Forever – Chapter 77

I woke to Sam gently pushing on my arm. “Jack…come on, it’s time to get up.” I rolled away from him and buried my face in my pillow. He shoved a little harder.

“Rise and shine, sleepy head. We’ve gotta get moving. The boys are waiting for us,” he said.

I poked my head up and squinted at him. “What? Why? What time is it?”

“It’s after six. We promised we’d set up the chairs for the parade this morning. Let’s go,” said Sam. 

“Ben’s doing that,” I said.

“Yeah, but he’s only saving the space so we can claim it for the family. We still have to go early to put out our chairs.”

I groaned into my pillow. “Right. Okay, I’m up,” I sighed, flipping back the sheet. Sam took one look at my naked ass and face planted on it, gently biting my butt cheek. I giggled.

“You’re killing me, Jack,” he groaned.

I reached back and rubbed his head. “Hey, you can have my ass any time you want it. It’s not my fault you decided to stay up and play that racing video game half the night.”

“I had to practice,” he said. “Cam was creaming me race after race. Even Carter beat me three times.”

I laughed. “I gave up after three rounds. It’s so humiliating to have a nine year old lap you twice in a single race.”

Sam stopped nibbling on my butt and looked up at me with a grin. “Good thing you’ve got other skills.”

“Never mind my other skills. We can practice those later. Let’s shower and get moving.”

Twenty minutes later, we made our way downstairs, dressed in patriotic colors, a Wainwright family tradition, according to Sam. We wore matching navy blue shorts and white t-shirts emblazoned with a bold “USA” logo across the front. The letters of the logo were filled with an American flag pattern.

As we rounded the corner from the foyer, I was a little surprised to see Camden and Carter sitting on opposite sides of the dining room table. Aunt Myra sat between them at the far end, drinking coffee from a large green mug and encouraging the boys as they built their new Lego sets.

“You did that all by yourself?” said Aunt Myra to Carter, pushing stray strands of gray hair back on top of her head. He was holding up a rather complicated-looking space vehicle of some kind. “What’s that part for?” she asked.

“That’s the exhaust port, from the nuclear reactor core, right under here,” said Carter, pointing to the bottom of the vehicle.

“Oh, my,” said Aunt Myra. “How do you know about nuclear reactors?”

“Everybody knows space travel depends on nuclear energy.”

“Oh they do, do they?” said Aunt Myra, grinning over the edge of her coffee cup. “And Camden, what are you building?” she asked.

Cam was concentrating hard on his instructions. He extracted a small orange piece from the pile of Lego bricks and attached it to the object taking shape in his other hand. “It’ll be a tow truck when I’m done. I already made the police car and the city bus.” He pointed to the growing collection of Lego vehicles displayed on the table. 

“Very nice. And what will you do with them when you’re finished?” asked Myra.

“That’s easy,” said Cam.

“Yeah. Crash them!” said Carter, and Cam smiled.

“Oh, my heavens,” said Aunt Myra. “Won’t they break?”

“That’s the point. Then you get to rebuild them,” said Cam.

“Yeah. It’s fun. You wanna try it?” asked Carter.

“Oh…I wouldn’t know how to do such things,” said Aunt Myra.

“We’ll show you,” said Cam. He handed Aunt Myra the Lego police car he had built, then got up and moved to the opposite end of the table. Carter removed the silk flower centerpiece and decorative table runner. Thankfully the table had a glass top.

“On the count of three, we push our cars toward each other and see what happens. You ready?” asked Cam.

“Uh…are you sure this is safe? We’re not going to poke somebody’s eye out, are we?” asked Myra. 

Carter chuckled. “Don’t worry. You’ll be fine. Okay…here we go. 1 – 2 – 3!”

Cam pushed his bus hard across the table at the same time Myra released her car. The two Lego vehicles collided head on. The car survived, but the bus shattered. Lego pieces went flying. Aunt Myra clutched her throat and forgot to breathe for a couple of seconds. Then she broke into a smile when she saw her car still intact, one wheel hanging off the edge of the table.

“Does this mean I won?” she asked.

“Yeah. Beginner’s luck,” said Cam, dejected. Carter was busy picking up Lego pieces and piling them up in front of Cam. 

“It’s okay, Cam. We can rebuild it,” said Carter.

Sam stepped up. “Morning guys. You want some help with that?”

Cam looked up at his uncle and smiled. “Nah. I don’t need help to rebuild it, Uncle Sam. I just pushed it too hard.”

Aunt Myra stood up, pulled her purple robe around her ample midsection,  and started moving toward the kitchen.

“Where ya goin’? I wanna rematch. I can fix this in two minutes, tops,” said Camden.

“I need more coffee. You boys play. I’m going to see what’s keeping Gene.”

“Morning, Aunt Myra,” I said in a pleasant voice.

She looked at me, started to say something, then just nodded. I’d take it. At least she acknowledged my existence without her hair setting on fire. She turned and walked through the kitchen, setting her mug in the sink, and kept on going down the back hallway. Guess she didn’t really want more coffee.

“Why aren’t you guys dressed?” asked Sam.

“We’re playing with our new Lego stuff. Is it time to go already?” said Cam.

“Yes. You guys need to hurry up and put your clothes on. You can’t wear those pajamas to the parade.”

Two little boys scooted out of the room, leaving Lego pieces scattered across the table and the floor around it.

“Guess we better pick up the mess,” I said. 

“Yeah. But where do we put it?” 

I spotted two small boxes and we did our best to not mix the blocks between the different sets. Carter and Camden could sort it out later.

“It was nice your Aunt Myra was playing with the twins,” I said.

“She has her moments, I guess,” said Sam.

“What are we doing about breakfast?” I asked, seeing no one in the kitchen. 

“I’m thinking we get setup at the parade site and then walk to a donut shop or something along the main drag. I’m pretty sure I remember one or two along the street.”

“Who’s all going with us?” I asked, stretching under the credenza to retrieve another Lego piece.

“The boys for sure, and I think maybe my Dad.” 

I heard a door open down the back hallway, and sure enough, Curtis stepped out of the master bedroom and slowly made his way toward us.

“Morning, Dad,” said Sam.

“Morning, Sam. Jack. You boys get any sleep?” I detected a sly grin, but he turned his head toward the kitchen. “Looks like somebody made coffee. You want any?”

“I do,” said Sam.

“Jack?”

“No thank you, sir. I don’t drink coffee,” I replied, getting back to my feet. He turned back and gave me an odd look.

“Suit yourself. Far as I’m concerned, a day without coffee is a day not worth living,” said Curtis. I looked at Sam. He grinned and kept pushing Lego pieces into his box.

While Curtis poured coffee into two travel mugs, Sam and I straightened up the living room, pushing couch cushions back in place and rearranging the gaming console under the TV so it wasn’t splayed out all over the floor.

“Is David coming with us?” Sam asked his father.

“I think he and Kat need the morning to themselves,” he said, avoiding our eyes. “Carter and Camden about ready? We need to get moving if we’re gonna find a prime spot.”

“They’ll be down in a few minutes,” said Sam.

“Well…I guess we can get the chairs out of the garage and load them up. We taking your big expensive truck?” asked Curtis. He gave me an odd questioning look.

“Uh…yeah…I think so,” said Sam. “Mom can drive everybody else up later, right?”

“Or Gene. Or David. We’ll let them figure it out.” He walked through the kitchen, going out the door to the garage. 

“What’s up with that comment about the truck?” I asked as we walked to the foyer.

“I’m not sure,” Sam said with a shrug. “Don’t worry about it.”

“He seems suspicious.”

“Jack…he’s a lawyer. They suspect everyone and everything. Occupational hazard. Come on. He might need some help.”

We put on our flip flops, and stepped out onto the porch. A garage door started opening to our left. Sam beeped the key fob for the SUV and the back hatch slowly lifted. 

Together Sam, Curtis, and I loaded ten collapsible camping chairs in long red fabric sleeves into the rear cargo area. The twins popped out the front door, and promptly hurled themselves off the steps onto the gravel driveway.

“I call shotgun!” yelled Cam.

“It’s my turn,” said Carter.

“It’s nobody’s turn,” said Sam.

“Aww. Why not?” asked Cam, his shoulders drooping in disappointment. “I called it first.”

Sam smiled. “One, you’re too young to be in the front seat, and you know it. And two, I want Jack sitting next to me. You guys get in the back with Grandpa. And I don’t want to hear any whining about it, or no donuts for either of you. Got it?”

“Yes, sir,” said Carter, and Cam nodded, too.

“Alright, then. Let’s ride,” said Sam. The boys climbed up into the backseat, and Curtis joined them. Cam scrambled across his lap, leaving Curtis in the middle, with a grandson on either side. I got in the front passenger seat, and Sam started up the big SUV.

“Cool ride, Uncle Sam,” said Carter.

“Yeah. Is this really yours?” asked Cam.

“It’s a rental,” said Sam.

“So what kind of car do you have?” asked Carter.

“It’s a BM…” he started to say, then stopped, glancing at his father in the rearview mirror. He looked over at me, his eyes silently begging for help.

I twisted around to answer Carter, and immediately felt Curtis’s full, laser-focused attention. Avoiding his eyes, I swallowed and said to Carter, “Uncle Sam and I share a car that someone gave me. It’s nothing like this beast, though. This thing is awesome, don’t you think?”

“I’ll say. It even has a built-in DVD player back here,” said Cam. 

Sam finished putting our destination into the GPS, then twisted around to check out the DVD system for himself. “Huh? I had no idea. We’ll have to remember that if we take a ride some other time this week. But right now,” he said, turning back around and putting the car in gear. “We have a parade to catch. Everybody buckled in back there?”

Curtis helped the twins find their seat belt connectors, and then nodded to Sam when all was ready. I sat forward and put my sunglasses on. The sun had nearly finished rising up out of the ocean to the east. The temperature was already a little toasty, so I goosed the air conditioning up a notch.

The ride up to Bristol took just under an hour. Since it was still early, and most of us had not had a lot of sleep, the conversations waned. Sam held my hand across the center console, and I didn’t mind it one bit. It was a relief to not have Aunt Myra in the car with her probable objections to such innocent physical affections.

Our route took us over toward Newport. Curtis saw the signs and said to me, “Jack, have you ever been to Newport and toured the mansions?”

“Mansions? No sir, I’ve never been.”

“Is that where the big breakup house is, Grandpa?” asked Carter.

He laughed. “I think you mean the Breakers. Yes, it’s the biggest mansion of them all. What do you think, Sam? Should we take a trip over there, maybe tomorrow?”

Sam looked at me and I shrugged my shoulders. I had no idea what he was talking about. 

“Sure, Dad, if everyone else wants to go. I haven’t been since I was a kid.”

“I want to see the boats,” said Cam.

“You and your boats, young man,” said Curtis. “You planning on being the sailor of the family?”

“I dunno, maybe,” said Cam with a shrug.

“Well, I’ll tell you what,” said Curtis. “If we do go to Newport, I promise we’ll take you to the marina and you can walk up real close to a whole bunch of boats. How about that?”

“Cool! Thanks, Grandpa,” said Cam. Carter seemed completely uninterested in the conversation and was staring out his window.

A few minutes later we went up and over the Mt. Hope suspension bridge. Cam was fascinated by all the sailboats out on the water far below. I turned back to watch his expressions, and saw Carter studying the bridge itself. He seemed mesmerized by the cables soaring high into the air from the bridge deck. I could almost see the brain gears whirring inside his head.

“Jack, if you don’t turn around, you’re gonna get car sick,” said Sam, squeezing my hand. I smiled, grateful he watched over me. I flipped back around and sat back in my seat. He was right. I did feel a little queasy.

We passed Roger Williams University on our right, and a few minutes later, we entered Bristol. Sam turned on State Street.

“Sam…you’ll never find a place to park this close to the parade route. I thought we were going to park down by the high school and walk back?” said Curtis. Indeed, the GPS system was freaking out, trying to recalculate the original route. 

Sam pointed to it and said to me, “Can you turn that off?” I reached over and pressed the button to stop the guidance.

“We have a little time, I think,” said Sam. “Let’s just see if something might open up.” I looked out my side window and tried not to smile.

For several blocks, it looked hopeless. Cars lined both sides of the street, bumper to bumper.

“I told you,” said Curtis. “People come from all over to see this parade.”

“We’ll go down just a little further, then circle back up to the main lots,” said Sam.

We stopped at Wood Street. There was a CVS pharmacy across the corner. A large SUV similar to the one we were driving suddenly pulled away from the curb. Sam looked over at me with a big grin and drove across the intersection and right into the space just vacated.

“We got lucky. Close enough for you, Dad?” asked Sam into the rear view mirror.

“Very convenient. This will be fine. The main parade route is just down the street a couple more blocks, I think.”

We all exited the car, and divided up the folding chairs among us. The twins each took one. Sam and I each carried three over our shoulders. Curtis slung the remaining two over his right shoulder.

The twins took Grandpa’s hands and he led them down State Street toward the waterfront. Sam and I held back a little. 

“I’m guessing Ben told you there would be a convenient parking place right there when we showed up?”

Sam grinned. “Yep. Kinda slick, don’t you think?”

I grinned. “I can see the advantages of having an advance team. But your father knows something is up.”

He bumped my shoulder with his and laughed. “Let it go. He’ll be fine. Today is gonna be awesome, Jack. Wait till you see this parade. It’s amazing. Best parade in the country.”

“If you say so, big guy.” I loved it when Sam reverted to being a big kid. His excitement was infectious.

We walked past one old colonial style house after another, with traditional clapboard siding and ornately framed windows and doors. Most were simple box designs sitting right up on the sidewalk with no front yards. A few had historical markers hanging near the doorways, indicating construction from the late 1700s. Most had an abundance of red, white and blue banners hanging across small porches and under the windows.

“You ever march in a parade?” asked Sam.

“Sure, back in my high school days. I was in the marching band, and I think I did a Cub Scouts thing when I was even younger,” I said.

“My scouting troop marched in this parade once. It’s like two and half miles long, and over a hundred thousand people will be watching.”

“Come on guys, we don’t have all day,” said Curtis with a big smile.

“Yeah, Uncle Jack. You gotta keep up. We’re not playing a video game,” said Cam. Carter started laughing.

“I’ll show you, Mr. Smarty Pants,” I said, quickening my pace. I missed a crack in the uneven sidewalk and tripped, falling forward, barely managing to stay on my feet and not hit the concrete face first. 

“Jack! You okay?” asked Sam, running up beside me. He grabbed my arm as I straightened up, recovering my balance. 

“I’m good. Nothing to see here. Move along now,” I said with an embarrassed grin. Sam smiled big, his blue eyes sparkling in the sunshine.

“You gotta watch for those booby traps, Uncle Jack,” said Carter, laughing.

“Yeah. They’ll trip you up every time,” said Cam, cracking himself up. Sam looked at him, all doubled over and his shoulders shaking.

“You know, Cam, you keep laughing like that you’re gonna pee your pants,” said Sam, barely containing himself. That set Carter off even more, and now even Curtis was laughing. I tried to resist, but couldn’t help laughing with them. 

Thankfully it was short lived. Cam managed to calm down without wetting himself. Catching his breath, he patted my arm and said, “That was awesome. Thanks, Uncle Jack.”

“Glad I could be of service,” I said. He smiled.

“If you all can pull yourselves together, we best be getting down to the parade route,” said Curtis, smiling ear to ear. He winked at me, and I saw a flash of playful Sam in his expression. It was a fun moment, all at my expense, but worth it.

We regrouped and sauntered on past a large town green on our left, covering most of a city block. There was a large ornamental gazebo in the middle of the park, covered in red, white, and blue bunting. American flags were flying every twenty feet along two sidewalks that crisscrossed the green. Very patriotic.

“I’m thinking we go down High Street to the left and start looking,” said Curtis. 

“Don’t we want to be on Hope?” said Sam.

“It will be packed in like sardines,” said Curtis.

“Eww…sardines,” said Cam.

“Yuck,” said Carter.

“Double yuck,” I said. They both turned around and smiled at me.

“Let’s just try,” said Sam, stepping into the lead and crossing High Street. “Besides, it’ll be closer to food, and I’m hungry.”

“Suit yourself,” said Curtis. “And when have you ever not been hungry?” Sam laughed and kept walking. I took up my place in the rear of the group. The boys looked all around at the throngs of people starting to fill the streets. I watched Sam’s sexy, muscular ass as he moved confidently down the street.

At Hope Street, Sam looked right, then left. He moved in that direction, and the rest of us followed. A block and half down, three men sat amongst a dozen lawn chairs of various colors and styles. Ben, dressed in navy shorts and a long white dress shirt hanging over his waist to conceal his firearm, stood on the sidewalk, apparently talking to someone on his cell phone.

As Sam approached, Ben reached out and touched Sam’s arm, stopping him in his tracks. “Hold on a second, honey,” he said into his phone, then put a hand over it. Turning to Sam again, he said, “Hey…you looking for a place to put your chairs?”

“Yeah,” said Sam.

“Hold on one second,” he said, returning to his call. “Where are you now? Okay. Yeah, I’ll tell ‘em. We’ll be down there in ten or less. You’re sure? Okay, we’re moving.” He hung up his phone and turned to his companions, who were watching him now.

“Maggie says the girls want to be down by Franklin. They’re saving a space.” The other guys stood up, grumbling, and started folding up their chairs. Ben turned back to Sam.

“This space is all yours, man. We’ll be outta here in two shakes.”

“Wow. Thanks, man. Very cool,” said Sam. I looked at Curtis, who raised an eyebrow. I looked away before he caught me staring.

Ben’s crew made short work of collecting their lawn chairs. As they began to cart them off, Ben raised his sunglasses and winked at me with a grin. I grinned back, and said, “Thank you. Tell Maggie we really appreciate it.”

“No problem. Enjoy the parade,” said Ben as he turned and followed his guys up the street. Curtis was staring at the retreating Ben, a puzzled look on his face.

Between the five of us, we had our chairs set up and facing the parade route in no time. Curtis sat down, and looked up at Sam, who was standing in the gutter.

“Twice in one morning, huh? What are the odds, I wonder?” said Curtis, looking very much like a lawyer ready to cross examine his next witness. 

“Mom will be okay with this, right?” asked Sam, ignoring his father’s comment.

Curtis looked at Sam for a moment, then seemed to let his curiosity go. “Yes, this spot will be fine. We were on the back side of the sidewalk on High Street last year. I have to call her later and tell her where we are.”

“Uncle Sam, I’m hungry. When do we eat?” said Carter.

“Yeah. I’m practically starved to death,” said Cam, holding his stomach like he was dying.

Sam chuckled. “Listen to you two. You’d think you both haven’t been fed for a week.”

Curtis snorted. “Sounds like another young man I know.” I laughed, and Curtis smiled at me. “Sam, you and Jack take the boys to breakfast. I’ll sit here and watch our things.”

“Thanks, Dad. Okay, men, where should we go for breakfast?” asked Sam.

“Anywhere,” I said. “I’m famished.”

Sam smiled at me.

“That’s a funny word. What does it mean, Uncle Jack?” asked Carter, looking at me.

“It means I’m so hungry I could eat a dozen donuts all by myself,” I said.

“Donuts!” said Cam.

“Yeah, donuts,” repeated Carter.

“Donuts it is, then. Follow me,” said Sam. 

“Hold up, Sam,” said Curtis, rising and reaching for his wallet. “Let me give you some money.”

“I’ve got this, Dad,” said Sam.

“Son, nobody expects you to pay for food this week.”

“I think I can cover donuts,” said Sam. “It’s all good.”

“Fine. But I’d hate for you to blow your savings on donuts and fancy car rentals,” said Curtis, looking from Sam to me. 

“Dad, it’s all good. Trust me,” said Sam. Curtis nodded and sat down, looking less than satisfied.

The four of us walked up the street, blocked off from vehicle traffic for the parade, to the Dunkin’ Donuts shop on the corner. The boys each had two chocolate cake donuts with chocolate icing, and Sam had three buttermilk donuts. I actually skipped donuts, in favor of an egg sandwich. Sam paid. I think it made him feel good to buy us all breakfast.

We ate standing up near the window, looking out at all the gathering parade watchers as they set up in their chosen spots on the street. Sam pushed the last bite of his remaining donut into his mouth, and took a final swig of his coffee.

“Ready to roll, guys?” he asked. Three heads nodded, and we gathered our trash and dumped it. Outside on the curb, Sam looked at his watch.

“It’s a little after eight. How about a walk down to the water, guys?”

“Yeah!” said Cam. Carter nodded.

We strolled one block further down State Street toward the Bristol Harbor. The road ended in a boat launch area. To the left, a wide concrete jetty extended out into the water. Cam and Carter took off running. Sam and I walked after them. There was not a cloud in the sky, and the water shimmered in the morning sunlight. I sighed.

“You okay, little man?” asked Sam.

“Very,” I replied.

“Oh? Why?”

“Because I’m with the man I love, who is having the time of his life.”

He smiled. “I am. Mostly because you’re with me.”

“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, Sam.”

“I think my father is starting to suspect something,” said Sam.

“You think? I did catch him looking at me funny a couple of times.”

“I don’t know, but he doesn’t miss much. I might have pushed it with the money thing.”

“Don’t worry about it. We’re here, the boys are having a blast, and your family is awesome, Sam.”

“I want to hold your hand so badly, Jack.”

“I know. Me, too. But let’s not push it right now. When we get back to the car, you can hold my hand all you want.” He looked at me and grinned.

“That’s not all I want to hold.”

I smiled. “Duly noted. We can explore that thought when we get back to the house.”

“You are so fucking fun, Jack. Cam! Get back from the edge!” Sam shouted, causing me to jump. Cam and Carter spun around and grinned. 

I poked Sam’s shoulder. “You scared me.”

He smiled. “Sorry. I didn’t want him to fall in the water. Come on.” Sam stepped up our pace until we joined them.

“Do you see it?” asked Cam, practically jumping out of his skin. He pointed out into the harbor.

“See what?” said Sam, pretending not to see the huge naval vessel floating at anchor in the middle of the harbor. 

“Uncle Sam? Are you blind?”

“What? You mean that little boat out there?” he said, pointing to it.

“That’s no boat. That’s a real navy ship. Isn’t it cool?” said Cam.

“You have any idea why it’s here?” I asked Sam. He shook his head.

We stood there and watched as a much smaller watercraft appeared to exit the back of the ship, then change direction and head toward where we were standing. As it got closer and closer, it looked like it was practically skimming across the surface of the still waters.

“Is that a hovercraft, Uncle Jack?” asked Carter. 

“I don’t know,” I replied. “Maybe.”

The boat continued its course to the jetty. As it pulled up alongside, two sailors jumped up onto the dock and ropes were thrown to them. 

“Come on, guys. Let’s get a little closer,” said Sam. We followed him over to where they were mooring the vessel to the dock. More uniformed men joined us on the dock. Two of them noticed us staring, and walked our way.

Cam clicked his heels together, stood up straight, and saluted. The young men smiled, and saluted back.

“At ease, sailor,” said the young blond haired guy on the left to Cam. Carter leaned into my leg. The sailors’ bright white uniforms shone in the sunlight.

“Good morning, gentlemen,” said the other sailor to Sam and me. “Happy Independence day to you.”

“Thank you. Same to you,” said Sam. I just nodded. We all shook hands.

“I’m Petty Officer Hansen. My buddy is Seaman Thomason.”

“Did you just come from that big ship?” asked Cam.

Thomason crouched down and looked him in the eye. “We sure did. My fellow sailors and me, we’re marching in today’s parade. Our ship is the USS Whidbey Island.”

“Does it have big guns on it?” asked Cam. 

Seaman Thomason laughed. “A few. Mostly we transport things.”

“Like what?” asked Carter, inching out from behind my leg. 

Officer Hansen crouched down to answer him. “Lots of things. Depends on our assignment. We carry Marine hovercraft, like the one we just rode in on. Tanks, amphibious landing vessels, even helicopters and Ospreys.”

“Those are the planes that can take off straight up in the air, right?” asked Carter.

“Yes, sir. You really know your stuff, don’t you?” 

Carter blushed. 

“Do you like being soldiers?” asked Cam.

“We’re not soldiers,” said Seaman Thomason. “We’re sailors. Guys in the army are called soldiers.”

“Could I be a sailor?” asked Cam.

“Well…first you need to study real hard and finish high school. And you need to be in the best physical shape possible, so if you play sports or things like that, you’ll be all set.”

“I play on our soccer team.”

“Excellent. You keep working hard, and when you’re about to graduate high school, you can join up. In fact, if you’re really dedicated, you might even become a Navy Seal.”

“Cool!” said Cam.

“Gentleman, we have to go. It was nice meeting you,” said Officer Hansen, standing up.

“Thank you for coming over and speaking with us. We really appreciate it,” said Sam.

“And thank you both for your service,” I added.

“It’s an honor. Enjoy the parade.” They turned and rejoined their group. We watched them fall into a single file line and start moving up the street.

“Did you hear that, Uncle Jack? I’m gonna be a Navy Seal,” said Cam.

Sam smiled. “That’s a tough job, Cam. You’ll have to work really hard in school and keep yourself in great shape. Can you do that?”

“Yes, sir. You watch. I’m gonna be the best Navy Seal ever,” said Cam. I swear it looked like the kid had grown two inches taller, so great was his confidence and determination. I saw a lot of Sam in him.

“Can we see the hovercraft up close?” asked Carter.

Sam nodded. “Sure.” We followed the boys over to the where the watercraft was docked and watched a flurry of activities as several sailors performed their duties. It was incredible to see such a machine up close. 

After ten minutes, Sam said, “We should probably get back so Grandpa can find something to eat if he wants, before the parade starts.” Cam was ready to leave. Carter was itching to go aboard the hovercraft, but Sam gently explained how the boat was not open to the public.

I may have imagined it, but as we walked back to our reserved spot along the parade route, Cam seemed to walk a little straighter, his chest out and shoulders back. Like a guy on military parade. I also noticed Sam’s hand hovering near the small of my back. That made me smile. It’s the little things.

Excitement flowed through the gathering parade watchers, crammed elbow-to-elbow along the curbs and sidewalks, collectively craning our necks toward the sounds of sirens and shouts further up the street. The parade finally began moving toward us, slowly making its way down Hope Street. 

“Here, Jack. You’ll need this,” said Kat, bumping my arm from behind with a plastic toy bucket.

“For what?” I asked. Did she think I was going to throw up or something?

“You’ll see,” she said with a smile. She crooked herself back under David’s shoulder standing next to her. He had a thin smile across his face. Why did it look forced?

“They’re coming, Grandma,” yelled Cam, pointing down the street. Bright red and blue lights ricocheted off the old colonial style storefronts and houses lining the street.

“I see them,” said Caroline, beaming at her grandsons. She and Curtis were holding hands. She caught me looking, and smiled at me. She looked from Sam to me, to our hands hanging at our sides, separate and longing, and nodded. She knew. I shrugged and smiled, and her eyes told me she understood. My love for her was sealed in that moment. I turned back to the parade to avert the inevitable tears.

The first group in the parade was a mixed military color guard, and the few in the crowd not already standing got to their feet and clapped loudly as the American flag walked proudly by. Up and down the street, like a microcosm of the country that flag represented, I could see people of different races, ages and genders. People with different values and who undoubtedly believed many different things. But today we were all just Americans. How fitting we were standing on Hope Street. A single tear of joy escaped down my cheek, and I swatted it away. Sam saw the move and put his hand near my back, touching it lightly for a second.

The sirens and lights of the massive fire trucks momentarily deafened and blinded my senses. Until candy starting flying out the truck windows. It rained down on us like a sugar coated cloudburst. The twins, and Sam, started scrambling, gathering handfuls as fast as they could. 

“Uncle Jack! Bucket!” yelled Carter. Startled, I dropped it, then nearly tripped trying to retrieve it. I ended up slipping off the sidewalk and would have fallen into the street had Sam not dropped his two handfuls of candy and caught me. The twins scrambled to retrieve the fallen loot.

“Easy, Jack,” he said, holding me until he was sure I was steady on my feet again. Our eyes met, and my breath caught in my throat. For a moment the crowd disappeared, and it was just the two of us standing on the street. Then reality slammed back into focus and I let go of him. Disappointment flashed in his eyes, but he covered it with a smile.

“Thanks, Sam. Sorry. Here,” I said, handing him the bucket. He nodded and set the bucket down near the curb in front of our seats. I looked back and saw Aunt Myra watching us closely, her lips pursed. What? I tripped. What was he supposed to do, let me fall in the street? Whatever, woman. Get over yourself.

In between the marching bands and street dancing troupes, various veterans and military groups presented their tributes to our country’s birth. One in particular touched my heart deeply. 

From a block up the street, the crowd’s cheers rose up louder than ever. As this group approached, I could see people wiping their eyes, and reaching for tissues. And then I saw why.

Two very young children, a boy and girl maybe five years old, struggled to hold a banner between them. It announced the Freedom Fighter’s Futures Fund. The tag line underneath read, “Making Mommy and Daddy Whole Again”. 

Behind them, four men, each wearing the uniform of his respective service, walked soberly down the street on exposed, high tech prosthetic legs, their heads held high. I had seen such devices on Olympic level athletes. 

Ten feet back, six more men drove motorized wheel chairs from mounted joystick controllers on their chair’s arm. They grinned and the crowd cheered as they slowly moved around the street, twisting and turning to make simple formations with their chairs. Following them were a dozen or more men, women and children, some handing out candy, others pamphlets. Most of the adults had clearly suffered a horrific, disfiguring injury.

A man with a prosthetic arm holding a plastic bag full of candy approached Cam and Carter. He reached into the bag with his good arm and pulled out a handful of tootsie rolls. Cam held out his hand, but Carter just looked at the man’s mechanical arm, mesmerized. 

“Carter,” whispered Sam, trying to distract him. I touched Sam’s arm and shook my head.

The man was watching Carter staring at his arm. Instead of moving on with his group, he waited.

“Would you like to touch it?” he said gently. Carter looked up at him, then nodded. The man nodded back, and carefully took the bag of candy into his other hand, stretching out the prosthesis so Carter could see it close up. Carter reached out, fingers trembling, and ran them up and down the metal, tilting his head to study how the moving parts fit together.

“What happened to your arm, Mister?” asked Cam. The man turned his head to address Cam.

“A roadside bomb exploded when I was out on patrol. I got lucky. Army medics saved my life, and the Future’s Fund helped me get this arm. It’s pretty cool, isn’t it?” he said to Carter.

“Way cool. Thank you for letting me see it.”

“You’re welcome, young man. Happy fourth,” he said. He nodded to the rest of us, and moved on.

“Did you get one of those pamphlets?” I asked Sam in a rush.

“No, sorry.” I frantically looked around for anyone with a pamphlet in their hand. No one in our group had one. Cam saw me looking, and spied one lying in the gutter ten feet down the street. He retrieved it, dusted it off, and handed it to me.

“Here, Uncle Jack. It’s got a little dirt on it, but it looks okay,” he said.

“Thank you, Cam.” I carefully folded it and put it in my back pocket. Sam was watching me closely.

“What’s going on, little man?” he asked softly.

“It’s all good. Let’s just watch the parade,” I said, grinning. He smiled.

Interspersed throughout the parade were floats from various civic and business organizations, all decorated to celebrate the parade’s theme of “The American Dream.” Several of the floats had plaques hanging on the front, indicating an award they had won from the judging committee prior to the start.

One of my favorites was a float dedicated to America’s expansion westward. The front of the float was decked out to represent the famed “Iron Horse” steam engine train. A couple of kids hung out the windows of the makeshift cab and threw candy. Scattered across the float were children in coonskin caps pretending to paddle canoes and kids in tattered shorts pushing rafts with long poles a la Mark Twain, while pretending to spy buffalo roaming on a hillside. The back half of the float was the rear third of a Conestoga covered wagon, with three children, bare feet dangling over the back edge, smiling and throwing more candy. I wasn’t surprised this float had won the coveted “Best in Theme” award.

The fife and drum corps, with their colonial era military garb, were amazing, and never failed to elicit wild cheers from the crowd. I knew I was in Yankee country when people around me started singing “I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy” every time one of the bands played the melody. It was great fun, and I started singing along.

The crowd went wild for the float which proudly displayed the award for “Most Patriotic.” It was a simple float, a long flatbed trailer pulled by a massive white pickup truck. Flying high above the front of the float was a banner proclaiming “God Bless America!” The sides of the float resembled red, white and blue waves, which actually appeared to be flowing like water as the float slowly drifted past. The effect was fascinating and thrilling, and definitely generated enthusiasm from the parade watchers, none more than Aunt Myra.

She was standing and cheering, waving her small handheld American flag as the men and women standing on the float were doing. She was practically jumping up and down, and motioned for Uncle Gene to stand with her. Her enthusiasm was contagious, and soon everyone around us was standing and cheering and waving little flags. She caught me looking at her and actually smiled, then went back to shouting “God Bless America” and waving her flag.

The people riding on the float wore khaki shorts or pants with white t-shirts, and each t-shirt had a blue five-pointed star over the left breast area. Across the back of each shirt was the name of a profession: teacher, doctor, mechanic, lawyer, etc. They were men and women, of various ages, sizes, and colors, all smiling and waving and obviously having a great time.

We were all still wildly cheering as the rear of the float came into view. Hanging off the back edge was a banner announcing the sponsors of the winning float: The New England LGBTQ Youth Alliance. Aunt Myra saw it and her hand waving the flag froze in mid-air. She gasped and put her other hand to her mouth. Then she dropped her flag in disgust on the ground and flopped down into her chair.

“Sit down, Gene. That was a mistake. Stop cheering and be quiet.” She was pulling on his arm. He looked at her confused, but sat down obediently. I had a feeling he did most things she told him to, probably seldom understanding why.

“Can you believe it?” she said loudly, to anyone who would listen to her. “To invoke the Almighty’s name on a godless travesty like that. They should be ashamed of themselves. What were they thinking, letting a group like that in the parade? I’m telling you, I fear for this country if this is the state of affairs. Did you see it? There were children on that float. Those poor, innocent children.” She started waving a cardboard fan in front of her face, pretending to hyperventilate and generally making a spectacle of herself.

A woman of similar age sitting next to Myra reached over and patted her arm. Myra acknowledge her sympathy and waved her fan even faster. I wanted to do something else with that fan, but refrained. Sam’s face was red, and his hands were opening and closing into fists. He was pissed. I put a hand on his shoulder, and he looked at me, his deep blue eyes raging. I shook my head slightly, hoping to calm him down. 

Cam was indifferent to Aunt Myra’s emotional display and ignored her. He kept waving his little flag and looking up the street. Carter seemed upset. He was watching Myra closely, worry on his face. He turned to look at his mother, his little eyes imploring her for answers. Kat smiled and just shook her head, nodding toward the street. 

Thankfully the Shriners arrived with big men squeezed into their tiny cars, and the boys’ attention was diverted from Myra’s tirade. Their laughter broke the tension around us, and you could almost hear the collective sigh of relief. 

A few minutes later, we were treated to an amazing sight as nearly two hundred naval seamen marched in formation down the street. Leading the group was yet another color guard. On our side of the street, marching alongside the man carrying the American flag, was none other than Seaman Thomason, who we had met earlier. 

Carter waved, and Thomason spotted our group. He smiled wide at the twins. Cam was standing at attention. Thomason arched his shoulders back and pushed out his chest, and Cam mimicked the move. The crowd around us saw this exchange and cheered even louder. I smiled and looked around, catching Kat’s eye. She was watching Cam with an interesting expression on her face.

Cam whispered something in Carter’s ear and he nodded. Then he whispered something else back in Cam’s ear. The secrets of twins.

I also noticed Aunt Myra had perked up a bit from her earlier shock, and tentatively waved her little flag at the passing naval graduates. I wondered if she knew some of them were probably gay, and if she’d still be waving her flag.

By the time the parade ended, it was nearing one o’clock. We were all hot, tired, and hungry.

“Sam,” said Kat, grabbing her brother’s arm. “Can David and I ride back with you and the boys?”

“Sure, sis. We’ve got the room,” said Sam, putting the last of the chairs into its carrying sleeve.

“I’ll ride back with your mom,” said Curtis. Sam nodded.

“Sam, if you get back first, can you get the grill started?” asked Caroline.

“Sure, Mom.”

“Thanks, dear. Lunch will be a simple affair. Burgers, chips, and salads. See you back at the house,” she said.

Sam’s parents and his aunt and uncle entered the sea of people moving up and down Hope Street as the crowd dispersed.

“Let’s wait here a minute, guys,” said Sam.

Cam and Carter sat shoulder to shoulder on the curb and chatted quietly. David looked exhausted and worried. Kat held onto his arm and looked out at nothing across the street. Every few seconds she would steal a glance at Sam.

Sam was hurting. Maybe for the first time, he was experiencing up close the bigotry of one of his family members. I know I felt marginalized by Myra’s ignorant rant earlier. I couldn’t imagine how much deeper it affected Sam. I wanted desperately to get him home and get his arms around me. I wasn’t sure who needed a hug more, him or me.

Kat must have sensed his pain, because she let go of David and moved toward Sam. She stopped and looked at me. I nodded. She understood, too. Like mother, like daughter. She wrapped her arms around his waist and held on, her cheek on his chest. My place, but I’d let her be my proxy for the moment.

“We all love you so much, Sam. I’m so sorry,” she said.

Sam put his arms around her shoulders. “I know. I know,” he said, kissing the top of her head. “

“You’re not alone in this, Sammy, I promise. We’re all on your side.”

David reached out a hand and rested it on my shoulder. “Both of you.” I nodded to him, and he smiled.

Sam looked up and saw David’s hand on my shoulder. “Hey man, he’s mine. You already stole my sister,” he said, grinning. David laughed and pulled his hand away, raising both in mock surrender. Sam let go of Kat, and she stepped back.

“You okay, little man?” he asked me, putting his hand on my shoulder. I reached up and grabbed his hand for a moment and nodded, too afraid to speak or tears would fall. I now fully understood why family was so important to Sam. Family was how you survived the hatred and ignorance of others. Family was the people who rallied and supported and believed in you, no matter what. And Sam’s family was becoming mine, too.

“Can we go now? We’re hungry” asked Cam.

“Yeah. We’re famished,” said Carter, smiling at me. 

Sam rolled his eyes and grinned at me. “Sure thing, buddy,” he said. “You remember where we parked the car, Cam?”  Cam shrugged his shoulders.

“Two blocks up to State Street, then right three blocks to the CVS, past the park with the gaz..gazee..the round thing in the middle,” said Carter.

“Gazebo,” I said.

“Yeah…that thing. Thanks, Uncle Jack.”

“Okay, then. At least someone in this group was paying attention. We’ll make a trail blazer outta you yet, kid,” said Sam.

David tousled Carter’s hair and he looked up at his father, beaming with pride. Cam grabbed a chair from Sam, and Carter took one from me. The six of us joined the sea of bodies and slowly made our way to the SUV. 

Traffic was understandably slower getting out of Bristol, and by the time we got to the bridge, Cam was asleep and his brother was not far behind him. Kat was leaning on David’s shoulder, her eyes closed. A whole lot was going on behind David’s eyes, but I didn’t have a clue what it could be.

I was happy to be holding Sam’s hand again, and I didn’t let go until we pulled into the driveway over an hour later. Sam leaned over and kissed me gently. The rest of our passengers were still asleep.

“I love you, little man,” he said, gazing into my eyes, our foreheads resting against each other.

“Forever, big guy,” I replied.

“Get a room,” mumbled Kat, slowly lifting herself off of David’s lap and stretching. David felt her shift and woke up, too. Kat leaned backwards into the far rear seat.

“Rise and shine, boys. We’re back.” Two crabby monsters rose from the dead, grumbling and whining for food.

“The sooner you help, the sooner we all get to eat. Let’s move it. Come on, Grandma and Grandpa can’t be expected to do everything,” said Kat.

Once we were out of the car and had our legs under us again, Kat dispensed orders. The twins were tasked with putting the chairs away in the garage. David and Sam were assigned to the grill. I was with Kat in the kitchen.

I followed her instructions and together we had a garden salad, leftover potato salad, a relish tray, and another tray of cheese slices, onions and tomatoes ready to go in short order. Caroline came in just as Kat finished tossing the salad with a balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

“You didn’t have to do all this yourself, dear,” she said.

“I didn’t. Jack helped a little.”

“A little?” I said.  “Those onions didn’t slice themselves, missy.”

“Oh…the man has some spunk, does he?” she said, smiling at me, one hand on her hip. “Okay…sure, you sliced the onions. Big whoop. I sliced the cheese. And the tomatoes. And made the salad.”

“Ha! That salad was already made. You dumped some dressing in it and stirred it around. Next you’ll say you picked the wheat and ground it into flour to make the hamburger buns,” I said with a huge grin.

Kat threw a green olive at my head. It hit my cheek and bounced into the kitchen sink. I laughed and reached for the relish tray.

“No!” shouted Kat, pulling it out of my reach, laughing hysterically.

Caroline was laughing so hard at us, she had to hold herself up by leaning on the island counter. “Oh stop,” she gasped. “I can’t breathe.” 

Kat smiled at her mother’s laughter, then she smiled at me. I knew I was one step closer.

Lunch was a somber affair. Everyone was tired and hot, which made people borderline irritable. Sam was unusually quiet. I reached for his hand under the table, but he pulled away. When I got up to refill the water pitcher, he followed me to the kitchen.

“I’m sorry, Jack,” he said, pulling me into a hug from behind. “That woman’s got me in knots. I’ll pull it together, I promise.”

I spun around in his arms, his hands still locked at my back. I looked up into his gorgeous blue eyes and said, “It’s okay. I get it. All I care about is you, Sam. Whatever you need to do, I’m fine with it. We agreed we wouldn’t make people feel uncomfortable. I just never counted on the shoe being on the other foot.” I put my cheek on his chest and sighed.

Sam rested his chin carefully on the top of my head. “Me either. Kat tried to warn me. Maybe she’s right. Maybe I am naive.”

I looked up. “Stop it. You’re not, and I wouldn’t want you to change, even if you were.” I put my hands on his chest. “I love your heart for people, and how you always believe the best in them.”

“What I believe about Aunt Myra shouldn’t be repeated out loud,” said Sam.

“Then don’t. We shouldn’t let her spoil our vacation, or anyone else’s. Come on, let’s get back out there and enjoy the rest of the day.”

He leaned over and kissed me, making my toes curl. He reached down to knead my ass and my knees nearly buckled.

“A guy did that to me, I’d deck him,” said David, grinning from the sliding glass door.

Sam laughed and nearly dropped me. I blushed, barely getting my feet under me again.

“Sorry,” I said.

“For what? Loving each other?” asked David.

“I mean…we’re not trying to make people uncomfortable,” I said.

“Jack…the only person in this family who makes people uncomfortable is Aunt Myra. It took me twenty minutes last night to convince Carter it was perfectly okay to call you Uncle Jack, after her little reaction to his birthday wish. You were great, by the way. My kids love you.”

“Thanks. I think they’re pretty awesome, too.”

“Stick around long enough, you might change your mind.”

“I doubt that,” I said. I felt my cell phone vibrate in my pocket. I pulled it out. It was a text from Billy. “Excuse me,” I said. 

“Sure. Sam, I was sent in for cookies. We have any left?” asked David.

He and Sam searched the cabinets for where his mother might have hidden the cookies, and I opened my text message. It was a series of pictures from Billy.

“Oh my god. Come look, Sam!”

He’d just found the cookie bin and handed it to David, then came over to my side.

“Look…it’s Jayden. He’s home.”

“He’s so cute, isn’t he?” said Sam, his eyes glistening. Ever since he first held him, Sam’s heart had been intertwined with that boy’s, there was no denying it.

“Who is it?” asked David. I showed him the picture.

“This is Jayden. Some friends of ours are fostering him. They just got him home from the hospital today,” I said.

“He’s adorable. Show Kat and her mom. They’ll go nuts. A baby will liven things up out there.”

I looked at Sam. “You think?” He nodded.

Sam filled the water pitcher and we followed David back out on the deck.

“Here’s the cookies,” said David. “And Jack’s got a surprise for you, honey,” he said to Kat. She opened her eyes and looked up at me. I sat in the empty chair next to her – the boys were swimming in the pool. I found the pictures of Jayden again and handed her my phone.

“Oh, he’s beautiful. And so tiny. His daddy’s arm is huge against his head,” said Kat.

Sam laughed. “That’s because Billy is huge. All muscle. But a gentle giant. He’ll be a great dad.” 

Kat looked up at her brother. “So who is he?” she asked me.

“His name is Jayden. Today is his first day home from the hospital. He’s a preemie.”

“I’ll bet his mom and dad are excited to have him home. Can I see?” asked Caroline.

I looked at Sam while Kat handed my phone to her mother. He shrugged, then nodded.

“Um…Jayden doesn’t have parents. Well…not exactly. Not yet,” I said.

Aunt Myra had been watching us quietly. She looked up from her magazine and said, “How can a child not have parents? I don’t understand.”

Sam forged ahead. “He was conceived through a surrogate mother. He was supposed to be adopted by a family in California, but that fell through before he was born. Now our friends are his foster parents, and they hope to adopt him soon.”

Myra slapped her magazine on the table, startling Gene, slumbering in his chair next to her after a heavy lunch. “Surrogates. Adoption. You see what happens out there in that liberal, god-forsaken California. Whoever heard of such nonsense. People around here have babies the old-fashioned way. They get married, then they have kids. Simple.”

“Is this the first time fostering for your friends?” asked Caroline, ignoring Myra.

Sam nodded. “Yes. But they went through all the training, and Billy and Jerome will have help. Billy’s mama will practically be living with them, according to Jack.”

“Billy and…Jerome, did you say?” asked Myra. I knew the biddy would catch that. I gave Sam a look, but he was already locked and loaded. Kat beat him to the trigger.

“Yes, Aunt Myra. He said Billy and Jerome. Two men. And one awesome grandmother, from the sound of things,” she said.

Myra was flustered. “You mean…but…surely not. I mean, who would give a newborn to…two men. Men can’t care for a newborn baby. They know nothing about infants or children.”

“What are you talking about?” said Kat. “Sam was a huge help to David and me when the twins came home. He’s a natural. And David was great with the boys, once they stopped peeing all over him. I think it’s wonderful that Jayden can have two fathers to love him, instead of being all alone.”

“It’s not right. It’s not natural. Babies should be raised by a mother and a father.”

“Well, in case you weren’t paying attention, there is no mother…or father. So Sam and Jack’s friends have stepped up, out of the goodness of their hearts, and given this precious little guy a home. I think it’s wonderful. When do they find out if they can adopt him permanently, Sam?” asked Kat.

But Aunt Myra was not finished. “Stop right there. You can’t be serious. Putting this child in the care of these…these…”

“Gay men. The word is “gay”, Aunt Myra,” said Kat.

“I know what the word is. Don’t get smart with me, Katherine. No matter what you say, it would be a travesty to allow those men to adopt this child. Think of what will happen to him when he grows up. He’ll be ridiculed and made fun of. He might even be attacked. Violence is such a huge part of gay people’s lives. Everyone knows that.”

“What are you talking about?” said Kat, hands on her hips.

“I’m talking about what’s best for that child. All these do-gooder liberals with their it-takes-a-village crapola, they don’t know what’s best for a child. You put a child into a home with two homosexual parents, and he will grow up emotionally confused and warped, and probably end up a homosexual himself. Is that fair to the child, to subject him to such horrors? I think not. No…better he be placed in a good Christian home with a loving husband and wife to be his parents. No homosexuals should ever be allowed to be parents.”

Caroline gasped and looked up at her son. “Sam…” 

I turned to look at him, He had tears streaming down his face. Suddenly he took off toward the pool. I was frozen in place as I watched him run across the boardwalk, bound down the steps, and take off running up the beach. The boys stopped splashing around in the pool and looked over at me.

I turned to look at Myra, who stared at me defiantly. Kat stepped over and touched my arm. “Go,” she whispered. I looked at her, and she nodded.

I moved swiftly to the pool. “Boys, come with me. Quickly now.” They scampered out of the pool. There was no time to grab shoes. We headed for the beach.

It was tough going in the sand. The twins seemed to float on top of it, being lighter than me. My calves were screaming by the time I spotted Sam ahead, arguing with someone. As we got closer, I could see it was Ben. Sam’s back was to me, but Ben saw us coming, and pointed. Sam spun around, and Ben stepped away into the reeds at the top of the beach. 

Sam wiped his eyes as we approached. “Hey guys, what’s up?” he asked.

“You okay, Uncle Sam?” asked Cam.

“Yeah. You been cryin’,” said Carter.

Sam crouched down in the sand. “I’m okay. I just needed a minute. Sorry if I scared you guys.”

“You didn’t scare us. We’re growed up now,” said Cam.

“That you are, kiddo. That you are,” said Sam, ruffling his blond locks.

“Was that the guy from the parade?” asked Carter, searching the tall reeds for Ben.

“I think so,” said Sam, looking at me. I shrugged. I had no idea what to say, so the truth couldn’t hurt. “He saw me running, and I stopped to say hi.”

“Cool,” said Carter. “Can we go back and swim now?”

“Sure, buddy. Let’s go.”

“I have a better idea. Who’s for a swim in the ocean?” I asked.

Cam raised his hand. “Me.”

“Me, too,” said Carter.

“Me, three,” said Sam and I together. Everyone laughed.

We trekked back down the beach to the house. Sam stayed out on the flat sand, where the tide was going out, while I went back up to the house and gathered some beach toys and towels. Kat helped me. Myra, Gene, and her parents were nowhere to be seen.

“Can you and Sam watch the boys for a while. I think everyone needs a break,” said Kat.

“Sure.”

She grabbed my arm. “Is he okay?”

“I think so. He wants to be a father so badly, Kat. What she said…that hurt.”

“I know, the stupid bitch. Mom stormed back into the house and Dad followed her. Uncle Gene wisely suggested he and Myra take a drive to cool off. I’m so sorry, Jack. You guys don’t deserve this.”

I patted her arm. “Kat…it’s okay. We’ll be okay. I’m glad he has you on his side.”

“Go…be with him. You and the boys are what he needs right now. Be back for dinner, if you dare.”

Sam was chasing the boys in and out of the surf when I arrived back down at the beach. I dropped the towels and toys above the tide line and took off running straight into the waves, diving under at the break line. I came up spitting salt water to the cheers of Cam and Carter.

Sam made his way over to me, never losing sight of the twins, and finally wrapped me up in his arms. He kissed me and held me tight against his cold body. I was shivering, but I didn’t care. This is where I needed to be. Where he needed me to be.

“Kiss him again,” yelled Cam.

“Yeah…kiss him again, Uncle Sam,” said Carter, laughing. He got a mouthful of salt water for his troubles.

Sam obeyed his nephews and kissed me again. This time it lasted a while. Until a wave crashed over our heads and sent us reeling underwater. When I surfaced, Sam was eight feet away, looking for me frantically.

“I’m here,” I said. He turned and moved as fast as he could to get to me. He held onto me like he was drowning.

“I can’t do it, Jack. I can’t live without you. Please don’t leave me.”

I grabbed his face in my two hands, kissing his cheeks and around his eyes. “Shhhh…hey, big guy. Look at me.” He leaned back and gave me his red-rimmed, blue eyes. It was different looking at him at the same level for a change.

“I’m not leaving. You’re stuck with me. It’s you and me forever.”

“But my family…”

I put a salty finger to his lips. “Your family is awesome, Sam. I love them. Your aunt is only one person. Let her go. She doesn’t matter. She’s not us. She’s not a part of us. Any of us,” I said, pushing his dripping wet hair away from his face. Behind us, the boys were dragging themselves out of the water.

Sam looked down into the water swirling around our waists. “I’m so sorry, Jack. I didn’t know it would be like this. We can leave. My parents will understand.”

I lifted his chin with one finger. “Is that what you want to do? Leave your family when you only get to see them once a year, at best? You’d leave Cam and Carter to the influence of that woman?”

He looked at me again, his blue eyes flashing. “No, never. We can’t do that. You’re right.”

I put my hands on his chest against the matted wet hair. “Kat’s got our backs. We’ll be okay. We just have to get through dinner and fireworks tonight, and then whatever plans are in the works for tomorrow. They leave tomorrow night, and we don’t have to ever deal with her again. We can do this,” I said. 

Sam pulled me up against his chest. I wrapped my arms around his back and my legs around his waist and he held me tightly in his arms. I looked over toward the shore and Cam and Carter were playing in the sand, digging with the toys I had brought down.

I could feel Sam’s dick growing, poking my ass under water. I so wanted to drop my swim trunks and feel him inside me, but then my mind went to crabs and minnows and seaweed, and the moment was lost.

I dragged my chin across Sam’s shoulder and nuzzled his neck. He slowly slid his cheek along the edge of mine until our lips grazed each other.

“I love you so much, Sam,” I whispered.

“I love you back, Jack.” I kissed him until I couldn’t stop shaking from the cold. He half carried me, half dragged me back to shore.

We spent another hour or two playing with the boys. For some reason they thought it would be great fun to bury one of us in the sand. I lost the argument, since I was smaller than Sam and it would require less work. How bad could it be?

Sam seemed overly enthusiastic in this effort. He dug a wide trench about eight inches deep, then told me to lay in it. I complied, having a whole bunch of second thoughts. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.

“Okay, guys. Time to bury Uncle Jack,” said Sam with a cheesy grin on his face. Cam and Carter could not stop giggling and falling down as they hauled bucket after little plastic bucket of sand to cover my body. Sam paid special attention to covering my crotch area, which truth be told, was filling out a bit under his watchful eye. His grin was sexy as hell.

“Watch the face,” I said when Cam started dumping closer to my neck. I spit out a few stray grains of sand.

“Sorry,” he said, then bent down and pushed the sand up from my chest against my neck. “We need more sand,” he said to Carter.

More? The rest of me was pretty well covered by that time. Sand was heavy, especially the really wet stuff that Carter kept digging up closer to the water. I could barely feel my arms and legs.

Sam caught my eye and I shook my head as best I could. He got the message.

“I think we’ve got enough. That should hold him,” said Sam. “Now we can torture him.”

“What? Don’t you dare, Sam Wainwright,” I said. He laughed.

“Relax. I would never do that,” he said. “Besides, you look too cute buried up to your neck in sand.”

“You do look weird, Uncle Jack,” said Carter.

“Yeah, like someone cut off your head and left it sitting here on the beach,” said Cam.

“Wonder what happened to the rest of his body?” asked Carter, grinning. Cam started laughing, which set off Carter again.

“Ha ha. Very funny. What are you going to do to me?” I asked.

“I don’t know. Guys, what do you think? Do we leave him here for the seagulls to play with?” said Sam. Carter and Cam couldn’t answer. They were too busy rolling around on the sand laughing.

I felt something against the back of my leg.

“Uh…guys? Um…there’s something in here with me.” I felt it again. Something was definitely moving just under my knee. My heart beat kicked up a notch. I tired to move my leg but the sand was too heavy.

“Are you sure?” asked Sam, grinning. “Maybe it’s your imagination playing tricks.”

I rolled my eyes at him and he laughed.

“Where is it, Uncle Jack?” asked Cam, finally getting control of himself.

“My leg. Back of my leg.”

“What’s it feel like?” asked Carter.

“I don’t know. I can feel it crawling around on my leg.” I struggled in the sand. Beads of sweat popped up on my forehead.

“Where? Be more pacific,” said Carter, grinning.

“My left leg! Behind my thigh!” I yelled. I could feel it starting to sting a little now.

“I think I saw one of those little sand crabs in the hole before you got in. But they don’t bite,” said Carter.

“What! You left me in here with a crab?” I started pushing and pulling against the sand, slowly working myself free. The three of them thought that was great fun and went back to rolling on the beach, laughing at me. Whatever was messing with my leg was starting to move up into the opening in my shorts. I had to get out of there. 

“What’s the matter with you guys? Don’t just sit there, Sam. Get me outta here!” I said. My tone convinced him to help, and all three of them pitched in. When I could move enough for leverage, I heaved upwards and sent sand flying all over them. I pushed up and rolled out of the hole, then stood up, frantically pulling at back of my board shorts, dancing around in the sand. Whatever it was was still in there, scratching at my ass. Cam and Carter laughed hysterically at my antics.

“Help me, Sam. Something’s in there,” I pleaded.

He stood behind me and pulled back the waistband of my shorts. “I can’t see it. Boys, grab a towel.” They jumped up and retrieve a beach towel, opening it up.

“Stretch it out in front of Jack. Turn around and hold it tight.” They complied. 

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“Getting you out of a sticky situation. Again,” he said, chuckling. He pulled down my board shorts to my knees, my ass now fully exposed to the ocean breeze. He shook the board shorts hard around my shins.

“Wait…yep…there it is. All better.” He gave my left cheek a playful squeeze, then pulled my shorts back up. The sand scratched, but I could live with that.

“You should be good now. Carter was right. It was a little sand crab. Poor little guy. He’ll have quite the story to tell his friends in the ocean.” The boys giggled, dropping the towel.

“Yeah,” said Cam. “How he got caught in a crack and couldn’t get out.” 

“A butt crack!” screamed Carter, and all three of them roared in laughter. Sam dropped to his knees, he was laughing so hard.

“You think that’s funny?” I said. “Which one of you gets buried next?” I lunged for Cam and he squealed and took off. Carter didn’t even wait to see if I caught him. He ran in the other direction. Sam and I chased them all over the beach, until I couldn’t breathe and had to sit down. Sam joined me, and the boys finally made their way back to us.

We sat quietly for a few minutes, catching our breath. I could tell Carter was thinking hard on something.

“Whatcha noodling on, Carter?” I asked. He looked at me and shrugged. “Come on, I want to know.”

“Well…I’ve been thinkin’ about that guy in the parade. The one with the arm thing.”

“You mean his prosthesis?” said Sam.

“Yeah. But I can’t say that word.”

“It’s okay. What have you been thinking?” I said.

“I know I want to build things when I grow up. I thought maybe roads or bridges or buildings. Stuff like that.”

“And now?” said Sam.

“I don’t know. His arm was way cool. The way the levers and gears worked. It was awesome. I think it would be fun to make cool stuff like arms and legs for people. Sort of like robotics, only better. Is that weird?”

“Weird? Of course not,” I said.

“No way, man,” said Sam. “You study hard in school and learn all the math and science you’ll need, you can make lots of cool stuff like that if you set your mind to it.”

“I don’t know. I bet it’s a lot harder than making model airplanes or Lego stuff.”

“You’re only nine, Carter. Give it time,” said Sam.

“Sam’s right,” I said. “You know what you know now, but everyday is preparation for the next day and the one after that. Learn what you can today, and build on it tomorrow. Before long you’ll know everything you need to build even greater things than what you saw today. And you know what, Uncle Sam and I will help you.”

“You will? How?” asked Carter.

“You let us worry about that part. You concentrate on learning everything you can in school and whatever else you need to know, and when the time comes, we’ll do our part to help you make awesome things that change people’s lives. How about that?”

“For real? You would do that for me?”

“Of course, Carter,” said Sam. “Come here.” Carter came over and sat on Sam’s lap, looking out toward the ocean. Cam came over and sat on the sand between us. Sam reached his arm around Cam’s shoulder.

“Don’t tell your mom or dad, but sometimes I think of you guys like my own kids. I love you guys so much. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you. Both of you. I’m always going to just be a phone call away, no matter what, okay?”

“Thanks, Uncle Sam,” said Carter, twisting and hugging Sam’s neck. Cam put his arms around Sam’s waist and held him tight. I wrapped my arm around Cam and rubbed Sam’s back, squishing Cam between us a little. He didn’t seem to mind. The four of us sat there quietly for a long time, listening to the seagulls cry out and the winds whip past our ears. It was a special moment for all of us.

It ended with David coming down to call us back up to the house. 

“Hey, guys. Sorry to break up the party, but we’ve got to get you cleaned up for dinner and fireworks later.”

“Awww,” said Cam.

“Come on, buddy. Let’s go,” said Sam. He pushed Carter off his lap and stood up, then reached over to help me stand. Together we gathered the towels and toys and shook off as much sand as we could, then trudged across the beach toward the house.

“Sorry, David. We lost track of time,” said Sam.

“No problem. You didn’t miss anything. All’s quiet on the eastern front. I think we achieved detente, for now.”

To the one side of the pool, over by the trash storage, was a hidden outdoor shower stall. The twins took turns with their father washing all the sand off. They objected to removing their shorts at first, but David told them if they didn’t, there’d be no fireworks.  They shucked them right off and stepped into the shower.

Free of sand, Sam handed each a towel and they wrapped it around their waists and headed up to their room. David gathered their discarded swimsuits and rinsed them out as best he could, then hung them over the deck railing. 

“All yours, guys. Don’t get too frisky. Dinner’s in twenty minutes,” said David with a teasing wink.

I blushed, and Sam pretended to punch David in the arm. He laughed and made his way toward the house.

I went first, dropping my board shorts as soon as I was in the shelter of the shower stall. Sam stood there and watched me wash. I couldn’t help but get a hardon, knowing he was getting one, too. When I was reasonably clean, he handed me a towel. He had that predator look in his eyes that made my cock jump.

I wrapped the towel around my waist and stood watch as he took his turn in the shower. His hard cock snapped up into his abdomen as it cleared the waistband of his board shorts. He watched me the whole time he sluiced the sand off of his body. All his earlier angst went right down the drain with it.

I handed him the last remaining towel, and he dried off, then wrapped it around his waist. We hung our suits over the deck railing alongside the twins’. I followed Sam across the deck, through the dining room and living room, and up the stairs to our room.

As soon as the door closed behind us, he spun me around and buried his tongue deep in my mouth. I pawed at his towel, trying to get it off. He yanked mine away, and then his own. 

“Shower…now!” he ordered. Who was I to say no?

We made it down to dinner just as everyone was getting seated. The sun had begun to set, and the evening was a little cooler than the high heat of the afternoon. It even felt less humid.

Tonight we were having pan-fried steaks, oven roasted potatoes with some kind of herb seasonings, and corn on the cob. There was leftover salad from lunch, and hot dinner rolls with whipped butter in a couple of ramekins on the table.

“Wow, Mom. This is quite a spread,” said Sam. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. I decided to save the fish for tomorrow night,” said Caroline.

“Yuck,” said Cam. Kat thumped the top of his head. “Oww!”

“Don’t say yuck. You know better,” she said.

“Uncle Jack made me some fish when we were in Hawaii that was outta this world,” said Sam. He grinned at me, and I blushed. We were sitting opposite each other by choice. It was safer that way.

“What kind of fish, Jack?” asked Caroline.

“Salmon. I forget what variety.”

“It had strawberries and pickles on top,” said Sam.

I laughed. “They were cucumbers.”

“Whatever. They were delicious,” said Sam, popping another potato into his mouth. His eyes flickered and flashed across the table at me. My dick was so hard it hurt.

David changed the subject. “Cam, what was your favorite part of the parade today?”

“It wasn’t the parade. It was before,” he replied.

“Oh? What happened before?” he asked, looking at Sam and me.

“We met some sailors from a big Navy ship out in the bay. They were real nice. One of them said I could be a Navy Seal.”

Curtis and Gene both perked up.

“That’s a tall order right there, Cam,” said Curtis.

“I know, Grandpa. It won’t be easy. Only a few guys make it every year. But I want to try. I can do hard things.”

“Very well. If anyone can do it, I reckon it will be you.” Cam sat up straighter in his chair. He might just have the makings of a great leader. 

“I don’t know, Dad. I’m not sure I want my boys in the military,” said Kat. Cam immediately frowned. He looked at me and I shook my head slightly, putting a hand up to tell him to cool it.

“Katherine, there’s nothing wrong with a young man wanting to serve his country. It’s a very high honor. You saw those men in the parade today. I can fully understand why Cam or Carter might want to be a part of such an enterprise. Millions do, you know,” said Curtis.

“I know, Dad. I know. I just don’t want him to get hurt, like those other men in the parade.”

Carter spoke up. “It’s okay, Mom. I’m gonna learn how to make those…um…what are they called, Uncle Jack?”

“Prostheses,” I said.

“Yeah…those things. If Cam get’s hurt, I’ll make him good as new.” Cam smiled and the boys fist bumped, not a care in the world. Kat rolled her eyes and said nothing more. Curtis smiled. 

“I like young men with a plan. Not sitting around waiting for life to happen to them, but going out there and making it happen,” said Curtis.

“Uncle Jack, did you ever want to be in the military?” asked Cam.

All eyes turned on me. “Um…well…I thought about it. I wanted to fly jets. But then I found out I had a weak stomach, and…well, it’s not a good thing for flying upside down. So I studied business instead.”

“What about you, Uncle Sam?” asked Carter. He was slowly working his way through a cob of corn. Butter dripped off his chin.

“Nope. Can’t say that I ever did,” said Sam. “I’ve always wanted to be a lawyer, just like Grandpa.” It sounded like Aunt Myra snorted behind her napkin, but I couldn’t be sure. Caroline gave her a look.

“Is it hard to be a lawyer?” asked Cam.

“Well, I’m starting law school in a few weeks. Can I let you know in three years?” said Sam with a grin.

“Three years? You gotta go to school three more years? Didn’t you already do college?” said Cam.

“Yes. But now I’ll be studying the law. There’s a lot to learn. It’s takes a while, but it’s worth it.”

“What do lawyers do?” asked Carter.

Curtis stepped in. “There are all kinds of lawyers, Carter. Some, like me, work with businesses to help them protect their companies and their inventions, like the ones you might build someday. Some lawyers work with the military and support our troops, like Cam might be someday. Others work in the criminal justice system and work in courtrooms. And some help individual people with their money and taxes and other things.”

“What kind of lawyer do you want to be, Uncle Sam?” asked Cam.

“Ultimately I want to be a judge, so I’m not sure yet. I’ll explore the opportunities to learn in school and see where it leads me. But that’s my dream. To sit behind the big desk in the courtroom.”

“Like on TV? Would you get to bang the gavel thing?” said Carter.

“Yep.”

“Cool,” said Carter. 

“I never knew you wanted to be a judge, Sam,” said David.

“I didn’t either, not at first. But then I met a guy who showed me my life can be about making things better for other people.” He looked across the table at me and smiled. “Judges can do that. They can right wrongs, fix injustices. Make the system work for people, not against them. I don’t know if it will happen, but I think I could be a pretty good judge.”

“You’ll be amazing,” I said, looking deep into his eyes.

Aunt Myra dropped her fork on to her plate.

“Excuse me, but I’m listening to this conversation, and I can’t help but wonder how you ever hope to become a judge, Sam?” she said.

Sam’s eyes clouded over and he looked stricken. He said nothing. The air stopped moving around us.

“It seems to me you have a very difficult choice to make,” said Myra.

“And what choice might that be?” asked Kat, throwing her napkin on her plate and looking at her mother to stop this before it escalated. Caroline looked as horrified as Sam. Curtis just watched everyone, including me.

“Whether or not he’s going to continue in the lifestyle he’s chosen to lead. Sam…I’m sure there are a few gay people here and there that pass as lawyers, mostly to defend your kind from God knows what unseemly things they get themselves into. But honestly, you need to be realistic. Why would any state bar or judicial body ever seat an openly homosexual man on a bench? To be a judge, Sam, you have to have impeccable character and superior judgement. Two things homosexuals most clearly do not possess, or they wouldn’t make the choice to live the way they do.”

That tore it for me. The veil of civility came crashing down around me. I stood up fast, bumping the table and causing water to splash out of several glasses. I threw my napkin on my plate and turned to face her.

“Woman, I barely know you, and I’ve only known Sam for a few months, but you could not be more wrong in everything you say. No one…no one…sitting at this table, has more character and more good judgement than Sam Wainwright.” Sam started to speak, but I held up a trembling hand, willing my voice not to seize. 

I pointed at Sam. “His character and inherent goodness are why I love him with my whole life. And I trust him. I trust him with everything that I am. I do it with confidence because I know his character. I know who he is, deep down inside. I’ve seen him attacked and marginalized by people like you, and I’ve seen him rise above it, again and again. We beat them with superior character, Jack. That’s what he’s taught me.”

“And you know who taught it to him? That man right there,” I said, pointing to Curtis. “Your sister and that man who you are so quick to judge put more character into Sam than you could ever comprehend. He’s a better man than I can ever hope to be, but I’ll still spend the rest of my life trying.”

“You can sit there with your pretend moral superiority and revel in your ignorance of people who are different from you. That’s fine. That’s your right. Stay stupid, if that’s what you want. But I’ve heard all I can stomach from you today. You can think whatever you want about gay people. You can think whatever you want about me. I sincerely don’t care. But you will not…you will NOT speak one more syllable against Sam. Not…one…more.” My voice finally cracked, and a few tears spilled over.

The silence was deafening. Cam looked at me in awe. Carter was near tears. He was holding on tightly to Sam’s hand. Kat was stunned, and Caroline was crying softly. Curtis looked angry. David was smiling.

The color drained from my face and I suddenly felt light headed. I’d ruined everything. She won. She got the best of me. I did exactly what I told Sam we shouldn’t do. I took the bait. All my hard work, trying to get the family to accept me, and now this. I was seconds away from throwing up my dinner.

I swallowed hard, my hands on the edge of the table for balance. “I’m sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Wainwright. Please forgive me. I’m so sorry to have ruined your lovely dinner. I have to go,” I said, pushing my chair back. Sam lurched to his feet, too.

“Sit down, both of you. Right now!” said Curtis, slamming his hands on the table. Dishes jumped, as did everyone around the table. His voice boomed across the ocean. I heard a dog start barking somewhere nearby. He stood up slowly, staring daggers into me. I sat down, my whole body shaking. Here it comes. Here’s where he throws me out.

“Jack…you are not the one leaving tonight,” he said. Wait. What? What did he say?

He turned to look at his sister-in-law. The anger and fierce determination was unmistakeable.

“Myra, I’ve put up with your judgemental attitude and disrespect for far too long, out of love for my wife. But no more. You have crossed the line. No one stands in judgement of my children on my watch. No one. I’ll thank you to leave this house just as soon as you can possibly manage it.”

“Well! Of all the nerve. Daddy was right. You are a boneheaded, ignorant Neanderthal. It’s your fault you know. Sam’s the way he is because of you and your weaknesses. You coddled him, filling his head with all this lawyer nonsense,” said Myra. She turned to her sister.

“Caroline, I warned you. I told you it would lead to this. You should have taken him for treatment when you first told me years ago. There might have been a chance to save him. Now he’s lost forever.”

Caroline stood up with the strength of ten men coursing through her veins. “There is nothing wrong with my son! Or my husband! For once in your life, Myra, just…SHUT UP!”

“Way to go, Mom,” Kat whispered just loud enough for her and me to hear.

Myra was shocked. “Caroline, you can’t mean…”

Caroline’s eyes were spitting fire. “Oh, but I do. Leave. For God’s sake, Myra…just get out,” said Caroline, pointing toward the front door.

It was Myra’s turn to look stricken. My guess is no one had ever stood up to her like this, let alone three people at once. And no one deserved it more. She threw her napkin into the center of the table. 

“You all will get what you deserve,” she hissed, pointing a bony finger at us around the table. “Serves you all right. A pack of fools, that’s what you are. Come on, Gene. Let’s get out of this god-forsaken house before their evil overtakes us.” 

She stormed in through the sliding glass doors and marched herself through the kitchen. Gene followed like the lost puppy dog he was, just obeying the latest order.

Caroline collapsed into her chair. “Oh my,” she said, clutching her neck reflexively. She looked to Curtis, who smiled at her and nodded his approval. She slowly smiled back. Then she smiled even bigger. Then she giggled like a little school girl who had just been naughty and realized it felt good.

“Who wants ice cream?” asked Caroline. The twins lifted both hands. Sam’s were both up right behind them. Mine were firmly at my sides. I couldn’t possibly eat anything. My stomach was in open rebellion. I took shallow breaths and tried to remain calm.

“Can I have Uncle Jack’s if he’s not eating any?” asked Cam.

“Un huh. I get it,” said Sam.

“Nobody gets his. He can have it later. What kind do you want, Cam?” asked Caroline. 

“Chocolate. With sprinkles and whipped cream, please.”

“Copycat,” said Sam. Cam giggled. Carter and I rolled our eyes.

Caroline and Kat dished up the desserts from a tray of assorted ice creams, candy toppings, and different syrups. Ordinarily an ice cream bar would be great fun. Now it felt like everyone was just going through the motions.

It had been thirty minutes since Myra had made her grand exit. She and Gene were still in their bedroom, presumably packing. My cell phone vibrated in my pocket, and I moved away from the group toward the pool to look at the screen. It was a text from Ben.

“Everything okay over there?” it read. I thumbed back with “so-so”. 

“Call me when you can” was his reply. I put my phone back in my pocket and rejoined the group.

Curtis had been watching me like a hawk. I could feel his eyes on me constantly. I didn’t know if I was next to be shown the door or not. It was clear the jury was out on his approval of me, and my outburst had done me no favors, from what I could tell. We all might have won the battle with Myra, but it still felt like I was going to lose the war.

Every time I caught David’s eye, he smiled and nodded. No doubt he approved. His wife, on the other hand, I wasn’t so sure about. Kat was too busy at the moment watching over her mother to pay me any attention. But that would change.

Then there was Sam. Immediately after Myra stormed out, he was at my side and tried to pull me into a hug, but I stiffened and twisted away. I saw pain in his eyes, and I mouthed, “I’m sorry.” He nodded and settled for standing next to me and resting his hand in the small of my back.

Suddenly there was a commotion in the back hallway. Myra was barking at Gene and trying to pull two suitcases toward the front door at the same time. She had changed clothes and pulled up her hair. Her disposition had not altered one iota.

Caroline looked to Curtis and he put a hand up for her to stay put. He and David dutifully went inside and helped Gene get the bags out the front door. Right before she walked out, Myra turned one last time and looked at me through the glass doors. She sneered, then left in a huff. The room swished sideways, and I hit the deck.

An hour later, we all managed to pull ourselves together and begin the trek north to the area community beach. We had the chairs with us again, and this time we squeezed into the SUV, all eight of us. Sam let Curtis drive. He wanted to sit in back with me, and after my fainting spell, I was glad for his proximity. I was feeling better physically, if not emotionally. At least Curtis hadn’t shown me the door.

After Sam pulled me off the deck and Caroline was satisfied I would live, he and I had retired to our bedroom to change. The beach could get cool at night, right on the water. We put on long pants and long sleeved pullovers. Sam stayed very close to me. I had to promise him three times I was strong enough to stand at the toilet and pee without assistance. He still stayed right outside the door.

By the time we found a place for our chairs, the mood had lightened some. The twins, being young kids, bounced back first. The ice cream helped. They were hyped up on excess sugar and very excited about seeing the fireworks. 

Apparently they were shot from a barge floating a few hundred yards off shore. They would be exploding right above us. Once the family was settled, we had maybe twenty minutes before the show began. Sam asked me to take a walk with him.

He grabbed my hand and wouldn’t let go, even when I tried to pull away. “No, Jack. Not now. You said you trust me. Please don’t let go.” I looked at him sideways and saw the pain still hiding at the edges of his eyes. I nodded and tried to settle down.

We hadn’t been walking ten minutes and Ben came up to us, pushing back his black ball cap. “Well…if it isn’t the famous brawling Wainwrights. Or what’s left of ‘em. You guys okay?”

Sam sighed. “You saw all that, didn’t you.” 

“Quite a little show. I thought Jack’s speech was particularly moving. A little melodramatic, but you know…it’s Jack.”

“Fuck you, Ben,” I said, smiling. Sam chuckled and squeezed my hand tighter.

“Seriously, guys. Anything I can do to help?”

Sam looked at me. “We’re good. I think I’m still waiting for the shock to wear off. It’s been a rough day.”

“I’ll say. I had to pull in reinforcements. Here she comes now,” said Ben. Walking up to us was none other than Peggy Reece. 

“Well, isn’t this a surprise,” I said.

“Leave it alone, Schaeffer,” said Ben.

“What? I’m happy for you guys. Really happy.”

“Hi, Peggy,” said Sam. “How are you enjoying Rhode Island?”

She smiled. “Hi, guys. I’m not sure yet. I’ve only been here a little over an hour. Ben’s promised me some amazing fireworks tonight.”

“You already missed those, honey,” said Ben. “Shoulda been here two hours ago. It was epic.”

“Give it a rest, Ben,” I said. I could tell Sam was not handling the teasing very well. Still too soon. Ben looked at me and nodded.

“We better get back to the family,” said Sam. “Great to see you Peggy. Enjoy the fireworks. They really are spectacular.”

“Thanks, Sam. See you guys later.”

Sam and I strolled back, not talking, still holding hands. I no longer cared what people thought about it. I’d laid it all on the line for Sam, and he was right. I did trust him. Those weren’t just words. 

No one seemed to even notice two guys holding hands, walking on the beach. It was dark, and most people were too busy trying to find a place to squeeze in another chair here or there.

The fireworks were spectacular, as Sam said they would be. From the first explosions high over head, my thoughts were dragged from the depths of despondency up to new heights of hope. I sensed Sam was experiencing the same rejuvenation sitting next to me. He never once let go of my hand. I hoped he never would.

Thirty minutes later, the massive finale left our ears ringing and our eyes bugged out of our heads. What an amazing exhibition of joy fireworks can be. Cam and Carter were buzzing, and even Sam was smiling again, much more his old self. 

As we walked back to the car, Caroline squeezed in between Sam and me, and put an arm around each of our waists. “I’m sorry I let Myra come. I should have known better. Most of all I’m sorry if you boys got hurt. It won’t happen again, I promise.”

“It’s okay, Mom. It’s not your fault. She is who she is. And she’s gone now. Let’s just forget all that, and enjoy tonight. Weren’t the fireworks the best?” said Sam.

She squeezed us both and smiled. “I think the best is right here in my arms.” Sam looked over her head at me and grinned. Then he winked. Guess I get to stay.

It was late when the boys finally got to bed. The combination of ice cream and fireworks had them wired. The rest of us were exhausted. David and I watched Sam race first Cam and then Carter on the Xbox. Sam’s practice paid off. Cam came close, but Sam inched past him at the finish line. 

“I’ll get you tomorrow, Uncle Sam,” he said, yawning. Carter had his head in his father’s lap.

“Time for bed, guys,” said David, picking Carter up and throwing him over his shoulder. Sam grabbed Cam and together he and David carried them upstairs. Carter waved to me and grinned. I waved back.

Kat came over and sat down next to me on the couch.

“Hell of a day. You okay, Jack?”

“I think so. You?”

“Oh yeah. I’ve been waiting for today to come for a long time. I’m still in shock. Who is the woman impersonating my mother?”

I laughed. “She certainly came out of her shell there at the end, didn’t she?”

“Because of you, Jack.”

I tensed up. “Why? What’d I do?”

“Relax,” she said, patting my knee. “It’s a good thing. Hell, it’s a great thing. Don’t you get it? You stood up for Sam. You risked it all for him. You put your heart and your principles on the table, and you didn’t hold back. You didn’t care what the rest of us thought. All you were thinking about was Sam. It was amazing.”

“It was awful. I still feel queasy,” I said.

She laughed and turned to me. Then she got serious. She grabbed my hands and held them in her own. “You asked me yesterday to give you a chance. Time to prove you love my brother. Well, I don’t need any more time. I believe you, Jack. I know you love him. And I know he loves you. You are very, very good for him, and that means everything to me. Today was very hard on Sam. He’s hurting underneath the smiles and the laughter tonight. Be patient with him. That’s all I ask. He deserves that.”

I swallowed hard, tears brewing. “I will. I promise. Thank you for believing me.”

She turned her head and swiped at her own eyes, and I pushed away a tear from my cheek. 

“Look at us. Couple of ninnies,” she said. “Ugh! Would you look at that mess in the kitchen.”

“Come on, between the four of us we can knock it out in no time,” I said.

Sam and David came back down, and we did get the kitchen back in shape in short order. We said goodnight to Sam’s parents, who were sitting out on the deck, staring up at the stars. They seemed peaceful. Finally.

Upstairs, Sam asked me if I wouldn’t mind using the hall bathroom. He needed the one in our bedroom for a few minutes. I shrugged and grabbed my toothbrush and headed down the hall. I did my business and returned. I dropped my clothes at the side of the bed, too tired to do anything else. I slid under the sheet and waited for Sam, staring up at the ceiling. In my mind’s eye I could still see fireworks flashing up there.

I was nearly dozing off when a flash of light from the bathroom pierced the bedroom darkness. Sam hit the light and I watched him approach the bed between my feet as my eyes adjusted.

He was naked. And beautiful. And hard. I couldn’t see his eyes, but I knew what I would see in them. Desire. Animal need. I needed him, too. I tossed aside the sheet. I was hard, too.

He saw my cock jutting out, and gave a low growl. Then he climbed up from the bottom of the bed and grabbed my feet. He slowly moved his hands from my ankles, up my legs, only grazing my groin, then dragged his fingers up my abdomen and rested them on my chest. 

He laid down on top of me, pressing his dick into mine. Then he kissed me. It was soft at first. Sweet and almost hesitant, like he was unsure of something. When his tongue touched mine, the fires ignited, and we were consumed into the urgency of our mutual need.

I tried to lift my legs to give Sam access to my ass, but he kept holding them down with his own. He was slowly sliding up my torso, his cock riding along my treasure trail in an oil slick of precum. He poked my navel with the tip of his dick, and it sent a shock wave straight into my balls. 

At one point my dick popped up from underneath him and he stopped. He pushed up from my lips and looked down at me. I could see his eyes now. There was something different in them tonight. A tenderness, a depth of need I’d never seen before.

I started to speak, but he put a finger to my lips and shook his head. I kept silent. He continued to stare into my eyes as he slowing rocked back and forth on my hips, pushing my dick up and back. I could feel it resting in his ass crack. I was leaking like a river.

He tweaked my nipples. I hissed and arched my back, pushing him up. He smiled and nodded. More tweaking. More bucking and arching. He kept nodding. He stopped only long enough to reach behind him and grab my dick, pointing it back down. Then he inched back on it.

My mind short circuited. Was he…? Yes…he was. He continued to slowly push back on my engorged cock until I felt the tip at his velvety entrance. I started trembling, not wanting to hurt him. He sensed my fear and held steady, then leaned over and kissed me, keeping my cock poised at his hole.

The more he kissed me, the more my mind settled down. He wanted this. He wanted me inside him. And I realized I really wanted inside of him, too. My pulse ratcheted up a notch as he pushed back a fraction of an inch. I felt the tip of my wet dick slide in a little deeper. The sensations and unexpected heat were a shock, and I gasped, realizing fully what was about to happen.

Sam stopped only long enough to look down at me, his expression tender and determined at the same time. He nodded slowly, letting me know this was definitely going to happen. My dick pulsed in anticipation and he groaned, falling forward.

He kept kissing me, kept rocking back and forth, and little by little I felt my cock head breach his hole. He grunted once, and my dick popped through his tight ring. He sighed and rested his cheek on my forehead.

We stayed like that, not moving, just enjoying the connection, for several moments. The heat was intense, and the pressure surrounding my shaft just under the head was unbelievable. Sam squeezed his ass once, and I moaned. 

I may have been inside him, but he was still in control. I squeezed my ass, making my dick pulse, and he growled, squeezing his ass around my rigid cock again. He pushed up and looked at me, eyes blazing with lust. He nodded once, then pushed down hard. I slid in all the way to my balls. 

My mouth snapped open in surprise, and his eyes went wide as saucers for a split second, then slanted sideways, and the beast inside Sam took over. He fucked me. Up and down, back and forth, slowly, deliberately. He was so tight, I couldn’t believe he wasn’t screaming in pain. But I knew what he was feeling, and I loved that pressure, the feeling of overwhelming fullness when he was inside me. I smiled up at him, stroking his hard, muscular thighs.

He flashed a grin and increased his pace. I did my best to stay still and give him control, but the hot, velvety smooth envelope encasing my cock was too much. I could feel my orgasm start deep behind my balls and slowly rise. My breathing shifted into irregular patterns.

He leaned over and grabbed my head, nodding, telling me to go for it. I wrapped my arms around his back for leverage, planted my feet on the bed, and started bucking my hips up into his ass, faster and faster. He kept nodding, sweat pouring off his head. His eyes told me don’t stop, and I didn’t. I pistoned up and down, in and out of his hole, and almost without warning, I was over the edge. I shut my eyes, gritted my teeth, and kept humping, riding the wave as long as I could as my cum filled Sam’s ass.

Exhausted, I dropped my hips to the bed and flopped my arms out to the sides. Sam stayed on me, settling down onto my still hard dick. I could feel his ass squeezing with each beat of his heart. His eyes never left mine. He slowly moved up and down again, reestablishing his own rhythm. I tried to remain still. I definitely remained hard. 

He increased his pace and depth, grabbing his cock and stroking it. I reached up to tweak his nipples and he hissed, nodding in agreement. He was writhing on me now, getting close. I twisted his nipples a little harder, and his eyes flared at me, his mouth tight, but he didn’t tell me to stop.

Suddenly his eyes rolled back in his head, and I felt ropes of cum hit my chin and chest as he exploded all over me. He never uttered a word, just grunts of pleasure. He collapsed on my chest, and I held him close.

A few minutes later I could feel tears falling on my chest. I squeezed him tighter, and his silent cries turned into sobs. Somehow I knew he was moving through the final doorway of pain, the hardest one left to face. I cried with him, overwhelmed to be a part of this miracle of healing for the man I loved beyond my understanding.

And then it was over. He was through, and he was whole again.

He pushed up. My dick had shrunk and slid out of him at some point, but I hadn’t even been aware of it.

“I’m a mess,” he said.

“A sexy mess.” 

He smiled. “Shower with me?” 

I nodded. “Of course.”

Later, clean and dry and safe in each other’s arms, he held me from behind as was our custom, his strong hairy arm across my chest.

“Jack, you still awake?”

“Mmm hmm,” I said.

“I’m yours now. Completely.” 

I stopped breathing, understanding the enormity of that simple statement. Sam had given himself completely to me. Not just his ass. His entire person. His total trust. His complete and forever commitment.

I turned over to face him, tears flowing down my face.

“And I’m yours, Sam. Forever.”

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