Date: Tue, 21 Jan 2003 22:41:15 EST
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: The Castaway Hotel-Book 6, chapter 1

Legal Notice:
The following story contains descriptions of graphic sexual acts.
The story is a work of fiction and has no basis in reality.

Don't read this story if:
**You're not 18 or over,
**If it is illegal to read this type of material where you live,
**Or if you don't want to read about gay/bi people in love or having sex.

The author retains copyright to this story.  Placing this story on a
website or reproducing this story for distribution without the author's
permission is a violation of that copyright.  Legal action will be taken
against violators.

I wish to extend my thank you to Ed for his editorial assistance with this
chapter, and to Art for proofreading it for me.

E-mail responses to the stories, story suggestions, or other 'constructive'
comments or advice may be sent to: bwstories8@aol.com.

              *    *     *     *     *     *     *     *

Although the boys in these stories have unprotected sex, I strongly urge
all of you out there to be smart and protect yourselves from various
sexually transmitted diseases by using condoms when having intercourse.

              *    *     *     *     *     *     *     *

Author's note: I apologize that this took so look to get out to you, but I
hope to keep the chapters coming on a regular basis.  I hope you find it
was worth the wait.  Bill

              *    *     *     *     *     *     *     *

The Castaway Hotel-Book 6-by BW (Young-Friends).  Copyright 2000 by billwstories
Chapter 1 - Smooth sailing?                       June 2002

July started off strangely for me, as things were far from normal on the
home front.  Not only was Ricky in Australia as an exchange student, but
Brandon and Nick had gone home to spend time with their parents for a few
weeks, and I was busy preparing for the arrival of Nigel and his boys.  And
if that wasn't enough as it was, I was also acting superintendent for the
local school district, trying to help them hire someone to fill the job
permanently.  This was far from a normal summer, and things didn't look
like they would settle down anytime soon.

It began as I sent Brandon and Nick off to spend some time with their own
families, and they had originally planned to spend most of July and the
first half of August with them, but those plans soon changed.  Both of the
boys managed to talk their parents into letting them come back to be with
us early, so they wouldn't miss Nigel and his boys, when they came to
visit.  Nigel and his crew were scheduled to arrive around the middle of
July, and then leave by the middle of August, so Brandon and Nick would
have missed them completely, if they stuck to their original plans.
Knowing this, they spent some time whining and begging their parents to let
them come back by the beginning of August, so they'd have at least a
fortnight to enjoy time with their friends from across the sea.

I had gone out of my way to arrange for the boys to go back home, not
because I wanted to get rid of them, but I knew their parents needed time
with them as well.  I got both families to plan their vacations for the
same time and arranged for the boys to fly home.  At first it didn't dawn
on me that this pair might want to spend time with Nigel and his boys too,
but they soon made it known that they did.  Fortunately I had planned the
special activities with our guests for the final two weeks of their stay,
so everyone would be able to participate, if Brandon and Nick could get
their parents to give in.  Knowing that the pair wasn't entirely happy
about not being with us when our guests from England arrived, I warned
their parents in advance, so they'd be prepared to deal with the situation.
They thanked me for doing that, told me they understood how the boys would
feel that way, and they told me they'd work something out with their sons.
When their parents gave into their request, the boys thought it was due to
their powers of persuasion, not knowing I had been working quietly on their
behalf, behind the scenes.  Either way, everyone was satisfied with the
arrangements, and both sets of parents would come to join us at
Thanksgiving and Christmastime, so they wouldn't be apart from their sons
for all that long.

The next event on our calendar was Independence Day, the first Fourth of
July since the World Trade Center had been destroyed.  I assume it was due
to THAT fact that the patriotic fervor was extremely high this year.  It
isn't hard to think back to a time when waving the American flag or
professing your support of the government was looked on with disgust, and
being a member of the armed forces was something you didn't necessarily
want to flaunt, but all that had changed on September 11, 2001.  This year
local members of the armed forces or their parents were highly visible
during the ceremony, along with a multitude of American flags, and the
singing of many patriotic songs.

The day began with the annual Fourth of July parade, but this year's parade
was much larger than any in recent memory.  Our local high school band took
part, along with the bands from several smaller surrounding communities, a
fife and drum group, the VFW and American Legion representatives, local
members of the armed forces who happened to be home, or their families, a
few military vehicles, a multitude of homemade floats, and an assortment of
classic cars filled with local political dignitaries.  After the parade
ended, everyone went to the high school football stadium, to watch the
various bands and the American Legion rifle group perform, and then we
listened to a couple of speakers.  Each band played one special patriotic
song, requesting that the audience sing along while they played, and those
special performances grew very emotional, as the sounds of 'God Bless
American', 'American the Beautiful', 'The Battle Hymn of the Republic', and
'The Star Spangled Banner' were wafted through the air.  After the speakers
finished their messages to the crowd, the carnival-type activities that had
been set up were declared open, and the crowd went around to check things
out.

There were numerous rides and activities for the kids, some being the
typical things you'd expect at a modern carnival, but others were
reminiscent of a Fourth Of July celebration out of the past.  A traveling
carnival group had been invited to set up their rides and games of channce
for everyone, but various community groups added their own touches to
provide these more historic offerings.  First, a couple of local farmers
had brought in several of their horses to take kids on short rides, while
the VFW manned a dunking booth, where various members of their organization
ended up treading water for a while.  The American Legion had set up an old
fashion wooden stock, where they would place members of their group and
then let kids throw water balloons at the 'victims', telling the youthful
participants that it used to be rotten tomatoes or other rotten food that
had been used instead of the water balloons.  The kids seemed to enjoy this
activity, even the older ones, but there was even more to be offered.

As acting Superintendent of the local school district, I talked some of the
other administrators and teachers into joining me in another fund raising
activity.  We allowed the kids, or anyone else willing to pay for the
privilege, to throw whipped creamed pies at us, as we placed our heads
through the openings in a sheet of plywood.  The plywood was painted to
represent several amusing caricatures, and when we put our head through one
of the holes, then we became a part of that comical character.  This seemed
to be an especially popular event, as the local student body seemed to take
a great deal of satisfaction in smearing a teacher, principal, or even me,
with that much whipped cream, maybe because it was something they had hoped
in secret to do, and the money came pouring in.  In fact, the money for
this whole event was going to a worthy cause, and was part of the reason
this event was being held.  The money was all being donated to the
emergency relief fund of the American Red Cross, to be used for any future
emergencies, whether natural disasters or acts of terrorism.

There were also numerous tents set up with food and drinks, of all kinds,
with each tent having basically its own theme.  There was a tent with
Italian delights, like pizza, sausage and peppers, Italian cookies, and
Italian Ices, and there was a Polish tent with pierogies and kielbasa, and
another tent with typical summertime offerings, such as hot dogs,
hamburgers, and barbecued chicken.  Another tent had ice cream, cotton
candy, candy and caramel apples, and snow cones.  We thought we had
something for everyone, where the food was concerned.

The day went by quickly, with everyone having a good time and enjoying his
or her time there, and this continued on into the early evening.  As soon
as it got dark, the long awaited fireworks display began, with a very
elaborate array of aerial treats.  There were gasps from the crowd as the
sky was filled with colorful streaks of light and the night was filled with
the booms of those exploding delights, and everyone seemed pleased with
this wonderful show.  Once the last of the rockets had exploded, everyone
started to leave, ready to go home after a long day.

It was only a few days later when Ricky's birthday arrived, so we called
him to let him know we hadn't forgotten about him.  Even though his
birthday was on July 7th, we had to call him on July 6th, due to the
difference in time zones.  Australia was fifteen hours ahead of us, so it
was already the next day there.  Ricky's host mother answered the
telephone, and we chatted briefly before she put Ricky on, and we all sang
happy birthday to him, right after he said hello.  I think he was moved by
that simple act, because he seemed to be a little choked up as we began our
conversation, and then he thanked us for calling, before he told us that he
had received his gifts and loved them all.  I told them we hadn't sent him
much, and that he would receive the rest of his presents when he returned
home, but he said he was happy with what he had received.  It was just some
new clothes, a couple of CD's the boys thought he'd like, a note that I had
transferred more money into his bank account there, and a little surprise
for him.  I sent him a camcorder, to go along with the digital camera he
had taken with him when he left, so he could record the events of his trip
to Australia, to remind him of it later.  I knew he'd enjoy that.

In addition to what we had sent to Ricky, that package also contained the
items he had requested for Peter.  Although he had only requested some
briefs for Peter, as he seemed to think the ones from the States were
softer and felt better when he put them on, we sent him a couple of
packages of colored briefs, a package of boxer briefs, and several pairs of
boxers, all in his size.  Ricky told us that Peter was thrilled when he saw
how much we sent him, and the assortment, and he even had Peter get on the
phone to thank us in person.  His accent was precious, and we could have
listened to him for hours, as he was on the speakerphone, but he soon gave
the phone back to Ricky, so we could finish our conversation.

Next, Ricky and I discussed the items I was having delivered to his host
family's home, as gifts from our family to theirs.  Ricky was surprised at
what I had suggested, but said he thought they would be perfect, so I told
them I'd order them online, from an Australian company, and have them
delivered as soon as possible.  He thanked me again, before we all wished
him a happy birthday one more time, and then we said good-bye and told him
I wanted him to call me after those gifts were delivered.

After I got off the phone with Ricky, my three student drivers were bugging
me to take them out for another lesson.  I really didn't have anything
planned at this time, but I told them I'd take them to the school parking
lot, so they could practice driving around in the empty lot.  The other two
vehicles were gone, as some of the boys were using them at the time, so we
had to use the Grand Am for this lesson. Of course Nick wanted to go first,
he always did, but seeing I had made him wait the last two times we
practiced, I let him switch places with me now.  Nick actually did very
well, doing everything I asked him to, and he even kept his aggressiveness
in check when I asked him to practice making a hard turn, like he was
trying to avoid a collision.  We did that several times, with me pointing
and shouting when I wanted him to pretend he needed to avoid a collision. I
also had him brake hard a couple of times, to practice his emergency stops
and letting them all learn how far the car actually travels, even after the
brakes are applied.  Once Nick had had his chances, I let Vinnie get in the
driver's seat next.

Generally, Vinnie showed a good mix of aggressiveness and restraint in his
driving, just like he generally did with most things in his life, but today
he seemed to be different.  The first time I asked him to try a sharp
swerve, to pretend he was avoiding a dangerous situation, he gave the car
more gas, cranked the wheel, and we ended up doing a 360-degree spin on the
blacktop.  At one point I actually thought one of the tires might blow out
or he'd roll the car during this stunt, but neither of those things
happened, though I made him just sit there and put the car in park until my
own heart stopped racing.  I also used that time to regain my composure and
think about how I was going to handle this situation, but Vinnie broke the
silence first.

"I'm a pretty good driver, aren't I?"

I just looked at him in disbelief.  "That wasn't exactly what I was going
to say," I told him.

"Why?  What do you mean?  I did that pretty good, didn't I?"

"Vinnie, I think that was very dangerous, very risky, and I think you were
more than a little out of control."  Vinnie looked into the back seat to
get support from the other two, but they were both quiet at this point.
Trey looked like he might have crapped his pants during the episode, and
Nick was rubbing the tender areas on his body, from being slammed around in
the back seat.  He also learned a valuable lesson, that his seat belt would
have prevented his current minor injuries, as he hadn't bothered to use it
when he had switched places just a few minutes before.

"Vinnie, why don't you switch places with Trey right now," I advised him.

"Why?  I haven't had my turn."

"I think you need to think about what just happened before I let you drive
again.  After Trey has had his turn, then I'll let you try this again."

"But." I cut him off.

"Sorry, no buts.  Switch with Trey if you want another shot at this after
he's had his turn."  He flashed me a very hostile look, letting me know
that he was unhappy with my decision, but I just glared back at him,
letting him know that he had reached the limit with me for now, so he'd
better not push his luck any further.  Slowly he got out of the car,
exchanged seats with Trey, and then they both got in and buckled up.

My typically timid Trey was not about to do anything as reckless as what
Vinnie had just pulled off, but I tried hard to encourage him to go faster
than 5 m.p.h.  He did pick the speed up a little, but he was still more
cautious than usual, so I made him stop too, to talk this over.  "Look,
this lesson won't help you if you don't practice doing it at normal speeds.
Anyone can avoid problems when they're hardly moving, it's just that you
can't get carried away with this, like Vinnie did."

Vinnie started to protest from the back seat, but I held up my hand to cut
him off, and then I turned back to Trey.  "Do you think you can do that, or
shall we call it a day and head home?"

"No, I'll be fine now."  Trey continued to drive again, this time doing
better and getting the practice I wanted him to benefit from.  He still
didn't do as well as Nick did, but he kept improving on each try, and when
he had gone through his final braking attempt, I had him and Vinnie switch
one more.  As Vinnie slid back into the driver's seat, he looked at me,
like he wasn't sure what I wanted him to do next.

"Look, let's just forget about your earlier attempt," I offered, "and let's
try to keep yourself and the car under control this time."

"I'm sorry.  I was just trying to show you that I was a good driver."

"Well, that's not how I saw it.  What I saw was that you can be reckless at
times, and that's not a good trait for a driver...at least not a driver in
my household."

He looked down at the steering wheel, instead of at me, but he didn't
respond right away.  After a couple of minutes, he finally did, but it
wasn't quite what I expected.  "I just wanted to show you that I was as
good a driver as any of the other boys."

"That's fine, but you won't prove that to me trying to pretend you're a
stunt-car driver or a crash-test dummy."  He gave me a strange look after I
said this, then he smiled.

"Okay, so I got a little carried away, but I am a good driver, and I'll
prove that to you."

"That will be fine, but keep things under control."

Vinnie pulled out and this time he did better than on his first attempt.
The one thing that still concerned me, however, was his braking times.
Because of the problems with his legs, it seemed to take him a bit longer
to stop the car than the others.  It wasn't that the braking distance
seemed that much different, it just took him a second longer before he
seemed to step on the brake pedal.  Now I had to find a tactful way to tell
him that he'd have to leave himself more leeway for emergency situations,
like maybe an extra car-length between him and the vehicle in front of him.
Otherwise, I think he'll do fine.

When we got back home, Nick turned the retelling of Vinnie's first attempt
into a big story, embellished to the point where the rest of us could
hardly recognize what had actually happened.  He told it this way to make
it sound humorous, not life-threatening, and the other boys were getting a
chuckle out of his rendition of the facts.  At first Vinnie seemed offended
by this, but when he became the center of attention because of it, he soon
was adding to the tale himself, enjoying his time in the spotlight.  I knew
this would eventually become one of those stories that would crop up again
in later years, at family gatherings, as the boys reminisced about growing
up in the Currie household.

Later that evening, after things had quieted down a bit, I took Vinnie
aside, to discuss the ramifications about what had transpired during the
practice session.  "Vinnie, I think we need to sit down for a few minutes
and discuss what happened earlier."  He looked a bit nervous as I mentioned
this, with his eyes shifting from me to the floor, but he nodded his head
in understanding.  We went to his room, so we could talk without
interruption or causing him undue embarrassment.

"I know, I blew it today.  I'm sorry, but I was just trying to show you
that I can do things as well as anyone else."  I merely looked at him and
thought about my response.

"Vinnie, you don't have to prove anything to anyone, but if that was what
you were trying to do, all you accomplished was to show me that you could
be tempted into being reckless like anyone else, foregoing others' safety
to impress someone or attempt to make a point."

Now his face turned a slight shade of red, and he looked back at the floor.
He didn't say anything right away, but then he finally spoke to me.  "I'm
sorry.  I didn't mean to do that.  It's just that everyone looks at me and
thinks that I can't do the things they do.  I was just trying to show them
I could."

"What I'd prefer that you show me is that you've learned to make
adjustments for your limitations, and that because of that, you are more
mature and responsible, so you don't have to prove yourself to anyone but
Vinnie."

"But you don't know how it feels to have people look at you and only see
what's wrong with you.  And then they start feeling sorry for you and
thinking about all the things you can't do."

"I don't think anyone in this household thinks that.  You've proved that
you are as capable as anyone else, in most areas.  Hell, when I go anyplace
with you, I have a hell of a time just keeping up with your pace.  You
speed along with those crutches like it was some kind of a race, and I
almost have to run, so I don't lose you."  He looked down again, knowing
that he had done this to me many times already, and that some of the boys
had even told him to slow down, so I wouldn't have a heart attack trying to
keep up with him.

"But, Pop, you don't know what it's like when people only see what's wrong
with you."

"The rest of us may not have any physical handicaps that stand out like
yours, but we've known similar situations like that.  For example, when
people learn about someone's sexuality, they often only see that, and it
ends up shaping all their later perceptions of that person.  And my heart
condition also has a similar effect on people, including all of you boys,
as you try to keep me from doing many of the things that I was accustomed
to doing.  I understand and appreciate your concern, but it does allow me
to appreciate what you're going through.  The one difference I see is that
they are not focusing on my limitations, but on my future well-being.  That
might be the case with some of the people you mention, probably not all,
but at least the ones you were trying to impress today."

Once again he seemed to be looking at our feet.  "I guess, but I hate it
when people think that I can't do as much as them.  There might be some
things I can't do, but not that much, and I can do most things as well as
anyone else."

"Vinnie, I realize that, and I think most everyone who knows you does too.
So stop trying to impress strangers, because who cares what they think.
Those of us who do know you, know you can do almost anything you set your
mind to, so don't worry about anyone else.  Okay?

"Yeah, I guess so.  I guess what I did in the car wasn't really that cool,
was it?"

"Well, if a tire blew while you were doing that, the car could have rolled
and who knows who might have been hurt."

"I guess I didn't think about that.  I'm sorry."

"That's fine.  Nothing more will be said about this, as long as you don't
repeat that mistake."

"Don't worry, I won't."

"Vinnie, there is also something else I'd like to discuss with you.  I
think you've been here long enough now to make a decision.  That decision
concerns your place in this family.  What I need to know is, do you want me
to adopt you too?"

For a split second, I thought I saw a look of concern, or maybe even fear
in Vinnie's eyes, before he looked down at the floor again.  I noticed a
slight quiver along his upper lip, as if something was bothering him, and I
was afraid that he didn't want to give me an answer to this question.  I
assumed that it was because he felt that he might be betraying his parents,
if he allowed me to adopt him.  "Hey, you don't have to, it's your choice.
I just wanted to know what you thought.  If you want me to adopt you, I'll
get things started.  If not, then I'll drop it and say nothing more.  It
doesn't mean that anything will change between us."

He looked at me, almost as if he was unsure if he should speak, but he
finally did.  "It's not that.  I would love to be your son, but then that
would make Kevin my brother, and I don't want that.  I want Kevin to be my
lover, maybe someday we could even get married or something, but it
wouldn't seem right if he was my brother too."

Now I began to get some insight about his reasons for hesitating before he
responded.  "Yes, I think I understand.  Well, we don't have to do that, so
you don't have to worry.  I won't bring it up again."

"But that's the whole point.  I do want to be your son and I want all the
other boys to be my brothers, but then it would mess things up between
Kevin and me.  I want to be part of a family again.  I want to feel like I
belong somewhere, and that I'm not just a guest in someone else's home.
Can you understand that?"

"Yes, Vinnie, I can and do.  I hope you realize that you're not just a
guest here, though.  You're part of this family, whether I adopt you or
not."

"I know that, and that's what makes saying no to you so hard.  I really
want you to adopt me, but I don't want Kevin and me to be brothers.  That
would be like incest, if we got married, and I don't want that.  I don't
think it's bad to mess around with a brother now and then, but it would be
a whole different thing to marry one."

"Hey, I do understand, so you don't have to worry.  Let me run this by
Uncle Steve, and maybe he'll know of something we can do legally, to make
you part of the family, without putting you and Kevin in an awkward
position."

"That would be cool, if you could.  I'm sorry if I messed things up for you
or hurt your feelings."

"You didn't do anything except enlighten me, so don't worry about it."

"Thanks, Pop.  You made me feel a lot better about everything, and I'm
sorry about earlier too."

"Hey, I said we wouldn't mention that again, as long as you're more careful
in the future."

"Okay, deal."

Now I had some new things to consider.  I didn't realize that he felt that
way before, but I'm glad he had the guts to tell me, without worrying about
hurting my feelings.  I mean, I knew he and Kevin were close, but I didn't
know that he hope for them to marry one day, and he didn't think he could
do that as brothers.  In fact, I completely understand why he feels that
way.  I guess there aren't many guys who would think about marrying their
sister, so why would a gay guy be anymore inclined to marry his brother,
natural or adopted?  I would indeed hope my friend Steve would be able to
pull another rabbit out of his hat, and give me a way to make Vinnie a part
of the family, and still deal with his other concerns.

After spending time with the other boys, I decided to go online, to see if
I could find any information there that might help me.  When I signed on, I
got distracted, because I saw that I had mail.  I checked it out, and there
was an email from Ricky.


Hey Dad,

Those things arrived and everyone loved what you sent them, although they
told me to tell you it was way too much.  I convinced them it wasn't,
especially after all they've done for me, so I guess things are cool now.
My host parents love the television, and the screen is much bigger than
their old one.  It has a really good picture, but I'm not into what they
watch, but they are really enjoying it.  We all watched a movie on it after
it arrived, and they told me it was like going to the cinema.  That's what
they say instead of going to the movies.  Hehehe

Oh, you should have seen Peter when he opened the laptop.  He looked at it,
then at me, and then at his parents.  It was really funny.  It was almost
like he thought it was some kind of joke or that somebody would come in and
take it away from him.  Once he realized it was really his, he hugged me,
gave me a kiss on the cheek and told me to tell you thanks, and he made me
give him our address, so he could write you a letter.  I told him that he
could just send an email, but he said a thank you note should be
handwritten.  He said it means more that way.  I think he's nuts, and you
wouldn't care, but I guess they do things like that here.

I've been teaching Peter some things about his new laptop, as Peter had
never worked on one before.  It is a nice one, and he really loves it, and
now he can keep things on his laptop that he wouldn't dare to leave on the
family computer.  He thinks that's the neatest thing of all.

I got to take Kylie to some social thing they had here.  It was just a
local celebration of some kind, and I wasn't really interested in going,
until she agreed to go with me.  She's really kind of neat, but I think
Peter is jealous.  I guess he tried to get her to go out with him, before I
got here, but she told him they're more like brother and sister.  They've
known each other since they were babies, as they only live a few houses
apart and their parents are friends.  He's been cool about it, only because
he knows I won't be here after a few months, but I think it hurts him that
she kind of likes me.  I feel bad about that, but I really do like her.  I
hope we get even closer, cuz I really like her a lot.

What's going on at home?  Are any of my brothers taking my place and
keeping everyone in line and on their toes?  Lol Peter keeps telling me I'm
crazy, each time I do something to him, but I know he kind of likes it.
We're really cool with each other.  Anybody have a driving accident yet?  I
hope not, but some of them are a little crazy, like me.  Man, I really do
miss everyone, even though I'm having a great time here.  I guess I didn't
know how much having a family meant to me.  I think we all take it for
granted sometimes, especially having you there for us whenever anything
goes wrong, but I sure notice the difference after I left.  Don't get me
wrong, my host parents are great, but I just don't feel that I can go to
them with everything, like I can with you.  I even miss being able to crawl
into your bed once in a while, whenever I'm feeling a little down.  It
makes me feel safe and loved, knowing you're there.  I guess you didn't
realize that I did that sometimes, while you were asleep.  Most times you
didn't wake up, and I would just lay there for a few minutes to a couple of
hours, just to be beside you.  It was just that knowing how you picked me
to come live with you always made me feel better.  I'm really glad you did
that, cuz I don't know what I'd have been like if you hadn't.  Maybe I'd
even be dead now, cuz I might have done drugs like my mother.  I guess you
might have even saved my life when you made me your son.  Thank you.

Well, I better send this off, cuz Peter wants me to go out and play soccer
with him and his friends.  They're all pretty cool.  We do all kinds of
things with his friends, and they've all been really great to me.  I even
think some of my brothers would be interested in some of them too.  I've
seen some in the showers, and they're not bad, for guys.  Hehehe A few of
us have even done things together.  Not much, but they like to try
different things too.  They know I like Kylie and am into girls, so that's
cool, but they also know that I don't mind getting off whenever I can.
Heck, I'm just a horny teen.  lol

Well, Dad, I'll send you another email in a few days.  Love you all.
Please tell all my brothers I said hi, and that I miss them.  Can't wait to
see you all again.

Ricky


I printed the letter off, so everyone else could read it, because I knew
that most of them liked to hear about Ricky's adventures too.  I think
Ricky's view of family is held by many of the other boys too, and I think
they'll appreciate knowing they're not the only ones who feel like that,
and I think it might also make them think a little more on their own.  They
sometimes have their problems, but overall I think they all appreciate
having the security of a stable home and many brothers they can count on.
I think it would also be good for Vinnie to read this too, to emphasize
that he is part of this family now, whether I adopt him or not.  I think he
needs that reassurance.  Which reminds me of why I got on the computer in
the first place.

Before I can get myself to focus on the task before me, I first have to
reflect on something else Ricky said, about coming in and sleeping with me
at times.  I found him there on a couple of occasions, but I guess from
what he said, he'd done it much more than that, but I guess that was before
Jake came into the picture.  I always considered Ricky to be strong and
independent, so maybe I missed giving him the reassurance he must have
needed from time to time.  I guess I missed those signs, and maybe that's
what all his little pranks were all about, just another way to gain the
attention he needed, no matter what type of attention it was.  Damn, I
could kick myself for not recognizing that.  I guess I'll have to make that
up to him after he returns.

Now I'll have to think about all the boys, to see if I've overlooked
anything concerning them and their hidden needs.  Sometimes I guess we miss
the most obvious of signals, you know, you can't see the forest because of
the trees type of situation.  I think maybe tonight I'll think back about
each of the boys, to see if I might have missed anything else, but first
I'll check to see if I can find anything online that might help Vinnie.
Probably not, but I have to try.

                 *    *     *     *     *     *     *     *

If you have enjoyed reading this story, you will find other stories by me
by clicking on the Nifty author link and scrolling down to "BW".  This will
give you the links for everything I have posted there.

E-mails may be sent to: bwstories8@aol.com.