Published: 4 Sep 2025

Chapter 15 – A Special Time with Friends

I was just taking the turkey and green bean casserole out of the oven when we heard a knock at the door. Devin went to answer it, and when he returned a short time later, Lonny and Clint were following him.

“Whoa, the turkey smells wonderful and it looks as if you two have gone all out for this,” Lonny said as he entered. “I know you said you invited one other person, but it looks like you fixed enough food for at least a dozen people.”

“Yes, there will be plenty of leftovers, but I figured we could have a choice of hot or cold turkey sandwiches after the game tomorrow, along with the other leftovers.”

“Sounds good to me, so what can I do to help?”

“You’re our guest, so you don’t have to do anything.”

“Come on. I’m responsible for preparing our meals at home, so there must be something I can do.”

“Actually, everything is taken care of, so we’re just waiting for our final guest.”

We then started chatting, and a couple of minutes later there was another knock on the door. Devin went to answer it and returned a minute later with Preston and Bailey. She was walking beside Devin and sniffing his legs, and she kept looking up at him confused, but once Clint started paying attention and petting her, she stayed close to him instead.

“Wow, this place smells wonderful,” Preston stated.

“I’m glad you’re here, because everything is ready for us to sit down to eat.”

We quickly introduced everyone, and after they’d had a brief chance to get acquainted, we started getting the food ready to be carried in to the table. Devin had already placed a salad bowl next to each place setting, so I asked him to place the turkey breast on a platter and cut it up. While he was doing that, I directed those who wanted to help as to which items they could carry to the table, while I did the same. Before long, everything was on the table, so we sat down to eat.

“What about Bailey? Isn’t she gonna eat too?” Clint asked, so I glanced over at Preston.

“What about her?” I asked. “Can she eat any of this?”

“I fed her before we came, but I suppose a little turkey breast would be ok, if you think there’s enough for her to have a little too.”

“Yes, I’m sure we can spare a little turkey for her.”

“I’ll go get one of our older plates for her to use and a bowl that I’ll put some water in for her,” Devin offered. “While I’m doing that, you or Preston can cut up some turkey to put on the plate.”

“I’ll cut up the turkey for her,” Preston offered.

I thought we were now ready to eat, until Preston asked a question. “Would any of you mind if I say a short prayer before we begin?”

“No, go right ahead,” Devin responded, and noting that there were no objections, he started speaking.

“Lord, we thank you for this wonderful food and the good friends who prepared it for us. Place your blessing on this meal and a special blessing on Michael and Devin for doing this for us, especially for me, so I didn’t have to celebrate Thanksgiving alone. I am truly thankful for their friendship. Amen.”

The rest of us said “Amen” as well, and then we began chatting and eating at the same time. “So, how was Thanksgiving with your families?” Preston asked.

“It was very nice, and the meal was basically the same as what we’re having here, except my mom cooked a 23-pound turkey. Otherwise, it’s very similar to what our Thanksgiving was like.”

“Then it sounds like you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.”

“Yes, we did. And how was your meal at the restaurant.”

“The food was surprisingly good, considering how many people they were feeding. I was sitting alone at a small table when a couple sitting at a table next to me asked if I’d like to join them. They were really nice and we got along very well, and we plan to keep in touch.”

“I’m glad that you didn’t end up spending Thanksgiving totally alone after all.”

“Yes, it worked out quite well. By the way, I’d like to point out that this meal is even more delicious than the one I had on Thanksgiving. The mashed potatoes are so creamy and tasty and the turkey is moist and quite tasty as well.”

“We’re glad you’re enjoying them, but the credit actually goes to my mom for teaching me how to do these things.”

“Are you fixing something else?” Preston asked when a timer sounded.”

“Yes, dessert,” Devin answered. “I just have to run out and take the pies out of the oven, but we’ll have them later.”

‘Will Bailey be able to have some pumpkin or apple pie when we have dessert?” Clint asked. I thought it was sweet that he was concerned about Bailey,

“If there’s enough and Devin and Michael don’t mind, she could have some of the pumpkin pie, but not the apple pie. Just cut the slice of pie in half before you give it to her,” Preston responded.

“Why can’t she have apple pie?”

“The companies that make the apple pies use many spices, some of which can be harmful to dogs.”

“I didn’t know that. Can she have ice cream on the pie too?”

“A small scoop of vanilla ice cream will be ok,” Preston concurred.

After we finished eating, we put away the leftovers and washed the dishes. Clint stood next to me as I washed, and then I handed each item to Preston so he could dry it. I stopped momentarily and went to get a few more dish towels, because the one Preston was using was becoming very damp, and I also handed one to Clint, so he and Preston could take turns.

While we were working on those jobs, Lonny was sweeping up the things that had fallen on the floor, and then he wiped off the dining room table and chairs. Devin was busy taking the dishes that Preston and Clint dried and stacked them on the counter, before putting them in their proper places. As soon as we finished these tasks, I asked Preston, Lonny, and Clint a question.

“We don’t have a TV, so would you like to play UNO instead?”

“Sure, but I’m surprised you even have an UNO deck,” Preston replied. “I didn’t think you two would have time to play games.”

“They belong to my grandfather and great uncle,” Devin replied, “but we play against them every now and then, whenever they’re here.”

“I see and I’d be happy to play against you.” Lonny and Clint agreed to play as well.

“You may all regret that,” I warned, “because Devin and I don’t take mercy on anyone when it comes to playing games.”

Even though we’d just told them that we didn’t show any mercy when playing games, when we started, we actually gave them a break and didn’t focus our attention on anyone in particular. We played three games in total, and as soon as someone won a game, the one on either side would gang up on him to make sure he didn’t win again. Clint won the first game, followed by Preston, and then Devin won the third game, and then we decided to stop and have dessert.

While Devin was cutting the pie into fairly equal slices, I was getting the tub of vanilla ice cream out of the freezer and the can of whipped cream out of the fridge. “Who would like a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a dollop of whipped cream, or both on their slice of pie?” I asked, and everyone let me know their preference.

Devin used the same plate that Bailey had eaten off earlier and placed a half slice of pie on it for her, while I fixed the pie for everyone else. Then, we all sat down in the dining room to eat our dessert.

“This dinner has been really wonderful,” Preston said, “and I can’t thank both of you enough for inviting me. You truly made it like a family Thanksgiving for me.”

“And you’re welcome to come back here tomorrow night and join us for hot or cold turkey sandwiches and whatever leftovers remain,” I offered, “but we’ll add more items if there isn’t enough for all of us.”

“And I’ll prepare another pumpkin pie, since we bought two, and over half of the apple pie remains as well,” Devin confirmed.

“How could I refuse an offer like that,” Preston replied. “Besides, Bailey would never forgive me if we didn’t return, because she’s seemed to enjoy today nearly as much as I have.”

“We’re glad to hear that,” Devin stated.

“And I’ve noticed that she’s been sticking fairly close to you, at least when she isn’t spending time with Clint,” Preston stated.

“It’s probably because I’m the one who gave her the pumpkin pie and ice cream,” Devin joked.

“Oh, she was following you around when we first arrived here,” Preston added, “but she enjoyed Clint paying attention to her as well, so she occasionally left you to spend time with him.”

“Then it must be due to my animal magnetism,” Devin joked, and we all had a little chuckle in response, while Bailey barked.

“It seems that Bailey agrees with you,” Preston commented after that happened. “Will I see you at the dog park in the morning?”

“Actually, you won’t,” I replied. “Bear’s owner took him along when he went to visit relatives for Thanksgiving.”

“Although I’m disappointed, it makes sense, as long as his relatives didn’t mind him bringing Bear along.”

“I believe they have dogs as well, so Bear will get a chance to run and play with them for a few days.”

“That sounds nice for Bear, but Bailey will be a basket case until he returns.”

“Maybe she’ll perk up later, since you’ll be coming back here again.”

“I certainly hope so. Oh, and I almost forget to mention this. When I heard you were going to the football game tomorrow, I bought a ticket so I could join you, if you don’t mind.”

“No, that will be fine,” I agreed, and then I told him where to meet us.

“Yes, we’d love to have you join us,” Lonny confirmed.

After Preston and Bailey left, we washed the few dishes that we’d used for dessert, and then went into the living room to relax and chat for a brief time before heading up to bed.

Now that Preston and Bailey were no longer with us, Clint made it perfectly clear about his intentions. “I want to sleep with you again,” he stated, so I looked at Lonny to see what he thought about this.

“It’s totally up to you and Devin, but he’s been talking about doing it since we were here the last time. It seems very important to him that he remains close to you.”

I looked at Devin to see what he thought next, and he nodded his agreement. That’s when I turned to face Clint and told him it would be ok, and then we all headed upstairs to our bedrooms. As soon as the three of us entered our bedroom, Clint asked a question.

“Aren’t you going to shower?”

“Yes, we are, but if you want to go first, then go ahead.”

“I want to shower with you!”

“I’ve let you shower with me a couple times in the past, but it doesn’t mean we’re going to do it every time we’re together.”

“Please. We don’t see each other very often and this is really important to me,”

“But why is it so important to you?”

“Because I don’t have anyone else that I can do these things with. I don’t have any close friends at school, because they all say I was acting all weird after my mom died. I’m trying to make friends, but even the guys that I suspect are gay won’t hang out with me either, but a couple of them are starting to talk to me now. It’s just that we’re not close enough yet for me to ask to do stuff like this with them, or they might not want to hang around with me any more. That’s why I look at you as my best friend and my big brother, and it’s why I want to do these things with you … and Devin too.”

I looked at Devin to see what he thought and he merely shrugged his shoulders, which let me know that he thought it was my decision, not his, to make. I knew this meant a lot to Clint, and I could understand his reasons why, so once again I relented.

“Ok, we can shower together, but nothing else. Ok?”

“Yeah, I know.”

Once I’d made a decision, Devin went to take his shower. When he returned, Clint and I quickly stripped down to our underwear and headed to the bathroom. Once again, while I was adjusting the temperature in the water, Clint got two towels out of the linen closet and set them on the counter. When I felt the water temp was ideal, we took off our underwear and stepped under the spray. As soon as both of us got our bodies wet, Clint turned and looked at me before he spoke.

“Will you wash me again?”

I had a feeling he was going to ask, so I had my reply planned in advance. “I’ll wash you, but that’s it.”

As soon as he agreed, I started washing his hair, and then I began to proceed down his body. I started at the top, both front and back, and when I reached his waist, I bent down to wash his legs next, while attempting to avoid his spear that kept poking me in the head. I heard him giggle whenever this happened, but I ignored both the contact and his reaction to it.

As soon as I finished washing both of his legs and feet, I returned to his waist and washed his backside first. Clint spread his legs so I could wash the crack and anal opening, and then he turned around quickly and his erection nearly poked me in the eye. I hesitated briefly while thinking about what I was going to do next, and then I looked up at him and spoke.

“Ok, I’ll wash this area for you, but that’s it. Nothing else!”

“Please, I really need to cum.”

“No, I’m not going to do that! But after I finish washing that area, I’ll step out of the shower to dry off, and then you can do it yourself.”

“But that won’t be as much fun!”

“How do you know that it will be more fun if I do it, if you’ve never done it with anyone else before?”

“I know because just thinking about you when I’m doing it makes it better, so having you actually do it to me will be way better.”

“That may be true, but I’ve explained before that I just can’t do it with you, because you’re so young.”

“But I’m older now, because I’ve had a birthday since we first met.”

“I know, but you’re still too young.”

Ignoring his further pleas and protests, I washed that area quickly, and then I stood up and started washing myself. As soon as I finished, I stepped out of the shower but left the water running, in case Clint decided that he wanted to take care of his problem. I’d barely picked up a towel before I heard the water turn off, and then Clint stepped out of the shower and grabbed the other towel.

“I thought you needed to cum?”

“I do, but now I’m not in the mood, since you won’t do it for me.”

I was surprised that he was adopting this position and not just taking care of the problem himself, but possibly he thought that by doing this I’d give in, but I opted to stand firm. After I finished drying my body, I wrapped the towel around my waist, picked up my underwear, and headed back to my room. Seconds later, Clint followed.

When we reached the bedroom and I’d closed the door behind us, Clint dropped his towel and let me see that he still had an erection. I ignored it and put on another pair of underwear, and then prepared to get into bed beside Devin. When Clint saw me lift the sheet, he hurriedly put on his underwear and shouted for me to stop.

“Wait a second and let me get in between you and Devin first, and then both of you can wrap your arms around me.”

I paused momentarily and allowed him to get into the middle of the bed, and then I got in behind him. After a temporary hesitation, I finally slid my arm across his waist, and once Devin realized what I’d done, he turned on his side and placed an arm across Clint’s nipples and we slowly began to fall asleep.

Well, Devin and I were slowly drifting off to sleep, but apparently Clint wasn’t. I realized this when I felt him lift my arm, something he’d done to me and Devin before, when he had to get out to pee. Only this time he moved my arm lower and placed my hand over his penis – which was still erect.

I wasn’t about to pretend to be asleep and quickly yanked my arm back to its previous position. As soon as I’d done that, Clint tried to move it back to his penis, so I moved my arm onto my side instead, so it reached down until my hand rested on my leg. I then held my breath as I waited to see what Clint might try next.

It was a couple of seconds before Clint realized that I wasn’t going to even cuddle with him now and I heard him groan, and then he turned his head toward me and whispered.

“Ok, you win, just cuddle with me and I won’t do that again.”

I wasn’t about to give in quickly, since I’d already warned him multiple times that I wasn’t going to do what he wanted, so I allowed him to stew a little longer. It didn’t take much time before he whispered to me again.

“I mean it this time and I won’t do that again, so will you please cuddle with me?”

I let him think about this a few seconds longer, as I considered if he truly meant what he said, and when I felt he realized that I wasn’t going to give in and do what he wanted, I placed my arm across his belly again. I’m sure that Devin was aware of what was happening, unless he’d fallen into a deeper slumber than I had expected when this first began, but now we all fell peacefully asleep.

In the morning, Devin and I woke up first. After we got out of bed, we prepared to head to the bathroom so we could urinate and use some mouthwash before we went downstairs. We’d barely reached the bedroom door before Clint woke up, and after he realized that we were no longer cuddling with him, he panicked. “Hey! Wait for me!” he shouted as he leapt out of bed and moved to join us.

We let Clint use the toilet first, while we used mouthwash so we didn’t go downstairs with morning breath. And then Devin began to urinate next, as Clint used the mouthwash while watching Devin pee, and when Devin finished, he left the bathroom to go get dressed. Even though Clint had already spit out the mouthwash, he stayed so he could watch me urinate next.

“Didn’t you see enough of me last night?” I teased.

“I can never see enough of you.”

I didn’t respond to his comment, and when I finished, we both left the bathroom and returned to the bedroom to get dressed. As soon as we entered the bedroom, I went to the closet and the dresser to retrieve the things I was going to wear, while Clint dug his clothes out of the overnight bag that he’d brought with him and began to put them on. Once all of us were dressed, we headed downstairs to wait for Lonny, but he was already sitting on the couch in the living room.

“Have you been down here long?” I asked.

“Yes, I must have fallen asleep more quickly than you three and woke up sooner as well. I heard you boys taking your shower last night, so I waited and took mine this morning, but I’ve still been waiting down here for about an hour or more. I want to take you to the same restaurant that we went to the last time for breakfast, because there were a couple of other items on the menu that I wanted to try.”

“It’s fine with us, if that’s what you want to do,” I agreed.

We grabbed our jackets, because it was definitely chilly outside, and then we got into Lonny’s car. Devin sat in the front passenger’s seat, because Clint wanted to sit next to me in the back, and then Lonny drove us to the restaurant. After we went inside, we were quickly seated, and after scanning the menus, we ordered.

“How do you think the team’s going to do today?” Lonny asked after the server walked away.

“They are currently 8 and 4 and have already qualified to play in a bowl game,” Devin answered, “so there’s a good chance they’ll win.”

“But they’ll have to play really well in order to do that, because Air Force has a good team as well,” I added.

“Then let’s hope the Rams play their best today,” Lonny countered.

After we finished talking about that, Clint asked a question. “We’re still comin’ to your house for Christmas, right?”

“Yes, my parents are expecting you, but there’s a slight problem. Devin’s parents will be using the guest room, so your dad will have to make a reservation for a motel room for the two of you, since we only have three bedrooms.”

“But I’m gonna be sleeping with you!”

“If your dad doesn’t mind,” I replied, and then we stopped chatting briefly while our meals were being delivered. After the server left, Lonny was the first one to speak.

“If your parents don’t mind, I could always sleep on the couch.”

“Yes, I suppose that would be all right. Dad’s slept there before.”

“After your parents had a fight?” he asked.

“No, when my dad was having back problems and found it too painful to walk upstairs to the bedroom. It’s a good thing we also have a half bath downstairs.”

“Yes, that would come in handy, as long as you don’t think I’d be in the way sleeping on the couch on Christmas morning?”

“No, but you may hear some noise. Our moms will be getting up early to prepare for the big meal, as well fixing breakfast for all of us.”

“Does your mom really need to get up early to do that?” Lonny asked.

“Yes, she always cooks a large ham, because she likes to have lots of ham left over. Later in the evening, we’ll have ham sandwiches and leftovers, as well as some new side dishes, and then the next day she’ll use the rest of the ham to make ham and cabbage.”

“Ah, I see.”

“And you should prepare to show up on Christmas Eve, as early as possible. You also shouldn’t plan on leaving until after breakfast on the day after Christmas.”

“Ok, I’ll plan accordingly.”

Shortly after our conversation ended, we finished our meals, and then Lonny signaled the server for the check. After he paid the tab, we left and rode back to the house in the same seats as before.

As soon as we arrived, we rushed inside and dressed in layers for the game, since the weather forecast predicted that it would be colder than normal all afternoon.”

“I’m glad you warned us in advance to bring our long underwear with us today,” Lonny stated, “and we also brought a sweat shirt to wear under our jackets.”

“That’s great, and we’ll all meet back here after we get dressed, so we can walk to the game together.”

When we came back downstairs, we put on our jackets, and Clint started complaining. “Nobody’s gonna see our Rams sweatshirts and know who we’re rooting for this time.”

“I knew you were going to feel that way, so we bought each of us something that will take care of your concerns.”

I then walked to the coat closet, reached up on the shelf above the hanger rod, and pulled down a bag. I then opened it and took out four knit hats – the first two were almost totally in forest green, topped with a green and gold pom-pom. Across the middle of the hat were two white strips around two gold strips that led to a very large circular Colorado State rams head logo. And across the ribbed cuff at the bottom was written “Colorado State” in gold, and this part of the hat could be pulled down to cover the wearer’s ears.

The other two were topped with a green and white pom-pom that was attached to the top third portion of the hat that was knitted in forest green. The area below it was gray and had a large word “STATE” written in green, and above that was a smaller word “Colorado.” It also had a ribbed cuff at the bottom with a quarter-size circular logo of the Colorado “ram’s head”, and like the other hats, that portion of the hat could be pulled down to cover the wearer’s ears as well.

“These should let everyone in the stadium know who we’re cheering for.”

“I want you and me to wear the green hats!” Clint shouted. I didn’t immediately respond and glanced at Lonny instead, and he quickly nodded to let me know that he didn’t mind.

“Ok,” I answered succinctly as I handed Clint one of the green hats.

“Thanks,” Clint said with a huge grin, and then I handed Lonny and Devin the two in the other style.

“Yes, thank you,” Lonny replied, “but let me reimburse you for them.”

“I appreciate the offer, but that isn’t necessary.”

“But I don’t understand. Where does a college student like you get the money to buy these things. I thought college students were supposed to be broke most of the time.”

“Many college students probably are, but not those with parents or Grandfathers and great-uncles that are well off and help out.”

“I guess that would explain it, so we’ll have to thank them too, the next time we see them, but you can do it for us in the meantime.”

“Will do!” Devin confirmed.

As soon as we put the hats on, we went outside and set out for the football stadium. When we arrived there, we found Preston waiting for us where I suggested.

“I hope you dressed warm enough for the game,” I stated when I saw him.

“Yes, I checked the weather forecast first and dressed accordingly.”

“But you don’t have anything on your head,” Clint pointed out.

“I had a couple of caps, but they weren’t CSU caps, so I decided not to wear them.”

“Then I think I have the answer to your problem.”

I then reached into the pocket of my jacket and pulled out another knit hat that I’d purchased previously. I’d placed it in my jacket earlier, in case Preston didn’t have one, and it was slightly different from those we were wearing. His hat was forest green in color, but it didn’t have a pom-pom on top, although it had a quarter-size circular ram’s head logo, like the ones attached to Lonny and Devin’s hats. The logo was also attached to the ribbed band at the bottom, just like the others.

As I handed it to him, I whispered the following comment to him as well, since he’d be sitting with us in the student section. “This should not only keep your head warm, but it will help to make you look less like a professor.”

“Thank you, and by the looks of things, you obviously supplied the others with hats as well.”

“Let’s just say our grandfather and great-uncle supplied them for us,” Devin responded, and Preston nodded in response.

“I’ve never met them, so you’ll have to thank them for me.”

“I’ll be sure to do that,” Devin agreed, and then we entered the stadium.

As we walked through the student gate, we handed our tickets to the ticket-takers, and I was actually surprised that the guy didn’t question that Preston had a different type of ticket than the rest of us.

Once we were inside, we quickly spotted our other friends already staking out their place in the bleachers.

“How long have you been here?” I asked.

“We always get here as soon as the gates open, and that way we’re sure of getting good seats and have enough room for everyone,” Jason answered.

”If you three are friends, then why are you sitting so far apart?” Lonny asked.

“Yeah, did you guys have a fight or does Andy or one of you guys smell really bad?” I joked.

Jason merely ignored my comment and answered Lonny instead. “We know that Mac and Devin often show up with others, so we sit like this to keep anyone else from moving in. We just tell them that the area between us is reserved for our friends who either went to the concession stand or the men’s room.”

“Doesn’t that cause others to get upset and try to start a fight?” Lonny pressed.

“Nah, Mac and Devin usually show up before anyone gets that upset. Besides, the others would probably realize they’d be outnumbered if there were enough others to take up this much space.”

“I guess I never realized this when we were here before, because I just thought that whoever was sitting alone must have been talking to someone he knew,” Lonny stated.

“Yeah, we try to chat with whoever is sitting next to us, especially if we happen to know them,” Andy said as he slid down to join the other two. “We do it even if we don’t know them, cuz it usually keeps them from getting too upset if we act like friends.”

Lonny just shook his head, and since he and Clint had been introduced to these three before, when they joined us previously, we merely introduced Preston. I didn’t think any of these guys would realize he was a professor, but I worried that someone else sitting or walking nearby might recognize him at some point. In the meantime, we all chatted with each other as we waited for the game to start.

We watched the teams when they came out to warm up, and when the game finally started, we quickly realized this was going to be a very challenging game. In fact, it was still close at halftime, with only a field goal separating the two teams, which made Clint very nervous.

“I hope they win,” he said, “cuz I hate it when my team loses.”

“Losses are never easy to accept, so just realize that no team will win every game that it plays.”

Lonny also asked everyone what they wanted to drink, as well as if they wanted a slice of pizza or a hot dog at halftime. The other three were reluctant to respond, but eventually Lonny convinced them that he wanted to do this, and then he and Devin went to get the various items.

The teams were lining up for the second half kickoff before they returned, and Lonny had a cardboard holder with four cups in the various corners, and in between several slices of pizza. Devin was holding a cardboard holder with his drink and the three drinks that our friends had ordered, along with several hot dogs.

“I bought a hot dog and pizza for each of us,” Lonny announced, “and there are mustard and ketchup packets in there as well. If you don’t want one or the other, maybe you can make a trade with someone else.”

In the end, we all decided to have one of each, and we all thanked Lonny for his generosity. “I guess your grandfather and great-uncle are rubbing off on me,” he said and then laughed.

The second half was just as exciting and nerve wracking as the first half, and in the end the Rams had won by six points, as they outscored the other team by a field goal in each half.

We were all cheering and jumping around, and then Clint threw his arms around my chest and latched on to me like a professional wrestler. I thought he would let go after a brief time, but he never loosened his grip and rested his head against my chest.

“Ok, you two, no making out,” Jason teased, and this caused Clint to immediately release his grip as his face turned a deep shade of red.

“I was just happy our team won,” Clint offered in explanation.

“We were too,” Jason said, “but nobody else got that carried away.”

“Clint’s my little brother,” I explained, “and he was really worried we were going to lose and overreacted when CSU won.” The others took the hint, since no one said anything more about it.

After we said goodbye to Jason, Andy, and Hunter, I looked at Preston and spoke. “Are you going to walk back to the house with us for leftovers?”

“Actually, I drove, and I want to pick Bailey up so she can join us.”

“Ok, then we’ll meet you back at the house,” I responded, and then the rest of us walked and chatted as we made our way to the house.

When we arrived there, we took off our jackets and all of the extra clothing we’d been wearing to keep warm, freshened up quickly, and then went down to the kitchen and started taking the food out of the fridge. Devin began preparing a salad for each of us, while I checked to see what else I should fix to make certain there was enough food to go around.

Once I checked to see how many leftovers there were, I decided what I had to do next. I placed the turkey and the remaining green bean casserole in the oven on the ‘warm” setting, and then I heated up some sliced carrots and another large can of candied yams. Devin also opened another can of cranberry sauce, and luckily there were quite a lot of mashed potatoes remaining. I scooped them into a pan, added a little milk and butter, set them over a medium-low heat, and stirred them frequently. When I felt they were ready, I dumped them into a large serving bowl and placed them on the table.

Lonny and Clint had offered to set the table for us while we were doing those things, and they were starting to carry the rest of the food out to the table when there was a knock on the door. I asked Clint to answer it for us, and he returned a short time later with Bailey walking by his side and Preston following behind.

“Come on in and sit down, because we’re ready to start eating,” I told him.

“I’ve got Bailey’s plate,” Clint said as he handed the plate to Preston, who then cut up some turkey for Bailey to eat. After everyone had filled his plate, we started eating, but we also chatted about the game and whatever else popped into someone’s mind.

When the meal ended, everyone helped to wash and dry the dishes, or wiped down the table, or swept the floor, or put the dishes away, and then we sat down at the table to play UNO again.

After we’d played three games, we said goodnight to Preston and Bailey, and then the rest of us got ready for bed. Clint showered with me again, but he’d obviously learned his lesson from the night before, because he didn’t try to convince me to give him “a hand.” He didn’t try anything in bed either, so it was a very enjoyable and peaceful night.

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