It is not my intention to offend anyone or to get you in trouble.

The author retains all rights to this original story. Please do not publish without explicit authorization from me.

Disclaimer:
This story is completely fictional. Most of the places mentioned, and none of the characters exist in real life. Some may possess physical or personality characteristics of people I know or have known. But if you see yourself in this story, your imagination is better than mine!

All best, Jon

If you like my story, drop me a line. I'd love to hear from you: seperatepiece@hotmail.com

Matt and Jon

Chapter 17

New Beginnings

The rest of the week passed swiftly for the boys. They spent every day with one activity or another, and always ended up at the Kent’s.

Ryan and Eric found several more opportunities to explore their new found love for each other. Ryan was amazed that being on the receiving end could feel so amazing. He’d been worried that he wouldn’t be able to go through with it, but his desire to please Eric gave him the strength he needed. Eric had been so gentle with him. When he felt Eric coming deep inside him, he knew that he would love this boy for the rest of his life. Somehow, they’d have to find a way to be together.

One night, Eric and Ryan headed for the guest room. They no longer made up excuses. It was obvious to everyone what they were doing, so it seemed silly to try and hide it. When they returned a half hour later, arm in arm with smiles on their faces, Jon and Matt excused themselves and took their own turn to satisfy similar needs.

When the guestroom door was closed, Matt sniffed the air. “Smells sexy in here doesn’t it?” He said, grinning at Jon.

“Yeah, it’s going to smell sexier in a minute.” Jon replied with a wink as he drew Matt to the bed and pushed him down.

The bed was still warm from Ryan and Eric, and as the boys wriggled out of their briefs, Jon noticed a little puddle of fresh semen on the sheet.

“Looks like they missed some.” He giggled as he pointed it out to Matt.

“I wonder whose it is?” Matt said, as he scooped some off the bed with his finger.

Jon got a tissue from the bathroom and cleaned it up, and they pressed their bodies together in a passionate embrace.

“I love having all the guys around, but…”

“Shhh. Don’t talk.” Jon silenced him with his finger.

“Even if I talk dirty?” Matt said as he cuddled Jon’s head under his chin.

“Mmmm, we’ve never done that before. What would you say?”

“Well, I’d start out by telling you how good your hot mouth feels on my cock.”

“Mmmm. Your cock tastes so good in my mouth. I like to feel it in my ass too.”

“Yeah, I love fucking your ass. I love it when you give me a good fucking too.”

“Matt, are you getting as hot as I am?”

“Yeah. Suck me Jon, I wanna cum in your mouth, baby.”

Jon needed no further encouragement he went right to work on Matt’s balls.

“Oh yeah, tongue my balls baby, that feels so good…yeah…ummm, suck that dick, yeah…mmmm, yeah cocksucker, ummm, yeah that feels great. Turn around baby, I want your hot dick in my mouth.”

Jon turned around into a 69 position and Matt went to work on him. For awhile they just sucked on each other and moaned. Finally, Matt licked his way to Jon’s crack.

“Ummmm, I’m going to chow down on your ass for awhile baby.” He said unnecessarily as he plunged his tongue into Jon’s hole and swirled it around. He pulled his cheeks apart and moved his head around, driving Jon wild. Jon pressed his butt into Matt’s face and wiggled it around. He stopped sucking Matt, because he could tell he was close.

“Yeah baby, eat that ass!” Jon moaned in ecstasy.

Matt paused to catch his breath. “I love your ass. Tastes like chocolate cake.”

Jon laughed. “Where did that come from?”

Matt giggled. “I don’t know, it’s not easy to keep coming up with this stuff.”

Jon kneeled over Matt and gave him a hard sloppy kiss. “Okay, ass breath. Time to go to work!”

He plopped down on the bed on all fours and raised his butt high in the air. Matt moved behind him and spit on his palm and massaged it into his dick. He pressed into Jon who was slick enough from the tongue bath not to need any more lube that that. He moaned as he sunk into him.

“Oh baby, your ass feels so good…ummm, yeah, I’m going to fuck you good.” He moaned as he started making deep strokes.

“Oh yeah, fuck my ass baby, I wanna feel you in me…deeper baby.” Jon moaned back as he pushed himself onto Matt.

Their hot talk dissolved into a series of grunts and animalistic noises as Matt pistoned in and out of Jon’s insatiable orifice.

When he could stand it no more, Matt gave in to the joy of his orgasm. “Oh yeah, I’m coming in you baby, you ready for my load?”

“Oh yeah, give it to me…come up my ass baby.”

Matt had one of the best, most intense, and longest orgasms of his young life and collapsed on Jon’s back to regain his composure.

When Matt rolled over on his back, Jon wasted no time positioning himself between his legs and guiding them to his shoulders. He was so incredibly turned on, that in no time he was rocking in and out of Matt, and smothering him with kisses all the while. They had given up trying to keep the sexual banter going. After 3 days, Jon was so desperate to come that he couldn’t concentrate on anything else. When he was getting close, he noticed that Matt was hard again, so he grabbed his penis in his hand and brought him to a second climax, just as he reached his own.

They both lay back on the bed in each other’s arms and sighed.

“That was different.” Jon remarked.

“Yeah,” Matt chuckled, “not very romantic, but…wow!”

“After not being able to get my hands on you for 3 days, romance had nothing to do with it. That was shear lust!”

Matt laughed. “Yeah, I wouldn’t want to do it every time, but it was fun for a change.”

They cleaned up and put their underwear back on and went to rejoin the others. Everyone smiled at them when they came back in the room.

“We were just headed to the kitchen.” LittleTom informed them. “You guys want to come? I think there’s some chocolate cake left.”

“Yeah,” Todd added, “and we KNOW how much you like chocolate cake!”

The two boys snickered as Matt and Jon went red to the roots of their hair.

“You little sneaks! How long were you listening?” Jon demanded.

“Oh, long enough!” LittleTom replied with a wink, as both boys dissolved in a fit of giggles.

“Wait a minute! How can a deaf guy hear through a closed door?” Matt said raising his voice a little.

“Don’t worry, we didn’t peek. LittleTom mouthed the words for me. We didn’t stay long, I swear!”

Jon turned to Matt and shrugged. “I guess I’m getting a dose of my own medicine. I always wondered what it’s like to have a bratty little brother.”

They all had a good laugh, and the boys promised not to give the others any details.

“Thanks for sparing me.” Sam laughed and threw a pillow at LittleTom.

They went to the kitchen and raided the fridge. There actually was some chocolate cake. Matt took a bite and leaned over and whispered to Jon.

“You taste better!”

They went back to the den and settled in for the night. The next day, Ryan and LittleTom had to go home, and they had to catch an early train to the city to change for the Baltimore train. All the boys wanted to go and see them off, so they really needed to get some sleep.

Nobody spoke much over breakfast the next morning. Shelley and Dan tried to lighten up the mood.

“Hey you guys, cheer up. It’ll be good to get home and get settled before school starts. You’ll get to see your friends, and I know your dad missed you.” Shelley said with a hand on Ryan and LittleTom.

“Yeah,” Dan offered, “and you can come visit again soon. We love having you here.”

The boys forced themselves to smile and finished their breakfast. When they were done eating, Ryan and Eric announced that they were going to take a walk, and excused themselves.

Shelley looked at Jon. “Is it serious?”

Jon sighed. “Yeah, they’ve got it pretty bad for each other. It’ll be hard for them.”

Shelley shook her head. “Oh dear, I was afraid of that. Poor Ryan. You’ll have to be extra nice to him, LittleTom.”

“Yeah, I know. I really like Eric. He and Ry are so perfect together, and he treats me nicer that Ry does.”

Ryan and Eric walked aimlessly on the little wooded path behind the Kent’s house. As soon as they were in the secluded part, Ryan reached for Eric’s hand.

“I love you Eric, and I’ll never stop hoping that someday we can be together, but I want you to know that if you meet someone else...I’ll understand. I just want you to be happy.”

“Oh Ryan, that’s the sweetest thing anyone ever said to me, but I don’t want anyone but you, silly.”

Eric drew him into an embrace, and they just stayed like that, swaying back and forth with their heads on each other’s shoulders, crying softly in each other’s arms. They separated when they heard LittleTom come crashing through the woods shouting for them.

As he burst into the little clearing, Ryan looked at him pleadingly. “Please LittleTom, not now.”

“Wait, you’ll thank me, I promise! Dad just called. He’s driving up to get us instead. We’re not leaving until tomorrow morning!”

Eric’s face lit up. “I’ll take every minute I can get!”

The three of them walked back to the house, arm in arm. They came in to the kitchen just as Shelley was hanging up the phone.

“I just had a long talk with your father. He’s got some exciting news for you. He should be here in time for dinner.”

“What’s the news?” LittleTom asked.

“Ohhh, I think I’ll let him tell you himself when he gets here. I think you’ll be pleased.” Shelley said with a mysterious wink as she walked out of the room.

Ryan and LittleTom exchanged a puzzled look and shrugged. They knew that wild horses couldn’t drag any more information out of Aunt Shelley, so they went in search of the other boys.

They decided to head for the town pool and meet up with the gang. They had a great time splashing around. Jon got Gary to show him how to get a good workout swimming laps. Because of their not being able to go anywhere unaccompanied, the boys hadn’t been running as much, and it felt good to get some exercise.

Around lunch time, they all headed back to the Kent’s. After lunch, they helped Sam pack for college. He didn’t really need the help, but he was grateful for the company. If anything, they probably slowed him down with all their horsing around, but Sam didn’t mind in the least. He hadn’t even left yet, and he was already feeling a little homesick. Jon knew his brother so well, that he could practically read his mind.

“Don’t worry Sam. This is going to be really exciting for you.”

“Yeah Jonny, I know, but I’ve never been away before, and I’m a little worried. What if my roommate is a jerk? What if I can’t do the work? What if Sara falls for some other guy?”

“Sam, Sara loves you. I can tell. She won’t be interested in anyone else.” Jon said with a hand on Sam’s shoulder.

“We’re going out tonight, and I think I’m going to ask her to marry me someday. Not like an official engagement, I can’t afford a ring yet, but like you guys, you know? I know we’re not ready, but I want to make some kind of commitment to her.”

Matt took Jon’s hand. “You’ll feel so much better if you do, Sam. It means a lot to us to know that we’ll always be together.”

They finished packing up Sam’s stereo, CDs, TV, and most of the clothes he was going to take, and headed downstairs. They found Shelley in the kitchen starting dinner. She’d taken the day off to accompany the boys to the city and make sure they got on the right train, so she’d had a leisurely day around the house. The boys pitched in and helped with the cooking. They were all just enjoying being together when they heard a car in the driveway.

“It’s too early to be dad. It must be Uncle Tom!” Jon reasoned.

Ryan and LittleTom raced to the door. They were anxious to hear what the big news was. Since they cleared the air in Philadelphia, Tom had become accustomed to the type of greeting he received from his sons. They met him halfway down the walk and jumped into his arms. He pulled them into a tight hug.

“I missed you guys!” He whispered as he squeezed them.

Ryan grabbed his overnight bag and they headed in to the house. The boys introduced him to Todd and Eric. He shook their hands.

After he’d hugged his sister and nephews (including Matt), he put a hand on each of his son’s shoulders.

“If you all will excuse us for a few minutes, there’s something I have to talk to Ryan and LittleTom about in the den.”

He smiled as he steered them out of the room. Once they were in the den, Tom sat on the couch and patted the spaces on either side of him.

“Boys, when your mother died I decided to stay on in Maryland. Your grandparents had just lost their only daughter, and I just couldn’t bear to take their grandchildren from them too. You brought them the only joy they had in their lives. Now that Grandpa is gone, and Grandma is in the nursing home – the poor thing doesn’t even know who we are anymore – I started thinking that we didn’t need to be there anymore. My company has offices all over the country, and I’ve been there long enough to transfer anywhere I want.”

“So what are you saying?” Ryan blurted out.

Tom held up his hand. “Let me finish! I’ve been talking to Aunt Shelley on the phone since you’ve been here, and she kept telling me what a great time you were having. I could hear it in your voices on the phone as well. Anyway, it got me thinking that most of your friends at home are school friends, and it’s not the same as living near family. How would you guys like to live here?”

Ryan’s eyes went wide. He threw his arms around Tom’s neck and kissed him on the cheek. “Oh dad, you’ve made me so happy!”

He jumped up and ran out of the room leaving Tom looking after him with a puzzled expression. “I thought you guys might like the idea, but…”

LittleTom laughed. “Ah, dad…you met Eric?”

Comprehension dawned on Tom’s face and a smile spread across his lips. “Seems my timing is pretty good, huh?”

LittleTom hugged his father. “Dad, Eric is a great guy. I know you’re really going to like him. They’ve been so happy all week.”

“Well, he certainly has good taste, I’ll say that for him!”

When they walked into the kitchen, they saw Ryan and Eric jumping up and down with locked arms and Shelley and the other boys laughing and slapping them on the back. When Ryan saw his father in the doorway, he took Eric by the hand and led him across the room. He put his arm around Eric’s waist.

“Dad, Eric and I are…more than just friends.”

“So I gathered.” Tom said, beaming back at them.

Eric’s jaw dropped. “Your dad knows?”

Ryan nodded. “Yeah, and it’s okay. He wants me to be happy.”

Tom smiled at the shocked look on Eric’s face. “Yeah, don’t worry. The old man’s cool.”

Shelley came across the room and kissed her brother on the cheek. “He sure is!”

Todd threw up his arms in exasperation. “Will someone please tell me what’s going on?”

They were all so excited and facing in different directions, so Todd didn’t have a clue as to what they were saying.

“Sorry Todd! I keep forgetting you’re deaf.” Matt said. “Ryan, LittleTom, and their dad are moving here!”

Todd bounded across the room and hugged Ryan, then Eric, and finally LittleTom.

“That is so cool! I’m so happy for you guys!”

Over dinner, Tom outlined the plan. School didn’t start for another two weeks, so they’d have a week to go down to Maryland and pack up the house and a week to settle in. Shelley and Dan had invited them to stay with them until they found a place of their own so they could be there for the start of the school year. The boys were delighted at the prospect of having the party continue until Dan announced the sleeping arrangements.

“Listen you guys. School is starting soon, so I hope you don’t think this endless slumber party is going to go on. Tom can have the guest room, and Ryan and Eric can take Sam’s room. I’ll put the roll away in there. You others will have to sleep in your own homes for a change…except on weekends.”

He just couldn’t keep up the “stern father” role no matter how much he tried as he looked around the table at all the fallen faces. He loved seeing them brighten at his last remark.

After dinner, Eric called home and begged his mother to let him spend one more night. He was so excited that she finally gave in. Everyone was a little surprised when Todd pulled out a cell phone until they saw his fingers flying over the keypad. His mother text messaged him back that he could stay too. Matt knew his parents knew where he was, and would call if they wanted him to come home. When Ryan and LittleTom went home, they planned to spend some time at the Barker’s.

The boys watched a movie and headed into the den to set up camp for the night. The conversation over the card game was mostly about Ryan and LittleTom moving to town. During a lull in the conversation, Matt caught Todd staring at him with a goofy grin on his face. He smiled back at him.

“Something on your mind Todd?”

Todd blushed. “Did you really mean what you said before about forgetting that I’m deaf?”

Matt laughed. “Yeah, sorry Todd. We didn’t mean to leave you out, we were just so excited.”

“Don’t be sorry! I’m glad you forget. I don’t want to be thought of as ‘the deaf kid.’ It’s a compliment to me. You wouldn’t believe how some people treat me when they find out. They start talking really slowly. I know they mean well, but I feel like telling them ‘Hey, I’m deaf, not stupid!’ You guys – all of you – are different. You just treat me like one of the gang. It means a lot to me.”

“You ARE one of the gang, Todd. Don’t you ever forget it!” Jon said as he draped an arm around Todd and gave him a squeeze.

Around 11:30, they heard the front door open and close, and they heard Sam’s steps walking towards the den. He was smiling from ear to ear as he walked in and stripped to his underwear and joined the pile of boys on the floor.

“Deal me in!” He said, flashing a smile around the circle.

Jon punched him on the arm. “Never mind the cards! How did it go with Sara?”

“You were right Jonny. She said she loves me, and she’s not interested in anyone but me, and that she’d wait as long as it takes until we can be together forever!”

“Oh Sam!” Jon said as he hugged his brother tightly.

Matt was next in line, and then Ryan and LittleTom at the same time. LittleTom was always in a hurry to show his affection. They laughed as their head bumped together. Eric decided he’d get in on the love fest, and hugged Sam too. Todd wasn’t sure if it was appropriate to hug him or not, so he extended his hand to him.

Sam slapped his hand. “Dork! Get over here!” He said as he gathered him in to an embrace.

A tear slid down Todd’s cheek as Sam held him. Now he really knew he was one of the gang.

They played some cards and chatted until about 1:00 when Tom came into the room.

“Hey you guys. We have an early day tomorrow. I want you to hit the sack right now. If I hear one more peep out you, Ryan and LittleTom are going to have to sleep in my room, got it?”

“We got it dad, sorry.” Ryan apologized.

The boys put the cards away and said goodnight. Ryan and Eric were cuddled together.

“Too bad dad’s in the guest room.” Ryan whispered.

“Yeah, but I can wait. Knowing you’re coming back in a week is good enough for me.”

“Yeah. Me too. More than enough.” Ryan giggled. “I’m glad Jonny and I snuck up there today and changed the sheets.”

Eric stifled a laugh. “That was good thinking. I know your dad’s cool, but that would have been too much.”

“Hey, why don’t you come with us? You could help us pack. I’m sure it would be alright with dad.”

“I don’t know if my parents would go for it. I could ask them. Maybe if they met your dad…I dunno. They’re a little protective sometimes. The only reason they let me stay here is because they know the Kents from church.”

“So…how are they going to take it…about us, I mean.”

“Hard to say. I think they sort of suspect it…about me anyway. Sometimes I don’t clear my history trail when I’ve been surfing, hoping they’ll find out without me having to tell them.”

“Everything will be fine. I just know it.”

He draped his arm across Eric’s chest and inhaled deeply, savoring the special scent of the beautiful boy in his arms. They drifted off to sleep and didn’t move all through the night.

The following morning dawned bright and early. When Tom came into the den to wake the boys, he paused for a moment and watched his son asleep with his arm around the boy he loved. He couldn’t believe that he would ever take pleasure in such a sight, but all he felt as he looked at them was happiness. Tom was a morning person, and usually derived sadistic pleasure in rousing his sleepy sons with gusto, but on this morning he was reluctant to disturb them. He knelt down and gently put a hand on Ryan’s shoulder.

“Ry, time to get up son.”

As Ryan’s eyes fluttered open he instinctively started to remove his arm from around Eric’s chest. Tom placed a hand on Ryan’s arm and smiled at him. Ryan returned the smile and woke Eric with a kiss on the neck.

At breakfast, Ryan asked if Eric could go to Maryland with them if his parents said it was okay. Tom thought about it.

“I don’t see why not. We could sure use the help.”

“Yeah,” LittleTom piped up, “and Ryan won’t be grumpy all week!”

Tom messed up his younger son’s hair. “That alone will be worth the price of feeding him!”

“I don’t know if my parents will let me go. They can be pretty strict sometimes.” Eric said wistfully.

“Let me do the talking.” Shelley offered. “I was on several committees with her at church. Maybe she’ll respond better to me about it.”

“Thanks Mrs. Kent. That’d be great. There’s just one thing, though. They…uh…don’t know about me yet.” Eric replied in a shy voice.

“I think I can manage to skirt that issue, and when the time comes, I’d be happy to help you tell them, if you think it would make it any easier.”

“That goes for me too!” Tom agreed with a pat on Eric’s back.

Eric smiled at them. “Thanks.”

Matt put a reassuring hand on Eric’s shoulder. “She was in church on Sunday, so she knows about Jon and me. Did she say anything about it?”

Eric smiled at him. “She said she thought you two were very brave to stand up in church and deal with the situation. I guess it’s a good sign that she let me hang with you guys knowing you’re gay. She cried when Jon sang.”

Jon laughed. “I’m glad my singing doesn’t have that affect on everyone!”

When the doorbell rang, Matt turned to Todd. “Someone’s at the door, it must be your mom.”

Jane had arrived to pick Todd up for a back-to-school shopping trip. Todd met her at the kitchen door and gave her a big hug. Shelley introduced her to Tom and explained that he and the boys were moving to town. Jane accepted Shelley’s offer of a cup of coffee, and joined them at the table. As they sipped their coffee, Jane told Tom that she and Todd just moved to town also. They discussed the hassles of moving and how difficult it was to get established in a new town. Jane suddenly had a thought.

“I’ve still got all the boxes from our move. I just finished unpacking the last one. I flattened them all, so if you want them, you’re more than welcome.”

“That’d be great!” Tom replied. “I hadn’t even thought about that detail. One less thing to worry about.”

When they’d finished their coffee, Tom and the boys followed Jane and Todd to a beautifully landscaped garden apartment complex with two story free standing buildings arranged around a central courtyard. They followed them up a walkway, and into the ground floor apartment of building number two. There was an entrance foyer with a coat closet, which let onto a spacious living room area with a separate eat in kitchen beyond. The bedrooms were down a corridor off of the living room.

“Nice apartment.” Tom said as he looked around.

“Oh, thank you. We’re not really settled in yet, but it’s a good start.” Jane smiled.

“You want to see my room?” Todd asked Ryan and LittleTom.

As the three went off down the hall, Tom called after them. “Don’t get involved in any long video games. We have to get on the road soon, and Jane and Todd have to go shopping.”

Tom idly picked up a picture from an end table and looked at it. There was a young Todd, Jane and a man that Tom assumed was her husband.

“That’s John, my husband. He was killed in an auto crash when Todd was just eight years old.” Jane explained.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I lost my wife two years ago. It’s been real rough on the boys.”

“Yes. I felt so alone when Todd got sick and lost his hearing, but I had to be strong for him.”

They heard laughter coming from down the hall, and they both smiled at the same time.

“Todd’s a great kid. He sure seems to have hit it off with the boys.”

“Oh, thanks. Yes, it’s a miracle. In his last school he didn’t have many friends. I don’t think he was very close to them. With this crowd, he seems so happy. Smiling and laughing all the time.”

“Ryan and LittleTom have had a hard time without their mom too. That’s why we’re moving. They’re always happy around their cousins and their friends. I thought it would be good for them to be around family.”

There was a lull in the conversation. Their eyes met for an instant, and Jane blushed and looked away.

“The, uh, boxes are in the hall, here, let me show you.” She said as she led the way.

Tom followed with a smile. She showed him the deconstructed cartons leaning against the wall. There was no way they would fit in the car, so he figured he’d have to tie them to the roof.

“Boys, I could use a hand here with the boxes.” He called down the hall toward Todd’s room. When he got no answer, he walked down the hall and looked in the open door. The three of them were huddled around the tv screen as Todd effortlessly slaughtered entire races of alien invaders.

Tom laughed and shook his head. “I knew it!”

LittleTom looked up at him. “Dad, you’ve got to see this. Todd’s awesome!”

Tom sighed and came into the room. He peered over Todd’s shoulder, and his eyes went wide when he saw the finesse with which Todd handled the controls. His sons had the same game, and he’d never seen the level that Todd had reached before.

“That’s incredible!” Tom exclaimed as Todd finished off the level.

Tom patted him on the shoulder, causing Todd to jump. He spun around to face him.

“Sorry Todd. I forgot. I didn’t mean to startle you...”

Todd flashed him a thousand watt grin. “That’s okay. Usually I can kind of sense when someone’s behind me, but I guess I was really into the game.”

“Why don’t you save the game for now. We really have to get going, and I know your mom wants to get to the mall.” Tom said with a friendly smile.

Todd did as he suggested, and went with Ryan and LittleTom to help with the boxes.

Jane watched from the doorway, shaking her head. “That’s amazing. Usually it’s at least a five minute argument to get him away from that thing!”

Tom shrugged with a lopsided grin, and went to oversee the loading. When the boxes were securely fastened to the roof of the car, they said their goodbyes to Todd and Jane. While the boys exchanged screen names and cell numbers, Tom met Jane’s eyes again.

“So, when I get back, would you like to have dinner? We could take the boys out.”

Jane didn’t turn away this time. “I’d love to have dinner with you, but the boys? Let them eat pizza!”

Tom laughed. “They’ll probably have a better time anyway. I know I will.”

When they arrived back at the Kent’s, Eric’s mother had arrived to pick Eric up. Shelley was in deep conversation with her when Tom and the boys walked in.

“Oh, Betty, this is my brother Tom.” She indicated Tom with a warm smile.

“So Shelley tells me you want to take Eric to Maryland.” She said with an appraising look as they shook hands.

“Well, it certainly would be a big help to us, and he’s become really good friends with my boys.” Tom answered, indicating Ryan and LittleTom.

“Oh yes, I met them in church last Sunday. Nice to see you again boys. We’ve hardly seen Eric since then.” She said with a pleasant laugh.

Ryan was dieing with the tension. He hated it when adults with God like power over his life chatted pleasantly while all he could do was wait for a decision.

Tom noticed that Ryan was nervously shuffling his feet. “Ryan, why don’t you and LittleTom go and find the others and start saying your goodbyes. We should get on the road soon.”

“OK, dad.” Ryan said, happy to have an excuse to politely leave the room.

They found the others on the patio. Eric looked at him nervously.

“How’s it going in there?” He asked hopefully.

“Okay, I guess. Hard to tell.” Ryan answered as he slumped into a chair.

They chatted about other things to ease the tension until Betty and Shelley came out of the kitchen door followed by Tom giving two thumbs up behind their backs.

The boys smiled at Tom’s enthusiasm as Betty walked over to her son.

“Eric, I called your father and we decided that you haven’t had a very exciting Summer vacation. We think it’s nice that you have a chance to get away for awhile and be with your friends. I want you to do everything Tom tells you and be sure to brush your teeth and wear your retainer at night.”

Eric was so happy he didn’t even care about the embarrassing motherly comments. He hugged his mom tightly. “Thanks mom, I love you.”

His mother was pleasantly surprised by the open affection that Eric showed her. “Let’s go home and get you packed so you’ll be ready when they pick you up.”

Eric smiled at Ryan. “So I’ll see you guys in a little while.”

“Yeah.” Ryan answered with an equal smile.

Eric looked around the circle. “See you guys in a week!” He said with a cheerful wave.

They chorused their goodbyes and wishes for a good trip. As Eric and his mom got in their car and drove away, the boys burst into cheers as they slapped Ryan on the back and jumped up and down.

Tom and Shelley looked with broad smiles. “One for all and all for one, huh?” Tom observed.

Shelley hugged her brother. “That’s our guys!”

Thanks to all who've written. I always love hearing from you all. Some of you "lurkers" out there, don't be afraid to drop me a line. I promise to answer all. All Nifty authors love to hear from readers, because we don't get reviewed, and we can't go by sales figures to know if our work is being read/enjoyed. Besides that, we're attention sluts! LOL. Seriously, a lot of us are very happy to hear we have moved someone. It's a great feeling.

I hope no one was put off by the "hot talk" in the beginning, but lot's of couples do that to spice up their sex lives, so I thought it would be realistic. So many of you love romance, I know, but there's only so many tender moments a guy can write. Don't worry, though, there'll be plenty more "mushy stuff."

James, I sent you an email, and it came back as undeliverable. Is everything okay?

Here's a list of friends who have written. I include it because I know some of you know each other, and it's fun to see who's writing to who! If I left you off, I'm truly sorry. As Ann Landers used to says: "Thiry lashes with a wet noodle!" (Oooo, sounds kinky!).

Jerry, Brian, Zhue, Rad, Richard, Mike, Paul W., Paul C., Vijorge, Barry, Valerie, Johnathan, Arne, Brooks, Rye (unnnnnnngaaahhh!) lol, Jake, Tim, Martin, Guilherme, Drew & Tazz, Shawn & Sergey, Brian G., and Jeff.

I hope to post again before Christmas, but I'm not sure if I can. I'll try my best.

All the best, Jon