I first got interested in blogging when I was still at the University of Florida before Clay died. I had gone to a workshop given by the GLBT Student Union on gay resources on the Internet, and one of the sessions was on blogs and blogging. It isn't a "gay thing" necessarily, but a number of bloggers are gay men. It was just one more way to help create a gay community on the Web. I kept my blog intermittently before I moved to Emerald Beach. During some periods, I wrote every day, even several times a day. At other times, I'd go two or three weeks without posting an entry. After Clay died, I was in no condition to write. When I moved into Kevin and Rick's house, though, the urge returned. "Do you guys know what a blog is?" I asked Kevin and Rick one day. "No. What is it?" Rick asked. "The word 'blog' is short for Weblog, and a Weblog is a kind of journal that a person would write on the Web. It's just kind of a day-to-day record of what happens to you and to the people around you," I said. "They usually have lots of links to news and other blogs and interesting stuff." "Who reads them?" Kevin asked. "Just anybody who wants to. Some are pretty fascinating, and you really get to know the writer well," I said. "I'll have to check that out," Kevin said. "The reason I asked you about it is I've kept one off and on for over a year," I said. "I'd like to start back." "Cool," Rick said. "Would you mind if I did that?" I asked. "I'd be writing a good bit about this family." They both kind of shrugged. "This is a pretty amazing group of people, you know? I'd like to tell the world about us," I said. "Would you use real names?" Rick asked. "Well, not last names, but yeah, if that's all right. Real first names," I said. "You guys would be 'out' to the world." "Can you take it down any time you want to?" Kevin asked. "Oh, sure," I said. "Do a few and let us see them," Rick said. I got back into the blog business that night. I still had my site up and running, so I wrote the history of my transition from being Clay's partner to being single again and in Emerald Beach. That took me several entries to complete, and then I just started talking about the day-to-day events of our lives. When Kevin and Rick looked at it, they said they didn't think it would hurt for me to continue to use real first names and real places. They actually complimented my writing skills, and that made me pretty proud. The first payoff of that was those boys from Kentucky that we met when they were here for Spring Break. Shortly after that, though, something pretty wonderful and amazing happened. I had a place for comments on each entry, of course, just like every other blogger has, and I got a comment from a guy named Josh. He included his email address, so I wrote to him. Hi, Josh, Thanks for the nice comment, man. It is really great living in a totally gay family, especially since my own family has basically disowned me because I'm gay. If you've read my blog for a while, you know that my first partner died awhile back, and these guys have healed me of the depression I suffered after his death. I won't ever be able to get him back, of course, but at least now I belong somewhere. And I've got another serious boyfriend, too, and he and I are very much in love. Jeff A couple of days later he wrote back to me. Hi, Jeff, It looks like we have at least three things in common: one, my last name is 'Martin,' too. Two, I'm also from Florida--Ft. Lauderdale. Three, my family disowned me, also. Not only that, but I have a brother named Jeff. He's straight, though. Those are really some coincidences, don't you think? Take care. Josh When I read that, I gasped for breath. I couldn't believe it. It was absolutely uncanny. I thought I had found my brother. Dear Josh, I almost fell off my chair when I read your email just now. My parents are Fred and Linda Martin. The live at 4573 Balboa Dr., Ft. Lauderdale, FL. I have a gay brother named Josh Martin, and I think you're him. If you are my brother, call me at 945-555-6969. That's my cell phone. Please be my brother! Please! Love, Jeff "Hi, Babe. What's going on?" Tyler asked. He had just come home from work. It was a Friday afternoon in mid-May. "I think I just found my brother," I said. "What?" "A guy named Josh Martin, who is from Ft. Lauderdale and whose parents disowned him and who has a brother named Jeff, commented on my blog. I wrote back to him. Here, read these," I said. He read the emails. "This is unbelievable," Ty said. "Oh, dear God, please let it be our Josh." I half expected the phone to ring immediately, but it didn't. I kept my cell phone on me, though, so I'd get his call when it came. The phone rang. "Hello," I said, almost shouting. I was a little breathless. "Hey, what's up?" It was Kyle. "Oh, it's you," I said. "Yeah, it's me. What's wrong with you? Why are you talking so loud?" he asked. "Sorry, Bubba," I said. "That's okay. Are y'all coming over tonight? I'm about to order pizza, and I want to make sure we get enough for you and Ty, if you are," he said. "Yeah, we'll be there in a few minutes," I said. "Okay. We'll see you then," he said, and he hung up. I printed out the email exchange between me and Josh to take with us to Kevin and Rick's house. I was so nervous and excited that I was trembling. I couldn't believe what was going on, but deep inside I knew I had found my brother. After we got to Kevin and Rick's, we helped ourselves to pizza. "Jeff, what's the matter, Bubba?" Kevin asked. "You seem upset." "I'm not upset, Kevin. I think I found my brother," I said. I told them the story of what had happened, and then I let all of them read the four emails. "I've heard of stuff like this happening before," Tim said. "Jeff, tell us what happened to your brother. I never did get the story on that." They all wanted to know what had happened. "When I was in the ninth grade and my brother was in the eleventh grade, my parents found out he was gay. Is gay. He had a boyfriend, and the boyfriend told his parents about them. The other guy's parents were furious, and they thought Josh had made their son turn gay. They came over to our house and confronted my parents about it. "It didn't go well. My dad got furious after they left, and he demanded that my brother tell him the truth. My brother was angry, too, so he did. He came out to them right in front of me. I'll never forget that night. I had never seen my parents fight, but they did that night. Argue, really, not physical fighting. They never did that. They screamed at each other, and my dad screamed at Josh. He told Josh he was never to see Emmett again--Emmett was the boyfriend--and Josh bowed up and said my dad couldn't stop them from seeing each other. It was a really ugly scene. "Nobody spoke in the house for over a week after that. My dad was totally contemptuous of Josh and wouldn't even look at him. Josh was angry constantly. When I tried to talk to him and tell him I loved him, he pushed me away. My mom was a basket case and cried a lot of the time. It was terrible. "We had moved to Lauderdale from New Jersey because of my dad's job. Our grandparents and two of my dad's sisters still lived in New Jersey, and he made arrangements for Josh to go live with them. Our two aunts weren't married, and they still lived with our grandparents. My parents bought him a plane ticket and called a cab to take him to the airport. They really didn't even say goodbye. "I wasn't allowed to call Josh or to write to him. It was as though he stopped existing, as far as my parents were concerned. At first, my mom cried all the time, but, eventually, she got used to the idea, I guess. I heard them arguing about it several times, but my dad remained adamant. Josh could never come home, and I was to have no contact with him at all. "After a while, things got back to normal at home. My mom perked up, and she didn't cry anymore. Gradually, we started leading our lives as though Joshua Frederick Martin didn't exist. I didn't have a brother anymore. I was an only child." "How long ago was that, Jeff?" Kevin asked. "Eight years, more or less. I'm twenty-two now, and I was fourteen when it happened," I said. "Were you guys close?" Kyle asked. "Not as close as you and Clay were, that's for sure," I said. "But I looked up to him and loved him." "I sometimes wonder how close Clay and I really were," Kyle said. "Kyle, Clay was devastated when you got so upset because he hadn't told you he was gay. He and I had several long talks about the fact that he felt as though he had betrayed you over that. I know you guys made it okay that night at Kevin and Rick's house, but I'm so sorry he didn't have more time to let you know how he felt about you, Bubba," I said. "He loved you, Kyle. I think he loved you as much as he loved me." Kyle started crying, and he excused himself. Tim went off with him. "Kyle needed to hear that, Jeff," Kevin said. "Thank you." "Have you ever tried to get in touch with Josh?" Brian asked. "Once since I've been here. Do you remember the night we went out to eat at the fancy restaurant in New Orleans, and we stopped at a drugstore to get me some medicine?" I asked. The ones who had been there said they did. "When we got home to Beth and Ed's house, Beth took me into the kitchen to talk. I called my mom that night to see if she knew how to get in touch with Josh. She and I spent most of the time on the phone crying, but she gave me a number. I tried it, but it had been disconnected," I said. "Do you know where this Josh you've been writing to lives?" Brian asked. "No, I don't," I said. "Let me see those emails," Brian said. He got up and went into the study. We all sort of looked at each other, wondering what he was up to. Trixie and Krewe followed him, of course. He was back in a few minutes. "Jeff, come here," Brian said. "What is it?" I asked. "The guy you've been writing to lives in Bloomington, Indiana. I got the homepage of his ISP, and he has a personal Web site. Come and see these pictures," Brian said. Everybody in that room was on their feet in an instant, and we charged into the study. There on the monitor was a picture of my brother and another guy. The caption said, "Me and My Sweetie." "That's him," I shouted. "That's my brother!" I clicked around, and there were a bunch more pictures of him. There was even a picture of him and me that had been taken when he was about twelve and I was about ten. Tears were flooding down my face. "He's a good looking guy, and so is his boyfriend," Rick said. The site hadn't been updated in over a year, so I wondered if they were still even together. "He has a blog, too," I said. "No wonder he found mine. We belong to several of the same Web Rings for bloggers." Kyle and Tim came in just then. "Kyle, it's really my brother," I said. "This is a picture of him." "Cool. Which one?" "The one on the left," I said. "He looks a lot like you, Bubba. I'm so excited for you. Let's call him," he said. "I wish I could. I don't know his number, though," I said. "Did you try information? You know where he lives, don't you?" Kyle said. "Yeah! Now I do, thanks to Brian." I whipped out my cell phone and dialed long distance information. I asked for his number. The recording told me what it was, and I wrote it down. "How lucky is that?" Ty asked. "I almost never get real numbers from information." "I know," I said. "Should I call the number?" "Of course, call the number," Kevin said. "Do you want us to leave?" "No! I want all of you here," I said. I dialed the number, and a guy answered on the third ring. "Hello," he said. It wasn't Josh, so I figured it was his boyfriend. "Hello. May I speak with Josh Martin, please." "Look, we're not supposed to get junk phone calls. Who are you? I'm reporting you to the Indiana Attorney General. We pay for junk-call protection, and you're in trouble, mister," he said. "This isn't a junk call. I'm Josh's brother," I said. "Jeff? Is this Jeff?" "Yeah," I said. "Oh, let me get him. Josh," he screamed. There was excitement in his voice. "It's your brother, Baby." "What?" I heard Josh say. "It's Jeff," the guy said. He was obviously excited. "Hello," Josh said. I would recognize that voice anywhere. "Josh, it's me. Jeff," I said. There was a very long pause. "Are you there?" I asked. "Yeah, I'm here. I'm a little overwhelmed right now, is all," he said. "Me, too. Did you get my email? The one I sent today?" "No. I haven't checked yet tonight. I can't believe this," he said. "Believe it, brother. It's really me," I said. We both got pretty emotional. I was crying, and I thought Josh was, too. It was like an answer to my prayers. The guys started leaving one by one to give me privacy. Josh and I had eight years to catch up on, and we had a lot of unresolved feelings about our parents to explore. After about forty-five minutes, the battery in my cell phone crapped out, so I called him on the house phone. We ended up talking for over two hours, and we had just begun to scratch the surface.
Just when I thought we had everything sorted out, Jeff discovered his brother. Rick and I were elated that the two of them had made contact, and we knew that Josh, and his partner, Patrick, would become members of our family, too. "I feel a need to get some focus on what we're doing," Rick said one day. "What do you mean, Babe?" I asked. "I don't know. I mean, we've got all these guys we're sort of responsible for, you know? Ron's going to be out of here in a couple of weeks, but we still have Brian and Denny. We're their foster parents. But we've got the older guys, too. You and I are twenty-seven. How can we be the parents of eighteen-year-olds? Justin and Kyle? And, for that matter, of Jeff and Tyler and Chuck at twenty-two, and of Josh and Patrick at twenty-four?" "This thing has gotten out of hand, hasn't it?" I said. "No, it hasn't. I just need some guidance about how we're supposed to treat them," he said. "These are real human beings, Kevin. Are we giving them what they need? Or are we fucking them up?" "Where do we turn for help?" Kevin asked. "I don't know. Are we giving them what they need?" he asked. "This is bothering you, isn't it?" I said. "Look at how many see us as their parents. I mean, I know Kyle and Tim have parents, but their parents trust us a whole lot. They expect us to be parents to those two. The rest of them don't really have parents besides us: Justin, Brian, Denny, Ron. Jeff thinks of us as parents, and so does Ty. Chuck, too. Shit, Chuck is close to being the most needy of all of them right now. And what about Chip and Brady?" Rick asked. "I don't think Chip really thinks of us as parents," I said. "No, you're probably right. Not him. But all the rest of them do," Rick said. I thought for a moment. "Do you think we need to get some help?" I asked. "Yes, I do, Kevin. I need help, even if you don't. But where do I get it?" I asked. "Let's try Tyrone Williams," I said. "Good idea." I called Tyrone the next day and told him what we needed and wanted. He was eager to help, but he wanted to come out to see us, rather than have us go see him. "I'm in a cubicle, and you can't have a private conversation in this place," he had said. "I'll be at your office at eleven o'clock." "So, what's up?" he asked, after we were settled in my office to talk. I explained our concerns, with several elaborations from Rick. Tyrone thought for several minutes before he responded. "The thing is, guys, y'all are doing a service that you would not believe," he said. "What do you mean?" Rick asked. "Well, Rick, look at your population. First of all, they're adolescents. Everybody wants three-year-olds. They don't want thirteen-year-olds. That's the bottom line. Second, most foster families think of foster care as an income supplement. Most of our foster parents are low income, and they need the money those kids bring in. The ones who don't want the extra income are doing it for religious reasons, so they can convert the kids to whatever holy-roller church they belong to. And they can usually use the extra income, too. Third, you guys are dealing with gay kids. And they're not just random gay kids. Most of them are in foster care because they are gay. I've told you guys over and over again how lucky I am to have a family like yours to place gay kids in, and I've meant that every time I've said it. Y'all are doing a fantastic job with those kids. What's the problem?" he asked. "When you say it like that, I guess there really isn't a problem. I've just felt that we've turned over so many of our parenting responsibilities to the older boys. You know who Kyle Goodson is. He just seems to take over, Tyrone. His personality is so incredibly strong that he just seems to take over," Rick said. "Has he done anything important that you disagree with?" Tyrone asked. "No, not at all," Rick said. "Then all I can say is, so what, Rick?" "But a lot of times, Kyle steps in before we can, and the boys listen to him," Rick said. "And why is this a problem?" Tyrone asked. "Unless he's leading them astray." "Well, it's not, but . . . " "Listen here, guys. You are both only twenty-seven years old. In the natural order of things, you would never be the parents of fourteen- and fifteen- and sixteen-year-old boys. I know you have responsible jobs and all of that, and I know you're both very mature. But there are a lot of people here in Emerald Beach who would think of you both as boys yourselves, because of your age," he said. "I see you both more as older brothers than as parents to these guys." "That's the way we've approached it, Tyrone. We didn't really know how to be parents when we got Tim. He was so easy, and all the other boys have been easy, too. But I think we're both feeling that we aren't giving them what they need," I said. "That Justin Davis wouldn't have been easy anywhere but here," he said. "Yeah, but he was easy here. Mainly because of Kyle and Tim," I said. "Are these boys happy?" he asked. "Yes," Rick said. "They're very happy." "Are these boys getting into trouble at school or in the community?" "No, you know they're not," I said. "Are these boys doing well in school?" Tyrone asked. "Yeah, they're doing very well. Brian was in the State Science Fair, and he's going to the International Fair in Houston later this summer," Rick said. "Denny's on the debate team, and he's working on the school literary magazine. He even won a writing contest." "Have you ever heard the expression, 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it'?" "You think that's what's going on here?" Rick asked. "No, Rick. I don't think that. I know that's what's going on here. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, and this home ain't broke, boys," Tyrone said. "So, you think we're doing okay?" Rick asked. "Kevin, would you take him out there and kick his ass for me, for not listening?" Tyrone said. We all laughed. "I'm just trying to do the right thing by the kids," Rick said. "If you don't shut up, I'm putting your ass in foster care, with Kyle in charge," Tyrone said. Rick and I both laughed hard. "We call Kyle 'Little Rick' sometimes, Tyrone," I said. "Oh, so that would be a fitting punishment for him, right?" Tyrone asked. We all laughed again. "Tyrone, it's time for lunch. Will you have lunch with us?" I asked. "Yes, I will, as your guest, for dragging my ass west of that damn bridge just to tell y'all that y'all are doing a good job," Tyrone said. We all laughed.
My enlistment in the Coast Guard was up on 31 May, but I had enough leave to be out of there on 30 April. The first session of summer school started at ECCC on 5 May, and I registered for two courses for that session. I really just needed the two sessions of summer school to get my AA degree. I had done a full year in Minnesota, and I had taken courses all along since I was in Emerald Beach, so I was in good shape. I would be able to start at the local campus of FSU in the fall. I had never been happier in my life than I was right then. Jeff and I were totally in love with each other, and we both knew it was forever between us. Accepting the fact that I was gay hadn't been easy for me, and I had wrestled with it for a long time. Since I was about thirteen, in fact. Once I met him, though, I was happy I was gay. I couldn't imagine my life without Jeff. "Josh and Patrick want to come visit this summer," Jeff said. "Cool," I said. I knew Jeff was eager to see Josh again, and I was eager to meet him, too. Patrick was kind of a wildcard, but he was obviously somebody we had to care about, since Josh did. "You're scared of meeting Josh, aren't you?" Jeff asked me. "No, I'm not scared. Why would I be scared?" I asked. He laughed. "It's okay to be scared. Don't you think I was scared about meeting your parents? And your brother?" Jeff said. "I didn't think about that," I said. "I guess you must have been." "I was, but that's okay that you didn't think of it. It all worked out great, and this is all going to work out great, too," I said. "It's not just going to be us. It's going to be the whole damn family Josh is meeting. Those guys love you, Ty. If anybody should be sweating their balls over their visit, it should be Josh and Patrick. They're coming into a big-ass, very-well-connected family, man. I forbid you to be scared." I laughed. "Thanks, Kyle," I said. "That did sound a lot like him, didn't it?" he said. "Yeah, it did," I said. "He's amazing, isn't he?" Jeff was quiet for a few moments. "You know Kyle saved my life, don't you?" Then it was my turn to be quiet. I knew Jeff thought Kyle had saved him, and I knew he loved Kyle as much as he loved anybody, maybe even me. "He's a remarkable guy, Ty. And I love him very, very much," Jeff said.
My graduation week was unbelievable. I had so much fun. Thursday, Craig and I, plus Philip and Ryan, got to spend almost the whole day together. We went to Gulf World, which was great, but then we went to Ship Wreck Island. We had a wonderful time on all those water "rides." They weren't really rides. They were more like slides and stuff like that, and I had a blast. Me and Philip and Ryan had been there a bunch of times, but that was a first for Craig. "I can't believe you put me in this little white Speedo," Craig said. "Do you want to wear mine? I'll swap with you," I said. "Shit, no. That one is even smaller than mine," he said. "What the hell are you whining about? You're a grower, anyway, man. Nobody is going to notice you," I said. He wasn't really a grower. He was a shower, and you could see the outline of that dick and those balls very plainly through that suit. I had given him a white one on purpose for just such as that. "Kyle, I feel like I'm naked," he said. "But you ain't, Bubba. Grow up," I said. "Fuck it," he finally said. "I guess this will have to do." That night my brothers gave me a party. It was the usual crowd, plus my dad, Tim's dad, Grandpa, and Craig, and we had a good time. My parents had told me several weeks before graduation they wanted to get me something real nice as a graduation present, but I really didn't need anything or want anything. "What about a new car?" my dad had asked. That sort of perked me up. "Like what?" I asked. "Well, everybody seems to like those SUV's. A man showed me his new Toyota Sienna the other day, and that was a fine looking piece of machinery," he said. "Hell, son, I wouldn't mind having one of those for myself." "Would it be a lease?" I asked. "Yeah. Or would you rather have a Jeep? I know how much you love Tim's," he said. "I do love his, but I drive it often enough to satisfy that need," I said. "It really ain't all that practical for hauling folks, you know?" "That Sienna seats seven. That's two more than your Mazda. You could also haul quite a bit of junk with the two banks of back seats folded down. I'll tell you, Kyle, I'm not a car expert, by any means, but that thing really looked nice to me the other day. Why don't you get some of your boys to go look at one and see if you like it," he said. Tim, Justin, Brian, and I went to look at a Sienna, and it was as cool as my dad had said it was. But cool to him wasn't necessarily cool to me. It didn't come with four-wheel drive, for one thing, and it looked more like a van than an SUV. The man showed us a Land Cruiser, though, and that's what I decided I wanted. "Look at the sticker price on this mother," Jus said. "Yeah, but boys, nobody pays the sticker price," the salesman said. "Who's this going to be for?" "For me, if I get it," I said. "It's going to be a graduation present from my parents." "What did you say your name was?" he asked. "Kyle. Kyle Goodson," I said. "Any relation to Gene Goodson?" he asked. "Yes, sir. He's my daddy," I said. "I see," the man said. "Do you know him?" I asked. "Not personally, but I certainly know who he is," he said. "Can you get this on a lease? That's the only way he gets cars. Through his business," I said. "Sure you can," he said. "How many cars does your daddy lease, Carl?" "Kyle, not Carl," I said. "Tell you the truth, I don't really know, but it's quite a few." "Oh, sorry. Kyle, I meant. Has he ever leased Toyotas before?" he asked. "No, sir. I think this would be the first one. You never can tell, though. This might start a new trend," I said. Kevin always said our family has more resources than most families and we ought to use them when we can. If that guy thought my daddy's business might want to get into a Toyota fleet, he just might be able to sharpen his pencil a little more than usual. "We'd sure be happy to do business with him," he said. I took the Land Cruiser for a test drive, and that thing was a dream. It had more gimmicks and gadgets in it than a Leer jet, and the stereo was out of this world. There were eight speakers. We all took turns driving it, too, and every one of them said the same thing about how good it handled. All four of us drove to Destin after we turned it in to talk to my dad. "Daddy, that Sienna was real nice, but it's more of a van than an SUV, don't you think?" I said. "You didn't like the shape of it?" he asked. "I don't want you to think I'm ungrateful, Daddy, because it's a beautiful vehicle. You can't get it with four-wheel drive, though, and we're going to need that, especially when we go up to North Carolina," I said. "I didn't know that. I agree about wanting four-wheel drive, though," he said. "Did you see anything else you liked?" "Yes, sir. I saw a Land Cruiser, and, Daddy, it's a real honey. But you know what, Daddy? The bottom line is, I don't really need a new car," I said. "I know you don't, son, but your mama and I want to do something special for you. Let us spoil you a little, son, okay?" he said. "I'll let you spoil me," Justin said. We all laughed. "Brian, how do you put up with him?" Dad asked. "Mostly I ignore him," Brian said. We chuckled. "By the way, son. Mack Mixon thinks you invented dog training. He told me he thought it was a waste of your time to go to college and medical school," he said. We all laughed, and Brian damn sure blushed. "Let me ride over there and look at it," Daddy said. "What's the sticker on this thing, anyway?" I told him, and he whistled softly. "That's what we pay for your mama's cars, Kyle," he said. "Daddy, if that's too much, I understand, and like I said before, I don't really need a new car. Mine's got, like, 40,000 miles on it, and it'll be good for a long time to come," I said. "Yeah, but you're getting a new car, and that really ain't too much. Besides, I think I can talk to the man. Who knows? If this works out, I might just switch to Toyotas for all the cars we lease," he said. I grinned. That's exactly what I thought. "Daddy, one thing I've been thinking about," I said. "What?" "I know you'll want to trade my car, but do you think there's any way I could keep it for the summer?" I asked. "No, we want this to be your graduation present, Kyle. It won't seem like that if you wait till September to get it," he said. "No, sir. That's not what I mean. I mean, go ahead and get the new one, but keep the old one, too," I said. "What do you need two cars for?" he asked. "Y'all got Justin's truck. I mean, I have a car and a truck, but y'all got that covered." "Yes, sir, I know, but we're probably going to have some boys staying with Kevin and Rick this summer. Just for the summer. They're going to need transportation," I said. "Like who?" "Like Tim's cousin Paddy, for one. You met him. The guy from Boston? He's coming for the summer, Daddy. And different ones will be in and out. Most of them will have transportation, but Chris and David won't. And Paddy won't. We're going to need an extra car. I'm telling you," I said. "Now you're asking me to spoil you, Kyle," he said. He was smiling, though. "Yeah, I reckon I am, but . . .," I said. "Hell, it's only money. You can keep it for the summer, but not after they all go home, you hear?" he said. "Yes, sir. Thank you, Daddy. You won't be sorry." "Kyle, boy, you got balls the size of watermelons," Justin said, once we were in the car on the way home. "What are you talking about?" I demanded. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. Getting him to let you keep this car on top of a new one. I ain't believing it," he said. "I'm glad you thought of that, Kyle," Tim said. "We are going to need extra cars this summer." "I know. That's why I did it," I said. "Who all's coming this summer, anyway?" "Paddy's going to be here the whole summer, just like you said," Tim said. "Are Chris and David coming?" "Yeah, but just for two weeks, I think. Chris wants to spend the whole summer here, but he's got a girlfriend and all, you know? Plus, he can't lay off therapy for that long. Yet, anyhow. He'll get to that point someday, though," I said. "Can he drive?" Brian asked. "Hell, yeah, he drives. He doesn't have a car yet, but he's saving for one," I said. "I think he's going to get it for Christmas. He thinks his parents will spring for half of it, if he saves up the other half." "Is he working?" Brian asked. "Yeah, he's working, Bri. Or will be this summer, anyway. He's going to be a physical therapy aide or something. He just found out about that. Don't you guys write to each other?" I asked. "Yeah, but not every week or anything," Bri said. "When are they coming?" "They want to be here for Justin's birthday, so the last week of June and the first week of July. They have to go see Chris's grandparents when they leave here," I said. "Cool," Bri said. "Who else is coming?" Tim asked. "Seth and Curt are, but just for a long weekend," I said. "Fourth of July, too." "So, what are we going to do about the baby?" Jus asked. "What do you mean, do about the baby?" I asked. "Well, ain't we going there when he's born?" he asked. "I'd like to," I said. "Kyle, my dad and Sonya and I were talking about that. They think we should give them a couple of weeks before we charge over there," Tim said. "They said they think they need to get used to having him and get settled down a little bit before we go." "Yeah, I guess he won't really be a toy, will he?" I said. "Damn. This secret shit about the name is driving me crazy. What's Cherie's daddy's name?" "I think she said it was Robert," Brian said. "Are you thinking they're going to name him that?" "They might. Robert Edward or Edward Robert. Something like that," I said. "Of course, I'm holding out for Kyle." They laughed. "Yeah, you would. That would be too confusing," Jus said. "Not to me. I'd be Kyle; he'd be Little Kyle, just like Little Kyle Broman, from North Carolina," I said. "I thought the Bromans live in Chicago," Brian said. "Yeah, they do, but we met them in North Carolina. Speaking of that, would y'all like a long weekend up there? I don't think we're getting much of a vacation this summer," I said. "Hell, yeah. I love it there," Jus said. "I could cheerfully live there." "I know. Me, too. Would y'all mind if we took Philip and Ryan with us?" I asked. "Hell, no. We could take Gage and Chad, too," Justin said. "There's plenty of room up there and in your new car, too." "That's a good plan," I said. I picked up my new car early Friday morning after I graduated. To me, there's no better smell than the smell of a new car. I had no idea what my daddy had worked out about the price, and I knew he wouldn't tell me if I asked. I drove that thing home happy and proud. |