---

Jeff's Perspective

Our wedding was unbelievable. Ty actually got some of the food, and he said it was delicious. I was too nervous to eat, plus I really didn't have time because of all the people there were to greet. Ty and I danced the traditional first dance as a married couple, but I danced a bunch after that. I slow danced with Rita and Sonya and Beth and Cherie, and I fast danced with my brothers, too. I danced with them both individually and collectively.

"Rita, this is the nicest party I've ever been to, and I've been to some really nice ones. Mostly at your house and Beth's house," I said. "Thank you for doing this for us."

"Gene and I are happy to do this, Jeff. You're like our son, you know," Rita said.

"Yes, and I consider myself very fortunate to have the two of you," I said.

"I'm glad your brother and his partner could be here. It's too bad your parents couldn't make it," she said.

"Yeah, well . . . "

"I saw that their names were on the invitation list. Did they respond in any way?" she asked.

"No, and I really didn't expect them to. The same with Tony's parents," I said. "It's too bad all parents of gay men can't be like you, the Murphys, the Foleys, and the Joneses."

"You're right. Jeff, it's their loss, not yours. I mean, I don't know your parents, but I just don't understand how they could cut off both of their children, as your parents have done. By the way, the Joneses are delightful people. Of course, I'm not surprised, knowing Tyler," she said.

"Yeah, they're pretty neat people. I wish they lived closer so we could see more of them," I said.

"Maybe they'll wise up and retire here to Emerald Beach. Surely living in Minnesota must be difficult in the winter," she said.

"They've actually talked about it, and it's a definite possibility," I said. "Ty and I definitely won't be moving to Minnesota."

"Jeff, changing the subject . . . when are you going to graduate?" she asked.

"In May. Ty has another year to go after this one, and then he'll be finished, too," I said.

"That's marvelous. I know Kevin or Rick will have something lined up for you in the business. They'd better, anyway, or Gene will have a fit," she said.

"I think we'll be well taken care of," I said.

"Any thoughts on graduate school? Gene says you don't need an M.B.A. to run a hotel, but they seem to be so popular these days," she said.

"That's a possibility down the line, I guess, but not right away," I said.

"Mama, come dance with me," Kyle said as he came up to us.

"Kyle, I'm talking to Jeff, Son," she said."

"Oh, sorry," Kyle said.

"That's all right, Rita," I said. "There are still quite a few people I haven't spoken with yet, so I should probably circulate."

"Yes, you should, Son," she said, and she and Kyle went off to dance.

"So, Babe, what do you think?" Ty asked me when Rita left.

"This is the happiest day of my life," I said.

"Mine, too," he replied. "Jeff, I can't believe how lucky I am to have found you. And on the Internet, too. It's remarkable, isn't it?"

"Do you remember our first date?" I asked.

"Yeah. I was so nervous I could barely keep from trembling. I got a hard-on as soon as I saw you, and I was scared to death you'd notice it," Ty said.

"I did notice it, and I had one, too," I said.

"I remember thinking about it later and realizing that a hard-on under those circumstances is a pretty big compliment, and I noticed yours, too," Ty said. "Thank God these pants we're wearing are as baggy as they are."

"I know; me, too. Do you want to dance?" I asked.

"Are you kidding? If we did that, we'd flood the dance floor," he said.

I chuckled. "You're right. Maybe we'd better go off in different directions for right now."

"Okay," he said, and we kissed and split up.

* * *

One aspect of the wedding that took me by surprise was the number of gifts we received. Rita had insisted that each couple pick out sterling sliver flatware, china, and crystal patterns, as well as everyday tableware.

"What are we going to do with this crap, if anybody gives any of it to us?" Tony had said when we were picking it out.

"Use it, I guess," Chuck said. "But I doubt that we'll get much of it. This shit is expensive."

"Yeah, but one day you'll be glad you have it," Kevin said. "We're sure glad we have our stuff."

"Who gave it to you?" I asked. "Since you didn't have a big wedding and all?"

"I actually inherited it from my grandmother on my father's side. Really, my dad inherited it, and he gave it to me," Kevin said.

"Did Craig get some, too?" I asked.

"Oh, yeah. There was a ton of it," Kevin said.

"Is Ed an only child?" I asked.

"No, he wasn't. He had a brother, but he was killed in Vietnam. His brother wasn't married, so my dad was the sole heir of his parents' estate. His father was a doctor, too. Did you know that?" Kevin said.

"No, I didn't," I said. "Do you think we're going to get any of this stuff?"

"Probably. Some of the people on that guest list are pretty high rollers, so y'all might end up with quite a bit," Kevin said.

Kevin's prediction turned out to be quite accurate, and both couples got a lot of the things we had picked out. Since every bit of it was "open stock," we could fill in whatever we didn't get at some point in the future. We got other things, too, of course, but we each got enough tableware to host a very elegant dinner party.

Another thing that surprised me was how highly organized the "wedding industry" is. About 99.9% of the stuff you can buy is all about "the bride," but we bought some of it and used it anyway. For example, we each bought a set of file cards so we could record the name and address of the people we invited, on individual cards. There is a place to write in what the gift is from the people whose names are on the card, and a place to check when you send the "thank you" note. Then, for added convenience, there is a place to check when you send a Christmas card every year. I had never seen anything like that before, but it looked like it would be really useful for the wedding and in the future, too. The directions that came with that recommend you write it all in pencil, so it can be erased when addresses, and names, too, change.

Something else that was news to me was the number of parties that were given in our honor before the wedding itself. Rita and Gene are members of "high society," if you can even call it that in Emerald Beach, and they have entertained in honor of many couples through the years. Rita did something pretty damn clever, I think, to make sure her friends knew just what was going on. She personally sent out "save the date" cards.

This was something none of the four of us had ever heard of, but apparently it's done all the time. Right after we decided on a date for the wedding, she had these cards printed up saying that her "honorary son, Mr. Jeffrey Martin" would be getting married on December 26th, and the people who got cards knew they would be invited to the wedding. It amounted to putting the good citizens of Emerald Beach on notice that it was time to start reciprocating for all the parties she and Gene had been giving for so long. And it worked. There were four large dinner parties and three cocktail parties in our honor, and there was a brunch for out-of-town guests the morning of the wedding. These were each hosted by as many as eight couples. We were writing "thank you" notes fast and furiously, but that's just the way it was done.

* * *

The reception was supposed to be over at 8:30, so the four grooms left at eight o'clock. We were staying in the hotel that night and would be leaving from there the next morning to drive to Ft. Lauderdale, where we would meet our cruise ship.

As soon as the four of us got on the elevator, Tony grabbed Chuck and laid a major lip lock on him. Tyler, not to be outdone, did the same to me, and we rode up to the tenth floor in one continuous kiss. Quite naturally, all four of us got super turned on.

We were staying in the Presidential Suite. It had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a small kitchen, and a large sitting room. The furnishings in that place were unbelievable. As soon as we got inside, each couple went to their bedroom. I don't know what Tony and Chuck did, but Ty and I were all over each other in an instant. He and I made the most intense, the most passionate love of our lives that night. Several times.

Two hours later, we were thoroughly drained, literally and figuratively.

"Jeff, I don't know how many times we've done this since we've been together, but it's never been as good for me as it was tonight," Ty said.

"I know. For me, too. God, I love you, Mr. Jones."

"And I love you, Mr. Martin," he said.

I got up to peek into the living room, and Tony and Chuck were in there opening a bottle of champagne. Chuck saw me.

"Come on out and let's drink a toast," he said. "If you can still walk, that is."

I laughed.

"Did you hear him?" I asked Ty.

"No. What did he say?"

"They want us to drink a toast," I said.

"Okay," Ty said.

Ty got out of bed and reached for one of the terrycloth robes that came with the room.

"They're not wearing anything," I said.

"In that case, I won't, either," he said, and we joined our friends, naked as the day we were born.

Tony handed each of us a glass of champagne.

"Here's to love, commitment, fidelity, and undying friendship," he said.

We all said "here, here."

We took a sip of the wine, and each couple kissed.

When we broke our kisses, after several minutes, Tony stepped away from Chuck with a semi-erection. The rest of us were as limp as cooked spaghetti.

"Look at him. Can you believe this shit?" Chuck said, flipping Tony's penis up and down. "You might as well take a cold shower because I can't do it again tonight."

We all laughed.

"I can't help it if you turn me on, Baby," Tony said. He was cute in the way he said it.

"Baby, I'm flattered, and maybe a little later, okay, but I'm exhausted right now," Chuck said.

"I know. I am, too. I honestly don't know where this came from. Besides, it's at ease now," he said, and his penis was totally flaccid.

"Guys, this whole thing has been un-fucking-believable to me," Ty said. "I have never in my life even imagined feeling the way I do right now. I never, ever thought I'd be this happy or have friends that I love as much as I do you guys. We've got it good, don't we?"

"I'll say. When my mom died and our house burned down, I thought that was the end of my life," Chuck said. "But you know what? I wouldn't have what I have right now if that hadn't happened. I doubt that I would have ever come out or dated guys, as long as she was alive."

"Was your mom homophobic?" I asked. I had a hard time believing she would have been.

"Oh, no. Not at all. I was just terribly ashamed of being gay, and I could never have admitted that to her. Or to anyone, really, if it weren't for the time I spent with Kevin and Rick. They're fucking miracle workers. You know that?"

"I know they worked one on me. Probably more than one, if the truth were known. Them and Kyle," I said.

"Did you notice him tonight? He was having a good time, that's for sure. Those four boys are like us, you know? I hope all five couples can stay together and stay close," Tony said.

"I don't see any reason we won't," I said. "Eventually, we might each want our own place, but I see us living in houses next door to one another when that happens. I see us working together, going on vacations together, hanging out and partying together. I think we're in for some very happy lives, guys."

The four of us settled into a companionable silence. I was thinking about how incredibly lucky I am and about how much I love Tyler. It had been an exhausting five or six days, and we were tired. Tony was the first one to nod off to sleep, and his empty champagne glass slipped from his fingers onto the thick carpet, with a gentle 'plunk.' Chuck noticed, woke him up, and led him off to bed. Ty and I went to bed, too, then, and we drifted off to sleep in each other's arms.

Tony's Perspective

When we first started making honeymoon plans, nobody could agree on where we should go. Since we hadn't had to put out a dime for any aspect of the wedding, we knew we could afford pretty much anything we wanted to do. Not only that, but Kevin and Rick's gift to each couple was a check for $5,000, and we could have a grand honeymoon with that.

Tyler had suggested we go to Vermont and have a Civil Union ceremony as part of our honeymoon. I liked that idea, but Chuck and Jeff both thought that going to Vermont in December and early January is crazy.

Chuck thought a trip to Europe would be fun. Jeff loved that idea, but Ty reminded us that he and Jeff had to start the second semester shortly after New Year's. Ty thought the trip was a great idea, but he wanted to postpone it until we had more time.

"I've never been on a cruise. Have any of you guys?" I asked.

They hadn't.

"I hear those things are fabulous, especially in the winter. I wouldn't mind going on a Caribbean cruise," I said.

They all liked that idea, and, since it was my idea, I was charged with the responsibility of getting that organized. The next day I gave my secretary the assignment of getting information about Caribbean cruises.

They say an executive, if that's really what I am, is only as good as his secretary, and I have one who is fantastic. By the end of the day, she had a packet of information that she printed off the Internet that was a good half inch thick. She gave it to me in a manila envelope as I was leaving for the day.

"I put those in what I thought might be priority order, with the best ones first," she said.

"Thank you so much," I said.

"No problem. I think what you guys are doing is so incredibly romantic. If I can help in any way, please don't hesitate to ask me," she said. "And I don't mean just during the work day, okay, Tony?"

"Thank you, sweetie. I wish you were a guy," I said.

She giggled.

"Get out of here. Go home to that stud of yours," she said.

"Yes, ma'am," I said, and I left.

After we ate, we cleared off the coffee table and I spread out the packets in the order that she had put them in. The first one was a seven-night cruise of the eastern Caribbean on the Celebrity Millennium, a ship that had gone into service on July 1, 2000. The dates of the cruise were perfect for our schedule, and it sailed out of Ft. Lauderdale. It was about $1,500 per person, which was well within our budget, and, maybe best of all, it was being billed as "all gay."

"Whoa! Listen to this," Jeff said.

We had each picked up one of the first four, and he had happened to get number one. He read from the printout all about the luxury of the ship, the itinerary, and all about the activities that were available.

"Here's the schedule," he said. "December 28th: Leave Ft. Lauderdale at 4:00 PM. December 29th: At sea. December 30th: San Juan, Puerto Rico, 1:00 PM till 2:00 AM. December 31st: St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, 8:00 AM till 6:00 PM; special New Year's Eve party on ship. January 1st: Casa de Campo, Dominican Republic, 8:00 AM till 6:00 PM. January 2nd: Labadee (private island), 9:00 AM till 6:00 PM. January 3rd: At sea. January 4th: Ft. Lauderdale, 8:00 AM."

"Damn! That sounds like a perfect schedule for us. Our second semester starts on Monday, January 11th. Guys, this is too good," Ty said.

"I kind of like the fact that it's 'gay only,'" I said. "I mean, I know we can all hang out with straight people all day long, but, guys, this is our honeymoon. There probably won't be any kids on it, for one thing, and I think I'd just feel more comfortable in that kind of environment. This one gets my vote."

"Mine, too," they all said in unison.

"It's seven nights on the ship. I guess that's when they do most of the sailing. At night. There's nothing bad about this," Chuck said. "And there's a hell of a lot good about it."

"Do you think we can get a flight from here to Ft. Lauderdale?" I asked.

"No. I know we can't. I mean, I'm sure we can, but it would be through Atlanta or Memphis, probably, which is bullshit. We'd have to drive, which would take us what? Eleven or twelve hours? That's not bad, considering. And it doesn't leave until the twenty-eighth. We've got the twenty-seventh to get there. Coming back, we can take our time. We can even stop off in Orlando for a day, do the Magic Kingdom. Or whatever. You know what I mean?" Chuck said.

"Do you guys want me to get Sheila to book it tomorrow?" I asked.

They all said they did.

"And have her book a couple of nights in Orlando at the ass end of it, too," Chuck said. "It's been a hell of a long time since I've been there, and I'd like to do Disney World again."

"I've never been there," I said.

"Me, either," Tyler added.

"Okay, guys. That's what it's going to be. I think we got this thing knocked," I said.

* * *

The morning after the wedding everybody was up and ready to leave by eight o'clock. The hotel was all complimentary, even room service, if we had ordered any, so we didn't have to fool with checking out. Our sheets were a total disaster with dried cum, and I was sure Jeff and Ty's were, too. We left housekeeping a $100 tip for that very reason. And then we took off.

We took Jeff's car because it was the best one we had, and we made surprisingly good time. In fact, we got there in ten hours.

"Are you going to call your parents?" Tyler asked Jeff.

"No," Jeff said. "They don't have sons anymore, remember? They only have two boys they gave birth to and raised. They're not interested in my brother and me. We're both fags, remember?"

"That's right. You grew up in Ft. Lauderdale, didn't you?" Chuck said.

"Yeah. We can go out tonight, if you guys are interested. There's a huge gay community here, and some of the clubs are pretty awesome," Jeff said.

"I wouldn't mind," I said. "I've only ever been to a couple of gay bars, and you and I have never been to one together, have we, Baby?"

"Nope. I've never been to one. Period," Chuck said.

"Neither have I," Ty said. "I'd like to check it out just to see what it's like."

"All righty, then. It sounds like we've got a plan for the night. The ship doesn't leave until four tomorrow, so we don't have to be up at the crack of dawn. I can't tell you guys how happy I am right now," I said, and happy tears started streaming down my face.

"I think we're all in the same boat as you, Tony," Jeff said. "I know I am."

* * *

I had only ever been on one vacation before in my life, and that was just a four-day camping trip with my mom and her then-boyfriend when I was about eight years old. We had the best time on that trip that I think any four guys have ever had. As far as I could tell, there were no women on the ship at all. It was all guys, and couples were holding hands, kissing, hugging each other, and maybe even doing a little stand-up dry fucking all over the place.

Every place we landed was totally different, and they had different excursions at every one of them, too. The first place we landed, San Juan, Puerto Rico, was the biggest city, and the nightlife there was fabulous. We took a two-hour bus tour of San Juan and saw all the major sights. My second favorite place was that private island. It was a huge resort, and it was totally a beach day. All nude. We snorkeled and even did a little SCUBA diving under close supervision. I knew Kyle loved to dive, and I decided I was going to work on my certification when I got back to Emerald Beach. That was fun.

The food on the trip was unbelievable, and any drink you wanted was right there for the asking on the ship. We spent time in the hot tubs, and all four of us took a cooking class for men. That was cool, and we needed that. One night we went to the casino on board, but that really wasn't our cup of tea. They had several theaters, and we saw several "gay" movies. I knew those would never make it to Emerald Beach, and I enjoyed them.

"I didn't think anybody could do as much as we have in seven days," I said after we landed back home in Ft. Lauderdale. "It was unbelievable."

"I know. This was the best," Ty said. "Thanks for organizing it, Tony."

The rest of them thanked me, too.

"And the thing is, we've still got Disney ahead of us," I said.

* * *

Disney World was fantastic, as I knew it would be. All my life I had dreamed about going to that place, or to Disney Land in California, and I wasn't one bit disappointed. Kevin and Rick had taken some of the kids to Gay Days the previous June, and I knew that one day Chuck and I were going to be there for that, hopefully with Jeff and Ty.

"You really like this, don't you?" Chuck asked me.

"I love it," I said. "I've wanted to come here all my life, Baby. Thank you so much for suggesting it."

When I said that, he smiled at me in a way that all but melted my heart. I wanted so bad to kiss him just then. I didn't, though. Instead, I grabbed his hand and squeezed it hard. He knew what I meant.

Kevin's Perspective

"What you reckon they're doing?" Kyle asked.

Justin glanced at his watch. "At right this minute? Probably fucking," he said. "I know I would be."

"Okay, guys. That's enough speculation, okay?" I said.

"Kevin, I think you're the most up-tight guy in this house. You know that?" Jus said.

"Justin . . . "

"What, Kevin? You know we smoke. You know we drink. You know we fuck. What is it with you and Rick, Kevin? Huh? We can do it; we just can't talk about it," Justin said.

"Jus, Rick and I are trying to create a world here where it's safe and acceptable to be a gay teenager. But, Justin, there are laws that we have to at least pay lip service to. Take you and Brian. You're nineteen and he's seventeen. If you had sex with Brian, that would be a felony. It's totally fucked up, but that's the way it is, man. That's why you can't talk about it. Think about Rick and me. We would be put under the jail if we did anything with these younger guys," I said.

"Yeah, but you're not going to do that, anyway," Justin said.

"You're right. We're not. But the people around town don't know for sure that we aren't doing it right now. I know it's hard to understand and confusing, but we really can't talk about what we do in private," I said. "Or what anybody does in private. If Rick and I make love, orally or anally, that's against the law. They never go after people like us, but every time Rick and I make love we're committing a crime."

"That is way too fucked up, man," Justin said.

"I know it's fucked up, Justin, but that's the law, man. So just keep your big, fat mouth shut, okay?" I said.

Justin chuckled.

"Kevin, I would cheerfully kill for you and Rick, and for what you're doing here, and you know it," Jus said.

"We know that, Bubba," I said. "So, are you guys ready for the second semester? Tim and Brian, it's your last one as high school boys."

"I guess I'm as ready as I'm ever going to be," Brian said.

"Me, too, but Brian and I don't have cushy schedules like somebody had last year," Tim said.

"Who you talking about, l'il boy? Me?" Kyle asked, his grumble very evident.

"Who do you think? Justin?" Tim said. His Emerald Beach Grumble wasn't as good as Kyle's or Justin's, but it was pretty damn good.

"All right, Babe, you got the Grumble down," Kyle said. He and Tim high-fived.

"I know. I've been listening to you for three damn years, and I can grumble with you anytime you want to," Tim said.

We all laughed.

"Yeah, you can grumble, but can you grapple?" Kyle asked.

"What do you mean?" Tim asked in his normal voice.

"That means, can you wrassle me?" Kyle asked.

"Yeah, I can. Later in bed. Not here, though," Tim said.

"I know. It's gotta be skin on skin," Kyle said.

We all laughed. It was funny, but it was getting close to being too personal.

"Guys, that's probably as far as we want to go with that, okay?" Rick said.

"Okay, I hear you," Kyle said.

* * *

The second semester at Beachside High School and Emerald Coast Community College started on Tuesday, January 4th. There was some speculation in town that they set the return date on a Tuesday because the bowl game FSU was in was on Sunday night. But we figured they give the same number of holidays every year, and every year the day of the week of Christmas determines what the Christmas break will consist of. Besides, they didn't know about the bowl game when they made out this year's schedule.

"I don't know about this college shit," Justin said the night before the second semester started.

"Justin, this is your fourth semester of college. Are you still scared, Bubba?" Rick asked.

"I'm terrified, Rick," he said.

"What's your overall GPA, Bubba?" Rick asked.

"I dunno," Justin said.

"I know. It's 3.725," Brian said.

"Justin, that's a fabulous GPA," Rick said. "That's the highest honors, man."

"I know it is, but this time I'm probably going to flunk everything," Justin said.

Brian grabbed his chin.

"Justin. Look at me. Shut up about flunking. You. Are. Not. Going. To. Flunk. Anything," Brian said emphatically.

"I know that's what y'all say, but that ain't necessarily what it's going to be," Jus said.

"Davis, you're so full of shit, you stink from here," Kyle said. "You ain't going to flunk nothing, and I ain't, either. You and me got the exact same classes, and we ain't going to flunk 'em. You and me are both going to graduate from Emerald Coast in May, and I guarantee that, son."

"You're really both going to graduate from Emerald Coast this semester?" I asked in surprise.

"If I pass it all, I will. Which I doubt," Justin said.

"You, too, Kyle?" I asked.

"Yes, sir. And we'll pass it all. I guarantee," Kyle said.

"Justin, that's pretty amazing, for you, especially. I know Kyle had a bunch of college credits through dual enrollment courses in high school, but you didn't have any when you started," I said.

"I know. That's the miracle of it all," Jus said. "I can barely read and write, and here I'm fixing to graduate from a damn college. If I pass it all, that is."

I thought about the boy--the man, really--sitting across from me, and all of a sudden I was filled with emotion. Tears came to my eyes.

"What the hell's wrong with you?" Justin demanded.

"I don't know, Justin. I guess I'm just pretty damn happy and proud right now. Is that okay with you?" I said, in my lame attempt at the grumble.

"Yeah, it's okay with me. You l'il pussy," he said, grinning.

"Come here, guys," I said, meaning Justin and Kyle. "Sit on either side of me so I can hug you."

They did as I said.

"How gay is this?" Kyle said.

"Shut up, you little prick," I said. "Guys, I don't tell y'all this often enough, but I love you very, very much."

"We love you, too, Kevin," Justin said. "We never talk about it, but we do. And Rick, too. You guys have given me life, and I mean that."

"Kevin, I love you, too, and I know you're just being affectionate and all," Kyle said. "But this position is uncomfortable as hell."

I laughed, but I also turned them loose. It was pretty uncomfortable for me, too.

"I guess you'll be going up to the high school tomorrow with Todd, right?" Rick asked.

"Yeah. I wonder if the fax of his birth certificate came in. Surely Mary Ann would have called if it had," I said.

"She did call, Babe. I erased the message because I assumed you had heard it. I'm sorry, Kevin," Rick said.

"That's no big deal. I'll just have to swing by the office to get it before we go to school to register tomorrow," I said.

"Just fax it to the school," Kyle said. "Make the technology work for you, Bubba."

"Yeah, I guess I could do that. Why do they even need a birth certificate?" I asked.

"They don't. Just to start kindergarten," Brian said. "You don't have my birth certificate, do you?"

"No. You're right. We don't. But you know what? If you guys are serious about going to Europe this coming summer, you're going to need a passport. And to get a passport, you definitely need a birth certificate. I know we've got yours, Justin. Tim and Kyle, you guys have birth certificates, don't you?" I said.

"I must have one somewhere. I've got a passport," Tim said.

"I got one, too," Kyle said. "They're good for a few years, aren't they?"

"Ten years," I said. "Brian, take care of that, would you? You can order them on line. If there's a fee, get Justin to give you the household credit card he has, to pay for it."

"Okay," Brian said.

* * *

The next morning Justin had his usual back-to-college jitters at breakfast. I don't ordinarily think of Justin as being "cute," but he really is. In appearance and demeanor, he is this big, tough, macho guy, who is totally self-confident and self-assured. In reality, though, deep down, Justin is a pretty vulnerable little boy.

"Shut up about being scared to death about college, Justin. Every time you start a new semester, it's like it's the end of the fucking world or something. Every damn time, you're so scared you're about to shit your pants. Have you ever done that? Huh?" Kyle grumbled.

"No, but that don't mean it can't happen," Justin said.

"It's not going to happen, Davis, so shut the fuck up about it, okay?" Kyle said.

"No," Justin said. "Why are you picking on me, Kyle? Huh?"

"I'm not picking on you, Bubba. But look at the facts. You're a fucking honor student, man. I'm not. Your GPA is summa cum laude. You said last night that you can barely read and write. That is such bullshit . . . I can't even say how much bullshit that is. Stop putting yourself down, okay?" Kyle said, rather adamantly.

"Okay. I'm shutting up. I'm not saying another word," Justin said.

"Why are you so scared of school?" Todd asked.

"'Cause I never went before, that's why. I kinda like dropped out at the end of the seventh grade. I didn't go to high school like you guys are doing," Justin said.

"Really? Why not?" Murray asked.

"It's a long, ugly story, Bubba, and you don't want to hear it," Justin said.

"Guys, Justin's . . . life before he came here was . . . very difficult," I said. "Denny, I know you had it pretty rough, and so did Brian, but Justin had it very rough."

"Let's don't talk about me. Kyle, pass the biscuits and the gravy, please," Justin said.

"There's no more gravy here, but I got some more in the kitchen. Let me go warm it up for you," Kyle said. "It'll only take a second."

"All right. Thanks," Justin said.

"Can I say something?" Todd asked.

"Sure," Rick said. "Say whatever you want."

Todd was extremely serious, and the rest of the boys stopped eating to listen to him.

"Guys, I've only been here a few days. At home, I was in a very bad environment because of my dad. This is just my ninth day here, but I have never been happier in my whole life than these nine days. Rick and Kevin, thank you for taking me in. I was scared to death of being gay before I came here, but now I know that being gay doesn't mean I can't be happy. I'm very happy, and thank you," Todd said.

There was kind of an awkward silence after he said that.

"You're a gift to this family, Todd, and you're welcome to stay here for as long as you need to or want to," Rick said.

Tears were streaming down his face. He used his napkin to wipe them up, and then he blew his nose into the napkin. I was glad we used paper napkins at breakfast.

"Here you go, stud. Sausage gravy for the boy with the big sausage," Kyle said, coming back into the dining room.

He looked around, and it was obvious on his face that he realized he had missed an important family moment.

"What'd I miss?" Kyle demanded.

"Nothing. I'll tell you later. Does nobody else want one of these biscuits with the hot gravy?" Justin asked.

"Yeah, I'll have one," Rick said.

"Me, too," Sean added.

"Do you make these biscuits fresh every day, Kyle?" Todd asked.

"Hell, no. They're frozen. I cook 'em, but I don't make 'em," Kyle said.

"Well, they're as good as any I've ever had," Todd said.

"Thank Miss Mary," Kyle said.

"Who the hell is Miss Mary?" Jus asked.

"I don't know, but her name is on the package. I reckon she makes 'em. Freezes up the dough. They are good, though, aren't they?"

"They're sublime," Justin said. "Go look it up, Kyle. Under 'S,'" Justin said.

Tim and Brian were laughing their asses off, as usual, at the antics of those two.

"How you spell that?" Kyle asked.

"S-u-b-l-i-m-e," Justin said.

"They're 'under the lime?' 'Sub' means under, right?" Kyle said.

"Yeah, that's right, Babe," Tim said. He was laughing.

"Under the lime tree or the lime fruit? A lime's a fruit, ain't it?" Kyle said.

"You should know. You know a lot of fruits," Justin said.

"I reckon I do. I know ten at this table, just for starters," Kyle said.

All the boys were laughing, but Todd and Sean seemed to be especially tickled.

"I can't keep it up, Bubba. You won this one. Besides, my gravy is getting cold," Justin said.

* * *

I took Todd to Beachside High School and got him registered and scheduled. He was in all honors classes, except PE, which was swimming. I figured he knew how to swim, but I didn't make a "thing" of it. There wasn't any reason for him not to take that. Given his dimensions, I didn't think there would be any issues with the size of his "man land," like there had been with Chip Rooney the year before.

"I can't believe he's only a freshman," Sally Ortega, the principal, said when she and I were talking after she met him.

"Everything's big in Texas," I said.

"What do his parents do, do you know?" she asked.

"Yeah. Plastic surgeon and pediatrician, dad and mom, respectively," I said.

"Oh, bless his heart, Kevin," she said.

"I know," I said.