Mayfield Titans

CHAPTER 25

JUSTIN’S NEW FAMILY

 

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30

 

<Amy>

 

As Amy McKenzie mixed her pancake batter, she thought about the changes that had come into her life recently. Three years ago, she was in her last year of teaching middle school English. June would bring retirement after forty years in the classroom. She had been widowed for five years and was looking forward to a life of travel and leisure upon her retirement. Maybe a new partner might even walk into her life.

 

<Looking Back>

 

All of had that changed the second week in January when a man in his thirties drove across the center line while texting and hit her son and daughter-in-law’s car head on, killing the texter and most of what was left of Amy’s family. The only close family member left in her life was her grandson, Justin McKenzie, who had been five. She had been babysitting him while Kenneth and Judy enjoyed a night out with dinner and a chamber music recital at the Meany Hall.     

 

As a result, Amy had to make the decision to raise her grandson or turn him over to foster care. It took her all of two seconds to decide. She felt privileged to have had Justin in her life. He was a bright, handsome, active, out-going, well-behaved, and loving boy. With the help of grief counseling, close friends and neighbors, and leading active lives, Amy and Justin led full and, for the most part, happy lives.

 

What Amy hadn’t counted on was her physical health failing. She had to turn now eight-year-old Justin over to social services and foster care for almost a month in July when she was hospitalized with heart issues. She began to realize that she might have to give up Justin. She didn’t want to give him up to foster care. Even though he had lived with a good family, he was very unhappy not being with his Grans. He gave the impression that he didn’t feel much love from his foster parents.

 

Not having an answer was depressing. She loved Justin with her entire being, but she knew the job had become too big for her. Her senior care social worker told her she may have to consider selling her house and moving into an assisted living retirement community. As much as she wanted to fight the idea, Amy knew the social worker was right.

 

The social worker offered to turn Justin’s case over to child protective services to find a permanent home for him. Amy knew that boys Justin’s age often didn’t find permanent homes and ended up in a life of foster care. That was unacceptable to Amy, but she felt she had no choice. She prayed for an answer, knowing an acceptable solution probably wasn’t available. She was wrong. The answer walked into her hospital room the second week of her stay, even though she hadn’t known it then.

 

Michael Boyer, who Amy had taught alongside, came into her room for a visit. Amy had watched Michael start his career at her school and was instantly impressed by him. He had an uncanny way with kids, worked hard, knew his subject matter, and as friendly and easy going as he was with his students, he took no bullshit from them and they knew it. She had seen very few first year teachers handle themselves as well as Michael.

 

Since they both taught seventh grade core that year, Michael used her as a resource, which also impressed her. She had seen too many young teachers who thought they knew all the answers, which didn’t help them to learn and improve their skills. Michael, on the other hand, went searching for answers as he dealt with new situations.

 

And now, here he was as a surprise visitor. Justin’s foster mother had dropped him off for an afternoon visit. He had been chattering non-stop about school and baseball when Mike arrived.

 

Amy remembered Mike’s grin as he came into the room, carrying a stuffed animal.  “Howdy, Amy,” he said in his usual outgoing, friendly way. He saw Justin sitting next to the bed. Mike knew Justin since Amy was still teaching when she became Justin’s guardian. Mike had also visited her house on occasion after she retired when he wanted to get advice from his trusted mentor, and Justin was often home.

 

“And howdy to you too, Justin,” Mike said as they exchanged fist bumps.

 

“Watcha got in your hand, Mr. Boyer?” Justin asked.

 

“I thought your Grans would like full-time company and brought her a very sweet and caring Donkey to sit on her bedstand.”

 

“I should call you Mr. Donkey instead of Mr. Boyer,” Justin giggled. Mike laughed and high-fived the eight-year-old, who obviously liked Mike.

 

“When are you getting out of this joint, Amy?” he had asked.

 

“Doctor says I should be out by the end of the week.”

 

“And will Donkey Junior, here, be moving back in with you?”

 

“Damn right he will,” Justin said with a wide smile. Mike waited for Amy to say something about Justin’s questionable choice of words, but all she did was grin and shake her head.

 

Amy remembered that question as being another life-changing moment. From there came five months of Mike and his wonderful husband Ryan taking care of Justin at times, of the two of them joining her in filling out paperwork and dealing with bureaucrats in order to become guardians, and of Mike and Ryan telling her that they would be interested in adopting him when the time came. That was in early October.

 

“The time has already come,” Amy said as she put her house up for sale. She was going to become a resident in the Woodward Retirement Home. The only negative in the entire process came from one of the bureaucrats.

 

She remembered him coming to her home to sign some legal documents regarding adoption. “Before you sign those, Mrs. McKenzie, I should tell you the wonderful couple who took in the boy while you were in the hospital are very interested in becoming long-term foster parents for your grandson.”

 

“Justin is his name,” she responded a stern tone. “I don’t see what that has to do with anything Mr. Davis. Michael and Ryan have taken care of all the necessary business for adopting Justin. After I sign these documents, it will become a matter for the court.”

 

“Well, since I am charged with looking out for what’s best for the boy, I would be remiss by not pointing out that this couple would give the boy a real mother and father—the exact thing a young boy needs. They were extremely impressed with the boy during the two weeks he stayed with them. They will provide a normal family environment that the Boyers cannot. That is no slight on those two gentlemen, who I am sure are fine citizens, but…”

 

Amy had heard enough and stopped him in the voice she used to intimidate the most recalcitrant students. “FIRST, Mr. Whatever-you-said-your-name-is, the boy’s name is JUSTIN! Second, just which century are you living in? Justin loves those two young men and has no issues whatever in becoming their son and is, in fact, excited about it. They have known each other for a few months now, they love each other, they are ready for their new lives. Those two GAY men have much more to offer my grandson than a man and a woman who he barely knows. And third, I resent your implication that Michael and Ryan cannot provide a NORMAL family environment!”

 

Amy picked up a pen, signed the documents, dropped them on the table in front of the social worker and in a tone that said she absolutely meant it, looked directly at him and snarled, “If you do anything to get in the way of this adoption I’ll have your job. Now, get THE FUCK out of my house or I might go after it anyway.” She glared at him until he picked up the documents and showed himself out the door, happy that he had all his limbs intact.

 

<Justin, Saturday Morning>

  

As she resumed preparing pancakes, Amy’s thoughts were interrupted by the soprano voice of a young boy. “Morning, Grans,” Justin said, wrapping his arms around his grandmother.

 

“Careful, there, young man—it’s time to flip these flapjacks,” Amy laughed. “I hope those are clean underpants you’re wearing since they seem to be your dress code for the morning.”

 

“Grans, didn’t you hear me shower?” Justin asked with a slight stamp of his right foot. “I always put on fresh underpants after I shower.” Amy believed that children who are not ashamed of their bodies grow up into healthier individuals than those who are body shy. She had raised her son the same way and understood in her talks with Justin’s new dads that they had the same philosophy.

 

“Of course, I heard you, that’s why breakfast is cooking. This is my last morning to nag you, son, and I plan on taking advantage of it. Now let me go so I can flap these jacks.”

 

Justin let of his grandmother’s waist and looked up at her. “I’m going to miss you, Grans.”

 

“I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be living close to you and plan on still seeing a lot of you.”

 

“I had a really good Thanksgiving. Thank you for being the world’s awesomest Grandma.” Justin had enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner with Amy at the retirement home while his new dads had dinner with their old friends in the town where they grew up. Friday was leftovers they brought home on Thursday. 

 

Later on Saturday, Ryan, Mike, and two of Mike’s former students and ballplayers, Danny and Kraig, who were now high school sophomores, moved most of Justin’s furniture and possessions to his new house. Justin couldn’t help but admire the new paint job in his room, especially since he had picked the colors. It had come out looking even better than he imagined.

 

Amy cooked up a turkey dinner with all the trimmings. Knowing it would be the last big dinner she ever cooked, she put some extra effort into it. It helped that her assistant was Ryan, whose hobby was gourmet cooking.

 

Amy invited the two high school students to stay for dinner. Both were able to stay—after all, what self-respecting teen could pass up a second turkey dinner? They were not only going to earn some extra money, but they were going to get a big dinner as well.

 

Amy was overwhelmed by emotion when she saw the entire group at the dinner table, which had both leaves inserted. Justin, Mike, Ryan, Danny, and Kraig, plus herself, made for six diners. Her last big meal was, without question, a success.

 

“What happened to Justin Donkey? Did you pack him away? Are you taking him with you?” Justin asked as they started eating. He was used to seeing the white stuffed donkey seated on the fireplace mantle. 

 

“He’s in my carryall bag, sweetheart,” Amy replied. “I wanted to sit him on the bookshelf in my apartment as soon as I moved in. He is a very important donkey as you well know.”

 

“What is his story?” Danny asked. “I’m sorry if it’s none of my business.”

 

“Oh, it’s a good story. When I was in the hospital, your old coach, Mr. Boyer, came to visit me just when I was realizing that Justin wouldn’t be able to live with me for much longer. He brought a stuffed Donkey to keep me company.”

 

“Jeez, Coach and his donkeys,” Kraig laughed. “You gotta love it.”

 

“Justin named him Justin Donkey because that was the day that turned everything around and started me on the road to becoming a retired old lady, Coach Boyer and Ryan to becoming fathers, and Justin to having a new and special home to grow up in.”

 

“I think that is a great story, Mrs. McKenzie,” Danny said. “And thanks again for inviting me and Kraig to dinner.” Then Danny remembered that there were not one but two teachers sitting at the table. “I mean, Kraig and I.”

 

“I think you want to say Kraig and me,” Justin said with total seriousness. When Justin couldn’t figure out what everybody was laughing about, he went back to concentrating on his dinner.

 

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30

 

Amy was lost in thought when Justin came into the living room. She had to bring herself into the present again. She had been spending too much time in the past and not enough giving her time to her grandson on their last day together.

 

“What were you thinking about Grans?” Justin asked.

 

“I was thinking about our turkey dinner last night and what a fine time we all had.”

 

“I had fun, but I still don’t know what I said that was funny.”

 

“Sometimes things are funny more because of their timing than what was said. Your correcting the two high school boys with two teachers sitting at the table just struck everybody as funny.”

 

“And then you said me and Kraig was okay to say the way Danny said it and that made everybody laugh again.”

 

“Like I said, sweetie, sometimes it’s all about timing.”

 

“I still don’t get why me and Kraig was right.”

 

“Ask your Dad to tell you later since I see your dads are pulling up into the driveway.”         

 

“I’ve been telling you he’s not my Dad, Grans,” Justin said. Without waiting for her response he ran to the front door and opened it just as Ryan was getting ready to ring the doorbell.

 

“Hey, little Donkey Dawg,” Ryan grinned.

 

“Hi Papa Dawg,” Justin said, giving Ryan a hug. By then Michael had caught up and Justin ushered his new dads into the house.

 

“Hello, Amy,” Mike said and very quickly Amy received hugs from both Ryan and Mike.

 

“So, Grans, this is Papa Dawg,” Justin said, pointing to Ryan once everything settled down. He then pointed to Mike, saying, “And this isn’t dad, this is Daddy Donkey. And I am Donkey Dawg.” Justin poked his chest with his right index finger for emphasis. “Now you know my new family.”

 

“Do you have any shortcuts?” Amy asked.

 

“Shortcuts?”

 

“Yes, like Grans is short for Grandmother or even Grandma.”

 

“Those are shortcuts,” Justin remarked. “Papa Dawg’s full name is Top Dawg Papa, and Daddy Donkey is Big Donkey Daddy, but I shortened them.”

 

“So, let me see. What you did was kind of like making Grandma into Grandmother, which you shorten to Grans. What do you shorten your dads to when you want to say something real fast?”

 

Justin looked at his new dads for approval. Seeing a nod from Donkey Daddy, he informed his Grans that he thought Papa and Daddy would work.

 

“It sounds good to us,” Mike chuckled.

 

As much as they all wanted to put it off, the time for Justin to leave for his new home arrived. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t left to spend the night or nights with Mike and Ryan before, but this time he wasn’t leaving to visit—he was leaving to live there permanently.

 

“Why can’t Grans come and have dinner with us?” Justin was unsuccessfully fighting off tears. Mike, Ryan, and Amy had carefully planned this moment, knowing that sticking to the plan was going to prove difficult. The plan had been suggested by Dr. Shelley, the child psychologist Justin was seeing once a month. His feeling was that the best thing for Justin on his last day was for him to leave cold turkey and to not find ways to stretch the process out. He felt that Amy leaving with Justin for his new home would be stretching things out.

 

“Amy will be seeing Justin many times,” Dr. Shelley had said. “But I think if Justin simply left  with Michael and Ryan, he would think of the process more in terms of his visits than as a life change. I also strongly suggest that you don’t stretch out the separation, either. Plan something for the upcoming weekend so Justin understands that he really hasn’t been separated for good. Also, brief phone conversations by Wednesday or Thursday would be okay as well.

 

“This plan is not only best for Justin, but for Amy as well.” They went over the plan multiple times and agreed they would stick to it no matter what. But what seemed simple and easy in a living room discussion with the psychologist turned out to be incredibly difficult when confronted by the tears of an eight-year-old boy they all loved.

 

Ryan was having the hardest time and was fighting his own tears, but Amy had spent a lifetime making tough decisions with kids and Mike was learning the importance of tough love. While Justin in no way was being punished, he was being given a lesson that just because adults sometimes have to make decisions that seem cruel and unreasonable, they are often necessary, even if he didn’t understand why, at least at the time the decisions were affecting him. Amy tried talking to him, but he gave her a look of defiance that said he wasn’t listening.

 

Mike put his arm around Justin’s shoulders, but his new son twisted and turned as he struggled to get away. Mike simply held him tighter until Justin ran out of steam and surrendered. “Your Grans has something to say to you, if you’re willing to listen,” Mike said.

 

“Well, I’m not ready. I want Grans to have dinner with us tonight.”

 

“Sweetie, yesterday’s dinner was not only to give thanks but for you to start saying good-bye to this house.”

 

“But…”

 

“Listen, please,” Amy said in a calm, quiet voice that carried years of practiced authority. Justin started to calm down. “Except for a couple of boxes, everything you own is in your new home. Everything I own is going to my new home tomorrow. We are both leaving here and both sad about it. I have lived here over half of my life, and that is a long time. You and I will need a couple of days to move into our new homes and get used to them.

 

“Plus, you’ll be starting at your new school on Tuesday and will be a very busy boy. You will be living with your Donkey and Dawg daddies, but I will be living with people I don’t know. Tonight, I will be having dinner at my new home so I can meet people and start to make friends. That way, when I move in tomorrow, I won’t feel all alone. So, you know what I think we should do?”

 

“Have dinner at your new home, like maybe on the weekend?” Justin asked hopefully. Amy’s familiar, soothing voice and Mike’s tight, loving hug had calmed Justin down enough to where he was willing to listen and talk.

 

“That is a lovely idea. How about just you and me for dinner, and we will trade stories about our first week in our new homes and see who did the best to make moving an easy, fun, and happy thing to do. Sunday is family dinner so how about we do it Sunday.”

 

Justin looked up at Mike. “I will be the happiest, right Daddy Donkey?”

 

“You will be if you make it happen, Donkey Dawg,” Mike replied. “I want you to always remember that your Grans, the Dawg, and I all love you very much and we always will. We know this is hard on you, but we think it’s best if you take your things and leave and start moving right into your new home. Papa Dawg and I love you and will be with you every single step of the way.”

 

Mike kissed Justin on his forehead after which the boy leaned against his substantial body. “I love you Daddy Donkey and I love you Papa Dawg.” Justin gave Mike a kiss on the cheek and stood up. “I guess it’s time for me to go…um…go…,” he looked over to Amy.

 

“How about go home,” Amy grinned.

 

“Yeah, time for me to go home. See you on the weekend and I will tell the best stories.” He walked over to his Grans, hugged her, kissed both of her cheeks, and backed away a couple of steps.

 

“Let’s go get my stuff,” Justin told his dads. He had his coat, a cloth beanie, a scarf, his gloves, and one box of items that he thought he might use before he left. Ryan followed him in and picked up the box and Justin donned his warm clothing for the cold December day.

 

Ryan walked out of the room. Justin started after him and stopped. He looked around the room that was now empty except for the bed. There was a new and bigger bed waiting for him in his new home. There was also a freshly painted room with new carpeting, bookshelves full of books, pictures and posters ready for him to put on the walls along with some that were already on the walls, a closet full of clothes, a desk, and his own television, all waiting for him. Grans is right, he thought, I must be going home.

 

After another hug between Justin and his Grans, this one a happy hug rather than a sad, tearful one, Justin was quickly sitting on his booster seat and strapped in, ready to go. Since it was almost lunch time, it was decided to get a fast food lunch and a stop at Dick’s Burgers did the trick.

 

They opened their bags when they got home and chatted as they ate. The fact that Justin had spent a great deal of time with his dads since that day in the hospital was making the transition much easier, at least after they took care of the emotional part at Amy’s house.

 

“I notice you have a very lonely looking teddy bear in your room,” Mike said as they munched their burgers.

 

“I got that from mom and dad when I was little,” Justin said. “Grans got me a beaver and a rat. She says it’s a mouse, but I think it’s a rat. They’re still in one of the boxes I haven’t unpacked yet. But Kenneth, the bear, is my favorite.”

 

“Wasn’t Kenneth your dad’s name?” Ryan asked.

 

“Yep. I named him after Dad after he got killed. The beaver is named Judy, after my Mom. The rat is named Rat because he’s a rat. Dr. Shelley thinks it was okay to give my animals my Mom and Dad’s names because that helps me to always remember them and reminds me how much I love them.” Mike and Ryan planned on having Justin continue his monthly sessions with the psychologist until the doctor thought they were no longer necessary.

 

“How would you like some more company for Kenneth?”

 

Justin’s eyes lit up. “What?”

 

Mike stood up. “I’ll get them.” He went to the den and came back with the two stuffed animals he had taken to the Thanksgiving Feast in Mayfield.

 

Justin looked over the big stuffed donkey and St. Bernard dog. “Oh wow, awesome. I love them. Thank you.” He set them in the middle of the table where he could look them in the eye. “Do they have names?”

 

“Temporary names,” Mike replied. “The dog is Big Pooch and the donkey is Big Boy if you can believe it. Now it’s up to you to give them their permanent names.” Justin thought for a couple of minutes as he finished his burger, fries, and strawberry shake. “You don’t have to name them right away; you’ve got plenty of time to give it some thought.”

 

“They need names now, just like I needed to move in now. And I think I’ve got them.” He picked up the stuffed Donkey. “The donkey is going to be just plain Donkey. The dog is a St. Bernard, right?”

 

“Yes, it is,” Ryan responded.

 

“I could tell from the keg around its neck,” Justin giggled. He set down the donkey and picked up the dog. “That means my name for him is going to be Bernie. They’ll get space on the big shelf right with Kenneth, Judy, and Rat.”

 

They were finished with lunch and cleanup was easy as they tossed the trash into the garbage cans. Justin said he wanted to finish unpacking his stuff.

 

“Do you need some help?” Ryan asked.

 

“Nope, I kind of want to be alone for a while.”

 

“And we respect that. Your room is your room and never be afraid to tell us you want to be alone. How about we sit down in the next couple of weeks and set up some privacy rules for all of us,” Mike said.

 

Justin conceded it was a good idea. “Oh, when I’m ready to start putting things up on the wall, I’m gonna need your help.”

 

“We’ll be ready for you.”

 

“Does spaghetti and meatballs sound good for dinner?” Ryan asked.

 

“It sounds totally awesome. I love spaghetti and meatballs.” Ryan had learned Justin’s food preferences on his previous visits, which is why he suggested it as the maiden dinner for what had now become his home. “And garlic toast?”

 

“Of course, garlic toast. And a small Caesar salad.”

“You can skip the salad.” Ryan gave him a look that said, Think again. “Okay, Grans, I know, I know, I gotta have greens in my life.”

 

After Justin disappeared into the hall, Mike looked at his husband and gave him a loving smooch. “Well, Doggy Grans, I think we might be the luckiest two gay husbands on the planet.”

 

“No question about it, no question at all. Suddenly this house doesn’t seem quite so empty.”

 

Mike nodded. “Already this is an entirely different world. Just walk into his bedroom, which three weeks ago still had a single bed, some storage boxes, and an old chest of drawers. Now it’s his room. He picked out the colors, the pictures, the new bed, the bedding, the chairs, the desk, the chest of drawers, his storage chest, even his laundry hamper. The room is HIS, not a place he visits.”

 

“He might get lost going from a single bed to a queen bed,” Ryan giggled.

 

“Well, like what Dr. Shelley told us. If he gets lost at night, we might have an occasional visitor in our bed. Losing his parents, and now moving away from the Grandma who saved him and flooded him with love, he’s going to be dealing with abandonment issues for a while.”

 

“Remember when your dad told us last year that we were too young to buy a house? And then when we buy it, he says it’s too big for a childless couple and we should have bought one in the suburbs.”

 

“I remember,” Mike chuckled. “The one thing he didn’t say was we couldn’t afford it, not after that job you landed. Because we would barely be able to afford to rent an apartment on a beginning teacher’s salary.”

 

While Mike was getting his Master’s in Education, Ryan earned one in Information Technology. Mike was hired as a teacher by the Seattle School district. He was assigned to Madison Middle School, where he met Amy McKenzie.

 

After Mike had been hired, Ryan narrowed down his job search to Seattle to cut down on commuting. He was offered three jobs and accepted one with Transportation Solutions LLC, which was located in the Lake Union area. The company created hardware and software for transportation companies, be they rail, air, highway, or water. Its clientele ranged from transit companies, to cargo and passenger airlines, to trucking companies, bus companies, railroads, shipping companies, and even cruise lines. The bulk of its work was within the United States and Canada, but it had customers in twenty-seven foreign companies. They were the best at what they did, and Ryan started at an exceptionally good beginning salary.

 

Some smart investments helped their bottom line. As a result, Mike’s dad could complain, but not about what they could or couldn’t afford. In fact, when they told him about bringing Justin into their lives, his entire outlook underwent a turnaround. He suddenly liked their decision to buy a house and the house they purchased.

 

When Ryan started dinner, Mike went to see how his new son was doing.  He knocked on the door, which would be one of the privacy rules once they were compiled.

 

“Who is it?”

 

“It’s your Big Donkey Daddy.” 

 

“You can come in Big Daddy Donkey.”

 

Mike entered the room and was surprised, but not stunned, to see Justin wearing just his socks and a pair of white briefs. Amy had told him that Justin was a minimalist when it came to clothing, so he wasn’t stunned. He was surprised because the clothes had come off so quickly. Mike made a mental note that he and the Dawg would have to come up with some clothing rules, but overall he had no objection to Justin stripping down to his underwear or less in his room. It was his room, after all. As far as minimalist dressing outside of the bedroom went, he had no objection to that most of the time, but there would have to be rules.

 

As Mike saw it, the fact that Justin felt comfortable enough in his skin to shed some of his clothes and then allow him to enter his bedroom, meant that Justin was already starting to accept this as his home. When Justin had visited, Mike had seen him in his underwear only a couple of times after showering. One thing he and Ryan both noted was the he didn’t seem embarrassed when he was accidently seen half-naked, but he never tried seeing what he could get away with.

 

“I see you found a home for your menagerie,” Mike said when he spotted the five stuffed animals parked on one of the wall shelves.

 

“For my mena-what?”

 

“Menagerie. It’s a collection of animals, like in a zoo.”

 

“Cool. Grans always uses big words with me, too. She says hearing new words and to read, read, read, is how you get a big vocabulary.” Justin pointed to pictures and posters on the floor along the outside wall. “I’m gonna need some help getting this shit up on the wall straight.”

 

“Well, since I’m a straight up Donkey, which is not to be confused with a straight Donkey, I think I can help you. But let’s watch the language.”

 

“Sorry. Grans and I said shit and damn all the time. She says it keeps your brain healthy. We never said it outside the house or with company there, though.”

 

“If you say it, then don’t waste it.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Say it only when it has some kind of effect, not just throw it around like talking about putting shit on the walls. Does that make sense?”

 

“Kinda, I guess.”

 

“Okay, it means that when you’re putting the stuff on the walls, it’s stuff and not shit. But when you hit your thumb with a hammer, it’s probably okay for you to say, ‘Shit that hurt!’  Does that make sense?”

 

“I’ll try my best,” Justin responded, doing his best not to commit himself. He had learned during his time with Amy how to make his way around adult rule making.

 

As they worked together, Mike thought about how beautiful his son was. He had never seen him shirtless or been close to him for a long period of time. It seemed that whenever Justin had been with him and the Dawg, they had always been on the run doing things.

 

Mike saw a boy who was taller than the average eight-year-old. He had short cut strawberry blond hair that sort of spiked. He had a dusting of freckles across his cheeks and nose. He was a boy who had the slim torso of a young boy. But it wasn’t scrawny; he could see that there was strength to his body and to his arms. He was an athletic looking boy, understandable since he had played soccer in the fall and coach-pitch baseball back in the spring. Mike knew that at eight, Justin would be eligible this spring to play on a baseball team where the players pitched—complete baseball in other words.

 

And even if he seemed to have developed a bit of a potty mouth, he was an amazingly nice kid. He was even tempered and willing to listen and follow rules—at least he had been when he was a visitor. But then, he hadn’t said “shit” or “damn” then either.

 

The boy he compared Justin to was Aiden, the son of his old high school coach. Aiden was blonder and his freckles were lighter. He was smaller than the average twelve-year-old, but still strong and athletic. Yep, Mike thought, Justin is smart, good looking, and a good person. What else could he and Ryan ask for? And now they had the responsibility of guiding the boy on the right track. In the space of about six months they had gone from talking about adopting a boy someday to being responsible for a young, growing human being.

 

“Hello in Justin’s bedroom,” came Ryan’s voice. “If there are any living beings in there, please note your presence is requested to set the table.”

 

“I guess that means us, kiddo,” Mike said.

 

“We got a lot done,” Justin noted. “I think my room is going to be done by the end of the week.”

 

“We make a good team. Now, let’s take our good teamwork and become members of your Papa Dawg’s team.”

 

Justin had set the table for his dads on his prior visits, so he knew where everything was. He and his Daddy Donkey had everything set out quickly.

 

“It sure smells good, Papa,” Justin said.

 

“That’s because I’m cooking it,” Ryan grinned. “And tell me, did your Daddy tell you about the dress rules? Seeing your lack of clothing tells me he didn’t.”

 

“I can put a t-shirt on if you want.”

 

“Add a pair of pants to that and we should be okay. The rule he didn’t discuss is that the dress code for dinner says shirt and pants. This is our family dinner time and we want to make that a special time.”

 

Justin looked at Mike to see if he agreed. He smiled and nodded, indicating that Ryan had spoken the truth.

 

“What about breakfast and lunch?”

 

“Unless we have company or something special going on, anything goes—what you wore while setting the table would be acceptable.”

 

“Can I say something?”

 

“Feel free, Donkey Dawg,” Mike said. “You may always have your say as long you present it in a respectable manner.”

 

“Okay, thank you. Grans let me wear what I wanted at dinner.”

 

“Does either one of us look like her?” Ryan asked.

 

“Not unless you get a gray wig,” Justin giggled. “I said that because I wanted to ask for one thing.”

 

“Ask away,” Michael said.

 

“Can I pick three days a month where anything goes at dinner like it does at breakfast and lunch?”

 

“That’s a fair question,” Ryan said. “How about we make it one day?”

 

“Two days.”

 

Ryan looked at Mike, who shrugged with a smile. “Two days it is. Negotiations are now closed.”

 

“Thank you. That makes me feel damn good.”

 

Ryan flashed Mike a look. Mike shook his head, meaning we’ll deal with this later.

 

They set a couple of guidelines for the new rule and then Justin raced back to his room to get dressed. When he returned, he was wearing a pair of jeans and a green and blue striped polo shirt. “Will this work?” he asked eagerly.

 

“I think it will be great to have such a handsome boy sitting at our table,” Mike said.

 

“I’m dressed better than you guys are,” Justin pointed out.

 

“The lad makes a good point,” Michael said.

 

“Point is taken but the spaghetti is ready, so let’s eat.”

 

Justin scarfed down his plate of spaghetti, ate all his salad, had a slice of garlic bread, and added seconds. “I think I’m full.”

 

“You just think you’re full?” Mike asked.

 

One of the many positives Justin had been looking forward to since he learned he would be living with the Donkey and the Dawg was the food. Justin thought Grans was a good cook, but Papa Dawg’s food had to come from another planet it was so good. “Yeah, because if there’s dessert then I’m not full yet.”

 

“No dessert tonight, but if you’re desperate there are oatmeal raisin cookies in the cookie jar on the kitchen counter,” Ryan said.

 

“I’m desperate.” Justin asked if anybody wanted any cookies. After getting two refusals, he disappeared into the kitchen and then came back carrying a cookie in his left hand and feeding himself another cookie with his right. “Can I be excused?” he asked.

 

“Yes, you are capable of being excused,” Mike responded.

 

“May I then. Damn you’re just like Grans,” Justin chortled as he headed to his bedroom.

 

“Have you noticed how he eats?” Ryan asked his husband.

 

“Yep. He’s a chip off the old Donkey.”

 

“By the time that kid hits adolescence even between the two of us we won’t make enough money to feed him.”

 

“Then we’ll just have to put him on a diet to keep the food plentiful. It’s always important to have enough food available to feed a Donkey.” Mike rose from the table. “Hmm, speaking of food, I think I will have one of those cookies.”

 

That night Justin called out that he was ready to be tucked in. That was something Ryan and Mike had started doing on Justin’s last visit. Ryan came in and gave his son a kiss on his forehead and a shoulder squeeze. “Oh, sleeping without a shirt your first night in your new bed, I see.” Justin had worn pajamas on his visit, which he hated. His Grans had insisted that as a good guest he should wear them.

 

“I got no bottom either,” Justin confessed.

 

Mike entered in time to hear Justin’s revelation. “I suggest always having something warm next to your bed just in case it gets cooler in the house than you think.”

 

“I’m good. It was toasty warm when I slept in your house before, so it should be warm in my room in my house now.”

 

“You are living up to your name, Donkey Dawg. Your logic is befitting any Donkey.” Mike gave Justin a kiss on his forehead and a shoulder squeeze.

 

Justin was so exhausted from his long day that before he could decide how he wanted to curl up on his bed he dropped off into a deep sleep.

 

Shortly after tucking Justin in, Mike and Ryan stripped naked and climbed into their bed. They, too, were exhausted from their long day and after exchanging “I love yous” and a goodnight kiss, they were asleep before they knew it.

 

MONDAY, DECEMBER 1

 

“Is this going to be what breakfast is like every morning?” Justin asked as he dug into his French Toast.

 

“Usually it’s going to be you digging into the pantry, pulling out a box of your favorite cereal, dropping some bread into the toaster, and dishing up a bowl of fresh fruit,” Ryan replied.

 

“That’s what Grans usually had because she didn’t have time to make a big breakfast on school days. But this French Toast is good. Grans’ was really good too. Sometimes I helped Grans make hers and she said I did pretty good.”

 

“Do I get the hint that you might want to be a cook’s helper sometimes?”

 

“When we got time. I was usually her Saturday helper.”

 

“Well, we’ll see what we can do. I can always use expert assistance,” Ryan smiled.

 

“You heard the Dawg used the word expert,” Mike chimed in. “That’s why this Donkey is not allowed to work in the kitchen. Donkeys are much better at consuming food than they are at cooking it.”

 

“I’m not an expert,” Justin said wistfully.

 

“Hey, already you are a Donkey Dawg French Toast expert and now you can learn to broaden your culinary horizons.”

 

“You can learn to be an expert, too, you know.”

 

Mike tousled the boy’s strawberry blond hair. “As you grow up and learn things, you discover that there is a limitation to how many things you can become an expert in. When you discover you have difficulty boiling water, you know your food expertise is limited to eating. I showed my smarts by marrying a cooking Dawg.”

 

Mike and Ryan both noted that Justin’s morning attire was limited to white briefs, and a pair of slippers. Ryan was wearing a t-shirt with a picture of a St. Bernard sitting next to a little chick saying, “Ok, Ok, tonight a chick flick but tomorrow we watch Beethoven.” a t-shirt, slippers and lounge pants with various foods making up the design. Mike wore a Mariner sweatshirt and a pair of gray and black boxers. Minimalist dressing was already becoming part of the routine.

 

Mike and Ryan were both nudists, but they weren’t going to get into that aspect of their lives, at least not to start with. If Justin ever walked out of his bedroom naked, other than to go across the hall to the bathroom, they were prepared to accept it within the dress code guidelines that had been laid down the day before.

 

“Aren’t you a little chilly without a shirt on? It is December after all,” Ryan asked.

 

“Should I put a shirt on?” Justin asked, thinking he was once again doing something wrong.

 

“Nope, you’re fine as long as you’re warm enough.”

 

“It’s warm enough. Not as warm as Grans’ house. Hers was really warm and this was all I wore sometimes. She said old ladies had to be extra warm.” What Justin didn’t say was that he often wished he could go naked so he could cool off better.

 

When Justin finished his breakfast, Mike shooed him off to take his shower, reminding him they had a busy day planned. Mike was taking two days of family leave and Ryan would be working at home all week to help Justin settle into his new home. Justin was quickly learning that being in the house to live was much different than being there to visit.

 

Justin loved the shower where he could unhook the shower head and hold it in his hand, allowing him to spray water all over, including on his butt, balls, and dick, which really felt good. After showering and brushing his teeth, he dressed in school clothes as instructed. He would be going to his new school with his dads where they would enroll him, and he would meet his new third grade teacher.

 

“You’re looking very handsome,” Mike grinned. He was holding Tigger, their orange and white cat and brother to Eeyore, a gray cat who was napping in the laundry room. Justin couldn’t figure out why his dads had cats instead of dogs as pets, but he liked the two cats and didn’t bother worrying about it too much.

 

They arrived at Meeker Elementary School, which was a new school. The Boyer home was in the Lake City neighborhood of Seattle, a middle to upper middle-class area of the city. The old school had outlived its usefulness. Rather than remodel it or replace it with another school on the property, the school district decided to make a trade with the city. They would give the city the building and property to be turned into a community center in trade for an empty parcel of land owned by the city that had been attracting garbage and drugs for years. The district built a new elementary school that was a technological marvel. It was now in its second year, time enough for the bugs to be worked out.

 

Justin was impressed with the new school. He thought it even smelled new. He had attended Fremont Elementary since first grade. He thought it was a very nice school, which it was, but brand new trumped very nice in his eight-year-old mind.

 

Mike and Ryan had a ten o’clock appointment with the school counselor and arrived ten minutes early. The secretary introduced herself and welcomed Justin to his new school. Mrs. Harrell, the principal, came out of her office and greeted Justin.

 

“I heard the troll sent us a really great student,” she grinned.

 

Justin didn’t miss a beat. “The troll said this was a great place to send me and the teachers here were really good. He told me not to forget him,” he responded with a wide smile. They were both referring to the Fremont troll, a large statue of a troll, who lives on Troll Avenue under the Aurora Bridge. Mrs. Harrell could tell right away she was going to like this boy.

 

Mrs. Harrell invited the Boyer family into the conference room where they were joined by Mr. Mathers, the counselor. Mathers worked at Meeker every other day - on alternate days, he worked at Fremont so he had gotten to know Justin. He knew that Meeker was getting a winner as a person and as a student. Since everything had been set up in advance, the enrollment went smoothly. While Mathers worked with Mike and Ryan to complete final enrollment paperwork, Mrs. Harrell called Miss Gordon, who would be Justin’s third grade teacher, to the conference room so she could meet Justin and his dads.

 

Mrs. Harrell went to Miss Gordon’s room to cover for her so she could meet Justin.  Miss Gordon made him feel like a million dollars as soon as they met. She asked Justin a few questions about himself and he answered them articulately and with a smile. Mathers had already told her she was getting a winner in her classroom and Justin confirmed that instantly, as had Justin’s third grade teacher at Fremont.

 

Miss Gordon wasn’t aware that Justin’s new parents were gay. Seeing the two men surprised her, but it didn’t bother her. While two same-sex parents were rare, it wouldn’t be the first time she had worked with them and she found them to be just as loving and dedicated as hetero parents, if not more so.

 

While Mike and Ryan remained in the conference room, Miss Gordon escorted Justin to her classroom and introduced him to the class. They were pleased to have a new student in their room. A few of the girls, along with a couple of boys, couldn’t take their eyes off the handsome blond. Miss Gordon assigned Justin a locker and had Joey Rizzo show him the locker and help him get set up. The two boys hit it off right away, especially when they discovered their mutual love of baseball. Joey then took Justin back to the conference room, the two of them chattering like long-lost friends. Justin introduced Joey to his dads. Joey fist bumped them saying, “Wow, you have two dads. That’s totally cool.”

 

After enrollment was taken care of, the family went to the University Village to shop for various items Justin needed and wanted, including some new clothes. They also purchased the school materials Miss Gordon had on her materials list that Justin didn’t already have.

 

“You’re getting to be a big Donkey Dawg,” Mike told Justin as they stopped in a café for lunch. “You’ve almost outgrown your clothes. It’s too early for you to start growing so fast.”

 

“I gotta be big to be a good baseball player,” he said.

 

“Maybe, but it helps if you can fit into your uniform,” Mike chuckled.

 

“Who’s your favorite Mariner player?” Ryan asked, surprised they hadn’t asked him that question before.

 

“I like Jerry Andrews. He’s a good pitcher and I want to be a pitcher since I get to play real baseball this year. Who is your favorite?”

 

Mike answered the question. “The Dawg and I knew Marty Carlson from school, so I bet you can guess who our favorite is.” Mike and Ryan had been three years ahead Marty in school.

 

“Really? You played on the same team with a pro baseball player?”

 

“Well, he wasn’t exactly a pro then, and we didn’t play for the team at the same time, but, yeah, we played for the same high school.”

 

“Marty Carlson is my new favorite Mariner player,” Justin stated emphatically. As far as he was concerned it couldn’t be anyone else, no matter what position he played.

 

“Well, the Mariner team store isn’t far from here. How about we stop off there after lunch and get you a number 20 Mariner shirt?” Ryan asked.

 

“With Carlson on the back?”

 

“Who else?”

 

“Can I wear it home?”

 

“I think that is doable,” Mike chuckled.

 

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2

 

Mike walked Justin to his first day of school. He and Ryan agreed it would be overkill for both to walk their new son. Having a single parent escort wasn’t that unusual, especially for a student in grades three and under. The school was a half mile away, with the only arterial the one on which the school was located. The crosswalk was controlled by a crossing guard. As they waited for the crossing guard to escort the growing line of students across the street, Michael cautioned Justin to cross only at the crosswalk. Justin gave Michael a look that said, I KNOW that!

 

Just before crossing a soprano voice called out, “Hey, Justin!”

 

Justin and Mike turned and saw Joey running up to them. As a teacher, Mike had been around kids enough to know that this was where he untied the apron string and left Justin to go the rest of the way with his new friend.

 

“Have a good first-day, kiddo. See you this afternoon.”  Justin looked up at his Donkey Daddy, gave a little wave and a big smile and crossed the street with Joey when the crossing guard stopped traffic.

 

Mike met Justin in the pickup area after school. He wasn’t surprised to see Justin come out with Joey and with another boy who was introduced as Neal, who was a third grader in Mr. Ellingson’s class. He explained that even though he and Neal weren’t in the same class, Neal was a friend because he was Joey’s friend. Justin was making friends quickly.

 

Joey was a dark-haired boy of average height with a ready smile. Neal had brown hair and wore black plastic framed glasses. Like Joey, he was outgoing and friendly. Justin seems to know how to pick his friends, Mike thought.

 

“Daddy, can Joey come home with me after school tomorrow to see my new room?” Justin asked. “Oh, if his mom says it’s okay.”

 

“I’m good with it. Is he staying for dinner?”

 

“Can he?”

 

“If he wants to and his parents agree. But it would be a good idea if I talk with them on the phone this evening so the Dawg can prepare accordingly.”

 

“Thank you. I want to come. I’ll ask mom,” Joey said.

 

Mike entered Joey’s phone number into his phone and Justin gave him paper and pencil to write their phone number for Joey. “What about your friend, Neal. Is he interested in coming?”

 

“I’ll come another time,” Neal said. “I have piano lessons after school tomorrow.”

 

Justin then walked home with his Donkey Daddy, knowing from now on he would be on his own walking the six blocks to and from school. That thought had him feeling very grown up.

 

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3

 

Justin and Joey ran, played tag, laughed, and chatted on their walk from Meeker Elementary to Justin’s house. Joey met Ryan and then the boys retired to Justin’s room.

 

“Wow, you’ve got a nice room and some cool posters. And your bed is huge.”

 

“It’s way too big for me,” Justin said, “but I got lots of room to stretch out.”

 

“Do you just wear your school clothes after school, or do you have play clothes to wear?”

 

“I’ve only had one after school so far since I moved here. Yesterday I just stripped down to my undies and did my homework at my desk and then watched TV in the rec room.”

 

“You went out and watched TV in your undies and nothing else?”

 

“I had on socks and a t-shirt. Since the fireplace was off it was kinda too cold to wear just my undies.”

 

“So, we could eat dinner in our underwear?”

 

“Gotta be dressed for dinner.” Justin decided not to get into the two exceptions. “Plus, I gotta be dressed when company comes, and you’re company.”

 

“I’m not company, I’m your friend.”

 

“Damn, one day at my new school and I already have a friend.”

 

“Did you just say the D-word Justin?”

 

“It’s okay when it has effect and you don’t use it in front of adults.”

 

Joey nodded. “You’re really cool, Justin.” He sat on Justin’s bed. “This is sure a humungous bed. We could have an overnight in this thing and never touch each other.”

 

“Have you ever had an overnight?”

 

“I’ve had three. One with Neal at his house and one at my house and one with Marco at his house.”

 

“I’ve never had one. How big is your bed?” Justin asked as he pulled off his jeans.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“Getting comfortable. You can get comfortable, too. It is my room so I don’t see why we can’t.”

 

“If you say so.” Joey pulled off his dockers, revealing a pair of bright red briefs.

 

“Those are way cool. I gotta talk to my dads about getting underpants like that.”

 

“This is comfortable.” Joey gave Justin’s walls a close looking over. “Hey, how come you have a Marty Carlson poster up there? He’s a rookie and has hardly played. My dad thinks he’s going to be pretty good though.”

 

“I think so too. My dads and him went to the same high school.”

 

“Wow, you are so lucky. Did you go to any Mariner games last year? Oh, yeah, I forgot you just moved here a couple of days ago.”

 

“I’ve lived all my life in Seattle. We went to one, but Marty was still in the minors, so I didn’t get to see him play. My dads did some things with me before they became my dads. Anyway, how big is your bed?”

 

“It’s okay for an overnight. Neal and I just kicked each other a few times.”

 

“And who is Marco?”

 

“You gotta tell me what this Dawg and Donkey thing is about. You call your dads that and you’ve got stuffed ones here in your room and there’s pictures of them in the house. Only I didn’t see any dog. All I saw was those two cats. Anyway, Marco played on my coach pitch team and he’s in Mr. Ellingson’s class. He was absent today or you would have met him. Most kids call him Mark, but I call him Marco cuz that’s his name. It’s the name he likes to be called.”

 

Justin then told Joey about what the Donkey and the Dawg and the names were about. After he finished, Joey said, “Like I said, you live in a fun place and it’s only been a couple of days.”

 

“I want to have my first overnight,” Justin said. “Do you want to have one with me?”

 

“Yes, but I gotta ask my parents…”

 

“…and I gotta ask my dads. Let’s go ask my dads now.” Justin rose from the bed and started for the door.

 

“Justin, you don’t got any pants on.”

 

“I know and you don’t either. But like I said, since you’re my friend not company, it’s okay.”

 

When Mike saw the two underwear clad boys come into the living room it was all he could do not to break out into laughter. But he held himself together, barely. “Nice to see you two have almost matching outfits,” he finally managed to get out.

 

“I like Joey’s red undies. I want colored undies, too, And, before you get mad, we think that since Joey and me are friends that he’s not company and if he’s not company we can dress like we want.”

 

“Once again, you speak in perfect Donkey logic.” Joey and Justin looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. “I will have to consult the Dawg, who is busy making a fried chicken dinner, but I think he will agree. However…”

 

“…we put our pants on for dinner,” Joey piped up.

 

“Very good, Joey. Nice to see that the Donkey Dawg is giving you all of the facts.”

 

“He even told me about Donkeys and Dawgs.”

 

“Well, in that case, do you want to see my Donkey display?”

 

Joey said yes, more out of politeness than out of curiosity. Mike led him and Justin to his den where Joey oohed and aahed. But there was more to it than being polite; it was also because he was impressed by something so incredibly different.

 

When they came back out, Ryan accepted Justin’s friend versus company argument and agreed that the boys minimalist state of dress fit within the rules. When dinner was served, the boys were fully dressed with washed hands and faces and combed hair.

 

After dinner, the boys spent a half-hour doing math homework, convinced Mike and Ryan that an overnight the coming weekend was a good idea, and celebrated when Joey’s parents agreed as long as it was at Justin’s house. They had planned to attend the birthday party of a co-worker of Joey’s dad Friday night, and now they wouldn’t need a babysitter.

 

Justin fell asleep that night convinced that his first four days living in his new home had been close to perfect.

 

Next: A Busy Week.