Date: Fri, 15 Sep 2017 19:44:35 +0000 (UTC) From: Jay Carrington Subject: My Sons and Their Friends - Chapter 5 This work is copyrighted by the author, J. Carrington and commercial use is prohibited without permission in writing from the author. Personal or private copies are permitted only if they are complete and include the copyright notice. Placing this story on a website or reproducing this story for distribution without the author's permission is a violation of that copyright. This is a story of a man's relationship with his sons, their friends and a variety of other characters. The writing is very detailed and is a written representation of what the author saw as he was writing the story. The series of chapters are completely fictional and are the result of the author's fertile imagination. Any resemblance to any real person(s) is purely coincidental. The story contains consensual sexual behavior between young adult males and older adult males. It depicts both unprotected sex and protected sex. Safe sex practices are the way to go if you plan to be around for years to come. If you are underage (below 18) or object to the subject matter, please leave now as the door that let you in, will also let you leave. If you enjoy this site, you are encouraged to donate to Nifty.org so that it will continue to operate. You can buy a visa gift card and use it to donate to Nifty anonymously or you can use your credit card and you can see the transaction on your monthly bill. Anyways, this is a great site which serves the needs of our select population. NOTE: This is a story, and it may contain some sexual references or detail some sexual activities, but it is not totally about sex. It is an expansion of a previous story -- My Son and His Friends which was written by this author. Chapter 55 of My Son and His Friends was posted on June 21, 2017 in the Adult/Youth section of Nifty. You may use that date to reference earlier chapters. Chapter 5 -- My Sons and Their Friends -- The Freshman Year Phil was a little shocked by Justin's statement, and I had not a clue as to what he was referring to, so I said "Start talking." Justin looked over at Shane, but turned back to look at me and Phil. He said "Since we didn't get to go anywhere for Labor Day, and Meredith is going to be out of town for part of the week, and a whole weekend in a couple of weeks, I am proposing that we have a men's weekend, and it be just like at the lake." I looked over at Shane, and he shrugged his shoulders. I didn't know what to say, as if I said too much I felt like it might cause issues, so I ask "Exactly what do you want to do?" He said "Like you don't know?" I said "Well, Justin it could be a lot of things, you could want to go fishing and have a fish fry, we could travel out to a nearby lodge, or maybe a quick trip to the Georgia Mountains." He said `No, Doug, I mean a nude dude weekend." I looked over at Shane again, and he had this grin on his face. I looked over at Phil, and he was looking at me. I thought, I'm into this conversation, I might as well find out more, so I ask "Justin, who are you thinking needs to be included, where would this be, and what do you want to do?" Justin cleared his throat and said "I got to thinking this afternoon, that since Mikel is Myles' doctor and makes trips down here from time to time, that maybe he could stay in town and possibly spend the night at one of our houses while Meredith is away. Matt is in town doing some of his training. That just leaves Kevin and Jared who would need a special invitation. I said "Mikel has a practice in his hometown and only comes here when there is a meeting related to updates regarding Myles or specialized testing is being done. I don't know when he will be back, but I am sure that we can contact him and offer him an invitation. He was fun to have around at the lake, and I think we owe him something for our time at the lake. Justin said "Now, you're getting with it. Why don't you call him tomorrow and see what he thinks. I will get the dates from Meredith and we can begin to put things on the calendar. I will talk to Colt because I will probably have to twist his arm." I said "Justin, I really don't see a problem, but I want to know that things are okay with Myles, so I will check with Michelle tomorrow and then, we will see how his next chemotherapy goes." He said "Couldn't ask for more." He turned to Shane, and said "Our business here is finished, and it's time for us to go home." I could tell that Shane wanted to stay, but he did not push the issue. He got up, and they left. Sunday was a busy day as I worked on planning activities for my classes and developed a new PowerPoint presentation for my sophomore classes while Phil ran some errands for his business and worked on his work crews' assignments for the week. I was making good progress when Ryan came home and wanted to what was for dinner. I said "Son, you can check the refrigerator, find you some sandwich meat and cheese, and make you a sandwich. I am not stopping to cook lunch." He said "I can do that as long as we have something good for supper." I just looked at him, shook my head, and returned to my work. I finished my school work around three thirty that afternoon, walked to the family room and relaxed on the sofa. Ryan joined me from his room and gave me an update on Myles. He said that they had a great time over the weekend watching movies, playing games, and talking. We talked about Myles, and he said "Dad, I want to go to Wal-Mart this week and buy a few things for him." I said "Like?" He said "You'll see when we get there." I was perplexed, but I couldn't think of what he might want to buy so I just let the subject drop. He turned to me and said "So what's for supper?" I said "I have no idea." About that time, Phil returned and brought in several bags of groceries for the upcoming week. I got up and walked to the kitchen to see what I could prepare while Phil stored the stuff in the refrigerator and pantry. I found some of my frozen ground beef/ground chuck mix and thawed it in the microwave. I diced an onion and several stalks of celery. I pulled all of my dry ingredients and seasonings together and blended them with the meat mixture and vegetables. I patted it into a loaf and placed it in the oven. I opened two cans of niblet corn, poured them into a pot and added some butter, salt and pepper. I peeled seven potatoes, diced them, put them in a pot of water and brought them to a boil. I cooked them until they were tender, and then, drained them. As soon as the meatloaf was finished cooking, I started the corn, and began to blend some sour cream, butter and the potatoes together for mashed potatoes. I made a gravy from the meatloaf drippings and put it in a small bowl. I finished and called Ryan and Phil to the counter. We had a quick meal and then, we lay around the family room and watched a couple of shows. As soon as the second show was over, I called bedtime and everybody headed to their rooms. As I lay there Monday morning, I began to think about my classes, Justin's visit, Myles' appointment, and a million other things. After giving myself a positive attitude talk, I got up and started my morning. The boys arrived after we had finished breakfast and Phil had left for the development. We made our way to school, and as, I was parking, I received a reminder text from Michelle regarding Myles appt at 4:15. I texted back that it was on my calendar, and that, I would be there as soon as I dropped the boys off at the house. The boys headed off arguing about some football statistics while I walked to the office. As I stepped inside the office door, Mrs. Whittaker called to me and motioned me over to her desk. She said "Mr. Brunson, your paperwork for Home Bound Services has been approved, and I was wondering, what is the latest on Myles?" I thanked her for giving me an update on the paperwork and for asking about Myles. I brought her up to date and told her that we had an appointment later that afternoon with the medical team to review his progress and their future plans. We finished our conversation, and she told me that she would keep him in her prayers and add him to her church's prayer list. I thanked her and headed to my classroom. As I made my way to my room, Mr. Richards walked with me and told me that he had heard that I had a new son, and that he was going on HomeBound Services. I told him that it was true, and that, I was so excited to have another child. We talked about the challenges ahead, and I told Mr. Richards that I was already familiar with my son since he lived in my neighborhood and had been a friend of Ryan's. Mr. Richards raised his eyebrow, and said, "I see." I said "It truly is an interesting story. One day, when I get all of the legal stuff finished, and I know more about his medical condition; I will sit down and explain it to you, because there are times, I find it so out hard to believe, but to me, it was a prayer answered. Mr. Richards and I talked for a few more minutes and then, he went to another section of the school, while I continued to my room. I pulled up my lesson for the day and keyed in the video clips that I planned to use. The bell sounded, and the students entered. My first period class went really smooth and the students were inquisitive, informed, and responsive to the lesson. My second, third, fourth and sixth periods were somewhat slow to respond to the presentation and discussion. As all teachers do, I tried to analyze why, but could not come up with a definitive answer. I finished the day, waited for the boys, took them by the house so that they could begin their homework and drove to the hospital. Michelle and Myles were waiting in the hallway. As soon as I sat down, Michelle said that a nurse had come out to say that the doctors were running about fifteen minutes behind. I sat back in my seat pulled Myles over to me and hugged him. We talked about school, and some of the stuff that he had started studying. I could detect that he was nervous, so I tried to steer clear of discussing his medical issues. After about twenty minutes, the nurse opened the conference room door and invited us to come in and sit. We did, and Mikel, Dr. Chesterfield, and another man that I didn't know, joined us. Mikel made the introductions and the other man was a doctor too, but his area of emphasis was oncology. Mikel introduced the other doctor as Dr. Franklin. Mikel began the meeting and the other two doctors joined in as the discussion took place. Michelle had a number of questions for the medical team, and they responded to her questions truthfully, and succinctly. I listened as most of this conversation was over my head, but I did understand some of the discussion centered around the results of the tests that had been administered to Myles. Dr. Franklin noted that the tumor had not shrunk in any significant degree, and he was recommending that a new chemotherapy be utilized starting Tuesday. He said that trials with this chemotherapy had proved to be successful in a number of studies. I looked over at Mikel and asked for his thoughts. He said "Doug, Dr. Franklin has been involved with the study of tumors and the impact that chemotherapy has on various types of tumors and given his background and his studies, I would be very comfortable following his advice." I looked down the table at Michelle, she had a few more questions for the doctor, and then, she was wrapping up her issues when Myles decided that he needed to have some input. He told the group that these treatments were taking entirely too long, and he was missing out on a lot of stuff. He said "I really want to kill this cancer, and get it out of my body." Dr. Franklin said "Son, that is my goal, but it will not happen overnight." Mikel then spoke and said, "We will admit Myles back into the hospital tomorrow morning, begin the new chemotherapy, monitor his reactions, and the chemotherapy's actions on the cancer. This will be about a minimum two day stay. Myles was not happy, but Michelle calmed him down. We left the meeting and walked out to the parking lot. Michelle and Myles headed out to eat, while I drove home to prepare supper. I prepared a quick meal of spaghetti, meat sauce and garlic bread. After we had eaten, and I had cleaned the kitchen; I joined Phil and Ryan in the family room. I brought both of them up to date on Myles. Phil was very quiet as I talked, and when I finished, Ryan got up and went to his room. Phil said "Doug, this is going to be rough because they will have to try several chemotherapies on him before they find one that will work. You can expect him to go through a lot, and some of it is indescribable until you see it first hand. Ryan returned in a few minutes, and said that he had called and talked to Myles and that Myles wants the gang to come see him in the hospital tomorrow afternoon. I said "Ryan, that depends on how things are going, and how he is feeling." Ryan said "Dad, he is going to be fine, and he needs his friends around him." We finished the night just lounging around, and later in the evening, we headed to bed. I had a great day Tuesday and all of the classes seemed to be in a better frame of mind, so I think I can say that, I had a successful day. I called Michelle during my lunch break, and she said that they had not started the chemotherapy yet, because it had not arrived, but they had just informed her that it had arrived, and they would begin to administer it at twelve thirty. I told her that we would drop by after school, and she said that Myles was looking forward to our visit. As soon as the school day ended, the boys magically appeared in my classroom. I drove to the hospital and parked. We went in, and I strongly suggested that everyone go to the men's room. They all complied. We rode the elevator up to the fourth floor; walked down the hallway, and found the room that Myles had been assigned. Ryan opened the door, and we all walked in, but it was not a good time. Myles was sick from the chemotherapy and was throwing up. Michelle was holding the pan while he threw up. I turned around and told the boys that we should step out for a few minutes, Ryan said "No, I am going to go over there and help," and he did. He took the pan from Michelle so that she could call the nurses' station, and then, he told Jay to go to the bathroom, wet a washcloth with cold water and bring it to him. Jay did what he was told. After Myles seemed to have things under control, Ryan began to wipe his forehead, face and neck. He asked Michelle if there was another gown for Myles because he had thrown up on what he was wearing. Michelle helped them get the new gown on Myles. Rob stood at the foot of the bed and talked to Myles while Jay sat down and observed. Myles asked for a cup of water and Michelle poured it for him, he took a few sips and in a few minutes, he was throwing that up. I turned and looked at Jay, his eyes were big, and I could tell that he was very uncomfortable in the room, so I suggested that he go down to the waiting room. I told him that I would come get him in a few minutes. Rob stayed and tried to help, but medical duties are not his strong suite so he soon joined Jay in the waiting room. Ryan on the other hand was taking care of things as if he had been trained to do such. I looked over at Michelle and ask her, how I could help. She said "Doug, there isn't anything any of us can do except, be here for him." I ask if there was something that I could do for her, and she said "No, because she had planned to spend the night with Myles and had brought her clothes and personal items." I said "Michelle, I will spend tomorrow night with him because you won't get a good night's rest sleeping on that pullout cot." She started to argue with me, but Myles said "Mom, I would like for Dad to stay with me tomorrow night." That settled that. We finished up our conversation and Ryan and I walked down to the waiting room. Jay and Rob were ready to go. As we rode down in the elevator, Ryan asked if we could go to Wal-Mart to pick up some things for Myles. I told him that we could, so we went there as quickly as possible. Ryan headed to the men's socks. Rob and Jay wanted to know what he was thinking. Ryan picked up four pair of the most colorful and artsy designed crew socks. He then, walked into the young mens' underwear section and found a pair of Spiderman boxer briefs, a similar t-shirt and then back to the sock section for some Spiderman socks. We checked out and went home. As soon as I had parked, the boys headed to their homes. Ryan and I walked into the house and found that Phil had beaten us home. He asked about Myles, and Ryan gave him the report. I looked in the refrigerator and decided that there was nothing in there that I wanted to cook, so I suggested that we go to the diner for a hamburger and fries. Everyone agreed. We had really great service, and the food was good, too. We finished and returned to the house. Ryan grabbed his textbooks and began to work on his homework at the dining room table while I talked to Phil. I explained that I was going to spend the night with Myles on Wednesday night and that Michelle would bring the boys home that afternoon. Phil said "Doug, that sounds like a plan to me and don't worry about us, we will survive because we are going out to eat." I smiled, and said, "Now, that makes me feel much better." Wednesday morning arrived, and I quickly packed my overnight bag. I put it in the Denali, and then, I fixed breakfast. We went to school, and as soon as the day was finished, I drove to the hospital. I carried my overnight bag in while Ryan took his Wal-Mart bag. The boys stopped off in the waiting room, and I continued walking to Myles' room. I opened the door, and he seemed to be much better today as compared to yesterday. Michelle reported that he had not been nauseous since eleven o'clock, but he had not tried to eat anything, so that was probably a major factor. As we were talking, the room door opened and in walked the three boys. I looked at them, and had to laugh as did Michelle and Myles. Rob and Jay were wearing one sock each from two sets, while Ryan was wearing a sock from two other pair with the remaining socks in his hands. He looked at Myles, and said "These are for you." Myles said "Do you know how nerdy you guys look?" Jay said "We are not nerdy, we are cool, and we are doing this for you." Ryan pulled the sheet off of Myles' legs, pulled the hospital socks off him, and began to put the socks on one of his feet. Rob and Jay stepped up and helped with the other foot. Myles looked down, shook his head and said "If I should die, make sure that they pull these socks off me. I don't want Saint Peter to laugh at me when I get to the Pearly Gates." Michelle and I had to laugh, because he was serious. Since he was feeling better, he and the boys talked for a while. Michelle and I talked outside the room about his treatment and his reactions. Finally, Michelle decided that it was time to go, so she herded the boys out, and headed to the parking lot after trying to give Myles a good-night kiss. She finally got a kiss on his forehead, but he resisted strongly. After they left, I pulled the chair up closer to the bed so that Myles, and I could talk. I told him about the plans to have a Nude Dude Weekend and he wanted to know who would be there. I named off as many as I could think of at the moment, and then, he asked about how would we pull it off in the neighborhood. He and I brainstormed that issue for a while and finally, decided that we would have to park Shane's jeep so that it blocked the view into mine and Justin's backyard. We talked about food, activities, and maybe even going to a movie as a group. As the evening progressed, he looked over at me and asked if I could get him something to eat. I suggested Jello, and he reluctantly agreed. I walked down to the cafeteria and they were in the process of closing, but I talked them into selling me a dish of orange Jello. I returned to the room and told Myles that I thought it would be a good idea for him to eat slowly and to put the Jello in his mouth and let is sorta melt. He did, and then, he let it slide down his throat. He ate about half of the dish and sat it on the food table. I asked him how he felt, and he said "He was okay." I texted Michelle about an hour later, and let her know that we had success with the Jello. Myles began to get sleepy, so I turned down the lights and pulled the chair closer to his bed. I sat down in the chair and laid my head on the bed. Myles put his hand on my head and walked his fingers through my hair. In a few minutes, we both had dropped off to sleep. I was awakened later in the night by someone rubbing my shoulders. I lifted my head and looked. It was Matt. He said "Pops, I usually visit him every night since I was moved to the midnight shift. He is usually asleep but he is a trooper, and has had some bad times with his treatments." I said "I know, and I am hoping that they find the right combination shortly, because he is has really had bad side effects from the treatments." Matt and I talked, and I told him about the Nude Dude Weekend, and that I would be contacting his Dad. He said "Sounds great to me, I may have to be here some nights, but I can hope, but as far as Dad is concerned," and he laughed "I didn't fall far from the tree." He left, and I walked into and used the bathroom. I returned to my chair, adjusted the sheet and blanket on Myles and lay my head back on the bed. I was awakened by the morning activity in the hallway. I sat up in my chair and watched Myles sleep. In a few minutes, Michelle popped into the room. She thanked me for letting her go home last night, but she said "Doug, it was great to be in my own bed, but I couldn't sleep with my heart here. I will stay with him tonight so that you can go home and rest because I know sitting in that chair is not giving you the rest that you need." I excused myself, went to the bathroom, shaved, showered and dressed for the day. I stepped out and told Michelle that I felt like a new person. Myles was awake, and he wanted to talk, so I spent a few minutes with him since Michelle had told me that Meredith was running the car pool that morning. I left the hospital and drove to the school. Ryan made his way to my room before school and wanted me to update him on Myles. I did, and then, he left to go to his section of the school. Our routine for the next few days consisted of going to school and afterwards, going to the hospital. Myles was released after spending five nights there. To say he was a happy camper would be an understatement, he was like a helium balloon, but the funny thing occurred on Friday afternoon. We walked into his room and he was in great spirits because he was gradually being reintroduced to solid foods. He was animated and talkative. I don't know when I have seen him that talkative, but the boys enjoyed their time with him. Ryan opened his Wal-Mart bag that he had previously left in the vehicle. He pulled out the Spiderman boxer briefs, socks, and T-shirt, showed them to Myles and said "We got these for you to sleep in tonight." Myles had the strangest look on his face and said "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh NO!" To which Ryan responded "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Yeah!" Michelle snickered, and the rest of the room watched the ongoing word battle between Myles and Ryan. Eventually Myles relented, got out of bed, went to the bathroom, and changed into his new sleeping outfit. Michelle complimented him, and he said "Well they do feel better than that gown, but Spiderman????? Give me a break!" Rob said "Well there was SpongeBob, or Batman!" Myles just shook his head. We sat in the room and talked with him until they brought his evening meal. We excused ourselves and left the hospital. On Sunday morning, I drove Michelle to the hospital to pick up Myles. He wanted us there early, we arrived at seven o'clock, but of course, he was not released until eleven fifteen. He didn't want to be pushed out in a wheelchair, but finally agreed, because it was hospital policy. We went to his house and on the way; I called Ryan and told him to meet us there. I asked about Phil, but Ryan said that he had left to go work at the development. I drove into Michelle's driveway and Ryan was there to meet us. We carried Myles' stuff into the house, and then, I had everyone load up, and we went to Olive Garden for lunch. Lunch was a great time for the four of us to interact and talk. Myles was almost back to his usual self, but he was a little hesitant about eating anything real spicy. I had to agree with him being that he had been on a rather bland diet for several days until he was approved to be dismissed. We placed our drink orders and decided to pass on the appetizers. Our waiter returned with our drinks and was ready to take our orders. Myles finally settled on Fettuccine Alfredo, Ryan on the Cheese Ravioli, Michelle selected Chicken Parmigiana, and I ordered the Tour of Italy. Both boys gave advance notice that they were eyeing the desserts, and I had to admit that I wanted something sweet too. As we were waiting for our food, Michelle gave us an update on the projected procedures. She said that they had located another chemotherapy that paralleled the results of the one that he had just endured, but without the major side effects. Michelle said that Myles would have to go to the hospital two weeks from this coming Tuesday for the procedure and depending on his reaction, or lack thereof, he might or might not have to spend a few days in the hospital. Myles looked over at me and said, "Dad, is that after the guys' weekend?" I said "So you were listening. I would have sworn that you had fallen asleep when I was talking to you the other night." He said "Dad, I hear more than you think, always have, always will." Ryan snickered, and I said to him "I figured as much from you, but now from your brother? I guess I will learn to live with it." Our waiter and a helper brought our food to the table and served us. We began to eat after saying the blessing as we had so much to be thankful for and to celebrate. As I finished the blessing, Myles said `Amen." Michelle said "So what is this guy's weekend?" Myles looked over at me and said "You tell her." I said "Well, since we didn't get to take a trip over Labor Day, Justin wanted all of the guys to come together on the weekend before Myles' next chemo for a weekend of bonding and doing things together." She said "Oh, so that is the weekend that Meredith, Christine, and the girls are going out of town." I said "Yes, it is. We figured they would have a girls' weekend, and we would have a guys' weekend." She looked straight at Myles and said "Well, maybe I should just stay home so I can walk down and check on you." Myles dropped his fork and said "No! I mean, that's not necessary. Dad will be there. You should go with them and enjoy being with the girls. I want to be with the guys." Michelle gave a little laugh, and said "Something makes me think that there is more to this weekend than you are willing to tell me. I really do think that I should stay, so I can check in from time to time." Ryan looked over at me and mouthed "Tell her, no!" I laughed, and said "She is pulling your legs. She knows that you guys want some guy time, and I bet she will either go with the girls, or will find some other place to go." Michelle looked at me, and said "No, I'm being serious. I think something is up, and I need to satisfy myself." Ryan and Myles had shocked looks on their faces, and I have to admit, I was shocked and concerned too. As we were bringing this conversation to a close, our waiter reappeared and asked about desserts. We each, ordered a chocolate Dolcini. The waiter brought them to the table along with spoons and we began to eat. Myles enjoyed his so much that I thought he was going to lick the serving dish, but Michelle sunk that idea by calling his name and giving him that look. Just as we were finishing my phone beeped. I looked down, and it was Mom. I felt my stomach tighten because well it just does, when she calls. I answered with "Hey Mom, what's happening? She was extremely pleasant, and said that she was calling to check on us, and in particular, Myles. I gave her an update, and she indicated that she and Dad might take a trip to Biloxi, and if they did, they might just stop off to see us, and visit with Myles. Did I say my stomach tightened? That was a mistake, my heart stopped. I spent some time trying to find out when this drop-in visit might occur, but she would not tell. She said that things were still in the air, and that it would be a nice surprise for us to open our door and find her and Dad. I felt like throwing up, but realized that I could call Dad and find out more truthful information. She wanted to talk to Myles and Ryan, so I let her, and then, she finished the call by talking with me. In a number of ways, it was a nice phone call, but it really upset me to think that she might just surprise us with a visit. After we had finished the phone call, the boys shared their thoughts and her comments with me. Myles said that she had spent a lot of time telling him that she, and the Church had been praying for him, and that she felt that their prayers would be answered. Ryan said she told him that she was happy that he had a brother, and that she could not have picked out a nicer one than Myles. I had to smile after that comment, but I knew that the afternoon was getting away from us, so I brought an end to the conversations. We finished lunch, ran a few errands to let Myles feel that he was free and able to associate with other people. He enjoyed walking the mall and seeing some of the kids that he knew, as well as, rambling in the stores and looking at various electronic gadgets that were on display. It was fun watching him interact with others and very interesting to hear him detail the pros and cons of a gadget. He did not ask to buy anything on our trip to the mall; however, we did stop at the Cookie Shoppe and have a cookie and a Coke. After we finished at the mall, I drove Michelle home, but Myles wanted to go home with me and Ryan, so he did after promising Michelle that he would be home for supper. I drove to my house and pulled into the driveway. Phil had returned from his trip to the development. I looked over at Justin's. Shane's Jeep was still parked near my driveway. We got out and walked into the house. Phil was relaxing on the sofa in the family room and asked where we had been. We told him, and he said "I can see that I wasn't good enough to be asked to go to lunch, so I guess that says a lot about me." Ryan spoke up and said "You left the house and said you were going to the development, Dad called me and told me to go to Myles' house. I knew that you weren't dressed to go out, and it would have taken you a while to get home, so I didn't call you. If you are mad, be mad at me. You know, you are a part of this family, in fact, we can go out to eat later this afternoon just to prove that we are not ashamed of you." I had to chuckle. Phil asked "My choice?" I thought I had better jump into this conversation, and so, I said to Ryan "Hold on there a minute. Are you bankrolling this dinner?" Ryan looked over at me and said "Dad, you know you are going to pay, so just let Phil decide where and then, we will decide when." Phil said "Now, I like how Ryan thinks. I propose Mexican." Ryan started laughing, and said "I should have put money on that one." Myles who had been listening and sitting on the floor came to where I was sitting. He sat down, pulled my arm around his shoulders and said "I want to get well so I can go to eat Mexican again." I pulled him to me, and he relaxed. In a few minutes, he placed his head on my shoulder and shortly thereafter, it began to slide down my chest until he was lying in my lap asleep. Ryan looked over and made out like he was going to jab him in the ribs, but I shook my head no, and he didn't. We sat and talked while Myles slept. Michelle called to find out why Myles had not made it home. I told her that he had fallen asleep, and that, I felt sleep was more important given what he had just been through. She agreed. I told her that I would bring him home when he was awake and ready to go. We hung up. Phil walked back to the bathroom to get his shower and dress for our trip to the Mexican Restaurant. I told Ryan that he needed to freshen up a bit, so he hit his bathroom and changed clothes. Ryan returned and sat down by Myles while I walked to the bedroom to change as well. As I walked in, Phil was entering the bedroom from the bathroom without any clothes or a towel. I stopped in my tracks and just looked at that hunk. I really had to force myself to freshen up and change shirts because my desire was to push him onto the bed and have my way with him. He looked over at me as I walked by him, smiled, and said "Keep those thoughts for later big boy." I walked back into the family room just in time to catch a bit of a conversation between Myles and Ryan. Myles was telling Ryan about the upcoming Nude Dude Weekend and how he wanted to do some things with Matt. I could tell from Ryan's comments that this was not meeting with his approval, so I let them know that I was there, and the subject changed drastically. I told Myles to load up with us, and I dropped him off at his house while we continued on our way to the Mexican Restaurant. As I was driving, Ryan started telling Phil about Mom's phone call and in particular about her possible drop-in visit. Phil looked over at me and said "What are you going to do?" I said "I was planning on us talking about that tonight, but to answer your question, I honestly don't know." He said "Well, I can't go back to my old house because it is rented, and well, it seems as I am S.O.L." Ryan wanted to know what S.O.L. meant and I told him. He said "Dad, Phil is part of this family and Grandmother needs to accept that, I think she is too judgmental." I shook my head and said to Phil "I will call Dad during the day tomorrow and talk to him." Phil relaxed, and we were soon pulling into the parking lot of the Mexican Restaurant. END of Chapter 5 -- My Sons and Their Friends -- The Freshman Year Thanks for the emails urging me to get this chapter written. There have been a few diversions such as having to prepare just in case the hurricane came my way and housing family evacuating from South Florida. Looking into the future, we will have an interesting weekend when the ladies leave town. Will Myles get his chance with Matt or will Ryan interfere? Is Ryan jealous? What will Jay do during the weekend? Will Justin and Colt have some man 2 man time? Those are just some of the thoughts that may make their way into Chapter 6. Keep your emails coming -- they really do work to get me motivated and thinking about the next chapter. I hope that those who have been impacted by the hurricanes are finding ways to recover and put their lives together. I can only imagine what you have gone through and my heart goes out to you.