attending there this year with Ricky and Jay, who were both in eighth grade.

When I went to bed, later that evening, Cole and Graham had already fallen asleep. A little while later, there was a knock on my door, so I opened it and found Kevin standing there. "What's the matter – can't you sleep?" I asked him.

"Yes, I slept for a while, but I need to talk to you, if you don't mind," he stated, not looking quite as exuberant as I had seen him earlier.

"Okay, let's go down stairs and we could chat there." Once we were both comfortable, I asked, "What's bothering you?"

"First, I want to thank you for today," he told me, and I could tell he meant what he said.

"Thank you and you're welcome," I responded, "but I have a feeling there is something more than that you wish to say." He nodded.

"There is," he agreed. "I was asking Danny and Brandon some questions earlier, because I needed their advice. I know they're both gay and figured they might be able to help me. I asked them if they'd ever screwed each other and they told me they had. When I starting asking them questions about what it was like, they told me you actually taught them how to do it." There was a lengthy pause at this point, as he studied my reaction. "You know, today was really terrific, the birthday party and all, but there was one thing that I didn't get, that I really, really wanted. It is something that would make the day completely perfect. I want to have real sex." I raised my eyebrows, after hearing his announcement.

"And have you thought who you want to do this with?" I asked him, somewhat reluctantly. I was afraid as to how he was going to respond.

"Well, I'm not sure Dustin would be willing to do anything like that, since he keeps telling me he's really straight and all, and I don't want to interfere between Danny and Brandon. So if Dustin won't do it with me, I was kind of thinking maybe you would." He looked hopeful, yet slightly concerned about how I was going to react to his proposal.

Since I didn't want what I said to be taken the wrong way, I thought out my response carefully and took a minute before I answered. I certainly didn't want to hurt his feelings or discourage him from coming to me about other things later. Finally, I felt ready to answer him.

"Kevin, first of all, are you really sure you're ready for this? I told the other boys that they should be in love with the one they give themselves to, especially the first time. This is a really big step, you know."

"I know and I know I love all of you, so what's the problem?" he asked, a little confused.

"Yes, you love us, but I don't think you are IN love with any of us. That's the difference," I correct him. "To commit yourself to the ultimate act of love, I really feel that you should be IN love with the person you are consummating this act with."

"What's the difference?" he asked, sincerely, with an uncomprehending expression covering his face.

"Well, throughout your life you will love many people. You will love your parents, your siblings, other relatives and even some friends. There may also be others that you love, but when you're in love, that means you love the other person so deeply that you are willing to commit yourself totally to him, and him alone. This means you don't just casually love him, but you want to be with him as much as possible, share your entire life with him in every meaningful way and you will do anything in your power to ensure that person's happiness. That's a big commitment, so you have to be certain when you do it. I'm not sure if most people understand the depth of such a commitment and maybe that is why so many relationships end prematurely.

"Wow, you make it sound like such a big deal," he stated, dryly.

"It is a big deal, as I tried to show you," I emphasized. "Having intercourse shouldn't be like playing ball. You don't just grab a friend and go out and do it. As I said, it should be done with someone you really love. If you want to experiment with masturbation and oral sex with others beforehand, that would be okay, but to give yourself completely like that should only be done with a commitment."

"Even if I just want to see what it's like?" he asked.

"I would say yes to that question," I informed him, "although I know many from both of our peer groups think that is an old-fashion and outdated view of morality."

"But what if I just wanted to learn how to do it right, so when I do fall in love, I'll know what I'm doing?" he wanted to know, and I did have to agree he had a point worth considering. I remembered my first time – it was awkward and I was somewhat inept. I think I may have almost even lost my first true love, because of my lack of sexual knowledge. She was very tight and I didn't even know about using lubricants, so I hurt her, I think worse than she let me know, with my pitiful attempt. Maybe he had a valid point here.

"Okay, I'll do this," I advised him, seeing him perk up from my hopeful tone. "I'll help you, if you find a willing partner, but I won't be the one to do it with you. Okay?"

"But who else can I ask?" he asked, almost in a whine.

"You're close to Dustin, so why don't you ask him?"

"I like Dustin, Dad, I really do, but I don't think he likes me in the same way. Besides, I'm not sure he'd be the right one for this, especially since I don't think he's even gay."

"I thought since the two of you already messed around together, he might be willing to make an exception," I countered, thinking he was making this excuse so he could convince me to do it with him.

"Nah, he just likes to get off and only does it to me, so I'll do it for him. I don't think he'd ever let anyone touch his butt that way and I'm pretty sure he wouldn't want to do that with another guy."

"Well, you won't know unless you ask," I challenged him.

"That may be," he agreed, "but I'm positive he won't want to do it, especially with you in the room showing us what to do. Danny and Brandon told me a little about that." I had to concede he was probably right there.

"Then I'd suggest you ask Danny," I offered, attempting to give him another option. "He has the experience and he's very sensitive to the other person's needs. He'd be the perfect one for your first time."

"But won't that mess things up for him and Brandon?" Kevin asked, trying to find a reason not to follow my suggestion.

"I think Brandon would understand that Danny was only doing it to help you and that you were no challenge to their relationship," I responded, reading his disappointment as I did so.

"Then you won't do it with me?"

"No, Kevin. It wouldn't be right and I could lose everything, including all of you boys, if anyone found out," I replied.

"But I'd never tell," he insisted.

"I know you wouldn't do it intentionally," I assured him, "but even a slip of the tongue could make the authorities take all you boys away from me, and I couldn't continue to live, if that ever happened. I still love you, but doing that wouldn't be in either of our best interest. If you decide when you're of legal age that you might want to try something with me, then we can discuss it again later. I hope you understand that I'm not refusing you because I don't love you, because I do. I love you so much that I'm turning down a chance at gratifying my own sexual needs, so I make sure that I don't jeopardize us as a family. I hope you understand this."

"I do," he assured me. "I don't agree with you, but I understand why you're saying no and won't keep pestering you about it. Danny and Brandon kind of warned me you wouldn't give in about this, when I told them what I planned to do. I don't know how they knew, other than they've known you longer and must know how you think. I've learned to trust you too and know that you're only doing this because you think it's best for both of us. I guess maybe I will ask Danny, then."

"Good. I'm glad it's settled," I added, relieved.

"Thanks for talking this over with me, Dad," he told me, and I knew he meant what he said. "I really appreciate your help, even if it didn't turn out the way I wanted it to. I'll go ask Danny if he'd be willing to help me, instead. Thanks again."

Having said that, we went back upstairs and Kevin went down the hall to Danny's room. After I heard him knock on Danny's door, it wasn't long before I heard Danny say "Sure!" and the door to his room closed behind the two of them. I was certain Kevin would learn what he wanted to know and was in capable hands.

Now that they were alone and it was clear what Kevin wanted from this experience, Danny pulled Kevin to him and engulfed his lips with a very passionate kiss. Danny's lips were warm and sweet and Kevin eagerly took to this new activity. Dustin was never willing to do any kissing, even though Kevin had suggested it once or twice, but Dustin let him know, in no uncertain terms, that open-mouth kissing with another guy was simply out of the question.

Kevin was so eager to learn that he quickly became aggressive, in fact so aggressive that Danny thought Kevin might rip his lip from his face. After several unsuccessful attempts to get him under control, Danny finally calmed him down enough to show him how soft, sweet and satisfying a slow, sensual kiss could be.

Now that he was no longer worried about an accident, Danny slipped his tongue into Kevin's mouth and deftly explored that inner-sanctum. Over the next several minutes, they took turns exploring each other's oral cavern, patiently discovering the textures, tastes and how the other responded as these sensitive areas were delved. Suddenly, Kevin became very excited again, since he was enjoying what he was doing, and this caused Danny to wonder if Kevin was trying to crawl down his throat. This kid was sure hot to trot and horny as hell.

Danny knew he had to get Kevin to back off a little, or he'd suffocate Danny or blow his load in his jeans, before they even got undressed. In order to cool Kevin down a bit, Danny cautiously pulled away from Kevin's mouth and slid down to his neck, showing Kevin how exploring this area could also bring immense pleasure to him. Under Danny's deft ministrations, Kevin began to moan and squirm, doing a surreal, yet spasmodic dance of appreciation.

Danny was appreciative of how playing sports had really helped to develop Kevin's body. Kevin had a well-proportioned chest for someone his age, a nice swimmers build and an obvious start of a six-pack, but it was as smooth and hairless as a baby's bottom. Eagerly, Danny moved on to Kevin's small nipples, with their little nubs standing proudly out for his attention. Lovingly, Danny bathed those light-brown patches with his tongue, before giving them some much needed attention.

He suckled on them, as if he were trying to withdraw the imaginary milk from his glands. After giving both nipples equal attention, Danny slid further down Kevin's chest, tenderly kissing and licking his way down to Kevin's navel. He ran his tongue in and around the bellybutton, exploring it as thoroughly as he had the other areas, and then he moved on, toward Kevin's groin.

Danny suddenly realized Kevin had very little pubic hair for a guy his age, as he ran his face and tongue through the raised mound above his target. He was certain he must have noticed it before, since they'd all run around the house naked, but for the first time he became aware that there was only a tiny ring of dark brown pubes, running around the base of Kevin's cock. These few hairs didn't stray more than a half an inch from Kevin's organ, but it wasn't really that big of a deal. Danny knew they would come in at their own rate and in their own good time.

Danny now moved past his cock and focused on the tight scrotum that hung below it. He lathed Kevin's ball sac, running his oral muscle over the surface of that thin covering, but he didn't suck on either of Kevin's gonads, for fear he might do harm to the damaged testicle. Instead, he headed even lower and licked and stroked the sensitive spot between Kevin's ball bag and his rectum. This caused Kevin to involuntarily thrust his hips several times, followed by a few guttural gasps and groans.

Satisfied with Kevin's reaction to his efforts, Danny moved upward again, until he was once more re-examining Kevin's ball sac with his tongue. After just a few seconds of that action, he licked his way up and around Kevin's straining peter.

As he worked his way up the shaft, Danny also played with Kevin's precious hood, both with his fingers and his tongue. After slipping the foreskin back and forth several times, making certain that it pulled back easily and exposed the dark-red crown, Danny licked around the base of his helmet, filling Kevin with more pleasurable sensations. Moving on to the tip, he eagerly licked off the small collection of pre-cum oozing from the slit, eliciting a new round of appreciative moans from his partner. Without any further encouragement, Danny slipped his mouth over the mushroom head and let his lips glide down his partner's boner, easily swallowing the entire member.

Lovingly, he raised and lowered his head, while keeping his lips and tongue pressed securely against the rigid shaft, so he could apply the maximum suction. Kevin's hips began bucking upward, like a colt when it's being broken for the first time, and Danny realized Kevin wasn't going to last very long. Wishing to give his partner immediate and maximum enjoyment, Danny bobbed even faster on Kevin's rod, as he tickled Kevin's nut sac with his free hand. Kevin thrust twice more, before burying his erection deep into Danny's throat, and left it planted there, as his body shuddered. Danny then felt him unleash several healthy blasts of his sweet tasting cream. Danny continued to drain him, until there was nothing left, and then he reluctantly released his sweet meat. He kissed Kevin again and again, while giving him the time he needed to recover from such a powerful orgasm.

"Damn, Danny. It was never that good with Dustin," Kevin admitted, breathlessly. "That had to be the biggest wad I've ever unloaded. That was intense. It's never been that good before." He smiled at Danny, as he pulled him up for another kiss. Danny opened his mouth, so Kevin could sample his own, unique flavor. When they finally broke their kiss, Danny reached into the nightstand and retrieved a tube of KY.

"Are you still sure you want to do this?" Danny asked, giving Kevin a chance to change his mind. "You have to be sure, or we'll just forget about it."

"No way, Jose. You're not leaving me now," he protested. "I've waited far too long for this already."

Feeling that Kevin knew what he wanted, Danny spread some of the gel on his fingers and started to grease up Kevin's little pink hole. First, he applied the KY around the entire outer surface of the virgin rosebud, and then added another large dab to lubricate the inner ring. Danny advised Kevin to take a deep breath and relax, before suggesting that he continue to breath deeply and bear down a little, as he applied pressure to the entrance with his social finger. There wasn't a great deal of resistance and the finger slid in, so Danny moved it as far in as it would go, before maneuvering it around Kevin's unexplored tunnel.

After letting him adjust to the intruder, Danny began to thrust that finger in and out of Kevin's passageway, gradually stretching and breaking in Kevin's virginal chute. With great care, Danny slipped in a second, and then a third finger inside him, taking time to move them about in all directions, to ensure Kevin was stretched enough to accommodate his pole easily.

"Do you think you're ready Kevin?" Danny inquired, while continuing his digital probing.

"Yeah, Danny. Go ahead," he agreed. "It's felt pretty good so far and I can't wait to feel all of you inside of me."

"Okay. Just relax then," Danny urged. "Breathe deeply and push down, like you did before, as I get ready to enter you. It may hurt a little at first, but I'll try to go slow, so it won't hurt too badly. Eventually, whatever pain you feel should disappear and then you should start enjoying the ride."

"Thanks, Danny," he consented. "You can go ahead and do it now."

Danny had been greasing up his love tool as they discussed this final step, and now he lined it up with Kevin's entrance way. Danny touched the wrinkled opening with his knob and pushed gradually harder, until the head popped in. Having worked his way past the resilient ring, he waited for Kevin to adjust and signal him to continue. Upon hearing Kevin's words to keep going, Danny slowly inched his sausage down Kevin's passage, while giving him a few seconds to adjust after every inch or so more. After Danny was completely in, he asked Kevin how he was doing, and Kevin just smiled and said, "fine."

Having been given the go ahead, Danny began to thrust in and out, stroking Kevin with a nice easy rhythm. Once he was on autopilot, Danny bent over and kissed Kevin's full, luscious lips, while continuing to work his joystick back and forth in that extremely tight chute. Kevin's warm, moist lining felt like satin and surrounded Danny's mast, engulfing him in pure bliss. Danny kept his rhythm steady and got a kick out of listening to Kevin whimper, each time his penis brushed Kevin's prostate. Danny was enjoying this immensely and could tell Kevin was enjoying it just as much.

Instinctively, Danny began to quicken his pace, once he felt his juices begin to do the slow boil. Now, he was humping Kevin with shorter, quicker strokes, knowing it wouldn't be long before he'd be releasing his geyser of love. Reflexively, Danny's body stiffened, as he rammed his big-boy home, one final time. As his reward, he relinquished several waves of hot man spunk into his partner's love canal, which caused Kevin to relinquish a little yelp. This was his reaction to the surprising feeling, as the hot seed splash his interior for the first time. Appreciatively, Kevin wrapped his arms around Danny's waist and held tightly onto him, maintaining this death grip around Danny's midsection for several more minutes. He didn't want this moment to end and tried to keep Danny locked inside him forever, but Danny penis eventually began to grow limp and withdraw on its own.

As Kevin slowly climbed back down from the top of this mountain of sexual pleasure, Danny lay drained. He was so exhausted that he could barely move. All of Danny's strength seemed to have been released along with his load, leaving him feeling like a wet washrag. Finally, Danny began to recover and rolled off of Kevin, until he was sprawled out beside Kevin's heaving chest.

"Oh man, that was better than I thought it would be," Kevin gasped. "I knew I wanted to do it and now I know why. That was absolutely terrific, Danny. I don't think I could ever thank you enough for what you did for me tonight."

"Thank me? I should be thanking you, Kevin," Danny responded. "You were great too. I'm glad you asked me to be the one to do that with you." With that said, Kevin rolled over, on top of Danny and plied Danny's face with numerous kisses. Eventually, Kevin gave Danny one final kiss and then left, returning to spend the rest of the night in his own room. Throughout the evening, they each spent many blissful minutes recounting their special time together, while enjoying a totally refreshing night's rest.

Chapter 37
A Bump In the Road of Life

Although the boys' transition from their previous lives to living as part of our new family had been basically without incident, it didn't mean there weren't any problems. This became quite evident the week after Labor Day, when we suffered our first, major school incident. It occurred when Danny was walking down the hall at the high school, while speaking with Brandon. They were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't even notice when they strolled past one of Brandon's old nemeses. He just happened to be walking in the opposite direction, as they made their way to their next class. However, the boy didn't miss seeing them and immediately stopped and turned toward them.

"Hey, I see our little fag's got a new boyfriend," the young man announced, loudly enough for everyone else in the hallway to hear. He wanted to make sure he drew their attention to the pair. The boys tried to ignore him and keep walking, but the kid persisted. "Why don't you give your lover boy a big sloppy kiss, so everyone can see how fucking fairies make out."

That immediately drew a response from Danny, who couldn't ignore such a blatant insult. "Why don't you go to hell," Danny shot back, extremely agitated. He was especially bothered by the boy's smug arrogance, which seemed to grow after he noticed he was gaining an audience to listen to his bigoted ranting.

"Oooooh, did I hit a sore spot," he teased, hoping his comment would cause Danny to back down and prove that all gays were wussies.

"Look, asshole, we're not bothering you, so fuck off and get lost," Danny shot back, while taking up a defiant stance in front of him. He hoped this kid would see he meant business and just walk away, like most bullies do when they don't have a supporting cast behind them.

"Well, a faggot with balls, how unusual," he smirked, "because your boyfriend never seemed to have a pair."

"And what makes you think either of us is gay?" Danny challenged him. "Do you have a proof or any witnesses to back up your big mouth?"

"I don't need any proof or I certainly don't need anyone else to convince me about what I can see," the boy barked back. "Everyone around here knows he's gay, just from watching how he talks, moves and acts."

"And everyone knows you're a fucking asshole," Danny shot back, "and the proof of that is how you've been carrying on for the last few fucking minutes. Now, go crawl back under that rock you came out from under, before I lose my temper."

"Is that the best you can come up with?" the young man challenged, in an effort to mock Danny.

"No, and you'll find out what I'm capable of, if you continue your shit," Danny warned him. "I suggested you get out of here, before you regret your big mouth and small brain."

"Oh, I'm scared. I think you're all talk," the boy taunted. "You may be brave with words, but I still think you're all talk and no action."

"Then you're even dumber than you look," Danny retorted, hoping this insults would be enough. "I'm warning you to shut up and keep moving, before I do something you'll regret."

"Oh, and what are you limp-wristed gay boys going to do to stop me?" the boy challenged, but obviously without quite the same amount of bluster he had displayed previously.

"Something that you may not be ready for," Danny warned, just before he smashed his right fist squarely into the middle of the kid's face, knocking him on his ass. As the bully lay sprawled out on the cold tiled floor, Danny moved forward quickly, straddled his chest and grabbed him by his shirt, so he could drag the loudmouth's upper body toward him. "If I ever hear you say anything like that again, I won't stop beating your sorry ass until you aren't able to get back up, even with help."

At that moment, a teacher came out of his room, to see what all the noise and commotion was about. He got there just in time to see Danny holding the shirt of the boy who was bleeding profusely from his nose and mouth. The teacher immediately took hold of both boys and announced he was escorting them to the principal's office.

A crowd of students followed them there, and once in the principal's office, Danny stated his case, while the other boy was taken to the nurse's office to be tended to. While he was away, the principal also questioned several of the students who had witnessed the incident and then followed the boys to his office, as they were interested to see what was going to happen next. Most of them were eager to support Danny's account of the story, especially Brandon, but the principal still wasn't about to condone the physical assault on another student. That's why I received a phone call, a few minutes later.

It was brief and too the point. I was told my son had been in a fight and had hurt another young man, but I wasn't given any other details. Even though I felt this was totally out of character for Danny, I knew I had to go there to discover the rest of the story. I hurriedly arranged for coverage, confidently relying upon my secretary and the assistant principal to pick up the slack while I was out. I drove directly to the high school, parked in a 'visitor's' parking space and walked as quickly as I could to the principal's office.

When I got there, everyone was still seated around the principal's desk, including the other boy. He had gauze stuffed up his nose and his shirt was still covered in blood, but he wasn't quite what I expected. He was taller than Danny and weighed considerably more, although much of it was flab, rather than muscle. Looking at the young man, I began to wonder if I had underestimated Danny's physical attributes and his potential to harm someone else, if he so desired.

After listening to the principal, and then to the teacher who had brought both boys to the office, the other boy was given a chance to speak. He told me, in very nasal tones, that Danny had sucker punched him, for no reason. Hearing his altered speech, which was caused by the gauze pads protruding from his nose, almost made me chuckle. He sounded as if he were the main speaking part in a 'cold' commercial, where the poor ailing victim asked the pharmacist where the cold medicine was located, but the severity of the charges prevented me from bursting out in laughter.

Once the other boy had finished, Danny was given a chance to tell me his side of the story. He told me precisely what happened, directly contradicting what that other young man had said. I was impressed that he never hesitated in accepting responsibility for his part in the fight, if you could call it that, and also willingly accepted his detentions, without a word of protest.

After Danny finished, the principal advised me that several other students, who had witnessed what had happened, had supported Danny's account of what had taken place. He said, other than the detentions, no further action would be taken against Danny. The other boy would serve the same amount of detention time, but they were waiting for one of his parents to arrive, since they had to also be called at work. I thanked him for his handling of the situation and then had Danny get his things, so he could go home with me. It was close enough to the end of the school day that I thought it would be best for him not to be the center of attention for what time was left.

As we walked to the car, I thought about how I was going to approach this with him when we got home, since neither of us said a word to the other after we left the principal's office. Although he had been provoked, I would make it clear to him that it still wasn't acceptable behavior to fight during school hours and on school grounds, no matter the reason. I think Danny was fearful about how I was going to respond once we were alone, because I saw him keep glancing at me, out of the corner of his eye, as we finished walking to the car and drove home. I went there, because I wanted some time alone with him, before we picked up the rest of the boys.

As we sat down in the living room, we began our discussion. "Danny, I can understand how you might lose your cool in such a situation, but that's still not an acceptable excuse for your behavior. I think you need to work on developing better self-restraint, so you can avoid similar situations in the future. Most of all, I sincerely hope you never display that kind of violence at home."

I think this comment totally shocked and hurt Danny. He looked up at me, through his sad, dark puppy-dog eyes, and spoke. "Dad, I'd never do anything like that, but this guys really pissed me off. He just wouldn't quit, even though I gave him several chances to shut up and walk away. Please, Dad, you can't blame me for this. I had to stand up to him or it would have gotten worse. If you don't stand up to guys like that, they and their buddies will just make your life a living hell. He's been doing that to Brandon forever."

"I understand, Danny, and I certainly don't blame you or love you any less now," I assured him. "I may be a little disappointed in your actions, but at the same time I'm proud of the way you stood up for your friend. I guess it's one of those times when I can't feel just one way or the other about what happened, but you can't continue to fight on school grounds."

"I know," he admitted, "but I'll bet he won't bother either of us again. And I bet the rest of those guys will think twice before they make a comment about us being gay."

I agreed and gave him a hug. I also doubted there would be any further incidences of this nature, now that everyone knew Danny also packed a hell of a wallop. "Danny, I just ask that if there is a next time, will you trying using your head to outwit whoever is bothering you, before resorting to your fists." A small grin broke out across his face.

"Sure, Dad, and thanks. I was so worried you might want me to leave after this, especially after you wouldn't speak to me on the way home. I was sure you were going to tell me to pack my things once we got here, while you called Aunt Sally."

"Never, Tiger. I will always love you and be there for you, even if you sometimes disappoint me with your actions. If you truly love somebody, you will love him no matter what, even if at times you don't like what he may do. Do you understand that?"

"I think so," he answered, but his smile told me he was relieved that his worst fears weren't going to come to pass.

Once we finished our little discussion, we drove back down to pick the rest of our brood up. The little ones were cheerful, but confused as to why I had left and why I had Danny with me already. I told them that something had come up, but that was the only reason I gave them. However, when we reached the high school to pick up the older boys, everything became quite evident.

"Way to go, Danny," Kevin yelled, as he jumped in the van. "I bet he won't ever say things like that to you again."

"You were there?" Danny asked, surprised.

"Heck, no, but everyone in school's been talking about it, ever since it happened," Kevin told him.

"Yeah, I think you changed a lot of people's minds about their gay stereotypes," Dustin added, "because all afternoon everyone kept talking about how you certainly didn't hit like a fag. Oops, sorry about the fag part, but that's what they were saying."

"It's okay," Danny assured him. "I know how they talk about us."

"Not any more you don't," Dustin corrected him. "You're kind of a hero now, for standing up to that fat ass like that. I think everyone was quite impressed. I think Brandon's problems would have ended long ago, if he could have done that for himself, but I don't think either of you have to worry any more. I think people will be looking at both of you in a whole new light."

Although Danny was pleased about the newfound respect, I think he was also a little chagrined to think that it took something that drastic to get the other students to realize that gays weren't really that different from them. Yes, some could be a little swishy or effeminate, but so could some straight guys, but they were now beginning to appreciate, that other than whom they chose to love, they were all basically the same.

After a conversation filled dinner, when the older boys filled the younger boys in about what had happened earlier, I tried to get them all to settle back down. I didn't want them spending the entire evening rehashing the details of the big fight. Ricky, however, keep things going, as he would pretend to shadowbox with Danny, and then fall down, like he had been knocked out. It got a lot of laughs and kept the others wound up for a while longer.

Later that evening, things had just begun to quiet down, when Brandon's father drove over to our house, with his son in tow. I greeted them at the door and invited them both inside. Mr. O'Hara was quick to get to the point and explained he had heard about what had happened at the school, earlier in the day.

"I don't know if you realize this or not," he told me, "but that young man has been harassing my son for nearly a year now. He goes to our church and was in the same scout troop as Brandon, and that's why I think Brandon stopped going to either place. I've done everything I could think of to try and stop it, but nothing has worked. I spoke to his parents, but their attitude was that boys will be boys and it was their problem to work out, not ours." Mr. O'Hara was looking very exasperated, but I knew he wasn't finished yet.

"When it also began happening when Brandon went to the high school this year, I brought it to the attention of school officials, but they only told me they'd keep an eye on the situation, but couldn't do anything unless the boy attacked Brandon physically. I guess they didn't feel verbal assaults were enough. When that didn't work, and since Brandon couldn't stop going to school, I filed a complaint with the police. Their response was to tell me to have Brandon call them the next time it happened and they'd talk to the boy then. I've been so frustrated and Brandon has remained the brunt of his taunts."

I assured him I understood how he felt and couldn't understand the school's handling of the situation, since the district did have a strongly worded harassment policy spelled out in the student and administration's handbooks. It was put in a few years before, to deal with racial and religious slurs that were becoming quite frequent. I was sure it applied to sexual harassment as well. He asked me to look into it for him, as he turned to Danny.

"I want to thank you for what you did for Brandon today," he told him while reaching out to shake Danny's hand. "Today you accomplished what I haven't been able to do over many months. You shut the bastard up." His choice of words made both boys look at each other and grin. "I could never have hoped for or selected a better friend for my son. You, and your family, are truly the best thing that has happened for Brandon in a very long time. You will always be considered a friend and welcomed in our home."

Danny blushed at the praise, but he appreciated Brandon's father's kind words. I think Danny understood that now Brandon and he would never have to worry about Brandon's parents trying to come between them in the future.

At that point, I invited Pat to have coffee with me in the dining room, so we could talk some more. He agreed, so while we were talking and sipping our java, Brandon and Danny snuck away for some private time alone. Brandon wanted to make sure he had an opportunity to show Danny his personal gratitude for defending his honor. And people say Chivalry is dead.

After the boys came back to join us, Brandon's father announced it was time for them to go back home. Once they had departed, I had time to reflect on all that had been said. I now knew our families had become inseparable, bound together by the love these two young men felt for each other. Although both families had been close prior to this, mainly because Brandon's parents appreciated everything we did for their son and how much Brandon enjoyed himself when he was in our company, I think today's events help to forever cement that bond. Over time, I knew our strong relationship would prove advantageous for all of us.

The next morning, as they were having breakfast, the boys wondered what might happen when they returned to school. They weren't particularly worried about any sort of retaliation, but more curious about how everyone else was going to react to them throughout the day. It wasn't very long before they discovered that fate was smiling kindly in their direction. As it turned out, the kid who had started the trouble didn't show up for school that day. In fact, he never set foot in that high school again. A few days after the incident, the young man's parents transferred their son to another nearby school district.

For most of that day, Danny was hailed a conquering hero, for his handling of the situation. Just to make sure it didn't go to his head, I brought him back to earth by warning him about the consequences he would suffer, should another such action ever occur. Looking at my expression and listening to my harsh tone, he knew I meant business, but that didn't completely prevent him from enjoying the attention of his peers.

Chapter 38
Autumn Memories

Things quieted down substantially when thoughts of the incident were replaced by more pressing and current issues. But as Danny's fifteen-minutes of fame fell by the wayside, his athletic prowess became highlighted, along with that of his brothers and the other members of the soccer team. The school suddenly sat up and took notice, as their season neared its end, as the JV team was on a tear and finished 11-1. An assembly was held to applaud their accomplishments, which meant Danny, Brandon, Dustin and Kevin all got to be acknowledged for their contributions to the team's success.

Jay and Ricky's modified team didn't do quite as well, but they still ended up at 7-3 and were proud of what they had accomplished. All of the boys were not only satisfied with how their teams had done, but also with their personal efforts and progress throughout the season. However, their attempt to hone their skills didn't stop there, as they continued to kick the ball around at home and played pick-up games on the weekends, so they would be ready to advance to the next level.

Somewhere during that time something else happened, but this breakthrough occurred with our latest arrivals. One night, while we were enjoying some quiet time together, Cole made a comment. "All the other boys call you Dad," Cole said, while studying my reaction. "Do you think it would be all right if me and Graham did that too?" he wanted to know. I could tell he wasn't sure what my reaction was going to be, so I winked at him, before I answered.

"I would like that very much," I agreed, "but you will both have to continue to call me Mr. Currie at school," I added. "All of the other boys have to do that too."

"I know," he stated simply.

"You're both my sons now too," I continued, looking at both of these young men in the eye, "just like the others, and they'll also be your brothers. It doesn't matter if we have different last names for the time being, we're still one big happy family. We all love each other and will look out for each other, and that will never change. You'll just have to get used to having four more brothers." That must have been exactly what they hoped to hear, because both boys wrapped their arms around me, Cole around my waist and Graham around one of my legs, and I think they were even crying. Tears of joy, I hoped. It was another sign that they appreciated being here with us.

The next big date on our calendar before Halloween, that is, just happened to be Cole's birthday. He was going to turn thirteen on October 22nd. One evening after dinner, I sat him down and asked what he wanted for his birthday and what kind of party he would like. After thinking about this for a few minutes, he rattled off a litany of ideas for gifts, but he was a little slower about addressing the question of what he wanted to do at his party and whom he wished to invite.

"This is hard," he admitted, after a while. "I'm not sure what to do. I've never had a party and the only ones I've been to, except for Kevin's, are the ones they hold in class, when it's your birthday."

Once more, my heart broke, as I listened to another story of neglect from his past. After I got past my emotional reaction to this information, I gave him some ideas for what he might like to do for his birthday celebration, trying to help him narrow it down and make this a special event for him. I also suggested that we should hold his party on Saturday the 24th, which would give him the whole day to enjoy this special event. Once he agreed, we then went on to discuss if there was anyone special he wanted to invite.

"You know I want all seven of my brothers to come," he informed me, which meant he was including Jay and Brandon in on the count. I nodded my head to assure him that I knew they were to be included too. "I also want Aunt Sally and you there, but do you think I could ask two of my friends from school to come too? I mean, we hang around together all day through our classes and breaks, but we never get to do anything together besides that. I think it would be fun to have them come to the house and meet everyone." I told him that would be fine, so we spent the next few minutes ironing out the remaining details.

Watching Cole's behavior leading up to his birthday was worth a thousand times what this party was going to cost me. I had never seen him so happy or excited since he came to live with us. He began strutting around home and school, as if he were someone important. It was almost like watching a monarch during the days preceding his coronation. Cole was instantly the king of his world.

Besides continually asking me how many more days were left until his party, Cole took great pleasure in preparing his invitations and he gave each of us one. However, he was especially careful about how he worded the ones for his two friends from school. He wrote the information neatly, but made sure to add to theirs that 'no gifts are needed.' He felt he had to include that information, so the boys wouldn't stay away, if they or their family felt they couldn't afford to buy him a present. He just wanted them to come and was ecstatic when they told him they would be happy to attend.

When that Saturday finally rolled around, I followed the agenda Cole had helped me lay out. We started by taking everyone to tour the local cider mill, as part of the party plans. Only Jay, Brandon, Kevin and Dustin had ever been there before, which came as a major surprise to me. I thought nearly every elementary teacher took their classes to the cider mill around Halloween, to see the process and sample the treats, but most of my boys had no idea how to even get cider from apples. Therefore, I was immensely pleased to see them all enjoying this visit and having a good time.

After we had seen everything, I bought several gallons of cider to take home and a candy apple for each boy, Sally and myself, before we drove back to the house. Once we unloaded, the boys stayed outdoors, so they could play a game of kickball, while Sally offered to assist me inside. As I got the grill ready to cook up some hot dogs and hamburgers, Sally helped put the finishing touches on the other items and then assisted me in carrying everything out to our two picnic tables.

After calling the boys to eat, Sally and I stepped out of the way, as the stampede came charging in our direction. Watching them approach reminded me of a swarm of locust landing to devour some poor farmer's crops, as the boys began eating everything in sight. I nearly lost a finger or two in the deal, as I handed out the meat. To my great delight, this eating frenzy also included Cole and Graham, who had been steadily building a healthy appetite and putting on a few, well-needed pounds.

After everyone finished the meal, we sang 'Happy Birthday' to Cole. He seemed pleased, yet embarrassed, from all of this attention and I wondered if anyone had ever sung to him on his birthday before. Once that concluded, he went around and took orders of the flavor(s) of ice cream everyone wanted, while Sally cut the cake and I scooped out the various requests. After everyone was given an ample share of the treats, Cole finally sat down to enjoy his own choices.

Once everyone was done, I told Cole it was time to open his presents. The first gift he grabbed to open happened to be from the boys and me. We had purchased a CD player for him, similar to the one Kevin got for his birthday, because Cole had commented several times how much he liked it. We also bought him a few CD's of his own, which he could keep in his room.

He opened his gifts from the others next. As expected, Sally gave her typically wonderful gift, which Cole showed to everyone, with as much gusto as he could manage. After thanking her several times, he also gave her a kiss on the cheek. I think that meant as much to Sally, as her gift had meant to Cole.

His friends had also brought him presents, which Cole thanked them for, but even though he didn't know it, he wasn't done yet. Once he had opened his other gifts, I had Dustin bring out his last present. Cole's eyes lit up the minute he saw it and I thought he was going to do back flips and hand springs as he ran toward his new bike. Instead, he raced around and hugged each one of us, as his way of saying thank you.

He was one happy and excited kid, and we were all very pleased for him. However, I also took a moment to think ahead, birthday-wise that is, and considered Graham's birthday. I realized it would be the next one we'd celebrate, but that wouldn't happen until the following March. I hoped he could hold out until then and not become jealous about Cole temporarily having more than he did. I would discuss that with him later, when I could get him alone.

Cole enjoyed his special day and it helped to cement his friendship with his two young friends. These were the first people he had shown any interest in, outside of our family circle, and that, in itself, was a huge deal. This was because Cole was very shy at school – a situation brought about by a combination of factors. The first, of course, was his past, but the second was due to the fact that he also had some learning disabilities, which sometimes became a focal point for ridicule. From time to time, Cole would admit to me that some of the other kids teased him about being dumb or derided him about not being able to read or do math as well as they did, so it was nice to see his two friends who were willing to look beyond his limitations.

Of course, I knew who these boys were before they came here, since they also attended my school, but I must admit I don't remember ever meeting their parents or knowing very much about them, other than the fact that they weren't troublemakers in the classroom. I wasn't sure where they lived or much about their background, but they seemed quite nice, were very good to Cole and got along well with the others while they were here, especially with Graham. All in all, they fit in well and I thought the party was a huge success.

Since that event was now behind us, the next big occasion was Halloween. Only Graham, Cole, Ricky and Jay decided they wanted to go trick-or-treating this year, as the others felt they were too old for such things. I let each of the boys decide what type of costume they wanted and then helped to provide it for them, by either purchasing it or helping them to make their own. That evening, we ate early and then the boys donned their 'ghoulish' attire, so I could take them, door to door, around the neighborhood.

It didn't come as a surprise when Graham and Cole said they could only remembered doing this a couple of times, but only when they were really little. They said they didn't know why their mother stopped taking them out, but they thanked me for allowing them to go trick-or-treating tonight. They also made sure to let me know they never had as nice of a costume as they were wearing tonight and it made them feel really good. Hearing this pleased me immensely, but the other information they'd just shared merely gave me one more reason to despise their mother.

The other boys didn't merely sit around home that evening, because they had made plans to go out with some of their other friends to mess around. They still wanted to have some fun, but just didn't think it was cool to go from house to house begging for candy any longer. They felt they were too old and sophisticated for such things. I didn't have a problem with this and told them they could have a good time, but warned them not to get into mischief. Over the past few years, I'd heard about some older kids stealing the younger children's candy, spray painting houses or doing other damage, so I made sure to point this out and warn them about getting involved in such things. I reminded them there were tricks that were amusing, but others were not, such as vandalizing someone else's property. They said I didn't have to worry, because the worse they might do is toilet paper some trees or spray each other with shaving cream, so I told them to have a good time.

Once Halloween was behind us, the next few weeks seemed to fly by. The boys moved on to their next sport's season, with Danny, Brandon, Kevin, Jay and Ricky all trying out for their respective basketball teams. Dustin and Cole followed their own hearts and decided to wrestle instead. Graham would also try his hand at basketball, but the fifth and sixth grade season was much shorter, so that would allow him to wrestle too, after we got back from Christmas break. The elementary program intentionally split the winter season into two halves, so the children could participate in both sports.

Not only did we sail through the early weeks of basketball and wrestling season, but Thanksgiving was also upon us before we knew it. This is always a very special time for me, since my older children come home either for Thanksgiving or for Christmas. Most of them now live too far away to come home for both, so they generally alternate the holidays with their in-laws and me, at least the ones who are married. The single ones might come home both times, although sometimes the expense or hassle discouraged this from occurring.

This would also provide the first opportunity for the boys to finally get to meet the rest of the family. This year, my older daughter and both of my sons would be joining us, along with my two grandsons. My younger daughter and son-in-law would be spending time with his family this year, so the boys wouldn't get to meet them until Christmas.

It was quite exciting as they arrived, with two of them coming in Wednesday evening, while the third showed up early Thursday morning. After the introductions were made, everyone sat down and got to know each other better, breaking off into small groups and filtering around from one to another. I spent much of the time fixing our special dinner, with rotating sets of helping hands filtering in to assist me on a nearly constant basis. I was pleased with the amount of support everyone was giving me.

Dinner went well and everyone was getting along fantastically. Brandon and Jay also came over, after eating dinner with their families, and spent the rest of the evening with us. They had managed to talk their parents into letting them come over to meet the rest of my family, after their family celebrations started to die down. They were even planning to spend the night and share a room with one of my boys.

My older children eagerly welcomed their new brothers with open arms, and the boys seemed thrilled by their reaction. Not only that, but they took great pleasure in taking the time needed to get to know each other better and learn the details of their life. The boys also took great enjoyment in spoiling their nephews and we all got a kick out of watching them roughhouse and play games with each other. I was very proud of all of them.

Later in the evening, my elder son pulled me aside, so we could speak privately. "Pop, what you're doing is really wonderful," he began. Hearing him call me 'Pop' again, like Jay and Brandon do, also gave me a special feeling. He had done this since he was little, although I was never sure why, as had my other son. The girls, however, had always called me 'Dad.'

"I suspect you know that we, my sisters, Robert and me, all talked about this after you first told us about taking the boys in to live with you," he continued. "I must admit, we were all kind of relieved when you broke the news, but it was only because we'd all been worried about you living alone. All of us had thought we noticed signs that you were becoming depressed, as time passed after mom's death, so we were pleased to hear the excitement return to your voice, as you began telling us about Danny and Ricky."

I knew he was right and I had lost much of my zest for life during that time, but I think I might have blushed a bit as he continued. "You've always been good with children, and we think that's how you came to select being a teacher in the first place, and then a principal. We've also always been proud of you, even when we attended your school. It was kind of neat to have the other kids recognize that you were our father." I think I blushed some more.

"The more you told us, the happier you sounded, but we called or IM'd each other after you told us about taking in Dustin and Kevin, and then Cole and Graham. We were afraid you might be going overboard, taking in so many boys in such a short period of time." I was getting concerned now, waiting for the other shoe to drop. I thought I detected a negative tone in his last statement.

"However, after meeting the boys and hearing the stories of abuse they'd been through before coming here," Michael continued, "we are positive you're doing the right thing. In fact, I think we're all beginning to enjoy having more little brothers, and I know both my son and Elizabeth's sure like having younger uncles. They're both pretty tired right now, after playing so hard with their new uncles all day long."

I thanked him for his support, and told him I'd thank the others as well, just as soon as I got the chance, but he had more to tell me. "We also looked toward the future a bit," he informed me. "We discussed that we each have our own careers right now and are all doing quite well, financially. We also know the credit for much of this is due to your guidance when we were younger. Therefore, we've also decided that we want you to use your money on the newest members of our family and not worry about us. There's no need for you to continue buying us things for our birthdays or Christmas, but we won't mind if you want to do a little something for your grandchildren, because we know how much you like to spoil them. The rest of us will be happy with phone calls from time to time, an occasional card and the possibility of spending more time with you and the boys."

That last part really touched me. I thanked him again, impressed by how much thought he and his siblings had put into this. It was nice to see that the nurturing my wife and I invested in them as they were growing up was now paying dividends. They were obviously able to think of others, and not just about themselves.

Now that worry was behind me, juggling the sleeping arrangements for the four-day holiday was my next big challenge. Jay and Ricky suggested they could sleep with me, so my younger son could use Ricky's room. Danny and Brandon offered to sleep on the sofa/bed in the family room, so my older son and daughter-in-law could use his room. That left my older daughter and son-in-law in the guest bedroom, while my two grandsons, ages three and five, teased their parents until they agreed to let them sleep with Cole and Graham, in the jungle room.

These four had become very close over the short period of time they had been together. Even though I had stopped bathing Cole and Graham by this time, they asked me if I would do it again, while my grandsons were here, so they could each bathe with one of their nephews. After talking it over with the boys parents, they all agreed that would be fine and I think I got as much pleasure from that time with them as they did. I loved watching them interact and playing in the tub and I think this was probably better for Cole and Graham, than the littlest pair. They had never had an opportunity such as this before, since they were still kind of weak and unable to derive any pleasure from my bathing them, after they first came to live with me. Now, however, they were able to focus upon just being kids and using my grandsons as a pretext to also play with the toys in the tub. I marveled at their innocence, as they uninhibitedly frolicked like boys much younger than their years.

The holiday seemed to pass by too quickly. Jay and Brandon went home on Friday, but came back to spend Saturday night with us too. Rather than be constantly fixing meals, we would go out to eat, parading into places like some social group on an outing. It was remarkable seeing how others observed us, once we entered each facility.

The boys and my grandsons continued to grow closer, as they spent more time together. The boys were very good about finding activities the younger ones could also participate in, including pulling out old, well-worn versions of 'Chutes and Ladders' and 'Candy Land' games my older children had played with when they were little. Throughout the weekend, they also gave their nephews, 'horsey' and 'piggy-back' rides and took them out to play in the leaves and enjoy the nippy, late-fall weather.

When it came time for my older children to return to their own homes and lives, there were quite a few tears shed, as we exchanged our sad good-byes. My grandsons were especially hard hit by having to leave and asked their parents when they could come back again. They told the boys 'soon,' even though the little ones pressed them for a more specific time, but that was the best response they got. After giving hugs and kisses all around, everyone departed and the house went back to being its old, quiet self, but as you might remember, it was never really all that quiet.

Chapter 39
A Christmas to Remember

Christmas was upon us, almost before we knew it. I was surprised to learn that both of my daughters and my oldest son would be joining us this time. Both my older son and daughter had worked out an arrangement with their in-laws to spend Christmas with them over a prolonged New Year's weekend, when they would celebrate both holidays together. They did this because my grandsons kept teasing them about coming back, so they could spend more time with their uncles.

My younger son wouldn't be able to join us, since he still had to work. Working in retail management, he only had Christmas day off and he worked Christmas Eve until 6:00 p.m. Not only that, but he also had to work the day after Christmas, and because it was such a big 'return' and clearance day, he couldn't get the time off. Since that was the case, it would make it too short a time to return, so he informed me he had taken some time off after the New Year, so he could come home and celebrate the holidays with us then. Originally, he wasn't planning to come home for Christmas at all, but after meeting and spending time with his new brothers at Thanksgiving, he knew he wanted to return again, the first chance he could.

Before enjoying our Christmas Eve dinner, I sent all of the boys off with my oldest son, loaning him my van to take them for some last minute shopping, or so they were told. Really, it was so they wouldn't be around when a few 'special' deliveries were being made. I had ordered some items that I didn't want to arrive until the last minute, and even paid extra to have them delivered on Christmas Eve, so the snooping boys wouldn't discover them beforehand.

Once that group returned, we ate and followed that by watching my favorite version of 'A Christmas Carol.' After that, I read them the poem, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas,' with Cole and one of my grandsons pressed tightly against me on one side and Graham and the other grandson snuggle up against my other side. Reading this had become a family tradition, when my older children were younger, and I put as much gusto into it as I could muster. Once we finished with all of that, I sent everyone, except the other grown-ups, off to bed.

We assigned the bedrooms much the same way we had at Thanksgiving, so everyone knew where they were going. After tucking in all the boys and kissing them good night, I returned to the downstairs, knowing I still had things to accomplish before I could also go to sleep.

My daughters and daughter-in-law stayed up a little longer to help make sure everything was ready for the following day's meals, while my older son, son-in-law and I spent the next few hours putting together a few presents that needed to be assembled, mainly for my grandsons. What a pain that was. I should have remembered how much trouble doing things like that could be, if I'd only thought back to when my children were also little.

After we finally got to bed, it seemed as if my head had just hit the pillow, when my grandsons, Graham and Cole came bursting in to my bedroom, trying to rouse me from my slumber. All I could hear were screams that Santa had been there and the living room was crammed with presents. Obviously, they had already snuck downstairs to check things out.

Reluctantly, I got out of bed and made a quick trip to the toilet, while the little ones awoke the others, and then I slipped on my robe and slippers and prepared to join them. When I entered the upstairs hallway, everyone was there, waiting for me to lead the way down.

The younger boys were so excited that they nearly knocked me over, causing me to nearly tumble down the steps. After warning them to slow down a bit and take it easy, we proceeded. Once we reached the foyer, I looked into the living room and then turned back to them with a shocked expression on my face. "I think we've been robbed!" I announced. "All the presents are gone."

The little ones darted past me, to see for themselves, as this greatly troubled them. As they entered the living room, they quickly discovered I had only been pulling their legs. "No they're not, Papa," little Nicky informed me. "They're all still there."

"Oh, okay," I announced, breathing a loud sigh of relief. "I guess I'd better get some new glasses then." Cole and Graham both chastised me for making their nephews worry, but I think they had really appreciated the sense of excitement it added to the morning.

After we all were seated, with the boys taking up what free space they could find, my older son and I started passing out the gifts, one to every person. We waited until each of us had opened that gift, before we gave them another, so they would have time to appreciate it, before ripping open the next package.

I was really proud of my older children as well, because they had included gifts for the boys. Despite my repeated admonitions that they weren't required to buy any gifts for us, they pooled their money and brought a couple of nice presents for each of the boys, including Jay and Brandon. I let the boys open those gifts first, but we set aside Jay and Brandon's, so they could open them when they arrived.

Now it was time for them to receive my gifts. I had asked the boys to make out their Christmas lists before we had even reached Thanksgiving, to give me time to do my shopping. The holidays are a particularly busy time for me, with all the school functions, parties, etc., so I wanted to make sure I had time to look around for the things they wanted. That's why I was surprised when they presented me with a single, joint list upon which the only request written was – 'the only thing we want for Christmas is to be your sons.'

This moved me greatly, but didn't do much to help me to decide what to get them for the holiday. Therefore, I decided it might be best to buy things that all of them would benefit from, and then I threw in another special gift for each of them.

After handing out my gifts to my grandchildren, I handed the boys a single card, addressed to all of them. I gave it to Danny to read to them all, because it contained clues to locate their gifts. It went like this. "Your first two gifts you'll discover, in a room that's meant for all – the one you should see quite clearly, while the other will require balls."

After Danny read this, they all looked at me oddly, because they couldn't make sense of it. "Aren't all the rooms meant for all of us?" Ricky asked.

"Think about it," I challenged him. "Is there one room that indicates that it's for all my children, as well as me?" They all began to think about my clue.

"He means the family room," Dustin concluded, before they all went racing in that direction. It was only a few seconds later before we all could hear shouts of delight, and a few minutes after that they came charging back to thank me.

"Well, what did you get?" my older son asked. Although he had been out with the boys when these items had been delivered, I was sure his wife had filled him in about the gifts.

"The gift we can see clearly is a large screen TV!" Kevin announced, excitedly.

"And the one that needs balls is a pool table," Cole added, while Ricky came over and whispered in my ear.

"We talked about this before we came back in here. We thought you were being nasty, when you said it needed balls," he told me. "I think all of us thought you meant our balls, and that it was a gift meant just for boys, but we couldn't understand why you'd say that in front of your daughters." He giggled after telling me this.

Obviously, that possibility had never dawned on me as I was writing that clue, or I might have been inclined to word it differently. However, I couldn't let that pass without comment. "That will teach you about jumping to conclusions," I informed him though, before playfully punching him in the tummy.

My son wanted to know where I found a slate top pool table, and I informed him it was one I had refurbished, after chancing upon a liquidation sale at a local pool hall. The place was going out of business and they were selling everything quite cheap, and I couldn't resist a quality, antique table. I felt it was something everyone could enjoy, so I made sure I didn't miss the opportunity of purchasing it.

The pool hall owner also suggested a great place to get it sanded, refinished and recovered, and they did an excellent job. My son agreed, but now my attention was being required again, as it was now time to give the boys my next gift. Reaching into my bag of surprised, I handed them another card, with one more clue on it. This time I gave it to Dustin and he read it to the others.

"The room was meant to make things whole, but now it will serve another role. In it you will find a brand new tool and if you use it wisely, you soon will rule."

"Dang it, not another puzzle we have to figure out," Ricky whined, but only jokingly.

"Come on, we don't have a room that makes things whole," Kevin grumbled. "That would be like a hospital or nurse's office."

"Only if you're thinking about people," my younger daughter informed him, having figured out the riddle on her own. "But what happens when you're playing sports and someone rips your shirt or pants?"

"The sewing room," several of them screamed together, as they went racing up the stairs to the small room located near the guest room, which my wife had used as her sewing room. I had now turned it into a small office space for the boys. We soon heard another shout of joy, followed by the sound of footsteps rumbling back down the stairs.

"It's a 'puter," Graham announced, having trouble with the word, due to his excitement.

"The new tool is a computer," Danny clarified.

"Yeah, that's what's going to make us rule," Cole added.

"So we can't use your computer any more?" Ricky wanted to know.

"You will still be able to use it, when I'm not working on it," I explained, "but because there are so many of you now, I thought we needed a second one, to make sure each of you would be able to have time on it, whenever you needed it to help with schoolwork or to chat with your friends."

"Awesome," was Ricky's response.

"Wow, this has been a really great Christmas," Dustin announced, to let us know he really appreciated everything.

"Hey, you're not done yet," I explained. "Back to the living room for your final present."

Somewhat bewildered that there was still more, the boys did as I asked, and I presented them each with a small box. I watched their faces and held my breath as they opened them. I hadn't even told my older children what was contained within. I watched each boy closely as he reached inside, pulled out the paper contained within and then unfolded and read it. This time instead of cheers, I saw tears.

"Well, what is it?" my daughter-in-law asked them, puzzled by their response.

"It's a certificate," Dustin told them, slightly choked up.

"For what," my older daughter pressed.

"It says," Danny began, "This certificate entitles the above named individual the right to be adopted by Joshua Currie. Adoption will become official, as soon as the lawyers can work out the details, if you agree to said contract." Now the older members of the family understood that the tears they saw had been tears of joy, not sadness, but my grandsons hadn't yet figured that out.

"Why's Uncle Gwam crying, Mommy," little Nicky asked his mother.

"They're all crying," Jordan announced. "What's wrong?" He looked up and saw all of us were now in tears, except for Nicky and him.

"It's because they're so happy," Nicky's mother explained. "Your Papa is going to adopt them and make them his sons, and your uncles, forever."

"Goody," Nicky announced, finally gaining a little understanding about what was happening.

I had forewarned my older children that I was planning to adopt the boys, so we could discuss it, if they had any problems with it, but I didn't tell them this was how I planned to announce it. I was pleased that they all agreed it would be a good idea, stating that it was good for all of us, not just the boys. After receiving their blessing, I thanked them and told them that their approval was the only gift I needed from them. I would later let the boys know that too. By the end of the hour or so we had been opening our gifts, I don't think I'd ever been so emotionally drained.

When Jay and Brandon came over later, accompanied by their parents, we all exchanged gift with them, as well. I didn't expect either set of parents to buy things for my boys, but they said it was the least they could do, after everything we'd done for their sons. They came in, had a Christmas drink or two with us, and the boys informed them about everything they had received.

Sally also dropped by while everyone was there and came in to join us as well. This was truly an extended family celebration this year. She had also purchased the boys gifts, and they surprised her by handing her one in return. They had told me before Christmas that they wanted to get her something really nice, because of all she did to find them a good home and how she always thought of them on their birthdays, so I happily supplied the cash. They picked out a lovely gold chain for her and two pairs of earrings to go with it. In the long run, she had more than earned that small repayment.

About ten that evening, the O'Haras, Curtises and Sally began to filter out and head to their homes. Jay and Brandon talked their parents into letting them spend the night, so they could play with my grandchildren the next day. I think their parents were surprised by how well they interacted with the two little ones. Once everyone else had gone, the rest of us all started to unwind.

The eight boys told us all how thrilled they were and what a great day it was, because none of them had ever received so many presents before. It all added up, when they counted what I gave them and what they got from each other, besides what my older children, Aunt Sally and Jay and Brandon's families had given them. I warned them this Christmas was special, but future Christmas might not be quite as elaborate. They informed me it didn't matter, because they got what they wanted most. They were going to be my sons.

My grandsons thought it was special Christmas too and delighted in the fact they had so many uncles fawning over them. The nephews never lacked for attention or for someone to play with, so they were more than satisfied.

The rest of our time together was very nice, but not always relaxing. The boys continually tried to involve all of us in everything they did, as they thought we needed to be entertained as much as they did. I think my older children found that quite cute and appreciated their consideration, which only made all of us feel even closer to each other.

It was a very tearful parting, when it came time for my older children and grandchildren to leave. Nicky and Jordan once again pressed their parents when they could come back again, so we quickly agreed that that they'd all come home for Easter. We also agreed to meet for a week's joint vacation that summer, at the end of July or early August, and I'd confirm arrangements with them by spring break. That way, they would know what to plan for and exactly when. Many hugs and kisses were exchanged, as tears were shed, before they departed. Even knowing we'd all be together again for Easter and a few months after that, for vacation, it didn't help fill the void created by being separated again.

Chapter 40
A Nearly Perfect Ending

We tried to make the New Year special, but less draining than Christmas had been. We invited the O'Haras, Curtises and Aunt Sally to join us, as we were planning to go out to dinner, and they all accepted. I placed a reservation at my favorite restaurant and I was assured we'd have a very nice table.

Before we went out that evening, the boys were told that from now on they could call the O'Haras Uncle Pat and Aunt Brenda and the Curtises Uncle Howie and Aunt Audrey. I wasn't certain if it was because their sons called me Pop or if they were beginning to feel that close to my family, but I suspect it was a combination of the two. I wasn't sure if Brandon and Jay had somehow initiated this in the first place, but Pat and Howie were the ones who did the honors and informed my brood. I think the announcement pleased all of the boys, especially Brandon, Danny and Jay, and brought us all just that must closer.

It was quite a lovely meal and we topped it off with a toast. The O'Haras and Curtises agreed to allow their boys to have a small amount of wine to make this toast with, as I had informed them privately that I planned to do that with my own sons. With the boys wallowing in their smugness of being allowed this adult treat, we now held our glasses high, as I offered the toast.

"May the New Year bring as much love and happiness into the lives of every member of this extended family, as this past year has so nicely done for me," I offered, while looking around our rather large table. "I can't feel more blessed than sharing the holidays with all of you and I thank God for bringing us all together."

I heard various comments of affirmation, such as 'hear, hear' from some of the other adults, and then we clinked our glass together lightly, to seal our commitment.

As midnight neared, we donned our party hats and counted down the final minutes to the big event. When zero-hour arrived, we tossed streamers and confetti about the room, while blowing merrily on our party horns or cranking our noisemakers. Once those activities began to die down, we went around the table exchanging hugs and/or kisses, while wishing each other a very Happy New Year. We left a short time after that, returning to our homes – hyper, yet exhausted.

My younger son came home the following weekend and we had a great time with him as well. The boys happily regaled him with the details of everything he had missed over Christmas and New Year's, but I think Robert mostly enjoyed not having to share the boys with his siblings or nephews this time around. They were constantly together and did many things, both with and without me, and I enjoyed seeing them all growing closer. Robert had remained a kid at heart and this merely gave him an excuse to manifest his hidden desires. The boys ate it up, big time, and they were all greatly saddened when he had to leave us again.

There was sort of a lull between Robert's visit and our next important event, but that time was filled with going to basketball games and wrestling matches, to watch the various boys as they competed on their teams. As those seasons drew to a close, with varying degrees of success, Graham's birthday was quickly upon us. He turned twelve on March 10th and I made sure we held a special party for him, just like we had for his brother. Graham also invited a couple of kids from school that he'd made friends with, as well as having the extended family there. I don't think I've ever seen a more joyful kid than Graham was that day, especially after we rolled out his new bicycle, which was very similar to Cole's.

"Thank you, Daddy!" Graham squealed in delight, after seeing his present. "This is the bestest birthday I've ever had." That, and watching his smiling face and noticing the excitement in his every move as he rode his bike for the first time, was more than enough thanks for me.

It seemed like we had just finished that event, when we had to start getting ready for Easter. We hurriedly began making arrangements for everyone to return home again, and then Danny and Ricky reminded me about a promise I had made to them back in the fall, which I had yet to come through on. That was to rebuild the old tree house in the woods. After acknowledging that I was sorry and explaining that we'd been extremely busy, I promised to make up for the delay. All of the boys went out with me to help measure and add their suggestions to how they thought it should be done, before going with me to pick up the supplies and lug them back to the woods. To my amazement, they were all a great help, but I soon discovered there was an ulterior motive behind this. They wanted it ready when their nephews came here for the holiday.

In addition to helping me with the tree house, the boys also cleaned their rooms, in preparation for their older siblings using them while they were here. I went out and stocked up for the big dinner, as well as making sure we had plenty of eggs to color and Easter treats to go around. The boys were really excited as the big day approached and I began to wonder if they were going to be able to hold out until the others got here.

The various family members began arriving late Thursday night, as they either had Friday off or had taken it off, so we'd have the extra time together. After getting the adults situated in the various bedrooms, the boys told them they hoped it would be all right if Nicky and Jordan camped out with them in the family room while they were there. The boys explained they'd sleep in sleep bags on the floor, because they thought the younger ones would really enjoy it.

I could see the sparkle in my older children's eyes, as they recalled the many times they had done similar things with their friends. Accordingly, they enthusiastically gave the boys permission to carry out their plans. Nicky and Jordan were ecstatic when they learned what was going to happen, but that was only the first of the many treats and surprises that awaited them.

On Friday, the boys took their nephews out to the tree house, where they spent much of their day. My two grandsons made many trips from the tree house to the ground, either climbing the rope ladder I had installed or by riding up on the pulley-lift I had installed to take supplies up with. No matter which way they chose, they were thrilled to make the trip.

Over the course of that day, their imaginations were in high gear, as they pretended to be Peter Pan and the lost boys or a crewing of despicable pirates, as well as using the tree house as the guard tower of an old west fort or the tower keep of a castle. I even took sandwiches out to them at lunchtime, along with liquid refreshments, so they could continue their fun. As the hour started to grow late, the boys asked if they could sleep out there too, but their parents felt it was still too chilly to allow them to do that. After explaining this fact to them, we told them they could camp out in the family room again, and we'd use card tables and blankets to make little tents for them. They were a little disappointed, but curious as to what this new suggestion would be like, so no one gave us a major hassle about it.

On Saturday, I let the older boys teach the little ones how to color Easter eggs. Needless to say, Cole and Graham had as much fun doing this as their nephews, but it was fun watching them try to make each egg uniquely theirs. I allowed Dustin and Danny to have the honor of boiling three-dozen eggs, because some of them would also be used for the dinner.

They decorated some of the eggs in solid colors and others in a combination of hues. There were eggs with stickers attached to them and other eggs with designs or names etched on them with a wax crayon, before the color was applied. No matter how they designed them, all the boys were having fun.

"Look, Unka Gwam's egg has stripes of color on it," Nicky announced, after seeing how Graham was carefully only dunking a portion of his egg into each of the various bowls of color.

"Uncle Ricky put our names on these eggs," Jordan told Nicky, showing him the two eggs, one each with their name printed on it.

This activity continued for a couple of hours, until all of the eggs were done.

Sometime late Saturday night or early Sunday morning, the Easter Bunny came and hid Easter baskets and the Easter eggs. Unfortunately, he used the entire downstairs to do this, so these items were scattered throughout the various rooms on the ground floor.

Just like Christmas, the boys were up bright and early, and I was the only one awake before they were. I guess I was as excited to watch them go into action, as they were to begin. I chuckled to myself as I watched their impatience, as they waited for their parents and other adults to throw on their robes and slippers, so we could all go downstairs.

After we reached the front foyer, the boys were informed that each basket had a name on it and they were only allowed to find their own. They could find all the eggs they wanted, but they were to leave any of the other baskets they discovered where they were, so the proper owner could locate it in due time. I also told Nicky that his basket also had a bunny sticker on it, to help him recognize it, while Jordan's had a sticker of a bright yellow chick.

"How do you know that Papa?" Jordan asked me, putting me on the spot. "I thought the Easter Bunny hid them."

Thinking quickly, I came up with a response. "He did, but remember, I was up early, so I went around to check out where they were. I wanted to make sure they weren't someplace where you boys couldn't reach them or near something you might get hurt on. That's when I saw what they looked like."

That seemed to suffice, but I decided that in the future I'm going to have to be a little smarter around this pair.

The four youngest ones particularly enjoyed this activity and got very excited when they found their basket of goodies. However, no matter how much fun that was, they got an even bigger kick out of trying to find all of the eggs they'd decorated. In fact, they enjoyed it so much that the older boys re-hid all of the eggs several more times, so they could look for them again and again.

A little later, I made sure everyone got cleaned up and dressed in their Sunday best, so we could attend church together. After all, that's what this holiday is all about – isn't it? I was so pleased and proud of all of them as we entered the sanctuary and took up nearly two pews, and my older children were thrilled by the number of people who came over to say hello to them and tell them how nice it was to see them again. There were also several discussions about how our family had grown, including one humorous comment, made by a good friend of mine, when he stated, "You're the only person I know who had more children without a wife, than with one."

After services ended, we went back home and had a very lovely ham dinner. I had prepared nearly everything we ate, with some help from my daughters and daughter-in-law along the way, and no one left the table hungry. After that, we allowed the boys to continue to hide the Easter eggs over and over, so Nicky, Jordan and Graham could find them again, as they didn't seem to tire of that activity.

My older children didn't leave until Monday, as they had taken another day off to travel. Although we were all sad to see them go, we knew that we'd see them again this summer – this time for a whole week. I think that helped to make this parting a little more palatable for all of us.

Shortly after Easter, we celebrated two more birthdays, on consecutive weekends. The first was for Dustin, who turned sixteen on April 27th and then Danny became fifteen on May 6th. Even though the boys suggested I could throw one party for both of them, I thought it best to give them their own celebration. I wanted it to be as special for them, as the other parties were for their brothers. In the long run, I think they were happy that I had done this and they didn't have to share their special day with each other.

Throughout the spring, most of the boys played baseball, except for Danny and Ricky, who had decided to play lacrosse instead. They figured they could play enough baseball in the summer league, so they would take this opportunity to enjoy something different. Although none of their teams did spectacularly well, they all had winning seasons and the boys had enjoyed what they had done.

No matter how much they did or how much they enjoyed it, everything was just a warm up for what was yet to come. During the months between Christmas and now, I had my lawyer working with Sally and the Department of Social Services to clear the legal obstacles, so I could officially adopt all of the boys. My attorney told me that we had overcome the last hurdle in mid-May and a court date had been set for mid-June, after school was out. I hoped I could last that long, as the anticipation seemed to be harder on me, than on the boys.

When that date came, I had all of the boys put on a dress-shirt, tie and a sport coat, and then I piled them into the van and drove to the courthouse. The judge met with each of the boys, individually, before we went into court. The lawyer told me it was to talk with them and get their reactions about the pending matter, before he issued his formal ruling. Each of the boys spent ten to twenty minutes alone with the judge and his court stenographer, and then he met with me. After what seemed like a lengthy delay, our case was finally announced.

I led the boys in and we sat in the very front row, right behind our lawyer's table. We all stood as the judge came back into the courtroom and were seated before he began to address everyone present.

"This case is to address the petition of one Joshua M. Currie," he began. "He is requesting to be allowed the legal right to adopt six young men who are now in his care, under the supervision of the Department of Social Services. I have spoken, personally, to each of the individuals involved in this matter, and after asking numerous questions and getting their individual views on the issue, I have reached my final decision.

"I have found that each of the boys involved in this matter love Mr. Currie, respect him as a father and wish this adoption to become legal and permanent. They realize that their natural parents, if they are still alive, will no longer have any place in their lives, nor have any say in how they live or are raised, from this point forward. They have informed me they are fine with this and wish for the process to continue.

"I have also spoken with Mrs. Swarthout, whose department has overseen and monitored the placement of these young gentlemen, and she and I agree that Mr. Currie has provided a warm and loving home for these boys. He has nurtured their development and given them the stability that had been lacking in their lives, up until the time they came to live with him.

"Additionally, I have met with Mr. Currie, who has repeated his desire to adopt these boys, with the whole-hearted support of his grown, natural children. He has expressed his love and deep concern for each and every one of these young men and I find him to be a sensitive, responsible and stable influence in their lives. Therefore, I am issuing the following decree and would like each of the boys to approach the bench, as their name is called.

"From this day forward, the following individuals will be legally recognized as the sons of Mr. Joshua M. Currie and will receive appropriate adoption papers and a new birth certificate, indicating said changes.

"Master Dustin Mathew Currie, age 16; Master Daniel Edward Currie, age 15; Master Kevin Michael Currie, age 14; Master Richard Allen Currie, age 13; Master Cole David Currie, age 13 and Master Graham Thomas Currie, age 12. Will you all please step forward?"

Each boy went up to the front of the courtroom and received his copy of the proclamation and other paperwork. As each of them returned to his seat, they were beaming and studying their official documents.

"Mr. Currie, I would like to make some final comments before you leave. I have found this to be a remarkable case and one that has been my pleasure to preside over. As a family court judge, I often see only the results of broken homes, which bring much sorrow and anguish into the lives of the children involved. In my long stay on this bench, I have never witnessed a more rewarding or gratifying situation.

"After talking with your new sons, I have no doubt as to the love you all feel for one another. You are filling a gigantic role in their lives and assuming the awesome responsibilities that go along with it. I have determined you are capable of handling these demands and meetings the needs of your new family. On behalf of the citizens of this state, and more specifically the residents of this jurisdiction, I would like to thank you for the time, money and energy you have already invested in these young men and I firmly believe you will continue to provide whatever is necessary for them in the future. Had it not been for you, I might be dealing with one or more of these boys in a more serious family matter or hearing about them being involved in a criminal proceeding in the years to come, but I am no longer worried about such occurrences. I am certain each of these young men will follow your example and become fine, upstanding members of our community.

"To you boys, I would merely suggest that you say a very special prayer this evening, thanking God for creating Mr. Currie and introducing him into your lives. I pray that you will listen to him, heed his advice and live lives that will honor the sacrifice he's making and the great gift he is giving to you. Some day you may have families of your own and I hope each of you are as loving and devoted to your families, as Mr. Currie has been, and will be, to you. If you emulate his fine example, the world will benefit, ten-fold, from his efforts.

"I now pronounce this adoption legal and entered into the official proceedings of this court. May God bless and follow you all."

There were more than enough hugs, tears and kisses to go around. Sally made the rounds and hugged and congratulated each boy, before turning toward me.

"Joshua Currie, you've certainly made my job a great deal easier over the past year or more. I want to congratulate you and the boys, and I selfishly hope this doesn't end your involvement with my agency."

"The boys wouldn't let me, no matter what," I replied. "They made me promise, before we came here, that I'd still take in any boy who needed our help and would be willing to do as much for any addition to our family, as I had done for them. They threatened to not let me adopt them, unless I made that promise."

"Good for them," she chuckled. "I see they've already adopted your caring and loving nature. It can only get better from here on out."

"Thanks, Sally, and don't be a stranger," I told her, sincerely. "The boys think of you as family too and know that without you, they'd never have come to live with me. Thanks for all of your help. Thank you for the boys and thank you for helping me to get my life back, rather than just merely exist."

Once we broke free, I took the boys out for lunch, so we could officially celebrate the creation of the 'new' Currie family. After hearing our story, the restaurant even threw in desserts, on the house. In fact, the manager made an announcement, so everyone there would also share in our excitement, and we got a standing ovation from the other diners, in return. The boys were beginning to enjoy their new role as celebrities de jour.

When we left the restaurant, we went home to begin our new life together. Once we got there, I announced my next surprise to the boys. "I have one more thing I want each of you to know. Since you boys came to live with me, the state has been sending me monthly checks to pay for your room and board, clothing, entertainment and so forth. I never really wanted, nor needed the money, but Sally… Aunt Sally told me it was standard procedure and I should take the money and use it to cover expenses. I did take the checks and cash them, but I deposited the money into a special account. I have never touched that money, until recently. When the holidays rolled around, I took the money from the bank and split it six ways, so I could open a mutual fund account in each one of your names. This account will be used to pay for you to go to college, or if you decide that's not for you, we can talk about alternative uses for the money later, such as seed money to start your own business. I will not allow you to use this money frivolously, though. You must have a valid use for it, in order to convince me to let you withdraw it. You will need my signature, because my name is on that account, until you reach legal age.

"I have also been informed that there may be more money coming along in the future, and I will handle it in the same fashion. I will accumulate it, split it between each of you and add it to your accounts. This will help to make sure you have a future, independent of my last will and testament, but you are also included in that now, as well. Your older brothers and sisters are aware of this and have given their unanimous support to my including your names, along with theirs and my grandchildren. Therefore, you will all split my estate, when I eventually leave this earth. I love you all dearly and only want what's best for you."

The older boys understood the implications of what I had just told them and immediately thanked, hugged and kissed me again. Once they had finished, they tried to explain things so the younger boys would also understand what I was doing for them. Before long, I was getting my thanks from them, as well. I gave each of them the copy of the statement of their accounts, so they had some official record of what I had just explained to them. They carefully placed these with the other official documents they had received earlier and we locked them up together, in the fireproof chest that I keep all my important papers in.

It had been a very emotional and draining day, so for the rest of the evening we just kicked back, watched some television, enjoyed each other's company and began our new life together on a very peaceful note.

The End of Book One of Castaway Hotel