Author’s Note: A review of Chapter 83 is recommended before
reading this chapter.
*** ***
The next morning, Greg held Cory close
to him and gazed deeply into his eyes.
“You are the best thing that has ever happened to me.”
Cory smiled and said, “And you are the
light of my life, Greg Scarborough.”
Greg returned his smile. “I think it’s so very cool that Bob and
Corey finally came out of the closet and are engaged to be married. I never dreamed that I would be part of a family
where we would be accepted for who we are; and at the same time I wouldn’t be
the only gay guy at a family party!”
Cory laughed. Greg loved how Cory’s eyes twinkled with
merriment when he laughed. Greg rubbed
noses with his lover and gave him a quick kiss.
Cory said, “Well, you had better get
used to it, because you not only have two gay brothers who are soon to married
but a two gay nephews as well.”
“Oh, you forgot my soon to be
ex-brother-in-law,” Greg said with a grin.
Cory’s
happy face grew solemn. “Greg, what are
we going to do about your sister, Kathy?”
Greg responded, “What about her?”
“She’s still your sister even though
she’s disowned you and your mother,” Cory said.
“I don’t want anything to do with her,
Cory. She is a vicious, evil woman; and
I want to stay as far away from her as possible,” Greg said, his voice
reflecting the depth of the antipathy he felt towards his older sibling.
Cory’s face showed his concern as he
responded to Greg. “Joey is living with
my parents, Greg. How are you going to
avoid seeing her when she brings the girls over to visit their father?”
“I don’t have to be present when she’s
around. I already talked to Joey about
it,” Greg said. “He has the girls all
week since it’s the holidays. Kathy
will pick them up on New Year’s Day.”
Cory looked relieved. “I’m glad you’ve worked it all out with
Joey. I was worried that we would have
a major blow up if she showed up while we were at my parents’ house.”
Greg cupped Cory’s cheek with his
hand. “Cory, I want our visit with your
parents to go as smoothly as possible.
I am grateful to them for taking good care of Joey until he can get back
on his feet. Kathy is taking him for
everything he’s worth in the divorce.”
“I know,” Cory said. “I wish there was something we could do to
help Joey.”
“I think the best way to help him is to
show him how happy we are, Cory. When
the divorce is final, Joey will be free to marry Tyler,” Greg said.
Cory said, “Tyler has been a real
support to him these last few months.”
Greg laughed and said, “He’s kept Joey
well fucked you mean!”
Cory grinned, “That’s what I meant.”
Greg said, “We should get up and get
ready to go. It’s a long drive to
Woodbridge from here.”
“Which car did you decide we are taking?”
Cory asked.
“The Ferrari, of course,” Greg said with
a wide smile. Greg rolled out of bed
and pulled Cory to his feet. He led
Cory to the en suite and turned on the shower.
He pulled Cory under the warm cascade of water and kissed him. “I love you, Cory.”
*** ***
Rick and I had been up early to get in
our morning run. It felt good to get
some exercise in, after all of the heavy eating we had done over that last few
days. We walked down the lane to the
out buildings as part of our cool down.
Rick walked over to the garage and opened the side door. I followed him inside the darkened
room. The faint aroma of oil and gas from the two
tractors stored there brought back memories of our first summer together. I heard Rick laugh and I knew he remembered
it as well.
“Stop laughing,” I said. “I know what you’re laughing about, Rick.”
Rick pulled me into his embrace. He said, “I’m sure you do.” His manly scent and the heat of his body
worked its magic on me. Rick laughed
again; but this time for a very different reason. He kissed me and his hands began wandering
over my body. His passionate kiss left
me breathless. He whispered in my ear,
“I’ve dreamed of making out here since that first summer.”
*** ***
We met Dylan as left the garage. He was wearing his security guard
uniform. It fit him very well, hugging
him in all the right places. I looked
him over and he grinned. “Do you
approve?” he asked.
“Yes, you look great! I can see why Uncle Corey fell for you,” I
replied.
“Thank you, Glenn,” Dylan said. He gave us an appraising look and then he
laughed. “Let me guess. You two have been having fun in the garage.”
Rick grinned, “Yes, we were.”
Dylan nodded his head approvingly. “Corey and I have done that quite a few
times.” I shook my head. I was still trying to picture my Uncle Corey
as a horny gay guy. Visualizing them
doing what we were doing in the garage just didn’t square with the image I had
of my Uncle Corey. Seeing my
expression, Dylan continued, “I know it’s hard for you to imagine your uncle as
a sex maniac; but believe me, he most certainly is!”
I laughed and said, “You’re right about
that, Dylan. I’m still trying to adjust
to the fact that my uncles are gay.”
“I’m still adjusting to that myself,”
Dylan said, smiling at us. “All I know
is that I’m very happy whenever I’m with him, and the sex is out of this world!”
“Those two things are really all that
count,” Rick said. “The hot sex is always good with Glenn;
however, as you say about Uncle Corey, what binds me to Glenn is the fact that
I’m a better person when I am with him.
He completes me, so to speak.”
Dylan joined us as we walked towards the
house. “You say it so much better than
I do, Rick. When Corey started flirting
with me, I wasn’t sure I wanted to date an older man. It took him a while to convince me to give
him a chance.”
“Aren’t you glad you did?” I asked.
Dylan smiled and said, “Yes, I am. Corey’s life experiences make him the
perfect man for me. I need someone who
makes me feel like I’m the center of his universe; while at the same time knows
how to keep me in line. Corey’s that
person for me.”
We saw Mr. Curtis walking toward us as
we approached the house. Rick greeted
him. “Good morning, Mr. Curtis.”
“Good morning, Mr. Lernier. Mr. Nielsen,” he replied. “Dylan volunteered to keep an eye on you two
when you disappeared inside the garage, since he’s practically part of family
now.”
Rick blushed and said, “I’m sorry if we
caused you any inconvenience.”
Mr. Curtis smiled. “It’s not a problem. I thought that you would rather meet up with
Dylan instead of Dan as you left the garage.”
Rick nodded his head. “Thank you for your kindness. I saw Dan monitoring us from a respectful
distance. He does a fine job, Mr.
Curtis.”
“He is one of my best,” Mr. Curtis
acknowledged. “Dylan does a good job as
well.”
This time it was Dylan’s turn to
blush. Rick smiled and said, “He’s
right, Dylan.”
Dylan said, “Thanks, Rick.”
“Dylan, will you take over for Dan?” Mr.
Curtis asked.
“Sure,” he replied. He turned to us and said, “I’ll catch you
guys later.”
Mr. Curtis said, “I’ve got to return to
my post as well.”
We went inside the house. As we closed the door, I looked at Rick and
said, “I’d forgotten about the security detail assigned to us while we’re
here.”
“I haven’t forgotten. I knew we were being watched the entire time
we have been out running. I heard one
of the guards calling Dylan when he saw us go into the garage,” Rick said.
“If you knew they were watching, why did
you take me into the garage?” I asked.
Rick grinned at me and said, “I wanted
to give them something to watch.”
I blushed at the thought of someone
watching us making out. “Rick…”
Rick put his finger to my lips to
silence me. “It’s okay, Glenn. It’s not like they don’t know we’re gay.”
He took his finger from my lips and
kissed me. He took my hand and led me
to our bedroom. We showered and got
dressed for our trip home. After packing
our suitcases, we went downstairs for breakfast. Greg and Cory were already there.
Greg looked up as we entered. “Good morning.”
“Good morning, guys,” I replied.
We sat down at the table and Greg passed
the eggs and sausage. “Do you guys go
out running every morning?” he asked.
“We try to get some aerobic exercise
every day,” Rick answered. “Sometimes
it’s playing racquetball; others, it’s running or swimming.”
I added, “We lift weights three days a week. I love working out with Rick.” I grinned at my lover. “His hot body really turns me on when he’s
all covered in sweat.”
Cory looked over at Greg and said,
“See? I’m not the only one who likes to
see his man all sweaty from working out in the gym!”
We all laughed at Cory’s statement. I said, “There’s nothing more sensual than
seeing a well-muscled guy working out, especially if he’s shirtless and wearing
skin-tight shorts!” I reached over and
caressed Rick’s inner thigh.
Rick grinned as he put his hand over
mine. “If you keep that up, we won’t
make our flight.”
Greg said, “We’re leaving as soon as
we’re done eating. We have a long drive
ahead of us just like you have a long flight.”
Rick said, “You’re right. We are flying from Atlanta to Toronto. From there, we catch another flight to
Regina. Glenn’s brother, Randy, will
pick us up at the airport.”
Grandma and Grandpa joined us at the
dining room table. “Good morning,
boys,” Grandma said.
We chorused “good morning.”
“I’m glad to see you this morning,”
Grandpa said. “We hope you will have a
safe journey today. Call us when you
arrive so we will know you are safe.”
We finished our meal and hugged Grandma
and Grandpa before going upstairs to get our luggage. We met Greg and Cory at the front door.
I hugged both of them. “We’ll see you at the wedding in a few
days.”
“That we will,” Greg said. “Have a safe trip.”
“You guys do the same,” Rick said.
We put our luggage in the back of the
car and climbed in. Rick started the engine
and we were on our way. We made good
time and arrived at the airport with ample time to clear security. Our flights were uneventful. I enjoyed the time I had to cuddle with my
man during the flights!
We got off the plane in Regina and made
our way to the baggage claim. Rick
grabbed our luggage while I called Randy to tell him we had arrived.
“Hey!” Randy said. “We’re just pulling into the airport now.”
“We’ll be waiting on the curb then,” I
replied.
I ended the call and turned to
Rick. “They are just getting here. Let’s go outside.”
Rick nodded his head in agreement. “Zip up your coat. I don’t want you to catch cold.”
I stuck out my tongue at him and said,
“Yes, Mommy!”
Rick cuffed me alongside the head. “Don’t give me any back talk. Just do it!”
I laughed and obeyed him. “You need to do the same, Babe. It’s pretty cold out there.”
Rick complied by zipping up his
coat. He handed me my suitcase and we
walked through the automatic doors to wait for my brother. We didn’t have long to wait. Randy and Shawn pulled up, and Randy jumped
out to help us load our luggage in the back of their car. We climbed into the back seat and Shawn
pulled away from the curb.
Shawn glanced at us in the rearview
mirror and said, “Welcome home, boys!”
I smiled and replied, “Thanks,
Shawn. I’d forgotten how cold it gets
here.”
Randy laughed. “You’ve gone soft on us, Glenn. Living in Atlanta has taken the Canadian out
of you.”
“I’m still Canadian; but, I have to
admit I’ve gotten used to the much warmer climate,” I responded.
Randy said, “Rick, I thought you were
keeping Glenn in shape. You must be
falling down on the job!”
Rick grinned. “I’ve been working him out pretty hard
lately. You’ll see when we get to Mom
and Dad’s house.”
“I believe you’ve worked on his physical
assets. I’ve got the photos you’ve sent
me of him,” Randy said. “I have to
admit Glenn looks pretty good. I never
would have thought my baby brother would turn into such a hot stud.” Randy saw the color rising in my cheeks and
laughed. “You don’t need to be
embarrassed, Glenn. I’m totally serious
when I say that you’ve really filled out since you’ve been with Rick.”
Rick smiled at me and said, “I can’t
claim all of the credit. Glenn worked
out with his roommates at the University of Minnesota; and we’ve kept at the
weights since I returned from active duty.”
“Ben insisted I had to work out with the
hockey team,” I said.
Randy raised an eyebrow. “Insisted?”
“Okay, I went voluntarily! Randy, you would’ve gone, too, if you could
watch the entire hockey team working out at the gym!”
Rick said, “I went with the guys when I
visited them over the holidays last year.
I have to agree that the sight of all those great looking guys got my
motor running.”
“Didn’t you say that some of them are
gay?” Shawn asked.
“Yes, I did. In fact, some of them were my roommates,” I
responded.
“That had to be totally awesome,” Shawn
said.
“It was,” I said. “I really had a great time at school last
year.”
“How’s school this year?” Shawn asked.
“I’m thinking of changing my major
again,” I said. “I love music but there
doesn’t seem to be much earning potential in the musical area.”
“But you’re pretty good, Glenn,” Randy
said.
“Yes; but if I do the concert thing,
I’ll be travelling all of the time. I
don’t want to live like that. I want to
be with Rick and my family. It’s just
not an ideal thing for me. I’m thinking
of going into computers. A couple of
our friends at Georgia Tech think they can get me an internship with their
company. That way, I can see if I like
it.”
Rick said, “I’ve encouraged Glenn to
explore different career options. I
want him to be happy doing whatever it is he chooses as his life’s profession.”
Shawn glanced in the rearview mirror at
us. He said, “Glenn, you are very
fortunate to have such a supportive boyfriend.”
I leaned over and kissed Rick on the
lips before I responded. “Yes, I found
my Prince Charming.”
We continued talking as Shawn drove us
to Swift Current. It was pretty late
when we pulled into Uncle Dave’s driveway.
The temperature had fallen to -20 C (-4 F). The temperature in Atlanta had been 12 C (54
F) when we boarded the plane earlier in the day. The wind was blowing pretty hard as I
climbed out of the car. We got our
luggage out of the back and manhandled it into the house; fighting the wind at
every step.
Randy noticed that I was shivering,
despite my heavy winter coat. He shook
his head in disbelief. “You’ve been
away from here too long, Glenn.”
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me,
Randy. It was just as cold in
Minneapolis last year,” I replied.
“Maybe I’m coming down with something.
I’ve never had problems dealing with the cold temperatures.”
Rick looked concerned. He put his hand on my forehead. “You do feel a little warm to me.”
Aunt Mary came into the hallway and
asked, “Did I hear that someone is sick?”
She hugged me and then helped me take my
coat off. She steered me into the front
room and sat me down on the couch.
“I’ll be right back with a thermometer.”
Shawn said, “Rick, we’re sharing Ben’s
room, like the last time you were here.
Let’s get your stuff downstairs.”
Rick nodded his agreement and left the
room with Shawn. I heard them take the suitcases
down the stairs. Randy said, “I hope
you’re not getting sick. It would a
dreadful way to spend your holidays if you end up in bed the entire time.”
“It would pretty much suck,” I agreed.
Uncle Dave followed Aunt Mary into the
front room. “Hello, Glenn. I’m glad you guys made it in before the
storm hits. It is really cold right now
but by tomorrow morning, the temperatures will rise. However, they are predicting blizzard
conditions for the entire day.”
I opened my mouth to let Aunt Mary slide
her thermometer under my tongue. I held
it there until she took it out of my mouth.
She read the temperature and said, “Normal.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “Maybe I just got chilled from the wind.”
“I hope that was it,” Aunt Mary
said. “I’ll fix a cup of hot cocoa for
you boys and then I suggest you get to bed.
You’ve had a long day.”
We followed her into the kitchen and
took seats at the table. She soon
handed each of us a cup of steaming hot cocoa.
Rick and Shawn joined us. Rick
said, “Thank you for the hot cocoa.
It’s just the right thing to warm us up.”
A gust of wind rattled the windows. Uncle Dave said, “We are in for a long
night. The high winds will continue for
a couple more hours.”
Randy said, “If the weather gets as bad
as they say it will, we won’t be driving anywhere tomorrow.”
“We will have to see what tomorrow
brings,” Aunt Mary said. She stood up
and took her empty cup over to the sink.
“Don’t worry about cleaning up.
We’ll worry about the dishes in the morning. You boys need to get some sleep.”
Rick said, “I’m beat.” His voice sounded tired. He looked really tired.
I said, “Let’s go to bed, Babe.” I took his hand and pulled him up with
me. We put our cups in the sink.
“Good night,” Rick said looking around
the room.
“Good night, Rick,” Aunt Mary said.
Shawn and Randy followed us down the
stairs. We quickly stripped our clothes
off and climbed into bed. Rick pulled
the blankets up over us as I snuggled close to him. Sleep found us very quickly!
*** ***
I awoke to Rick nuzzling my hair. I felt so cozy and warm that I didn’t want
to move. Rick ran his hand down my back
in a gentle caress that sent a thrill through my body. I lifted my head from his chest and looked
deep into his eyes. He smiled at me and
said, “Good morning, Babe.”
I returned his smile and replied, “Good
morning. I love waking up to your
caresses. There is no better way to
start my day.” I looked across the room
to see the empty bed where Shawn and Randy had slept last night. “What time is it?”
“It’s nearly 10 o’clock. Aunt Mary looked in on us about an hour
ago. She said to let you sleep,” Rick
replied.
“I must have needed the extra sleep,” I
said yawning widely.
“Yes, you did. Are you ready to get showered?” Rick asked.
I nodded my head. “Yes, as long as you promise to make love to
me in the shower.”
Rick gave me a lecherous grin. “What do you think?”
The look in his eyes left no doubt as to
the answer to my request! We made our
way to the bathroom and took care of each other’s needs. Afterward, we dressed and went upstairs to
the kitchen. Aunt Mary looked up from
the newspaper she was reading. “Good
morning, boys.”
“Good morning,” I replied. I looked out the kitchen window to see what
the weather was like. “The sun is
coming out. I thought there was
supposed to be a blizzard today.”
“There was,” Aunt Mary responded. “It already moved past us. They called it an Alberta Clipper. I’m glad it’s over. Ben and Janice will be here tomorrow.”
My cousin, Cynthia, walked into the
kitchen and sat down at the table. “Hey
guys!”
“Good morning,” Rick said.
“You must have gotten in really late,”
Cynthia said.
“Yes, they arrived a couple of hours
after you went to bed,” Aunt Mary said.
“How’s school?” I asked.
“It’s okay,” Cynthia replied. “I have to finish all of my general
education courses next semester since I won’t have time to work on them after I
start the nursing curriculum.”
“When do you have to be back at school?”
Rick asked.
“The first day of class is January 7th,”
she answered.
“That’s the same day we start classes,”
I said. “We had planned to go back to
Atlanta on January 2nd; but my uncles are getting married in St.
Catharines on January 5th.”
Aunt Mary said, “Your mother told us
they plan to fly out with you for the wedding.”
Cynthia said, “I think it is really cool
that both of them are getting married to their partners.”
“I’m happy for them as well,” Aunt Mary
said. “But it makes me sad that they
felt they had to wait until late in life to find their soul mates. I can’t imagine spending most of my life
alone. My life has been so much richer
because of my relationship with Dave.”
“I don’t think they intentionally
waited,” I said. “Uncle Corey told us
that he didn’t dare look for a gay partner until my grandparents adopted Greg
as their son. That’s when he realized
that they would accept him as a gay son.
Before that, he feared my grandparents would disown him.”
“It’s unfortunate that it’s has taken so
long for us older people to recognize that it’s okay for two men to love each
other,” Aunt Mary said.
“But you and Uncle Dave have been very
accepting of me and Randy,” I said.
“Yes, but it hasn’t been easy. You have to remember that it’s a little
different for us; because you and Randy are our nephews. I’m not sure how we would’ve handled Cynthia
or Ben being gay,” she said, looking over at Cynthia. “It’s one thing to be accepting of gays when
it isn’t your child; but it’s quite another when your hopes and dreams for your
child are destroyed,” Aunt Mary said.
She put a hand to stop my response.
“Please hear me out, Glenn. Your
parents are very heavily invested in your life. Their hopes for the future are tied to you
and your siblings. Your dad, in
particular, is still having a difficult time accepting the fact that his dreams
for you and Randy won’t be fulfilled in the way he envisioned.”
“We know about that part,” I said, with
more than a little heat.
“That’s why I’m talking to you now. I’ve already talked to Randy and Shawn. You need to understand where he is coming
from so you can address the source of his problem,” she said.
“I know what his problem is. He wants grandchildren. He wants his family line to continue. It’s all about keeping his family name from
disappearing from the face of the earth.
He wants us to be breeding studs for some woman to produce children; to
satisfy his desire for an increased number of progeny,” I said with
disgust. “Dad still keeps telling me
that being gay is a choice, and that I can choose to be straight, and get
married to some “sweet little girl” and have a family.”
Aunt Mary nodded her head in
agreement. “He’s expressed those exact
sentiments to us. Uncle Dave has tried
to reason with him and has met with little success.
Randy and Shawn joined us in the
kitchen. Randy sat down next to
me. “We overheard Aunt Mary telling you
about Dad.”
I
looked at my brother and asked, “What should we do about him?”
“Shawn
and I have talked it over, and we have decided to confront him directly about
meddling in our relationship,” Randy replied.
“He’s tried to convince Shawn to leave me for the sake of our family’s
need to expand its numbers.”
“He
tried the same approach with me,” Rick said.
Randy’s
face was grim as he said, “I’m at a point that I will disown him if he
continues his attempts to drive us apart.”
Shawn
said, “We have been subjected to Dad’s tirades about having a family one too
many times. I’m normally totally
against severing family relationships; however, in this case, Dad needs to
respect our boundaries and the fact that we aren’t going to get divorced just
to make him happy.”
I
looked at Rick and asked, “Are you feeling the same way?”
Rick
nodded his head. “Yes, I am. Dad called me just before we left for Cancun
and tried to persuade me to leave you.”
Aunt
Mary said, “We’ve warned Don that he’s walking a very fine line. He thought he was suffering when he disowned
you, Randy. It’s a lot harder when
you’re the one who has been disowned.”
Randy
nodded his head in agreement. His eyes
were suddenly bright with unshed tears at the memory of Dad’s reaction when he
found out that he was gay and had a boyfriend.
“Do you think he will listen?”
Aunt
Mary said, “I’m not sure. He hasn’t
listened to us, yet. Maybe he’ll listen
to you boys.”
“I
think if we confront him together, he will see that we are united in our love
for each other and in our determination to put a stop to his harassment,” Shawn
said.
“I
hope it will work, because I have no patience for Dad’s continued anti-gay
attitudes. I suffered too much pain at
his hands when he disowned me for being gay,” Randy said. The bitterness in his voice made it clear that
there would be fireworks, should Dad continue pursuing his agenda to force us
apart.
Shawn
stood up and said, “We have a gift for you two. Come with me.”
We
all got up from the table and followed Shawn into the front room where he
pulled out a thin rectangular box. He
lifted it up and brought it over to me and Rick.
We sat down on the couch and I looked at the box.
Shawn
said, “Let me show how to open this one.”
He reached over and undid the flaps of the box and then he pulled out
some of the packing material.
I
looked inside and could see the edge of a large picture frame. Rick helped me pull it out of the box. It was a beautiful oil painting of a
mountain lake. I looked up at Shawn and
said, “Thank you, Shawn. It will make a
perfect addition to our home.”
“This
means you have to get married since we are giving it to both of you,” Randy
said.
Rick
put his arm around my shoulders and said, “I promise I’ll make an honest man of
your brother.”
Randy
laughed. “Is that possible?”
“Hey!”
I protested.
“Just
kidding! I’m sure Rick will keep his
promise,” Randy said.
Cynthia
said, “That is a really nice painting, Shawn.
I need to get you to paint one like that for me.”
Aunt
Mary said, “You will need to let us know how much you would charge for several
paintings like this one. I would like
to get one for each of my children as well as one to hang over the fireplace
downstairs.”
Shawn
said, “It depends on the type and size of the frame. Painting a picture is the easy part for me. Getting the right frame, now that’s a
difficult proposition as well as the most expensive part of the whole deal.”
Randy
said, “Shawn got off easy. He already
had all the supplies he needed to paint this picture. I’m the one who had to shell out the cash to
have it framed.”
Shawn
looked at us and said, “You can use the box to ship it directly to your
condo. That’s why I helped you open it
so you wouldn’t ruin the box.”
“Thanks
for everything, guys,” Rick said.
“We’re
glad you like it,” Randy said.
We
heard the front door open and Uncle Dave appeared in the doorway. “Hey, what’s going on?” he asked.
Aunt
Mary walked over and put her arm around his waist. “The boys gave Glenn and Rick a very nice
oil painting.”
I
held up the painting for Uncle Dave.
“It’s very beautiful. We should
get Shawn to paint one for us.”
Aunt
Mary smiled and said, “I’ve already asked him about it.”
Uncle
Dave kissed his wife and said, “You are always a step ahead of me. That’s why I married you.”
Aunt
Mary laughed and said, “I thought you married me for my beautiful eyes.”
“That,
too, among other things,” Uncle Dave responded with a grin on his face.
My
cell phone rang at that moment. I
pulled it out of my pocket and answered it.
“Hello, Mom.”
“Hello,
Glenn,” Mom said. “When are you boys
driving down to the farm?”
I
looked over at my brother and said, “Mom wants to know when we are driving down
to the farm.”
“I
think we should leave here around noon,” Randy said.
I said, "Mom, Randy thinks we'll leave here around noon."
I said, "Mom, Randy thinks we'll leave here around noon."
"I wanted to know when you were coming so I can plan for dinner," Mom said.
"We'll be there before dinner time," I said.
"Drive safely, dear," Mom said.
"I'll tell Shawn since he's driving," I said.
"Okay," Mom said.
"Bye," I said and cut the connection.
“Ben and Janice will be here before you leave,” Aunt Mary said. “They stayed overnight in Regina. Ben wanted to drive straight through the night; but I convinced him he needed to stay somewhere safe until the storm passed.”
"We'll be there before dinner time," I said.
"Drive safely, dear," Mom said.
"I'll tell Shawn since he's driving," I said.
"Okay," Mom said.
"Bye," I said and cut the connection.
“Ben and Janice will be here before you leave,” Aunt Mary said. “They stayed overnight in Regina. Ben wanted to drive straight through the night; but I convinced him he needed to stay somewhere safe until the storm passed.”
Uncle
Dave said, “I’m glad they had sense enough not to try to drive through that
blizzard. This way, Ben won’t be tired
from driving as he navigates the roads between here and Regina.”
Rick
helped me repack the painting. “We
should take this down to the post office and ship it out since we are going be
here for a few more hours.”
Shawn
agreed. “That’s a good idea.”
The
four of us grabbed our winter gear and Shawn drove us to the post office. When we had finished, I asked, “Shawn, do
you mind if we stop by the mall? We
need to pick up some things, since we didn’t bring a lot of gifts with us on
the plane.”
Shawn
said, “Not a problem.” He drove us to
the mall and we spent a couple of hours shopping. It was close to noon when we finished. Shawn drove us back to the house and pulled
into the driveway. “It looks like Ben’s
already here.”
“Yes,
that’s his car,” I said.
We
went inside and Ben greeted us in the hallway.
“Hey! I’m glad to see you
guys!” Ben hugged all of us.
Janice
was right behind him. “I’m happy you
made it here for the holidays. We drove
home to Toronto to spend Christmas with my family before driving west to be
here for the New Year.”
We
drifted into the front room after shedding our winter coats. “How’s school going?” I asked.
Ben
laughed, “It’s going! Janice is doing
very well. I, on the other hand, am
just making it through some of my classes.
Between my hockey schedule and keeping up with my wife, I’m constantly
running out of time to study.”
Janice
nodded her head, “Ben has been travelling a lot with the hockey team. He’s missed a lot his classes and has to
make up most of the assignments.”
“Have
you decided on a career, Ben?” Rick asked.
“No,
not yet,” Ben responded, seriously.
“I’ve been giving it a lot of thought but I still don’t know what I want
to be when I grow up.”
I
said, “I’ve been thinking of switching my major again. This time it will be computer science,” I
said.
Ben
replied, “I could see you doing computer work, Glenn. It’s not as fun as playing music; but the
pay is better.”
Janice
said, “The guys came home tanned and very frisky from their trip to
Cancun. From their wild stories, it
sounds like you guys had a great time.
In fact, Zach and Todd wouldn’t let me stay in the room when they told
Ben about what they did in Mexico.”
Ben
looked at Janice before asking, “Did you guys really do all those things that
Zach and Todd told us?”
I
looked at Rick who shrugged and gave me a big grin. I looked back at Ben and Janice’s expectant
faces. I felt the heat in my cheeks and
knew I was blushing. I cleared my
throat and replied, “Depends on what they told you.”
Ben
burst out laughing. “You guys are so
crazy!”
Janice
looked at Ben and back to me. “I only
heard some of things you guys did. Is
there more?”
“Again,
that depends,” I responded.
Aunt
Mary said, giving us a stern glance, “Janice, I think you should back away from
asking any more questions. In fact, why
don’t you join me in the kitchen?”
Janice
looked at her husband and said, “Don’t you get any ideas of trying any crazy
stunts with me.”
Randy
howled with laughter. “Ouch!”
Janice
looked at Randy and said, “And don’t you be giving him any ideas either!”
Uncle
Dave stood up and said, “I have a feeling you’re about to divulge more
information than I need to know.”
Rick
laughed, “Not if I can help it. What
happened in Cancun; stays in Cancun!
I’m going to give Zach and Todd a piece of my mind for sharing that
information.”
Randy
looked at us and said, “You know you’re going to have to give us some
information or we’re going to die of curiosity.” Randy laughed as I grew more embarrassed by
his insistence to know what happened in Cancun.
Ben
grinned and said, “Let me start by telling you what Zach and Todd told me. That will save Glenn from being embarrassed
and they won’t be guilty of breaking a confidence.”
He
proceeded to relate everything he knew.
The more he said, the more amazed I was that Zach and Todd had shared so
much with a straight guy! Yes, he was
my cousin and best friend; but still, there are some things you just don’t talk
about! Randy’s eyes kept getting bigger
with each passing moment as Ben described the events of our week in Cancun with
the guys.
At
the conclusion, Ben looked over at me and Rick and asked, “Did I miss
anything?”
Rick
laughed, “Yes, but we’re not telling you anything. You already know too much!”
Shawn
looked at us with a knowing smile. “I
may have underestimated you guys.”
Rick
raised his eyebrows and asked, ‘“How so?”
“I
didn’t think you were quite as crazy as it appears you are. That trip to Cancun must have been a
watershed moment for you guys,” Shawn replied.
“It
wasn’t so much a watershed moment as it was a completely carefree and wonderful
time for us,” Rick said. “I’ve never
felt so free to express my feelings and affection for Glenn as I did on that
trip. We grew closer as a couple; and
we strengthened our friendship with the guys who went with us.”
Shawn
shook his head in disbelief. “Randy, we
need to learn a thing or two from these guys.
We’ve had some pretty wild times; but nothing like their trip to
Cancun.”
I
tried not to say anything but I couldn’t help myself. I had to say it. “It’s because you’re getting too old! It takes us younger guys to show you how to
do things properly!”
Shawn
snorted his reply to my statement.
Randy guffawed and then said, “I don’t think so!”
“I
think we need to show them a thing or two tonight,” Shawn said, giving me a sly
glance.
“We’re
not sharing a room with you tonight,” I said.
“We’re going to be in my room and you’re going to be in Randy’s room.”
“That
doesn’t mean we can’t show you a thing or two,” Randy said, with a smile that
made me wonder what exactly these two had in mind.
Randy
said, “Speaking of my room, we need to get on the road so we won’t be late for
dinner. You know how Dad gets if you’re
late.”
I
nodded my head and said, “Yes, I remember.”
We
loaded our gear in the back of Shawn’s car and said our “good byes.” Uncle Dave said, “We will be down for New
Year’s Eve. I believe the rest of the
family will be meeting us there as well.
Your Dad and I picked up a few fireworks to shoot off at midnight.”
“That
sounds great,” I said. “We’ll see you
in a few days.”
We
climbed into the back of the car and Shawn started the engine and backed out of
the driveway. As soon as we were
headed south towards Aneroid, Randy turned around in his seat and looked at us. “Okay, now that were alone, spill the rest
of the story.”
Rick
gave Randy his “I’m innocent” look and asked, “What do you mean?”
Randy
burst out laughing and shook his head.
“You guys are so transparent. I
know you didn’t tell us everything you did and I want to know.”
Rick
looked at me and asked, “Should we?” I
nodded my head and Rick proceeded to tell them. I added to the narrative whenever Rick left
something out. By the time we were
done, Randy was laughing so hard his sides hurt.
Shawn
looked at us in his mirror and said, “I’m so horny from hearing about your
antics that I’ve got to have some relief.”
Randy
reached over and massaged his husband’s inner thigh. Shawn moaned and said, “I’ve got to pull
over or we’ll end up in a snow bank.”
He pulled over and stopped while Randy gave him the needed relief. Afterward, Shawn turned to us with a
satisfied grin and said, “Next time you’re going to tell us something like
that, let me know so I can be prepared for what it does to me.”
Rick
replied, “I think we can do that for you.”
Shawn
started the engine and put the car in gear.
We talked about Shawn’s plans for his newest art project and Randy’s
work with the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police). We made good time and arrived with plenty of
time to spare.
Mom
greeted us at the door. “Welcome home,
boys. Take your things upstairs to your
rooms and then join me in the kitchen.
Your father has gone over to visit Evelyn and Emil over in Hazenmore.”
“How’s
Emil doing?” Randy asked.
“He’s
not good. They don’t expect him to live
much longer. In fact, they were
surprised that he made it to Christmas,” Mom said. She blinked hard to keep her tears from
spilling down her cheeks. “Emil has
been your Dad’s friend for his entire life.
It’s hit him pretty hard.” She
stopped and tried to get her emotions under control. “I sent your Dad over with a loaf of fresh
baked bread and a jar of my strawberry jam.
They are Emil’s favorite things:
fresh homemade bread and strawberry jam.”
“Is
Larkin with them?” Randy asked.
“Yes. He and his family arrived yesterday from
Saskatoon. Larkin is doing well. He’s teaching at the University and Jodi is
a nurse at the hospital. They’ve
invited Evelyn to live with them after Emil passes but she doesn’t want to
move,” Mom said. “It’s really sad
because none of their children want to live on the farm. Perry has moved to the States. He’s become one of the top heart surgeons in
the world and Lindsay and her husband live in Toronto.”
“You
and Dad won’t have the same problem since Gary and Jessica live on the
neighboring farm,” I said.
Mom
nodded her head. “Yes, we are fortunate
that Gary wants to take over the farm from us.
Eric and Laura haven’t decided where they will settle down; but I’m sure
it will be close to home since Laura’s family lives not far from here.”
Randy
said, “Mom, we need to talk to Dad about his ongoing harassment. We’ve tried to tell him to back off but he
won’t listen.”
Mom
stopped mid-way between the fridge and the table. She turned around to face Randy. “What do you propose to do?”
“All
four of us are at the point of disowning him if he won’t stop trying to meddle
in our affairs. He’s been trying to get
Shawn and Rick to leave us so we can marry a girl. He wants more grandkids to expand his
posterity. I’ve had enough of his
blatant attempts to break up my marriage,” Randy said heatedly.
Mom
blanched at the ferocity in Randy’s voice.
“I’m sorry, Randy.”
“It’s
not you who needs to be apologizing to me,” Randy said.
Mom
looked over at me and asked, “Do you feel the same way?”
“Yes,
I do. Dad has been badgering Rick to
leave me with promises that Rick will still be a part of our family; even if he
is no longer my boyfriend,” I said. “He
has kept asking me if I’m really certain I’m gay. He’s even had the audacity to tell me I
haven’t given myself the chance to fall in love with a woman.”
My
mother’s expression was grim. Her eyes
were like flint and her mouth was set in a thin, hard line. “I think we need to have a meeting of the
minds.” She looked around the table at
us and said, “Let me arrange it so we can discuss his behavior with him. I think it’s time we got all of his issues
out on the table and address them once and for all. I can’t stand this hypocrisy. It makes my blood boil just thinking about
it.”
Randy
looked over at me and I nodded my head.
When my mother gets angry, you had better watch out! There was no doubt that she was angry!
“Please
set the table for me, boys,” Mom said.
“Sure,
Mom,” Randy said. We quickly made
ourselves scarce. In the dining room, I
took the plates and silverware out of the china hutch. Randy said, “I wouldn’t want to be in Dad’s
shoes right now.”
“Me
neither,” I agreed.
The
four of us had the table set in no time and we made our way into the family
room. Rick and I took a seat on the
couch; while Randy and Shawn chose to cuddle on the floor in front of the
fireplace. The fire added a cheery glow
to the room as well as making it nice and cozy.
Rick
said, “Guys, I don’t think we should threaten to disown your Dad.”
I
looked up into his eyes and asked, “Why?”
“I’m
completely cut off from my family at the moment. I don’t want you to cut yourself off from
your family, too, Glenn,” Rick said.
“We need their love and support.
It would be better to work things out instead running away from the
problem.”
“You’re
right about trying to work it out with my Dad; however, I will not permit him
to continually harass my husband. We do
NOT need his interference in our marriage.
If he can’t honor our boundaries as a couple, then I will NOT have
contact with him,” Randy said.
Shawn said, in soothing tones, “It will be
okay, Randy. I’m sure that your father
will see the error of his ways.”
We
heard the front door open and footsteps in the hallway. We heard Mom’s voice, “Don, we need to
talk.”
A
few minutes later, they appeared in the family room. Dad’s face reflected his confusion at her
tone of voice. “What do we need to talk
about?” Dad’s voice trailed off when he
saw the four of us.
“I
think you know what we need to discuss,” Mom said. Her tightly controlled voice communicating
the fierce anger she felt.
Dad
swallowed and sat down in an armchair.
Mom moved to the center of the room and began. “Let’s start with your stealth campaign to
create a rift between our boys and their partners.”
Dad
looked at Rick and then at Shawn. “I
don’t….”
Mom
cut him off. “Don’t you dare try to
deny it! I know for a fact that you
have been waging a war against my sons.
You have taken every possible opportunity to drive a wedge between them.
Are you so desperate to add to you
tally of grandchildren that you would have the boys sacrifice their happiness
to satisfy your pride? Do you really
think that your desires and wishes are superior to their own? What kind of a selfish, arrogant man are
you? Have you completely taken leave of
your senses?” Here she paused and
gathered her breath. “STOP trying to
ruin their lives! They are not you and
never will be. They are not
farmers. They are not carbon copies of
their father.” She stopped and placed her
hands on her hips.
Dad’s
expression had changed from one of concern to one of anger. He started to speak when Randy interrupted
him. “Dad, you will stop trying to
convince my husband to leave me. I will
not tolerate your continued interference in my marriage. If you can’t honor my request, we will be
forced to cut off all communication with you.
I seem to remember you threw me out of your house once. This time I will leave it voluntarily and
you will never hear from me or see me again as long as I live.”
Dad
held Randy’s gaze in silence. When he
didn’t respond, Randy continued, “If we ever decide to adopt children, I won’t
be bringing them here to be contaminated by your hatred and small-mindedness.”
Dad
still didn’t respond to Randy. I
watched his face as a series of emotions appeared there. My mother was also watching him very closely
because she said, “Don, if you can’t honor Randy’s request, I’ll be leaving
with them when they go. I will not give
up my sons to gratify your pride. We’ve
had this conversation before and I have not changed my mind. For too many years, I listened to you and
let you drive our children away from us.
I will not allow you to continue to alienate them. If you won’t change, then I WILL leave you,
make no mistake about that fact.”
Dad
had the look of a cornered animal. I
said, “Dad, all we ask is that you stay out of our relationships. I love Rick and he loves me. You do not have a place in that
relationship. You need to face the fact
that I am in love with a man and that we have an intimate relationship. That is not going to change no matter how
hard you try to drive us apart. You may
not agree; but that does not give you the right to dictate to me who should be
my partner or who I should marry. More
importantly, I expected better from you, Dad.
You have always taught us to act with integrity and honesty. Going behind my back to persuade Rick not to
return to me after he completed his active duty tour was about as dirty a trick
as I can imagine.” I paused to control
my anger.
“Telling
Rick that I needed to have a wife and kids and that I would never be happy
without them was an outright lie. I
have never felt that way nor shall I ever want a wife. Then you added insult to injury by telling
Rick that the kindest way to let me start my life over with a woman was to
never return to me. You tried to
persuade Rick it was okay to dump me.
You reassured him that he would still be part of this family even if he
left me. That statement alone was one
of the most devious things I’ve ever heard.
Did you actually think Rick would fall for your deceit? That he would be beloved by our entire family
for dumping me and causing me pain and suffering? The only one who would have celebrated that
outcome is you. I still can’t imagine
how much lower you would be willing to go in order to achieve your desire for
me to marry a woman and produce grandchildren for you.”
Dad
looked at us and said, “I guess that I must be the devil himself since I’ve
already been condemned by all of you. However,
it’s my duty as your father to point out the error of your ways. It’s the natural order of things for a man
to be with a woman and to have children.”
Randy’s
face convulsed with anger. “We’ve been
over this ground before, Father.”
“Yes,
we have,” Dad said, glaring at Randy.
“Then
we have nothing more to say to each other,” Randy said, standing up and
reaching down to help Shawn to his feet.
“Mom, we will be staying in Swift Current if you want to see us.”
They
left the room. Dad looked over at me
and asked, “Are you going to leave as well?”
I
looked at Rick. Rick asked, “Do you
intend to continue to harass us about our relationship?”
“Yes,
I do,” Dad said with finality.
“Then
this will be the last time you will see us as well,” Rick said. He stood and pulled me to my feet.
As
we left the room, we heard my mother say, “I will be leaving with them. I will file for divorce tomorrow. I intend to stay in Canada until the divorce
is final. After that, I will return to
Georgia.”
We
continued upstairs and grabbed our luggage.
Randy and Shawn met us in the hallway with their gear. Randy said, grimly, “Let’s go.”
Mom
came out of her room with a suitcase in her hand. “I’m leaving with you.”
Randy
nodded. “Okay, if you’re ready, we need
to be on the road.”
Mom
said, “I’m ready.”
We
walked down the stairs and out the front door.
We loaded our things into the trunk and climbed into the car. Mom sat in the front seat with Shawn while
Randy sat in the back with me and Rick.
The ride back to Swift Current was mostly silent. Each of us was lost in our own
thoughts. When we pulled into the
driveway, Uncle Dave came to the door to see who had come to visit.
Seeing
us, he asked, “Why are you back here?
Has something gone wrong?” Then
he caught sight of my mother. “Eva,
what’s going on?”
Mom
replied, “Let’s go inside and I will explain everything.”
He
turned around and held the door for us as we hauled our luggage into the
house.
Aunt
Mary said, “Come into the kitchen and sit down. You look like you need something to
eat. I have some leftover turkey and
ham in the fridge that we can make into sandwiches.”
We
all sat down at the table and Mom started to narrate the events of the last few
hours. She finished her narrative and
said, “I’m leaving Don. I will be
filing the divorce papers in the morning.
I have already talked to a lawyer about it; and it shouldn’t take long
to get the appropriate paperwork together.”
I
was surprised to learn she had already seen a lawyer. I looked at Randy. He seemed just as surprised as I was. Mom saw the look that passed between
us. “Boys, I’ve been thinking about
leaving your father for several years now.
Today was the last straw.”
Uncle
Dave nodded his head and said, “We’ve been expecting this for a while now.”
Aunt
Mary confirmed what he said. “Dave and
I wondered how much longer you would put up with Don’s increasingly extreme
views. We have seen Don become more and
more intolerant of other people; starting with Don’s rejection of Randy and
Shawn.”
“No,
Mary, it started long before that incident.
He’s been that way since I met him.
I was just too blinded by love to see it. I should have seen him for what he was, and
run as far away as I could. When I did
realize what was going on between him and our children, I tried to act as a
buffer to lessen the impact on them. I
tried to help Don see the error of his ways and persuade him to change; but
he’s too stubborn to admit that he is in the wrong,” Mom said.
“You
are welcome to stay with us until you can get on your feet,” Aunt Mary said.
We
talked about our plans for the rest of the week. It was decided that we would stay at Uncle
Dave and Aunt Mary’s place while we helped Mom get her affairs in order.
After
we went to bed, I kissed Rick and said, “Thank you for supporting me,
today. I’m sorry that we didn’t take
your advice. I know you wanted to avoid
disowning my father.”
Rick
caressed my cheek with his fingertips.
“It’s okay, Glenn. I understand
why we need to set boundaries for Dad. He
made it clear that he wasn’t going to stop trying to ruin our
relationship. However, I think things
will work out for the best.”
I
looked deeply into his eyes and said, “I hope you’re right. I’m a little worried about Mom.”
Rick
laughed. “I don’t think you have to
worry about her, Glenn. She already has
prepared in advance for this situation.
It sounds like she has a very well thought out plan and has taken steps
to ensure things will work out for her.”
I
nodded my head. “I know you’re right;
but I still worry.”
“Glenn,
your mother has a good support network here.
Besides Uncle Dave and Aunt Mary, she has your brothers and their
families,” Rick pointed out.
“She
did say that she was planning to return to Georgia,” I said. “Do you think she is going to try to skip
the one year waiting period for the divorce to be final?”
“No,
I don’t,” Rick responded. “She still
loves your Dad, Glenn. I don’t think she
wants to leave him but feels compelled to do so because of his ongoing
interference in our lives.”
“What
surprised me the most, Rick, is the fact that he didn’t try to stop her,” I
said.
Rick
thought for a moment before answering.
“I think Dad didn’t really think she would follow through with her
threat to leave him.”
“We
did hear Mom say that when she called my brothers and sister to tell them she
left Dad,” I said.
Rick
said, “Sweetheart, we need to get some rest.
We can talk more in the morning.”
I
smiled and nodded my head in agreement.
He kissed me and wrapped his arms around me. I said, “I love you.”
“I
love you, too,” he responded.
I
laid my head on his chest and fell asleep listening to the steady beat of his
heart.
***
***
Earlier
that evening, Greg and Cory were sitting in the Stetson’s family room with Joey
and Tyler. Tyler said, “You both look
very happy.”
“We
are,” Cory replied.
“I
wish Joey and I could be married just like you guys,” Tyler said.
“We
can,” Joey said. “But we have to wait
until my divorce goes through. Not only
that, you are still working on your master’s degree in Spain.”
Tyler
said, “I’ll be finished in July.”
“But
you are still planning to study in Chile for your doctorate,” Joey said.
“Yes,
but we can still be married and you can move with me to Chile,” Tyler said.
Joey
said, thoughtfully, “We will need to figure out what we will do with my girls
during that time. I’m hoping to gain
full custody of them.”
Tyler
smiled, “We can rent a house complete with a maid and a housekeeper. I’m sure we can find a nanny for them so you
could work during the day. I am hoping
to get a stipend that will cover our living expenses so you won’t have to
work.”
Joey
leaned over and kissed his boyfriend.
“I love you, Tyler.”
Tyler
grinned. “I know.”
Greg
asked, “When do you have to return to Spain?”
“January 8th.
Classes begin on January 9th,” Tyler responded.
Greg asked, “How have you handled being apart?”
“Tyler’s absence has been a blessing for me
because I’m not sure I could keep from letting everyone know that I love him,”
Joey said. “Of course, I wish he was
going to school here in Virginia.”
“Being apart has made me appreciate Joey so much
more,” Tyler said.
“There
are days that I get really depressed and Ray and Darla have done their best to
help me,” Joey said.
Cory
smiled and said, “Mom and Dad are great people for that.”
Joey
nodded his head. “Yes, they are. You are very lucky to have such wonderful
parents, Cory.”
Ray
came into the family room and said, “Dinner is ready, boys.”
Greg
said, “It smells good.”
The
guys followed Ray into the kitchen.
Darla said, “Take a seat and we’ll say grace.”
With
the prayer said, we soon were enjoying a very delicious meal of chicken cordon
bleu, au gratin potatoes, steamed asparagus and a green salad. “Thanks, Mom, for making my favorite meal,”
Cory said.
“You’re
most welcome,” she said. “I’ve made an
apple pie for dessert.”
Greg
said, “That’s my favorite!”
After
dinner, they played board games and enjoyed listening to Tyler’s stories of his
travels in Europe. It was just past ten
o’clock when Tyler stood up and said, “I need to be going.”
Joey
looked crestfallen. “Can’t you stay?”
Tyler
answered, “Joey, you know that I can’t stay with you if we want to make sure no
one finds out about us.”
Joey
nodded his head in acknowledgment. “I
know, but I want you so much.” He
looked so forlorn that Tyler pulled Joey into his embrace. Tyler said, “I’m willing to risk being
discovered if you’re sure you want me to stay.”
Joey
started to answer but Tyler put his finger to Joey’s lips. “Joey, we are putting you at risk in your
custody battle if I stay. If things go
wrong, I don’t want you to be angry with me for staying.” He paused to look deeply into Joey’s
eyes. “You were the one who decided
that I couldn’t stay with you while I’m home, remember? I wanted to be here with you and I still
want that.”
Joey
said, “Kathy is in Florida with the girls.
She is staying with Andrew’s parents.”
Greg
asked, “Who is Andrew?”
“He’s
Kathy’s new boyfriend. She has been
through four different guys. This is
number five,” Joey replied.
“Doesn’t
it bother you that she’s seeing other guys?” Cory asked.
“No,
it doesn’t because I’ve already got someone else,” Joey said, smiling at
Tyler. “Call your parents to let them
know you won’t be coming home tonight.”
Tyler
released his lover and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. He made his call and then turned to
Joey. “That’s been taken care of, now I
want you naked!”
Joey
grinned and said, “Good night, guys.”
Greg
laughed, “Good night, Joey.”
The
two guys left the family room and climbed the stairs to Joey's bedroom. As soon as the door was closed, Joey had his
clothes off and turned to help Tyler out of his.
Their passion blazed in their eyes as their lips met. Joey moved them over to his bed and pushed
Tyler down on the mattress, pinning his arms over his head as their lips met,
again. He released Tyler’s arms and ran
his hands over Tyler’s hairless chest.
They soon were lost in the fire of their desires as their months of
separation culminated in this moment of reunion and renewal.
***
***
Tyler
looked deeply into Joey’s eyes and said, “Joey, I want you to move to Spain
with me.”
Joey
looked at Tyler in surprise. “How can I
do that?”
“Easy. You pack your suitcase. We buy you a ticket to Madrid and we leave
together,” Tyler said.
“What
about the custody battle for the girls?” Joey asked.
“We’ll
make sure you’re here for the court date.
Your lawyer can handle everything in the meantime.” Tyler saw that Joey was about to
object. “Joey, are you interacting with
Kathy now?”
“No,
but I get to see the girls every other weekend,” Joey said.
“Why
don’t you take your visitation during their holidays and summer vacation? That way you don’t interrupt their schooling
and you will get to spend extended periods of time with them instead of two
days out of every 14,” Tyler said.
“What
if I get full custody of the girls?” Joey asked.
“They
will come to live with us and Kathy will get them on holidays and during the
summer just like you would if she has full custody,” Tyler responded.
“But
right now we have joint custody,” Joey said.
“That
doesn’t mean it will continue,” Tyler said.
“You, yourself, said that Kathy is trying to take you completely out of
her life and out of the girls’ lives as well.”
“I
want to keep the girls in my life, Tyler,” Joey said.
“I
know that, Joey,” Tyler responded. “I’m
just saying that I need you, Joey. I
need you with me in Spain. I’m so
lonely, Joey. I want you to be with me.”
Joey
saw the deep sadness in his lover’s eyes and responded by kissing Tyler. “I know, Babe. I feel the same way. The court date to finalize my divorce has
been set for April. What am I going to
do about a job if I go with you?”
“You
don’t have to work at all. I’ve got my
stipend that pays for a house with a housekeeper and a maid,” Tyler said.
“But
I’ll have to pay child support. How am
I going to do that if I’m not working?” Joey asked.
“We
can find you something,” Tyler said.
The university has all kinds of odd jobs,” Tyler said.
“But
I don’t speak Spanish,” protested Joey.
“You
will if you come with me to Spain,” Tyler said with a wide grin on his face.
Joey
shook his head in disbelief. “Do you
have an answer for everything?”
Tyler’s
bright smile gleamed in the dim light of the digital clock. “Yes, I have given it a lot of thought. I want you in Spain with me; not here wasting
away, worrying about the divorce.”
Joey
sighed. “I guess it will work.”
“Of
course, it will work. I will make a few
phone calls tomorrow. I think that my
Dad can help us find you a job,” Tyler said.
“Won’t
your Dad figure out that you’re gay?” Joey said.
“I
came out to them this morning before coming here,” Tyler said.
“You
didn’t tell me you were going to out yourself to them!” Joey exclaimed.
“Well,
I did and they are fine with me being gay.
In fact, Dad said he’s known for years that I was attracted to guys,”
Tyler said. He put his hand to Joey’s
chin and closed his mouth. “They want
to meet you. I told them I was in love
with the most wonderful man on the planet and that I wanted to get married.”
Joey’s
mind was whirling. He didn’t know what
to think. Seeing Tyler’s jubilant face
brought his mind back into focus. “I’m
happy they have accepted you for who you are.
When am I going to meet them?”
“Tomorrow
night at dinner,” Tyler said.
Joey
kissed Tyler and said, “You are the best!”
“No,
Joey, you are. I’m so happy I met you,”
Tyler said. He put his arms around Joey
and pulled him close.
Joey
said, “I love you, Tyler.”
“I
love you, Joey,” replied Tyler.
***
***
Author’s
Note:
Divorce
information for Virginia: http://www.vadivorceonline.com/vapages/Divorce/divorcerequirements.asp#1
