by C. E. Wilson
“Hunter said nightmares. I was out with the test yesterday and driving back home. I wanted to get here as soon as possible. I missed you and your brother and, of course, Hunter.”
“When I get home from school today. Will you be my Dad for real?”
“Yes, I’m just waiting until the CPS lady comes with the papers on you and Jordan. I sign them, and she takes them to Judge Stone and when you get home, I’ll be your father for real.”
Simon had a big grin. “I can’t wait.”
Chapter 19
When the boys had eaten their breakfast and were ready, Justin took them to school. Most of them all went to the high school except for James and Leon. They went to Jr. High. He hurried back home to try and get there before Steve, Carson, and Jordan got up. He knew Steve would take care of Jordan, but he wasn’t sure that Carson wouldn’t hurt Jordan.
He parked the big van and went inside. He heard a noise from the kitchen and walked in there. Steve was making cereal for Jordan, Carson, and himself. Justin smiled as Steve set the first bowl in front of Carson. He pushed it across the table in front of Jordan. Steve smiled and set another bowl of cereal in front of Carson and he told him thank you. Steve got the last dish and set it beside Jordan.
He put the milk back in the refrigerator and sat down beside Jordan. They all started to eat. They were talking while they ate. Justin eased his way out of the kitchen. He went upstairs and went into his room. He stopped at the door and just watched Hunter sleep. He had such a relaxed look on his face. He looked like a young boy laying there sleeping. He just didn’t have the heart to wake him. He slipped out of the bedroom and went back downstairs.
Justin went into the kitchen and sat down beside the boys. “Hunter is still sleeping, so I think we need to let him sleep for a while. He looked rugged this morning when he came downstairs. I told him to get into my bed and sleep for a while. I guess I’ll help you do your schoolwork. What do I need to do?”
Steve said, “After we eat, we’ll go into the school classroom. We sign into the school which we can do on our own. I can help Jordan sign into it on his computer. Then we just do the work that we have on the computer. When we get that done, we can be off for the rest of the day. Do you have Jordan’s login information?”
“No, I don’t even know if Hunter signed him up for it, so it will just be you and Carson, and then Jordan can start tomorrow.”
“You need to find out if he is signed up or not. Maybe Hunter has it in his desk in the classroom. He sits in there and monitors and helps if we don’t know what we are supposed to do or teaches us how to figure it out.”
“I can do that. Where in his desk would he have that information? I don’t want to plunder in his stuff, looking for it.”
“He has a book in the top middle drawer with our sign-in information in it. If he registered Jordan, then it would be in there. If not, it would be the first time he didn’t register a new student.”
“I’ll go look while you finish your breakfast.”
Justin got up and went to the classroom. He opened the door and went inside. Justin sat down at Hunter’s desk and opened the middle drawer, he found a small book and opened it. It was the login information for all his students. He found Jordan’s name and copied his log in details on a sticky note. Steve would know how to sign into it. He sat it on the desk and started to shut the book when he noticed the writing in the margin. He turned the book sideways and read what it said. “This is my future son. He’s to start the fourth grade as soon as Thursday gets here. I hope my future husband gets home Wednesday instead of Thursday. I miss him so much.”
Justin slipped the book back into the drawer and smiled. He got up and went back to the kitchen and got a cup of coffee. “I found the information. All you have to do is get him to the website, and I’ll teach him how to log into the school. He’s going to be in the fourth grade.”
“That’ll be awesome. He’ll be in the same school as we are. We’re in the sixth grade. Carson got held back from starting school because of when his birthday is. It threw him back a year.”
“The same thing happened to me, as well. I was always a year behind the kids my age. It makes it uncomfortable in school but what can you do? I think it is a stupid rule.”
Carson nodded. “Yeah, I think so too.”
They finished their breakfast and rinsed out their bowls and put them and their spoons in the dishwasher. Steve put dish cleaner in the dishwasher and started it so it would be done before lunch. They all walked to the classroom. Steve started his computer and started one beside him for Jordan. He got on Jordan’s and went to the website for the school. He let Justin put in his login information then he went to the fourth grade. It was ready and Jordan’s work for the day was there. Jordan sat down at the computer and opened his first lesson. He smiled when he saw what he had to do. “Dad, I can do this just fine. I had this in school already.”
“Good son. I’ll let you be then until you need me. If you get stumped, just call me. I’ll be right here sitting at Hunter’s desk.”
Jordan nodded and started his work. He went through all of his lessons until he got to the math. He sat and studied the screen and glanced over at Steve. He didn’t want to ask for help but knew he always had trouble with math. “Um…Dad, I need your help. I’m not good at math.”
Justin got up and walked over and sat down beside Jordan. He looked over what he had to do. He explained what he needed to do. Not his answer but what to do. He gave him a small tablet of scrap paper that Hunter had on his desk and a pencil. “Work out your problem on the paper. When you understand it, then do it on the computer.”
Jordan wrote the problem on the paper. He sat and stared at it, so Justin again explained what to do. He did as Justin said to do and got an answer. He had Justin look at it and see if it was right and it was, so he put it on the computer. He finished all of his math that way and got it all right.
They were just finishing their schoolwork when Hunter walked into the classroom. He stood with his hands on his hips, looking at all of them. “Justin, why didn’t you wake me up?”
“You were tired, and I had this. You look a lot better than you did before you went back to sleep. The boys ate cereal, and I took the others to school. When I got back, these three were just starting to eat then we came in here and got the schoolwork done. Now when they are completely done, I’ll take Carson downstairs and have a session with him.”
Hunter came over and sat on Justin’s lap and kissed him. “Wait, how did you get Jordan’s login information. He didn’t know it and he would have to have it to log in.”
Justin smiled. “Steve told me about your little book in the middle drawer. I got it out and got his information. Steve put it on the website, and I logged in for him. I wanted to teach him how to do it himself.”
“Oh, ok. Wait, did you read anything else in the book?”
“It wasn’t my business what you have in the book. I just wanted his log information.”
Hunter visibly relaxed. He knew what he had written in the book but didn’t want Justin to read it. It was almost like his diary. Tomorrow while the boys did their schoolwork, he would tear out the pages that have his notes on and make new pages. Just in case Justin had to get some information out of it again.
Carson finished his schoolwork, so Justin kissed Hunter and went downstairs with Carson to have his first session. Hunter called out that he was taking Steve and Jordan shopping for some groceries. Carson sat in the chair across the desk from Justin. “Where do you want to start?”
“Let’s start with why you’re so angry. Is it toward a person or an object?”
“I’m so angry with me. I don’t know what I am supposed to do. I thought about killing myself, but I’m too chicken to do that. I want to go to Heaven, and I know that God doesn’t let cowards come into Heaven.”
“Why do you think you would want to kill yourself. Life here with Hunter that bad that you would want to end yourself?”
> “Oh no, it doesn’t have anything to do with Hunter or you. It has to do with me, and I can’t seem to get over it.”
“Why are you so angry with yourself, Carson?”
“I’m not gay if that’s what you’re asking.”
“I didn’t say anything about being gay. Is that what the problem is? You think you're gay, and you don’t want to admit it?”
“I’m not gay. Just because I have a crush on someone that doesn’t make me gay.”
“No, it doesn’t. So, let’s talk about that. Who do you feel you have a crush on? Is it Hunter, and you know he’s with me?”
“Oh no, he’s way too old to be with me. I was thinking about Steve, but he isn’t gay either. I just wish he would see me for who I am. Now Hunter is going to adopt both of us, and Steve will be my brother, so that’s ended before it even began. I don’t know how to tell him I have a crush on him. Now he spends all his time with Jordan and doesn’t spend any time with me.”
“Are you jealous of Jordan. Is that why you say such bad things about him and make fun of him?”
“Yeah, I guess so. He’s a sweet kid, but too young for Steve and he gives him all his time. Just like in class this morning. He had to do everything for Jordan and didn’t help me at all.”
“Did you need help?”
“No, I knew what I was doing, but he could have talked to me for a few minutes. Now he doesn’t talk at all to me.”
“I think he relates to Jordan because of the scars he has. When you say bad things to Jordan, it probably makes Steve angry. I think he feels it’s his job to take care of Jordan and make sure he’s welcome here.”
“I need Steve, though. He’s my best friend. Really my only friend and to lose him like this is hurtful. My heart hurts because he has pulled away from me.”
“There is no reason that you and Steve can’t both take care of Jordan. Join Steve in his pursuit of protecting Jordan and making Jordan feel he’s wanted. I’m going to adopt him and Simon today. If Hunter and I get married, they’ll both be your brothers as well as Steve’s. Don’t be mean to either one of them. You’ll have your friend back. I don’t think that Steve is gay, but I didn’t know for sure you were either.”
“I’m not gay. I don’t think so anyway. I don’t know what it is I feel for Steve, but I know there is something there.”
“Instead of being gay, do you think maybe you just want him for a best friend and not a romantic way? Do you want to kiss him?”
“Oh no, I don’t want to kiss any boys. That’s just nasty. I just want them as friends. I think I love Steve, and that’s not a good thing for me to do.”
“Loving someone of the same sex isn’t being gay. I love my dad, and that doesn’t mean anything. I have some friends that I love, male and female, but I don’t want to be with them. Hunter is the first man I have found that I would want to be in a relationship with.”
Carson started to say something, and they heard the doorbell. Carson jumped up and said, “I’ll get it.” He took off up the stairs.
Justin said to the empty room, “I’ll go with you.” He shook his head and went upstairs to the front door. It was the CPS lady with the adoption papers for Simon and Jordan. “I’m sorry, but Hunter went to the grocery store. I can call him and tell him to come back so he can sign the adoption papers on this guy.”
“No need to. I caught him just as he was leaving. Young man, you now have a father. Oh, Justin, I saw Jordan. What a handsome little man he is. I know his story and I cringe at all that poor child has been through. Just sign on these papers where it’s highlighted, and you will become a father of two in a matter of an hour.”
Justin grinned. He started signing and got both sets of papers done and handed them back to Martha. She put them into her briefcase and smiled at Justin and Carson. “Congratulations both of you. I hope everything goes as planned and you’re all a happy family.”
Justin frowned. “What do you mean?”
She had a shocked look on her face. “Um…Hunter told me that the two of you were planning on getting married, so you would end up with four boys together. Is this something that isn’t true?”
“Oh no, it is true. I just didn’t think that Hunter was that far in our relationship. I’m all for going today and getting married. He’s the one dragging his feet.”
Martha chuckled and left. Justin couldn’t wait until Hunter got home so he could ask him about this.
Chapter 20
Justin took Carson back to the basement, and they both sat down at the desk. Justin said, “We were talking about you and Steve’s relationship. Do you think you can be happy being his brother? I know you were hoping for just friends, but brothers make great friends.”
“I don’t have a choice to be his brother. That was not my call. I have to accept it now. It’s a done deal.”
“Would you rather not have Hunter and me as dads?”
“No, like I said, it isn’t about Hunter or you. It’s about Steve and me.”
“I thought you only wanted Steve to be a friend?”
“I do. I want him to be my best friend again. That’s out the window now since he’s my brother. I don’t want my friend to be my brother. What if I do something bad, and I don’t want my dad to know. Steve will feel he has to go to Hunter and tell him. I don’t want Hunter to know everything I do.”
“Why would you want to do bad things? You should want to be better than that. You would be drawing your little brother into doing something that would get him in trouble. You should be an example for him to follow. Say you stole something would you want Steve to do the same thing?”
“I wouldn’t steal anything. That’s not me. I don’t lie either. If I do something, I’m going to tell you I did it. I don’t know what I would do bad. I hit that teacher because he said something about Hunter. Nobody talks about Hunter. You have no idea what everyone in this house has been through. We all have been beaten. Just because not all of us have backs that look like hamburger meat doesn’t mean that we were saved from beatings. My dad used to beat me with a bar of soap in a sock. You know how bad that hurts? It doesn’t leave marks, but it hurt as bad.”
“Did he do that often?”
“Every damn day. I would come in from school, and he would already be drunk and the first thing he did was grab that sock and start cussing me out. I didn’t do anything. Just came in from school and he would start. I didn’t take out the garbage or I didn’t put my clothes away. Just anything so he could beat me.”
“Did your mother ever try to stop him from doing that.”
“No, she took off right after I was born. He had his sister come and take care of me until I started school, then I was on my own until he decided to come home. Then the beatings would start because he was drunk when he came home. He bought a few groceries a week, but I had to make it myself. Mostly it was bologna and bread. I lived on that stuff until he beat me one time with his belt, and I told the counselor at school. She believed me because, at that time, I had marks on my back.”
“Is that when you were brought here to Hunter?”
“No, I was put in a foster home, and that wasn’t much better than I had it at home. I finally got big enough to beat the crap out of the man and he called them and told them to come to get me. One more foster home and same thing only that guy tried sex stuff on me and then they finally brought me here to Hunter. I got treated better here than I have my whole life. I don’t want to go live anywhere else.”
Justin’s phone rang, and he looked at it. If it was just a friend, he wouldn’t answer it. He saw it was Judge Stone, so he picked it up. Justin said, “Hello, Judge Stone. What can I do for you?”
“I’m trying to get Hunter. Is he home?”
“No sir, he took Steve and Jordan grocery shopping. Is there something I can help you with?”
“Yeah, how many boys are you watching right now?”
“Just Carson. What do you need?”
“I just got a boy in, and he�
�s in bad shape. I need you to come to get him. I called John and he’s going to come by in a little bit. Come get him and John will come to look him over. He’s only seven Justin and he can’t even stand up. I bet he only weighs about forty pounds.”
“Are you at the courthouse?”
“Yes, we are in my chambers. You come back to my chambers and get him. Just bring Carson with you. That’ll be just fine.”
“On our way Judge Stone.”
Justin hung up the phone and looked at Carson. “Come on, we have to go get a little fellow. The judge said he’s in bad shape and I’m going to need you to hold him on the bus until we get here. The judge said he can’t even stand; he’s in such bad shape.”
They ran upstairs and wrote Hunter a quick note and then took off in the small bus. Carson said, “This little fellow can stay in my room, Justin. I don’t bunk with anyone since Hunter moved Mark our of my room. At least my room stays clean now and there is an extra bed in there.”
“We’ll see what Hunter says. You know he’s the one over you boys. Let’s just get the little fellow home, and we’ll see what we can do.”
They didn’t say any more until they got to the courthouse. Carson asked, “Do you want me to stay in the bus?”
“No, of course, not. You come with me to the judge’s chambers. You can help with the little fellow. I don’t know his name yet.”
Carson nodded and followed Justin into the courthouse and down to the judge’s office. The receptionist showed them straight back to the judge’s chambers. They walked in and saw a tiny boy lying on the judge’s desk on a pillow. Judge Stone stood up and shook hands with Justin and Carson. “Justin, this is a new boy for you and Hunter. Sign these papers where the highlighter is and then take him home with you. Like I told you on the phone, John will be by there in about an hour.”
“What’s his name?”
The little boy looked at Justin and said, “I’m Charlie. My daddy hurt me, and now I don’t have to go back there anymore. The judge said I don’t. You’re not going to take me there, are you?”
