Our Band of Brothers Chapter Four –
Martin and Rafael
Greg looked into his husband’s eyes, and
smiled. “Good morning, Babe.”
Cory replied, “Good morning to
you.” He rubbed noses with Greg, and
kissed him lightly on the lips. “It’s
finally spring break!”
“Yes, and we’re finally going to get some sun!” Greg said. He stretched and yawned. He rolled over to face his husband, pulling
him close. “I can’t wait to see my new
nephews.”
Joey had married Greg’s sister,
Kathy. They had two little girls, Rachel
and Sarah; however, they were in the process of getting a divorce, when Kathy
had been killed in a tragic car accident, leaving Joey a widower. Fortunately, Joey had met Tyler by then, and
the two were married shortly thereafter.
“Tyler and Joey sound so very happy,”
Cory said.
“I think Tyler’s Mom is even happier,”
Greg said, laughing.
“Why do you say that?” Cory asked,
running his hand lightly over his lover’s six-pack abs.
“Louise didn’t think she would ever have
grandchildren, and now she has four,” Greg said. “Two girls and two boys.”
“You know she’s going to spoil them
rotten,” Cory said, smiling.
Greg shook his head. “I disagree.
I think it’s going to be Sra. Nájera who will spoil them rotten.”
Cory thought for a moment, then nodded
his head in agreement. Sra. Nájera was
Tyler and Joey’s housekeeper. She and
her husband considered Tyler and Joey to be part of their own family.
Greg said, “I’m glad Grandpa was able to
arrange for all of us to stay at The Fountains Resort.”
Cory said, “I agree. Staying at a resort is so much better than
staying at a regular hotel.”
There was a knock on the door and Greg
shouted, “Come in!”
The door opened and Peyton and Jonathan
walked into the room. They walked over
and sat on the foot of the bed. Peyton
smiled, and said, “Are you guys ready for our vacation?”
Greg said, “Yes, I’m more than
ready. I can’t wait to see my new
nephews.”
Cory said, “Tyler and Joey are such nice
guys. I’m very happy for them.”
Jonathan asked, “Since they live in
Spain, why couldn’t they found a surrogate there?”
Greg said, “Since Spanish law forbids
surrogacy for gays, they had to come back to the United States. They worked with an adoption agency in New
York City to find a surrogate mother.
Tyler is their natural father, and the surrogate mother agreed to
terminate her rights to the boys, so Joey could adopt them.”
Peyton said, “It just goes to show how
much influence our enemies have. They
may have lost the gay marriage battle; but, they haven’t given up their
persecution of gays.”
Greg said, “That’s so true. There are many anti-gay laws on the books in
many countries which have legalized gay marriage. We still have a long battle ahead of us to
get those laws changed.”
Cory said, “That is why we have to keep
working to raise awareness of the discrimination and persecution we suffer at
the hands of supposedly religious people.”
Peyton nodded his head in
agreement. “I’m with you there. There is just as much discrimination against
ex-convicts. It makes it very hard to
return to a normal life.”
Jonathan said, “In order to fight
against discrimination in all its forms, we need to know the laws and actively
work to change them.”
Peyton added, “That is the reason I want
to become a lawyer; so, I know my rights and can defend myself and others
against the hatred of others.”
Greg said, “Do you know if they will let
you become a lawyer?”
Peyton shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. We will just have to wait and see.”
Jonathan, hearing his husband’s voice,
knew Peyton didn’t want to discuss it, anymore.
He changed the subject of the conversation. “How did Tyler and Joey meet the Nájeras?”
Greg said, “When Tyler was studying at
the Universidad Cumplutense de Madrid, the Nájeras took Tyler into their
home. Sra. Nájera nearly fainted, when
she met Tyler for the first time, saying he looked so much like her deceased
son. She swore he had to be a long lost
twin to her baby boy. From that moment
on, the Nájeras have treated him like he was a member of the family. After Tyler married Joey, the Nájeras
insisted on moving with them to their new home.
Tyler and Joey agreed; but only if they would agree to let them pay
them. As a result, the Nájeras take care
of the domestic chores, including watching over the Tyler and Joey and their
little girls.”
Cory said, “They are like another set of
grandparents for our nieces.”
Greg nodded his head in agreement. “You’ll get to meet them, when we get to
Orlando. The Nájeras and Tyler’s
parents are staying in the condo next door to them.”
Peyton smiled at his adopted
brother. “I’m sure we’ll love them, just
like we love you and Cory.”
Greg laughed. “I hope not, Peyton, because I want both of
you in our bed, now!”
Jonathan looked over at his husband, and
grinned. “Clothes on, or off?”
Greg arched an eyebrow at his
brother-in-law. “Do you really have to
ask?”
Jonathan laughed, and quickly stripped
off his clothes. Peyton followed suit
and they climbed into bed with Greg and Cory.
Greg pulled Peyton into his arms and
gave him a passionate kiss, while Cory did the same to Jonathan. When they surfaced for air, Peyton looked
over at his husband, and said, “This is why I love living here.”
Jonathan nodded his head. “Yes, it’s one of the perks of living with
other gay men.”
Greg frowned, and said, “I think you
need to qualify that statement.”
Jonathan looked into Greg’s eyes, and
smiled, “Okay, we love living with two hot studs such as yourself and your
husband.”
Greg grinned broadly. “That’s better!”
Jonathan said, “You two are the best
brothers-in-law!”
Peyton said, “Not only that, I’m very
grateful for what you and the other guys did for me.”
Greg cupped Peyton’s cheek in the palm
of his hand. “You would do the same for
us.”
Peyton covered Greg’s hand with his
own. “I hope I would; but, you guys are
my guardian angels.”
Cory said, “We might be your guardian
angels; but I’m so horny I need some relief.”
Jonathan said, “I think that can be
arranged. Let’s get showered at the same
time.”
Cory agreed, “Yes, I like that idea.”
A while later, four very satisfied men
left the shower!
*** ***
Earlier the same morning Joey awoke to the
sound of a baby crying, then a second one joined the first. He gently shook Tyler’s shoulder. “Babe, the boys need feeding.”
Tyler opened his eyes, and said,
groggily, “How long did Dr. Calder say it would be before they start sleeping
through the night?”
Joey smiled, tiredly, and replied, “When
they’re three to four months old.”
Tyler groaned, “Why didn’t you warn me
we would be sleep deprived for months?”
He ran his fingers through his curly sandy blond hair.
Joey laughed. “I did warn you. You were so excited to have two little guys
of your own it didn’t sink in.”
Tyler pulled Joey closer to him, kissing
him. “You were just as excited as I was,”
he said, accusingly.
“Yes, I was; and I’m still very excited
to have two little baby boys who look just like their father,” Joey said,
getting to his feet and turning to help his husband out of bed. “Let’s go feed the two starving boys.”
Joey walked out of their room and
through the sitting room and kitchen of the three bedroom condo to the boys’
room, while Tyler stopped in the kitchen to begin warming the baby
formula. Joey opened the door and
flipped on the light. The twin infant boys
were exercising their lungs to their full capacity!
He bent over the crib and said, “Daddy’s
right here.”
At the sound of his voice, Rafael
stopped crying; however, Martin continued to express his need for food. Joey knew it was Rafael only by the small
birthmark behind his left ear. The boys
were fraternal twins; but, they looked like identical twins.
He reached into the crib and picked up
Martin’s tiny body, his face red from crying.
“There, there, little one.
Daddy’s going to feed you.”
Martin stopped crying and looked up into
his dad’s face. Joey felt the strong
connection between them, his heart reaching out to this little human, as he
wrapped his little hand around Joey’s finger.
The adoption of his lover’s twin boys had been completed a couple of
weeks earlier, and he already felt a strong bond of love for them.
Tyler came up behind him, wrapping his
arms around his waist. He said, “I see
Martin got what he wanted.”
Joey turned his head to meet Tyler’s
lips. They kissed, briefly. “What do you mean?”
Tyler smiled, and said, “He wanted you
to hold him; so, he screamed until you did what he wanted. Rafael never does that.”
“Maybe…I think he just likes being held
by his Dads,” he responded.
“You mean he’s just like you – you like
me to hold you close, too,” Tyler replied, smiling, as he released his husband
and reached into the crib to retrieve Rafael.
Joey said, “Yes, I love being in your
arms, Babe.”
Tyler brushed his lips against Joey’s in
a tender kiss, and said, “I like holding you.”
He looked down into Rafael’s eyes, and continued, “Rafael likes to be
held in my arms, too; but, he’s much more patient than his brother.”
“I agree with you. Martin is not very patient and doesn’t like
to be kept waiting for his baby formula,” Joey said. “Are their bottles ready?”
“Yes, they’re in the kitchen,” Tyler
said.
The two men carried their precious
bundles of joy out of their room. Each
of them grabbed a bottle of baby formula, as they passed through the
kitchen. They each claimed a rocking
chair and began to feed the hungry boys.
It wasn’t long before the boys had
drained their bottles. They burped the
infants, before changing their diapers. Joey
and Tyler burped them a second time, to make sure they didn’t have any air in
their stomachs, then rocked them to sleep.
Tyler looked over at his husband, with loving eyes. He was glad he had married Joey. He was a wonderful father to their girls, and
he knew he would be just as wonderful to their two boys. He loved watching Joey gently rocking Martin
to sleep. He knew exactly what to do to
comfort him.
When the boys were asleep, they returned
them to their crib. The two men stood,
looking down at the sleeping baby boys.
Tyler slipped his arm around Joey’s waist, pulling him close.
He leaned over to whisper in his ear,
“They are so beautiful.”
Joey whispered back, “Yes, they are,
just like their father.” He turned his
head to meet Tyler’s lips in a gentle kiss.
They left the room, quietly closing the
door behind them. Joey crossed the hall
to open the door and peek into the bedroom where their two little girls were
peacefully sleeping. The two girls were
cuddled together in the center of the bed, with Rachel holding her little
sister, Sarah, in her arms. Joey smiled
and closed the door, reassured they were okay.
He turned to Tyler, and said, “Let’s go
back to bed, Babe. The children will be
up early. The girls are so excited to
be here, they will be wanting to swimming as soon as they can.”
Tyler nodded his head in agreement. “Yes, they’ll be up with the sun; however, I
think it’s time I showed you how much I love you, Joey Damasiewicz.”
Joey took Tyler’s hand and led him back
into the master bedroom. They quickly
shed their clothes, and climbed back into the bed they had vacated
earlier. Tyler began his sensual assault,
leaving Joey no doubts about his love for him!
As they basked in the afterglow of their
lovemaking, Joey caressed his husband’s sculpted chest. He looked into Tyler’s eyes, and said, “I
never, in my wildest dreams, did I ever imagine sex with a man would be so
mind-blowing and fantastic!” He brushed
his lips tenderly against his lover’s.
Tyler put his hand over Joey’s. “That’s because you hadn’t met me.”
Joey smiled, and replied, “That’s
true. I had to experience what it was
like to be with Kathy to learn to appreciate how much happier I am with you.”
“I’m just sorry you had to endure so
much with Kathy,” Tyler said, brushing his fingertips along Joey’s strong
jawline.
Joey’s eyes blurred with unshed
tears. “But it was you who pulled me
through those rough times, Babe. Those
last few months with Kathie were pure hell.”
Tyler pushed Joey’s long brown hair out
of his beautiful blue eyes, and cupped his cheek in his palm. “No, it was a joint effort, Joey. It wasn’t all me, because you were just as
much in the game as I was. We make quite
the team!”
Joey put his hand up to cover his
lover’s. “Yes, we’re a team; but I
couldn’t have done it without you.” Joey
snuggled closer to Tyler, who wrapped his arms round his husband. Joey laid his head on Tyler’s chest,
listening to the steady beat of his heart.
Tyler nuzzled Joey’s hair, and said, “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” Joey responded,
sleepily, feeling warm and safe as he drifted off.
*** ***
Greg and Cory were the first ones off of
the plane. They stood at the gate, waiting
for the rest of the guys.
Robbie, Adam, Justin, Brian, Peyton and
Jonathan soon joined them. Robbie said,
“I think we’re all here. Let’s get our
car. I’m ready to party!”
Greg laughed, and said, “You’re always
ready to party, Robbie!”
Robbie’s green eyes danced with
mischief, as he placed his arm around his husband’s waist, slipping his hand
into the back pocket of his jeans. “I’m
glad you finally recognized that, Greg!”
Cory looked over at Greg and said,
“Don’t encourage him, Greg. He’s already
bad enough to deal with, without making things worse.”
Robbie placed his hand over his heart, giving
Cory a look of indignation. “You wound
me with your words, sir!”
Cory burst out laughing. “I’m sorry, if I injured your fragile ego,
Robbie. I hope I didn’t permanently
damage your self-esteem.”
Adam kissed his husband, and said, “You
don’t have to worry about damaging his self-esteem. I fixed that problem with our first kiss.”
Robbie nodded his head. “He kissed me on my second day at my new school.”
“You looked like a little lost puppy
dog,” Adam said, laughing.
“I was kind of lost,” Robbie admitted,
grinning. “I was just waiting to see who
would take pity on me.”
Adam said, “And I fell for it!”
Peyton said, “Hey, guys! Let’s save the chitchat for later. We need to get moving.”
Robbie stuck his tongue out at Peyton,
who quickly grabbed him and kissed him on the lips. “That will teach you to stick out your
tongue at me.”
Robbie laughed, and said, “I got what I
wanted – a kiss from one hot stud.”
Peyton swatted Robbie on the butt, and
said, “Get moving!” He turned to Adam
and asked, “Can’t you control your husband?”
Adam shook his head. “I’ve tried, but I haven’t been able to
reform him.”
Robbie kissed Adam’s cheek. “But you love me anyway.”
Adam responded, “Yes, I do; but let’s
get going. I want to get some sun.”
The guys walked down the concourse,
following the signs to baggage claim. It
wasn’t long before they had retrieved their baggage, picked up two rental cars,
and were navigating their way to their resort.
Greg pulled out his phone and called his
brother-in-law. “Hey, Joey!”
“Hey yourself! Where are you guys?” Joey asked.
“We’re almost to the resort,” Greg
answered.
“I’ll meet you at check-in,” Joey said.
“Cool!
We’ll see you in a few minutes then,” Greg said, ending the call.
Peyton turned to look over his shoulder
at Greg in the back seat of the car.
“I’m a little nervous about meeting Joey.”
Greg met Peyton’s gaze. “I wouldn’t worry, Peyton. Everything will be okay.”
Jonathan, who was driving, reached over
and squeezed his husband’s thigh. “Just
relax, Babe. Joey already knows what
you’ve been through and I’m sure he’ll accept you for who you are. Remember he’s married to a guy, just like you
are.”
Peyton covered Jonathan’s hand with his
own. “That isn’t what has me worried,
Jonathan. The last time I saw him was at
our graduation, and we weren’t exactly friends.”
Jonathan said, “But that was a long time
ago, and you both have changed a lot since then.”
Peyton nodded his head. “Yes, I know I’ve changed for the better
because of you, Babe.”
Jonathan smiled and said, “That’s true; but,
we can’t forget the help you received from our band of brothers. You know as well as I do how much they mean
to us.”
Greg
said, “That’s right! You had better not
forget about us!”
Peyton blushed and laughed. “I will never forget my band of brothers.” He grew solemn. “I hope Joey doesn’t hold a grudge.”
Cory asked, “Why? What did you do to him?”
Peyton said, “We got in a fight over a
girl during our junior year. I gave him
a black eye.”
“Who won the fight?” Greg asked,
curiously.
“I’d like to say I did; but, that
wouldn’t be the truth. Before we had a
chance to really see who was the best fighter, we were separated by a couple of
the teachers. We were both suspended for
fighting on school grounds.”
“So who got the girl?” Greg asked.
“Mary Ann dumped both of us. She said she didn’t date losers, especially
guys who got kicked out of school,” Peyton said, laughing.
Greg said, “Rick told us you were in
trouble a lot in high school.”
Peyton nodded his head. “I was.
I’m not proud of what I did back then.
I was rebelling against anyone in authority, especially my dad. I hung out with a bad crowd, and did a lot
of things I shouldn’t have done.”
He paused for a moment, then continued,
“I didn’t get along with Rick very well, either; in fact, I guess you could say
we didn’t like each other at all. Joey
was Rick’s friend, and that made him my enemy, as well. When Joey started dating Mary Ann, I saw
red. Mary Ann was supposed to be my girl,
and I hated to see her date someone else.”
Jonathan pulled into The Fountains
parking lot; and the guys got out and walked into the lobby to check-in. They were standing in line for the next
receptionist, when Joey entered the lobby.
He walked over to Greg and threw his arms around his brother-in-law.
“I’m so glad to see you,” Joey said,
giving Greg a kiss on the lips.
He released Greg, turning to Cory. “I’m glad you’re taking good care of
Greg.” He pulled Cory into his embrace
and kissed him.
Cory said, “I try to do what I can to
make him happy.”
Greg said, “You’re looking good, too,
Joey.”
Joey smiled. “I’m very happy, Greg. I thought I was happy when I married your
sister, Greg; but, now, I know what true happiness is. I can see you know what it is, as well.”
Greg put his arm around Cory’s
shoulders. “Yes, I do, and it’s being
married to the most wonderful man in the world.”
Having checked-in, Jonathan and Peyton
walked over to join Greg and Cory.
Seeing Peyton, Joey met his gaze and frowned. Seeing his expression, Peyton looked away
from him, not wanting to see the rejection in Joey’s eyes.
Joey walked over to him and pulled him
into a warm embrace. “It’s good to see
you, Peyton.”
Peyton stood still, not responding for a
moment, as Joey held him tight. He was
confused. He saw Joey’s frown, and
immediately assumed he didn’t want to see him.
Why was Joey giving him a hug?
Joey whispered into his ear, “Peyton, I
forgave you a long time ago for what happened between us in high school. That is all in the past and long
forgotten. What is important at this
moment is you’re here with Jonathan. Rick
has told me everything that has happened to you. You have suffered enough, Peyton. I’d like us to start over as friends,
especially since you’re part of our family – brother-in-law.”
Peyton responded by wrapping his arms
around Joey’s waist, holding him close.
Tears blurred his vision and he had to clear his throat a couple of
times before he could speak. “Thank you,
Joey, you don’t know how much it means to me, knowing you’re not still angry
with me.”
Joey pulled back, looking deeply into
Peyton’s eyes. “I’m glad you’ve found
happiness, Peyton.”
Peyton released his hold on Joey,
turning toward his soul mate. “Let me
introduce you to the person responsible for making me happy. This is my husband, Jonathan Smith.”
Joey enfolded Jonathan in a warm
embrace. “I’m glad to meet you,
Jonathan.” He looked over at
Peyton. “You sure managed to find the
best looking guy around to be your husband.”
Jonathan blushed, and said, “No, I’m the
one who found the best looking guy in the world.” He put his arm around Peyton’s waist, giving
him a quick kiss on the lips.
Robbie and Adam walked over to join
them. Joey greeted them with a hug and
kiss, as well. Justin and Brian joined
them, handing key cards to Greg and Cory.
Justin said, “We’re ready to go.”
The guys piled back into their vehicles,
with Joey joining Greg and Cory in the back seat. Joey directed them to their building, where
they found parking. They made their way
to their condos, which were side by side.
Joey said, “We’re staying in the condo
next to you on the other side and Tyler’s parents and the Nájeras on the other
side of us.”
Greg smiled, and said, “Sweet! I really like the Sra. Nájera. She is the best cook!”
Cory nodded his head in agreement. “I hope she will make us some paella while
we’re here.”
“You’ll have to ask her. She’s on vacation, just like you guys are, so
she hasn’t been doing much cooking,” Joey said.
“Why don’t you guys get settled, then come over to visit with us.”
Greg said, “Sounds good to me.”
Cory said, “We want to get some sun.”
“We can take the girls down to the pool,
and you guys can soak up the rays, while they swim,” Joey said.
Cory said, “Okay, we’ll see you soon.”
Joey left them to unpack and returned to
his condo to find the girls playing a game of Chutes and Ladders with
Tyler. Tyler looked up, smiling at this
husband. “I could use some help here,
Babe. The girls are winning!”
Rachel giggled and ran over to
Joey. “Dad doesn’t like losing.”
Joey scooped her up in his arms and
walked over to sit down next to Tyler on the couch. “Well, you and Sarah are experts at playing
this game.”
Sarah said, “I win.” She moved her token to the finish.
Tyler smiled and leaned over to pick her
up. “Yes, you won, Sarah.” He kissed her cheek. “What would you like to do now, Sarah?”
“I want to swim,” she said looking up at
him.
“Okay,” Tyler said. “You will need to get your swimsuit on.”
Rachel said, “I want to swim, too.”
Joey said, “You need to get your
swimsuit on, too. Please help Sarah.”
She jumped down from her father’s lap
and took Sarah’s hand, leading her to their room.
Tyler stood up, taking Joey by the hand,
pulling him to his feet and into his arms.
Tyler gave him a deeply passionate kiss.
When they came up for air, Joey pulled back and asked, “Do you want to
go swimming, as well?”
“Yes, but we need to get the boys ready
to go out,” Tyler said.
Joey said, “Maybe Mom and Dad will be
willing to come over to watch them for us while we swim.”
Tyler grinned and said, “Or we can ask
them to take the girls swimming, while we stay in with the boys.”
Joey ran his hands through Tyler’s curly
blond hair, then pulled him in for a kiss.
“I like the way you think.”
Tyler put his hands in the back pockets
of Joey’s jeans, pulling him closer to him.
They were interrupted when the two
little girls returned, dressed in their swimsuits. “We’re ready to go, Daddy!”
Joey broke their kiss and said, “I’ll
call Grandpa and Grandma to see if they will watch the boys.”
He pulled out his phone and rang
Louise. “Hi, Mom!”
Louise said, “Hello, Joey.”
“Would you and Dad mind watching the boys
for us, while we take the girls down to the pool?”
Louise said, “We’ll be right over. I know you’ll be wanting to catch up with
the guys.”
Joey said, “Thanks, Mom. Would you ask Sra. Najera if she would be
willing to make paella for the guys tonight?”
Louise laughed, “She’s already been
cooking up a storm. I’ve been helping
her with the paella. Dinner will be at 6
PM, so don’t be late.”
“You guys are the best!” He
ended the call and turned to Tyler.
Let’s get our swimsuits on.”
Joey and Tyler quickly changed out of
their jeans and into their swimsuits.
They wore their board shorts over their Speedos. They slipped on their flip flops and grabbed
their beach bag which contained sun screen, goggles, towels, and a couple of
water bottles, just in case the girls got thirsty.
Joey said, “Let’s go see if Uncle Greg
and Uncle Cory are ready to go swimming.”
Rachel jumped up and down with
excitement. “May I go get them?”
Joey said, “Sure.” He walked to the door, opening it to let his
daughters out. He pointed to the door
next to theirs. “Knock on this one.”
Rachel made a fist and pounded on the
door. Greg shouted through the door,
“Who is it?”
Rachel answered, “It’s me.”
Greg asked, “Who is me?”
Rachel replied, “It’s Rachel, Uncle
Greg.”
He opened the door and knelt down, as
she ran to him. She threw her arms
around his neck and kissed his cheek.
“How are my favorite nieces?” Greg
asked, smiling at her.
“We’re fine, Uncle Greg. We want to go swimming. Are you going to go swimming with us?”
He smiled at Rachel and said, “Yes,
we’re going swimming with you.”
While they talked, Louise and Henry
opened their door and walked over to Joey.
Louise said, “Go and enjoy yourselves.
We’ll watch the twins.”
Tyler hugged his mother and said,
“Thanks, Mom!”
He watched as his parents settled on the
couch and switched on the television.
Henry looked over at his son.
“Go have fun with the girls.
We’ll be fine.”
He closed the door to the condo and
entered Greg and Cory’s, joining Joey and the girls as they waited for the guys
to change into their swimming trunks.
Jonathan and Peyton came out of their room ready to go swimming.
Joey said, “Rachel and Sarah, this is
Uncle Peyton and Uncle Jonathan.”
Rachel stared up at Peyton and said,
“You look like Uncle Rick.”
Peyton smiled and knelt down beside
her. “That’s because he’s my cousin.”
“Are you as fun as Uncle Rick?” she
asked, looking him in the eye.
Peyton laughed and said, “I don’t know
how to answer you, Rachel; but we could go swimming and you can tell me later
if I’m as much fun as Uncle Rick.”
Rachel
looked thoughtful for moment, then said, “Okay.”
Peyton stood up and smiled at Joey. “It’s obvious Rick has set a pretty high
standard.”
Joey grinned. “That he has, Peyton; but, I think you’ll
measure up.”
Peyton met Joey’s gaze, and said, “Thank
you for letting me be a part of your family, Joey.” He looked down at the two little girls and
asked, “How old are Rachel and Sarah?”
Joey said, “Rachel, tell Uncle Peyton
how old you are?”
“I’m 6 years old,” she responded,
holding up six fingers.
Sarah said, “I’m 4.” She raised her hands above her head to show
three fingers on each hand.
Rachel reached over to push one arm down,
and to lift up one more finger on the remaining hand. “Sarah, this is four.” Sarah laughed, and pulled her hand away from
her sister. Rachel said, “You’re just
being silly.”
Greg and Cory joined them. Greg said, “I called the rest of the
guys. They’ll be here in a few
minutes. He looked around the room and asked,
“Are we ready to go?”
Rachel said, “Yes, Uncle Greg.”
There was a light tap on the door. Tyler opened it to find Robbie, Adam, Justin
and Brian standing there in their board shorts and beach towels in their hands.
Robbie grinned and said, “We’re ready to
go swimming. Is there anyone here, who
wants to swimming?”
Sarah and Rachel responded, in unison,
“We do!”
The guys stepped inside the condo. Tyler and Joey greeted their friends with a
hug and kiss. Robbie said, “I’ve missed
you guys.”
Joey said, “We’ve missed you guys, as
well. You guys need to make another trip
to Spain to visit us.”
Adam said, “Definitely!”
Justin echoed Adam’s sentiment. “Yes, we absolutely need to take another
vacation, to visit with you two.”
Brian took Justin’s hand in his. “Yes, we need to do that again. Justin needs a break from running his
business, and going to Spain would be just the thing.”
Greg said, “Either Spain, or
Cancun. I wouldn’t mind a repeat of our
last trip there.” He winked at Cory, who
blushed.
Joey said, “We’ve heard about that
trip. If your visit to Spain was
anything like it, it must have been super fantastic. Maybe we’ll have to make a point to be there
when you do it again.”
Robbie added, “We want to be there, too,
since we missed out on the last trip to Cancun.”
Greg said, “Zach and Glenn planned the
last trip.”
Adam said, “I don’t think Zach and Todd
will be able to get away to go with us, given Zach’s schedule.”
Peyton said, “Glenn might be willing to
help plan it, but I wouldn’t count on Rick and Glenn going.”
Greg looked curiously at Peyton. “Is there something you aren’t telling,
Peyton?”
Peyton looked at Jonathan for
support. Jonathan cleared his throat and
said, “Guys, you all know Glenn wants to be married, right?”
Cory said, “Yes, we know. We’ve witnessed some of the discussions
they’ve had about the subject of Rick’s insistence that he finish his time in
the Marine Corps.”
Peyton said, “Well, they had a huge
argument a few days ago, and Glenn has moved into the spare bedroom. Rick called to ask my advice about what to
do. He hasn’t spoken to Glenn in two
days and he left for his weekend warrior duties this morning.”
Justin said, “This sounds pretty
serious, guys. Has anyone spoken to
Glenn?”
Greg said, “I called him a couple of
days ago, but I got his voice mail.”
“Same here,” Peyton said.
Cory asked, “Has anyone called Duane and
Mason? I’ll be they know more about
what’s happening, since Glenn works with them.”
Joey asked, “Do you think Glenn would
drive down to join us here? Maybe some
time away from Atlanta would help him.”
Peyton shrugged. “I don’t know if he would come; but, it
wouldn’t hurt to ask.”
Greg said, “I hate to interrupt this
conversation; but there’s a pool waiting for me outside. We talk about future vacations later. As for calling Glenn, I’ll call him after
we’re done swimming. Maybe he’ll listen
to me.” He took Rachel’s hand in his,
and said, “Let’s go, crew.”
Greg led the way out the door and around
the balcony to the elevators. Cory
reached down to scoop Sarah into his arms.
“Let’s catch up to Rachel and Uncle Greg.”
She giggled, and said, “I’ll hold on
tight.” She wrapped her arms around his
neck and shouted, “Wait for us!”
Cory sprinted to catch up with his
husband. Rachel clapped her hands with
excitement. “We’re going swimming!”
Joey said, “I’m glad you guys were able
to meet us here.”
Greg kissed Rachel on the cheek. “So am I.”
The rest of the guys joined them as the elevator
doors opened, and they moved inside.
They made their way outside and walked down to the swimming pools.
They found an empty table and piled
their towels on it. Greg turned to his
brothers-in-law and said, “You guys go have fun on the waterslides, while Cory
and I play with the girls in the pool.”
Joey said, “Okay. We’ll meet you back here to switch off.”
Tyler looked at the girls and asked,
“Rachel and Sarah, is it okay for me and Daddy to go down the waterslide while
you stay here with Uncle Greg and Uncle Cory?”
Rachel said, “Yes, Dad.”
Sarah nodded her head. “I have Uncle Cory.” She laid her head on his shoulder, as she
held on to him.
Cory smiled. “Go have fun.”
Joey and Tyler followed the rest of the
guys to the waterslide. When they caught
up to Peyton and Jonathan, Jonathan turned to Joey and said, “Your girls are so
cute. They will break a lot of hearts
when they grow up.”
Joey grinned. “I’m counting on it, because I’m very
protective of my daughters. The guys are
going to have to pass my inspection before they can date them.”
Peyton laughed. “Don’t tell me you and Tyler will stand at
the door with a shotgun and ask the guys what their intentions are with your
daughters!”
Tyler took Joey’s hand in his, and said,
“Absolutely! The guys will think twice
before they cross us!”
Peyton said, “I feel for the guys,
already!”
They joined the queue for the
waterslide. The line moved quickly and
they were soon hurdling down the slide toward the pool at the bottom.
The afternoon passed quickly with the
guys switching off playing with the girls, while the others swam, went down the
waterslides or sunbathed. Joey sat next
to Tyler, enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun, when Rachel ran up to him.
“Daddy, I’m hungry,” she said.
Greg and Cory sat down in the chairs
opposite Joey and Tyler. Greg said, “I’m
with Rachel. I’m hungry, too!”
Joey looked over at Tyler. “Are you ready to go back inside?”
Tyler said, “Yes, I’m ready.”
Greg looked appreciatively over his
brothers-in-law’s bodies. Both were well
muscled from their regular workout routines and beautifully tanned skin.
Joey caught his look and grinned. “Do you like what you see?”
Greg nodded his head. “Yes, you guys have managed to keep in good
shape for old people!”
Tyler laughed and pointed to his
husband. “He must be talking about you,
because I’m much younger than you are!”
Joey grinned, as he leapt up from the
lounge chair, putting Greg in a headlock.
“Now, what were you saying about being old?”
Greg, laughing, replied, “Nothing! I take it back!”
Joey released him. “That’s better. You need to learn to respect your elders.”
Greg said, “I had my fingers crossed, so
everything I said about you being ancient is still true.” He jumped away from Joey, avoiding his
attempt to put him in a headlock again.
“See, you’re just getting too slow in your old age!”
Joey grinned at his brother-in-law. “I know where you’re sleeping tonight, so I
wouldn’t be so cocky, if I were you!”
Greg responded, “So, does this mean
you’ll come tuck me into bed and say prayers with me?”
Joey said, “If you want me to, I will.”
Rachel said, “Daddy always says prayers
with us before we go to bed, Uncle Greg.
I know he’ll say them with you and Uncle Cory, because he loves you,
too.”
Greg looked down at his nieces, and
said, “I think me and Uncle Cory will say prayers with you, tonight. Is that okay with you?”
The girls both nodded their heads. Sarah said, “I want Uncle Cory to say prayers
with me.” She took his hand in
hers. “Will you say prayers with me when
we go to bed?”
Cory looked into her baby blue eyes, and
said, “Yes, I’ll say prayers with you, tonight.”
Robbie, Adam, Justin and Brian joined
them. Robbie said, “Hey, guys! I’m starving.” His stomach rumbled, causing the guys to
laugh.
Adam grinned, putting his arm around his
husband’s shoulders. “There is never any
doubt about Robbie’s hunger pangs!”
Robbie gave him a friendly jab in the
side, with his elbow. “Don’t be giving
away all of my secrets!”
Joey said, “Sra. Nájera said she was
going to make paella for dinner, tonight, and to invite all of you to come
enjoy the food.”
Justin rubbed his stomach with the palm
of his hand. “I love Sra. Nájera’s
cooking. Count us in.”
The rest of the guys echoed Justin’s
acceptance of the invitation to dinner.
Brian asked, “Is there anything we need
to bring?”
Tyler replied, “Just yourselves.”
The guys toweled themselves dry, and
slipped on their flip-flops. Joey and
Tyler gathered up their gear, each of them taking one of the girls in their
arms. They returned to their condos to
get showered and cleaned up for dinner.
*** ***
Finished with their shower, Greg sat
down on their king-sized bed and picked up his cell phone. Cory looked at him and asked, “Are you going
to call Glenn?”
Greg nodded his head and said, “I think
I should.”
Cory agreed, “Yes, I’m worried about
him.” Cory stretched out on the
king-sized bed, and put his hands behind his head.
Greg leaned back against the headboard
and placed his call. It rang several
times.
“Hello, Greg,” Duane said.
“Hey, Duane,” Greg responded,
recognizing Duane’s voice. “Is Glenn with
you?”
“Yes, he’s been with us for the last
couple of days,” Duane confirmed.
Greg asked, “May I speak with him?”
Duane turned to me and said, “You need
to stop hiding from your friends, Glenn.”
I took the phone from him and said,
“Hello, Greg.”
“Glenn, Peyton said Rick called him
about what happened between you tow,” Greg said.
“I figured he would call his cousin,” I
said, derisively.
“What did you guys argue about that’s
caused such a big rift between you?” Greg asked, already knowing the answer.
I replied, with little heat in my voice,
“Seriously, Greg, do you have to ask?”
“You argued with Rick about his military
service,” Greg stated.
“Yes, he had the audacity to tell me he
was thinking of re-enlisting for another six years. I told him, in no uncertain terms, what I
thought about that. He told me he was
going to do what he wanted, so I told we were through, if that is what he
really wanted to do with his life.”
“What did he say to that?” Greg asked,
dreading the response.
“I didn’t give him time to respond. I stormed out of our condo and I have not
spoken to him since,” I said. “I’ve been
sleeping in the spare bedroom and I’ve made sure I’ve made sure to stay away
when he’s home.”
Greg said, “Are you sure Rick really
means to re-enlist?”
“It sure sounded like to me. He said he needed to make his decision
soon. His commanding officer has been
pushing him about it,” I said.
Greg asked, “Since Rick is gone for the
weekend, why don’t you join us here in Orlando for a couple of days? You can bring Duane and Mason with you, if
you want to invite them.”
I looked at Duane and Mason, who were
sitting across from me. “Do you guys
want to drive down to Orlando for the weekend?”
Duane said, “That’s about 6 ½ hours from
here. I guess we could make before
midnight if we left in the next hour or so.”
Mason said, “Let’s do it. We could leave there on Sunday night and make
it back before too late.”
I said, “Okay, we’re coming. Where are you guys staying?”
Greg gave him the address and
directions. “We’ll see you in a few
hours then.”
He ended the call and looked over at
Cory. “They’re on their way.”
Cory said, “I hope we can convince Glenn
to give Rick another chance. I don’t
think Rick was really serious about re-enlisting.”
Greg shrugged his shoulders. “Only time will tell.”
They got up and walked into the sitting
room to join the rest of the guys.
Justin looked up from his book, and asked, “Well?”
Greg said, “Duane and Mason are driving
down with Glenn, tonight. They’ll be
here around midnight.”
Justin said, “Thanks for calling him,
Greg. I was worried this split was going
to be permanent. I think we can persuade
Glenn to wait and see what Rick’s decision is about signing up for another six
years with the military.”
Greg agreed, “I told him to give Rick a
second chance. He’s pretty upset with
Rick right now. He told Glenn he was
thinking of staying in the military for another six years.”
Peyton said, “I know. Rick told me.
He also told me he wasn’t sure he was going to do it. He was pretty shook up. I don’t think he expected Glenn to blow up
like he did.” He paused, and then asked,
“Should I tell Rick that Glenn is coming here?”
Jonathan said, “I think you should. It will give him some peace of mind, knowing
Glenn is here with us.”
Peyton pulled his phone from the pocket
of his cargo shorts and dialed his cousin.
Rick picked up on the first ring. “Hey!”
“Hey, yourself!” Peyton responded. “I’ve got some good news. Glenn is joining us here, in Orlando for the
weekend.”
“I’m glad to know where he is. I was beginning to think he was going to move
out on me,” Rick said.
“He still might,” Peyton said. “He’s not happy with you, at all.”
“I know.
He made his position very clear.
He gave me an ultimatum – leave the military, or he would leave me,”
Rick said. “He wouldn’t even listen to
me. He stormed out of the place and that
is the last time I spoke to him.”
“We’ll do our best to get him to talk to
you and give you a chance to explain yourself,” Peyton said. “But, you had better have a good explanation,
because I can see his side of things very well, and I agree with him, cousin.”
Rick said, “I’ll try to call him on
Sunday to give you guys enough time to work on him.”
Peyton said, “Okay, boss. Talk to you then.” He ended the call and looked around the room. “I think we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us
this weekend.”
*** ***
Later that evening, the guys enjoyed
dinner with the Nájeras. Sr. Nájera
asked Peyton, “What are your plans, now that you’re in college?”
Peyton said, “I want to become a lawyer,
so I can help those people who are in jail.
They are treated very poorly while they are incarcerated and are treated
even worse when they get out. There is a
lot of prejudice against ex-cons. It
makes it very hard for us to make something of our lives after prison.”
Sr. Nájera asked, “What are the prisons
like here?”
Peyton launched into a very graphic
description of the very poor conditions of many prisons, the overcrowding, the
beatings and mistreatment at the hands of prison staff.
When he stopped for breath, Sr. Nájera
said, “I’m shocked that such conditions exist here. We have always held this country in such high
esteem. It saddens me to hear such
things happen. What was done to you by
those who had power over you is beyond immoral.
It shows a level of depravity that is so unimaginable. How can such behavior continue to exist?”
Peyton said, “It continues, because
there is no accountability for the acts of violence and rape prison staff
inflict on a captive population. Inmates
are the last people to have any rights, let alone be believed when they
complain of such atrocities. Most people
on the outside think whatever happens to us on the inside is just treatment and
we deserve it. They don’t see us as
human beings.”
Sra. Nájera said, “I wish you well in
your endeavor to make things better. I,
like my husband, am appalled to hear of the horrors you suffered in prison,
Peyton. I can’t tell you how sorry I am
that you were raped and beaten.”
Hearing her words, Peyton’s eyes filled
with tears. “I still have nightmares
about what happened.”
Jonathan took Peyton’s hand in his. “It’s okay, Babe.”
Sra. Nájera smiled at them. “You are very fortunate to have such a
wonderful husband, Peyton.”
Peyton smiled, and leaned over to kiss
Jonathan on the lips. “I’m the happiest
man alive, thanks to Jonathan.”
Sra. Nájera stood up and asked, “Is
there anyone who wants dessert?”
Rachel and Sarah chorused, “We do!”
Sra. Nájera said, “Then let’s eat.” She walked into the kitchen and began
serving a variety of Spanish desserts to the hungry crowd of men and children.
*** ***
Author’s Note:
Blue Green Resort - http://www.bluegreenvacations.com/resorts/fl/the-fountains
Prison Conditions - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-olmsted/changing-prison-from-the-_b_6051466.html?utm_hp_ref=crime&ir=Crime
More Accountability for our Prisons - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-a-love/we-need-an-accounting-of-_b_6065452.html?utm_hp_ref=crime&ir=Crime
Prison writer’s ghastly treatment - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-zoukis/the-right-to-write-how-th_b_6035796.html?utm_hp_ref=crime&ir=Crime
Words of Hope for Prison Rape Survivors
- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/21/words-of-hope-campaign_n_6350850.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices
Spanish Dessert Recipes - http://www.spain-recipes.com/spanish-dessert-recipes.html
Great as always. Russ thank you for your great stories!
ReplyDeleteRuss great as always keep up the good work
ReplyDeletewell worth the 2 months. I been waiting to read Thanks again for the outstanding chapter.
ReplyDeleteGreat seeing the story after a few month layoff and having withdrawals. Its like welcoming a old friend back
ReplyDelete