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This story is a work of fiction, and any resemblance to people, living or dead, is entire a coincidence. As the author, I retain all rights to this story, and it cannot be reproduced or published without explicit consent from me. This work is copyright © 2014 by Steven Wells.
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Sam and Chris
Previously
Chris, Donny, and I watched my parents speed off out of town in my Mustang. After we walked the dogs, Chris and I worked on our school stuff until it was time to put Donny to bed. Once he was properly tucked in, we continued with our school work.
"Okay!" I said to Chris. "I am done studying. It's 10 o'clock. What do we want to do now?"
Chris leaned over and kissed me, "I was thinking that I would like some alone time with my boyfriend. We've never gone this long without making love! Do you think we can lock the door and play with each other's bodies?"
"I think that is a very good suggestion, Mr. Johnson!" I said to Chris as I pulled him closer to me so I could kiss him.
Once we closed and locked the bedroom door behind us, we were naked and lying in bed. Chris was resting his body on top of me as he kissed me.
"I've... missed... this!" Chris whispered between kisses.
"So have... I!" I whispered back. "I need you... in me..., Chris! And..., I need it... now!"
Chris grabbed the lube from the nightstand and quickly slathered some on his already hard dick. He pulled my legs onto his shoulders and lined up his cock with my asshole. He leaned in to kiss me as he started his descent into my ass. He paused just as I felt his pubic hairs tickle my balls.
"I may not be able to last long tonight," Chris whispered into my ear.
"I know the feeling, big guy! But, I love you in me anyway!" I whispered back.
Chris began to slowly work his cock in and out of my ass. My dick was rock hard as I felt him rub my prostate with each loving stroke.
After several minutes of making love, I hissed at my lover, "I think I am going to fucking cum! Shit! Ahhh... ahhh... ahhh... ahhh... ahhh... ahhh...!" With each moan I deposited copious amounts of cum on my stomach and chest.
Chris was right behind me, "Ahhh... ahhh... ahhh... ahhh... ahhh... ahhh...!"
As Chris rested his body on top of mine, he announced, "You are a beautiful lover, you know that, Sam?"
"So are you, sweetie," I whispered as we both lay motionless.
Finally, Chris rolled off me. "I don't really want to leave this bed, but I think we need to wipe the smell of sex off our bodies and check in on Donny!"
"I think you are right!" I reluctantly agreed.
Once we were relatively clean, we slipped on our boxers and checked on Donny. He was sound asleep. The dogs stirred slightly as we turned to leave our son's room. Lincoln and Roosevelt follow us.
Chapter 45: Off to Chicago We Go
We loaded up the SUV with luggage, dogs, and Donny for our trip to Chicago. We had arranged to have four back-to-back appointments with doctors on Thursday and Friday to help with Donny's health issues. We decided Chris would experience driving the massive vehicle—at least until we hit Chicago traffic.
"Are you certain you don't want to drive, Sam?" Chris asked.
"Get used to it Chris," I explained. "There is no time like the present to get in touch with your inner SUV driver."
"But, this thing is huge!" Chris exclaimed as he maneuvered the car out of the condo parking lot. He switched on the music system tied to his iPod. "But, this sound system is like no other I have heard!"
"And, I take it that is an affirmative that you like this big, fucking expensive SUV," I added.
"Actually, I think I like this big, fucking expensive SUV more because it is a safe and reliable method of transportation for our growing family," Chris suggested as we headed up I-57. After a few moments, Chris was annoyed. "Why is this thing beeping?"
I looked at the touch screen command center and assessed the situation, "I think it is because you are speeding, lover boy!"
"Can you please tell it to stop nagging me?" Chris decided. "I don't like to be beeped at when I am driving. Besides, Donny is asleep. It is his nap time."
"I will tell the car to stop beeping at you," I told Chris as I pressed the setup button. "Just don't get a speeding ticket!"
"Thank you," Chris replied. "It's nice to have a technology oriented boyfriend to take care of these things. Can you also tell it to change the playlist to the new one?"
"Your wish is my command," I told Chris as I stopped the beeping and changed the playlist. "Done!"
"Now, if you don't mind, I am going to tune into my computer science lecture." I informed Chris as I fired up my tablet and plugged in the earbuds to listen to my computer science professor. "Let me know if you need assistance with any other car issues."
We continued on our way to Chicago until, about an hour after our departure, Donny decided it was time for him to wake up, "Daddy? Can I watch a movie?"
"We don't have one with us at the moment, Donny," I told our still sleepy sounding kid.
"Okay," Donny answered. "I'll just listen to Daddy's music then."
We continued our trip north. As we approached the city, Chris was getting a little more nervous about driving the SUV.
"Do you want me to drive, Chris?" I asked.
"I need to learn to get this thing through traffic at some point," Chris answered. "So, I guess now is as good of a time as any. Maybe you should tell it to beep at me again."
I punched the setup button and reinstated the beeps to alert mode. "Keep in mind, Chris," I began to explain. "This thing basically has radar in it. If a car comes too close to you, it will tell you. If you come too close to a car, it will tell you. If you try to change lanes and a car is in the blind spot, it will tell you. So, just listen to the car."
"Spoken like a true IT geek!" Sam said as he smiled at me.
We quickly reached our destination. Chris decided he would try to park the SUV in our parking spot. He was successful.
"See!" I encouraged him. "That wasn't too bad, was it?"
"I think I am getting the hang of driving a tank," Chris said as his smile lit up again. "Maybe I should join the military service."
"I don't think the Army, the Marines, the Navy, or the Air Force are ready for you just yet, Chris," I told him. "Besides, I don't want to stay at home and worry about you. Do we need to tell the condo management about the new car?"
"We can tell the door person," Chris answered as we both started to unload our bags. "We can eliminate the need for luggage if we recreate all of our existence at school here in the city."
"That can be a project between doctor visits," I assured my boyfriend as three dogs and one little boy accompanied us into the elevator for our ride to the 42nd floor. When I opened the door to our condo, Lincoln and Roosevelt scampered in while Simon and Donny stood in the entry hall and just looked around.
"Daddy," Donny said to Chris as he held up his hands indicating he wanted to be picked up. "We live here, too?"
"Yes, Donny," Chris started to explain. "We live here, too! What do you say we get Lincoln, Roosevelt, and Simon settle and then your Daddy Sam and I will show you around? You get to pick out your bedroom."
"Will Simon be able to sleep with me here, too?" Donny asked as we headed into the kitchen to get our furry charges' water bowl filled.
"Of course," I reassure Donny. "This home will be just like our other one only bigger and in a different city."
"Goodie!" Donny announced as he still clung to Chris. We showed Donny the guest rooms. He instantly picked the western themed one. "Where will you sleep, Daddies?"
"We will show you that next," I said as we moved to our bedroom across the apartment. The three dogs followed.
"It's awfully far away from my room," Donny said as he clung tighter to Chris.
"If you need us during the middle of the night, just tell Simon," Chris suggested to Donny. "He will take care of the rest."
"Okay!" Donny said as he wiggled to the floor.
"We should show you where we take Lincoln, Roosevelt, and Simon for a walk," I suggested. "Then, we can get you settled in your new room before we have dinner."
We put the leashes back on the dogs and headed downstairs for our walk. The elevator stopped at the 30th floor. Ian, who we met before the holidays, joined us for the rest of the trip downstairs.
"I think the last time I saw you, you only had two dogs," Ian began. "Now, you have three and a very cute little boy with you. You work fast!"
"Ian, this is our son, Donny. Donny, this is Ian." Chris said as he introduced Donny. "We've also added a dog, Simon, to the mix."
"It's a long story," I begin to explain to a confused looking Ian. "Actually, it is two stories. Maybe we can tell you the two stories sometime over drinks with you and your husband Larry."
"That would be terrific!" Ian said. "I am actually on my way to meet with my book agent. We are trying to finish negotiations with a publisher for my first book. I'm more than a little nervous."
"Good luck!" I told Ian as we exited the elevator. Ian headed downstairs to the garage and Chris, Donny, the dogs, and I made our way to the dog walk.
"Daddy," Donny began as he tugged on the sleeve of my jacket. "Is that the ocean?"
Donny was point to Lake Michigan that circled around the building. "It's Lake Michigan, Donny," I explained. "It's one of the Great Lakes. I'll show you on a map when we get back to the condo."
"Can we go swimming in it?" Donny asked.
"When it gets warmer, Donny," I continued. "There is a beach we can walk to. Do you know how to swim?"
"Nope!" Donny admitted. "I always wanted to, but my Mommy said she didn't have time to teach me."
"We will make certain you learn this summer," Chris promised Donny. "It's really a lot of fun."
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Chris and I were awakened at 6 am as a third dog and a three year old boy jumped into bed with us. "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! It's bright outside!" Donny announced as he snuggled between Chris and me. The three dogs were circling our heads ready to lick at a moment's notice. "Daddy, I'm hungry!"
"Sam, I think it is time to get up," Chris announced before the dogs started to lick our faces.
"I think that might be the message we are getting," I agreed as Chris and I both slid out of bed and quickly slipped into our boxers. "I'll go start the coffee while you do your duty in the bathroom."
Donny and three dogs followed me into the kitchen. I made the coffee, filled the dog's breakfast bowls, poured three glasses of orange juice, and popped three slices of bread into the toaster. All of this was accomplished on autopilot. Chris arrived just as the toast popped out of the toaster. Donny wanted to sit on the counter to eat his breakfast. Chris and I chose more traditional seats around the island.
As we were devouring our toast, Chris started his discussion. "It is now 6:30 am. Our first appointment is at 11 am. Do we want to take the dogs for a walk together or do we want to split up. One could take the dogs for a walk and the other could take Donny to get cleaned up?"
"Together might be nice," I decided. "I would like to see who is stirring at this ungodly hour of the day!"
After we ingested our coffee, juice, and toast, we dumped the dishes in the dishwasher. We walked the dogs and returned in time to take our showers and dress for the rest of the day. We even had time to walk to the first appointment with the doctor at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
When we arrived at the doctor's office, we were ushered into an exam room by an extremely good looking nurse. His name was Howard.
"Please have a seat while I do Donny's vital signs," Howard suggested to us. Howard began asking Donny questions. "What do you like to do, Donny?"
"I like playing with our doggies. I like listening to Daddy sing. I like playing games on my other Daddy's tablet. I like watching cartoons," Donny answered.
"It sounds like you have more than one doggie," Howard suggested.
"We have three. Lincoln, Roosevelt, and Simon," Donny told Howard. "Simon sleeps with me and Lincoln and Roosevelt sleep with my daddies."
"Which of your Daddies sings?" Howard asked Donny.
"Daddy Chris," Donny said as he pointed to Chris. "He sings good."
"I'm sure," Howard said sitting in front of the electronic records computer screen. Howard turned his attention to Chris and me. "Your primary care doctor sent Donny's records. Is that the only medical history you have available?"
"Unfortunately, yes," I answered Howard.
"Dr. Graham appears to have run a very complete set of blood tests," Howard commented as he reviewed Donny's records. "Dr. Raj might want a few more, but they should be minimal. I will tell Dr. Raj you are waiting for him. He should be right in."
"Thank you, Howard," Chris responded. After Howard had left, Chris continued, "Howard seems nice!"
"And, cute," I added before Dr. Raj bounced into the room.
"Good morning," Dr. Raj enthused. "I'm Dr. Raj."
"I'm Chris Johnson," Chris began. "This is my boyfriend and soon to be husband, Sam Williamson. And," Chris said pointing to Donny, "this is our son, Donny."
"I have looked over the notes that Dr. Graham sent me," Dr. Raj began. "I think that, while this will not be a piece of cake, we can quickly manage Donny's health issues with limited side effects and with tremendous success. Let me explain some scenarios of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Keep in mind, I am NOT trying to scare you, but I think people who have a child who is living with HIV need to understand what can happen, when it can happen, and, to a lesser extent, how it can happen.
Most children living with HIV become infected through mother-to-child transmission. Children born to mothers living with HIV need to be tested as soon as possible after birth to find out if they are infected with the virus and start antiretroviral treatment if necessary. Unfortunately, only 35 percent of children in this situation are tested. I think that Donny is lucky in this respect. His CD4 counts and viral load indicate that he must have been on some treatment plan since birth.
Children who start antiretroviral treatment early, before their immune system is badly affected, recover their CD4 levels more quickly. CD4 levels refers to the level of immune system cells remaining in the body that have not been destroyed by the HIV virus.
Children who are able to lower the virus in their body before they reach one year old, tend to have lower levels of the virus when they reach 8-20 years old.
It appears from the blood tests that Dr. Graham ordered seem to indicate Donny was, indeed, on some form of antiretroviral treatment at a very early age.
There are many forms of antiretrovirals for children: tablets, syrups, and powders. Infants often find it hard to swallow tablets and so may be given one of the other forms of antiretrovirals.
However, these formulations are only slowly becoming available and are expensive. Fixed-dose combination drugs—where different antiretroviral drugs are contained in one pill—are only really available for older children, as they near adult doses.
The dose of antiretroviral drugs given to children is generally based on their weight and age. Children's bodies are constantly changing and developing and it is vital that drug doses are altered to ensure that a child is not given too much, or too little of a drug. It is important for children to attend follow-up appointments so that a healthcare professional can know when to alter the dose.
To monitor the effectiveness of HIV treatment in a child, a CD4 test is carried out periodically. This measures the number of T-helper cells—white blood cells that are attacked by HIV—in an individual's blood.
A falling CD4 count is a sign that HIV is progressing, and that the immune system is becoming weaker. However, CD4 counts vary with age, and younger children usually have a much higher CD4 count than adults.
In some cases, viral load testing (which measures the amount of HIV in a child's blood) is used alongside CD4 testing to guide decisions about treatment. However, if no CD4 test or viral load test is available (as they are very expensive), the healthcare worker has to make a judgement about when a child should begin treatment depending on their stage of HIV infection, and based upon any other illnesses that the child may have.
Children taking antiretrovirals can suffer from the same drug side effects as adults. Children are also likely to be exposed to treatment for longer than adults, as they have to take treatment throughout childhood and adulthood.
Some moderate or severe side effects may require switching drugs, or stopping the treatment altogether—this decision must only be made by a healthcare professional. In general, mild side effects do not require such changes, and treatment for the side effects may be given.
Most children on HIV treatment need to take three or more types of antiretrovirals every day for the rest of their lives. If drugs are not taken at around the same time every day, HIV may become resistant to the treatment, causing it to stop working.
It can be difficult for children to take treatment, especially if there are many pills to take or the medicines taste bad. Most medications must be taken with food or at specific times of the day. However, caregivers must support a child to ensure they always take their medication.
Drug resistance is when certain antiretroviral drugs become unable to fight off HIV. There are three ways that this could occur. The infant may have: been infected with a drug-resistant HIV strain from their mother, inherited drug resistance from their mother during pregnancy, birth or breastfeeding, or developed drug resistance during their own treatment.
It is important that a child on HIV treatment is routinely monitored, so that the treatment can be changed if their CD4 levels drop, or when they grow and put on weight.
Children living with HIV who have no symptoms need to consume 10 percent more calories than other children of their age and sex. Children who have symptoms, or are recovering from infections, need to consume 20-30 percent more calories than other children.
When a child experiences rapid weight gain or loss as a result of antiretrovirals, nutrition needs to be monitored carefully. As a child's weight changes, so does the recommended dosage of antiretrovirals, requiring drug doses to be constantly reviewed.
Opportunistic infections take advantage of weak immune systems, and often affect children living with HIV. Tuberculosis and PCP (a form of pneumonia) are major causes of illness among children living with HIV. Children living with HIV need to be provided with treatment to prevent opportunistic infections.
Infants and children who are exposed to HIV via mother-to-child transmission should be given all routine vaccinations. Children who have severely affected immune systems should be considered for inactivated vaccines, rather than live vaccines.
As well as opportunistic infections, it is important to be aware of other health conditions that children living with HIV are more vulnerable to. They vary between children, but usually are a result of a falling CD4 count or a high viral load, stressing the importance of children adhering to their treatment correctly. Children who are born to mothers living with HIV are more at risk of language issues as they grow up, including difficulty understanding spoken language, and expressing themselves verbally. Adhering to antiretroviral treatment can prevent neurocognitive conditions from becoming severe. From all indications I can see, Donny will not experience this difficulty.
Some children living with HIV will be shorter and more underweight than HIV-negative children. The more severe the child's HIV-related symptoms, the bigger the impact on their growth.
Low bone mineral density has been found in children living with HIV. Among HIV-positive children growing older with HIV, disruptions to their bone development can be problematic as this is a period of rapid growth and development. We will carefully monitor Donny's bone density.
Parents and caregivers of children living with HIV need to provide practical and emotional support to their child, giving them the knowledge to become more independent as they grow older with HIV. I see Dr. Graham has suggested you see Dr. Marcus, a pediatric phycologist here at Northwestern. He is an excellent therapist, and I am certain you and Donny will enjoy working with him.
Now, I know I have probably thoroughly confused you, and I am sorry. I think it is best that we have this conversation early on in the treatment cycle. On the treatment form, there is a website where you will find most of the information that we have talked about today. Also, I hope you will sign up for the health care portal we have here at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. You can contact me through secure e-mail, request prescription refills, schedule appointments, and so forth.
"So, what questions do you have regarding Donny's treatment?" Dr. Raj asked.
"I'm not sure we even know what to ask at this point," Chris admitted. "But, I think a general question will be what kind of medications will you recommend for Donny? If we know when we need to do what, we will see that it is done."
"Dr. Graham and I feel that Donny was put on a `preferred' regimen of medications at an early age—probably at birth." Dr. Raj explained with the addition of air quotes. "It also appears that he has been on his medications throughout most of his life until you took custody of him. His CD4 counts and viral load tests are very normal. So, we do not feel he has developed any kind of drug resistance, which is a good thing. We also need to assume that he has not had any of the normal vaccinations given to children. So, we need to put him on a schedule to bring him up-to-date. I will give you a list of milestones when I print the summary of this office visit. I do have a few questions I would like to ask Donny if you don't mind."
"Of course!" I answered. "He's the patient."
"Donny, do you remember taking any kind of pills or syrups before you met your Daddies Chris and Sam?"
"My mommy gave me spoons of a red liquid, a green liquid, and a clear liquid. They tasted bad," Donny admitted. "She gave me a tiny white pill, too. Then, she always gave me ice cream—even in the morning—when I woke up and before I went to bed. She didn't give me anything when we had to leave our house. Some guy came along and told us we had to leave. He had a badge. I didn't get any more ice cream after we left. A few days later, my mommy went to find food for us and didn't come back. That's when my Daddies found me. They give me ice cream every night. I get to pick the flavors, too!"
"Thank you, Donny," Dr. Raj said to our son. "I think that explains some of the blood tests. And, I think there is a lot that Donny will get from his visits to Dr. Marcus."
"We never thought to ask Donny if he was given medication," Chris said almost in a whisper.
"I wouldn't expect you to ask that," Dr. Raj reassured us. "I think Dr. Graham didn't ask because he wanted Donny to be in line to talk with Dr. Marcus."
As we were walking down the corridor from Dr. Raj's office, we ran into Randy, Brandon's brother, "Good afternoon, gentlemen!" Randy greeted us. "I decided to see if I could find you and invite you to lunch in the cafeteria here. It's not the Ritz, but it has good food."
"We love to join you, Randy," Chris answered and then introduced Donny. "Randy, this is Donny. Donny, this is Randy. He's a friend of ours and is studying to become a doctor."
Randy leaned down to Donny's level, "It is good to meet you, Donny! Are you hungry?"
"Yup!" Donny said with a smile. "I wanted pizza, but Daddy said we can't have pizza today. We have to eat healthy stuff, but I still like pizza."
"Your Daddy is right, you need to eat healthy stuff," Randy confirmed our decision about the pizza. "In the cafeteria where we are going to have lunch, they have lots of healthy stuff that most kids like."
"Goodie!" Donny exclaimed as he held up his hands for me to pick him up.
As Randy led us to the cafeteria, he explained another possible person we would meet today. "Anthony, my boyfriend, is planning on meeting us in the cafeteria. I hope you don't mind."
"The more the merrier," Chris agreed as we approached the cafeteria.
I noticed an extremely handsome man approaching us. He was smiling brightly. "Hi! I'm Anthony. You must be Sam and Chris."
"And, this cute guy is Donny," Randy told his boyfriend.
"Hello, Donny!" Anthony greeted our son.
"Hi! Are you two doctors?" Donny asked
"We are learning to be doctors," Anthony answered Donny's question. "Do you want to be a doctor?"
"I think I would rather take care of doggies," Donny answered.
"So, you like doggies!" Anthony continued. "Do you have a doggie?"
"We have three," Donny answered. "Simon sleeps with me. Lincoln and Roosevelt sleep with my daddies."
By this time we were in line to choose our lunch. I picked Donny up so he could see the selections. "What do you want to eat, Donny? They have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. They have a bowl of fruit. They have grilled chicken nuggets."
"Peanut butter and jelly sandwich," Donny answered. "Can I have the red berries, too? And, a glass of milk?"
"Sure," I told Donny as we loaded up his food on a tray. I added my selection to the tray as well. Chris paid for all of us, including Randy and Anthony.
After we found a table, Randy added his comments. "We were supposed to be treating you!"
"Maybe next time," Chris replied. "I think we will be here on a fairly regular basis."
"Deal!" Anthony agreed. "I was eager to meet you guys. Randy and his brother has told me a lot about you three. And, from the looks of things, you seem to be slipping into the parenting role quite nicely!"
"We are trying," I added. "I am certain we will make a few mistakes along the way, but Chris and I are very much enjoying the challenge."
"How's med school going?" I asked Randy and Anthony.
"Terrific," Randy added. "I've definitely decided I am going to be a pediatrician."
"I think I am going to shoot for plastic surgery," Anthony explained. He was smiling broadly. "Someone in the family needs to make some money...! Actually, I am going to follow in Randy's footsteps. We both have decided we'd like to work in an area that is in desperate need of medical care. Maybe in a rural area. Maybe in a less affluent area in a major city. We will need to make that decision later. I have thought about specializing in pediatric psychiatry. But, that is more money for more education."
"I think I know of an area that would welcome you with open arms," I told the two. "I should introduce you to a friend of ours who is a youth minister for the UCC church in my hometown. He has several clients who could use the help you two eventually want to provide."
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We grabbed a cab at 6 pm on Thursday evening after our first two appointments with Donny's doctors. We were on our way to join Chris's mother and grandparents for dinner. Henry was cooking! As we were deposited in front of Chris's grandparents' house, I paid the cab driver and Donny grabbed on to Chris while we walked to the front door of the house.
"This is a big house, Daddy!" Donny exclaimed as Chris unlocked the front door. We were greeted by Chris's mother and grandparents.
"Mom, this is Donny," Chris began the introductions. "Donny, this is your other grandmother. She is my mother. Her name is Gloria Johnson."
"Hello, grandma!" Donny replied as he reached out to be taken by Chris's mother.
"Hello, Donny!" Chris mother exclaimed. "I am so happy to meet you!"
"Do you know the doggies?" Donny asked.
"Yes, I do," Chris mother answered. "Do you like to play with the doggies?"
"Yes," Donny answers. "Simon sleeps with me. Lincoln and Roosevelt sleep with my Daddies."
"How lucky you are to have Simon with you at night!" Chris's mother proclaims.
"Donny," Chris got Donny's attention again. "This is my grandfather and my grandmother, Thomas and Elaine Washington."
"So, you are my grandpa and grandma, too?" Donny asked.
"Yes, we are, Donny," Chris's grandmother explained. "Would you like something to drink? Water? Soda? Milk? Ice tea?"
"Water will be fine, grandma," Donny answered. "My Daddies don't want me to drink soda, so I don't."
"I think that is a smart idea, Donny," Chris's grandfather said. "But," he said as he turned his attention to us, "I don't suppose you would object to a vodka or a scotch."
"Scotch for me," Chris answered.
"Me, too!" I told Chris's grandfather.
We were led into the family living room where Henry had placed several appetizers. Chris and I sat in the love seat. Donny squeezed in between us. The others were on the opposite side of the coffee table.
"How did the meetings with the doctors go today?" Chris grandmother asked.
"It was a lot to take in during a one-hour appointment, but I think we understand the whole process better now," Chris explained. "We will be seeing Dr. Raj at least once every three months in the beginning. Everything seems to be as normal as possible."
"I'm so glad to hear that," Chris grandmother said.
"We were concerned until we talked with Dr. Raj today," I added. "We just kept our minds on what we could do to make certain there was a positive outcome."
"Is he always this well-mannered," Chris's mother asked.
"No!" Chris and I answered in unison.
"He woke us up at 6 am this morning," Chris further explained. "He was hungry and would not budge until we promised to feed him. Right, Donny?"
"He-he!" Donny snickered. "I woke up and my stomach was making funny noises. Simon jumped off the bed and I just followed him into your room."
"I take it there have been some changes in your schedule since Donny came into your lives," Chris's grandfather commented.
"Yes," I answered. "First it was the two dogs. Then, it was the three dogs. Now, it is three dogs and a three year old boy. The latter was the biggest change. However, neither of us would want it any different at this point. He keeps us grounded. Don't you, Donny?"
"I don't know what that means," Donny answered.
"It means we love you very much," Chris answered. "Keep that in mind when you want to eat breakfast sitting ON the kitchen island."
"Okay, Daddy," Donny said with a huge grin on his face. "But I like sitting on the island. I can see everything from there."
Henry came into the living room to announce that dinner was ready. However, he stopped beside us, "So, this must be the guest of honor!"
"Donny, this is Henry. Henry is my grandparents' chef—he makes all the food for them," Chris explained.
"It's nice to finally meet you, Donny," Henry said as he offered to shake Donny's hand. "It's been way too long since we had a person your age around. It makes things more exciting, I think!"
"It's nice to meet you, too!" Donny announced. "Daddy said you were a good cook!"
"Well, I hope you like tonight's dinner," Henry answered. "Do you want to come with me into the dining room?"
Donny took Henry's hand and followed him. We were right behind them.
Henry explained the high chair at the table. "I found this in the storage room," Henry said to Donny. "It used to be your Daddy's."
"He-he." Donny smirked. "Daddy couldn't fit in this chair!"
"He could when he was your age, Donny," Chris's mother announced. She leaned in to whisper into my ear. "Chris used to throw mashed potatoes at every one when he sat in this chair. Let's hope Donny is more behaved than his Daddy!"
I snickered and told Chris what his mother had told me.
"I did that?" Chris said in mock horror.
"Yup!" his mother said. She was still smiling. "Maybe it will be payback time!"
Henry arrived with a cart containing six plates with our dinner on them. He served each of us and left with the cart.
We continued our conversation throughout dinner. After we had finished our coffee and dessert, Chris's grandfather asked Chris and me to join him in his study. "Chris. Sam. Could you join me in my study? I would like to speak with you for a few moments."
"Sure, grandpa," Chris said as we all stood and followed Mr. Washington to his study.
Once we were seated in three wing chairs facing each other, Chris's grandfather began. "I wanted to briefly to speak with you about some important family matters. It concerns Donny and your plan to adopt him. First of all, I want to offer you the services of one of our best family attorneys at our firm. Felix Jessup is extremely well-versed in issues where a same-sex couple is attempting to adopt a child. I am not trying to scare you, but I think you will need all the help you can get. And, I assure you there is no one more capable than Felix."
"Thanks grandpa," Chris said. "I know we will feel more comfortable with him on our side. I had been meaning to speak with you about the adoption proceedings."
"You will send us the bill, won't you?" I asked.
"I don't think you want to see the bill for his services," Chris's grandfather said with a smile. "But, the firm will make certain he is well compensated. Now, the other item I wanted to talk with you about is a trust that I want to set up for Donny."
"A trust?" I asked.
"Yes," Chris's grandfather explained. "I want it drawn up so that it takes effect when the two of you formally adopt him. I would think that if I took $10 million and put it into an investment trust, it would be worth well over $50 million by the time he graduates from college."
"Where is the $10 million come from?" Chris asked.
"Your grandmother and I want to provide the seed money for the trust," Chris's grandfather added.
"Shouldn't Chris and I contribute to the trust?" I asked.
"Nope," Mr. Washington answered. "This is something we want to do for our first great-grandchild. No questions asked, please."
"Okay," Chris said after I nodded my agreement. "We need to start a college fund for him, too!"
"I can have that set up as well," Chris's grandfather suggested. "How much do you want to wind up with when he starts college?"
"At least $400 thousand," Chris decided. "I know that in 15 years that will not cover the costs of four years in college, but at least it will be a start. We can make up the difference as we go along when he is in college."
After we finished our meeting with Mr. Washington, we went back to the living room. Donny was asleep.
"I think it is time we call it a night," Chris suggested. "Donny is not the only one who is just a little bit tired. We were up at 6 am this morning, and I suspect tomorrow will be the same."
We called a cab and carried a sleepy little boy to the cab and then into the condo. The dogs were immediately at our feet.
"Do you think we can get him into bed without waking him up?" I asked.
"I'm pretty certain he won't wake up until about 6 am tomorrow morning," Chris said with a smile. "So, let's get to it!"
To be continued...
I hope you liked the direction that `Sam and Chris' is taking. I've heard from many people and would like to hear from even more.
I would enjoy hearing your comments about this story. You can write to me at MaWriterBoy@yahoo.com.
This is my 45th posting of my first story on Nifty.org.
I also have three other stories on Nifty:
John's Journey Forward in the `Beginnings' section
Jeffery Comes Home in the `Beginnings' section
Life With Tim in the authoritarian section (Please note, this story is not for everyone because there are several scenes depicting Master/slave and BDSM relationships. So, if you are not interested in this activity, please, please do not read this story.)
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