Erastes

The Guardian

Chapter 1
A Very Long Night

I was sound asleep when my cell phone rang, but it immediately roused me from my slumber. I always keep my cell phone on the nightstand where it would be easy to reach and groggily picked it up. After glancing at the display, I quickly recognized the name on the caller ID, but I also knew who it was by the special ringtone I'd assigned to his home phone number. I was, however, somewhat leery about the reason he was calling at this time of night. Curious, I answered the call.

"This better be good, Matt" I stated, somewhat perturbed. It was also my way of warning him that I didn't like having my sleep disturbed unless it was important.

"I'm truly sorry to bother you at this hour," a strange masculine voice responded, "but am I speaking with Blake Hunter?"

"Yes, you are, but who are you and why are you calling me from my best friend's house?" I snapped back, confused. As I was saying this, I threw my legs out from under the covers, sat up on the edge of the mattress and placed my feet on the floor.

"I'm Officer Davies of the Lawrenceville Police Department and I need your assistance," the voice responded, only partially answering my question. "I'm calling in regards to Matthew Weaver. We discovered your business card in his wallet and it was marked 'emergency contact.' I just wanted to make certain I had the correct person."

"Yes, you do. We've been friends since college and he helped me get a job with the company he works for," I responded, still slightly baffled about the purpose of this call. "I would still like to know what sort of help you think you need from me, why you have Matt's wallet and what you're doing at his house?"

"It's all part of the reason I'm calling," he replied, and I thought I detected a bit of hesitation in his voice. "I regret to inform you that Mr. Weaver and his wife were involved in a vehicular accident earlier this evening and have been transported to the hospital."

"What about the kids?" I nearly screamed, since I wasn't certain if they were all together when this happened.

"They're fine. They were at the house with a babysitter," he clarified. "It's also the main reason for this call. The babysitter says she needs to go home now and can't stay with the boys any longer. Since you were the only name we could find, I was wondering if you'd be willing to come to the Weaver's house and stay with the boys."

"Certainly," I agreed, without hesitation. "I'm godfather to their oldest son, but I'm close to all of the boys and they all call me Uncle Blake. Just give me a chance to get dressed and I'll be there shortly."

"Thank you! I'll stay with them until you get here, since the babysitter is anxious to leave," he offered, and then we ended the call.

I know I probably should have asked more questions, but I figured I could do that once I got to the house. He'll still be there when I arrive and this way I can ask him face-to-face, so I can see his reaction to each of my questions as well.

I got dressed as rapidly as I could, while trying to shake the thought that this shouldn't be happening. It seemed difficult to believe that my best friend and his wife had been involved in an accident and taken to the hospital or that I was being called upon to stay with their sons. Gradually, my brain began to clear and I finally realized why they had been out so late. Today, well actually yesterday now, was Matt and Kelly's 15th wedding anniversary.

They had gotten married at the end of January fifteen years ago and I had served as Matt's best man. Kelly had chosen Jan. 24th for the wedding because it was her grandparents' anniversary and she wanted to honor them by getting married on the same day. She told us that her grandparents had done a lot for her when she was little, and since we lived in Georgia, we didn't have to worry about road conditions as much. She felt it would be all right to have the wedding then and it wouldn't be too cold, so it shouldn't keep anyone they invited from attending. A little over two years later, she gave birth to their first child, my godson.

I, along with some of their other friends, had thrown them a surprise anniversary party this past weekend, but yesterday was their actual anniversary date, so it was most likely their attempt to celebrate alone. They must have gone out for a quiet dinner and then were somehow involved in an accident on the way home. It was then that a horrible thought popped into my mind and I desperately hoped Matt hadn't been driving under the influence at the time.

As I drove from my apartment to their house, I wondered if the boys were aware of what was going on. They were 6, 9 and 12, so I was sure they would be very scared and upset if they knew their parents had been injured and taken to the hospital. I had always maintained a good relationship with each of them, so I hoped I might be able to help calm them down, if that was the case. As I pulled into the driveway of my best friend's house, I saw a patrol car parked out in front, along the curb. Since the babysitter had most likely already left, Officer Davies would be the only one waiting for me to show up.

"Thank you for coming so quickly," he greeted me, as I walked into the house. He looked to be slightly younger than I am, which meant he was probably in his late 20s or early 30s. "Since the babysitter had to leave, I assured her that I would stay here until you arrived."

"Thank you for doing that," I confirmed. "Now, can you tell me what happened?"

"I can share some of the information with you, but I might not be able to tell you everything you want to know," he stated. "From what I've been told, several police officers and sheriff's deputies were in a high-speed pursuit of a vehicle containing a suspect involved in a homicide. The chase had gone on for quite some time and had passed through several jurisdictions before the suspect tried to run a red light locally to get away. When he did, he ended up slamming into the car driven by your friend. I was informed the collision drove your friend's vehicle in front of an 18-wheeler, so they were impacted on two sides."

"How badly are Matt and Kelly hurt?" I followed, even more deeply concerned after hearing the details. I found my mind was suddenly filled with horrific images, as I subconsciously envisioned the worst.

"That I can't tell you," Officer Davies replied. "You'll have to call Gwinnett Medical Center to get that information. I wasn't at the scene, so I didn't actually see what had happened. I only heard the radio transmissions before I was directed to see if anyone else was at this address."

As he finished speaking, his face was scrunched up in a pained expression. This let me know he felt badly that he was unable to provide me with better information.

"You mean you didn't hear anything that would give you a clue about how badly they're injured or how long they might have to stay in the hospital?" I pressed, since I felt that might have been discussed over the radio.

"No, I'm afraid not," he reiterated. "Look, if you're unable to provide temporary care for the children until their parents are better and return home, then I can always call Child Protective Services and get them involved."

Obviously, he got the wrong impression about why I'd asked the previous question.

"That won't be necessary. I'll stay with the boys and handle things from here," I assured him, since I didn't want the kids to be placed in the system. If they were, then it might be difficult to get them out again.

"Have the boys been told any of this?" I followed, since I was concerned about how they were taking the news.

"No, they were sleeping when I got here, so I decided not to wake them," he respond, as his face took on a somber look. "I didn't feel they needed their sleep interrupted just to receive such terrible news. I felt telling them about it could wait until morning."

"I agree and I'm glad you let them sleep," I offered, as sincerely as I could. "I'll stay here and make sure the boys get to school in the morning. As soon as they're in class, I'll run over to the hospital to check on their parents, but I also plan on calling there in a few minutes, to see if I can find out anything more."

"I understand, so I'll be going now," Officer Davies agreed, as he placed a hand upon my shoulder. "I wish you and the boys the very best."

I thanked Officer Davies as he went out the front door. Then, I quickly found the number and dialed the hospital.

"Gwinnett Medical Center. How may I direct your call?" the receptionist answered.

"I'm calling to check on Kelly and Matt Weaver," I began, once again struggling to control my emotions. "I was told by the police that they were brought there after being involved in an accident."

"Just one second and I'll connect you with that department," the receptionist replied, after looking up their names.

"Emergency room, Alisha Newman speaking," the voice answered. "How may I assist you?"

I repeated my story.

"Are you related to either of the patients?" she followed, so I realized this meant I probably wasn't going to find out anything.

"Matt is my best friend and I'm their son's godfather," I stated, hoping that might be enough. "I'm also watching their three sons until they're released, because they don't have any relatives in the area."

"Mr. Hunter, I understand your involvement, but I'm afraid I can't give you the information you want," she replied. "The hospital's policy is that I can only release the information to the patent's parents, spouse, siblings. children or a designated legal representative."

I pleaded with her for a couple of minutes more, but quickly came to the conclusion it was an exercise in futility. "Fine, I'll contact their attorney as soon as his office opens," I spat out exasperated, before finally ending the call.

I was still fuming about this a half-hour later when the Weaver's land line began to ring. I was hoping it was either Matt or Kelly calling to check on the boys, so I hurriedly picked it up.

"Hello," I answered, not yet sure to whom I was speaking.

"Is this Mr. Hunter?" the feminine voice asked. That immediately told me it was no one I knew.

"Yes, it is," I confirmed.

"This is Alisha Newman from the Gwinnett Medical Center Emergency Room calling back," she announced, much to my surprise. "After we spoke earlier, I did some research in the medical database and discovered that both Mr. and Mrs. Weaver had filed a Georgia Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care. After examining the documents, I saw that each of them had listed you as their health care proxy, in case they were unable to make decisions for themselves. Therefore, since you are their legal representative, I can now give you the information you requested earlier."

This news shocked me, because I only vaguely recalled Kelly asking if I'd agree to doing this for her. It happened shortly before my godson was born, since Kelly was worried that something might happen when Matt wasn't around. I'd basically forgotten all about it until now and just realized that Matt must have done the same thing later, as I attempted to focus in on what the woman was saying to me now.

"I'm sorry to inform you that Mr. Weaver didn't survive his injuries and passed away before reaching the hospital," she informed me. "Mrs. Weaver is currently in surgery, but she was listed in critical condition when brought in."

"Do you know if the impact occurred directly where they were sitting or if it happened in front or behind of where they were?" I pressed, still unable to completely fathom the severity of this event.

"I don't have any idea. All we were told was that their injuries were the result of a traffic mishap," she explained, which immediately raised the hackles on the back of my neck.

Mishap? My best friend was dead and his wife was in surgery and this woman had the nerve to call it the result of a traffic mishap? I understood she probably just said it this way to help keep me calm, but a mishap? Saying it that way made it sound as if Matt and Kelly had merely bumped shoulders with someone while going to their car, not that another car had plowed into their vehicle.

"Would you please call and inform me when she gets out of surgery? I need to know how she is doing," I insisted, still slightly agitated, but deeply concerned.

The woman agreed to do that for me, so I gave her my cell phone number too. Then I went up to the master bedroom to see if I could get a little more sleep. It was a futile effort though, since my mind was spinning. This was all so surreal that it hadn't fully sunk in yet that I'd never be seeing my best friend again, even though I was praying Kelly would be all right.

I was still awake when the phone rang nearly an hour later. That's when I realized I was actually glad that I hadn't dozed off, as I reached over and picked it up.

"Am I speaking with Mr. Hunter again?" the caller asked, and I recognized it was the woman from the hospital calling back. I could also tell by the tone and unevenness of her voice that the news wasn't going to be good.

"Yes, it is," I confirmed, before holding my breath.

"This is Alisha Newman," she informed me. "I promised to call you back and let you know about Mrs. Weaver's condition, but I'm afraid I have bad news. I'm sorry to inform you that Mrs. Weaver passed away from her injuries while in surgery."

After hearing this, I immediately broke down and began to cry. Not only had I lost my best friend and his wife, but her sons had lost both of their parents. What were any of us going to do now?

After calming down a few seconds later, I thanked her for being kind enough to call me back and for doing her best to delicately deliver the news. Then, I numbly laid back on the bed and closed my eyes. My mind was reeling from everything I'd been told, but it was also racing over various scenarios of what was going to happen next. How was I suppose to break this horrible news to the kids and how were any of us going to survive this terrible calamity?

Kelly's parents were no longer living and she had no other relatives that I was aware of, except for her sons, so there was no one else I would have to inform about this tragic news. I remembered her mother had passed away from breast cancer shortly after Kelly and Matt's second son had been born. Then, her father suffered a massive heart attack at work a couple of years ago and died shortly thereafter. As far as I knew, Kelly and her sons were the only ones left on that side of the family.

Matt's parents, however, were still alive, although they lived in another state and weren't in very good health. Matt had told me that his mother suffered from MS, was confined to a wheelchair and only managed a few good days intermixed with the bad. He also informed me that his father suffered from emphysema, due to many years of smoking, and was now constantly connected to an oxygen tank. His father was also going blind and had lost a leg due to diabetes, so neither of them were able to get around very well. It also meant that neither one was able to take care of himself or herself, much less do much to help the other, so they were currently residing in an assisted living facility. They had chosen one that was close to where they lived and where Matt had grown up, because they wanted their friends to be able to visit them from time to time.

Thinking of Matt's parents presented me with another dilemma. I wondered if I should call them and deliver the awful news or if it would be better if I just let the police or hospital take care of doing it? I was very confused and didn't know if anyone else even had their information. Even if they did, I wondered which course of action would be best for them, as I continued to mentally debate this point.

When I looked at the clock again, I noticed it was a few minutes after 7:00. Since I'd been pondering this for quite some time, I finally made my decision. I figured Matt's parents might take the news better coming from me, since I'd spoken to them on the phone before, rather than hearing about it from a doctor, nurse or a police officer they didn't know. Finally, I went downstairs and located Matt and Kelly's personal phone directory, in which they kept all of their important contact info, and looked up the number. I then took it back to the master bedroom with me and dialed the number carefully, since I was both tired and upset. I certainly didn't want to reach a wrong number and then have the person on the other end go off on me for calling so early. After a few seconds, the call went through and was answered on the fourth ring.

"Hello," the masculine voice answered.

"Mr. Weaver, this is Matt's friend, Blake Hunter," I began, my voice cracking slightly. "Has anyone contacted you yet?"

"About what?" he replied, so I immediately knew they hadn't.

"I'm really sorry that I have to tell you this, but Matt and Kelly were involved in a serious automobile accident while returning home last night," I stated, while attempting not to break down completely. "I don't have all of the details about what happened, but I have been in contact with the hospital since I learned about this situation from the police. It is my unfortunate task to tell you that both Matt and Kelly have passed away as a result of the injuries they sustained."

"Oh my God!" was his immediate and honest reaction, but then there was complete silence. After a lengthy pause, he finally spoke again. "What about the boys?"

"They were home with a babysitter at the time, so they're fine," I assured him. "I'm at the house now, although they're still sleeping, but I'm not going to send them to school today. I'm just not sure how I'll be able to break the news to them."

"I certainly don't envy you that job," Mr. Weaver stated and I knew he sincerely meant this. I could also sense the relief in his voice before he spoke again. "Do you know if Matt or Kelly suffered?"

"That I can't tell you with any certainty," I confessed. "I was just told that their car was struck by a vehicle involved in a high-speed chase and the impact pushed them in front of an 18-wheeler. Matt died before reaching the hospital and Kelly passed away later, during surgery."

Again there was another slight pause, but I remained silent. I knew a lot was going through his mind, so I didn't rush him.

"I don't know how I'm going to break this news to mother, because I'm afraid it might kill her," he finally uttered, his voice choked with emotion. "She hasn't been doing well and I'm afraid that hearing this might be too much for her."

"I'm sorry to hear that and I'm willing to do whatever I can to help," I offered.

"Would you be willing to handle the funeral arrangements?" he asked in response. "Neither of us is in very good health and we're unable to travel. I don't know how we'd be able to take care of things from here."

"I would be happy to handle this for you," I agreed. "So you won't be coming for the funeral?"

"I'm afraid mother and I won't be able to do that," he stated, as I once again heard a slight tremor in his voice. "Although I thought my wife and I would go well before Matt and Kelly, Matt told me that he planned on being buried where he was living now, along with his wife. They might have even made some sort of arrangements already."

I didn't know this, but I realized the information might come in handy.

"In that case, I'll see if I can find out anything about it and I promise to take care of everything for you," I assured him. "Would you like me to hire a professional videographer to record the events, so you and your wife can view it later?"

"That would be very kind of you and greatly appreciated," he agreed. "I am deeply troubled that mother and I wouldn't be there to say a final goodbye, so that would definitely help make us feel better. It might also relieve some of our guilt about not being there, if we could at least view the service."

After discovering they had access to a computer, I agreed to send them a flash drive with everything on it. I also gave him my cell phone number, in case he thought of anything else or came up with more questions. Then, we ended the call.

A short time after I got off the phone with Matt's father, I called in to work and explained the situation to my boss. Since Matt and I both worked there and seeing I was responsible for planning the funerals, as well as taking care of the boys, my boss told me not to worry about anything. He said he would see to it that I was granted the standard three bereavement days, even though Matt wasn't technically a relative, and he'd also make sure everything else was handled on that end.

After he told me this, I asked if I could also use some of my vacation time after I'd used up the bereavement days, since I wasn't sure how things were going to go with the boys. He agreed to work with me on this, so I thanked him before ending the call.

Once I had finished speaking with my boss, I called Kelly's place of employment next and explained the bad news to them. After offering her condolences, Kelly's boss thanked me for calling and asked if I'd let her know about the funeral arrangements. She said she was sure that many of Kelly's coworkers would want to attend and pay their respects, so I assured her I would do that before I hung up.

I had gotten back in bed in the master bedroom while trying to decide what to do next, when there was a knock on the bedroom door. It opened after I said, "Come in," and I quickly saw it was Matt and Kelly's oldest son, Tyler, my godchild.

"Hi, Uncle Blake. What are you doing here?" he wondered, while staring at me. "Where's my mom and dad? It's late and no one woke us up, so aren't we going to school today?"

Tyler had fairly long auburn hair, similar to Kelly's, but it was currently unruly and sticking out in all directions. He was also quite handsome, at least in my humble opinion, standing about 5' 4" [1.63 m] tall and weighing around 100 lbs. (47 kg). In fact, except for the bad case of 'bedhead', he looked a lot like his mother. He also appeared fairly cheerful, but I knew that wasn't going to last for much longer.

"That's a toughie, so why don't you come over here and sit down beside me, so I can explain," I replied, hoping he wouldn't panic.

He looked slightly confused, but did as I requested. I had no idea about how I was going to break the news to him, but I wanted to do it gently. On the other hand, I wondered if there actually was a good way to inform him that his parents were dead.

"Tyler, I got a call last night to come over here and stay with you and your brothers," I began. "The babysitter said she needed to go home and your parents weren't here yet, so I agreed. I don't know how to tell you this, but your parents aren't going to be coming home."

"What do you mean? Where are they?" he demanded, as his eyes grew wide. I could see the fear in his expression.

"There was an accident last night and your mom and dad are both in heaven now," I offered, as gently as I knew how.

His face immediately began to contort into an unrecognizable grimace, as he started to cry. Seeing this broke my heart, so I reached out and pulled him toward me, so I could hug him with all my might. As I held him against my chest, I allowed him to release his emotions and get it out of his system. He continued doing this for several minutes, but then he eventually looked up at me and spoke.

"What's going to happen to me and my brothers now?" he wanted to know, as I gazed into his moist, hazel-colored eyes. I could read the confusion that was currently registering there, along with the grief.

"I'll take care of everything and I promise the three of you will be fine," I assured him, as best I could. "I won't let anything happen to any of you."

This seemed to calm him down slightly, until his next oldest brother entered the room through the open doorway. Marcus had come there to find out what was going on, since he hadn't been awakened to go to school either. I reacted and looked up when I saw him. He quickly noticed that I was hugging Tyler and his brother turned to see what I was looking at. This allowed Marcus to see Tyler's tear streaked face and that's when Marcus began to panic as well.

"What's wrong? Why are you crying and why is Uncle Blake here in mommy and daddy's bedroom?" he rattled off. He strung his words together as if it was all one long run-on sentence. At the same time, his big, brown eyes shifted erratically between his brother and me.

Marcus had mousy brown hair, which wasn't quite as long as Tyler's, and he looked more like his father. He was quite a bit smaller than his brother too, at only 4' 6" [1.37 m] and about 70 lbs. [30 kg], but at the moment he was just a scared, little boy.

"Mom and Dad are dead," Tyler blurted out, before I had a chance to tone down the cruel reality of the situation.

Marcus' face went completely ashen, just before he collapsed on the floor. I immediately jumped up from the mattress and rushed to his side. Tenderly, I lifted him from the floor and carried him over to the bed. I then sat down and cradled him across my lap, where I held him until he eventually came to. Tyler had followed me to the bed and sat down beside us. Once Marcus was lucid again, I hugged him against my chest, while at the same time placing my right arm around Tyler's shoulders. As I was comforting them in this fashion, each one went through a very emotional and painful release.

When I eventually got those two calmed down a few minutes later, I answered all of Marcus' questions as best I could. I then decided I should go check on Ethan, their youngest brother, next. He was still asleep in his room, at least as far as I knew, and I would have to share the bad news with him too. I wanted to do it alone, but Tyler and Marcus were insistent that they wanted to be there when I told him. After getting both boys to promise to let me tell their brother what happened, we all got up and walked to Ethan's room.

Ethan was still sound asleep when we got there, so I sat down on the bed beside him. I looked at Ethan lying there, with his plentiful dirty blond hair splayed across the pillow, and noticed how angelic he appeared. Gently, I began to shake his shoulder, as Marcus and Tyler stood beside me, with their eyes peeled on their brother. When he finally began to stir, he spotted the three of us there and immediately realized something was wrong.

"Why are you guys crying and why is Uncle Blake here?" he demanded, as he looked at his brothers and me. He then bolted upright in bed. "What's wrong? What's going on?"

"Ethan I have some bad news to share with you," I began, as I pulled him toward me. "Last night there was a very bad accident and God took your parents to live with him in heaven."

Ethan's gorgeous green eyes, dotted with subtle brown flecks, immediately locked on to my face, as my words slowly sank into his brain. Then he looked over at his brothers, as his face screwed up in a horrific expression of grief and a torrent of tears sprang from his eyes. I hurriedly pulled him against me, as he dealt with his emotions, but eventually I lifted him up and placed in on my lap. He seemed so tiny and fragile at this point, since he was only 3' 8" [1.12 m] and approximately 40 lbs. [20 kg], as I sought to comfort him.

At the same time, I signaled his brothers to join us, so they wouldn't feel left out. Marcus quickly sat down on my left and Tyler on my right. As soon as they were in place, they both instinctively reached out and touched Ethan. I suspected they did this to let him know they were there for him too.

We must have spent the next thirty minutes like that, as they collectively released their sorrow and I answered the occasional questions they asked. After wading through this minefield for a while, I urged them to go downstairs with me, so I could fix them something to eat.

While the boys were choking down their breakfast, I asked Tyler to tell me about their schools. As soon as I had the requested information, I called the various offices and explained the situation to them. After that had been taken care of and the boys had finished eating, I suggested we go to the family room for a while. Once there, we all sat down on the sofa and I did my best to reassure them that they were going to be all right.

When I felt the boys no longer needed my direct attention, I left them alone for a brief time and made my way to the master bedroom again. Once there, I retrieved Matt and Kelly's personal phone directory from earlier and began thumbing through it again. This time I was looking for their next door neighbor's name and phone number. I had met the Riordans the previous summer at a barbeque Matt and Kelly held at the house and they seemed really nice. I was hoping Brenda Riordan would be home and willing to lend me a hand, since I had a great deal to do and didn't want to leave the boys alone or have to drag them along with me.

I dialed the number and breathed a sigh of relief when she answered the phone. I quickly told her about Matt and Kelly, before explaining the current situation to her.

"Oh my god! I can't believe they're gone!" she exclaimed, once the information had sunk in. "I will be happy to do what I can to help?"

"Matt's father has asked me to make the funeral arrangements for them and I have several other errands to run, but I didn't want to leave the boys alone," I explained. "This has been tough enough on them, without having to be bogged down with what I have to do next, so I was wondering if you would mind coming over and keeping them company for a while?"

"Certainly," she agreed, without hesitation. "My kids are at school, so just let me slip into something more appropriate and then I'll come over. You can take all the time you need and I'll be happy to stay with them."

"Thank you and I really appreciate your help. No need to hurry though, because I have a few other things to do before I leave," I told her, before ending the call.

While I was waiting for her to arrive, I explained to the boys what was going to happen next. Then, I hurriedly cleaned up and put on a pair of Matt's slacks and a dress shirt, since we were about the same size, and I was ready to go out. Once I'd finished, I discovered Brenda was already there, but I still had to make a few more phone calls first, before I set out on my errands.

The first of these calls was to Kelly and Matt's attorney, Mr. Adam Sheffield, Esq. I'd also located his name and number in their personal directory and was hoping he might have some information that would fill in a few of the blanks for me. Shortly after his secretary transferred my call to his extension, Mr. Sheffield suggested that I make an appointment to see him later that afternoon, so he could share what he knew. I told him I would do that before I left to make the funeral arrangements. After hearing this, he assured me that Matt and Kelly had more than enough life insurance to cover their final expenses, so I didn't need to worry about that. Then, he transferred me back to his secretary, so she could squeeze me into his schedule.

Once that had been taken care of, I went back up to the master bedroom and selected a formal dress, appropriate under garments and an assortment of jewelry for Kelly, along with a suit, dress shirt, tie, underwear and socks for Matt. I also grabbed a recent photo of the two of them off the dresser, so the funeral director would have it to go by. Once I had everything, I set out for the morgue first, so I could see how badly damaged Matt and Kelly's corpses were. I wanted to see for myself if it was still possible to have an open casket service for them.

After explaining that I had been contacted by the police the previous evening after they discovered I was listed as Matt's emergency contact, the mortician allowed me to view the bodies. He explained that most of the damage had been done to the torsos and internal organs, but there was some minor damage to their faces too. He then added that he believed the funeral home could use various techniques to disguise the cuts and bruises on their faces so I could still have them placed in open caskets. I thanked him for that information and headed over to the funeral home next.

I had chosen to use the same place that had handled both of Kelly's parents' funerals, which I had attended. I did this because I felt it was something Matt and Kelly would have wanted. After explaining the situation to the funeral director, he agreed to take care of everything. Then, I followed him to the 'casket room', so I could select Matt and Kelly's coffins. After choosing matching bronze metallic caskets for them, I told the funeral director I'd call him back with the other information he'd requested for the obituaries, since he'd offered to take care of that for me as well.

From there, I drove to the florist shop and picked out several floral arrangements. I selected two floral bouquets from me, one for Kelly and the other for Matt. Then, I ordered two casket sprays that would be placed on the lower half of each casket, but those would be from the boys. Once I finished up there, it was time for me to head over to the lawyer's office.

Mr. Sheffield's secretary was very sweet and consoling when she greeted me, and then I sat down and waited in the reception area briefly. When her boss was ready, I was guided into his office and he offered his condolences as well. Then, Mr. Sheffield asked me to sit down.

"I've pulled out Matt and Kelly's wills and read them over," he began. "They're both in order and this is basically what they state. Other than a small bequest for Matt's parents, if they are still living, everything else has been left to you. You are listed as their primary beneficiary and the guardian of their minor children."

"What?" I responded, totally shocked. "They'd never said anything about that!"

"It's all in their wills," Mr. Sheffield explained, while attempting to calm me down. "Kelly's parents had originally been listed in that role, but once her mother died, it went from the two of them to just her father. When he passed away, I remember Matt and Kelly saying that they didn't feel Matt's parents would be up to the task, because of their medical problems, so they changed everything over to you. I was told you were very close to them and godfather to the boys, so I assumed they were planning to inform you about this."

"They never said a word about anything like this," I mumbled, while still trying to comprehend what it meant.

"Well seeing they were both young and healthy, they may have thought you'd never be needed to assume this responsibility, so they chose not to apprise you about it," he offered in return, after noting my reaction. "Unfortunately, life has a strange way of springing unwanted surprises on us and this is one of them. Am I correct in assuming you are willing to honor their wishes and will take over custodial responsibility for the boys?"

"Of course I will do that, even if I wasn't planning on it," I answered. "I just had no idea that I was Matt and Kelly's backup plan if anything were to happen to them."

"They obviously trusted you or they wouldn't have given you such a great responsibility," Mr. Sheffield assured me, while trying to sound comforting.

"Even though I'm single and wasn't planning on it, I promise to take care of the boys and won't let their parents down," I replied.

"I'm willing to do anything I can to assist you in making the transition as easy as possible," Mr. Sheffield offered. "I'll see to it that the deed to the house is transferred into your name and I'm fairly confident Matt had taken out mortgage insurance as well, so the balance would be paid off if anything happened to him. I'll also prepare the legal documents necessary for you to take custody of the boys and ensure that the proceeds of the insurance policies, as well as any other personal financial accounts they might have had, are turned over to you as well. Just in case you weren't aware of this, Kelly and Matt had previously purchased vaults at the local cemetery."

"Matt's father had mentioned something about that when I spoke to him earlier, but he didn't know the details," I stated, relieved that this was one thing I wouldn't need to be involved in.

"If you'd like, I'll have my secretary contact the funeral home and give them the information for you," Mr. Sheffield offered.

I agreed that would be helpful, but he shared the details with me as well, just so I'd know.

"I wish you the best of luck and please contact me if there is anything else I can do to assist you," he added, once our business was concluded.

I thanked him for his help and assured him that I would let him know if I needed anything further. After I left Mr. Sheffield's office, I contacted the church that Kelly and Matt had belonged to and advised the minister about the situation. He encouraged me to come directly to the church so I could plan the service with him and I agreed.

Reverend Kirk turned out to be an elderly, gray-haired man with a very down to earth and easy going demeanor. In his humble and soothing way, he guided me through the process of finding out if I wanted anyone to read scripture passages or make any personal comments during the service. After explaining that there was no extended family, other than their sons, and I didn't want to leave the boys to do this, we agreed upon a very simple service.

He then helped me select the hymns I wanted incorporated and in what order. Once that had been agreed to, he asked for my personal thoughts about Kelly and Matt, but he also wanted to know if I had any anecdotal information that I might be willing to share about them. After I told him what he wanted to know, I thanked Reverend Kirk for his assistance and left to perform my final task.

I swung by my apartment next, so I could pick up a few things before I headed back to spend time with the boys. First, I tossed a bunch of my clothes into a duffel bag, along with my toiletries and a few other items. Then, I grabbed three of my suits, a handful of dress shirts and several ties and slid them into a couple of different garment bags. Once everything was ready, I carried the items outside and loaded them into the car, so I could return to my new home.

When I arrived at the house, I thanked Brenda for her help and she assured me that she was happy to do it. Before leaving, she also encouraged me to call on her or her husband if I needed anything else. After telling her that I appreciated her offer and she'd most likely be hearing from me again, we said goodbye and she returned home. As soon as she was gone, I headed outside, grabbed my belongings out of the car and carried everything into the house. After I took it all up to the master bedroom, I came back downstairs and called the boys together. I wanted to let them know some of the things I'd done.

"Hey, guys, I have some information I'd like to share with you," I began, as three sets of wide eyes stared in my direction. "First of all, this morning I arranged for your parents' funerals and discovered some very interesting news. Although I didn't know this before I met with your parents' lawyer, your mom and dad had named me to be your guardian, in case anything happened to them."

"What's that mean?" Tyler, the oldest, wanted to know, since he didn't quite comprehend what I was telling him.

"It means your mom and dad named me to take care of and look after you if something happened to them, which it did," I explained.

"Does that mean you're going to be our daddy now?" Marcus, the 9-year-old asked, looking confused.

"I'll be doing many of the same things your dad would have done for you boys, as well some things your mother did for you too, but I'm never going to try to take their place," I offered, hoping this would clear things up for them. "Your dad was my best friend and I loved your mom like a sister, so I don't want to replace them and never want you to forget them. I promise to take care of you the best I can, but I'm still just your 'Uncle Blake', except now I'll be living here and taking care of you."

"Are you gonna be sleeping in mommy and daddy's bed too?" Ethan, the youngest, wondered.

"Yes, I'll be using the master bedroom and sleeping in their bed," I confirmed. "I'll also be setting the rules and ensuring you boys all get along. My biggest job will be to make sure you don't go hungry, that you have clean clothes to wear and that you're washed and loved. I'll also be checking to make sure your homework is done."

"You can forget about that last part if you want," Marcus added, while making a face.

"Oh, no! That's just as important as the other stuff," I replied, while giving him a knowing wink and a grin. "I'm also responsible for making sure you get a good education and that you do well in school."

"You gonna be tucking us in bed and kissing us goodnight?" Ethan asked, while flashing me a quizzical expression. I could tell he was trying to work all of this out in his mind.

"I'd love to do that, if you don't mind or feel you're too old for such things," I offered, while hoping my expression reinforced what I was saying.

"No, that would be good," Ethan responded, as a look of approval showed on his face. The other two merely giggled and rolled their eyes at their little brother.

Since those issues had been cleared up and agreed to, I explained to the boys that nothing more would be happening today. Tomorrow, however, would be the calling hours at the funeral home and the following day would be the funeral service and burial. I was surprised to learn that each of them had a suit, so I went with each boy to his bedroom to make sure the suits were clean, pressed and there was a shirt and tie to go with it. I also checked to see that they had a pair of dress shoes to wear.

Once I felt everything had been taken care of, I led them downstairs again. I figured we'd watch television for a while and get to know each other better. As soon as I sat in the center of the sofa, Tyler plopped down next to me on one side and Marcus on the other, so Ethan crawled onto my lap. I didn't tell any of them to do this, but they each seemed to want to be close to me right now and I didn't have a problem with it. From this point on, I was their surrogate parent and all three seemed to need a little attention and reassurance that I was going to be there for them and everything was going to be fine. After all, since waking up this morning most of their world had crashed and burned, so now they were struggling to rise from the ashes.

We had a fairly enjoyable time with each other, considering the circumstances, and the boys were beginning to feel comfortable with me being around. Throughout the late afternoon and early evening, however, the doorbell seemed to ring constantly, as many of the neighbors dropped by to offer their condolences and leave food for us. By dinnertime, we had a nice collection of salads, lunch meats, various types of breads and a number of desserts, but then Brenda Riordan dropped by with a roast she had just taken out of the oven.

After thanking her and making certain her family wasn't going without, the boys and I sat down to eat our first real meal together. I put the lunchmeats and some of the other items in the refrigerator, while Tyler and Marcus set the table. Then, I sliced the roast and added some to their plates, while they decided which salads they wanted. While I was helping the younger pair with that, Tyler poured each of them a glass of milk, as I waited for the coffee to finish brewing.

After dinner, I sat down with the boys again and attempted to answer the questions they were asking about what to expect over the next couple of days. I tried to explain it to them as best I could, but seeing they had never been to calling hours or a funeral before, it was hard for them to visualize. Their parents had felt they were too young to attend their grandparents' funerals and had left them at home with a babysitter during that time, but now I wished Kelly and Matt hadn't been so protective of their sons. It might have made this a little easier for me now.

As the hour grew late and it got closer to bedtime, I told the boys it was time to take their baths and asked how they wanted to do it. Ethan said he wanted to take his bath with Marcus, so I turned toward his brother, since I wasn't sure how he felt about doing this. After flashing him a quizzical look, he finally responded.

"It's ok. I don't mind. I'll do it with him this time, but we don't usually take our baths together anymore," he stated. "We did it that way when we were younger, but once in a while he still likes me to take my bath with him. I think it's because Mommy isn't here to do it tonight," he added, in a whispered tone.

"You might be right and I'm glad you're willing to do this for him," I replied, while mildly praising him for his understanding.

The boys went to their rooms to get undressed and then Ethan came running back down the hallway, completely naked. This mildly surprised me, because I expected he would leave his underwear on until he was ready to get into the tub.

"Uncle Blake, you gotta fill the tub for us, so the water's not too hot or cold," he informed me, after entering the bathroom. Then, he looked at me as if I should have already known this. "You gotta wash me too!"

While I was filling the tub, Marcus arrived clad in his tighty whities and then both boys started to brush their teeth. I wasn't sure how Marcus was going to respond to Ethan's request, so I broached the subject delicately, before they were ready to get in the tub.

"Ethan wants me to bathe him, so I'll understand if you want to change your mind," I offered, as soothingly as I could.

"Nah, it's no big deal," he quipped, while shrugging it off more easily than I was expecting.

"That means I'll be in here once you're both naked," I pointed out, since I felt possibly he didn't understand what I was telling him.

"I know and it's not a big deal," Marcus assured me. "If you're going to be living here and taking care of us, I'm sure you will see me naked sooner or later anyway. Mommy and daddy did."

I was surprised by how casually he dismissed this, but I wasn't about to argue with him. Nonchalantly, he shed his briefs and stepped into the tub with his brother. I began washing Ethan and shampooing his hair, while Marcus merely sat there and watched us. When I finished with Ethan, he looked at me and spoke.

"You might as well wash me too," he stated, in a very matter-of-fact manner. "I asked Mommy to stop giving me baths when I was about a year older than Ethan, but it was because she was a girl and I was getting too old for her to still see me without any clothes on. You're a guy though, so I don't mind if you do it, but we just won't do this all the time. Only when Ethan wants me to take my bath with him."

I had no problem doing it, as long as he didn't mind. I may be a gay man, but I don't get turned on by little boys' bodies, so I had no trouble helping them. They even had me clean their cute little boy penises and scrotums, as well as their butts, and didn't make any comments about the intimate nature of the act.

As soon as they were both squeaky clean, I dried them off and sent them back to their rooms to get ready for bed. I followed Ethan to his room to make sure he didn't require any further assistance. I watched as he went over to his dresser and pulled out a pair of underpants, which had images of SpongeBob SquarePants imprinted on them.

"Do you sleep in your underwear or pajamas?" I asked, since I wasn't sure.

"Both," he answered, as he pulled on his underpants. I was merely surprised that he didn't just wear one or the other.

Once he finished putting on his Spiderman pajamas, I tucked him into bed and kissed him on the forehead. Ethan looked up and smiled as I pulled away.

"Thank you for taking care of me tonight," he almost whispered as I stood up.

"You're welcome, kiddo," I replied. "Now try to get some sleep."

He merely smiled at me and closed his eyes, as I turned off the light and shut the door. I went directly from there to Marcus' room. He was already in his pajamas by the time I arrived, so I merely tucked him in and kissed him on the forehead as well.

"I hope that doesn't bother you," I murmured, once I'd realized he might feel he was too old for such things.

"Nah. It's kinda nice," he responded, while flashing me a cockeyed grin.

"I'm glad you approve, sport," I teased, while tickling him briefly through the covers. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Uncle Blake," he added, as I turned off the light and closed his door.

I then walked down the hall toward Tyler's room, which was across from mine. As I walked past the bathroom, I heard the shower still running, so it appeared he hadn't finished yet. For that reason, I went into the master suite and started unpacking a few of my things.

A couple of minutes later, I saw Tyler go into his room, with a towel wrapped around his waist. I gave him a few minutes to get dressed first, before I walked across the hallway and knocked on his open door.

"Come in," he said, so I entered his room. He was now clad in a pair of tighty whities too.

"I just wanted to say goodnight before you went to sleep," I said as I walked toward him. "I imagine you're too big for me to tuck in, like I did with your brothers."

"Yeah, I am, but I don't mind you coming in to say goodnight," he assured me, with a cocky grin. "I appreciate that you're not treating me like a little kid and trying to do everything for me, like you are with my brothers."

I gave him a puzzled look, since I wasn't sure how he knew about any of that.

"I was waiting to take my shower and the bathroom door was open, so I peeked in and saw what was going on," he explained, as he blushed slightly.

"It's not a big deal and I only did it with Ethan because he asked me too. Since Marcus had let Ethan talk him into taking their baths together, he let me do the same for him," I explained, to clarify the situation. "I would never have forced them to do anything like that, if they didn't want my help."

"I'm glad you feel that way," Tyler responded. "I was kind of surprised to see Marcus taking a bath with Ethan, but I was even more surprised that he was letting you wash him. He wouldn't let Mom do that any longer."

"I think he agreed to do it more for Ethan's sake than for mine, but I wasn't about to say anything about it. I was merely willing to do whatever they wanted," I assured him. "I remember from my own childhood that there comes a point when a boy feels he's old enough to do things for himself, so I'll try to give you some leeway where that is concerned. Just don't be afraid to ask for my help, if you need it."

"I won't and thanks, Uncle Blake," he stated, as he walked over and gave me a hug. When he did, I kissed him on the top of his head, since I'm 5' 11" [1.81 m] and a full head taller than he is.

"Thanks for that too," he added, as he released me.

"You're welcome, champ, and I think this is going to work out fine," I commented, as I watched him hop into bed. "I'll see you in the morning."

I then turned off the light and closed his door behind me, before walking back to the master bedroom. Once there, I finished what I had been doing and then slid into bed myself. We had finally come to the end of the first day of my new life with the boys.

As I lie in bed, I had trouble falling asleep. I wasn't sure if it had anything to do with being in a different place and in a strange bed, or if the reality of the day's events were finally starting to hit home. It might have even been due to my concerns about whether I was up to this task, but it could also have been the result of a combination of all those things. Whatever caused it, I didn't fall asleep for over an hour before drifting into a very uneasy slumber. I certainly hoped the boys had made out better than I did.

I was awakened the following morning by a knock on the bedroom door.

"Come in," I stated, after I'd opened my eyes and noticed the sunlight filtering through the blinds.

"Uncle Blake, do you want me to start fixing breakfast for my brothers and me?" Tyler asked, as he popped his head through the door. "They're both up already and I wasn't sure if you wanted me to do it or not."

"No. That won't be necessary," I told Tyler as I slid out of bed. "I overslept because I had trouble falling asleep last night, but I didn't sleep very well either. Don't worry; I'll take care of all of that now."

"Wow, I like those," Tyler stated, as he walked farther into the room. "I wished I could wear something like that, instead of these."

At first I didn't understand what he was talking about, until I realized he was commenting about my boxer briefs. He was still wearing the pair of tighty whities he'd put on last night after his shower. The fabric also showed a noticeable bulge in the front, which indicated to me that he had already begun his trek into puberty.

"I didn't care for the boxers that my dad wore, but I like those," he reiterated. "Do you think maybe I can get some of those to wear too?"

"I don't see why not, but it may be a while before I have time to do any shopping," I agreed. "As long as you don't mind waiting, I'll see what I can do."

"No, that will be fine," he confirmed, with a huge grin plastered across his face.

"Ok. I'll just throw on something quickly, before I go downstairs to fix breakfast for everyone," I added. "I suggest you do the same. By the way, what do you boys usually eat in the morning?"

"It depends," he answered, as he watched me pull on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. "Sometimes we just have cereal and toast, but most of the time Mom fixed us eggs, pancakes or something else."

"Ok. I'll go see what your brothers want and you can tell me what you'd like when you get there," I offered, as I started down the hallway.

"I'm ready too. I can just wear these," he countered, as he started to follow me. "There like shorts anyway, so it's no big deal."

I know women don't like guys coming to the table dressed that way, but I didn't have a problem with it, as long as we weren't expecting company. As we strolled into the kitchen, the other two were already there, still dressed in their pajamas. That's when it finally dawned on me that Tyler must sleep in his underwear, unlike his brothers.

"Ok, what does everyone want this morning?" I asked, as I looked from one face to another.

"Smambled eggs," Ethan suggested, but I got the idea.

"Are scrambled eggs ok with you two, Tyler and Marcus?" I asked, to get their input. They merely nodded in response.

"Ok, let me see what we have then," I stated, since I hadn't really checked the refrigerator or freezer to make an inventory of what was there.

After looking around, I found a dozen eggs and some orange juice in the fridge, along with a package of sausage links in the freezer.

"How about scrambled eggs, sausages, toast and orange juice?" I asked.

"Yeah," Ethan shouted, with the other two nodding and smiling in agreement.

After preparing everything, I fixed a plate for each of them and we sat down to eat. I was amused watching the boys shovel the food into their mouths and wondered if they were even taking time to taste it.

"This is good, Uncle Blake," Ethan mumbled through a mouthful of eggs. I guess that answered my question about whether they were actually tasting what I'd fixed.

"Thank you, Ethan. I'm really glad you're enjoying it," I replied, politely.

We had some time yet before the first set of calling hours would start, which wouldn't happen until 2:00. It would last until 4:00 and then the next set wouldn't begin until 7:00 and run until 9:00. Just before noon, I went out to the kitchen and made each of us a sandwich. I also put out the salads the neighbors had dropped off and poured the boys a glass of milk, before calling them for lunch.

After they finished eating, I sent them upstairs to wash their faces, brush their teeth and start getting dressed. As soon as I had finished putting the leftovers away and making sure the dishes were all in the dishwasher, I did the same. I knew the boys would need my help, especially with their ties, and I wanted to make sure they were all set before I got ready.

The three boys were already in their slacks and working on their dress shirts when I went upstairs. After making sure they'd put on their dress shoes as well, I made certain everything was in order, before I started to help them with their ties. I just did it for Ethan and Marcus, but I tried to teach Tyler how to do it, so he would be able to take care of himself eventually. I knew that wouldn't happen soon, but it was a good opportunity to get him started.

Once the boys were set, I told them to carry their suit jackets downstairs and not get messed up, while I got ready. I also asked Tyler to keep an eye on the younger pair until I came down to join them. He agreed and looked pleased that I was assigning him this responsibility, which in his mind meant that I was treating him like a grown up.

Once I finished getting dressed, I found the boys sitting in the family room watching TV. They still looked as good as when they left me earlier, so I had them put on their jackets and follow me out to the car. I buckled Ethan and Marcus into the back seat and let Tyler ride in the front. He was beaming as he got settled in and fastened his seatbelt, because he was pleased that I was letting him ride in the front, beside me.

Of course, we were the first to arrive at the funeral home, so I took the boys inside to view their parents first, before anyone else showed up. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I had a feeling this wasn't going to be easy for them. Since Ethan wasn't tall enough to get a good look into the coffins, I picked him up and held him in my arms as we moved toward his mother's casket.

"She looks like she's sleeping," Ethan stated, when he gazed down at her body.

"Yes, she does," I confirmed, as I noticed Marcus reaching out to touch her arm.

"She feels really cold!" Marcus exclaimed, after his hand came into contact with her skin.

"That's because her heart is no longer beating and pumping the blood around," I told him, as I watched Tyler reach out to discover this for himself.

"Her skin doesn't feel soft either. It feels kinda like the outside of a baseball," Tyler stated, after he'd touched her arm too.

"Yes, it probably does," I agreed. "That's what happens to your body after you die."

Once that had been cleared up, I gave the boys all the time they needed to check her out a little more. I merely answered their questions and explained their observations when they made one. They did this for several minutes, before one of them turned to me and asked a question.

"Is it alright if I kiss her?" Tyler wanted to know, as he glanced between me and his mother's body.

"Certainly! There's nothing wrong with doing that," I concurred. Somewhat tentatively, he bent forward and kissed her on the cheek.

"Can I kiss her too?" Ethan asked, so I bent down with him in my arms and allowed him to do the same.

"I can't reach either, so will you help me, Uncle Blake?" Marcus followed, and I quickly agreed.

After setting Ethan down, I lifted Marcus up, so he could kiss his mother too and then we all moved over to their father's casket, where we repeated the process. Once they were satisfied, Tyler made another observation.

"The flowers on the bottom of both caskets look really nice," he observed. "One has Mom on it and the other one says Dad, but we didn't buy them."

"In a way you did. That's one of the things I told you I took care of yesterday, so they are both from you boys," I explained. "There is another arrangement on a stand beside each casket that is just from me."

Excited by this revelation, the boys asked me to point out which arrangements were from me, since there were several others there beside each casket. Happily, I pointed each one out to them.

"They look really nice, Uncle Blake," Marcus observed.

"Yeah. You've got really good taste," Tyler added, while flashing me a grin.

"Who are the other ones from?" Ethan wanted to know, so I went around and read the cards on every arrangement to them.

Some were from their parents' co-workers, while others were from their neighbors. There was also an arrangement for both Matt and Kelly from Matt's parents, so I suspected they must have had someone where they lived help to place the order. Realizing this, I made sure the videographer got a good shot of each arrangement, so the Weavers could see how they looked. The three boys also seemed very pleased with what they saw and learned about each of these items.

Just as we were finishing up that discussion, the funeral director approached and asked if it was all right if he let the others in. I told him that would be fine, so I led the three boys off to the side, where the others could stop and speak with them, after they had paid their respects. Tyler stood on my right, Marcus on my left and Ethan stood directly in front of me. I placed my hands on Ethan's shoulders, since he was a little apprehensive about doing this.

Everyone that dropped by for the calling hours also made sure to stop and speak with the boys. They did this so they could tell the trio how sorry they were and at the same time offer their heartfelt condolences. A couple of the guests also made some questionable comments, such as saying the boys must really miss their parents or that it had to be difficult for them to stay in the house without their mom and dad being there.

It was during this process and an indirect result of those comments that the harsh reality of the situation finally started to sink in for the boys. They had held up fairly well until then, but suddenly the tears began to stream down their cheeks, as if caused by a flash flood. I was glad the funeral director had placed a small stand next to us with a box of tissues on it, because it immediately came in handy. Throughout the rest of our time there, I continually pulled out one tissue after another and handed it to one of the boys, so he could dry his eyes or blow his nose.

Once the calling hours were over, I kept the boys there for a little while longer, while I wrapped my arms around them and hugged the trio to me. Tyler and Marcus were on either side, with Ethan on my lap, as I did my best to comfort them.

"So they're going to bury mommy and daddy in the ground tomorrow?" Ethan asked, as his teary eyes looked up at me.

"Not exactly," I responded, while noticing his confused reaction. "Your mom and dad purchased vaults to be placed in, which are like cubbyholes in the outer wall of a building. Their caskets will be placed in them and sealed up, rather than being buried in the ground. You may not be able to understand what I'm telling you right now, but you'll see it for yourself tomorrow. It's kind of like a small storage area where their caskets will remain forever."

Although I could tell they didn't completely understand what I was describing, they accepted my explanation and dropped the topic for now. As soon as I felt the boys had calmed down sufficiently, I led them out to the car, got them buckled in and drove home. When we got there, the boys wanted to know if they should change, so I thought about it for a minute before I answered. I decided we'd be having dinner before we left for the funeral home again, and since I didn't want them to get anything on their suits, I told them it would be a good idea if they did that. I helped each one take off his tie before sending them upstairs, but I didn't untie them completely, so we wouldn't have to go through that process again. I also went upstairs and slipped into something more comfortable, so they wouldn't feel out of place.

After we finished talking about how they were feeling, I answered their questions about what had happened earlier and advised them about what to expect next. As I was doing this, the doorbell started to ring again, so I stopped to see who was there. It turned out to be more people dropping off goodies for us, so I wouldn't have to cook. I invited each of them in for a few minutes, so they could speak with the boys, but none of them stayed very long, because they all had to get home too.

At around 5:30, I called the boys to the kitchen to get their plates and gave each one a nice slice of ham and a scoop of mashed potatoes. Those items had been dropped off a short time before by one of the thoughtful visitors. I also let the boys choose which salads they'd like, as well as what they wanted to drink, and then we sat down in the dining room to eat.

No one's appetite was very good this evening, since we were all emotionally drained and a little choked up. I ended up covering the leftovers with aluminum foil and storing them in the fridge, in order to save them for later. I felt we might be hungry when we returned home after the calling hours, so this way we'd merely have to heat things up again.

The evening calling hours went much the same as the first one, although the boys didn't spend as much private time at each of the caskets. They also held up a little better as we greeted those stopping by, so I was pleased about that. As soon as 9:00 rolled around and the last of those attending had departed, I rounded the boys up and took them home.

The first thing I did after we got there was to ask them to get undressed and hang up their suits and dress shirts, so they wouldn't get wrinkled. Then I had them come back downstairs for a little snack, before announcing it was time to get cleaned up and ready for bed.

"You gonna give me my bath again, Uncle Blake?" Ethan wanted to know before heading upstairs.

"Sure, kiddo, if that's what you want," I agreed.

"Me too?" Marcus asked, as he gave me a sly grin and Tyler flashed him a startled look.

"Of course, sport. We can do it just like last night if you want," I added.

I think tonight Marcus' request was the result of his insecurity and a desire not to be left alone, more than anything else. I didn't mind though and sent them off to get ready, while I filled the tub. When they returned, they were both completely naked. I guess they felt they had nothing to hide and left all of their clothes in their rooms, as they began brushing their teeth.

While I was finishing up giving this pair their baths, Tyler came into the bathroom and joined us. He merely sat on the toilet seat wearing only his tighty whities, but he didn't say a word. I had the feeling he didn't want to be alone either.

"Will you stay and talk to me while I'm taking my shower?" he asked, as I was finishing up with the other pair.

"Just let me get these two in bed first and then I'll come back, if that's what you want," I agreed.

He seemed fine with my response, so I finished up shampooing Ethan and Marcus' hair, rinsed them off and drained the tub. Then I dried each of them off, before escorting them to their rooms. Once they were in their pajamas, Ethan had a question for me.

"Can I sleep with you tonight?" he wanted to know and I could tell the day had taken its toll on him.

"Sure, that will be fine," I concurred.

"Me too?" Marcus chimed in from behind. It was obvious he had overheard our conversation and didn't want to be left out.

"Of course," I relented. "It's a king-size bed, so there's plenty of room."

Both boys were thrilled that I was allowing them to do this, so I guided them into the master bedroom and helped them get under the covers, with Ethan in the middle. As soon as I was sure they were settled in, I explained that I'd be back in a little while, but first I needed to honor Tyler's request. They didn't put up a fuss, since I had done what they wanted earlier, so I kissed each of them on the forehead before leaving the room.

Tyler hadn't locked the bathroom door, so I went inside and sat down on the toilet lid. Since he hadn't made any indication that he knew I was there, I announced my presence.

"I'm back," I informed him. "Was there a reason you wanted me to do this?"

"Yeah, seeing my mom and dad in their caskets was really hard for me," he answered. "I'm just so confused and wanted to ask you some stuff, but I didn't want to do it in front of Ethan and Marcus. Do you think there's really a heaven, like they tell us in church and is it possible that some day we might get to be with our parents again?"

"There's no way to prove whether there is a heaven or not, but a whole lot of people truly believe there is, so I'd say it's definitely possible," I replied, since I wanted to leave him with some hope. "If that's what you believe too, then there's a good chance you'll see you parents again at some point."

"I hope so, because I don't want to believe this is all there is and I'll never see them again," he responded. After he finished speaking, I heard him sniffle, so I was pretty sure he was crying once more.

A few minutes later, the water shut off and the shower curtain slid back unexpectedly, exposing Tyler in all his glory. I thought he might have asked me to leave first, before this happened, but he never said a word. I guess I must have been looking slightly confused when this happened, but he just looked at me and smiled.

"You've already seen Marcus and Ethan naked, so I figured you might as well see me too," he announced, before releasing a little giggle.

Since he wasn't embarrassed, I decided to check him out. As I suspected, he had definitely started puberty already. He had a nice little horseshoe pubic patch consisting of auburn colored hairs, which nicely highlighted his flaccid 3" [7½ cm] penis, which was thicker than my thumb. He was also circumcised, like both of his brothers.

"Did you get a good look?" Tyler asked when he noticed me checking him out and before releasing another giggle. Startled, I glanced up at him again.

"I was just marveling at how mature you were," I stated, trying to justify my actions. I could also feel some heat radiating from my cheeks, which meant I must have been blushing too. "You're definitely not a little boy like your bothers," I added, which earned me a huge smile.

"Thank you. I'm glad you noticed, because that makes me feel good," he confirmed, as he started to dry himself.

"Ok, you finish up while I go hop into bed with your brothers. They asked if they could sleep with me tonight, because I don't think they want to be alone," I offered, as a way of leaving gracefully and preventing him from having to undergo further scrutiny. "I'll shower in the morning."

I then walked out of the bathroom and made my way down to the master bedroom. Both boys were already asleep when I got there, so I stripped down and slid in beside them. Before long, I noticed the bedroom door open and then I heard a voice.

"Do you mind if I join you too?" Tyler nearly pleaded.

"I don't mind at all and there's plenty of room, so come on in," I offered, as he shut the door and glided across the room in the dark. Once he saw where his brothers were, he came around to the other side of the bed and started to get in beside me. I slid over to give him some room and he laid on his side, with an arm and leg draped over my body.

"I didn't want to be alone either," he announced, as a way of explaining his actions.

"I understand," I replied, so he wouldn't assume I thought less of him for doing this.

Slowly, I slipped an arm under his head, so he could cuddle against me if he wanted. I'm sure today had been very hard on him too, as well as confusing, so I wanted to make it as easy for him as I could.

"Thanks. This is really nice," he whispered in my ear, as he moved a little closer. I could even feel his package pressing against my thigh as he got comfortable. A few minutes later I realized he was asleep, because all I could hear was his gentle breathing.

That's how I spent the night, sandwiched between three very cute and emotionally distraught boys. It was clear they were totally dependant on me now and trusted me completely, so I wasn't about to let them down.

When I woke up the following morning, I started to get out of bed and must have awakened Tyler in the process. He looked at me, as a grin slowly spread across his face, and then he spoke.

"I slept really great!" he announced. "Thanks for letting me do this."

"You're welcome, champ," I assured him, before heading to the toilet so I could relieve myself.

After I'd finished up and washed my hands, I went downstairs to fix pancakes for all of us, while Tyler woke his brothers. After we finished eating, I sat with the boys in the living room for a while, before I sent them up to their rooms to get dressed. The funeral at the church was scheduled for noon, but I was going to take them to the funeral home first and spend a short time there.

After making sure the boys got a chance to say a final farewell to their parents, the caskets were closed and placed in the hearse. As they were being carried out, I pointed out the flowers I was planning to take with us and then told the funeral director to make certain the rest were donated to a nursing home or the hospital. Then, I guided the boys out to the limo we would be riding in, as it followed the hearse to the church.

The church service was very rough for the boys to get through, especially after the minister shared some very personal stories about Matt and Kelly. Obviously, he had talked to others about them too, and not just me, since I hadn't heard some of these stories before. They were very poignant and brought Matt and Kelly back to life again, so it was almost like losing them all over when he finished.

Of course, it's always difficult to cope with the loss of someone you love or cared about, but it's a little easier if they were old and had lived a full life. However, when it happens to someone young and vital, it just makes it that much harder to accept. After all, Kelly and Matt were only in their mid-30s and should have been around for many years to come. As expected, the boys took it the worst, but I have to admit the three of them held up better than I'd expected, especially after I realized how it was affecting me. They were all good little troopers throughout the proceedings and did their parents proud.

I'm not sure if it was just me or whether the service at the cemetery wasn't quite as distressing as when a casket was lowered into the ground. This time, we merely watched as the caskets were slid into the vaults and then the boys and I each pulled two roses out of the sprays that had previously been draped over the lower half of the coffins. We then placed one of the roses behind each casket, as a final tribute to their parents. Then I leaned what remained of the sprays against the wall and guided the boys back to the limo. We were all emotionally drained and more than ready to return to the house.

Before I got in the limo, the videographer I'd hired tapped me on the shoulder.

"I'll download everything into a file, so I can email it to you later," he informed me. "How would you like to pay for this?"

"I put the down payment on my credit card, so just use that for whatever else I owe you," I explained. "You're a good friend and I really appreciate you doing this for me."

"And I appreciate your business," he replied, as I got in the limo with the boys.

It was only 2:00 when we finished up at the cemetery and then we rode back in the limo to the funeral home. Once we got there, we quickly went over and hopped into my car, so I could take them home.

When we arrived at the house, I told them all to change. I also advised them that I wanted them put their suits, dress shirts and ties on my bed, so I could take them to the dry cleaners later. They had no problem with my request and quickly disappeared up the stairs. I followed behind them, so I could change too.

Before long, the underwear clad boys appeared in my bedroom, as they brought in the suits, shirts and ties, as I had requested. I was amused that they hadn't got dressed first, but obviously they were very comfortable doing this around me. After they'd tossed their things on the bed, Ethan looked at me and spoke.

"I liked the baults," he announced, mispronouncing the word. "They were nice."

"And doing it that way, Mommy and Daddy won't be in the ground with the bugs and worms," Marcus added, seriously.

"Actually, that doesn't really happen when the caskets are buried," I explained. "The casket would be lowered into a concrete vault in the ground and then a lid would be place over it, so the bugs and worms couldn't get in."

"It still seems a lot better having them in the vaults," Tyler announced. "I'm glad Mom and Dad made that choice."

"Yes, I agree it did seem much better," I stated.

I thought the boys would return to their rooms after that, but they just stayed there with me. I wasn't sure why they were doing this, so I asked if they wanted to talk.

"Yeah, just for a while," Tyler answered, as the three boys moved toward the bed.

I hurriedly picked up their clothing and moved everything over to the dresser, before I sat down on the mattress. As soon as I did that, Marcus and Tyler quickly took their places beside me, while Ethan indicated he wanted me to pick him up, so he could sit on my lap.

"I'm having trouble believing we won't see them around here any more," Tyler stated, as a tear formed in his eye.

"You may not see them in person, but you'll always see them here and here," I replied, while pointing toward his head and his heart.

"Yeah, I know, but it just won't be the same," Tyler followed. "Will the pain in my heart ever go away?"

"Over time you won't feel the pain as much, but it doesn't mean it will ever disappear completely," I offered. "It just doesn't hurt as badly, once you've learned to deal with it."

"What's gonna happen if you die too?" Marcus wondered, and I could see the fear building in his eyes.

"I'll do everything I can to make sure that doesn't happen," I quickly countered, hoping that would put him at ease. "Next week, I'll also start making arrangements for you to be taken care of, in case that should happen."

"Who will take care of us then?" Ethan asked, while letting me know he didn't like playing the game 'musical parents'.

"I don't know yet, because I have to ask some people if they'd be willing to do it first," I explained. "I can't just pick someone without asking if they'll agree."

"So our mommy and daddy asked you to do this?" Marcus wondered, as his eyes fixed on me and he waited for my answer.

"Not in so many words, but they did ask me to be Tyler's godfather and they also knew how I felt about you boys," I replied. "Your dad understood he could count on me for almost anything, since we had been best friends for so long, so I guess I was the logical choice."

Although it didn't directly answer his question, Marcus still seemed satisfied with my response.

"So who are you going to ask?" Tyler pressed, looking concerned.

"There are some people that I plan to talk to about this, but I don't want to mention any names until they agree. Is that ok with you?" I countered, as I studied his face.

"Yeah, I guess so, but I really want to know what you decide," Tyler responded, and I assured him I'd do that when I knew.

We continued to talk for a while longer and then I decided it was time for me to go downstairs, so I could start preparing dinner. The boys seemed fine with this idea, so I sent them back to their bedrooms to get dressed.

As we were eating later, I decided to mention something else to them.

"I'm going to call your schools in the morning and tell them that I'm keeping you home for the final two days this week," I began, which elicited huge grins in response. "I want you to have a little more time before you have to face your friends, because I'm certain they'll have a lot of questions for you."

"I really like you, Uncle Blake," Marcus suddenly announced. "Mommy and Daddy never let us skip school like this."

"I'm only doing it because of the special circumstances," I informed him, and you're not going to get off scot-free. I'm going to use you boys to help me move things out of my apartment, so I can bring them over here. I might even work you so hard that you'll beg me to let you go back to school." I winked at the boys after saying this.

"I don't think so, but you can try," Tyler scoffed, challenging my statement.

"Ok. Just remember you asked for it," I shot back with a grin.

I was definitely going to have them help me, although I didn't plan on working them that hard, but maybe I'll change my mind now. It might be good for them to think about something other than having lost their parents, and if they get tired enough from the activity, then it might allow them to sleep better at night. It was something I'd have to consider before morning.

I wasn't sure what they wanted to do this evening, but the boys quickly informed me they wanted to watch "Extant", which didn't come on until 9:00. I said that would be alright tonight, since they weren't going to school tomorrow, but then I asked what time they normally woke up on school days.

"We all get up at 6:00," Tyler advised me. "My bus comes about 7:00 and their bus comes shortly after that."

"And what time do you go to bed when you have school the next day?" I followed, trying to get a feel for how things were done. The boys suddenly glanced at each other and I got the feeling they were forming a conspiracy.

"They stay up until 10:00, but I stay up until 11:00," Tyler informed me, but I knew that couldn't be right. I had a feeling they were trying to pull a fast one on me.

"Since I'm the new sheriff in town, this is how we're going to do it from now on," I announced, to let them know I was laying down the law. "Starting Sunday, Ethan's bedtime will be 9:00, Marcus will be in bed by 9:30 and I'll let Tyler stay up until 10:00."

All three started to whine and complain about this, but I held up my hand to stop their impromptu protest.

"Any further complaints and I'll move all of your bedtimes a half-hour earlier," I advised them, and miraculously they all quieted down. I was pleased with myself for how I had handled my first decision as a parent and their first attempted mutiny.

After watching a couple shows with the boys, I told Ethan it was time for his bath. He had no problem with this and grabbed my hand so I would follow him upstairs. Before I left the living room, I glanced over at Marcus.

"I'll do it by myself tonight," he stated, catching my drift. I merely nodded, to let him know that was all right.

"We'll be done in 15 or 20 minutes, so I expected you ready to take your bath by then," I told him. "Tyler, that means I expect you in the shower as soon as he's done."

"Ok, but will you come in and talk to me again tonight?" he asked next.

"If that's what you want, I'm good with it," I agreed, as Ethan and I went upstairs.

I sent Ethan to his room to undress, as I filled the tub and got ready for him. He came streaking down the hallway again and flew into my arms, as I was sitting on the toilet lid.

"Wow! You seem to be in a big hurry, kiddo," I teased, as I scooped him up.

"I like it when you give me my bath," Ethan stated, as he threw his arms around my neck and kissed me on the cheek.

"I like it too," I agreed, which earned me another squeeze and a kiss, but this time on the lips..

I was just drying Ethan off when Marcus showed up naked and ready to go. I watched as he quickly rinsed out the tub and then filled it, because I wasn't sure if he might need help. He didn't, so I followed Ethan down the hall to his room. Once he got in his pajamas and I'd tucked him in, I kissed him on the forehead. While I was doing that, he threw his arms around my neck again and whispered in my ear.

"I love you, Uncle Blake," he announced in a very soft voice. "I'm glad mommy and daddy picked you to take care of us now."

Moved by his unsolicited announcement, I kissed him on the forehead again.

"I'm glad too, kiddo. I really am," I stated, before I left the room.

On the way down the hall, I stopped to check on Marcus, to see how he was doing. He was still in the tub and he looked up at me and smiled.

"How are you doing, sport?" I asked, as I smiled at him.

"Ok, but would you wash my back?" he replied. "It's hard for me to do that."

"Yep, that is a stickler," I agreed, as I bent down and washed his back for him. I then walked toward my room, after I left him to finish up.

"Uncle Blake, will you come in here for a minute," Tyler asked, when he saw me approaching his door. I didn't hesitate and walked into his room to see what he wanted. "I really like how you're doing things, because you're not treating us all the same. You're giving Marcus and me later bedtimes because we're older and that's great. I was worried you'd make us all go to bed at the same time Ethan did."

"Well I do believe a certain amount of freedom comes with age, but it also means you'll also have to accept a greater amount of responsibility," I advised him. "If you boys aren't willing to accept the responsibility too, then I may have to cut back on the extra freedom I'm giving you."

"No, I'm willing to do that, as long as you keep treating me this way," Tyler confirmed. "I'm still sad that I lost my mom and dad, but I'm glad you're taking over, rather than somebody else."

"Ethan said something like that earlier and I'm glad I got to do this too," I confirmed.

Once we finished our conversation, I went back to see if Marcus was done yet. He was already in his room, putting on his pajamas. As soon as he was dressed for bed, I tucked him in and kissed his forehead.

"Goodnight, sport," I told him, before leaving the room.

"Goodnight, Uncle Blake, and thanks for helping me earlier," he added.

As I was closing Marcus' door, I saw Tyler heading toward the bathroom.

"Do you still want me to come in or did we clear everything up already?" I wondered.

"No, I still want you to come in," he stated, as he flashed me a sheepish grin. "I like talking to you while I'm in the shower. I don't know why, but it's fun. I guess it's kind of like I'm joking around with the other guys in the locker room."

"I'm ok with it, as long as you are," I agreed, as I followed him inside.

I stayed back out of the way while he adjusted the water temp and took off his briefs, since I figured I'd let him do those things without me gawking at him. To my surprise, he turned around and faced me before getting in the shower.

"You're still going to get me the underwear like yours. Right?" he wanted to know.

"Yes, we'll have to do some grocery shopping this weekend, so maybe I'll be able to swing by Target to pick those up for you."

"Neat," Tyler shouted, as he held up his hand to give me a high-five.

After Tyler stepped into the shower, I sat on the toilet lid again, so we could chat.

"Uncle Blake, do you like sports?" Tyler asked from the other side of the shower curtain.

"Yes, I played just about everything when I was younger," I confirmed.

"Great! Do you think you might be able to help me get better at baseball?" he followed, and I could tell he was being serious. "I did ok last year, but this year I want to be one of the best players. Do you think you can help me?"

"I'm certainly willing to try," I agreed. "Do your brothers play too?"

"Marcus said he was going to play again this year, but Ethan is too young," Tyler explained. "We can still work with Ethan, but he won't be able to play on a team yet."

"There must be something for him, so I'll check it out," I replied. "Maybe we can find some time to go to the park this weekend then, so I can work with you boys."

"That would be great!" Tyler said, quite loudly.

"Do you have bats and gloves," I followed, since I wanted to know what they had.

"Yeah, we've all got gloves and there are a couple of bats we can share, but we'll have to look for my dad's glove for you to use," he answered.

"That won't be necessary. I have my own glove at the apartment and we'll be moving everything here before then. I've even got some baseballs and softballs as well, along with a football, basketball and soccer ball."

"Super! We'll have everything then," Tyler responded, with a great show of enthusiasm, as he shut off the water and pulled back the shower curtain. "Having you here just gets better and better all the time."

I had to chuckle at Tyler's show of exuberance, as well as how he continually exposed himself to me without really thinking about it. I wasn't sure if he was naturally this open and immodest or if he just did it with me, but it definitely reinforced the idea that he trusted me. It was certainly a good thing that I wasn't turned on by boys too, except for when I was that age, or he would have been in big trouble. He was definitely good looking, smart, had a great personality and a nice body, so he should make out very well. I just hope I can guide him and the others into being terrific men, just like their father was.

After he finished drying off, we both went back to our rooms. I was also thinking about turning in early, since I hadn't slept very well the previous couple of nights and today had been quite draining. After stripping down to my underwear, I was just about ready to get into bed when I heard a knock on my bedroom door.

"Who is it?" I asked, although I probably didn't need to.

"It's me, Uncle Blake. Tyler," the voice announced.

"Come on in then," I responded, as the door burst open and Tyler appeared.

"Why didn't you come over to say goodnight to me?" he wanted to know, catching me completely off guard.

"I guess it just slipped my mind," I answered. "I suppose I thought that since I had just spent all that time with you in the bathroom, you didn't need me to do that."

"No, I want you to do it every night," he replied, while looking at the floor and acting as if I'd just committed a terrible crime.

"Then I apologize and I'll never forget again," I told him, as I spread my arms as a signal for him to come to me.

Seeing what I'd done, Tyler basically sprinted across the room and threw his arms around my chest. As soon as he did, I wrapped my arms around him too and kissed him on the top of the head.

"Goodnight, champ, and I promise I'll never forget to do this again," I admitted. He merely flashed me a coy smile in response.

"You'd better not," he confirmed, as he turned to go back to his own room. "Goodnight, Uncle Blake. I'll see you in the morning."

"Yes you will, champ, and goodnight to you too," I repeated, as I slapped his butt. "The second goodnight is to make up for forgetting."

I heard Tyler giggle, just before he shut the door to his room.

I hopped in bed and prepared for sleep, but this time the bed felt awfully big and empty. Last night I had three boys sharing it with me, but tonight I was all alone. I was going to have to get used to this or else I would drive myself crazy thinking about it too much.

About halfway through the night, I thought I felt the bed move, so I opened my eyes and glanced around. I saw movement next to me and temporarily forgot where I was.

"Who's there and what are you doing?" I demanded. A second later, a timid voice replied.

"It's just me, Uncle Blake," the voice announced and I recognized it belonged to Tyler. "I had a bad dream that woke me up and I didn't want to be alone. I didn't think you'd mind, since you let me sleep in here with you last night."

"I don't mind, but I just didn't know it was you," I responded. I then reached my arm out and placed it around his shoulders. "Just make yourself comfortable and try to go back to sleep."

Tyler immediately slid closer to me, put his head on my chest and threw an arm and leg over my body. Once again, I could feel the bulge in his underwear pressing against my leg and wondered if there might be another reason for his showing up again, one that didn't include a nightmare. I eventually pushed that thought aside, since he didn't try anything and never got hard, so maybe this had happened because of a bad dream. Possibly he was just clinging to me like this for protection and to feel safe, rather than for another reason.

As I lay there thinking about this, I heard his gentle, even breathing and knew he'd fallen asleep. That's when I decided it was time for me to get some shuteye too.

For the first time since I'd been there, I enjoyed a very peaceful and relaxing evening. When I awoke the following morning, I lay in bed for a few minutes more, as I thought back over the past few days. As I was doing this, I felt Tyler's erection pressing against my leg. Obviously, this was morning wood, meaning he had to pee, rather than from sexual arousal. I slowly slid out of bed and headed toward the master bath, because I was suffering from the same problem. As I was standing at the commode, waiting for the flow to start, Tyler came racing in, lowered his briefs and pulled out his penis as well.

"I've got to go too," he stated, as he stood next to me.

I wasn't sure if I should say anything about this or not, but we both stood there until our flow started and we began urinating into the toilet bowl. His penis definitely looked bigger this morning, probably due to the situation he was in when he raced in here, but I didn't say anything about it. Instead, we both finished up, washed our hands in the sink and then returned to the bedroom.

"Can we stay in bed for a little while longer," he asked, when he saw I was moving in the other direction.

"You may, if you want, but I'll probably get up," I countered.

"Come on. We don't have school today and you're not going to work, so just for a little longer?" he pressed, not giving up.

I glanced over at the clock on the nightstand to see what time it was. Surprisingly, it was just a few minutes after 6:00, so I knew I could do it, if I wanted too.

"Pleeeze," Tyler pleaded, when he noticed my hesitance.

"Ok. I can probably do it for another half hour, but then I'll have to get up to do some other things. I'll have to call my boss and your schools, so they'll know we won't be in today or tomorrow," I explained. "Once I've squared all of that with them, then I'll need to call and see if there's a truck available for me to rent. If I can get one, then we'll be able to move the rest of the things from my apartment to here."

"Ok, but let's do this for as long as we can," Tyler urged, as he jumped under the covers again.

I walked over and got in on my side of the bed, and soon Tyler sidled up against me. I slid my arm under his shoulders again and he immediately cuddled against me. I was beginning to suspect this might be the start of something more, at least in his mind, so I might have to speak with him about it before much more time elapsed. I'm not sure if he's inadvertently confusing his feelings about me or if he's just a confused young man who has just lost his parents and is looking to be loved again. This could be harmless, but I need to make sure.

After I'd called my boss and the various schools to take care of everything, I dialed the rental agency next, to see if they had a truck available. They did, so I reserved it, gave them my credit card information and told them I'd be in to pick it up sometime within the next two hours.

I then went upstairs to wake Marcus and Ethan. After I got them moving, I headed downstairs to fix their breakfast. This morning I made each of them an omelet, along with a few home fries and orange juice.

"This is really good. I've never had anything like this before," Marcus told me after taking his first bite. His eyes lit up and he was simply glowing, as he quickly scooped up another mouthful.

"I like it too," Ethan added, after he heard his brother's comment.

"Well thank you very much," I replied. "I'll have you know that a cook always loves to hear that his or her food is being enjoyed and appreciated."

"Yeah, I 'preciate this," Ethan added, speaking with a mouthful.

"I don't remember Mom ever making this for us," Tyler commented, after thinking about it for a few minutes. "I like it a lot, so I don't know why she didn't make this for us too."

"I don't know either," I replied. "It's not difficult to throw together and it only requires eggs, a little ham, cheese and a couple of other items to prepare it."

"I want you to make it for us again," Marcus added, as he cleared off the rest of his plate.

"Would you like some more now?" I asked when I saw he had devoured everything.

"I don't think I can eat another one by myself," Marcus answered honestly.

"Maybe your brothers will share it with you," I suggested, as I got up went to prepare one more.

"Yeah, I'll take part of it," Tyler quickly offered.

"Me too," another little voice chirped in, showing Ethan didn't want to be left out.

I happily prepared one more omelet and split it into thirds, but I didn't do it evenly. I cut off a small piece for Ethan, a larger one for Tyler and then Marcus got the rest. The boys then scarfed it down as if they hadn't eaten for a week. It was truly a sight to behold.

Once they had finished and we'd cleaned up the mess, I loaded all of the boys into the car and drove them to the rental agency. After filling out the paperwork, I gave the man a security deposit and paid for a couple days use, before parking my car in a public lot nearby. Then, I had the boys get into the truck cab with me, with Ethan sitting on Tyler's lap and Marcus in the middle. From there we drove to the grocery store and asked for some boxes. They happily gave us a multitude of boxes in a wide variety of sizes and then I purchased some packing tape to put them together and seal them up. As soon as we had everything we'd need, I drove over to my apartment.

While Marcus and Ethan were busy carrying the cardboard boxes inside, Tyler helped me carry the various pieces of furniture outside and we began to load them into the truck.

"Why are you taking this stuff?" Tyler wanted to know. "You don't need it any more, since you have all of Mom and Dad's things."

"I know and that's why I'm going to store it in the garage for now, but eventually I'll sell it," I replied. "I just don't have time to do that now, so it will have to wait until I can get to it."

That seemed to satisfy Tyler's curiosity, so we continued hauling the various items out to the truck. Since Marcus and Ethan couldn't do very much after carrying the boxes inside, I asked them to run the vacuum cleaner in the rooms we emptied out and just do a little cleaning for me. After a few mild protests, they did as I asked. Maybe it was because I told them if they didn't do what I wanted then I'd just leave them there, but I hoped they knew I was only joking.

Tyler and I were loading the contents of the dresser and desk drawers into boxes before we carried those pieces of furniture outside, but I only had a one-bedroom apartment and not a great deal of furniture, so it went rather quickly. The toughest items for us to move were the sofa, the dresser, and the mattress and box springs, because they were so large and bulky, but some were also heavy. The chair and the end tables from the living room, the nightstands from the bedroom and the kitchen table and chairs were all fairly easy to move. In fact, Marcus was even able to help us with some of those things.

Once the furniture was in the truck, I started packing more of my possessions into the boxes and Tyler would tape them shut. Then we'd all carry something out to the truck, with Ethan and Marcus taking the smallest and lightest boxes. By lunchtime, we had most of my things loaded up, so I drove the truck over to the house and backed it into the driveway. Then, I took the boys inside without unloading it, so I could feed them.

"Dang, I'm really hungry now," Marcus said as we came inside.

"You're always hungry," Tyler teased, as he tousled Marcus' hair.

"Well I'm even more hungry now, after doing all that work," Marcus replied, after swatting his brother's hand away from his head.

"You didn't work as hard as me and Uncle Blake, but you didn't do bad," Tyler conceded.

After we finished eating, I told the boys we would rest up for about a half hour first, before we started unloading the truck and placing everything in the garage. They all released a collective groan when I mentioned this. Even though they weren't happy, they wouldn't have to carry the stuff very far, like up to the bedroom, so it should be fairly easy. I figured I could sort things out there and then take what I needed inside, a little at a time.

When we went out to the garage later, I noticed that we'd have to do a little rearranging first, so there would be enough room for my things. Some of the items we'd have to move belonged to the boys, so I directed them what to do with it, while I took care of nearly everything else. After we finished doing that, I opened the cargo door on the truck and we started moving everything inside.

We were all beat by the time we finished, and even though there were still a few more items back at the apartment, like the stuff in my storage area, I felt that could wait until tomorrow. I told the boys we were finished for the day and that news was received with a very loud cheer.

After we went inside, I suggested they might all like to soak in a tub of hot water for a while, to take some of the soreness out of their overworked muscles. Ethan and Marcus agreed to do it together, as long as I filled the tub and the water wasn't too hot. Tyler asked if he could do this in the master bathroom, since there was a nice tub in there, as well as a separate shower. The boys' bathroom wasn't quite as fancy, but it was fine for them. As soon as I told him I didn't have a problem with that, he raced upstairs and down the hall. I take it his parents never let the boys use their bathroom, so this was a special treat for him.

After Ethan and Marcus had soaked for a while, they got out of the tub, dried off and then went to put on some clean clothes. While they were doing that, I went to the master bathroom to take a hot shower. Tyler already had the tub filled and was soaking in it, so I didn't bother him. I merely stripped down and stepped into the large shower stall, because I planned to loosen and soothe my sore muscles under a hot spray.

While I was enjoying my leisurely shower, Tyler finished up, got out of the tub, dried off and then sat on the toilet seat, while waiting for me to get done. I wasn't paying attention to him and didn't know he was still there as I finished up and opened the shower door.

"Damn, you're really hung!" Tyler exclaimed, when he got a good look at me naked.

"Not really. I'm pretty average," I replied. "It just looks big compared to yours, but then you're still growing."

"I don't remember ever seeing my dad naked," he continued, but his eyes were still focused on my groin.

"It's not something parents tend to do in front of their children," I mentioned, as I dried off. "Maybe I should have checked to see if you were still in here first, before I came out."

"Nah. You've seen all of us naked, so this is only fair," Tyler rationalized.

"Maybe so, but people might get the wrong idea if they ever heard about what just happened," I replied.

"Why? There's nothing wrong with it," Tyler stated, while looking at me defiantly.

"No, there isn't, at least for most people," I agreed, "but some others tend to think the worst and would conclude this was wrong or inappropriate."

"Well I'll never say anything about it, so they'll never know," Tyler assured me, to let me know I had nothing to worry about.

"That's good to know," I confirmed. "Now, go put some clothes on and I'll meet you downstairs."

He didn't look happy, but did as I asked. After he left the room, I began thinking about all of the little things he had done lately. Was I reading too much into the situation or might he have some sort of crush on me? His father never said anything about suspecting Tyler might be gay, because he probably would have, since he knew I was gay. Matt never had a problem with my sexual orientation, so I think he would have sought my advice if he suspected one of his sons might be gay. Putting that thought aside, I went out and got dressed too.

After feeding the boys again, we decided to just chill out for the rest of the night. We hunkered down on the sofa, in front of the TV, and zoned out. Tyler was leaning against my shoulder on one side, Marcus on the other and Ethan was on my lap, leaning against my chest. It soon appeared as if we were all fighting to stay awake, so after a while I decided it was a losing battle and sent them all up to bed. I told them that since they'd soaked in the tub earlier, they could forget their baths and shower tonight, because we'd be doing more work tomorrow. The younger pair cheered at the 'no bath' comment, but they all groaned when I mentioned more work. After they finished expressing their displeasure with my idea, I chased them upstairs and began making certain everything was shut off as I locked up.

Ethan and Marcus had already changed into their pajamas and were in bed when I got there, so I merely tucked them in and kissed them on the forehead, before bidding them sweet dreams. Then I went to Tyler's room, since I didn't want to forget to say goodnight to him again. He was standing in his underwear when I entered.

"I was hoping you wouldn't forget me," he teased, when he looked up and spotted me.

"I told you I wouldn't let that happen again," I replied, as I walked over and gave him a hug. He eagerly hugged me back and I kissed him on top of the head again.

"Goodnight, little man, and thank you for all of your help earlier. I couldn't have done it without you," I stated sincerely, and this caused his face to light up.

"You can always count on me, Uncle Blake," he confirmed, as a coy grin spread across his face.

Once he was in bed, I left his room and headed over to my own. He was certainly a puzzle I would have to figure out, but that could wait until all of this other stuff had been taken care of.

I was so tired that I didn't have any trouble falling asleep. I also woke up alone in bed the next morning, which was the first time that had happened since I'd been there. I wasn't sure if this meant the boys were coping with their parent's deaths and no longer needed me to reassure them. It could have also meant they were just so tired out from all the work they'd done that they got lost in the throes of a dead man's sleep for the rest of the night.

After waking them, I made waffles for the boys, covered in strawberries and with a dollop of whipped cream on top. They all seemed to enjoy it, but then again maybe their taste buds weren't very discerning, since they seemed to like everything I prepared. Once they were done eating, I had them get dressed so we could finish moving the rest of my things.

We had to stop and pick up some more cardboard boxes and packing tape from the grocery store first, but things were a lot easier today. We only had a partial load this time and then I made sure we scrubbed everything in the apartment before leaving the place. It was spic and span before I locked up, so the landlord would have no reason to try and keep my security deposit. Once the place was secure, we drove back to the house, put everything in the garage and were finally done.

After taking a short break, we loaded back into the truck and I drove to the rental agency. After taking care of matters there and getting my security deposit back, we walked over to retrieve my car. We all hopped inside, buckled up and then I took them to get some ice cream. I felt they deserved a treat, especially after everything they'd done to help me over the past couple of days.

"Thanks, Uncle Blake. This was really nice of you," Ethan told me after he'd finished his cone.

"I wasn't being nice," I told him, which drew a puzzled look. "It's a partial payment for helping me. The rest will come this weekend, when I take you to the park to work on your baseball skills."

Once again, this news was greeted with a loud cheer and then we went home to rest up. I think we all realized this was truly a T.G.I.F., if ever there was one, and the weekend was now finally upon us.

The rest of the afternoon and evening was pretty low-key. I checked my email and discovered the videographer had sent me the video of the calling hours and funeral. I quickly downloaded and watched it, before copying it onto a flash drive I was going to use for this purpose. The Weavers had access to a computer where they lived, but didn't have one of their own, so I would mail the flash drive to them instead of sending it via an email.

After I finished doing that, we watched a couple of movies together, which had been chosen by the boys. Once the movies ended, I had the boys get cleaned up and then I tucked them in bed. Even Tyler didn't complain when I did this for him, since he was already in bed by the time I got there.

"Goodnight, champ, and sweet dreams," I stated, as I kissed his forehead.

"Night, Uncle Blake," he replied through a yawn, and then he rolled over and closed his eyes.

Once the boys woke up Saturday morning, we rushed through our usual morning ritual and then I sent them upstairs to get dressed. I had to do some grocery shopping today, since I noticed we were running out of a few things. Before we left, I asked the boys if they took their lunch to school or bought, so I'd know if I had to pick stuff up for their lunches too.

They all told me it depended on what they were having in the cafeteria that day. Most of the time they bought their lunch, but once in a while they took it instead, especially when the cafeteria was having hash or one of their other least favorite dishes. Tyler said there was a school menu on the side of the fridge, so we could check it out for next week. I also knew we had plenty of lunch meat that had been dropped off a couple of days earlier, much of which I'd placed in freezer bags and then stored in the freezer. I felt that would do if the boys didn't like what the school was offering, but I might have to pick up some fruit cups and juice boxes to go with it.

They all had to go with me to do the shopping, since I wasn't about to leave them alone. I also wanted them there so I could find out what they liked and didn't like, since the nightly meal preparation would depend on that. We went up and down nearly every aisle, as I asked the boys how they felt about this item or that. I also grabbed a small bubble mailer envelope, so I could mail the flash drive to Matt's parents. Once I was convinced that we had everything we needed, we checked out and I wheeled the groceries to the car. We barely got everything into the trunk, but I was glad we did, because I didn't want to have to squeeze what was left into the car with the boys.

They also helped me carry everything inside and put it away when we got home. There was some hesitation about doing it at first, so I merely told them that anyone who didn't help wouldn't eat. That seemed to do the trick and I didn't hear any more complaints. I hoped they all realized I wouldn't actually let them starve, but I might give them something they weren't overly fond of to pay them back.

Later, while we were having lunch, I made an announcement. "As soon as you finish eating, go get your baseball gloves and bats, while I dig the baseballs out of the boxes in the garage. We'll work on a few things today and then tomorrow we'll go back to the park and work on some other stuff."

I immediately saw some fist pumping and high-fives being exchanged, along with some shouts of approval, so I knew the boys liked the idea. As soon as they finished wolfing down the last bites of their lunch, they raced off to grab their baseball caps, gloves and bats, while I headed out to the garage to find the box I'd marked 'sports'. It contained all of the sporting equipment I had kept in the storage area at my apartment and I'd marked the box clearly, because I knew it would be one of the first things I would need.

The boys were all bouncing around as they got into the car and buckled up, but they were also full of questions as I drove to the park.

"Are we gonna play a game?" Ethan asked, innocently.

"We haven't got enough people to do that, but I figured today we'd work on your throwing, catching and fielding," I replied.

"I can throw and catch, so why do I gotta do that?" Marcus wanted to know.

"I just want to see how good you are and maybe offer a few pointers," I answered. "I haven't seen any of you play before, so I felt it would be best to check it out first."

"Ok, but you'll see," Marcus shot back, still slightly annoyed.

"So are you going to hit grounders and flies to us?" Tyler asked next. Before I had a chance to answer, Ethan piped up.

"He's gonna hit baseballs, not flies," he chastised his brother from the backseat.

"Not those kinds of flies," I told Ethan. "Your bother means fly balls. That's when I hit the ball up in the air for you guys to catch. I'll also hit some grounders, which are balls that I hit on the ground for you to scoop up and throw back to me."

"Oh, ok," Ethan mumbled, now that he understood the difference between the two.

Once we got to the park, I pulled up next to the ball field. We quickly hopped out of the car, grabbed all of the gear out of the trunk and lugged it near home plate. The boys then retrieved their gloves and started playing catch. As I watched them, I gave Ethan some pointers about stepping toward the person he was throwing to and looking the ball into his glove when catching it. Then, I advised Marcus that he should bring his throwing arm over the top more, rather than the three-quarters delivery I saw him using. I even demonstrated what I meant, to make certain he understood. Then, I started throwing back and forth with Ethan, while Tyler and Marcus warmed up together.

Once I felt their arms were loose, I told them to go out to the short stop area and I'd hit them some ground balls. I had Tyler go first, so the other two could watch how he moved and did this. He was fairly good, but I tried to improve his stance a little, as well as getting him to be a little more aggressive about charging the slow rollers. He seemed to take instruction quite well, so I moved on to Marcus. I asked Tyler to stand on the first base side of the pitcher's mound so Marcus could practice fielding and then throwing to him, and Tyler had no problem with doing that.

After Marcus had fielded a bunch of balls and I'd offered him a few suggestions, I moved on to Ethan next. Of course I didn't hit the ball as hard to him, but he was still having some difficulty with the skill. I advised him to stay down on the ball and not pull his glove up so quickly, so the ball wouldn't keep rolling under the glove and between his legs. I also had him work on stepping and throwing to Tyler, until he got much better at it.

Once I finished with him, we started a new round with Tyler and I gave each of the boys another chance to do it again. Once I felt they were all fairly good at fielding grounders, I sent Tyler out to left field and hit some fly balls to him. I tried to teach him how to align his body with the balls hit directly at him, so he was ready to throw as soon as the ball was in his glove. Then, I made him run after a few balls that I hit to either his right or left, to see what kind of range he had. He wasn't doing badly, but I also advised him that he'd have to learn to watch how the batter swung, so he'd be able to start moving at the crack of the bat.

I then did something similar with Marcus, but I didn't make him run quite as far as I'd done with his brother. I figured we could do that later, but for now I just wanted to see how well he could judge and handle fly balls. During this process, I suggested to him that he work on looking the ball into his glove and using two hands, so the ball didn't pop out. Overall, though, he did much better than I'd expected.

When it came to Ethan's turn, I had him stand on the outfield grass just behind short, but I threw the balls into the air to him, rather than hit them. This way I could control the height and direction better, plus the ball wouldn't have any odd spin on it, such as after coming off the bat. I spent a lot of time with Ethan on judging the depth of the ball, so he'd know if he had to go back or move forward to catch it. I also worked with him about watching the ball into his glove and using two hands, as I had done with Marcus, and then I let the boys do it all over again.

"Not bad," I told them, as we were carrying everything back to the car. "Tomorrow we'll work on hitting. I'll pitch and then those not batting can field the balls and get some more practice with their fielding."

The boys seemed to like that idea, so they didn't give me any lip about ending today's session. However, Tyler did have a question for me on the ride home.

"Do you know much about pitching, Uncle Blake?" he wanted to know, and I nodded my head in response. "I want to pitch this year, so do you think you could work with me on that?"

"I'd love to, but it would probably be best if I picked up a catcher's mitt first," I answered. "I figure you probably throw too hard for me to catch with a regular baseball glove, but using the mitt will also get you used to focusing on that particular target as well. We won't be able to do that tomorrow, but I promise we'll get started on it soon."

"We'd better, because it's almost baseball season," he countered. "I wasn't sure if I was going to try out for the school team this year, but if you're going to help me, then I think I will."

"Ok, I like that idea and then you and Marcus can sign up for the summer baseball program when that starts," I agreed.

"How 'bout me?" Ethan piped up, since I hadn't mentioned him.

"I'll see if they have a tee-ball league and if they do I'll sign you up for that," I replied, which gained me a huge grin in return. "In fact, I'll even pick up a tee when I get the catcher's mitt. It won't hurt any of you to practice on one, so you can get used to looking at the ball hitting the bat. We can also adjust it for different height pitches too."

The boys seemed quite pleased with my responses, so I considered today a success. This part of being a parent I was going to like, since I've always been quite active in sports. I was just hoping everything else would go this well.

As soon as we got back to the house, I had the boys bring their dirty clothes down from their rooms, so I could do some laundry. I was convinced they each had a collection of soiled items in the hampers in their bedrooms by now, so I had them retrieve everything, so we could get prepared for the new week. Maybe I'll even start teaching Tyler how to do this, so he can help me from now on.

After we started doing the laundry, I suddenly thought of something else. Each of the boys had a hamper in his bedroom for the dirty things and there was another in the master bedroom. Currently, it still had some of Matt and Kelly's clothing in it, so I'd have to start moving their things out to make room for my stuff. The problem was, I didn't think the boys would be ready to deal with that just yet, so I'd have to take care of it when they weren't around.

Once I put the boys to bed, I tossed Matt and Kelly's clothes into the washer. There weren't many items, so I figured Kelly must have done their laundry not too long before. While those items were going through the wash cycle, I grabbed a few boxes of my things out of the garage and carried them upstairs. I quickly pulled all of Kelly's clothes out of the closet and tossed them on the bed, so I could start moving my things into that area. Since I'd be able to wear some of Matt's clothes, especially his expensive suits after they'd been altered slightly, I merely pushed them to one side for now. I didn't think the boys or my co-workers would be ready to see me wearing any of those items just yet.

After I'd taken care of my clothing and the boxes were empty, I started to pack up Kelly's wardrobe. I then marked those boxes with a KC for Kelly's clothes, so the boys wouldn't figure out what was in them. I then stacked those boxes in the garage next to the remainder of my things, but stopped long enough to move what was in the washer to the dryer. Later, I folded those things and placed them in a box too, before I gave in to my exhaustion and went to bed.

Sunday afternoon, I took the boys to the park again, but this time it was to work on their hitting. I let Tyler go first and sent Ethan and Marcus to the outfield to shag balls. I told Ethan he could get the ground balls that were hit and Marcus could go after the fly balls. I didn't want Ethan to attempt catching any of those yet, because I was afraid he might misjudge one and get hurt. He needed more practice first, before I would let him do that. It's because I figured Tyler would hit the balls higher and harder than Marcus and I didn't want Ethan to accidentally get hit in the head with one.

When Tyler stepped up to the plate, I focused on having him extend his arms fully during the swing and worked with him on opening his hips at the same time. I also told him to make sure he concentrated on hitting the ball out in front of the plate, because doing those things would increase the velocity of his swing. The momentum generated when he opened his hips and the added leverage from the arm extension would provide additional power when he made contact, so he'd hit the ball harder and farther.

Previously, Tyler had been trying to do everything with just arm strength when making contact, so he wasn't effectively using his body momentum or leverage advantage to generate more power in his swing. After he got used to doing this, he was pounding bullets through the infield and hitting the ball deeper in the outfield than he had ever done before, at least that's what he told me.

"I can't believe how much better I'm doing," he stated joyfully, after he'd finished his turn at bat. "If I do this good at tryouts, then I'm sure to make the team. Thanks, Uncle Blake. You're a terrific baseball coach, and if you can help me learn to pitch as good as you've taught me to hit, then I'll be awesome this year."

"I'm glad you approve and I'll do my best to help you become a pitcher too," I replied. "We might be able to start working on it later in the week, but definitely by next weekend."

"Great! I really love you, Uncle Blake," Tyler gushed, just before he ran to the outfield so he could change places with Marcus.

I was slightly taken aback by his comment and the fact that he'd said he loved me, but then I realized it probably only had to do with my helping him improve his hitting and fielding. I was determined to avoid reading more into his comment than that.

When Marcus came in, I watched him take a few swings first and then decided on what I was going to work on with him. I started by having him level out his swing, because I noticed his bat was moving at a slightly downward angle when he swung. I also noticed that he kept stepping in the bucket, which meant his stride foot was moving away from the plate and pulling him off the pitch. To correct this situation, I had him widen his stance so he was no longer striding forward, and then I had him rotate his body slightly, which opened his hips as he swung the bat. At first, we did this without any pitches being thrown, so he'd get comfortable doing it. When it looked as if he had the process down, I began pitching to him and he was doing much better.

This time, I let Ethan field both the fly balls and the grounders, because Marcus didn't hit as hard or high as Tyler. I felt this was more like what Ethan would face when he started playing, so he might as well get used to it. Tyler was also in the outfield with him and was happy to give his brother pointers, whenever he saw Ethan doing something wrong.

Finally, when it was Ethan's turn to bat, I pitched underhand, so it would be easier for him to make contact. Basically, I just focused on Ethan's coordination and had him concentrate on making contact with the ball. I felt once he was hitting the ball consistently, then we'd start working on some of the finer points of hitting.

After the three boys had been able to come to bat for two turns, each time hitting about 20 pitches, I then decided to call it a day. They seemed happy with what we'd accomplished and were pretty tired from running around and shagging the balls that the other pair had hit.

The rest of the afternoon was spent making sure the boys had everything ready for school the next day, since they would be returning to class for the first time since their parents died. We checked to see what they were going to wear and that they had their books and assignments from the weekend before. We also talked about whether they were going to buy or take their lunch. Tyler decided he was going to buy, but Marcus and Ethan said they would take their lunch, because they didn't care for what was on the menu. I told them I'd have their lunches prepared by the time they were ready to leave the next morning.

I also realized something else. I wouldn't be leaving for work until after the boys got on the bus, but they would be arriving home long before I did. Since I was concerned about them being home alone until I got there, I went next door to speak with the neighbor, Brenda Riordan. Once I'd explained the situation to her, she agreed the boys could stay at her house until I arrived home, so I thanked her for doing that for us. Before I left, I thought of something else I wanted to ask her, but this time she said she'd have to speak with her husband first and then she'd get back to me. Once that was settled, I returned to the house and explained the situation to the boys.

"I'm old enough to stay here by myself," Tyler complained after he'd heard the news. "I can watch Marcus and Ethan too."

"And we might do that eventually," I conceded, "but for now we'll do it this way. I know you're not happy, but I want you to go to the neighbor's house until I get to know you and your brothers better. I've only been a parent for less than a week and I realize you boys have been on your best behavior so far, so I just want to make sure it stays that way."

Tyler wasn't pleased, but he accepted my explanation. I think he let the discussion drop for now so I wouldn't change my mind about possibly letting him kept an eye on the others at a later date. He might have even been worried that I would stop helping him improve his baseball skills, if he put up too much of a fuss.

Once that had been taken care of, I asked the boys what they would like for dinner the following evening. Since I wasn't used to having to come home and fix such a large meal, as well as making sure their homework was done and getting them ready for the next day, I figured I'd order takeout. Once we reached a consensus on what they wanted, I felt we were ready to start the new week.

After dinner, the boys quickly disappeared, so they could do their own thing. Tyler went up to his room, logged on to his computer and started chatting with some of his friends. He reminded them that he'd be at school the next day and was trying to catch up on what he'd missed out on while he was gone. While Tyler was doing that, Marcus and Ethan kept busy playing video games against each other in the family room. Since they were all occupied, I spent my time relaxing in the living room and watching a couple of shows on TV.

When their bedtimes approached, I gave Ethan his bath, tucked him in bed and kissed him goodnight. Marcus was already taking his bath when I walked by, so I went to my room for a while. Marcus called me when he was done, so I'd come down to tuck him in and kiss him goodnight too. On my way back, Tyler was getting ready to go take his shower, but he stopped me in the hallway first.

"Would you come in with me again, so we can talk while I'm taking my shower?" he wondered. He stared at me apprehensively, as he awaited my reply.

"Sure, if that's what you want," I agreed, which brought a smile to his face.

I followed him into the bathroom and sat down on the toilet lid, while he was adjusting the temperature of the water.

"What is it you want to talk to me about?" I asked, as he lowered his briefs. He then stepped into the shower and disappeared behind the shower curtain.

"I wanted to talk to you about having to stay with Mrs. Riordan after school," he stated. "Can't I just stay here alone until you get home? Marcus and Ethan can go over there, but I'm old enough to stay here by myself."

"I told you earlier that I may allow you to do that eventually, but I want to do it this way for a while first," I replied. "How did you boys work this out with your parents, since they both worked?"

"Mom was always here when we got home," he answered. "She made an arrangement with her boss so she could work through her lunch hour and then bring some work home to do. That way, she would always be here when we got off the bus."

"That's an interesting idea and I think I'll have to have a chat with my boss about maybe doing something like that too," I mused, after seeing the logic and practicality of the idea.

"But you don't need to," Tyler whined. "I'm old enough to stay here and watch my brothers so you won't have to do that."

"I know, but it would actually make it easier on me too," I reasoned, as I heard him turn off the water and then saw the shower curtain slide back. "That way I'd avoid the rush hour traffic and be home to make dinner. Then, I could finish my work while you boys were getting ready for bed later."

Tyler just rolled his eyes in disgust as he was drying himself. He realized that if I did this, it still wouldn't allow him to assume more responsibility and gain the independence he sought. Seeing his reaction, I decided to offer him a breadcrumb, so to speak.

"If I can't arrange it with my boss to be here exactly when you boys arrive home from school, then maybe I'll let you watch the other two until I get here," I mentioned, which earned me a slight grin. "You might have to watch your brothers for up to an hour, if that meets with your approval." Suddenly, his grin turned into a huge smile.

"Of course it is," he rapidly agreed.

"Ok, but we'll leave it the way I've already set up until I can talk to my boss about it. Will that meet with your approval?" I followed, as I eyed him suspiciously.

"Yeah, I guess so," he relented. "I was hoping you'd just let me do this, but I'll do it your way until you see what your boss says."

As each of us declared a minor victory, Tyler wrapped the towel around his waist and walked down the hallway with me.

"You don't have to go to your room first," he stated, when he saw me starting to veer in the other direction. "You've seen me naked plenty of times already, so just come in here while I put my underwear on. Then, you can say goodnight."

I merely shrugged my shoulders and nodded slightly as I relented. I followed him inside, as he grabbed a fresh pair of briefs out of his drawer and slipped them on. Once he'd finished, he walked over to me and I gave him a hug, wished him sweet dreams and kissed him on top of the head.

"I guess you can tuck me in too, if you want," he offered, while giving me a sideways glance.

"If it won't bother you, then I'd love to," I agreed, since I realized it was actually what he wanted. Otherwise, he never would have brought it up.

As soon as he heard my answer, he jumped into bed and got comfortable. I then pulled the covers up and tucked him in, before kissing him on the forehead this time.

"Wow! I got two kisses goodnight," he teased, while flashing me his patented grin.

"Yes, since I didn't know you were going to let me tuck you in tonight, you ended up with a bonus," I responded, playfully.

"Then maybe I should do this every night," he teased, while raising his eyebrows up and down provocatively. I merely tousled his hair, before turning to leave the room.

"Goodnight, little man," I added before pulling the door shut and I heard a mumbled "I love you" in response.

The following morning was a blur of activity. I got up early so I could take my shower first and then I woke the boys, so they could start getting ready. While they were doing that, I went downstairs and made their breakfast, before packing Marcus and Ethan a lunch. I munched on a few things while I was doing this, and then they came in and sat down at the table. I ate a little more as they were chowing down, but then I went upstairs to get dressed. I came down again just in time to see Tyler off, since his bus arrived first, and I handed him his lunch money as he was going out the door. I also stayed until Marcus and Ethan got on their bus, and then I hopped in the car and drove to work.

Once I got to the office, I thanked my boss for all that he'd done for me over the past week and then I mentioned my idea to him. He said he wanted to think about it for a while first and then he'd get back to me. I told him that would be fine, so I headed out to see how much I had to do in order to get caught up.

It actually seemed strange to be back after being off for a week, because it hadn't really been like a vacation. In fact, I'd probably worked just as hard or harder during that time and did many things that were unfamiliar to me. Throughout the morning and afternoon, several of my coworkers stopped by to offer their condolences, since they knew how close Matt and I had been, plus they offered me good luck with my new family. Someone had even made a new nameplate for my desk while I was away that read 'Daddy Blake.' They must have done it after attending the calling hours, because I'd heard Tyler telling some of them that he and his brothers were going to be living with me from now on.

Seeing my boss hadn't agreed to my new proposal yet, I ran a few errands on my lunch hour. One of those was mailing the flash drive to Matt's parents, but I also picked up a couple of other items as well. When I got back, I remembered to call the restaurant to order take out for later, which I would pick up on my way home. I then attempted to mentally check that I'd done everything I needed to accomplish, while I did the rest of my job.

I nearly forgot to stop and pick up the food on the way home, but I happened to think about it when my stomach began to growl, since I hadn't eaten anything for lunch. Seeing I hadn't passed the restaurant yet, I was able to pull into their parking lot and then duck inside to get everything.

As soon as I pulled in the driveway at home, I turned off the ignition, carried the food inside and set it on the counter. Then I went back outside and collected the other items I'd picked up during my lunch hour. I took one of the packages up to my bedroom, after leaving the other two items in the family room. Then I headed next door to collect the boys and thank Brenda for watching them.

The boys seemed really happy to see me, so I thanked Brenda and guided the boys home. When we got inside, I told them to each grab a plate, fill it with what they wanted and then carry it into the dining room. I offered to bring their drinks to them, so they wouldn't have to worry about that. As I was filling the glasses, I was pleased to see Tyler helping Ethan fill his plate, since Ethan was having trouble reaching everything he wanted. I quickly made a mental note to thank Tyler later, once Ethan wasn't around.

As soon as we finished eating and had cleaned up the mess, I took the boys into the family room and showed them two of the items I'd purchased. First, there was a batting tee they could all use. It was a good one, so we could adjust the height to get them used to hitting pitches at different levels. Then, I showed Tyler the catcher's mitt I'd picked up, so I could start working with him on pitching. The boys were all thrilled with the items and thanked me multiple times, and then Marcus informed me that he might want to learn to pitch too. I told him it would be fine if he decided to do it and I'd help him just like I was going to do with his brother.

After those things had been taken care of, I made sure the boys had all done their homework and then I checked it over before allowing them to do what they wanted until bedtime. Just as I had the previous evening, I gave Ethan his bath and put him to bed, before going to tuck Marcus in too. Tyler didn't ask me to go in to speak with him while he was showering tonight, so I sat in my bedroom until I saw him return to his own room. Then, I picked up the bag from my bed and headed across the hall to see him.

Tyler turned around when I entered, just as he dropped the towel, so I tossed him the bag. He caught it and immediately opened the bag to look inside. Then, he broke into a huge grin. Without hesitation, he reached inside, pulled out one of the packages and began ripping it open. He was eager to pull out one of the pairs of colored boxer briefs I'd purchased for him.

I'm not sure what was different this time, but seeing him so excited and watching his penis bounce up and down, as well as sway back and forth, it got to me for some reason. I'd never been attracted to a boy like this before, at least not since I was that age too, but suddenly I noticed a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. I also experienced a tingling in my groin, which told me I was becoming aroused. I felt that I needed to quickly focus on something else before I lost control, so I turned my attention to what Tyler had in his hands.

"Don't you want me to wash them first?" I asked, but he just shook his head.

"Nah, they're fine," he assured me, as he happily started to slip his feet into a pair and pull them up his legs.

Since I noticed the sensations in my body weren't going away, I turned to leave the room before he was able to notice what was happening. When he saw me starting to leave, Tyler called out.

"Don't go, Uncle Blake!" he shouted, stopping me in my tracks. "I want you to tell me how you think they look on me."

As soon as he had the boxer briefs on, I did what he wanted. "You look really great in them," I announced, but before I had a chance to leave, he rushed over and wrapped his arms around me in a powerful hug.

"Thanks, Uncle Blake. These are super," he gushed, as he pressed his body against mine and squeezed me tightly. Then he pulled away slightly, looked into my face and spoke again. "You're gay, aren't you Uncle Blake?"

"I am, but I didn't know you knew that," I responded, slightly shocked.

"I remember that you brought your boyfriend to a Christmas party at our house once," he answered, surprising me even more.

"But you were just Ethan's age or even younger at the time," I commented, as I thought back to the occasion. It was actually one of the last times my ex-boyfriend and I had done anything like that before breaking up.

"But I still remember," Tyler replied, while giving me a provocative stare. "Besides, I can tell you like what you see when you're checking me out." My mouth immediately dropped open, since I was totally dumbfounded by his comment.

"I was m-merely seeing how you were d-developing," I stammered, suddenly feeling as if I was being accused of something.

"Maybe the first time," Tyler observed, "but not the times after that and definitely not now. I felt your boner when I hugged you and I know that happened because of me."

"No, it's just because I have to pee," I countered lamely, while trying to excuse my unexplained arousal.

"It's ok, because I think I might be gay too," Tyler announced. "I don't go all gaga over girls like my friends do and I don't think girls bodies are so great either. I've seen pictures of naked girls before, both my age and older, but they don't do anything for me. I like seeing naked boys better. That's why I want to play sports, so I can see them in the showers."

"That may be and there's nothing wrong with it, as long as you're doing these things with boys your own age and they don't take offense," I advised him.

"But I want YOU to teach me stuff about being gay," Tyler shot back. "I want you to show me everything I need to know."

"Tyler, I'll be happy to find some articles for you to check out and maybe even select some gay literature you can read that explains about gay sex," I suggested, hoping that would suffice.

"I don't want to read about it or even watch gay porn," Tyler stated, defiantly. "I want you to do things with me, so you can teach me all about it." I was slightly taken aback by his request and had to take a moment before I answered him.

"Tyler, as wonderful as that might sound," I began, while trying not to deflate his ego, "it would be illegal for someone my age to do something with someone as young as you."

"That's crap," Tyler snapped back, while shaking his head. "Didn't you tell my brothers and me earlier that part of your job was seeing that we got a good education?"

"Yes, but I was referring to school and maybe college later, so you'd have a good background for a productive life," I partially agreed.

"Well I'll need this kind of education too and I want it to come from you," he challenged, while watching my reaction.

"But if anyone else learned about what we were doing, then I would get locked up for a long time. If that happened, what do you think would happen to you and your brothers?" I pointed out. "You'd probably be placed into foster care and possibly not all with the same family. That would be awful."

"How would anyone else find out? I'm not going to say anything and I'm sure you won't either, so it will be all right," he pleaded, in an attempt to convince me. "Besides, I want you to do this, so it's different from what other people might do. You're not asking me or trying to trick me into doing it with you. I'm asking you to do it with me. The guys that get locked up are the ones that force kids to do that stuff, so this would be totally different."

"Maybe in your mind, but not in the eyes of the law," I countered, much to his chagrin.

"Then screw the law," Tyler hissed, losing his cool. "If you really love me and want to help, then you'll agree to do this." He now stood in front of me and glared in my direction.

"It's time for you to get some sleep, so we'll put this discussion off until another time," I offered, since I realized this debate could drag on for hours. Seeing I didn't want that to happen, I felt this was the best way to end it for now.

"Fine, but I'm not giving up," Tyler challenged. "I really do love you, Uncle Blake, and I want you to teach me all about being gay. I'm pretty sure I am, so you'd just be helping me out. Please think about it, because I really want to do this."

I didn't respond to his last comment and merely encouraged him to get into bed. After he did, I tucked him in and went to kiss him on the forehead. Before I realized what was happening, Tyler moved quicker than a cat below me and wrapped his arms around my neck, so he could pull my head lower. Then, he kissed me on the lips, even opening his mouth slightly, hoping I'd do more. I resisted the temptation and pulled away.

"Look! You've done the same thing to me!" he exclaimed and he tossed back the blankets, pulled down the front of his boxer briefs and exposed his erection. "That shows I feel the same way about you too!"

"Good night, little man, and try to get some sleep," I told him before leaving the room.

"Goodnight, Uncle Blake, and I really do love you," he called out as I was shutting the bedroom door.

Still perplexed and bewildered about what had just happened, I went into my bedroom and sat down on the edge of the bed. I let my mind run over everything that had just taken place, from my unexpected arousal, to Tyler's proposition, his sensual kiss goodnight and his equally aroused state. It was all very confusing and I had to sort it out. I needed to find a way to tell him 'no' without hurting his feelings or scarring him for life.

After going downstairs and making certain everything was turned off and the doors were locked, I went upstairs again and slid into bed. Sometime during the night I was awakened when I felt someone cuddling against me.

"Tyler?" I asked somewhat groggily, as I felt an erection pressing against my outer thigh.

"Who else would it be?" he asked, while releasing a giggle.

"Well I wasn't expecting company," I countered, "so I wasn't sure who it was." He merely giggled again.

"I was lonely and thinking about you, so I came over so we could be together," he replied.

"Yeah, I can tell by the piece of wood jabbing me in the leg," I joked, which elicited more giggles from Tyler.

"I told you I'd been thinking about you," he offered, as he pressed his erection more firmly against me.

"I think we need to talk about this," I challenged, as I pulled away from him slightly, reached over to turn on the lamp on my nightstand and then rolled onto my side, so I could face him.

"What's the big deal? I've slept in here with you before and I was having trouble falling asleep again," he stated in response. "I slept really good both times I was in here before, so I figured it would help me fall asleep now."

"Why are you having trouble falling asleep tonight, since you didn't seem to have any problems before this?" I asked. It was my effort to get him to admit that it wasn't really the case and he was just using it as an excuse.

"Well it's um, because ah, that I was uh..." he stammered, so I finally cut him off.

"Is there a reason or is it that you need time to think one up?" I challenged, as I waited to see how he was going to respond.

"No! It's just because I'm worried you won't do what I asked you to earlier," he finally answered, after his initial hesitation.

I still wasn't convinced he was telling me the truth, but it did make me stop and think. What if he was telling me the truth? Could it possibly be so important to him that it prevented him from falling asleep? I was going to play it cool, but I'd give in to him partially, while laying a few ground rules.

"Ok, I'll let you sleep with me tonight, but absolutely no talking and no funny business," I warned him. "If you do either, I'll just send you back to your room."

"Ok, I promise," he agreed.

I then rolled away from him and turned off the lamp, before rolling onto my back and getting comfortable again. Once I was set, he sidled against me and placed his head on my shoulder.

"Goodnight, Uncle Blake. I love you," he whispered, as he closed his eyes.

"Goodnight, champ," I responded, without addressing the other half of his statement.

I then made sure Tyler fell asleep first, before I allowed myself to drift off as well. I felt this was the best way to make sure that he kept his promise.

When the alarm went off in the morning, I quickly reached over and turned it off, but Tyler woke up when I moved. He also spoke before I got out of bed.

"I slept really good after I came in here with you," he stated, as I stood up.

"That may be, but this can't become a nightly ritual," I advised him in my most serious tone.

"Just once in a while, if I'm having trouble getting to sleep," he countered, hopefully.

"Only in severe cases," I replied. "I don't want you to start using that as an excuse so you can keep coming over here or I won't let you do it at all."

"Dang! When did you become so mean?" he asked, while giving me a dirty look.

"When I was forced to become a parent," I answered, as I turned and walked away.

I went to the bathroom first and Tyler was still there when I came out, so I asked him to go wake his brothers. As soon as he left, I went downstairs and started fixing breakfast. The previous evening, the boys had all advised me they were going to buy their lunches today, so I had nothing extra to prepare. This allowed me to sit down and eat with them briefly first, before I ran upstairs to get showered and dressed. When I came down again, I told the boys to have a good day and reminded them to go to the Riordans' house when they got home later. They all groaned about having to do this, but then agreed they would before running outside to get on their buses.

I had been at work for a while when my boss came over to speak with me.

"I thought about what you asked yesterday and I've made my decision," he began, which immediately made me worry. From the way he'd started this conversation, I thought he was going to deny my request. "Since you didn't ask to get stuck with Matt's kids and you don't have anyone to help you, I'm willing to do what you asked on a temporary basis. If it works out and there are no problems, I will make it permanent. Hell, since you work in accounting and it doesn't really depend on you being here at specific times, except for meetings, I'll even let you come in and start working a half hour early too, if that will help. You can start doing this whenever you want, even today."

"Thanks, I really appreciate that, but I don't want to start early," I told him, sincerely. "I want to be there in the morning so I can see the boys off to school first, before I head in to work. I might be a few minutes early, but not a half hour. Doing this will make the boys very happy too, since they won't have to stay at the neighbor's house every afternoon. Once I find out what time I'll be getting home from now on, I may even let Tyler, the oldest; watch the other two until I get there, if it isn't for more than a half hour. It would certainly make him happier to do it this way."

"You're a good man for doing this, Blake, and I wish you the best," he told me. "It's not easy raising children, but you're starting out with one just about to become a teenager and another not far behind. I'm glad I'm not the one going through that again."

He released a little laugh after saying this and then he went back to his office. I was thrilled that he had decided in my favor, so today would be my trial run. I'd work through my lunch hour and then leave an hour early, so I should be able to beat the rush hour traffic too. It should also give me a reasonable indication of the time I'll be getting home from now on, so I'll be able to decide whether or not I'm going to let Tyler be in charge until I get there each day.

Just by leaving work an hour early, I got home an hour and a half earlier than usual, because it had also cut a half hour off my evening commute. After checking the clock and thinking about things for a few minutes more, I left to run an errand. When I got back, I went next door to get the boys.

"What are you doing home already," Tyler asked, once he saw me.

"My boss let me go home early today," I answered. "You boys head over to the house, while I speak with Mrs. Riordan. The door's unlocked."

I heard three cheers before they said goodbye to Brenda and headed home. Then I apprised her of my improved situation.

"What time do the boys usually get home?" I asked, and she told me. "I've worked out a deal with my employer, so I'll be getting home about this time every day from now on. In fact, I actually got home about a half hour ago, but then left to run an errand first before I came over to get the boys. I think I'm going to let Tyler watch the other two for the short time between when they get off the bus and I arrive home, which should only be for about a half hour each day. I'll make sure he has your phone number handy, in case he needs help, but I doubt he will."

"I think that would be a good idea though," she responded, and then I thanked her for everything she'd done so far.

"Oh, before I forget," she added as I was moving toward the door. "I spoke with my husband about what you asked the other day and he and I agree that we'll do it for you." I immediately thanked her again, because that took a big load of my mind.

When I got back to the house, the boys were nowhere to be seen. Curious I went looking for them. I eventually found Marcus and Ethan in the family room playing video games.

"Is your homework done?" I asked, and I heard Marcus groan.

"I don't got none," Ethan answered without hesitation. "You don't have any," I corrected, although Ethan didn't catch on to what I was doing.

"That's what I said," he whined, while giving me a dirty look.

"I take it you do," I continued, while looking at Marcus. I did this rather than trying to explain my earlier remark to Ethan. "From the groan, I'd say maybe a lot of homework."

"Not a lot, but it's math," he responded, with a scowl. "You know I don't really like math."

"Go do it and then I'll check it over," I advised him. "If it looks as if you still need help, then I'll explain it to you again, so you'll understand it better. You have to try doing it on your own first though, before I help you."

"Ok," he agreed, before stomping off and leaving Ethan to play alone.

"Where's Tyler?" I asked Ethan, once Marcus had left the room.

"I think he went up to his room," he replied, so I thanked him and went upstairs to see what Tyler was up to.

His door was open, so I peeked inside to see what he was doing. It looked as if he was sitting at his desk working on a school assignment. Since I didn't want him to think I was spying on him, I pulled my head back and knocked on his door.

"Yeah," he snapped in return.

"It's just me and I came up to see what you were doing," I told him as I walked into his room.

"Oh, sorry. I thought it was Marcus," he advised me, once he realized his mistake. "I'm just doing my homework."

"That's good," I told him. "I'm glad I don't have to hound you to get it done, but I came up here for a couple of other reasons too."

Tyler suddenly looked up at me, with a hopeful expression on his face. I'm not sure what he thought this was going to be about, but I decided to clear the matter up quickly.

"First of all, I promised to tell you about something, just as soon as I knew what I was going to do," I began, which drew a puzzled look from him. "The Riordans have agreed to take care of you boys, if anything were to ever happen to me. I just have to go see the lawyer and have a will drawn up, so this will be legal."

"Ok, I guess my brothers and I will be ok with that," he replied. "They're pretty nice, but we'll be happier if nothing ever happens to you."

"I appreciate that and feel the same way, but at least now we're covered," I added. "The second thing is that yesterday I told my boss about how your mother worked things out so she could be home when you boys got here. Then, I asked him if I could do the same thing. He said he needed to think about it first, but today he told me he was willing to let me do it. You boys will still get home about a half hour before I do, but I've decided to let you keep an eye on your brothers until I arrive."

Tyler immediately leaped into the air and let out a whoop, even before I had finished speaking. I then attempted to get him to calm down, so I could finish.

"This is only on a trial basis, but if it works out then I'll make it permanent," I continued. "I ran out earlier and had another house key made. This one's for you, so you'll be able to get in the house before I get here. I put it on a chain so you can wear it around your neck, which should reduce the chances of you losing it. I'll also post Mrs. Riordan's phone number by the phone in the kitchen, so you can call her if you need anything."

"I won't and thank you for trusting me," he agreed, as he raced over and wrapped me in an exuberant bear hug.

"I still want you to promise that you'll call Mrs. Riordan if you have any problems and I won't think any less of you if you have to do that," I warned. "In fact, it takes a grown up to realize when he's in over his head and needs help."

"Ok, I promise," he agreed, before he started hugging me again.

Once he went back to doing his homework, I headed downstairs to make dinner. While we were eating later, I told Marcus and Ethan everything as well. I also emphasized that staying at the house with their brother after school was only on a trial basis. I then warned them that I wanted to see how it worked out before I decided if I'd let it continue.

"Tyler better not get bossy then," Marcus scoffed, while giving his brother an evil glare.

"I'm sure he won't, because I'll punish anyone who misbehaves when I get home," I threatened. "You'll only be alone for about a half hour, but I'll be very hard on you if you don't listen to your brother. I will also be just as hard on him, if he tries to take advantage of the situation. If we start having problems, then you'll merely go back to staying at the Riordan's until I get home."

That seemed to be enough of an incentive to get them all to cooperate and do as I asked, at least in theory. However, I wanted to wait and see how this worked out for a while first, before I'd be convinced of their sincerity and willing to believe their vows of cooperation.

The boys were very good for the rest of the evening and told me many times that I could trust them and they'd be good. They also assured me repeatedly that they'd do everything I asked, so I didn't have to worry about a thing.

After I checked Tyler and Marcus' homework and made sure it was done and done well, I took Ethan upstairs for his bath and tucked him into bed. As soon as that had been accomplished, Marcus took care of himself and then I tucked him into bed too. Once the bathroom was free, Tyler went in to take his shower and then he stopped by my room when he had finished.

"When you stopped in my room earlier, I was hoping you were going to tell me that you had decided to do as I asked," he began. "But this is good too and I really appreciate that you are going to trust me to do this."

"I do trust you, so don't let me down," I replied.

"I won't and I'll stay in my room tonight, so you don't have to worry about that either," he added, while giving me a wink. However, he did manage to drop his towel before he left, so I got a good look at his goodies again. What a tease.

As soon as I felt he'd had time to slip on a pair of boxer briefs and get into bed, I went over to say goodnight. He was already lying on his bed waiting for me as I walked in. I slowly moved over to tuck him in, although I didn't have to do much, and then I kissed him on the forehead. He didn't try to grab my head this time so he could kiss me on the lips, or else I was planning to scold him. Instead, he merely looked at me and grinned.

"Fooled you, didn't I?" he asked in his smart-Alec fashion.

"Kind of," I concurred. "I wasn't sure what to expect, but I'm glad you didn't try anything again."

"I'm going to try to behave, since you're trusting me, but I still mean what I told you," he assured me. "You'll see that I'm old enough to watch my brothers and I'm also old enough to do stuff with you."

"Let's not ruin a good day by starting that again," I warned, as I kissed him on the forehead again. "Sweet dreams and I'll see you in the morning."

I then went downstairs to do a few things, before I went to my room to turn in for the night. It had been a long and exciting day, so I was more than ready to get some rest.

The alarm went off sooner than I wanted, but I got up anyway. I then went to use the bathroom and take a shower next, before I woke the boys. As they were getting up, I went downstairs and began making their breakfast. We all ate together before I went back upstairs to get dressed. When I came down again, I gave each of the boys his lunch money, since they all agreed to buy today, and then I turned to Tyler.

"Do you have your key?" I asked, just to make certain. I intentionally said 'your key' instead of 'the key' to personalize it and show him it was for him and no one else.

He smiled, nodded and then pulled it out from under his shirt to prove the point. I tousled his hair and watched as he went outside to get on the bus.

As soon as the boys were gone, I drove into work and got there about 15 minutes early, which had been my usual time to arrive. That didn't mean I'd be leaving 15 minutes earlier tonight, but it would let my boss know I was serious about getting all my work done, as my way of thanking him for allowing me to do this.

It was a fairly routine day and the hours seemed to fly by. Before I knew it, it was time to finish up and head home. During the drive, I wondered how the boys had done on their own and that continued until I was pulling into the driveway. After going inside, it seemed very quiet, so I began looking around. I found Marcus in the living room doing his homework, Ethan was playing video games in the family room again and Tyler was seated at the dining room table reading a textbook.

"Wow! I'm both amazed and pleased," I commented, as I walked up behind him.

"See, I told you I could do this," he countered, when he finally glanced up.

"Yes, you did," I concurred. "Did you have to threaten Marcus to get him to do his homework?"

"Nah, he did that on his own," he replied. "He said he wanted to prove to you that 'we didn't need no babysitters'."

I had to chuckle at that comment, because of his use of the double-negative. If only he realized that it meant he DID need a babysitter. If this was how they were going to react to my giving them a little freedom, however, then I was all for it. I made sure to thank and praise each one before I started to fix dinner.

The boys were on their best behavior all evening, and since they'd already finished their homework and I'd checked it over, they said they wanted to spend some time with me. After discussing our options, they decided we'd watch something on TV together. Before we did, however, Tyler and Marcus asked a question. They wanted to know if they did the same thing the following night and had their homework done early, if I'd start working with them on pitching. I agreed I would and then told Ethan that whichever brother was not working with me at the time would play catch with him. I even promised to have them throw him a few flies and grounders too, so everyone was happy.

Once that had been cleared up, I sat down on the sofa to watch television. Tyler hurried over and sat down beside me and Ethan climbed onto my lap, so Marcus took a seat on my other side. We then watched a couple of shows like that, until it was time for me to take Ethan upstairs for his bath.

"I like sitting with you like we did downstairs," Ethan announced while I was giving him his bath. "I used to do that with Mommy sometimes, so I'm glad you let me do it with you too."

"Of course I will, kiddo," I assured him. "I probably enjoy it just as much as you do."

"Nah," he challenged. "You're just being nice."

"I might be nice, but I meant it too," I reiterated. "I like being able to cuddle with my boys and make them feel loved."

Ethan just grinned at me and whispered, "Yeah!"

I finished bathing Ethan and then tucked him into bed, before checking on Marcus and tucking him in too. I then went downstairs to finish a couple of other things, while Tyler was taking his shower. It took longer than expected for me to complete what I needed to finish, so I wasn't sure if Tyler would still be awake when I went to make my nightly round to say goodnight. His door was open and the light was on, so I went inside to see if he was still awake.

I was shocked when I turned the corner and saw what he was up to. He was laying on top of the covers with one hand between his legs and the other furiously pumping up and down. The boy was masturbating! He merely glanced over and smiled at me when he realized I was there.

"I'm sure you must have figured out that I jerk off sometimes," he stated, without stopping.

"Just holler at me when you're finished," I advised him, as I turned around to leave.

"You don't have to go!" he shouted. "You've seen me naked before, so this is no big deal."

"Tyler, things like this are personal and should be done in private," I reasoned. "It's not a spectator sport, so I'll leave you alone."

"Please stay! I don't mind," he pleaded. "I even waited until I heard you coming upstairs to do this, so you could see that I'm not a little boy any longer. I can make sperms just like you do."

"That may be true, but I don't do it in public," I countered, "and neither should you."

"This isn't doing it in public," he reasoned, defiantly. "You're like my father now, so why shouldn't you see what I can do?"

"Tell me the truth," I responded, in an effort to bring something to his attention. "If your dad was still alive, would you be doing this in front of him, like you're doing with me."

Suddenly, Tyler looked down and began to blush. "I don't know. Maybe," he answered, once he realized this was a test of his sincerity. "I just wanted you to see though, so you knew I was old enough to do lots of other stuff too."

He had continued to masturbate while we were talking and suddenly his body stiffened, as thin ropes of semen leapt from the tip of his penis. They landed on his chest and abdomen and pooled there. When he finished ejaculating, he looked over at me and grinned.

"See, I told you," he stated, proudly. That's when I felt I had to talk to him about this.

"Tyler, producing sperm is not the only thing that makes a guy a man," I began. "It also includes knowing there is a time and a place for everything and being able to control your impulses. Being a grown up means that you know you can't do whatever you want whenever you want to do it. When you learn that, maybe we can finish this discussion."

I then walked over and kissed him on the head. On the way over to do this, I noticed that his ejaculate was thin and watery, which meant he hadn't been able to do this for very long and was still in the very early stages of puberty. Now that I had kissed him, I left him to wipe up the mess.

"Goodnight and get some sleep," I told him before leaving the room. "Clean yourself off and then you can tuck yourself in tonight," I added, before shutting the door.

I didn't turn to see his reaction, but it didn't matter. I just hoped this time he got the message.

Thursday started off about the same as almost every other day that week. I woke up, took my shower, got the boys moving and then went down to fix breakfast. I ate with the boys but finished first, so I could go upstairs to get dressed while they were still eating. When I came down again, I handed them their lunch money and watched the boys get on their buses before I left for work. I was falling into the dreaded parental routine, whether I was aware of it or not.

Even as busy as I was at work, I often found myself thinking about the boys throughout the day. I guess I would need to get a group picture that I could keep on my desk, so I could gaze at their cute little faces whenever I needed to perk up my day.

Several of my co-workers wondered why I was no longer doing lunch and asked me about it, so I explained the situation to them. After hearing my reasons, they often complimented and praised me for being such a good 'dad'. I didn't feel as if I was doing that much, but as long as the boys benefited from it, I would continue to make this minor sacrifice.

Since I managed to keep busy throughout the day, the time flew by and I was soon heading home to be with 'my boys'. How I was growing to treasure that phrase, because I truly loved and cared about them as well. Sure, Tyler has tested me on several fronts and Marcus pouts from time to time, but they are both great kids. And Ethan, what can I say about that little bugger, other than he steals my heart every time he crawls onto my lap and cuddles against me. He has also taken bath time to mean our special time together and often tells me things that he doesn't want his brothers to hear. For that reason, it will probably be a very long time before he asks Marcus to take a bath with him again.

As I was driving home, I thought about the different things I wanted to teach Tyler and Marcus tonight about pitching. I went over the various pitches in my mind and tried to determine the various teaching points I wanted to emphasize. I was going to make this easy, so they could both understand everything I thought they should know. Once they got proficient with those skills, I might add a few little twists or even teach them some new pitches to put in their repertoire, but for now I'd keep it as simple as possible.

When I arrived at the house, I quickly discovered that Marcus and Tyler were busy finishing their homework and Ethan was playing video games again. As a first grader, Ethan seldom had homework, but that would end sometime during the next couple of school years. Then he'd pay for all the free time he'd enjoyed up to this point.

Since the boys were all occupied, I changed my clothes quickly and then started dinner. While I was working in the kitchen, Tyler showed up and wrapped his arms around me from behind.

"Are we going to work on pitching tonight?" he wanted to know.

"Yep. I told you we would," I assured him. "As soon as we finish eating and take care of everything, we'll go out to the backyard and get started."

"Shall I tell Marcus and Ethan?" Tyler followed and I could hear the excitement in his voice.

"You may, if you want," I agreed. "That way they can have their gloves handy and be ready to go."

"We all have our gloves by the backdoor already," Tyler informed me with a smirk. "We were just being prepared."

"That's always a good thing to do," I replied, as I gave him a wink.

Once dinner was on the table, the boys took their seats and I quickly noticed they appeared to be gulping down their food. Mildly concerned, I asked them to slow down and advised them we'd still have plenty of time to do this, even if they took their time to chew the food first. They finally heeded my warning and returned to normal speed, so I no longer had to worry about any of them choking. After we finished eating and while I put away the leftovers, the boys rinsed off the dishes and loaded them into the dishwasher. As soon as that was done, I led them toward the backdoor.

I grabbed the catcher's mitt and four baseballs, while the boys picked up their caps and gloves. Once we were outside, I gave them each a ball and told them exactly what we were going to do.

"First, I'm going to teach you how to use the pitching rubber to your advantage," I began.

"But we don't have a pitching rubber here," Tyler eagerly pointed out.

"I know, so we're going to improvise," I replied. "I've determined we can substitute the edge of the patio and you can use it the same way you would the pitching rubber, except there won't be any slope downward. Once I have taught you all the basics, then we'll go to the park and you can practice on the mound there, but we won't do that today."

The boys seemed fine with this explanation, so I turned to Ethan next. "You can do the same thing that your brothers are doing, which will give you a head-start if you ever decide that you want to be a pitcher too," I offered. "Otherwise, you can just hang out until I finish explaining things and then I'll let you play catch with whomever I'm not working with at the time."

"I'll do what they do," Ethan informed me with a grin.

"Ok, but listen carefully to what I tell you, because I'm going to explain what I want you to know first and then I'll demonstrate what I mean," I advised them. "The pitching rubber is there to help you throw harder, although you may not realize this. It's not merely there to show you were to stand when you pitch. If you use it correctly to push off, you can utilize your leg strength and body momentum to make the pitch go faster. Watch and I'll show you how it works."

I suddenly had six eyes glued on me, as I moved to the edge of the patio to show that what I meant.

"The pitching rubber is there to help you and you'll notice that some of the dirt will have been dug away from in front of it, so you can use it to your advantage," I offered. "There are two ways you can use it, by starting from the windup position or the stretch, but you use the rubber the same way each time."

I then demonstrated both methods and taught them how to use their leg to push off and stride forward, to increase the velocity of the pitch. I had them practice several times without using a ball and critiqued their efforts, so they'd improve. When I thought they were ready and doing fairly well, I moved the appropriate distance away from them, slipped on the catcher's mitt and let them throw to me. I hadn't yet told them how to grip the baseball though, so this was just their regular throwing motions.

After they had that down pat, I had them examine the baseball closely, to see what I meant by the word seam and then I pointed out the difference between the perpendicular seam and the horseshoe seam. Once they understood which was which, I showed them the first grip, which was for a two-seam fastball, and then I checked to make sure they were doing it correctly. The two younger boys had some difficulty doing this, since their hands were so much smaller, so we made some adjustments to accommodate for this. Then, I allowed each of them to throw to me again.

Once they were doing fairly well with that pitch, I taught them how to throw a four-seam fastball using the same procedure, then a three-finger changeup. I also had Tyler practice a forkball, which he would use as another changeup, but Marcus and Ethan's hands were too small to do this. When they were fairly proficient with each pitch, I had them take turns throwing to me, while the other two played catch and practiced the grips without throwing the ball quite as hard.

"What about a curveball?" Tyler wanted to know, once we finished.

"First of all, I want you to master these four pitches first and then I'll teach you how to pitch to different targets. By that I mean pitching to the inside or outside portion of the plate, as well as pitching up in the letters or at the knees," I explained. "After that, I'll teach you when to throw the different types of pitches, depending on the count and the particular batter. I also don't like to see younger pitchers start throwing a curveball too early, because their bodies aren't fully developed and it's easy to injure the elbow and ruin the arm. When you're ready, I'll teach you that too, but for now just work on these pitches."

I could tell Tyler didn't agree with what I'd just told him and, therefore, wasn't particularly happy. He did agree, however, to do as I asked and stick with these four pitches for a while. I also told him that we'd sit down and go over some other things later that Marcus wasn't ready for yet. That seemed to perk him up a little, since I was ready to show him something that wasn't meant for younger kids.

It was growing late by the time the boys were getting this down, so I told Ethan it was time for his bath and took him inside. He seemed ready, because he had tired himself out throwing so much, even though he'd been taking it easy playing video games earlier. Once again, he was all smiles as I was washing him.

"That was fun," he told me, once he was in the bathtub. "Some of it was hard for me to do, but it was still fun."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, kiddo," I replied. "I wasn't sure if you would, since you're so much younger and your hands are smaller."

"When I'm as old as Tyler, I'm gonna be a lot better at baseball den he is," he announced, with a grin.

"That's going to take a lot of work, if you want to be better than your brothers," I pointed out, but he seemed undaunted.

"I do and I'll be better den dem too," he announced and it caused me to laugh.

"You know, I think you will be better," I agreed, which caused his entire face to light up.

Once I finished giving Ethan his bath, I put him to bed. I passed Marcus in the hallway as he was getting ready to take his bath next. While he was doing that, I found Tyler so we could talk.

"Tomorrow night I'm going to go over the strike zone with you and talk a little bit about how to find the batter's weakness," I began. "I'll show you how to challenge the batter and how to fool him, so he'll always be guessing and never know what you're going to throw next."

"Are you going to do this with Marcus too?" he wanted to know.

"No, this will just be you and me," I answered. "Right now Marcus should just concentrate on getting the ball over the plate and the rest will come later. Even though you're new to pitching, you've played enough baseball that you should be able to understand what I'm telling you and then be able to use it."

"So it will get to be just the two of us?" he pressed, while studying me closely.

"Yes, just the two of us," I concurred.

"Fantastic!" he shouted. "So where are we going to do this?"

"We can do it almost anywhere, since I'll be using diagrams and merely explaining what you need to know. We may also watch some videos or actual baseball games on TV later, so I can point out to you what I'm talking about."

"Can we do it in my room then?" he followed, and I began to wonder why he was asking this question.

"We can, but it's a learning situation, so you will need to stay dressed and concentrate only on baseball," I answered, while eyeing him suspiciously. Tyler merely laughed after I'd finished.

"Why did you say that? What did you think I was going to do?" he wondered.

"Lately, I never know with you, because you've done some things I would never have suspected," I responded.

"You mean like jerking off so you'd walk in and catch me?" he wanted to know, as a sly grin crept across his face.

"That was one of the things that crossed my mind," I confessed, "but you've done other things as well."

"Ok, I'll behave then, because this is really important to me," he agreed. "If I can get really good at baseball, then it could change a lot of things for me. I would make new friends, be on the school team and get to see naked guys in the showers." He laughed after saying this.

"I hope it turns out the way you want, but don't be disappointed if it doesn't," I warned, since I didn't want to see him get hurt.

"What do you mean by that?" he wondered, while eyeing me again.

"Your summer baseball league won't be taking showers and there's a good chance a lot of the boys on the school team won't either," I cautioned. "A lot of guys are shy that way and will opt to just wear their gear home and then shower there. I just don't want to see you get your hopes up and then be crushed if it doesn't happen the way you're hoping."

"Ok, I see what you're getting at, but I still want to do it," he reiterated. "Maybe I'll make new friends and then invite them over so I can get them naked here. Maybe you'll get to see them without any clothes on too." He roared with laughter after saying this.

"That's your dream, not mine," I countered. "I just want to see you happy and I'll do whatever it takes to make sure you have the best chance of achieving that goal."

Tyler looked at me kind of strangely for a couple of seconds, before he began moving toward me. He then threw his arms around my chest and gave me a hug.

"Awww, that was really sweet of you to say," he whispered in my ear. "You're doing all this for me, even if you don't get anything out of it."

"Oh, I'll get something out of it too - one very happy young man," I corrected with a wink and a grin.

"I think that's why I love you so much," he added, as he turned in the other direction.

I thought I caught a glimpse of him wiping his eyes as he moved away, so he must have started tearing up and didn't want me to notice. Now that reaction was what I consider sweet and very touching, so it's probably why I've grown to love him too.

A few second later, Tyler returned, but he kept his head bent down at first, so he was looking at the floor. When he finally lifted his head, I could see he actually was crying and the tears were streaming down his cheeks.

"What's wrong, champ?" I asked, because I wasn't sure if there might be another problem. After a short delay, he finally answered.

"I know this isn't going to come out right, so don't laugh or think I'm stupid," he began. "Even though I just lost my mom and dad, I still think I'm one of the luckiest kids around. You're so good to me and my brothers, but mostly to me. I want so much to do stuff just for you, like you do for me, and I want you to love me as much as I love you."

"Tyler, I do love you, more than you know," I admitted, as I pulled him to me. "I couldn't love you more if you were my biological son."

"Then why won't you do stuff with me," he asked, as he looked into my eyes through his own watery orbs.

"It's because I love you like a son and that's not something a father would do," I explained.

"Some do," he countered quickly.

"Yes, but it's not right," I pointed out.

"Why, if we both want it to happen?" Tyler challenged.

"It's because of your age and the big difference between our ages," I replied.

"But some guys marry women a lot younger than they are," he countered, hoping I'd give in.

"But they're both adults when they do it," I stated. "Maybe it would be different if you were older, but I don't want to do anything that might hurt you."

"You won't hurt me and I want this more than anything," Tyler continued. "You do everything else for me so I'll be happy, so why won't you do this too?"

"You can't imagine how difficult it is for me to keep turning you down, but your parents put a great deal of faith in me by making me your guardian, so I don't want to let them down or betray their trust," I confirmed. "Your father was my best friend and I'd feel terrible thinking about how he'd react if I gave in."

"You're wrong," Tyler challenged. "I bet if he was here and I told him I was gay, he'd want me to learn from someone like you. I bet he might even have asked you to teach me what you know, so someone else wouldn't hurt me."

This statement caused me to stop and consider his words. Matt never had a problem with my being gay and he even accepted my boyfriend, back when I had one. He even commented that my boyfriend was a lucky guy to have me and then later called the guy a jerk for not making our relationship work. He said the guy would someday admit the giant mistake he'd made and come to regret his actions. Could my warped mind possibly twist all of that into a way to convince myself that Matt might have been happy to see me with his son? No, I'm sure that would never have happened, no matter how badly I twist things.

"See you can't even think of an answer, so you know I'm right," Tyler continued, yanking me back from my thoughts.

"No, I was just thinking about your father and wondering how he might have reacted to your pushing for this," I stated. "I'm not convinced he would have been as magnanimous and accepting as you believe. He didn't have a problem with me being gay or my having a boyfriend, but I have a feeling he would have drawn the line when it came to his underage son."

"Well I don't agree," Tyler objected. "My mom and dad were a lot like you, because they were always doing stuff to make me happy too. Yes, they had some rules and set limits, but since they knew and loved you too, I think they would have been ok with you teaching me stuff and maybe even being together. I'm not sure about the last part, but I'm sure they would have wanted you to be the one that taught me what it was like to be gay."

"We can keep this up all night, but I'm sure that Marcus finished his bath a long time ago and is waiting for me," I pointed out, in order to stop this discussion. "You go hit the shower and I'll go check on Marcus, tuck him in and say goodnight. He's probably been waiting a long time already and wondering where I am."

I then left Tyler's room and walked down to check on Marcus. He was in bed, but not yet asleep. I tucked him in, kissed him on the forehead and wished him sweet dreams.

"Night, Uncle Blake," he whispered. "Are you and Tyler gonna be boyfriends?"

"No! What gave you that idea?" I countered.

"I could hear Tyler telling you he loved you and wanted to do stuff with you," he replied, and then waited for my response.

"What do you know about stuff like that?" I challenged, trying to throw him off guard.

"I've heard other kids talk about sex and I think that's what Tyler wants to do with you," he stated, without judgment.

"Well it's not going to happen, so you can forget all about it," I urged, while hoping he never said anything like this to anyone else. I would be in big trouble if that ever happened.

"But he loves you," Marcus continued. "I can tell. Mommy and Daddy told us that sex was something you did with the person you love, and he loves you and I heard you say you love him too, so it must be all right."

"Not with Tyler being so young, so just don't think about it any more," I suggested, hoping he'd listen. "Maybe you shouldn't say anything about stuff like this to anyone else, because other people might get the wrong idea."

"I'm not stupid," he countered, looking slightly hurt. "I'd never say that to anyone else, but I just wanted to let you know I think it would be all right. We all love you, but I think Tyler loves you the most."

"You're pretty smart, sport," I stated, as I tousled his hair.

"How come you call me 'sport'?" he wondered. "You call Ethan 'kiddo' and Tyler 'champ', but why do you do that?"

"I don't know, I guess it's just my nicknames for you boys," I answered. "If I'm the only one that ever calls you that, then you'll always know it's me and that I'm using my special name just for you."

"I'd always know it was you anyway, but I like that you have special names for us too," he agreed. "I like that you're teaching us about baseball too."

"I like all of those things too," I concurred. "Now get some sleep and I'll see you in the morning."

"Night, Uncle Blake, and I love you too," he added, as I moved to the door.

"Goodnight, sport, and I love you too," I replied, as I shut the door.

After leaving Marcus' room, I was heading back to my room, ready to spend some time thinking about what these two boys had told me tonight. I know they're just kids, but they both seem to be encouraging me to do what Tyler wants, even though I know it's wrong. I was just finishing that thought when I passed through the doorway to my bedroom and spotted Tyler sprawled out on my bed, with just a towel wrapped around his waist.

"You should be in bed now and ready to go to sleep," I told him, as I gave him a disgusted look.

"I can't. I was thinking of you when I was taking my shower and this is what happened," he announced, as he threw open the towel and exposed his erection. "It happens every time I think about you, so I was hoping you'd help me take care of it."

I could tell this was going to be a very long night.

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