Chapter One Hundred Seventeen – Robbie and Adam’s Wedding
Joey listened to Tyler’s even breathing
as he tried to get to sleep. They had
spent the last two days looking at homes in Málaga. They had looked at over 20 different properties. After seeing the first four or five beach
homes, they had started to run together in Joey’s mind, so he couldn’t remember
which house had what features. The
girls had been very patient at first, but after the first few houses they had
toured, Sra. Nájera had volunteered to return to their beach house with
them.
After the girls and Sra. Nájera left, he
had tried to follow the conversations between Sr. Nájera, Tyler and the various
realtors they had talked to about the houses they were considering as possible
summer homes. His limited Spanish
skills left him totally frustrated and feeling like a third wheel in all of the
discussions. Admittedly, he understood
most of what was said, but he couldn’t articulate his thoughts fast enough to
be part of any of the conversations going on around him.
They hadn’t found a house they liked,
and, unfortunately, Tyler had to return to Madrid to continue his studies in
the morning. Joey had wanted to return
with him, but the Nájeras had convinced him to stay with them in Málaga to
continue the search for a suitable summer home. Joey was a little nervous about trying to
buy property in a country where he had no clue what the laws were about real estate
transactions. Tyler had tried to
reassure him that everything would work out okay, but he was still not
comfortable.
Sr. Nájera had said he would handle the
business side of things, since he had plenty of experience in real estate. Joey’s only job would be to make sure that
whichever house they purchased met their needs.
Hank and Louise were anxious for
the boys to buy a place as well. Joey
was beginning to feel a little smothered by all of the advice he was getting
from both sets of parents (natural and adopted).
He had broken off all contact with his
own parents due to their religious views.
They had tried to convince him to move in with them when he left Kathy,
and he had let them know in no uncertain terms what he thought about that idea.
He hadn’t spoken to them since that
time. He hadn’t even told them of Kathy’s
death, nor of his marriage to Tyler and subsequent move to Spain. He had gone so far as to ask Greg and Cory
not to tell his former in-laws. From
his point of view, the less they knew the better; especially Greg’s father and
grandparents. He didn’t like Greg’s
grandparents. They were religious
fanatics who stuck their noses into everybody else’s business. He was glad that his interactions with them
at Kathy’s funeral had been very limited.
His thoughts were interrupted by the
sound of his husband’s voice. “Joey,
what’s bothering you?” He felt Tyler’s lips
brush the nape of his neck, sending a thrill down his spine. He was still amazed at how Tyler’s touch
affected him. Tyler knew this and used
it to his advantage from time to time when he wanted to persuade Joey to do
something. This thought brought a smile
to his lips.
He reached over and pulled Tyler closer
to him. Joey replied, “I’m feeling a
little overwhelmed by how quickly things are moving right now. I’m not comfortable buying real estate here,
because I don’t know the laws. I know
our parents want us to buy a place soon; but, to be honest, I’m feeling a
little smothered by all of the parental involvement in our lives at the
moment.”
Tyler brought his hand up to Joey’s face
and caressed his cheek with his fingertips.
“It’s okay to feel a little overwhelmed. I’m feeling the same way as you are about
all of the ‘adult’ supervision. I think
we need our parents to get their own place as soon as possible.”
Joey asked, “Based on comments Mom and
Dad have made over the last few days, I think they will move down here as soon
as we buy a place; but what about the Nájeras?”
“I’m okay with them staying on as our
housekeeper and gardener, since they aren’t as intrusive as Mom and Dad,” Tyler
said. “Mom and Dad haven’t learned to
let go; even though I’ve been living away from home for a while now.”
“I’m okay with that,” Joey said. He sighed and said, “I’m still nervous about
buying a summer home. Neither of us has
a steady job at the moment. How are we
going to pay Mom and Dad back for lending us the money to buy our two homes?”
“You heard Dad tell us that they don’t
want us to pay them back,” Tyler said.
“I don’t feel comfortable with that,
sweetheart. It gives them a sense of
entitlement; and I can’t argue that it doesn’t, since they’re putting up the
money to finance our real estate acquisitions,” Joey said. “I hate being obligated to anyone, and
accepting such large amounts of money from Mom and Dad makes me feel like an
indentured servant.”
“Why didn’t you mention this before?”
Tyler asked, knowing this was something that had been bothering Joey for some
time now.
“I didn’t know what to expect when we
moved in with them. I haven’t lived
with my parents for years, and now I’m living with my in-laws as well as an
adopted set of parents. Making that
transition has really gotten to me,” Joey said, hoping his husband would
understand what he was trying to say.
Tyler thought for a moment and said, “I
think the real issue isn’t our parents.
That’s not to say they haven’t been a little overbearing at times; but it’s
more a factor of how much time I’ve been dedicating to my studies. I’ve been neglecting you, Joey. I’m sorry I haven’t spent as much time with
you as I should have. I’ve gone into
student mode, and I’ve forgotten that I have a loving husband who needs my
attention. I’ve left you to deal with
getting our home organized and watching over the children. Yes, you’ve had help, but I’ve still been
neglecting my responsibilities as your husband. Can you forgive me for not being there for
you?”
Joey rubbed noses with his husband and said,
“There is nothing to forgive. I guess
you’re right. I have felt like a single
dad trying to handle the everyday affairs of our family. I don’t begrudge you the time you need to
study; because, in the long run, it will allow us to be financially
independent.” Joey paused before
continuing. “Not only that, I want to go
to school to earn a degree in computer science. In Virginia, I worked in construction and
was always able to find a job. Here, I
think I can find a job in computers. I
want to be able to help support our family.
You and I should share the burden of providing for our needs. I hate the fact that I’m basically a kept
husband. I’m not used to being cared
for, Tyler. I’ve always been the
breadwinner in the family, and it’s a huge change for me to be the stay at home
parent. I’m not complaining about being
home with the girls, because I love them dearly. It’s just that I’m still adjusting to being
married, living with my in-laws and being home 24/7 with the children, all at
the same time.”
“It’s a big adjustment for both of us,
Joey. I’ve been a single college
student for so long, it’s hard to remember that I have a family to think of
now. We need to keep our lines of
communication open and talk about these things. I should have seen what was happening with
you weeks ago,” Tyler said, regretfully.
Joey said, “Please don’t beat yourself
up over it. We’re talking now, and
that’s what is important.”
Tyler kissed his husband and said, “I’m
glad we’ve worked that out between us, instead of letting it go on. As for our parents, let’s help them find a
place to live on their own. I think
that will solve the sense of being smothered that we’re feeling right now. I think we’ll find they are just as anxious
to be in their own home as we are.”
Joey said, “Okay, but I think we need to
talk to them about what’s going on, or I’m going to explode. I don’t want that to happen, because I
really do love them; however, I have got to have my space.”
Tyler said, “I’ll bring it up with them in
the morning before I leave. Okay, Babe?”
“Okay,” Joey replied, feeling relieved. At that moment, his love for Tyler grew a
hundred-fold if that were possible. “I
love you.”
Tyler said, “I love you, too.” He turned over as Joey spooned up against
him, putting his arm around his waist to hold him close. Soon the two men drifted off to sleep.
*** ***
The next morning, Tyler and Joey sat at
the breakfast table with their parents, while the girls were eating their
pancakes. The Nájeras joined them at
the table.
Tyler said, “After breakfast, Joey and I
would like to speak with all of you.”
Hank looked at Louise and said, “I
thought something was bothering you and Joey yesterday.”
Tyler nodded his head and said, “There
is, but it can wait until we’ve eaten.
I want to enjoy the wonderful pancakes Mamá has prepared for us.” He smiled at Sra. Nájera.
“I’m glad you like them, mi hijo,” Sra. Nájera
said, beaming from Tyler’s praise.
They chatted about the houses they had
seen over the last few days, remarking on the things they liked or didn’t like
about each one. When they had finished,
they cleared the table and washed up the dishes. They took the girls into the family room
where they could play with their toys.
The adults sat down on the couches and
love seat that were in the room. As
soon as everyone was settled, Hank asked, “Okay, what’s on your minds?”
Tyler took Joey’s hand in his and said,
“We’re feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment. Think about it. We’ve had an enormous amount of change in a
short period of time. We’ve gotten
married, moved to a new country and moved into a new house with two sets of
parents.” Here he paused and smiled at
the other four adults in the room. “We
appreciate everything you are doing for us.
The girls are very happy and so are we; however, we need some space to
become a couple. Since we got married,
Joey and I haven’t had a spare moment to ourselves between my studies, our settling
into our new house and now house hunting for a summer home.”
He stopped and looked at Joey. “Did I cover everything?”
Joey squeezed Tyler’s hand and said, “I
need to make sure you all understand the enormity of the changes for me. Until a few months ago, I was used to being
the head of my household, as well as the sole breadwinner in the family. Now, I’m living with two sets of parents,
I’m unemployed, I’m learning a new role as a stay at home parent and I’m trying
to learn the language and culture of my adopted country. Mom and Dad, I know that you are trying to
deal with a huge amount of change to your lives as well. That’s why I’ve hesitated to speak of my frustrations
until now. The last few days have been
pretty stressful for me, since I know Tyler is going back to school today, and
I’ll have the responsibility trying to decide whether or not to buy a new home.”
Hank looked at Louise and said, “We
thought things were coming to a head yesterday. We’re feeling the stress as well. In part, I’m to blame for the push to buy a
summer home. Louise and I want to have
our own place. We’ve enjoyed living with
you boys, but we both know that you need your own space. We’ve talked it over with the Nájeras, and
we’ve decided to stay on here after you return to Madrid. We’re hoping to have a new house here
soon. Alejandro received a phone call
this morning from a friend who is interested in selling his investment
properties. He owns two adjoining
villas near the beach. They currently
have a wall dividing one property from the other, but it would be pretty easy
to put in a gate between the two homes.
If you’re interested, we thought we could stop over to see the two
houses before Tyler leaves for Madrid.”
Tyler smiled and said, “I think we should
take a look at those two villas. If
they meet our needs, we should move ahead with making an offer to buy
them.” He paused and looked at Joey
before continuing. “Thank you for
understanding our feelings. We were
afraid we would offend you.”
Hank said, “Son, we’ve been where you’re
at now. We have watched you and Joey
struggling to adapt, and we knew a time would come when you would want some
time and space to solidify your marital relationship.”
Sr. Nájera said, “We also have seen how
things are going. We, too, have
occasionally stepped in when we shouldn’t have. Marimer reminded me of how we dealt with our
daughter and her husband when they were first married. You are right to talk to us about
remembering our role as your friends, not your overseers. We will try to remember to let you two work
things out between yourselves, instead of interfering in the natural process
newlyweds go through as they get used to living together as a couple.”
Sra. Nájera said, “We remember what it
was like being newlyweds living with my parents. It was very difficult for Alejandro. We nearly divorced because of my mother’s
meddling in our relationship. Of
course, we didn’t even consider a divorce, because of the scandal it would have
caused. Things are different now. People get married and divorced without a
second thought.”
Tyler smiled, “You don’t have to worry
about us getting a divorce. We are
going to be together forever. Aren’t
we, sweetheart?”
Joey returned Tyler’s smile and said,
“Yes, we are.”
Louise said, “I’m glad you decided to
talk to us. I was afraid you wouldn’t
speak up, and tell us what was going on.”
Tyler laughed and said, “It’s all about
communication. At least, that is what
they’re teaching us in my classes!”
Hank said, “I’m glad to hear you’re
learning something at the university. I
wasn’t sure you were getting your money’s worth out of the classes you’re
taking.”
Tyler said, “My classes are going
well. However, I can’t wait to finish
up my course work.”
Louise asked, “Don’t classes last until
mid-July?”
“Yes, that’s correct, Mom,” Tyler said. “If we’re going to look at those two villas,
we need to be going or I won’t make it back to Madrid in time for my afternoon
class.”
They gathered the girls together and
loaded them into the back of the car.
Tyler and Joey followed the Nájeras through the streets of Málaga to the
two villas. The owner met them at the
first house and led them on a tour of both houses. After some discussion about how much the
owner wanted for the two homes, they settled on a price, and Sr. Nájera said he
would handle the legal paperwork.
Tyler walked outside with Joey and the
two girls. “Now, that wasn’t so bad,”
he said, pulling Joey into his arms and giving him a kiss.
Joey smiled and said, “No, it went
pretty smoothly. I’m glad you were here
to see the houses and help make the decision to buy them.”
“I’m glad I was here, as well. Rachel, do you think we can live here during
the summer?”
Rachel looked up and said, “Dad, I like
this house.” She turned to Joey and
asked, “Daddy, may we stay here now?”
“No, not yet. We have to buy it first,” Joey said. He bent down and scooped her up.
She put her arms around his neck and
kissed him on the cheek. “Do I get to
have my own room if we buy this house?”
“If that is what you want,” Joey said.
“Yes, that is what I want. I’m not a baby like Sarah. I want to be a big girl with my own room,”
Rachel said.
Tyler said, “Well, let’s see if we buy
it first. Then, we can talk about who
gets to sleep in which room.”
Rachel said, “Okay.”
*** ***
They returned to the Nájeras summer
home. Tyler loaded his gear in the car
and pulled Joey into his arms. “Goodbye
for now, Babe.” He kissed him deeply and
climbed into the car. Joey watched him
as he pulled out of the driveway. He
waved as Tyler drove down the street. He
was already missing Tyler. He turned
and went inside to join his in-laws in the family room where they were reading
stories to Rachel and Sarah. He stood
in the doorway, listening to the stories and reflecting on how fortunate he was
to be part of such a loving family.
*** ***
I sat at the kitchen table thinking
about the internship I had just agreed to take with the computer software
company where Duane and Mason worked.
The lady I had spoken to seemed very nice. She had introduced herself as Debra
Hollister. I had asked if we needed to
have a face-to-face interview before they could offer me an internship. Debra had indicated that I came with good
references; therefore, a phone interview was sufficient. I thought to myself, “Duane and Mason must
be held in high esteem, because they were my only references.”
Rick entered the kitchen. He sat down at the table across from me and
asked, “Are you going to work with Duane and Mason?”
“I think I will. I called Duane’s boss a few minutes ago and
I can start work anytime this week. I
told her that we were going to Spain for the summer, starting mid-June, and
would need to take the summer off. She was
okay with that, since they really won’t need my help until the fall; but she
said I could take their orientation training class now. That way, I’ll be ready to work with their
company as soon as we return,” I said.
“Speaking of our summer vacation, I called Tyler and Joey. They just bought a summer home in Málaga, on
Spain’s Costa del Sol. I asked them when
we should go to visit them. They
suggested that we, along with Greg and Cory, fly to Madrid after Adam and Robbie’s
wedding. That way, we can spend some
time touring the city. Tyler doesn’t
get out school until mid-July. That’s
when they thought we could invite the rest of the guys to join us at the beach
for a couple of weeks. Tyler’s parents
bought the house next door to them; so there will be enough room between the
two homes for all of us to stay at the beach.”
“It’s hard to believe that Tyler won’t
be out of school until mid-July. We’ve
been out of school for nearly three weeks now, as have Greg and Cory. When are you going to talk to the rest of the
guys?” Rick asked.
“I was planning to call them after I
talk to Greg and Cory,” I said. “I
wanted to get things settled with them before trying to coordinate things with
the larger group. I’ve already let the
guys know to keep a couple of weeks open in July and August; so they already
should be planning to take a few weeks to spend on the beach. The issue will be figuring out who wants to
do some touring of Europe before returning home. I’ll call Greg and Cory in few minutes, now
that I know that I’ll be working for the next week and then I’ll have the
summer free.”
Rick asked, “Are we going touring?”
I grinned and said, “Of course, we have
to visit Denmark. I want to see if we
can find some of our family that stayed behind when my great grandparents moved
to Canada.”
“What about touring France, Germany and
Switzerland?” Rick said.
“We can tour as many countries as you
want. My only requirement is that we
spend a couple of days in Denmark,” I said.
Rick said, “Okay, I’ll plan out an
itinerary and then we can talk about it.”
Rick booted up his laptop and started researching tourist destinations
and other such things.
My phone rang. I looked to see who it was and was surprised
to see it was Adam. I answered the
call, “Hello, Adam. What’s up?” I listened for a moment, then, motioned for
Rick to join me.
*** ***
Robbie helped Adam straighten his tie,
then he stepped back to admire his handiwork.
“You look so handsome,” he said.
“I can’t believe we’re finally graduating!” He danced around the room, whooping,
“Hooray! No more school!”
Adam laughed and said, “You’re one crazy
guy, Robbie!” Adam watched his fiancé
as he capered around the room like a little kid, with his long blond hair
flying behind him, and his bright green eyes sparkling with merriment. Adam called Robbie his ‘elf king,’ because
of his graceful moments and joyful laugh.
Robbie’s sunny disposition and positive outlook always made him feel
good, adding credence to Robbie’s nickname.
He sometimes couldn’t believe how fortunate he was to find Robbie.
After they were married, he hoped they
would be as happy as their older brothers, Zach and Todd. This past year had been good for them as a
couple. Their peers knew they were
engaged to be married, and were very supportive of them. In fact, some of their friends had thrown
them a wedding shower. Adam had been
more than a little embarrassed about all of the attention they were receiving;
but Robbie thrived on it, and, in many ways, attracted it.
Robbie whirled around in a circle,
trying to contain his excitement. He
stopped spinning, and threw his arms around Adam. “I love you,” he said, planting a kiss on
Adam’s lips before whirling away again.
Adam asked, “Are you ready to go?”
“Yes, I’m ready,” Robbie responded. They left their room and made their way
downstairs to join the rest of the guys.
The entered the family room and were met with loud applause.
“It’s about time you two showed up,”
Zach said, with a slight bit of irritation in his voice.
Todd said, “It’s okay, Zach. They’re entitled to a little time to primp in
front of the mirror. It is their big
day, after all.” Todd put his hand to
his husband’s face. “Be patient, Babe.”
Todd stood next to his brother, and Zach
was struck by how much alike they looked.
In fact, they were so much alike that they were often mistaken for
twins; two Norse gods who had come to live with him, with their blond hair,
blue eyes and strong chins. He often
teased Todd that his real name was Thor, and that he’d forgotten his
hammer! He remembered when Adam had
moved in with them he had been a skinny kid, now he was as broad shouldered as
Todd and just as well built. It always
amazed him how alike his husband and brother-in-law were, while he and Robbie
looked so different from each other. Robbie was blond, green-eyed, with a swimmer’s
build, being lithe and wiry; where Zach had dark brown hair, dark chocolate eyes,
was broad-shouldered, well-muscled and very strong. Their parents often referred to Zach as
their strong oak tree and Robbie as their river willow, given his love of the
water and his slender build.
Zach stood up from the couch and walked
over to his brother. “I’m sorry for
being so grumpy. I’m a little worried
that we’ll be late for your graduation.”
Robbie grinned at his older brother and
said, “That’s okay. We’re ready now and
we can leave for the school.”
Mark, Brandon, Justin and Brian were
waiting at the door for Robbie and Adam.
Each of the guys gave them a hug, except Justin, who kissed them, as
well.
Mark said, “Congratulations, guys!”
Justin said, “We’ll see you at the
restaurant after the ceremony.”
Robbie grinned and said, “Don’t be
late. You know how cranky Zach gets!”
Zach laughed and cuffed Robbie up the
side of his head. “Don’t you forget it,
little brother!”
The two sets of brothers walked out to
Zach’s car and climbed in. He drove
them to the school and pulled into the parking lot. As they approached the school, they saw
their parents standing outside, waiting for them.
Melissa pulled Robbie into a warm
embrace. “Congratulations, son,” she
said. She kissed him on the cheek and
turned to Adam. “Congratulations to
you, Adam.” She hugged and kissed him
as well.
The Ingrams greeted the two boys in like
manner. Sam said, “We are very proud of
both of you.”
Adam said, “Thanks, Dad.”
They moved as a group toward the
auditorium where the graduation ceremony was to be held. Robbie and Adam separated from their parents
and joined the throng of their fellow students waiting to march into the
auditorium. The Andersons and the
Ingrams were seated together in the auditorium.
Sam said, “I have to admit that Robbie
has been the best thing for Adam. He
wasn’t doing well in his studies until he met Robbie.”
Melissa said, “I think Adam has been
just as good for Robbie.”
Vickie agreed, “They have been very good
for each other. I’m glad that all the
wedding arrangements have already been made.
The people at Founder’s Village took care of everything for us.”
Melissa said, “Yes, it was very nice to
turn everything over to them after we managed to convince the boys that we
didn’t want to do another wedding at the Valhalla Inn.”
“It was nice, but it was a lot of work
on our part to get things gone,” Vickie said.
“I don’t mind staying there, since the rooms are nice; but things
weren’t exactly the way I wanted them.”
Melissa smiled, “Fortunately, the boys
were quite happy and things went smoothly.
They had a memorable day and are happily married. I’m sure we could’ve had another wedding
there, but Robbie and Adam wanted a church wedding and the Founder’s Village
church is non-denominational. Reverend
Joynt has agreed to marry them.”
Brad said, “It will be good to have them
married, so they can begin the next stage of their lives.”
Sam asked, “Has Robbie said anything
about their honeymoon plans?”
“Not to me,” Brad responded. “Has he mentioned it to you, Melissa?”
“No, he hasn’t,” Melissa responded. “I take it that Adam hasn’t told either one
of you.”
Vickie said, “No, he hasn’t. He did mention that they are planning to
spend the summer in Spain with Greg’s brother-in-law. Greg and Cory are flying to Spain directly
after the wedding, as are Glenn and Rick.”
“Do you think they’re going to Spain for
their honeymoon?” Brad asked.
“I don’t think so,” Sam said. “Adam said they were looking at three
different locations and hadn’t made up their minds yet.” Sam turned to Zach and Todd who were seated
with them. “Have they mentioned anything
to you two?”
Todd said, “No, but I know they aren’t
going to spend their honeymoon in Spain.
We’re joining them in mid-July for a week at the beach. Then we’re going to do a two week tour of
Europe with the rest of the guys.”
Zach said, “Rick and Glenn have put
together an itinerary with several options for tours of different
countries. They sent us the information by e-mail
yesterday, and we’re going to call them tomorrow to discuss specifics.”
Their conversation was interrupted, as
the orchestra began playing “Pomp and Circumstance,” signaling the impending
arrival of the graduates. They searched
for their sons among the students filing into the auditorium. They spotted them and waved to them. Robbie came in first, since they were seated
alphabetically, then Adam appeared.
After listening to the speakers and receiving various awards, the
students walked across the stage to receive their diplomas. The boys’ mothers were both in tears as they
watched their youngest sons cross the stage.
The boys’ families and friends gathered
outside the high school and took photographs of the graduates with their
respective families as well as all of them together.
After the photographers were done, they
caravanned to Collette Bar and Bistro; where they met Greg, Cory, Ben, Janice,
Patty, Irene, Donica, Jimmy, Mark, Brandon, Justin and Brian. Everyone congratulated the two teens on
their graduation from high school. They
were shown to their seats and the waiters began taking orders for
beverages. There were two empty seats
at the table with Zach and Todd. Todd
leaned over to see whose names were on the tickets at the two empty places. He read the card and looked up in surprise at
Zach.
“Did you know that Rick and Glenn are
supposed to be here,” Todd said.
“No, they didn’t mention anything about
flying in today when I spoke to them last night,” Zach said. “Why?”
“Their names are on these name cards,”
Todd said, picking up one of them and handing it to his husband.
Zach read it and gave Todd a puzzled
look. “I wonder why they didn’t mention
it last night.”
Todd was about to respond, when the
persons in question entered the room.
Robbie jumped up from his seat and ran over to hug them both. He exclaimed, “I didn’t think you would be
here!”
Rick laughed and said, “We weren’t
planning to be here; however, someone managed to convince us that we needed to
come.”
Robbie looked at Rick with a puzzled
expression. “Who was that?”
I smiled and said, “I think it was your
fiancé.”
Adam had come up behind Robbie and
slipped his arm around his waist. “I
thought it would be a nice surprise for you, Robbie.”
Robbie turned his head and gave Adam a
quick kiss on the lips. “I love
you.” Robbie was practically levitating
off of the floor, such was his state of excitement and happiness. “This is the best day ever!”
Rick said, “It may be, but the best day
ever is still to come.”
Robbie agreed, “You’re right about
that. Two weeks from today to be
exact.”
While they were talking, Zach and Todd
joined the welcoming committee. “You
sure kept us in the dark,” Zach said, accusingly.
Rick said, “We’re sorry we didn’t tell
you; but Adam made us promise not to tell anyone we were coming.”
Adam confirmed what Rick said was
true. “I didn’t want you guys spoiling
my surprise.”
Zach, only slightly mollified, said,
“Come join us at our table. At least Adam
arranged for you to be seated with us.”
Rick and I greeted our friends as we
made our way between the tables to our seats.
Once seated, Todd asked, “How was your flight?”
“It was good,” I said. “I’m a little tired since we had to be at the
airport by 5 AM to catch the first flight out of Atlanta. Did you guys get a chance to read over
Rick’s itinerary?”
“We did, and we want to tour England,
Denmark, Holland, France, Switzerland, Germany and Italy. Of course, we want to spend a week relaxing
on the beach,” Todd said.
Rick said, “I think we can accommodate
all of those places, but we might have to extend out trip by two weeks to get
in everything we want to see.”
Zach said, “I’m good with that, as long
as we’re back before school starts.”
Todd said, “I’m glad you guys came for
the boys’ graduation. I know Robbie was
pretty down when you told him you weren’t coming.”
I said, “I didn’t know what my work
schedule was going to be when he called.
I finished my orientation class yesterday.”
“What kind of work will you be doing?”
Todd asked.
“Computer software engineering,” I
replied.
Todd smiled and said, “That’s the same
kind of work that I do with Justin.”
I nodded my head. “I know.
In fact, I was wondering if I couldn’t work with you guys at some
point. Of course, it has to be
something I can work on from Atlanta.”
Rick said, “Get this, guys. Glenn is going to work as a software
engineer, but he’s not even studying computer science.”
I said, defensively, “Yes, but they said
they would train me to do their work.
When we get back from Spain, I will be enrolled in one of their
on-the-job training courses.”
Rick put his arm around my
shoulders. “Does this look like the
face of someone who can be trained?”
Zach and Todd burst out laughing. Zach said, “No, I’m afraid not.”
I protested, “Hey! Whose side are you guys on, anyway?”
Todd said, “Well….”
I glared at Todd and said, “Never mind.”
Rick said, “Doesn’t he look so cute when
he’s mad.” He reached up and pinched my
cheek as he spoke. He leaned over and
silenced my response with a kiss on the lips.
“Don’t be angry, Babe. We’re
just teasing you.”
All the anger went out of me. How could I stay angry with Rick when he
kissed me like that? I shook my head
and said, “You can be so mean sometimes.”
Rick grinned and said, “Now I’m the
meanest man on the planet.” He turned
to Zach and Todd and asked, “Am I being mean?”
Zach grinned and said, “Not at all,
Rick. I think you were being really
nice to Glenn, kissing him and all.”
Todd added, “I think Glenn needs to be grateful
to you for being so kind.”
I said, “You guys are all alike.”
Zach said, “I think that was a very fine
compliment. I agree we are a lot alike
in that we love teasing you.”
“That’s what I meant,” I said,
sarcastically.
Todd reached over and took my hand. “We tease you because we love you, Glenn.”
His touch reminded me how much I missed
living with my gay roommates at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. There is nothing like having a bunch of hot
studs as roommates. It had been over a
year, since Rick returned home from his active duty tour with the Marine
Corps.
I said, “It’s good to be back here with
you guys. I wish we could live with you
guys again.”
“We’ll have to see how things work out
for us,” Zach said. “I’m thinking of
going professional; so we’ll be moving around quite a bit.”
“I’m already working in computers; so I
can work anywhere Zach takes me,” Todd said.
“I’ve told Zach to follow his dreams.
I’m living my dream right now.”
Todd leaned over and kissed his husband.
Zach grinned and said, “I’ve found my
one and only true love.”
I could see that they were very much in
love with each other. It made me feel
good that my friends were doing well.
Sometimes people started to drift apart after the glow of being newlyweds
wore off; but Zach and Todd seemed to be closer than ever before.
Todd saw me watching them and smiled at
me. “Your turn is coming, Glenn. Your Rick loves you just as much as Zach
loves me. You just need to learn to be
patient. You have to remember that Zach
and I were apart quite a while before Robbie managed to get us back together.”
Rick said, “Please tell him that
again. Glenn gets so frustrated with me
sometimes because of my insistence on finishing my commitment to the Marine Corps.”
Todd nodded his head. “Glenn has expressed his feelings about your
military service before, and I’m sure he will continue to tell you how unhappy
he is about it until you leave the military.”
Here Todd paused and looked at me and asked, “Am I correct in making
that statement?”
I said, “Yes, you’re right about
that. I’ve tried not to complain about
it, but it gets so frustrating at times.”
“What’s important for you to remember is
that you know Rick won’t abandon you.
One of Rick’s most admirable qualities is that he is a man of his
word. You could say that you’re asking
him to change one of his basic character traits to accommodate your wants and
desires. Do you really want him to
change? Do you want him to be someone
you can’t trust to keep his word? Do
you want to be married to someone who won’t honor his commitments because it’s
inconvenient?”
Todd’s questions hit me hard. I looked down at my plate and played with my
food. I raised my eyes to his and said,
“No, I don’t want Rick to change who he is.”
I paused and took Rick’s hand in mine.
“I know Rick loves me, Todd; but it’s hard for me to refrain from
showing my love for him in public.
Since they haven’t repealed the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ law, we have to
pretend we are nothing more than roommates.
I hate living that way; always wondering if someone has seen us hold
hands, or kiss each other. You guys can
show your love for each other and live openly gay lives. Sure, you still have to watch for people who
wish to do you harm, but you don’t have to worry about someone calling your
boyfriend’s commanding officer to report him as being gay. You don’t know what it’s like to always be
looking over your shoulder, wondering if you’ve ruined your boyfriend’s
military career by simply holding his hand.”
My tirade was interrupted by the arrival
of our meal, much to the relief of my companions! Zach grinned and said, “Thank God in Heaven
for sending out the food. Now, we won’t
have to listen to your whining, Glenn.”
Zach laughed as I stuck my tongue out at him. “I believe I’ll collect that kiss after we
finish eating.”
“No you won’t, because my big, bad
boyfriend will get jealous,” I said, laughing.
Rick ruffled my hair and said, “Who are
you calling your big, bad boyfriend?”
I put my hand to my mouth and said, in a
stage whisper, “That would be you, Babe.”
Zach and Todd guffawed. Todd said, “You make Rick sound like he’s
the big, bad wolf and you’re Little Red Riding Hood.”
I took my cloth napkin and wrapped it
around my head like a scarf. I looked
at Rick and batted my eyelashes. “Oh,
Grandma, what big eyes you have,” I said, in a high falsetto voice.
That set the guys to laughing. From the table next to us, Greg leaned over
and pulled the napkin off of my head.
He grinned and said, “I have always wanted to meet Little Red Riding
Hood.” He handed me my napkin. “Do you play Goldilocks and the Three
Bears?”
I licked my lips and said, seductively,
“Why yes, I do.”
Cory laughed and said, “I’d love to see
that, as long as I get to be one of the three bears.”
Greg asked, “Are you going to plan a
series of competitions for our trip to Spain like the ones we had in Cancun?”
“That would be really cool,” Cory said,
with a big grin on his face.
“Do you guys want me to do that? I didn’t want to plan too much this time,
because we’ll be staying with Joey and Tyler instead of at a resort hotel,” I
said.
Zach said, “I think it would be
great. Of course, you may have to
adjust some of the competitions, somewhat, depending on the situation.”
“Okay, I’ll talk to Joey and Tyler about
it. I don’t want to embarrass their
parents or cause us any trouble with the police,” I said.
Zach said, “We have to have some kind of
tournament, since Robbie and Adam will be there. Robbie complained pretty loudly about not
being allowed to go to Cancun with us.”
Todd said, “It would be great fun for
them, because they’ll be newlyweds.”
I said, “Okay, I’ll do it, but I’ll need
some help with ideas of things we can do.
I don’t want to repeat the exact same things we did in Cancun.”
Zach said, “I think we can canvass the
guys and come up with some good ideas.”
Todd said, “We’ll talk to them after
lunch. I think everyone is going to be
home for the afternoon.”
After that, I directed my attention to
the food on my plate and realized I was starving, since they didn’t have much
on the plane that I would consider edible.
The conversation at our table moved on to a discussion of the classes we
had just finished, and what our plans were for the fall semester.
Later that evening, we were getting
ready for bed when Zach said, “We want you guys to stay in our room
tonight.” I raised my eyebrows in
surprise. I hadn’t expected an invitation
to join them. We had already pulled out
the bed in the sofa sleeper and were making it up with fresh sheets. I looked across the bed at Rick to see his
reaction to Zach’s invitation.
Seeing our looks of astonishment, Zach
grinned and said, “We bought a king-sized bed last month, and we thought it
would be fun to play with you guys.”
Rick looked at me and said, “I’m okay
with that if you are.”
I said, “I’m good as long as it’s
understood we only fuck our partners. I
don’t want us to be the cause of problems between you two.”
Todd said, “Agreed, but we can give each
other blow jobs.”
I said, “Okay, but that’s the
limit.” The thought of sharing a bed
with our friends was causing things to stir down below.
Todd noticed the growing bulge in my
pants and laughed. “I can see you’re just as turned on as I am!”
I looked down at his crotch to see his
very erect steel pole outlined against the fabric of his jeans. It was obvious that he had gone commando
when we returned home from the boys’ graduation. I raised my eyes to his and gave him a
lecherous grin.
Rick said, “I guess we don’t have to
finish making up the bed.” He pulled
off the fitted sheet, folded the sofa bed back into its position inside the
sofa and replaced the cushions. He
walked over and put his arm around my waist.
Zach smiled broadly and said, “Rick, who
ever said you weren’t gay hasn’t seen how aroused you are at the thought of
sharing a bed with us!”
Rick laughed. “Who wouldn’t be excited to share a bed with
the three best looking guys on the planet?”
We practically ran up the stairs to
their bedroom. Zach opened their door
and signaled for us to enter. We walked
in and stopped to stare at the huge bed they had purchased. It was a gigantic four poster bed made of
oak. I could tell the bed was very solid,
just from looking at it. They had
changed the décor in their room to a theme of black with accents of gold. The comforter and duvet were black with gold
trim. Their dressers were also black
with gold trim. It was a very masculine
room. Their closet was open, showing
two sets of hockey gear on the floor underneath their clothes that had been
neatly hung.
The two men entered the room behind us
and I turned to them. “I really like
your room.”
Todd said, “Thank you. We both like black, so it was easy to agree
on what we wanted.”
We quickly stripped out of our
clothes. We stood around in a circle
admiring each other before Todd said, “I want to shower with all of you.” Todd took his husband by the hand and led
him into the en suite.
Rick and I followed. I grinned at Rick and said, “I think we
should give them a show.”
Rick nodded his head in agreement. “I’m so horny it won’t take much to get me
off.”
We walked in the bathroom. I whistled and said, “When did you guys redo
the bathroom?”
Zach said, “Last January. Don’t you remember? We called you and asked if we could remodel
it to suit our needs. We wanted a
shower like the one at the end of the hall as part of the master bedroom.”
I shook my head. “I don’t remember that, but maybe you talked
to Rick about it.”
Rick said, “I remember talking to them
about their plans. You were spending a
lot of time with Perry, remember?”
I grimaced at the reminder. “Unfortunately, I do remember.”
Rick put his arms around my waist and
pulled me close to him. “Don’t fret
about it, Glenn. That chapter of our
lives is past.”
Todd opened the shower door and turned
on all the shower heads. There were
eight in all; four just above my head and four at waist level with a tiled
bench built out of the wall. We joined
him in the shower and began making out under the multiple cascades of hot
water.
*** ***
The next morning, I was a little
disoriented when I awoke. As the memory
of last night’s play, I grew so hard it hurt.
I could feel Todd’s morning wood poking me in the back. He nuzzled the back of my neck and nibbled
on my earlobe.
He whispered in my ear, “I love you,
Glenn.”
I turned my head and he kissed me. “I love you, too.” As I said those words, I realized I really
did love Todd; not in the same way as I loved Rick, of course, but I did love
both Todd and his husband, Zach.
Rick said, “Yes, we both love you,
Todd.”
I turned my head and kissed Rick. “Good morning, Babe.”
Zach yawned and stretched. “Man!
That was something last night!”
He rolled over, spooning up against Todd while he slipped his arm around
his waist.
Todd grinned and said, “It was pretty
wonderful, if you ask me.”
Rick agreed. “It was pretty amazing.”
Before we could say anything more, the
door flew open and Robbie and Adam flew into the room. They climbed up on the foot to the bed. Robbie said, “You guys were so loud last
night, we wanted to join you, but Adam said we had to wait. Can we join you tonight?”
Zach laughed. “Sure, if the rest of the guys don’t mind.”
I grinned at the two teens and asked,
“Aren’t you two a little young to be interested in sex?”
Adam sputtered as he started to
protest. Robbie glanced over at his
boyfriend and said, “We’re both over 18 and we’re just as horny as you guys
are.”
Adam grinned and said, “In fact, I think
we’ve got bigger dicks than you do.”
Zach said, “I think that was a challenge
guys. Let’s see who has the longest
dick.”
He got out of bed, showing off his
morning wood. He turned and said, “Come
one, guys, let’s show them!”
We all climbed out of bed and stood in
front of the two teens. Robbie’s eyes
got as big as saucers when he saw Rick’s steel pole. “Dang!
I forgot how big you were, Rick.”
Rick laughed. “I have to keep Glenn satisfied.”
Zach said, “Stand up, bro., and show us
your stuff.”
Robbie stripped off his underwear and
stood next to his brother. Zach wrapped
his large hand around their two dicks and said, “I win.” He looked over at Adam and said, “You’re
next.”
Adam stood up, letting his boxers drop
around his feet. He stepped out of them
and over to where Zach was standing.
Adam grinned and said, “I win.”
He moved over in front of Todd.
Todd said, “I think we’re even.” They moved in front of me and we compared
sizes. Todd and Adam said, together,
“We win.”
Rick
grinned as they faced him. “I win over all
of you.”
Todd laughed, “It was kind of obvious as
soon as you got out of bed that you had the longest dick of all of us.”
Rick added, “And the biggest!”
Robbie said, “Rick won the biggest dick
contest, but we still get to sleep with you guys tonight.”
Zach clapped his brother on the back and
said, “Okay, but you have to play by the rules.”
Robbie looked at his brother in surprise
and asked, “What rules?” Zach explained
them and Robbie said, “Okay, we understand.
May we use your shower?”
Zach nodded his head said, “Let’s all
get a shower.” We followed him into the
en suite and enjoyed a hot morning shower together! As I surveyed the hot studs in the shower
with me, I knew why I missed living here!
*** ***
Later, the guys were all seated around
the kitchen table while Todd and I cooked breakfast. Justin and Brian walked into the
kitchen. Justin looked around the room
and said, “Good morning, guys.”
We chorused back, “Good morning.”
Justin asked, “Robbie and Adam, how was
your graduation party last night?”
“It was a blast,” Adam said, animatedly.
Robbie added, “You wouldn’t believe what
they did!”
Between the two of them, they narrated
the events of the evening. Robbie ended
their narrative. “We came home and
tried to get some sleep.” Here he
paused and looked over at his brother and brother-in-law. “But someone was being too loud.”
Brian said, “We know. We heard them, too, only it made us really
horny.”
Justin put his arm around his husband’s
waist. “Yes, we had some of the best
sex we’ve ever had last night.”
Robbie guffawed, “That would’ve been a
sight to see.”
Justin smiled at Robbie, “Laugh it up,
boy. I know where you sleep and you
just might wake up completely shaved.”
Robbie was immediately contrite. “I’m sorry, Justin.”
Justin laughed. “It’s okay.
I was just pulling your chain. I
think Adam would like you that way. You
should do it for him.”
Robbie said, “Maybe for our
honeymoon. We want to look good in our
Speedo swimsuits.”
Brian asked, “Where are you guys going
for your honeymoon?”
“Adam won’t tell me,” Robbie said,
pouting. “He says it’s a surprise.”
Adam nodded his head. “I haven’t told anyone where we’re going.”
Zach said, “I would tell someone here
where you’re going, just in case we need to get hold of you.”
“I’ll tell you after we get to the
airport and we’re standing in line to board the plane,” Adam said.
“So we’re going to fly somewhere,” Robbie
said. “That’s the nearest thing to a
clue that you’ve given me.”
Mark and Brandon joined us in the
kitchen. Mark said, “I smelled the
sausage cooking.”
Brandon said, “And the coffee.”
I poured two cups of coffee and passed
them down to Mark and Brandon. I asked,
“Justin and Brian, do you want coffee?”
Brian said, “Yes, please.”
Justin nodded his head. “What are the plans for today?”
“Let’s go swimming,” Robbie said. “I want to work on my tan.”
Mark said, “I’m up for that.”
“After that, we should go on a bike
ride. We have a couple of extra bikes
for Glenn and Rick,” Brandon said.
Rick said, “I like that idea. We usually go out running in the mornings,
but a long bike ride would be a nice change.”
I remembered the first time I met
Brandon. He was in his biker gear and
it fit him so well! I was getting hard
down below, just thinking about it. I
turned back to the stove and turned the sausages to hide my growing erection.
Brandon looked meaningfully at Adam and
said, “Adam, next time you check your reservations for your honeymoon, make
sure you clear the browsing history and shut down the computer.”
Adam blushed and said, “Please don’t say
anything about where we’re going. I
want it to be a surprise.”
Brandon smiled and said, “I won’t spoil
it for Robbie, but I promise you’ll love it.”
The sausages finished cooking and I
turned off the stove. Todd had finished
the pancakes and the eggs were already warming in the microwave. We placed the food on the table and sat down
with the guys.
Zach said, “Let’s say grace.”
Justin said, “I’ll say it.”
We fell silent and listened to
Justin. When he finished, we chorused,
“Amen,” and attacked the steaming plates of food with gusto. I am still amazed at how quickly food disappears
with 10 hungry men around the table!
*** ***
The next two weeks flew by for us. Every day we spent time at the pool, working
on our tans, so we wouldn’t be embarrassed at the beach. I spent some one-on-one time with Justin,
quizzing him about computer programming and how to analyze customer
requirements. Todd sometimes joined us
for those discussions. I went with the
two of them to Justin’s office, where he showed me the work he was doing for a large
construction company. It was good to
see how his business was prospering.
I’m glad we came early to spend time with our friends. It was good to be able to just be me and
enjoy being around my friends.
Just as important as the time spent with
Justin and Todd was spending time with the rest of the guys. Every night was a new adventure for us. The guys opened our eyes to many new ways of
pleasuring each other! Just thinking
about it makes me horny!
The big day arrived for us to drive
north to Duluth where we met up with the Andersons and the Ingrams, then on to
Thunder Bay. We stayed at the Valhalla
Inn as we had for the guys’ double wedding.
Zach, Todd, Mark and Brandon all reminisced about their wedding day as
we sat around the hotel pool.
Robbie said, “I can’t wait until
tomorrow when I will become an Anderson-Ingram just like my brother and
brother-in-law.”
Adam said, “I’m just as excited as
Robbie. It was really cool getting our
marriage license today. The people
there were very nice to us.”
“You are lucky that you live close
enough to Canada so you can get married.
Georgia has a constitutional amendment prohibiting same-sex marriage,” I
said.
“But Minnesota doesn’t recognize our
marriage,” Zach said.
“Maybe someday they will,” Todd
said. “But we aren’t waiting for
them. Zach is thinking of playing
professional hockey which means we’ll more than like move to Canada.”
I said, “That’s good news! I wish we could move to Canada, but we have
to wait until Rick is out of the Marine Corps.”
The longing in my voice caused Rick to
put his arm around my shoulders. “Be
patient, Babe.”
We spent the rest of the afternoon and
evening relaxing at the hotel. That
evening, we shared a room with Greg and Cory.
We sat down on our bed across from Greg and Cory.
Greg said, “I’m really happy for Robbie
and Adam. They seem so well adjusted to
each other and to being an openly gay couple.
Their experiences are very much the opposite of those Cory and I faced
in high school. While we were harassed
and rejected by our fellow students, they have been accepted for who they are
and have been surrounded by friends and family who’ve supported them. Glenn, I credit you for helping to build a
safe environment for them. Robbie can’t
say enough good things about you.”
I blushed a little bit. “Robbie thinks I walk on water, but I didn’t
do anything that I wouldn’t have done for anyone else.”
Cory said, “That may be true, but no one
else was able to reach Robbie like you did.
He told me how you listened to him when things seemed to at their worst,
and encouraged him to seek out the help he needed.”
“That’s why he asked you to be his best
man, while Adam asked Justin to stand up with him,” Greg said.
Rick said, “Adam and Robbie are pretty
amazing guys. Justin has repeatedly
told us that they are the reason he is still with us.”
“I think the world of those two young
guys,” I said. “I hope that tomorrow
will be their best day ever!”
Greg said, “I remember the day we got
married; I felt so overwhelmed. I
couldn’t believe that it was really happening, especially after everything we
had been through with my family.”
Cory said, “We’ve talked with Robbie and
Adam quite a bit about our experiences.
I’m afraid we may have turned them into gay rights activists. After hearing our story, Robbie was so angry,
he couldn’t stop talking about it for days.
We finally had to convince him the best way to help combat the anti-gay
propaganda of the religious community was to get married and show them that we
are couples with families instead of the monsters they portray us to be. We need to step into the limelight and prove
them wrong.”
“It sounds like you’re a gay rights
activist yourself,” Rick said.
Cory grinned, “I am, and I should be,
after being attacked and nearly murdered by Greg’s father, because of the hatred
engendered by the teachings of his church.
I want people to know that terrible, evil people are hiding behind the
veil of religion. Some of the worst
offenses against mankind have been perpetrated by those professing to believe
in God and claim to be doing His will.”
Greg said, “The way I see it, organized
religion is nothing more than a thinly disguised crime ring; fleecing believers
of their money, while brainwashing them into believing that they are doing
God’s will. Most of them work just like
the Mafia, holding secret meetings, inciting their believers to murder those
who don’t hold the same beliefs, and urging them to take over the government in
order to place themselves in power.
Their goal is to turn our country into a theocracy, with these religious
leaders at its head. They are all about
power and money. In nearly every
country of the world, the leaders of religious bodies claim the authority to
overrule government leaders and impose their will on the masses. In fact, most political leaders bow and
scrape to those same religious leaders, acknowledging that they are really
figureheads, beholden to the support of those very same religious leaders. The real power lies with the religious
leaders, not the government. Maybe we
should start wooing the religionist just like the politicians do.”
Rick said, “You sound a lot like
Glenn. He is pretty anti-religion,
too.”
“Hey!
Don’t be pointing the finger at me when you’re not exactly pro-religion
either,” I said. “You’re the one whose
family disowned him because of their religious beliefs.”
Cory said, “The three of us have been
subjected to the worst aspects of Christian religion. They profess to follow the teachings of
Jesus; however, they are Christians in name only.”
“Not all Christians are fakes,” I
said. “Our friend, Jeb, claims to be a
Christian and he hasn’t been blinded by false teachings of his church. I admit that when we first met him, he was
pretty brainwashed; but he’s seen the light, and acknowledged that his church
teaches their adherents to hate their fellow men in direct opposition to Jesus’
teaching to ‘love one another.’ Jeb
couldn’t reconcile what he was being taught with what he read in the
Bible. He said his father believes that
‘love one another’ applies only to the members of their church.”
Rick said, “Jeb has a boyfriend, now.”
Greg raised his eyebrows and asked,
“Really?”
“Yes, it surprised us when he showed up
with his boyfriend at our condo,” I said.
Cory said, “I guess it must be true that
the men who are most homophobic are really gay men who are so afraid of being
found out that they have to prove to the world that they aren’t gay. Otherwise, why would they be so afraid of
us?”
Rick said, “You might be right about
that. I think that every guy is
attracted to other guys at some point in their lives. I know that the first time I thought about
having sex with a guy was when I met Glenn.
Before that, the thought of having sex with a guy had never even entered
my mind.”
Greg said, “That’s how it was for
me. I had a lot of girls throwing
themselves at me, since I was on the football team. I dated a few of them but Cory was always
the one who attracted my attention.”
I looked over at Cory and said, “I think
we are the luckiest guys in the entire world.”
Cory agreed, “That’s how I feel, too.”
Rick said, “I’m looking forward to our
trip to Spain. Joey and Tyler are
really great guys.”
Greg said, “Yes, my brother-in-law is a very
blessed man, because he found Tyler.
They are very good for each other.
Did they tell you about their new home on the beach?”
I said, “Yes, they did. I can’t wait to see it. Joey seemed to be really excited about it.”
We chatted about our impending trip to
Spain and the touring around Europe that we wanted to do. It was pretty late when we finally went to
bed.
*** ***
The next morning Robbie woke his fiancé
with a kiss. “Good morning,
sweetheart.”
Adam looked into Robbie’s emerald eyes
and smiled. “Good morning.” He put his hand behind Robbie’s head and
pulled him down for a deeper kiss. They
put their foreheads together and looked into each other’s eyes. “I love you.”
Robbie said, “I love you, too.” Robbie kissed his fiancé again and said, “I
want to tell you that I can’t put into words how much you mean to me,
Adam. Saying the words ‘I love you,’ doesn’t even
begin to express the depth of the feelings I have for you. From the first day we met, I have loved
you. I gave you my heart that day, and
I am so happy that you feel the same way about me.”
Adam said, “I’m glad you agreed to share
the rest of your life with me. I’ve
always dreamed of marrying my soul mate, like Todd did. I remember watching them and thinking that
someday it would be me kissing my boyfriend on our front room couch. I was even more devastated than Todd was
when your brother broke up with him. I
had this image in my head that they would always be together forever.”
“I thought the same thing. I’m glad they decided to get back
together. I’m even happier that Todd has
a little brother who is just as handsome and charming as he is,” Robbie said,
grinning.
“Do you think so?” Adam asked.
Robbie said, “You already know so. You two are nearly identical in every way,
except I think I got the better brother, because your personality fits so
nicely with mine. I love Todd, but we
wouldn’t have made it as a couple. Todd
is Zach’s other half. They are meant to
be together, just as we’re meant to be together.”
Adam sighed happily and said, “I’ve
lived in Todd’s shadow for most of my life.
My parents always compared me to him as we were growing up. It wasn’t until they sent me to high school
in Minneapolis that I finally was able to escape being compared to him. Then, I met you and my world was
complete. I’m sorry that sometimes I
need to be reassured that you’re not comparing me to Todd.”
Robbie grinned. “I do compare you to Todd.” He reached down to stroke his fiancé
member. “You both look like Thor and
have perfect bodies.”
Adam moaned in pleasure. He threw back his head and murmured, “Don’t
stop.”
A while later, completely relaxed and
enjoying the touch of Robbie’s skin next to his, Adam asked, “Seriously, do you
compare me to Todd?”
Robbie opened his eyes and gazed into
his lover’s eyes. “No, Babe, I don’t
need to compare you to your brother.
You’re the perfect man for me.
Please, rest assured that I love you, and only you. After our wedding, you will be stuck with me
for the rest of your life and beyond.”
Adam smiled, contentedly. “I know you love me, and I promise to stop
worrying about other people and concentrate on us.”
Robbie rolled on top of Adam. He looked into Adam’s eyes and grinned. “Are you ready for another round before we
get showered?” Adam didn’t have time to
answer before Robbie captured his lips!
*** ***
We were eating breakfast when the two
teenagers showed up in the dining room.
There was a glow about them that couldn’t be missed. The way they held hands and looked at each other
broadcast the love they had for each other to everyone who saw them.
I looked over at Rick and said, “I hope
we look like that on our wedding day.”
Rick said, “We will, I promise.”
As the boys walked over to join their
parents, Sam observed, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a happier couple.”
Vickie said, “They do seem to be
floating on air at the moment.”
“I’m glad we sent Robbie to that special
high school. Meeting Adam has been a
very great blessing in his life,” Brad said.
Melissa smiled and said, “It makes my
heart glad to see them so happy.”
The boys took their seats at the
table. Their happiness radiated from
their big smiles. “Good morning,”
Robbie said.
“Good morning, boys,” Sam said. “We were just commenting on how happy you
guys look.”
Adam said, “That’s because we are.” He still held Robbie’s hand and gave it a
squeeze.
Robbie’s grin widened and he said, “If
you were marrying the greatest man in the world today, you’d be just as happy
as I am.”
Adam blushed from Robbie’s praise. Melissa said, “Adam, Robbie is correct. You are the greatest man in Robbie’s life.”
Robbie leaned over and kissed Adam. “Mom is right you know.”
Adam said, “No, Mom doesn’t know you
like I do. You’re the best man on
earth.”
Robbie responded, “Then each of us is
marrying the greatest man on earth.” He
laughed and ruffled Adam’s hair.
Their mothers looked at each other and
then back to their sons. Vickie said,
“Melissa, I think they’ve got it right.”
Melissa agreed, “They are doing the
right things. We are very proud of both
of you. Nothing makes us happier as
parents than to see our sons making good choices and finding the right
partner. We are confident that you two
are meant to be together, and we want you to know we are behind you one hundred
percent.”
There were many more words of parental
advice given to the two boys over the course of the next half hour, as the boys
ate their breakfast.
*** ***
The wedding party gathered in the
parking lot of Founders’ Village. They
were met by one of the wedding planners, who led them to the village church. The wedding photographer began taking photos
as the guests entered the church and took their seats. Reverend Joynt spent a few moments with Robbie
and Adam going over the details of how things were to work. They reviewed where the best men would stand,
and the order of events. Reverend Joynt
asked, “Have you memorized your vows?”
Robbie grinned, “Yes, we both have, but
I wrote the words of our wedding vows on this note card just in case I
forget.” He pulled out a 3X5 note card
from his pocket.
Reverend Joynt said, reassuringly, “I’m
sure you won’t forget. If you need a
little prompting, Adam can whisper it to you, since he has memorized it, too.”
Adam smiled at his fiancé, “You won’t
forget, Robbie.”
Reverend Joynt left us and entered the
chapel, walking down the aisle to take her place.
The wedding music began playing, and
Justin and I walked up the aisle to the front of the little chapel. We took our places on either side of the
chapel and waited for Robbie and Adam.
They soon arrived and the music stopped.
Reverend Joynt looked around the small
chapel filled with Robbie and Adam’s family and friends. She said, “Welcome, and thank you for coming
here today. We are gathered together to
celebrate the union of these two wonderful men in the bonds of matrimony.” She paused and then continued, “Robbie and
Adam, you may make your vows to each other.”
Robbie gazed deeply into Adam’s eyes and
said, “I, Robert Edward Anderson, take you Adam Corbet Ingram, to be my partner
in life, my best friend in life, and my one true love. I will cherish our
marriage, and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will trust
you, respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully
through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I
give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward, as long as we
both shall live.”
Adam said, “I, Adam Corbet Ingram, take
you Robert Edward Anderson, to be my partner in life, my best friend in life,
and my one true love. I will cherish our marriage, and love you more each day
than I did the day before. I will trust you, respect you, laugh with you and
cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of
the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love,
from this day forward, as long as we both shall live.”
Reverend Joynt said, “You may now
exchange rings.”
I handed Adam his ring and Justin handed
Robbie his. They took each other by the
hand and slid the rings onto their ring fingers.
Reverend Joynt said, “I pronounce you
Robert Edward Anderson and Adam Corbet Ingram legally and lawfully wedded. You may kiss each other.”
They kissed deeply, causing the guys to
hoot and whistle. When they came up for
air, Reverend Joynt said, “I present to you Robbie and Adam
Anderson-Ingram.” We all stood up and
clapped. “Please allow the newlyweds to
leave the chapel first, then you may congratulate the happy couple, as you
leave.”
Robbie and Adam went down the aisle, and
Justin and I followed them. When we
arrived at the doors to the chapel, I put my arms around Robbie and kissed
him. “Congratulations!”
Robbie said, “Thank you, Glenn.”
I turned to Adam and hugged and kissed
him. “Congratulations, Adam. Take good care of Robbie for me,”
Adam grinned and said, “You can count on
me.”
I moved outside and waited for Rick to
join me. He came up to me and said,
“Hey, handsome!”
I grinned at him and said, “Hey,
yourself!”
He took my hand and said, “You look
great in that tuxedo.”
I nodded my head in agreement. “Thank you, but I think the stars of the
show look even better than I do.”
Rick said, “Yes, Robbie and Adam both
look great in their white tuxedos. It’s
pretty evident that they are living their happily ever after.”
We were joined by the rest of the
guys. Zach said, “I’m so happy for
them.”
“Me, too,” Todd said. There were tears on his cheeks. “I guess I shouldn’t be so emotional, but I
can’t help it.”
Zach took Todd into his arms and held
him tight. “It’s okay, Babe. Our brothers are very happy and you should
be, too.”
“I am happy. It’s just that seeing them married means
they’re all grown up now. I guess I
always thought they would remain our little brothers. We’ve watched over them and protected them
since they moved in with us. In fact,
I’ve come to view them almost like they’re my own children,” Todd said, smiling
through his tears.
Zach said, “You’re right about that
part. We will have to adjust our
thinking now that they are adults. They’ve
graduated from high school and have married their high school sweetheart.”
Todd said, “We’ll have some time to
adjust, since they are going to spend the summer with us in Spain.”
Zach nodded his head. “Adam has planned a two-week honeymoon for
them.”
Todd looked at his husband in
surprise. “How do you know? Adam hasn’t even told Mom and Dad what his
plans are.”
Zach grinned. “I have my ways. All I’ll say is that they will come back
very relaxed and very tan.”
“Why did he tell you and not me?” Todd
asked, looking a little hurt.
Zach said, “Adam didn’t tell me. Greg did.”
He whispered in Todd’s ear, telling him Adam’s plans.
Todd grinned and said, “They’re going to
have a blast.”
Zach looked over at us and said, “I’ll
tell you guys after they’ve left. Their
flight leaves in a few hours, so I can share the information once they’ve
gone.”
The photographer soon started organizing
us into groups, so he could take our photograph. He took photos of the two grooms and their
families. He also took photos of each
of the couples. We made our way over to
the pavilion that had been set up for their reception. The photographer kept snapping photos as we
visited with our friends and ate lunch.
Greg, Cory, Rick and I made our way over
to Robbie and Adam, who were talking with their parents. Robbie turned to us as we came up. He grinned and said, “I’m so happy.”
Rick said, “We know. We can see it in your eyes.” Robbie’s green eyes sparkled like jewels in
the sunlight, and his bright smile left no doubt about his state of mind.
I said, “Robbie and Adam, we want to let
you know that my Uncle Greg and I, along with our partners, want you to know
that our wedding gift to you is the same as we gave your brothers.”
Robbie did a double take when he heard
me call Greg my uncle. “Oh yeah, I
forgot that your Grandpa adopted Greg.”
Greg said, “Yes, he did. We have set up two scholarships to pay for
your college education. Each of you
will be the first recipients of the scholarship funds. The scholarships are called the Adam and
Robbie Anderson-Ingram scholarships, and will be awarded to outstanding gay
students, after you two have finished your college education.”
“In addition, Grandpa Scarborough’s
wedding gift to you is the purchase of your first home as a married
couple. We know you’ll probably want to
continue living with the rest of the guys; however, Grandpa wants you to find a
nice home to purchase that you can rent out until you’re ready to move into it,
after you finish school. The idea is
that you two will become part of our family owned business.” I said.
Adam said, “Wow! I never imagined that we would ever become
partners with you guys.”
Greg said, “You’ll be subject to the
same terms and conditions as the rest of us, with regards to the purchase of
the property; and will share in the same benefits with our family and
friends. Grandpa said to call him when
you’re ready to begin looking for your new home.”
Robbie was speechless. He had never imagined that he and Adam would
be included in the business arrangements, like all the other guys in their
house. He had been too young when they
had entered into their agreements with Grandpa Scarborough. The realization that he and Adam were to be
treated as equals in the family business with the Scarboroughs left him without
words.
Rick said, “I think we’ve witnessed the
unthinkable! Robbie is speechless!”
Adam said, “Well, it is a little
overwhelming to think about. We just
graduated from high school and now we’re married. What you and your family have given us for
our wedding basically guarantees that we will be able to pursue our dreams,
without worrying about where the money will come from to move forward. Robbie and I have talked about our plans to
be independent and self-reliant. We
couldn’t see a clear path forward to financial independence, without leaning
heavily on our parents for support.”
Robbie finally recovered and said,
choking back tears, “Thank you so much.”
He hugged each of us. “You don’t
know how much it means to us.”
Cory said, “Yes, we do. We’ve been in the same spot as you two. Grandpa Scarborough has made it very clear
to us that we and our friends are very important to him. His expectations are very high, of course;
but he has made sure we have the support we need to achieve our full
potential.”
Sam said, “Thank you so much for you
generous wedding gifts.”
Vickie added, “You are such wonderful
friends to our boys.”
Melissa said, “I’m glad that Robbie and
Adam will be on equal footing with their brothers. It is important for them to be able to
understand the responsibility they now have to make the most of what they’ve
been given.”
“Thank you for your love and friendship,
boys. You have made our boys so happy,
and that is the most important thing you have given to our family,” Brad said.
Robbie and Adam made sure they talked
with everyone before they came to bid us farewell. “Guys, thank you for coming,” Robbie said.
Adam said, “We’ll see you in a few
weeks.”
Rick said, “Have a great time.”
Robbie and Adam left us and climbed into
their waiting limousine. The rest of
the wedding party lingered for a while longer, before following them back to
the hotel.
*** ***
Robbie and Adam arrived at the hotel and
returned to their hotel room. Adam said,
“We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight.”
They changed out of their tuxedos,
grabbed their luggage and took a taxi to the airport. They were standing in line to check their
baggage when Robbie asked, “Okay, Adam, where are we going?”
Adam grinned and said, “We going to
Costa Rica for two weeks. We’re doing a
week of extreme sports and then we’ll stay at the beach for the second week.”
Robbie grinned and said, “I knew you had
planned something special.”
Adam said, “Yes and I promise you it
will be a trip you won’t ever forget.”
He leaned over and kissed Robbie.
*** ***
Author’ Note:
Founder’s Village Wedding Brochure - http://www.founders.ca/upload/documents/fmpv---vintage-village-weddings.pdf
Music for this chapter –
1 comment:
I fell in love with the story on Nifty and picked it up here. Thank you so much for a beautifully written story - I look forward to many chapters to come!
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