It was always good to have all my children home, and that night was no exception. I hadn't seen Seth since the funeral in Sarasota, and, frankly, I didn't recognize him. He called right after I got home that afternoon to ask if he and his boyfriend could come over to be here when the guys arrived, and, of course, I told him yes. We talked for a few minutes on the phone, but there was nothing different about his voice. When I opened the door to greet him and Curt, I thought for a moment they were Mormons wanting to try to convert me. The clothes were wrong for that, of course, but I honestly didn't recognize Seth. "Dr. Foley," he said. That was all it took. I recognized his voice instantly. "Seth! For heaven's sake. Come in, son," I said, grabbing him in a hug as he entered the door. He hugged me back, and I could feel the difference in him. I wished there were a legitimate reason for him to take his shirt off so I could examine and admire his new physique. "You didn't recognize me, did you?" he asked, grinning broadly. "Seth, honestly, I didn't until I heard your voice. By the way, what's this 'Dr. Foley' stuff all about? Ed and I want you boys to call us by our first names," I said. "I know. Beth, this is my friend Curtis Franklin. He goes by Curt," he said. "How do you do, Curt? Let's go in and sit down. Would you boys like something to drink?" "Some water would be nice," Seth said. "Coming right up," I said. I didn't know how the interest in drinking water had taken hold among the kids, but I thought it was one of the best developments in preventive medicine in years. Craig and Kevin would have asked for soft drinks when they were boys that age, but I noticed that they and their boys drank a lot of water, too. I had stocked up on a good supply of bottled water for their visit, and I knew it would probably be gone by the time they left. I got acquainted with Curt and caught up with Seth's doings. He told me that his parents had had a wonderful time in England during the summer and that they were all going there at Christmas for a vacation. "The best thing I've ever done was to spend the summer in Florida," he said. "I'm a very different person because of it." "That makes me so proud of my boys," I said. "They're working miracles, Beth, one kid at a time," he said. "I know, Seth. Do you know about the new boy? Denny?" "Yes, ma'am, I know of him, but I haven't met him yet," he said. "He'll be here tonight. They called a little while ago to say they'd be here around eight. I expected them at six, as I told you on the phone, but they stopped in Mobile to look at the battleship and the rest of the things they have there," I said. It was only ten minutes to six when I said that, and I knew Seth and Curt didn't know what to do. I wasn't exactly sure of what to say to them, either. "You boys have time to catch a movie," I said. They both brightened up when I said that. While they were delightful boys and good company, I knew perfectly well that the thought of making small talk with me for two or more hours until the others got there wasn't an especially attractive prospect to them. "It wouldn't be rude if we left and came back later?" Seth asked. "Not at all, Seth. I'm just sorry I didn't know about the Mobile excursion when you called this afternoon," I said. "Thanks, Beth. We'll be back around eight," he said. I showed them to the door and said I'd be waiting for them later. That's a well-raised young man, I thought, as they were leaving. Ed was working late, as usual. His practice was beginning to get out of hand, and he spent a whole lot more time at the hospitals than he did at his office or at home. He and his partner had talked about bringing in an associate, and they had even floated a few trial balloons regarding potential partnerships. There just weren't that many heart surgeons loose on the market, though. "I wish Tim was closer to being a doctor," he had said one day while we were discussing the matter. "Don't you think he'll want to practice in Emerald Beach?" I asked. "Of course," he said. "I'm just talking to hear myself talk. It would be pretty amazing, though, wouldn't it? To have him in practice with me?" Just as I was recalling that conversation, Ed came home, exhausted, as usual. I had persuaded him to take Thursday, Friday, and the whole weekend off, and he would definitely benefit from the rest. "Would you like a cocktail?" I asked. He kissed me as he always did. "That sounds wonderful," he said. "No, on second thought, I'll wait till the kids get here. Where are they, anyway?" "They called to say they'll be here around eight. They stopped in Mobile so the boys could see the battleship," I said. "Ah," he said. "Sweetie, I'm going to lie down for a little while, okay?" "Excellent idea," I said. He went into our room. I turned on the TV and watched C-Span. As so often happens when I do that, I fell asleep. The next thing I knew, Kevin was calling out that they were here. I hurried to the front door and greeted my sons and grandsons. "Where's dad?" Kevin asked. "He's taking a nap. Go wake him up," I said. "Beth, you look wonderful," Rick said. Then he kissed me. "All of you look wonderful," I said. They introduced me to Denis Morgan--Denny. "Hi, Grandma," the other boys said amid much kissing and hugging. "Where's Alex?" I asked. "He couldn't come, Beth. He's working," Rick said. "He wanted to, of course." "You know what I think? I think he didn't want to come because he's dating Cody now," Justin said. "Why would that matter?" I asked. "Because Cody was Seth's boyfriend during the summer," Jus said. He gave me a knowing look and a grin, and I couldn't help myself. I squeezed him in a tight hug and kissed his cheek. Ed came in, and we went through the greeting routine again. No sooner had we taken seats in the den, than Craig and Cherie came in. More greetings, more introductions of Denny. "They're going to wear your ass out, Bubba," Justin said to him. He was a cute child. He cocked his head in my direction because Jus has said "ass." That was precious, I thought. "Denny, don't worry. I know boys slip and say things like that sometimes," I said. "I raised two of them, and I've lived with their father most of my life. It's okay, sweetie." "He doesn't ever say bad words, Grandma," Justin said. "Him and Brian make me and Kyle say 'em all. Tim helps out some, but not much. You don't say bad words, do you?" "Hell, no," Denny said. That was the perfect response, and we all roared with laughter. "You'd better say it, Jus," I said. "Okay. You got me last, Denny," Justin said, and again laughter. It was so good having them home. Just when the first "got you last" was played out, Seth and Curt came back to the house. Again, many warm greetings. "Rick and I just found out about Curt on the way here, Seth," Kevin said. They got quiet, and I wondered what that was all about. "Didn't you get my email?" Seth asked. He seemed a little agitated by what Kevin had said. "No, Seth. We didn't," Kevin said. "I know I sent you one. Beth, do you have a computer I could use for a second?" he asked. "Sure, Seth," I said. Nobody said anything, and I took Seth into the study to use the computer. He came back in a couple of minutes holding a sheet of paper. He looked like he was on the verge of tears. "Kevin and Rick . . . I'm so sorry," he said. "I wrote it and saved it as a draft because I wanted to add more but didn't have time when I first wrote it. I must have forgotten I hadn't sent it. I wondered why neither of you commented on my news." "See," Kyle said to Justin. Justin looked back and forth between Kevin and Rick. "Seth, I have an apology to make to you," Justin said. "On the way over here I got pretty pissed off at you for not telling them. Your bubba Kyle stood up for you, though, and said you must have just forgot. I'm sorry I got mad at you, Bubba. Can I have that hug I missed when you came in?" Seth's eyes were moist when he and Justin hugged. "I mean that much to you guys?" he asked. "Well, hell, yeah you mean that much to us, Seth," Justin said. "Yes, you do." "See? What did I tell you?" Seth asked Curt. "I see. You were right," Curt said. "We're not having ice cream, so you all can forget it. Rick, let's go make some drinks," Craig said. "Yes, let's," I said. "I have some wonderful hors d'oeuvres that Odille made for us, too. You fellows make the drinks, and I'll put out the food." "We'll do it, Grandma," Kyle said. "Okay, baby," I said. "It's all in the refrigerator, Kyle. Warm up the crab dip, please. The crackers and dishes are all out on the counter." Kyle, Tim, Justin, and Brian went out to the kitchen. In no time, we had drinks and snacks. * * * It would be impossible to diagram the conversation that went on in that room that night. Denny and Curt were quiet, as one might expect, but the rest of them had plenty to say. Poor Cherie, suffering the fatigue of the first trimester of pregnancy, could barely keep her eyes open, so she didn't say much, either. There were stories about the trip to Montana, about Homecoming, about Justin starting college, about Kyle being named a National Merit semifinalist, about Rick and his growing relationship with Andy and John, about the new arrangement at work for Gene, about Justin's testimony at that awful trial, about what they did in Birmingham when the trial was over, and, of course, about the pregnancy. There were jokes and wisecracks aplenty, of course, and I heard "got you last" over and over. My boys were home, and it felt wonderful. "I almost forgot," Kyle said. "Tim and I brought you something." He went into the foyer, where they had left their luggage, to get something. When he came back, he presented a wrapped gift to me. I tore it open, and it was a framed photograph of him and Tim. Kyle was in a tuxedo, and Tim was in a navy blue suit. Seeing it made me gasp. "Boys, this is beautiful," I said. "Thank you." I knew they probably weren't the two most handsome boys on earth, but they were surely in the Top Ten. I passed it to Ed. "Very nice," Ed said. Cherie glanced at it and passed it to Craig. "You look damn good in that monkey suit, Kyle," Craig said. "Both of y'all dress up pretty good, dudes. Kyle, you need to think about becoming a head waiter somewhere." "Shut up, Craig. He's forbidden to ever work in a restaurant," Rick said. "What?" Craig asked. "Long story, Bubba. I'll tell you later," Rick said. "Okay, but I don't get it," Craig said. "You will when I tell you," Rick said. Craig and Cherie wanted to spend the nights of the visit at our house, so Ed and I decided to put the boys in the apartment above the garage. "Are you all going to spend the night?" Justin asked Seth. "I wish you would." "Is that all right, Beth?" Seth asked. "Well, of course it is, Seth. Your brothers want to spend as much time with you as they can," I said. "Call your parents, though, and let them know where you're going to be." "Yes, ma'am," he said. He went into the kitchen to call. "Is anybody going to be up for a museum crawl tomorrow?" Ed asked. "Sure, Grandpa," Kyle said. He looked at the others for approval, but nobody said anything. "We're all kind of in a World War II mood. We stopped at the battleship in Mobile, and that place was awesome." "I know! Let's make war the theme of this visit," Ed said. "Cool," the boys said almost in unison. Why is it that war excites young men? "There are two fantastic war museums here," Ed said, "the Confederate Museum and the National D-Day Museum. Tim and Kyle, your dads and I had a fabulous time there the last time they were here. Those two museums should satisfy your appetite for war artifacts." "Dad, you're forgetting some, aren't you?" Craig asked. "Am I?" "Yeah, including one of my favorites. Jackson Barracks. There's also the Chalmette Battlefield," Craig said. "Well, of course! I don't think I've ever been to the Jackson Barracks." "Yes, you have, Dad. You took Kevin and me there when I was in the eighth grade," Craig said. "Is that on St. Claude Avenue?" "Yes," Craig said. "I remember it, and you're right. That's a good one," Ed said. "If we want to branch out to the War of 1812, we should also probably visit the National Shrine of Our Lady of Prompt Succor," Ed said. Kyle and Justin looked at one another with delightful mischief and devilment when Ed said that. "It's spelled s-u-c-c-o-r," Kevin said. "It's not what you think, guys." That brought the house down, and even poor, tired Cherie showed some life when he said that. "You never know in New Orleans," Kyle said. "You got that right," Craig said, and, again, there were more peals of laughter. "It's getting late, guys. Come on. Let me show you where y'all are sleeping," Kevin said. We all said our goodnights, and Kevin took the kids up to the apartment. I went into the dining room, where the food had been set out, to put it away and to clean up the kitchen. To my surprise, it had already been done. "Rick, did you pick up the food," I asked. "No, Tim and Brian did. Didn't you notice them slip away for a few minutes?" "No, I honestly didn't. Rick, I'm so proud of you and Kevin for what you're doing with those boys that I can't even adequately express myself on the subject," I said. "They're great kids, that's for sure," he said. "You and Kevin are too modest, Son," I said. "They weren't all great kids when they came to you, now, were they?" "They all had their problems, I guess," he said. "I thought the whole business with Seth forgetting to send the email and Justin's reaction and apology was extremely touching," I said. "Kevin and I were hurt that he hadn't told us about Curt, and Justin was furious at Seth for it," Rick said. "I'm glad it worked out the way it did. Beth, when those boys refer to another boy as their brother, they mean it quite literally. Justin loves Seth, but he loves us more. I thought for a few minutes that he and Kyle were going to come to blows over it on the twin span over the lake." "Do I want to know the details?" I asked. "Not really. Just know that the whole thing was motivated by love. You know, we've talked about Kyle being an alpha male, but I think Justin might be one, too. He yields to Kyle because he feels he owes his life to Kyle. And in some ways he does. But if Kyle wasn't part of the mix, Justin would be the one in charge. They're incredible as a team, but I would hate to be around if those two ever really got at odds with one another," Rick said. "Let's pray that never happens, but you know what, my Son? If it does, you and Kevin will be right smack dab in the middle of it, like it or not. They might grow up and move away, but those boys are going to be your sons forever, Rick. And my grandsons forever, too," I said. "I'm sure we will be. Did you talk to Denny at all?" "Not nearly as much as I wanted to and will over the next few days. Kevin told me about his background with his mother and all," I said. "I've taken him on as my personal project. We went shopping a couple of weeks ago, just he and I, and I'm going to make it a point of doing things from time to time just with him. Denny isn't like the others. He's very smart, and he reads voraciously. He joined the debating team at school, and he and I have started doing research together on the topic they're debating this year," he said. "What's the topic?" I asked. "Resolved: That the United States federal government should substantially increase public health services for mental health care in the United States," he said. "Oh, my. That's quite a topic, especially for your family, with Jeff and Justin and all," I said. "Yeah, it is. He probably knows more statistics about that, and has thought more about it, than you and Ed put together," he said. "If he's thought about it at all, he's thought about it more than I have. Ed, too, I'd wager," I said. Kevin came in the back door just then. "Do you have the boys squared away," I asked. "Yes, ma'am," he said. "They're going to have quite a good time up there. It looked good, Mom. Has it been redecorated recently?" "Yes. I was slightly embarrassed when the Goodsons and George slept up there at Christmas and Mardi Gras. It's been re-done. Actually, 'done' would be the better word for it. It was all castoffs and hand-me-downs before," I said. "Well, it looks great, Mom. Rick, I'm tired," Kevin said. "Are you about ready for bed?" "Definitely," Rick said. Ed, Craig, and Cherie had all gone to bed already, and I was tired, too. I knew we had four busy days ahead of us, and I needed rest. "Goodnight, Mom," Kevin and Rick said in unison. I kissed them both, and we went to bed for the night.
That little apartment over the garage was nice. For one thing, it wasn't all that little. There were two bedrooms with queen size beds, and there was a real nice bathroom off the hall between the two of them. There was a third room that was much smaller than the bedrooms. It had a desk and easy chair in it, and it had a day bed, too. The living room was kind of a living room-dining room combination, and the kitchen had a nice counter that had bar stools and some new appliances. It could easily be somebody's home. "Damn, I don't remember this place being this nice before," Kevin said when he took us up there. "This stuff all looks new. It even smells new." "It's nice," I said. "Does that sofa open into a bed?" Tim asked. "Check and see," Kevin said. Tim checked, and it did. It already had sheets on it, too. We found pillows in a linen closet in the hall, and there were extra blankets and lots of towels, too. "You guys have your own little house in New Orleans," Kev said. "I think we ought to make this place Boysville when we're here," Justin said. "The only problem is, the ice maker in the freezer makes cloudy ice, Kyle. I reckon you won't be able to handle that." I laughed at his teasing. He had a way of bringing up little stuff like that to get to me, but it was always funny when he did it. He never cut me any slack, that was for sure. "We're moving in," Justin said. * * * The only thing bad about that apartment was that it only had one bathroom. That was going to take some coordination, I thought. Tim and I could shower together, and so could Justin and Brian, if we had to. I didn't know about Seth and Curt, though, and I figured Denny would have to be on his own regardless. The night before I had noticed they had a coffee maker in the kitchen. I woke up before anybody else, of course, and I decided to go make some coffee. I took a leak right away, and my boner started going down immediately. You read stuff about guys playing with their morning wood and jerking off and all. Mine didn't work that way. It didn't feel anything like it did when I was hard because I was turned on. Most of the time, it was so hard in the morning that it actually hurt a little. Sometimes my bladder was so full that it hurt a lot. After I finished in the bathroom, I went into the living room to get to the kitchen. Seth and Curt were on the sofa bed. They were both naked, and the cover was pulled off. They were both just as hard as they could be, too. A few years ago, if I saw two naked boys with hard-ons, I would have gotten hard immediately and stayed that way all day. Now I guess I was just too used to seeing them. Seeing Tim hard was another story, though. That still did it every time, except in the morning, of course. If he was hard any other time, it was for a reason, and that reason was me. I made the coffee and then decided to take a shower. The bathroom door was closed, but I didn't knock or anything. Denny was there sitting on the toilet. "Sorry," I said. "That's okay, Kyle. You can come in," he said. "I'll let you take a shit in private, Bubba," I said. "I'm not. I sat down to pee so I wouldn't get it all over the place," he said. "I'm finished now, anyway." "I'm going to take a shower. Want to join me?" I asked. He hesitated like he was trying to make up his mind if I would be dangerous or something. Then he said he did want to. I regulated the water, and we both got in. He was still half hard from just waking up, but I didn't pay any attention to it. He bathed, and I did, too. Then I lathered my face to shave, and you would have thought I was turning water into wine, the way he watched me. "I've never seen anybody shave before," he said. "You're kidding," I said. I was pretty surprised at that. "No, I'm not kidding," he said. "Does it hurt?" "No, unless you cut yourself," I said. "Sometimes it stings a little bit if you shave real close. You don't shave, do you?" He blushed a little bit and grinned at me. "Not yet, Kyle," he said. I looked at his face close. He had hair all over the damn place. It was real blond, so you couldn't notice it when it was dry. It was wet right then, though, and it was dark. "You need to, though, Bubba," I said. "Look at this." I reached to the side of his face and grabbed two fingers full of hair. I pulled it a little bit. "Oww," he said. "What was that?" "That was hair, Denny. Your fucking beard," I said. "You look like fucking Santa Claus." That made him laugh hard, and he almost slipped. He grabbed on to me, though, to keep from falling. "I'll let you borrow my razor," I said. "Kyle, I'm scared to do that," he said. "Yeah, I guess it would be better to start with an electric," I said. That's what Brian had done. The first time he took a wet shave I thought he was going to need a transfusion there was so much blood. He shaves in the shower now like the rest of us, and Justin told me it takes him forever to do it, too. Of course, he never misses any the way the rest of us do when we're in a hurry. "I'll shave you," I said. "Then we'll get you an electric shaver." I squirted out some shave gel on my fingers and started putting it on his face. He was squirming around, though. "Hold still," I said. "If you move around like that when I'm shaving you, I'll accidentally slash your throat." That made him laugh more, and it got me laughing, too. As I was doing that, I realized that was the first time I had ever really paid any attention to him. He was just this quiet little guy, nice as can be, who's just sort of there. I needed to do better with him. After I got his face lathered, I said, "Now hold still, you hear? I don't want to cut you." "Okay," he said. I put the razor to his cheek and made the first stroke. He got tickled and laughed. This was not going to be easy, I thought. Whatever hot water we saved by showering together was going to be more than used up because of how long it was going to take. I waited for him to calm down, and I put on my "no nonsense" face. I knew I was just as responsible for him laughing as he was because I was playing around. I can shave myself pretty fast, but shaving somebody else was another story. Out of the bottom of my eyes I could see his dick getting hard, too. I ignored it, of course, and he didn't touch it, either. There I am, shaving away, trying to get it all without cutting him. All of a sudden, he shudders and turns bright red. Then he starts crying. What the hell's going on here, I thought. I hadn't cut him. "Why are you crying," I asked, trying to sound tender and concerned, the whole time thinking, This is bullshit. "I'm sorry, Kyle. I didn't do it on purpose. It was an accident, and I couldn't help it," he said. He was crying hard. I'm not a real patient person to start with, but this was making me exasperated. "What did you do, Bubba?" I asked. He didn't answer me. Instead he looked down. I looked down, too, and then I saw what he had done. He had come, and some of it was still dripping off the end of his dick. "Are you mad at me?" "No, I'm not made at you. Come on. Let's get this finished and get out of here. I want to talk to you when we're done," I said. I said that in what I thought was the kindest voice I had access to. That poor little guy was embarrassed to death, and I was going to damn sure make him alright about it. The others were beginning to stir about. The two in the living room were still in bed, but they were all covered up. Tim was fixing himself a cup of coffee when we went into the kitchen. I kissed him good morning. Denny was digging in the refrigerator looking for juice. "Denny and I are going outside, okay? I'll tell you what happened this morning when it's just the two of us, but right now I need to talk to him," I whispered to Tim. He gave me one of his sweetest smiles. "I was wondering how long it would take for you to get to work on him," he whispered back. I laughed a little, and he smiled some more. "Denny, what happened this morning in the shower is nothing to be ashamed of, Bubba. It happens to guys all the time. It was a spontaneous orgasm. Not everybody has those, but a lot of us do," I said. "Is it because I'm gay," he asked. "Oh, hell no. It happens to straight guys, too. All the time." I was winging that on the seat of my britches. How the hell did I know if straight guys come without touching themselves? I figured it was probably a guy thing more than it was a gay thing, though. "It might happen all the time, but it's terribly embarrassing," he said. "I know. I've done it in school in the middle of a class. It's a mess, too, when you've got clothes on. Look, Den, what we were doing was pretty intimate, you know? If I had thought it through like I should have, I would have let you get dressed and I would have shaved you at the sink so you could have seen in the mirror what I was doing. As usual, though, I just acted. I didn't think. But that's beside the point now. The point I want to make is you did nothing wrong, and you have nothing to be embarrassed about or ashamed of," I said. "And I mean that, Bubba." He didn't say anything. "Are you okay?" I asked. "Don't tell the others about it, okay?" "They'll never hear it from me," I said. "But you know what? Once you get over being embarrassed and ashamed, you're going to think it's pretty funny, 'cause it is. You're going to be telling it on yourself. I'll just bet." He was quiet for a few moments, and then he smiled. "It is pretty funny, now that I think about it," he said. "I think it's fucking hilarious, Bubba. And you know something? I think you're pretty damn cute," I said. That made him blush blood red, but he also smiled. "Thank you for talking to me, Bubba," he said. "I feel a lot better now. You can tell Tim if you want to. I don't care if he knows." "Are you sure? 'Cause he doesn't have to know," I said. "No. Tell him. In fact, tell Brian and Justin, too, if you want to. You all have been so nice to me and have treated me like a brother that they deserve to know," he said. "No, I'm not telling them. Justin will tease your ass from here to Christmas if I tell him that. He may be my best friend, but I know his ass too good to give him that kind of ammunition," I said. He grinned because he knew I was right on the money. "You're happy here, aren't you?" I asked. "Kyle, I didn't even know what that word meant before I came to Emerald Beach," he said. "We were dirt poor. If I didn't eat free breakfast and lunch at school, I didn't eat. Period. My mom was always wasted on drugs, and everything was always filthy dirty. And then, on top of all of that, I got picked on constantly at school." "Speaking of that, are those two pricks leaving you and Chip alone?" "Yeah. Chip told me you talked to them. Whatever you said worked," he said. "Good." Tim and Brian came out of the apartment just then, and it was time for breakfast. "Kyle, I know we have to go in, but can I have a hug first?" he asked. I grinned at him, and we hugged right there in the yard.
Well, Dad and Kyle had decided. War was the theme of our trip. I had thought Baby was going to be the theme of our trip, but . . . And since when did trips to visit relatives have themes, anyway? I knew my dad was so excited about taking the kids to see those places he loved so much that it was fun watching him plan and direct our "museum crawl." "Denny, what's different about you, baby," my mom asked when he sat down at the table. "He took a shave this morning," Kyle said. "He took a shave?" Rick asked. Oh, oh, I thought, it's starting early. "Yeah. Isn't that what you say? Take a shave? You take a shower, take a bath, take a lea . . . " "You've made your point," Rick said, cutting him off before he could finish the word. "I've just never heard that expression used before." "I have. He says it all the time," Justin offered. He leaned over to Denny and started rubbing his face rather suggestively. My parents were laughing at his antics, and Denny was turning into Mr. Tomato Face. "Keep your hands to yourself at the table, Jus," I said. He laughed good naturedly and stopped touching Denny. "Grandpa, are you going to be doing any surgery while we're here," Tim asked. "I don't have anything scheduled, Tim, but emergencies can happen at any time," he said. "Are you interested in seeing heart surgery?" "Yes, sir. More than anything," Tim said. "Me, too," Brian said. "You want to see somebody's guts?" Justin asked. "Yeah, Buddy, I do," Brian said. "I might want to be a doctor, too." "You told me that before, Brian, but I thought you were just saying that because Tim wants to be one," Justin said. "No, I'm thinking pretty strongly that I want to be one," Brian said. "I see a group practice developing here," Craig said. "Cherie and I can handle the legal work." There was a chuckle around the table, but I knew it wasn't the laugh he expected. They're kids, Craig, I thought. They didn't really get what you just said. "Would you mind if I wanted to be a doctor," Brian asked. He was such a sweet kid. "I want you to be whatever you want to be, Little Buddy. If you want to be a doctor, that's great," Justin said. "It takes a lot of years, Jus," Brian said. "I can see it now. Me and Justin working every day at some hotel, and you guys going to classes. At night, you guys study your asses off," Kyle said. "What do me and you do while they study?" Justin asked. "Different things. Shoot pool. Go out drinking. Read a book now and then. Go to movies. Go bowling. Come over here and hang out. Go to Craig and Cherie's house and play with our cousin. We could be real busy," Kyle said. Justin was grinning and laughing all over himself. "That doesn't sound too bad, Kyle," he said. "Two doctors and two what? Innkeepers?" "Yep, hospitality is going to be my thing, I hope. I've got a long way to go, though," Jus said. "Like I don't?" Kyle asked. * * * Our first stop of the day was the National D-Day Museum. It was in an old warehouse that had been gutted, more or less, and turned into exhibit space. Because they didn't do much cosmetic work on the walls and ceiling, the place sort of reminds you of what a military barracks must have been like during the war. We started with a half-hour film about D-Day in Europe, and it was excellent. I guess I once knew details about who was actually involved in the Normandy Invasion, but that sure taught me a lot about it. "See, this is the only way to study American history," Justin said. "I have to write a paper for that class I'm taking, and I think I'm going to write it on this." "I thought your course only covers the first half of American history," Brian said. "Oh, yeah. That's right," Jus said. "We're going to go to the place where the Battle of New Orleans was fought in the War of 1812," Dad said. "Maybe that will interest you, Jus." "Cool," he said. "Why is this museum here, Dad, instead of in Washington or someplace like that?" I asked. "There's an interesting story behind that. Do you know who Andrew Higgins was?" "No, but I noticed the street out there is named for him," I said. "That's right. He owned the factory here that manufactured most of the landing craft they used in both Europe and the Pacific. There was a fellow named Dr. Stephen Ambrose who was a professor of history at UNO. He founded their Eisenhower Center, and he was personally chosen by Eisenhower to edit his papers. Anyway, Ambrose was the leading force behind getting the museum here because of the connection between D-Day and Higgins," he said. We went through the museum, and the kids were very interested in the exhibits. In typical fashion, Tim, Brian, and my dad got the taped tours, and the rest of us just walked around looking and reading. "Kevin, this is boring me to death," Cherie said to me under her breath. "Let's go get some coffee. I want to sit down anyway." Once we were set up with coffee, she said, "Nobody told me how tired I'd be." "You seemed beat last night," I said. "My God, I was. And it's like that every day. Supposedly that only happens during the first trimester. I'm only in my fifth week, though," she said. "By the end of the day, it feels like I'm walking around in one of those lead blankets they put on you at the dentist when they take the x-rays." "How many weeks does a pregnancy last?" I asked. "Forty, if all goes well," she said. "Is the doctor worried about you?" "Oh, no. Not at all. All my numbers are exactly as they should be. I've only had morning sickness a few times, too, which is great. No, this is a very normal, very ordinary pregnancy, so far," she said. "By the way, Craig no longer smokes in the house or the car because of me." "Good for him. Is he still excited about it?" "Are you kidding? He's delirious about it. Thank you again for the part you played in it. That was so good of you," she said. "Actually, I've done less enjoyable good deeds in my life," I said. She laughed. * * * The Confederate Memorial Museum was a couple of blocks away from the D-Day Museum, and that's where we went after lunch. The building looked like a mausoleum from the street, and it was just as spooky inside as it was outside. Spookier, even. That is the oldest Confederate Museum in the country, and the collection is the second largest, after the one in Richmond. Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederacy, lay in state in the building when he died in 1889, and over 50,000 mourners viewed his remains. "I think this guy must have been my great-grandpa," Justin said, referring to the plaque commemorating Jefferson Davis' wake. "Yeah, right," Kyle said. "It could be," Jus said. "My last name's Davis, you know?" "Boys, have you ever visited Beauvoir," Dad asked. "No, sir. What's that?" Kyle asked. "It's Jefferson Davis' final home. It's in Biloxi, Mississippi, right on your way home. It's worth the stop," he said. "What's there, Grandpa?" Brian asked. "Well, there's the house itself, a Confederate cemetery, a Confederate museum, the Tomb of the Unknown Confederate Soldier, the Davis Family gallery. They just opened the Jefferson Davis Presidential Library a few years ago. I haven't seen that yet, but I understand it's very nice," he said. "I might could get interested in the Civil War and the Confederacy, since my great-grandpa was the president," Justin said. "The stuff in this place is cool as hell." Dad laughed. "Having a sense of history is extremely important, boys. I'm glad to see that all of you enjoy museums. I love them." No, kidding, I thought. "Honey, I need to go home," Cherie said to Craig as we were leaving the museum. "I'm exhausted. You can drop me off and rejoin the crowd." "Sure, Baby," he said. "You want to go to our house?" "Yeah. I didn't sleep all that well last night, and I just want to get in bed and sleep," she said. "I'll go with you," he said. He told us goodbye and that he would see us the next morning for breakfast. He wasn't sure Cherie would feel like joining us, but he'd be there. We went home then, overloaded on war. |