Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2002 18:56:22 EDT
From: ErastesTouch@aol.com
Subject: Throw Away Kid - chapter 11

Legal Notice:
The following story may contain descriptions of graphic sexual acts.  These
acts may be between boys or between a man and a boy.  The story is a work
of fiction and has no basis in reality.

The author, or his designee, retains copyright to this story.  There may be
no reproducing or distribution of this story without expressed written
consent.

                  *    *     *     *     *     *     *     *

Throw Away Kid - by Erastes                       Copyright 2000 by Erastes
Chapter 11 - Just being a boy.                    April 2002

I had to try to think of things to do with Bryce on Saturday, as I didn't
want him to be bored his first weekend alone with me.  Well, maybe I was
doing this more for me than him, because I hoped the things we did would
take his mind off of thinking about anything to do with sex and us.  Around
10:00 a.m., I took Bryce to a place where we could drive go carts, except
these were more like small Formula I racing cars.  I took him early, so the
place would be fairly empty while he got a chance to practice.  As it
turned out, only a couple of people showed up before noon, giving us plenty
of time on our own.  I gave Bryce a quick run down on how to operate one of
the vehicles, and the guy on duty even let me take him around the track
once with me, to let him get the feel of it.  The man just happened to have
an old cart, that he used to get around in, that had more room and no
sides, that way we could both fit in it together.  By using that cart, I
showed Bryce how the pedals worked and I let him steer a bit while I
operated them, and then I let him do the last half a lap on his own.  When
we got back to the starting area, I asked him if he thought he could do it
alone, and he said he could, so I let him go first and I followed him
around the track.  I did this so I could block off anyone who might try to
pass us and cause Bryce to panic.

He did quite well for his first time, and thankfully he wasn't too heavy on
the gas pedal.  As the day wore on he got better and better, until I felt
that he could deal with the other people who might give him problems.  Not
that they'd harass him on purpose or anything like that, just that with
more people on the track it would be tougher to move through the traffic,
but he handled himself admirably.  It was nearly 2:00 p.m. when I finally
talked him into leaving, as we hadn't eaten since breakfast, so I took him
to get something to eat and get his take on how he enjoyed that.

"Man, that was really awesome, Uncle Kyle.  I've never done anything like
that before.  Thank you so much."

"You're welcome, little man.  I had fun too.  What do you say we grab a
bite to eat before we try something else?"

"That's a good idea, but I'm not all that hungry."

"Well, how about something like a small sub then?"

"As long as it's a small one."

"Okay, that's what we'll do."  We went and ordered our subs, with Bryce
getting a half of a tuna sub, while I ordered a whole Italian sub.  They
were great, we both got full, and we washed them down with some lemonade.
After we finished our meal, I turned to Bryce, to ask him what he wanted to
do next.

"Well, sport, we can either go roller-skating or bowling next, your
choice."  He looked pensive, as he made this difficult decision and then he
announced that he wanted to go roller-skating.

"Good choice," I told him, "now let's hop back into the car and head over
there."  We went directly to the roller-rink and we rented our skates, then
we went out on the wooden floor to see how we would do.  I hadn't
roller-skated in ages, so I was very rusty, but this was something else
Bryce had never done.  When I saw him struggling to maintain his balance,
all I could think of was the first time I saw the Disney movie 'Bambi',
when Bambi was learning to walk and when he was on the ice.  That's very
similar to how Bryce appeared, falling several times, with his legs going
places he wasn't expecting or with him doing something to cause himself to
fall.  I tried not to laugh, as he was doing his best to get the hang of
this, but I couldn't help it and burst out in hysterics.

"Uncle Kyle, that's not funny," he said, pouting.

"I'm sorry, sport, but it is."  As I said that, I took a similar tumble,
and Bryce burst out laughing at me too.

"I guess you're right, Uncle Kyle.  That is VERY funny," he commented, as
he started to giggle again.  I scrambled to my feet, and made like I was
going to chase him, so Bryce tried to take off, but it looked more like a
man on a treadmill.  He was moving like crazy, but hardly going anywhere,
so I scooped him up in my arms and carried him around the rink.  He was
laughing uncontrollably now, like this was the neatest thing he'd ever
experienced, until I finally put him on the floor in front of me.  At this
point I began to push him along, sort of steering him as we went along.  I
had placed my hands on his upper back, with my palms just above his
shoulder blades, and my fingers curled over his shoulders, and I guided him
around the rink again, with me supplying all the momentum.  He was laughing
so hard he was almost crying now, and I felt that if I kept going, he might
even wet his pants.  I slowed us both down, while guiding him toward a
bench, and we sat down to catch our breath.

"Why did we stop, Uncle Kyle?"

"Well, I was afraid you might wet yourself, you were laughing so hard."  He
looked at me as if I'd just insulted him.

"I'm not a baby.  I don't do that any more."

"I didn't mean it like that!  It's just sometimes when a person laughs too
hard, he just loses control of his bladder.  It has nothing to do with
age."

"I've never seen that happen."  He looked very serious now.

"Well, I might have to give you a lesson about that later then."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't worry, you'll see."  I don't think he quite got the total
implication of this, but I knew I would give him some first-hand experience
with it later.  Oh, aren't I a devil?

We skated some more after that, and Bryce did show improvement, but he was
far from being proficient at that point.  We did have more good times, and
I was thrilled to see Bryce enjoying himself and just being a fun-loving
boy.  When it was time to leave, he put up a mild protest, but he knew
there would be more opportunities and other things to do at other times, so
he finally stopped his balking.  As we walked back to the car, I asked him
what he wanted to do after dinner, and he said he thought we should just
rent a video, as he was getting a little tired.  I agreed and we stopped at
the local video store and picked out a couple of different movies.  It was
his choice, of course.  After that we went home and rested for a while
before we did anything else.

Bryce wanted to sit on my lap and just snuggle, as we watched something on
the Disney channel, and I didn't think that would hurt any.  He sat on my
lap, with his head on my chest, and I tipped the recliner back and we just
chilled out.  Later I asked him a question about the show we were watching,
and he didn't answer, so I moved slightly, so I could see his face, and he
was out like a light.  He looked so cute like that, even though he was
drooling on my shirt, and I just wrapped my arms around him and let him
sleep.  When he finally awoke, he apologized for getting my shirt all wet,
embarrassed by how it happened, and I told him not to worry about it, as I
thought many people did the same thing.  He seemed to accept that, though
he still seemed mortified about what had happened, but he did stop saying
he was sorry.

Before we watched one of the videos, Bryce suggested we go for another
swim, and of course he wanted to do it naked again.  After the last episode
in the pool, I wasn't sure we should do this, so I told him maybe it would
be best if we wore our swimsuits this time.

"Aw, Uncle Kyle.  I won't touch your thing any more, if that's what you're
thinking.  I promise, really I do.  Please?"  I looked at him and he seemed
to be sincere, and I also felt it was important to him that I still trusted
him.

"Okay, you little con-man.  Let's go for a swim."  This time there was no
hurry to get to the pool, and we merely walked out back, with Bryce
wrapping his arm around my waist and staying as tight to me as he could
get, as we made our way to the pool.

"Thanks, Uncle Kyle.  I think this is the best day of my whooooole life."
He emphasized whole, although I knew that was not really such a very long
time, but it was great that he enjoyed himself so much.

"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed that, sport, but it won't be the last of the
good times.  I'll promise you that."

"I know, Uncle Kyle, and that's why I love you.  No matter what you think,
I really DO love you."

"I know, pipsqueak, because I think I love you too."  He stopped and looked
up at me.

"You do?  You really do?"

"Yes, Bryce, I don't think I can deny it any longer.  I really do love
you."  His grin spread from ear-to-ear, and he thought about the
implications of what I'd said.

"Does that mean we can do things now?"  He looked eager and hopeful, and I
knew I had somehow unintentionally opened that can of worms again.

"Not if you mean sexual things."  His expression drooped.

"Why not?"  His eyes were pleading with me.

"Because I love you like an uncle, or a father, not as a lover."

"Why not?  I love you as a nephew and a son, but I want to be your lover
too."

"I know you do, and I think I feel the same way at times, but I still think
that you'd be using sex as a way to thank me, and nothing more."

"Sure, I want to give you something special too, for all you've given and
done for me, but I want to do it because I really do love you.  No matter
what you think, I love you more and more every day, and that's why I want
to do things with you."

"Well, I appreciate that, but I still think we should wait."

"Do we have to?"

"Yes, we do.  Can you accept that?"

"If I have to," he told me, seeming dejected again.  In silence we
undressed and got in the pool, and it wasn't the same as before.  There
wasn't as much horseplay this time, and we just swam around, not even
racing.  I could tell that Bryce was sulking over my demands.  I knew I had
to let him do this, and not give in to him, but it was getting harder to do
every day.

After we swam for a while, we dried off and carried our clothes upstairs,
just putting on shorts and a tee-shirt for the rest of the night.  Once we
were dressed more comfortably, we went back downstairs to watch one of the
videos.  Bryce sat with me again, but he was kind of down, and halfway
through the movie, he got off my lap and went over and lay down on the
couch.  Now I was positive it was because he was upset with my not wanting
to have sex with him.  I knew it was best not to say anything to him, as it
would only aggravate the situation further, so I let him brood on his own.
When the movie ended, we went to bed, and he went to his own room and got
into his own bed, without saying a word to me.  This hurt me deeply, but if
I gave in at this point, he'd be in charge and not me, so I ignored it and
went to bed.  About an hour later he showed up at my door.

"Uncle Kyle, are you awake?"

"Yes, little man, I am."

"Can I come in and talk to you again?"

"Sure, come on in."  He walked over to the bed and crawled on top of the
covers, not under them, and after I turned on my lamp, he was staring at my
face.

"Are you sure you still love me?" he wanted to know.

"Of course.  I haven't changed my mind about that."

"Then how come it didn't bother you when I didn't sit with you during the
video, or when I went to sleep in my own bed?"  I looked at him and he
looked very forlorn.

"Bryce, when you love someone, you still have to give them room to make
their own decisions and be themselves.  Love does not mean smothering
someone."

"Then why can't I make my own decision about having sex with you?"  I guess
he trapped me with my own words again.

"It's because I want to be sure it's for the right reason, if we do decide
to do anything."

"Then you think we might?"

"I'm not saying we won't ever do anything, just not yet."  He seemed to
perk up a little, with this pronouncement.

"Really.  We still might have sex?"

"Bryce, why is having sex so important to you?  Can't you love me without
the sex?"

"Yes, I can and I do, but it would be even better if we had sex."  He was
studying my face now, trying to read my reaction, and I knew there was
something more he wanted to say.  Eventually he did.  "Even though I didn't
like doing it with most of those other guys, I must admit that it still
made me feel good, and I know it would feel even better with you.  That's
cuz we both love each other."

"Well, maybe it would, but just let it happen on its own, if it does.
Don't try to force it."

"I'll try, but I don't know if I can do that."

"Well, as long as you try."

"Can I still sleep with you?"

"Yes, you can, and yes, you may."

"Huh?"

"The question should have been, 'May I?'  May I is asking permission. Can I
means are you physically able to do it.  We both know you are physically
able to sleep in the same bed with me, but to ask permission, you should
have asked 'May I'."

"Okay.  I'll do that next time."  Now he pulled back the bedding and
crawled under it, before he moved over against me again.  Soon I felt his
arm sliding across my belly, as he took up his favorite sleeping position.
I kissed the top of his head and said good night, and then we both drifted
off to sleep.  Before I dozed off, I watched my little friend, thinking
about how much he wanted to be loved, but how he didn't seem to be able to
separate love and sex.  Maybe that's because that was the only way he had
felt loved in the past, but now I had to show him that love was more than
just sex.  It was two people caring about each other, willing to put the
other person first, and wanting to be with them whenever possible.  I knew
he'd learn to enjoy that as much as sex, though he was testing my willpower
to the limit.  He was just so damn sweet and loveable, and I nearly gave in
to his demands on nearly every occasion, but I had to remember that I was
the adult, so I had to stand my ground.

Sunday morning I suggested that we go to church, though I hadn't been to
one in years.  I had problems with organized religion and the hypocrisy of
the church and those who pretended to be so holy.  Isn't it funny how so
many religious leaders have been caught in scandals today, including
sexual, financial, and other criminal activities, yet they are willing to
condemn others for doing similar things.  I asked Bryce what church he
belonged to, but he told me he didn't remember ever going to a church, so I
picked one I was most comfortable with and we went.  I felt that if he were
going to be my responsibility, helping him find a moral compass would be a
good thing.  Maybe that would help him protect himself or guide him in the
future.

We sat through the service and participated in as many aspects of it as we
could, although many of the hymns were unfamiliar to even me.  It seems the
hymnal had changed since I last attended services.  Bryce looked confused,
though he remained attentive, and after the service he had many questions
for me.  It was obvious that not only hadn't he ever been in a church, no
one had even discussed anything about religion with him.  I answered all
his questions for him, making sure he felt comfortable to ask me whatever
questions and as many questions as he wished.  This question and answer
session even continued at home, and I was impressed with his curiosity, and
you could tell he absorbed almost everything he had seen and heard.  Once
we were through, I told him to go change his clothes before we ate, and
then I took him bowling.

This was something else Bryce had never done before, so I rented him a pair
of bowling shoes, showed him how to select a ball to fit him, and then I
taught him some basics, like how to time his footwork to his arm swing.
His first few attempts were not too good, though he did manage to knock
over a few pins, but then it just seemed to all click, and he started to do
even better.  By the time we finished three games, he had even had a couple
of strikes.  Once again he was thrilled about learning and experiencing
something new, and he thanked me over and over again.  After we had turned
in our shoes, we went back home, and this time Bryce wanted to shoot some
hoops in the driveway.  The basket had been there the entire time, and I
just thought Bryce wasn't into basketball, so I was quite surprised when he
suggested this.  We shot hoops for an hour or so, playing horse,
twenty-one, and then a little one-on-one.  Bryce wasn't very good, but he
did put a great deal of effort into everything he did, and I felt that with
a little coaching, he might even become a decent player.  Not a great
player, but a decent one.

Once we were done, I suggested that we shower.  Bryce agreed and went to
his room, so I hopped in my shower and started washing up.  I didn't hear
the door open or Bryce come in to join me, but I discovered him when I
bumped into his body in the over-sized shower stall.  Discovering him like
that, I didn't know what to do or say.

"It's okay if I shower with you, isn't it, Uncle Kyle?"

"I suppose so, but you should have asked BEFORE you got in here."

"Why?  You still would have let me, wouldn't you?"

"Probably, but then I would have had a choice in the matter."

"I'm sorry, I just thought it would be all right."

"Okay, let's not worry about it and we'll just get cleaned up."  We both
lathered up, and then Bryce asked me another question.

"Uncle Kyle, will you wash my back?"  I didn't want to turn him down, but I
wasn't sure I could wash his back without getting an erection.  I decided
to do it for him, as he couldn't ssee what happened behind him, and then
I'd turn away from him when I was done, if I did spring a boner.  I soaped
up my hands, and then I ran them over his smooth flesh and delicate curves,
cleaning his back as well as I could.  Just as I suspected, my desires soon
gave me away.  I was ready to tell him to rinse off and turn away from him,
when Bryce made another request.

"Can you do my butt too?"

"No, Bryce.  I think you can't reach that yourself."

"Please, Uncle Kyle.  I want you to do that for me."  As he said it again,
he backed up slightly, and my stiff dick brushed against his ass cheeks.
"What's that?" he asked, spinning around, only to smile when he saw my
woody.  I blushed from embarrassment.

"So you do like me like that," he stated, sort of tongue in cheek.

"Yes, I guess maybe I do, but that doesn't change anything.  In fact, maybe
it means we shouldn't shower together and I shouldn't wash you any more."

"No, Uncle Kyle, don't do that!"  Bryce was nearly frantic as he blurted
that out.

"Well, that is what caused it to happen."

"But it isn't bad.  I knew you liked me like that.  I just needed to get
you to see it too."

"I knew it all along, Bryce, but that never figured into my decisions."

"Why not?  If you like me like that, and I want to do it, why can't we?"

"For the same reasons I told you before.  I'm just not convinced you are
capable of making that decision yet, especially not for the right reasons."

"But."

"But let's just drop it, okay?"  We finally agreed on that, and then we
went to watch the other video we had rented.  Once again Bryce came over
and asked to sit on my lap, and hesitantly I allowed him to do so.  I was
trying to keep sex and affection separate, although there were very fine,
and sometime indistinguishable, lines between the two, but I felt this
would not be crossing that boundary, unless Bryce tried something else.

He stayed with me through the entire movie, and he never did anything
overt, he did place his butt over my crotch, though that may not have meant
anything, and he did squirm once in a while, but that could have been the
kid's basic hyperactivity.  I tried not to make a big deal out of
everything he did, but those things did cause me to have another erection.
I wasn't sure if I saw him grin when this happened, but I was sure he
noticed it.

The end of the weekend was now growing near, and I would have to go to work
tomorrow, so I thought I should discuss that situation with him.  "Do you
realize I'll have to go back to work tomorrow, and I'll have to work all
week?"

"Yeah, I know, but I sure had fun this weekend." He looked at my face,
studying my expression.  I guess he thought he noticed something there.
"I'll be okay, if that's what you're worried about."

"That's part of it, and I enjoyed this weekend too, but you'll be alone for
long periods of time.  Do you also realize you won't be able to go out
during the day, because all the other kids will be in school?"

"I know and I'll be fine alone.  I've done it before."

"I know you have, but I needed to make sure."

"When are you going to talk to that lawyer guy?"

"I was planning to call him tomorrow.  I feel I know enough about you now
to get the best advice from him, but I don't want you to get your hopes up,
just in case he can't find a way to help us."

"I know, but I really hope he can help us."

"Me too.  Do you still have both of those phone numbers I gave you Friday?"

"Yep, I keep them in a safe place."

"Great, and don't hesitate to call me if you need something."

"I won't."

We talked a little longer and then we went to bed.  Bryce asked if he could
sleep with me again, and I told him we should discuss that further.
"Bryce, it's not that I don't enjoy having you in with me, but I don't
think it is something we should continue to do."

"I'll behave and I won't suck your cock any more."  He had that pleading
expression on his face again.

"It's not just that, but it's just not an appropriate thing for us to do."

"Uncle Kyle, I didn't argue about the sex, well not that much, but I can't
let you make me give this up too.  I want to be with you, even if there is
no sex, so don't take this away from me.  It's all I have left."  He looked
so sad and so hurt now.  I had to think this over quickly.

"Okay, as long as you remember the no sex part."  His face lit up after I
said that, knowing he had managed another small victory.

"Okay, Uncle Kyle, as long as we can still be together."

I stayed awake until after he fell asleep, but I was almost afraid to let
myself give into my tiredness.  For some reason my mind still kept going
back to that hummer he gave me before.  I knew he promised not to do that
again, but I still wasn't so sure he could keep this promise any better
than his last.  I finally had to admit to myself that I couldn't stay awake
forever, so I finally let myself fall asleep.  It was not a restful sleep,
as many of the things I was worried about plagued my dreams.  I was hoping
that I might discover a solution to my problems during that dream, but it
didn't happen, and when my alarm went off in the morning, I wasn't really
in any shape to go in and do my job.

Although Bryce stirred a bit when the alarm went off, he did not wake up,
so I went in and showered, then dressed for work.  I grabbed a quick bite
to eat, left Bryce a short note, and then I drove to the office.  My
secretary greeted me, but said I looked awful, so I thanked her for the
compliment.  That caused her to ask if something was wrong, and I merely
told her that I had a restless night, trying to determine how to best
handle the situation with my nephew.  She was very sympathetic, offering to
take over whatever tasks she could, in an effort to relieve me of some of
my burdens, so I thanked her again, telling her that she was more than
earning her new raise.  She smiled at me, before she informed me that
wasn't why she was doing it, and I reassured her that I knew that, and
that's what made it even more special.

I immediately placed a call to the lawyer, to see what he could do to help
me with the situation concerning Bryce, but he wasn't in.  I left him a
message and asked him to call me at the office, as soon as he possibly
could.  I told my secretary I was waiting for that call, and she was to put
it through immediately, no matter what else I was doing, and she nodded her
understanding.  Within the hour he called back, and I took it in my office,
closing the door for privacy.  After explaining a little of Bryce's
background to him, and explaining that I merely 'found' the boy and had no
other ties with him, the lawyer said he'd investigate Bryce's situation
further and get back to me, just as soon as he learned anything relevant.
I thanked him, not sure exactly what he planned to do, be he reassured me
that he'd use his contacts to gather his information discreetly.

After I hung up from talking to him, I called the house to tell Bryce that
we had spoken.  I must have awakened him, as he still sounded drowsy, so I
told him I'd call him later, when he was more awake.  He mumbled something
unintelligible and then hung up, so I doubted he would even remember this
conversation later.  I took that to mean that he didn't rest all that well
last night either, or he would have been more rested and up and about.

I couldn't go home to have lunch with Bryce at noon, because I had to meet
with my realtor, to see what progress he had made since our last meeting.
I was told that the first offer was rejected, as we both suspected it would
be, and then the realtor asked the owner to make a counter-offer.  My
representative then made his own counter-offer, but the owner was not so
quick to reject that one, and then he made one final offer, closer to our
last one.  My agent told the owner he wasn't authorized to accept that on
his own, but he'd present the offer to me, as soon as we could arrange to
meet.  I told him to accept that offer and finalize the deal, and now I had
something else to tell Bryce, the next time I spoke with him.

I didn't get a chance to call him for a couple more hours, but when I did,
he seemed glad to hear from me.  "Hey, Uncle Kyle.  I thought you'd call
sooner."

"I did, but I don't think you remember that one."

"You called before?"

"Yep, and I spoke to you"

"You did?  I don't remember that."

"I knew you wouldn't.  I think you were still sleeping, even though you
answered the phone."

"Really, what did you tell me?"

I proceeded to tell him about having spoken to the lawyer again, and he
questioned me about all the details.  Next I told him about buying the
factory, and he wanted to know why I did that, so this is what I told him.
"First of all, I need a new warehouse for the things we buy, and that place
will work out fine.  Besides, I wanted to have it to remember the first
time we met and the place where it happened."

"But it's not all that great," he replied, sounding more nonchalant than I
had expected.

"Why do you say that?  I thought you'd be thrilled that I bought it.  After
all, it was where we first met."

"I know, but it's not very, well, nice or very romantic."

"Well, becoming my nephew or son doesn't have to be romantic."

"I know, but I'm still hoping I can get you to change your mind about
that."

"You mean you've changed your mind about wanting to stay with me?"  I was
just teasing, to get his reaction.

"No, I didn't mean that!  I meant I'd rather be more to you than that."

"I know you do, but that may not happen."  Again he sounded disappointed,
so I thought I'd change the emphasis of our discussion.  "Concerning the
factory, though, I'm a sentimentalist, so I wanted to have that first place
we met, so I could always remember how I found you and how you came into my
life."

"Is it so you remember just what I was and how little I had?"

"Not the way you think.  It's so I can remember where and how I found this
wonderful young man whom I fell in love with, even if it's not exactly the
kind of love you were hoping for."

"Well, I'm still not giving up hoping for that."

"I know.  You sure can be stubborn."  He laughed at this comment, agreeing
with me as he did so, and I think it was just to let me know that he
thought he'd eventually win out.  I wouldn't really mind that happening,
though it would have to be at the right time and for the right reasons.

After I finished talking to Bryce, I went back to doing my job, finishing
up the remaining details of things I had left undone.  I completed things
about the same time most workers would finish for the day, which was
unusual for me, as I often kept going until well after dark.  However
things had changed now, and I had someone else to consider, besides myself,
so I got ready to drive home and see Bryce.  I called him before I left, to
tell him to be dressed so we could go out to dinner.  He tried to convince
me that I didn't have to take him out to eat, but I told him I usually ate
out, even if I wasn't too tired to cook.  He finally gave in, again, giving
me this victory, and I picked him up within the hour.

Tonight we just went to a little diner I sometimes frequented.  They had
good food, but weren't all that expensive, but it was usually a nice change
and a place to go when I wanted to be somewhat anonymous.  Bryce seemed to
feel a little more comfortable at this place, as the menu was simpler and
the prices more in line with what he thought was reasonable, so he didn't
protest as much when I told him to order whatever he wanted.  It took him a
couple of minutes to decide, as their were several choices he seemed
interested in, but he finally ended up getting a cheeseburger and fries,
with side order of macaroni and cheese.  Tonight he ordered a glass of
chocolate milk with his dinner, and I was glad to see him do that.  Who
knows how much Vitamin D and calcium he had been getting in his diet?

I ordered the special, which was meatloaf and mashed potatoes with gravy,
with a side of broccoli and a small salad.  I also asked the waitress to
bring me coffee, and then Bryce and I talked about our day.  He wanted to
know more about what the lawyer and I had discussed, and then we talked
more about my having bought the old factory.  I think now he was beginning
to feel honored that I had decided to purchase it, realizing that part of
my decision was due to my having met him there.  I think he saw that as a
sign that I cared for him a lot, maybe even loved him a lot, and he hoped
this meant I would soon give in to his other demands.

Once our meals had been delivered, Bryce kept looking over at my meal, and
I wasn't sure what was wrong.  I did ask him, but he merely responded that
he just wanted to see what I had, and that's when I decided that possibly
he had never tried meatloaf or some of my other selections.  When I asked
him about that, he hesitantly admitted that he had not, so I offered to let
him try some of mine.  At first he was reluctant, but I held a forkful of
meatloaf toward his mouth, and like a little bird taking a worm from its
parent, he opened his mouth and then closed his lips, taking it off the
fork.

"Well, what do you think of it?'

"It's not bad, almost like a hamburger."

"Almost, but it does have a few different things in it."

Next I offered him a piece of broccoli, which he tried, but didn't seem to
care for it.  After that I offered him some of my salad, which I had
covered in ranch dressing.  He seemed to enjoy that, so I questioned him.
"I thought you said you didn't care for salad."

"But this isn't like the salad I've had."

"Then I take it you've never tried ranch dressing before."

"What's that?"

"It's the white stuff on the lettuce."

"I like that stuff."

"I had guessed as much."

After that we both finished our own meals, we went back home.  We didn't do
very much, just spent time with each other and then took a quick swim, but
before I locked up for the night, I noticed Bryce had disappeared.  I
didn't panic, because I knew he wouldn't have gone far, so I checked his
room, but he wasn't there either.  When I went into my room, he was already
in my bed, almost asleep.  I quickly got ready for bed myself, and then
slid in beside him.  This time I threw my arm across his chest, as I kissed
him on the cheek, and then I heard a weak, "Good nigh, Uncle Kyle.  I love
you."

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