Priorities - Book Two

*** ~~~ Trevor ~~~ ***

"Robert, that son of yours is something else!" Grandpa said as soon as we entered the living room where Dad and Daddy were cuddling on one of the couches. "The morning wasn't without incident, but in both cases, Trevor handled himself far better than I expected him to."

Daddy got a really weird look on his face. He turned to Roger and I and was about to speak when I decided to put him out of his misery. "It's nothing to worry about Daddy. Roger and I were sitting on a bench and an older boy came up and started talking to us. He told us that we made a cute couple and I think he was trying to get us to 'do stuff' with him. I didn't like him, but before I had a chance to tell him to go away a couple of guys came out of the music shop we were in front of and really laid into him. Verbally at least."

Daddy was standing there with his mouth wide open and his hand in front of it. I know that he wanted to berate me for my language, but I think he was more upset over what happened. I continued, "We went into the music shop afterward and talked to them. It seems they work there and the youngest one had been the asshole's… sorry for the language, Daddy… anyway, he had been the guy's boyfriend at some point. I guess they broke up, and not in a good way. They introduced us to a couple others who work there and they were all pretty cool. I have Robin's, he's the young one, anyway, I have Robin's phone number. Do you think it would be okay if I invited them, the guys who work at the music shop, here for a pool party some day soon?"

Dad looked at Daddy before saying, "We'll discuss that further later, what else happened today?"

"Well, Dad. Remember the talk we had last night about how I needed to be confident when I'm dealing with people? Well… Roger and I had been shopping and when we finished we brought our stuff up to the sales clerk so I could pay for it. She took an attitude right away saying we were punking her. She never even asked if I had the ability to pay for it. She called security and they tried to threaten me that they'd call the police. I did what you taught me and told him to call the manager. When the manager came, I told him who I was and you should have seen him. His face got all white and like he was all apologizing to Roger and me."

Roger was laughing as I told this and added, "Yeah, he looked like he was gonna pee himself."

"As it was, he got rid of the clerk and rang up our purchases himself, and then took 25% off to 'compensate me for my trouble'. I demanded he re-train all of his employees in how to properly deal with younger customers, which he said he would. I was scared, but I tried to remember what you taught me and I didn't show it."

"Hand to God, Robert, that's exactly what happened!" Grandpa said as he put his arms over Roger and my shoulders.

"Oh My!" Daddy exclaimed as he plopped himself down on the couch next to Dad.

"We decided to leave the mall before lunch, but Grandpa bought us something to eat on the way home. If it's okay, Roger and I are going to go up to my room and take a shower, then we'll show you what we got for him at the store."

Dad smiled, winked at me, then told me how proud he was of me and told us to go ahead. I took Roger's hand and led him back up to my bedroom. I closed the door and Roger nearly ripped my hand off pulling me in for another kiss. I guess we kissed a while before I asked Roger if he wanted to take a shower with me. All I got in response was a grin. He then started removing his clothes.

Roger's body, at least to me, is total perfection. As he disrobed… shirt, shoes, socks, then pants I stared at him dressed only in his undies, his excitement obvious. Before removing his undies though he stepped up to me and started pulling my polo shirt over my head. He then slowly pushed me back to sit on my bed as he knelt and removed my sandals. Inching his hands up my thighs, which were bare since I was wearing short pants, causing some major tingles in my legs, he reached for the clasp on my cargos. A moment later he pulled me up, so I was standing in front of him and he led me to the bathroom.

I let him go long enough to get the temperature of the multiple shower heads adjusted properly then we both stepped into the warm spray. We stood there holding onto one another as the water hit us from all directions. Our kisses became more and more intense as our hands roamed around each other's water slick bodies.

The feel of Roger's hands caressing my back, butt, and upper thighs was driving me crazy. Our fronts sliding around against each other, lubricated by the water streaming over us, was a purely magical feeling. My body had taken over and was working on automatic when I felt the most amazing feeling. Without either of us touching each other's hardness, simultaneously it seemed, we both reached orgasm, our fluids being expelled against our bellies as we held each other tightly, our tongues probing each other's mouth.

After our initial release, we looked into each other's eyes and giggled. We must have stared at each other a full minute before Roger broke the silence with a single word that summed up our shared experience perfectly. "Wow!"

Gently we soaped each other's bodies, taking the time to really explore all the nooks and crannies. I had Roger sit on the shower bench as I stood over him massaging shampoo into his scalp. "Oh Trevor, that feels so nice!" He said to me. I finished his hair and guided him to the best place to allow the shower to rinse him clean.

Once that was done, he had me sit and stood in front of me to do my hair. I looked and saw his penis lying flaccid over his balls and couldn't help myself. As he started massaging my scalp, I closed my eyes and allowed my hand to bring him back to hardness. His ministrations on my head felt so wonderful. I kept gently stroking him with my eyes closed to avoid shampoo in them.

Once he'd finished he guided me up to rinse, but I reached down and kept up my gentle caressing of his now rehardened member. Once I had rinsed my hair, I sat back down and pulled him by his penis back in front of me as I continued. I took my other hands and explored his sack and the two robin eggs within. A few moments later, I felt Roger tense and his tool began firing. The first shot hit me right in the eye. I will tell you, it stung worse than getting shampoo in my eye. The remaining blasts hit various places on my face and neck.

When he was finished he opened his eyes and saw my face, one eye tightly closed and began to laugh. I had no choice but to laugh along with him. He pulled me up and rinsed his seed off my face then we turned off the water and stepped out onto the heated floor.

I grabbed two large fluffy towels off the warming rack and we proceeded to dry one another. Having completed that task, we walked hand in hand into my bedroom and took our places side by side on the bed.

At that point we kissed again, cuddling to each other, just basking in the feeling of being together without any worries. We fell asleep holding one another.

I awoke to knocking on the door. I called out and Daddy said through the closed door that dinner would be ready in about half an hour. I called back that we'd be down before that. I woke Roger and once his eyes focused he smiled at me and said, "Is this real? I've been dreaming of this for almost a year. Please tell me it's real."

"It's real, Roger. It's the first time we've had this ability… the ability to be together without a care in the world, and I promise you it's not the last. Daddy said dinner will be ready in about thirty minutes. Let's get dressed and go downstairs. After dinner we can sit with Daddy and Dad and watch some television, or just talk. Maybe later we'll hop into the hot tub."

"That sounds perfect, Trevor." He replied.

We dressed each other, both of us opting for bikini briefs, me in a pair of 501s, a button down shirt, and again, my sandals. Roger this time opted for a pair of shorts, a t-shirt, and a pair of moccasins I bought for him, without socks.

As we entered the dining room, Daddy was there setting the table. He took one look at us and said, "My, you two are positively glowing. I guess you guys had a good time earlier." He winked at me.

I smiled at him, otherwise ignoring his remark as not to embarrass Roger, and asked if we could help in any way. He said, "You could bring in the wine I opened and put on the counter to breathe."

"Ugh, wine? I don't have to drink it do I?" I asked.

Daddy laughed and said, "No, grab a gallon of juice and a gallon of milk when you're in there."

We brought the requested items and placed them on the table as Daddy went back into the kitchen to bring out dinner. Dad sat at his usual seat at the head of the table, Roger and I sat next to each other on Dad's left, Roger between Dad and I. Daddy brought in one of his specialties, as he called it. It was a rich dark beef stew with tons and tons of vegetables and potatoes.

After serving us all, he filled his own bowl and took his seat to Dad's right. Roger dug into his bowl and the look on his face when he tasted it was precious. "Wow! That's fantastic! I've never had stew that was this good before! The chunks of meat are tender, the veggies are crisp and really tasty, and the potatoes almost melt in your mouth!"

Daddy smiled and said, "Thank you Roger. I'm glad you are enjoying it. Feel free to eat as much as you like."

"So, have you two decided what you were going to do for the rest of the evening?" Dad asked.

"Well, Dad, Roger and I thought we'd sit with you and Daddy for a bit and either watch a movie or simply talk, then we were thinking of going into the hot tub for a bit before bed."

"That sounds like a good plan. Once we're done here, go into the living room and choose what we'll watch."

We finished dinner, conversation again recapping our day at the mall. Dad asked me for Robin's phone number in order that he could call and thank him for what he'd done today so I gave it to him.

Once dinner was done, Roger and I cleared the dishes, rinsed them and put them into the dishwasher. Then we went into the living room and decided to watch one of Dad & Daddies 'gay' movies. Having no experience we just grabbed one and put the DVD into the player. At that time Dad & Daddy came into the room and took their seats on one of the couches. I grabbed the remote and then Roger and I sat on the other couch, cuddling up to each other.

I hit 'play' on the DVD player and the title sequence came up. When Daddy saw what movie we'd chosen he said, "That is a great movie, why did you choose it specifically?"

I laughed and said, "We didn't have any idea so we just grabbed one."

The movie we'd grabbed was called "Big Eden." It was about a gay man who was a writer in New York who has to move to a small mountain town because his father had taken ill. He has to put up with everyone in town not knowing he was gay and they tried everything they could to get him to date one of the local girls.

Eventually, they figured him out, but then they started trying to hook him up with all the 'available' guys in town. However, there was a big american indian man who ran the general store. He had a bunch of guys who hung out at the store who knew the man's secret. He was gay also.

They eventually got the two of them together and they lived happily ever after. There were a lot of other things in the movie, but I don't want to tell you about them. I want you all to watch the movie!

Throughout the movie I had noticed both Dad and Daddy looking over at Roger and I as we cuddled together. They'd whisper something to each other, smile, and go back to the movie.

After it was over, Roger and I decided to take a dip in the hot tub. As I was leading Roger toward the back door he asked, "Don't we need to go up and change?"

"No reason to, Roger. I planned on us just going naked into the hot tub." I winked at him and he smiled.

Once outside I turned on the jets, setting the temperature to just over 95 degrees and we started stripping off our clothing, setting them on a seat about five feet from the hot tub. We then got into the warm water and sat next to one another, holding hands under the surface.

It was so relaxing sitting there. We didn't say a word to each other, just enjoying the hot water, jets, and each other's company. The sounds of someone approaching made Roger and I open our eyes.

What Roger saw caused him to gasp and his eyes to go wide. My parents had decided to join us and stood there wearing nothing but smiles. Seeing this, I said, "Don't worry about it Rog. We do this all the time. It's no big deal."

Roger looked at me and said, "Well, I… I mean I didn't… I mean.. oh heck, I don't know what I mean, I just didn't expect this. It's okay I guess."

Once we were all in the water we chatted for another fifteen minutes when I told Roger that we'd been in long enough. The hot water isn't good to stay in for very long. I started getting out of the tub but Roger seemed reluctant to move.

"It's okay, Roger. We don't have anything they haven't seen before." I laughed.

"Maybe not in general, but they've never seen mine!" He replied.

This caused all of us to laugh, Roger included. But he finally decided it was okay, I guess, because he slowly stood up exposing himself to all of us. I explained why to Roger before we jumped into the pool so it's cooler water would close up our pores. When we broke the surface, Roger yelled, "WOW! That's cold!"

We then got out of the pool, grabbed towels and dried off. Roger started to grab his clothes to get dressed and I told him we were going up to bed anyway, just carry them up, it'll save time getting undressed again.

Dad and Daddy called after us, "Goodnight boys, get to sleep at some point!"

"Night Daddy, Night Dad." I called back.

"Night.. um…" Roger started before finishing with a giggle, "Night Pop, Night Poppa!"

We entered the house closing the glass door, effectively shutting out the laughing that was coming from my parents from Roger's remark. In my heart I really liked that he'd chosen to call them that.

We got into the bedroom and I suggested hopping back into the shower to rinse off the chlorine from the pool. Roger took my hand and led me back into the bathroom. I again adjusted the temperature of the shower and we entered.

We'd only gone in for a quick rinse but Roger held me as the water cascaded over our bodies. He kissed me more passionately than he ever had so far. Once he'd broken the kiss he said, "I love you more every minute we're together, Trevor. I never want this to end."

"I don't either, Rog. You are my everything. I promise you this, once your new parents get you out of the orphanage for good, I'm going to ask that we spend every weekend together, whether it's here or at your house. I love you more!"

We got out of the shower, dried each other then went back into the bedroom and climbed into the bed, pulling the comforter over us.

Roger reached down and started fondling my genitals bringing me to full hardness. I was doing likewise to him and once he was fully engorged, I rolled us over so I was laying on top of him. I moved my head down and we began one of our most passionate lip locks yet. It felt like we were force feeding our love for one another directly into our mouths, using our tongues to push it deeply into our bodies.

As we made out, I was undulating my body over his, causing our stiffened sexes to rub against each other effectively jacking off each other with just the motion of our dicks rubbing against each other. I nuzzled his neck, nibbled on his ears (which really seemed to turn him on) and went back for more of his awesome kisses. After a long time, maybe ten minutes I could feel the building of sensations deep in my belly, spreading throughout my body until I couldn't hold out any longer and released. It was the absolute most intense orgasm I had ever had in my short career of them.

My release triggered Roger's and we again coated our torsos with our combined fluids. We just laid there for a time, holding one another, kissing occasionally, as we came down from that supreme feeling. I rolled us so we were on our sides, facing each other, and looked deeply into Roger's eyes.

"I know we're both new to this, and I know there's more we 'could' do with each other, but I think doing more would make this night less special. You are everything I could want, Roger. I've said it a lot the last few hours, but, I love you with everything I am."

I looked back at Roger and actually saw tears running down his face. Instantly I thought I'd either hurt him or said the wrong thing. I'm assuming he'd seen the change in my expressions because he then smiled and said, "You are by far the epitome of my dreams. Honestly, I never dreamed though that it would be this good. I never want to be away from you, Trevor, even though I know I'll have to be. Shall we clean up?"

"Actually, if it's okay with you, I'd rather have it on my body as we sleep, I dunno, it makes it more special some how. I know it sounds weird, maybe even a little gross, but… I just want to, okay?"

Roger just melted into my embrace, kissed me on the cheek and said, "Anything for you, Trevor. Anything." At which point he closed his eyes.

I stared at him as his breathing slowed and he fell asleep, wondering what I could do to keep him happy for our entire lives. Maybe Daddy was right. When you find the perfect someone life will just fall into place and you can be happy. I know we'll have arguments, as every couple does, but that's not what I wanted to focus on. Eventually, my heart finally slowed and I was able to close my eyes holding Roger and fall asleep.

The next morning, I woke up, Roger still in my arms. He was still asleep. I looked over his shoulder and saw the time was nearly 8 o'clock. I knew Daddy would have breakfast going by now. I tried not to think of the fact that Roger would be going back to Henri's around lunchtime.

I laid there, deep in thought about Roger, when a peck on my lips broke me from my reverie. "Good morning, Trevor. Yesterday was special to me, a day I'll never forget. Thank you so much!" Roger said softly.

I wanted to cry. He was so sweet and tender. I was unable to speak, my emotions were so strong. All I could do was to look at him and bask in the wonder that was Roger. After a few moments, Roger said, "I love you, that's for sure, but can we please wash this dried cum off our bodies? It's starting to itch!"

I giggled at his remark, but nodded my head, still unable to truly say anything. We got out of bed and for the fourth time in less than 24 hours made our way to the shower. As we held one another I finally found the words to express myself. "I know it's going to be difficult to be away from each other for however long it takes until you're adopted, and Daddy has told me about a lot of things we could do to each other physically, but I think what we've done already is perfect."

"I agree, Trev. They don't teach us much about this at the orphanage, but I've read a bit and I know some of the things we can do also. I almost did a few of them to you last night. But you're right. What we did yesterday wasn't about sex. It was to express how we felt about each other. I know that eventually we'll have time to explore some of those things, and I truly look forward to that chance, but I think we made the right choices. Now, I'm hungry, let's eat!"

I had no words of response. He'd said it all. We stepped out of the shower, dried one another, and went back into the bedroom. We each opted for a pair of boxer briefs this morning. Roger was considering what to wear when I started opening the door. "I usually have breakfast wearing only my undies. We don't have a dress code for breakfast here. Try it, it makes you feel really good being comfortable enough in your situation to be more free."

Roger looked deep in thought for a moment before replying. "I guess they've seen me wearing less, so… okay… I'm starving!"

With that, the two of us, clad only in our boxer briefs, mine black, Roger's powder blue, traipsed downstairs to get breakfast. Much to our dismay, my parents weren't the only ones there.

Henri and Marine were sitting at the table with Dad and Daddy. I think Roger's face colored deep enough red to match the hair on his head, it was adorable. Me? I just went on as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Why should I be ashamed? It would be no different if I were wearing a swimsuit.

"Come on, Rog, it's not like you're naked. Underwear covers you sufficiently." I tried to reason with him but I think his emotions were in turmoil.

"But that's my future mom!" He cried.

"Roger, as your future mom, you shouldn't have any issues. I know we're not that familiar with being 'seen' by women, at least not when we're not fully dressed, but, like you said, she's going to be your mother. Lighten up, sit down and have some coffee with me." I reasoned.

Moments later, Roger realized that if he sat down he wouldn't have been as much on display. He quickly sat beside me and asked, "You drink coffee?"

"Only one cup a day. Daddy makes it for me and I know he makes it half coffee half milk and lots of sugar. Try one, you'll like it." I said.

About that time, Dad looked at me with a little stern expression and faked clearing his throat. I realized then that I'd forgotten my manners completely. "Good morning, Henri. Good morning, Marine. Good morning Daddy & Dad."

Roger then surprised Henri by saying, "Morning Mom & Dad. Sorry I was weird just then. Oh, and morning, Pop & Poppa."

Henri gave Roger a quizzical look before saying, "Pop & Poppa?"

"Yeah, Dad. I felt it inappropriate to call them by their first names. It would have been disrespectful. Since Trevor and I are now officially boyfriends, I felt it right to call them that. Is that okay with you?" Roger replied.

He looked at his wife before turning back, "I do believe it's the right thing to do. However, I think it better if Trevor calls Marine and I, Oncle Henri and Tante Marine. The french for Uncle and Aunt."

I got up and went to Marine and hugged her around the neck, "Bonjour, Tante Marine."

She kissed my forehead, then wiped a tear from her eyes before saying, "Bon matin, mes adorables garçons. That means, good morning you sweet boy."

I resumed my seat as Daddy brought over two cups of Trevor coffee. One for me and one for Roger. Roger tasted it and his smile told me he loved it. Henri told us it was called Café au lait except the real Café au Lait uses espresso, not coffee.

Marine had prepared a traditional French breakfast of Brioche toast, fruit, and yogurt. We sat drinking our coffee and eating our breakfast. Marine's brioche was fantastic and the fruit and yogurt was really tasty.

After we finished eating, Roger and I told them we'd give them a fashion show of what we'd bought for Roger yesterday. Now that he was less embarrassed, he got out of his seat and gave his Mom and Dad a hug, then we went back upstairs.

Over the next two hours, Roger showed everyone his new wardrobe. By mixing and matching parts of his outfits, he was able to more than double his options. After the fashion show, which both sets of parents absolutely loved and complimented us on our choices, Henri told Roger it was time that they got home. He had to work in the restaurant that evening and had many things to do.

Roger and I went upstairs and he packed up his belongings. Neither of us wanted to be parted, but it had to be. We held each other in a tight embrace and shared a kiss. One that would have to keep us until he came home for good.

We walked downstairs carrying Roger's suitcases and went outside to Henri's car. I gave him one last kiss before he got into the car.

*** ~~~ Roger ~~~ ***

I sat in the back seat of the car with tears streaming down my face. I'd watched out the back window hoping for just one more moment of seeing him. Once he was no longer in sight, I sat back down. I already missed him. Mom and Dad kept quiet, knowing I needed to get this out of my system. They assured me that it should only take a couple weeks to finish my adoption, then I could be with him at weekends. Maybe a few times during the week.

We rode silently almost all the way home. There's a concept I'd resigned myself never to have, a home… with parents. But that's what it appeared I had now. That thought alone got me out of my self-pity; out of my longing for Trevor. That thought alone would keep me pressing forward until that day when I came back home.

"I'm sorry I've been acting like a baby, Mom… Dad." Roger said as he wiped his eyes.

Mom turned in her seat and said, "I know you really love each other, Roger. You weren't acting like a baby. You were acting like someone in love. I think that I would act as you are if my Henri was ever separated from me for any length of time."

Her words really comforted me. I smiled back at her and watched as she winked at me and returned my smile. I sat back against the seat and closed my eyes, to allow my emotions to settle.

We arrived home and went inside for lunch. Today we had a very simple meal which surprised me. From what Trevor had told me every single time he's eaten what we could call lunch with Henri and Marine (Mom and Dad), it was pretty much a gourmet meal. I believe that Dad saw my confusion.

"We're having a simple lunch because I thought you might like to come to the restaurant with me and see how things work. We'll have a more complete meal there."

"I'd like that Dad. Will I get to wear a chef hat?" I may be thirteen, but it still seemed cool for me to do that.

"The restaurant doesn't open until about six hours from now, but we'll be going in about an hour, so we can work on the preparation for opening. We'll both be working with my master chef, and yes, you can wear a toque. That's the name of the chef hat. I want you to learn how to cook if you would like that. You and I will cook together, but tonight, I wanted you to see how a true artists in the kitchen works."

"That sounds cool, Dad. Thanks!"

He stood next to me looked me in the eye as his hand caressed my cheek. "I am so looking forward to having you as my son, Roger. I feel blessed that you are coming into our lives."

He wiped away a tear that was running down my face because of his words as I choked out, "Dad, I'm the one who's blessed. I have a boyfriend now… one I love with all my heart. I'll have two of the most wonderful people in the world as my parents. I don't know how much better life can get."

I gave him a big hug which we held for a long time. When I released him I saw a tear running down his face. I reached up and smiling at him wiped it away. "I love you, Dad."

About an hour later, Dad and I left Mom at home and went to work. When we entered the restaurant through the kitchen door, I was amazed at how big the kitchen was and how many people there were working. Dad took me over to a man wearing a full chef uniform.

"Roger, this is Jacques. He's our executive chef. He runs the kitchen while I run the restaurant."

The man was glaring at me but I put my hand out for him to shake and said, "It's very nice to meet you, sir."

He didn't take my hand, instead he turned to Dad and said, "C'est qui ça? Tu sais que je n'aime pas avoir des étrangers dans ma cuisine." (Who's that? You know I don't like to have strangers in my kitchen.)

I could tell that Dad was getting angry by the tone he used when he said, "Jacques, voici Roger, mon fils." (Jacques, this is Roger, my son.)

"Un fils? Et qu'est-ce qu'il fait ici dans ma cuisine?" (A son? And what is he doing here in my kitchen?)

Dad was really angry now, I could tell. His entire tone was harsher than I'd ever heard. "Oui. Son adoption sera officielle d'ici quelques jours. Quant à sa présence dans MA cuisine, j'espère le former afin qu'il prenne un jour les rênes du restaurant." (Yes. His adoption will be official in a couple of days. As for his presence in MY kitchen, I hope to train him so that one day he'll take the reins of the restaurant.)

Jacques actually sounded like he was a little scared at this point when he said, "C'est juste un enfant. Il n'a rien a faire dans une cuisine." (He's just a kid. He has no place in a kitchen.)

"Il a tout a y faire. Un jour – pas si lointain, je l'espère – il prendra ma suite en temps que mon héritier. Il dirigera le restaurant et cette brigade. Toi y compris". (He has every right to be here. One day – not so far I hope – he'll take after me as my heir. He'll manage the restaurant and this brigade. You included.)

Dad was fuming, "Also, from now on, when Roger is present we speak English only. Tonight you will show him basically what we do before we open."

Dad told me exactly what was said in French. I was proud he felt as if I was already his son. I looked at him and said, "Maybe I should just learn what happens outside the kitchen for a while. I don't want to cause problems, Dad."

Dad shook his head and said, "Non… I mean NO! Jacques needs to remember he works for me, not the other way around. I will be here with you, so you don't have to worry about him. After tonight I'll deal with him before you return to us."

We spent the next three hours watching the various members of the brigade (the crew of the kitchen) as they performed their tasks. There was a lot going on and I was afraid I'd never be able to learn all of it.

When preparation was done, Dad took me into his office and we both changed into our suits. I had never owned one before and I have to admit, I looked good in it!

Dad took me into the dining room and introduced me to everyone. I know I saw them just the other day, but so much was going on I couldn't remember anyone. While we were at the receptionist podium I looked at the reservations and my heart jumped. Trevor's family had reservations for tonight! I'd get to see Trevor again!

Their reservation wasn't until much later in the evening and Dad told me, "I know you're excited about Trevor coming in tonight, but you must learn how to treat him and his family the same as you would any other customer… at least when you're in the dining room. I will make sure you get a few minutes alone together." Dad then looked at me and winked.

I couldn't believe how busy the restaurant was. I was given the opportunity to greet guests, show them to their tables, help the waiters and waitresses. I learned how to take an order and enter it into the electronic point of sale system, so the cooks would know what to make. I even got a tip! One man and his wife came in and they were so friendly. I seated them and was also allowed to take their order. I wasn't allowed to serve them their drinks because they ordered alcohol and I am too young to serve it. But at the end of the meal the man said, "Roger, you were a pleasure. You were courteous, efficient, and friendly." He then asked me, "Do you know what tip means?"

"I'm sorry sir, I never had to deal with that before, would you please explain it?"

"You'll go far with that attitude, Roger. A tip is actually a gratuity or a 'thank you' you give when you get excellent service such as you gave us tonight. The word itself is actually an acronym. It means 'To Insure Promptness'. It used to be given before the meal to be sure that the waiter would not delay the meal unnecessarily. Sort of like a bribe."

"Thank you for explaining that, Sir." Once I'd said that he handed me a $20 bill and said, "You've earned that tonight, Roger. I hope we get to see you again sometime."

"Thank you so much, Sir. I hope we see each other again too!" I smiled as they left the restaurant then went to find Dad.

"Dad! I got a tip from the couple at the table I was serving!" I was so excited.

"C'est Magnifique! I mean that's magnificent. You must have earned it. That couple never tips well." He then asked for their check and I handed it to him. He took one look and said, "You must have done well, their check was $58.00 and they left you a $25.00 tip."

"No sir, they gave me a $20 bill." I replied.

"They gave you cash? He asked.

"Yeah, he asked me if I knew what the word 'tip' meant, then explained it to me. As he was getting up to leave he handed me the money. Did I do anything wrong?" I asked… a little scared I'd messed up.

"Actually, Roger, you must have done something very right. You received a total of $45 in tips on a $58 meal. I think that's pretty close to a record." He then patted me on the back.

The night was going by so fast until I saw him come in the front door. It took everything I had not to run over and hug him. Instead I acted as Dad told me. I walked up to the podium and told the Receptionist I would seat the King family. I said politely, "Would you all please follow me." Then I led them to the table we'd assigned for them.

"Good evening, welcome to Chez Henri. My name is Roger and I will be assisting Miles who will be your server. Can I offer you something to drink while you look over the menu?" It was so difficult not to vary from our script, but Dad said I couldn't show anyone any favoritism. I just wanted to give Trevor everything I felt in my heart.

I took their drink orders and went to the bar to place them. Miles would have to bring them because they'd ordered a bottle of wine and a coke for Trevor. Policy was that we couldn't bring any of the drinks separately, so I couldn't just bring Trevor his.

Miles handled them from that point on during their meal. I sat in the back of the room watching Trevor. Dad came over to me and told me to go into the office. I knew I wasn't in trouble because he winked at me.

I was alone in the office when Trevor walked in. Immediately we were in each other's arms. Kisses and hugs were plentiful. After a few minutes he said, "Man Roger, you were great. I had to stop myself from laughing when you were all formal when you greeted us. I'm going to miss you so much until you come home. When you go back, remember the gifts we bought for Alex and Nigel. I wish I could see Nigel wearing what we bought him."

I smiled at the thought, but this time wasn't about Nigel, or Alex. It was for us, and we had very little of it tonight. I gave him one last hug and kiss and said, "We should be getting back. I feel lucky that Dad allowed me this final goodbye to you. I love you, Trevor."

"I bet I love you more, Rog. We'll be together again soon. I promise."

After saying that, he was gone.

We finished serving all the guests and at closing time, Dad showed me how to tally the money for the day and close out the waiter's checks. When everything was tallied, Dad told me that it was the best the restaurant has done in many months. He explained that they usually did well, but tonight was extra good. "I am sure it was because of you, Roger." Then he gave me a big hug.

We went home and I was so tired. It had been a very long and emotional day. I went up to my room, took off my shoes and socks, then removed my jacket before sitting on the edge of the bed. I undid my tie, then removed my shirt before standing and removing my pants and undies. I glanced over at the clock and it was nearly midnight. Far later than I usually stay up.

I pulled back the covers and top sheet and climbed into bed. Pulling the covers over me, I don't even remember my head hitting the pillow before I was asleep.

The next morning when I awoke I looked at my clock and couldn't believe it. It was nearly noon. I wondered why I wasn't awoken. I guess they figured I needed the sleep. I got up and pulled on a pair of boxer briefs and went out to the kitchen.

"Bonjour Mère, bonjour Père." I said, surprising both of them.

"Well, Bonjour mon petit choux choux." Mom said. I didn't ask what it meant.

"You did a fine job last night, Roger. Ignore your mother she was just trying to be cute. I am sorry you have to go back today. If it was up to me you'd never go back there again. I hope we can finish this quickly, so you can come home where you belong." Dad said, wiping a tear from his eye.

"I wish that too, Dad… Mom. I know now that you will do whatever you need to in order that I can come home to you where I belong."

After breakfast, I had to go upstairs and get ready to go back to the orphanage. I took a shower and thought back to the wonderful showers Trevor and I had Saturday. Try as I might, I couldn't stop time. I finished my shower, got dressed in some of the new clothes Trevor and I had gotten. I remembered to pack the gifts we got for Nigel and Alex. Then I packed some of my new clothes. I didn't want to pack everything because I thought I might jinx my adoption.

Once I was done I went downstairs with my suitcase. Mom and Dad were there wearing frowns. We went outside to the car and got in. We drove in silence. Eventually I saw the gates to the Orphanage. We passed through them and a feeling of dread came over me.

Once the car was parked. We got out and started heading to the entrance. Mom stopped and turned to me. She pulled me to her and wrapped her arms around me. "I don't want to let you go, Roger. I love you."

She released me and I looked up at her, "I love you too, Mommy."

It took a lot for me not to cry at that point, but I was back in a place where crying was seen as weakness, so I bottled it up and we went inside. I silently prayed I'd be leaving again soon.

 [To Be Continued]