Published: 07 Nov 2016

Joel’s grandmother, Jane, was on the phone with her daughter. Joel could hear only one side of the conversation, but it was enough to let him know what was going on.

“Yes, dear, I know you wanted him for Thanksgiving, but we had already planned this big dinner which includes his boyfriend’s family and the family of his boyfriend’s brother’s girlfriend.”

Jane Masterson was enjoying using “boyfriend” every chance she got because she believed that if her daughter really understood Joel’s orientation (and had accepted it); she would not cringe at the term. As it was, Jane could hear a barely audible gasp each time. She could picture her daughter’s face distorted in disgust.

“Well, it was his decision. You’ll have to admit he has reason to be skeptical about your motives. He thinks you’ll try to send him somewhere to get changed.”

“Okay, okay, I’m just telling you how it strikes him. I have a solution in mind. I have an option for renting a second large condo in Belize for Christmas. That would give us plenty of room for everyone. If you want to see him so badly, I’ll even send you tickets to join us there for the holidays. We could all have a time of reunion. The Teague’s will be there too.”

“Oh, I see. Are you sure? In that case, I’ll offer it to someone else.”

When Jane got off the phone, she filled Joel in on the other side of the conversation. It seemed his mother was furious that he hadn’t even considered flying to Florida for Thanksgiving. She was desperate to see her first-born son again until Jane suggested that they meet on neutral territory. Then, she began making all kinds of excuses as to why they couldn’t make the trip to Central America.

“She really was planning to keep me in Florida, wasn’t she?” Joel ventured.

“Yes, I’m afraid you’re correct. I hate to think that my own daughter could be so conniving, but it seems to be the case. I’m sorry!”

“Hey, it’s not your fault. I think my father put her up to it anyway. But what was that about the condo. I thought you had already promised it to Alex’s family and Abby’s family.”

“I have, dear. I just wanted to see how sincere she was. If she had said yes, I would have figured out some way to accommodate everyone. Rhys and I could have stayed at another resort nearby.”

Joel jumped up and hugged his grandmother. He knew how much she truly loved him. He couldn’t understand how his mother could be so different having grown up in a household with such love and caring.

“I guess I did the right thing by not going to Florida. It would have been hard to be there without Alex, but he would have understood if I had gone. Wow! I could have been somewhere being brainwashed this very minute!”

Needless to say, most of the residents of Bentonville had full bellies and glazed expressions as they sat watching football or attempting to play cards or parlor games on Thursday afternoon.

Miss Charlotte had spared neither expense nor effort in making this a special dinner. She wanted to leave her boys with great memories. Her bones told her that a warmer climate was necessary if her later years were to be comfortable. Her spirit told her that her work in Bentonville was finished. There might be situations in Arizona which needed her gift of insight. It remained to be seen.

Cory’s family was at her house too. It looked as if this would be a continuing extended family. Few were related by blood, but all were united in a kind of bond of love. Nancy understood her son’s love for Dan. She really liked John and Darrin too. She would “adopt” the lot of them in the absence of Lottie and Emma.

As soon as the dinner leftovers were put in the fridge, Miss Charlotte suggested that everyone was welcome to take a nap. She was certainly going to do so. There were loads of bedrooms in the old house so everyone could have some privacy.

Dan and Cory headed to Dan’s room where they cuddled until sleep overtook them. Darrin and John made love very quietly (which was difficult for both) before falling into a peaceful, if sticky, sleep.

Cory’s younger brother, Jamie, sat in a recliner trying to watch the TV, but soon succumbed to the soporific effects of the turkey dinner as well.

At the Masterson’s lake-side cottage, the crowd was livelier. Everyone was excited about watching games on the very large screen with its excellent detail. To Jane’s relief, everyone seemed to get along well. None of the Nissan’s (Abby’s family) raised an eyebrow over Joel and Alex’s “togetherness” even though there was no hiding the fact that they were in love.

The cutest part was watching Abby’s younger brother, Caleb, posturing for Alicia’s benefit. The twin’s younger sister enjoyed every minute of it. If girls could sprout wood, hers would have been sticking out about foot.

Caleb was good looking, sharp-witted, and pleasant. He had an average build, but not an ounce of fat. Like Dane, he was a pretty good swimmer. Alicia hung on his every word as she prompted him to recounted his accomplishments.

Lori Albers made a mental note to have a little chat with her daughter before they all went to Belize. Alicia had matured before her very eyes. She could no longer be thought of as a child. Young women had hormones just as young men did. Surely Alex was enjoying a sexual relationship and Allen probably was with Abby, too. It would be sexist to have one standard for the boys and another for the girl. Still, Lori was hesitant to put her daughter on the pill lest she take that as tacit approval for having sex. It was a dilemma.

Norma Harrison, Dave’s mother, had insisted on having Thanksgiving dinner at her house for Dustin’s family. Dustin’s mother was allowed to leave the treatment facility on a pass for the day. It would be a kind of “acid test” to see how she would react to being in the real world. Everyone was on pins and needles anticipating what could go wrong. Dustin was thankful Dave’s Mom had been willing to go the extra mile in hosting them. He felt it would be best not to have his mother in her own home for the time being. It might stir up too many memories.

The doctors at Cosgrove General had kept Mary Fagan longer than they would have some patients. She was quite delusional for several weeks. In days gone by, they might have used shock treatments to erase some of her memory. However, that was not done anymore because of the fact it tended to wipe lots of good memories along with the bad. It was fortunate the Gary had an excellent medical plan which provided benefits for the long-term treatment of mental illness.

The day went surprisingly well. Mary was rather quieter than she would normally have been, but she interacted with everyone. She was pleasant and well-mannered. No one would have mistaken her for the same woman who was taken away to the psych ward in October.

At the end of the meal, Mary got up and helped clear the table and put away the leftovers. Norma would rather have done all of it herself, but she knew it was important to Mary to be able to contribute.

Rather than watch football with the Harrison’s, Gary took his wife to his sister’s place of a short visit before returning her to Cosgrove. When they left, Mary hugged Jenny, Tom, and Dustin in that order (from youngest to oldest). As she drew Dustin to her, she whispered to him.

“I’m very sorry about what I nearly did to you! I love you. The doctors and the chaplain have helped me understand that I must not try to force you into what I think you should be. I need to love you unconditionally for yourself. And I do!”

“I know you love me, Mom. I’m certain that what you did, you did because you thought you were saving my soul. I am a believer, Mom. But, I’m also a gay guy. I can’t change that any more than a leopard can change its spots.”

After Gary and Mary had left, Norma embraced a sad-looking Dustin. Feeling her arms around him, he let the tears silently flow. They stayed there for several minutes while Dave came up behind his lover and held him too.

“I really think she’s on the mend and will be home soon,” Norma predicted. “The fact she showed her love for you has to be a good sign.”

“Yeah,” Dustin agreed. “I could tell she was nearly like her old self. It’s going to be difficult to forget everything, though.”

“Forgiving doesn’t mean you have to block everything out of your mind,” Norma counseled. “It means you remember without bitterness and hatred. If you hold onto a grudge; it will eat you up inside in the long run.”

The thing that would touch Dustin the most that Thanksgiving was Tom coming over to give him a hug too.

“I love you, big bro,” he said, “even though I’m cuter and smarter than you!”

That last part was said with an impish grin as the younger Fagan male outran the swat intended to land on his butt.

Everyone retired early that night after snacking on leftovers. Dave and Dustin took the younger Fagan kids home and stayed there for the night. They weren’t sure how late Gary would be coming home and they didn’t want to leave Jenny and Tom alone in the house.

As Dave and Dustin cuddled naked in Dustin’s bed, Dave began to use his lips and fingers to arouse his lover. Dustin was hard and dripping in short order.

“I want you to take me tonight,” Dave declared.

“You want us to go the whole distance?”

“Yeah!”

“I thought you wanted to wait until we did some commitment thing or something.”

“Okay, I hereby commit myself to you. I won’t have sex with anyone else. I heard what you said to Tom about hoping I would be in your life forever and I’m sure you meant it. I certainly feel that way.”

“I did and I do,” Dustin replied. “I’m willing to be with you exclusively like you said. But what brought on this need to go all the way so soon?”

“Babe, do you know how close I came to losing you? When that van exploded only seconds after you got out, do you know how I felt? My whole life nearly ended in that moment. I couldn’t imagine going on without you. What if I had lost you before we got to give ourselves completely? I love you so much!”

“I love you completely too, but I’m afraid it’s going to hurt you if we rush it. Are you sure tonight is the right time.”

“I’ve been doing a lot of reading on the ‘net about how to do it without too much pain. I’ve got condoms and lube and I’ve been stretching myself with some objects,” Dave blushed. “I’ve even got one of our big beach towels in my bag to keep from messing up your bed.”

Dustin was delighted that Dave had prepared so well to make this night special. The thought of coupling with his lover made him harder than usual. He was emotionally and physically ready to participate in what he considered the ultimate act of love.

Dave coached Dustin in how to prepare him for the invasion of Dustin’s big tool. The anticipation of this level of intimacy caused both guys to be close to the edge even before the main event. By the time Dustin had three fingers in Dave’s rectum, Dave pronounced himself ready.

Dave unrolled a rubber over his lover’s steely cock. The big, hard appendage throbbing menacingly seemed so huge that Dave nearly reconsidered his decision. But, he figured that later wasn’t necessarily going to be easier, and he very much wanted this. He remained on his back with pillows under his ass to give Dustin better access. From what he’d read, it might have been easier the first time if he were on his knees, but he wanted to look into Dustin’s face as they made love.

Dustin lubed up his sheathed pole and aimed it at Dave’s upturned rosebud. After several unsuccessful tries, Dustin was ready to give up. But Dave had another idea. He got Dustin to lie on his back. Then Dave slowly impaled himself on the thick, hot poker. In this position, he could control the rate of entry. Dustin held Dave’s hips to keep him from moving faster than he could bear. Inch by inch, Dave’s butt came closer to Dustin’s pubes.

When the first inch went in, Dave was convinced that he was being split in two by a baseball bat. His dick wilted and he wore a pained, but determined look on his face. Dustin was all for calling it off, but Dave overruled him. After some rest-stops along the way, Dave finally felt Dustin’s prickly bush against his balls. He relaxed and his smile returned. He leaned forward to kiss Dustin’s lips. His tongue demanded, and was granted, entrance. The tongue-wrestling which followed had the effect of calming Dave more as well as pumping his cock back up to full mast.

Dave slowly began to raise and lower his hips. Dustin continued to steady him. It wasn’t long before a wonderful rhythm had been established. Dustin was in heaven. He tried to hold back, but within minutes he was unloading (and unloading and unloading) into the condom. Dave flexed his butt muscles at the moment of Dustin’s first blast. The result was to coax more cum than usual.

As the throbbing subsided, Dave leaned forward to kiss his lover deeply again. They lay that way until Dustin softened so much that he popped out.

“Oh Dustin, I love you so much!”

“I love you too, Babe. I want you to experience what I just did and I want to know how you felt,” he said. “I want us to be equal. We may find that one or the other of us likes to be the receiver more often, but I want to do everything with you tonight.”

“Are you sure? You haven’t been stretching,” Dave mentioned.

“How do you know? Maybe I’ve been preparing for this too.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Dustin got up on his knees so that Dave could get him ready. He knew Dave wasn’t as big as he was, but he also knew it would probably feel like a beer can lodged in his ass the first time they did it. He remembered how big those carrots felt!

After getting sheathed and lubed, Dave gently mounted Dustin from behind. He told Dustin to bear down like he was taking a dump. As soon as he broke through the ring of muscle, he stopped to allow Dustin to adjust. On Dustin’s signal, Dave moved in further. Finally, he reached his goal.

They remained in that position for several seconds. Then Dustin asked him to do it. Dave withdrew nearly to the end and plunged slowly back in. Three of four strokes later, Dustin encouraged him to speed up.

“Please make me yours completely. Bury your cock to the hilt. Fill me with your cum!”

That was enough encouragement to put Dave over the edge. He also blasted more shots than usual, which is saying quite a bit. The cum-filled condom began to leak around Dave’s balls. The continuing throbbing of Dave’s cock made Dustin cum again. He shot a small, but satisfying, volley onto the towel beneath him. He had never realized how awesome it could be to take the more passive role.

“You’re a total stud,” Dustin declared. “I always thought of myself as being the, you know, the giver and not the receiver, but I’m ready for whatever you want.”

In the afterglow, they gently kissed and touched. That which had begun as a kind of urgency on Dave’s part had ended in blissful union. They felt like their love was now sealed forever.

After the boys had put the used condoms in a Ziploc bag Dave had thoughtfully brought, they cleaned each other up with the beach towel. Both would have enjoyed a shower, but they were afraid that they’d get lots of teasing from Tom who would probably conclude that they’d had sex of some sort. In a few minutes, they were sleeping cuddled together.

The Monday after Thanksgiving, school resumed at full speed. In this short period between holidays there were many practices, matches, meets, games, concerts, and other productions. It made the weeks go quickly, but it also took its toll on time and energy.

The basketball team got off to a good start by winning their first home game against a pretty tough opponent. With the influx of new players (because of the consolidation), Cory and Dan saw a little less time on the floor and a little more on the bench. To their credit, they didn’t act like prima donnas. If there was a twinge of envy, it was not allowed to spoil the teamwork. Their coach praised them for their efforts, especially when his star senior fouled out in the fourth quarter and the boys took up the slack. It was their points that eventually won the game. The coach made a mental note to reevaluate his original lineup. He would pay more attention to talent and less to seniority!

Dustin and Colton were only one weight class apart in wrestling although their coach often had them team up for practice. They appreciated it since they knew each other more intimately than they did anyone else on the team. Neither had any fear of how the other would react if they accidentally touched the other in an intimate place. Good friends wouldn’t take it wrong.

Both guys did well in their first match. Dustin pinned his opponent in a very few minutes. Colt was even quicker. His workouts against the slightly heavier Dustin paid off. Their coach knew that the fiercest competitors in the conference would be at Colt’s level. That was why he paired Colt with Dustin in practice. He was grooming the Johnson boy to be a state champion.

Dave was playing in the concert band and Dane was swimming. The band was rehearsing for the winter concert (so titled because of objections to calling it a Christmas concert). They would be playing holiday music from a number of traditions instead of only Christmas music as had been done in the past.

The swim team was off to a pretty good start too. The addition of new students made for a more competitive group. Dane had to work harder to keep his position. He welcomed the challenge knowing it ultimately made him a better athlete.

Unfortunately, the old pool was not in good condition. The water treatment unit kept breaking down. This meant some missed practices and everyone yearned for the new facilities to be finished. Next fall seemed like a long way away.

During the breakdown period, Dane’s Dad, DJ, made arrangements with the MAC in Cosgrove so the guys could swim some laps there. They had to go at times when the club wasn’t busy, but they were thankful for the chance to keep working. The boys also had a chance to sit in the steam room or sauna after they finished. Some of the team members were startled to see Dane go into the steam room completely nude, but after realizing their towels would get wet, most followed suit. The few who didn’t had a hard time getting dry after their showers. Several battled hardons in the steam room, but everyone was cool about it – other than a little jovial teasing.

Early in December, Darrin and John drove Miss Charlotte and Emma to the airport for their flight to Phoenix. They had borrowed a van so that they could take Dan, Cory, and Jerry along. All of those guys wanted to be there to see the ladies off to their new home.

Everyone was emotional at the parting. John hugged Charlotte with tears unashamedly running down his cheeks.

“You’re the most important person in my life. Without you, I would be in jail somewhere or maybe dead.”

“Nonsense!” the old lady chucked. “You would have found the strength to make yourself whole again. Besides, Darrin had better be the most important person in your life!”

“No,” John insisted. “Without you, Jerry might have died and I would have had no future at all. I would never have had the chance to know Darrin, much less love him.”

The other boys hugged the women in turn. Jerry was the last to say goodbye to Miss Charlotte.

“Thanks for everything – my life, my name change, and my change in attitude about my ‘gift’. You have been the most important person in my life too. I hate saying goodbye because I don’t think I will ever see you again,” he said shakily.

“We will meet again,” Lottie responded, “if not in this life, we will see each other on the other side. You have been close enough to that distant shore to know it exists.”

Jerry nodded.

“So you know full well,” she continued, “that it doesn’t end here. You may be correct in assuming that we won’t meet again in this world, but you must let me go. I may have some use in Arizona. Who knows?”

Jerry solemnly nodded again. He couldn’t trust his voice.

On the way back to Bentonville, the guys in the van were very quiet. No one wanted to say anything to break the mood. Some of them wondered if Jerry had had some kind of vision about Charlotte, but they didn’t feel comfortable asking. All knew that they had bid adieu to a living legend and her faithful friend.

If you are enjoying this story, let David know: david.lee@castleroland.net