06 - Palm Springs Family - A Sad Chapter Closes

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This is a story of fiction, involving sensitive and controversial topics and sex. If there is any reason you shouldn't read such stories, then please don't read this one.

This is a `Coming of Age' story... It wasn't supposed to include a lot of sex, but the boys seem to have their own ideas. Sorry?

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18 June Day 4

Monday Morning

Luke and Steve go by to get Daniel and Diego, and see if they need help with their suitcases.

As soon as the boys can see the parking area they see Mr. Frank and JoAnne... but there's a new man with them. Several of them think they've seen him around here before, but nobody knows who he is. He's well-dressed... and several of them think he's `cute', but nobody is willing to say it. They all know they'd hurt their boyfriend, so nobody says anything.

They all go over and Mr. Frank introduces the new person as the Child Protective Services Director... which causes all of them to panic, especially Daniel and Diego. He sees that and assures them it's all good news... Several of them actually hug him... but that may be because he's cute.

- - - -

Our departure is set for 11:00 AM. The flight should be about six hours. I'm pretty sure the plane will have to stop for refueling at least once. We can probably get off the plane and walk around a bit... That should still get us home well before dark at least, thanks to the time difference.

The routine is pretty much the same this morning. The boys know when we're arriving... 7:30 AM. And we do. And there they are, with a big woolly dog, looking about equally happy, sad, excited and scared. With all their belongings... and it's very sad how little they have. But that will soon be remedied.

I feel terrible for what all these boys are being put through... by us lately, unfortunately. But what's the alternative. This visit and return trip is actually at least three days ahead of what we were initially expecting... if it happened at all.

As we pull up we notice a new man among the crowd of `well wishers', I guess. He's young, very cute, probably early 30s, dressed in a nice suit, and carrying a large manila envelope.

My first thought is `CRAP, what now?' I just want to leave as quickly as possible before anything else goes wrong. Is that really too damn much to ask?

The first thing to catch the boys attention is Michael, who's dressed in a dark blue suit with a tie and jacket. Of course after hug mobbing him, they all want to know why, especially since we aren't. It's something Michael wants to do for the boys, but he isn't about to tell them why. They'll find out... soon enough.

We get out and walk over to Mr. Frank and JoAnne, stick out our hands and say good morning. Mr. Frank introduces the extra person as Mr. Kleindienst, the local head of Child Protective Services, who takes my hand and very pleasantly says good morning.

I notice immediately he has a very slight accent, that Alex and I have heard often, and miss... and his name is certainly a good hint. I hope I don't insult him, but decide to go for it anyway,

"Guten Morgen, Herr Kleindienst. Wir sind sehr erfreut, Sie kennenlernen zu koennen. Wir bedanken uns ganz herzlich für ihre Hilfe... mit Allem, aber besonders mit Ihnen, unseren neuen Soehnen," motioning toward the four boys.

("Good morning Mr. Kleindeinst. We are very pleased to be able to meet you. We thank you sincerely for your help... with everything, but especially with them, our new sons.")

I wish I had a camera, although I'm not sure where I would have aimed it. The boys look like they think I'm having a stroke. The adults kinda stand there with their mouths open, especially Mr. Kleindienst. Alex has a worried smile.

Mr. Kleindienst recovers quickly and says, "Guten Morgen... Herr Davidson. Ich bin auch sehr erfreut, Sie kennenzulernen. Es ist eine sehr nette Ueberraschung, dass Sie Deutsch sprechen koennen," still looking a little puzzled.

(Good morning Mr. Davidson. I am also very pleased to meet you. It's a nice surprise that you speak German.)

I can't resist, "Wir Beide können ein bisschen Deutsch. Darf ich meinen Mann, Alex, vorstellen?" who extends his hand while saying... "Hallo, Herr Kleindienst. Ja, Wir beide können ein bisschen Deutsch, aber mein Deutsch ist nicht so fleissend als Kevin's, und leider gar nicht Perfekt."

(We both speak a little German. May I introduce my husband, Alex?)

(Hello Mr. Kleindienst. Yes, we can both (speak) a little German, but my German isn't as fluent as Kevin's, and unfortunately certainly not perfect.)

Mr. Kleindienst says with a big smile, "Wow, that's not very common, to find people here who speak such good German. Did you learn German because of work?"

Alex offers, "No, just out of interest. Kevin's major in college was Chemistry, and he took two years of German. As soon as we were able to travel, our first trip to Europe included a lot of Germany. Since then we've spent a fair amount of time in Germany, mostly Berlin, which we love, where we had a condo for over 10 years. Before we bought our condo we promised ourselves that we would ONLY do it if we really committed ourselves to learning a little German, and not expect everybody to have to speak English for us. We've had a total of about 18 months each of total immersion German classes over the years."

"Wow, guys. I'm really impressed... just out of interest... wow... and I will say you both speak more than `a little German'.... But, it's very, very nice to meet you all, especially all of you guys (going to the boys, greeting them by name, except he doesn't know which is Diego and which is Daniel, and shaking each of their hands and introducing himself). You must be Michael," he says holding out his hand.

"Uhh, yes... Hi Mr. Kleindienst, it's very nice to meet you... sorry I only speak English," a little taken aback that he knows his name already.

"Trust me, not a problem," Mr Kleindienst says, smiling - and looking just a little like he's `checking out' Michael. Not that I blame him in the least.

And then he hesitates for a few moments, kinda giving all three of us a very... `knowing' look... with a big smile.. I'm trying not to panic, but it looks like he just figured out the same thing the boys did... yesterday. Damn. And it looks like at least Luke sees his look too. Damn.

The boys finally find their voices and chime in, and Luke... gawd, I love that boy...

"Are there any more surprises?" which gets a good round of laughs.

I just can't resist... it might help them feel a little more at ease, so after giving Luke the evilest look I can, I kinda kneel down, looking Daniel and Diego in the eyes, and say, "Diego y Daniel lastima solo hablamos un poco de español, solo dos meses in una escuela de la lingua in Sevilla, Espania, pero nos gustaría mucho aprender más... And guys... we want to talk to you when we get home about helping you continue with your Spanish, if you want to... us too."

(Diego and Daniel. Unfortunately we only speak a little Spanish, just two months in a language school in Seville, Spain, but we very much want to learn more.)

I say that last part in English, mostly for the benefit of Mr. Frank and Mr. Kleindienst, just in case they have reservations about them not being able to remain connected to their heritage. Well, that and the fact that I don't know HOW to say that in Spanish... yet.

Luke, I'm sure, starts to say, `damn', but changes it midstream to `dang'. I glance over quickly and say with a laugh, "Nice save," which causes him to blush and everybody else to laugh.

I thought Daniel and Diego were going to pee themselves. Their eyes instantly fill up with tears, they look at each other, and basically tackle us. Luke and Steve just kinda stand and watch, mouths open, as we hug Daniel and Diego and rub their backs soothingly.

I look around and pretty much everybody is standing there with their mouths open. Of course, the problem now is that they're going to think we speak way more Spanish than we do, so I guess we need a tutor also. Perfect - and I mean that. We've always wanted to improve our Spanish, it's just not easy to find a way to do it... and the time, but we will.

Mr. Franks says, with a big smile, "Wow, guys. I had no idea. I think I remember seeing on your application that you spoke German, now that you mention it, but I don't remember Spanish at all."

I want to be honest, especially for Daniel and Diego, who are standing up against us with Alex and I rubbing their shoulders, still looking like they're in shock, "Trust us. Our German isn't great, but it's way better than our Spanish. Like I just told Daniel and Diego we've only had two months of Spanish in a school in Seville, Spain. We want to continue, but it's not easy finding the time. So guys (looking at Daniel and Diego), when we get you a tutor, we'll learn Spanish with you. You can help us with our homework. How's that?" which gets a lot of nods and `yeses' and another big hug from each.

"And Luke and Steve, about half of the people in the desert speak Spanish as their native language, so if you want to learn Spanish too, it's a great idea. Think about it," which gets some confused stares in return.

It takes a few minutes to get things back on track. Michael suggests that he and the boys start putting their stuff in the car. Mr. Frank and Mr. Kleindienst take both of us aside.

Mr. Kleindienst hands us the manilla envelope and says, "Guys, here is the final, approved copy of your adoption of Diego and Daniel. We expedited that based on the previous checks, interviews, and home visits. I am SO, SO happy for how this has worked out. Frank has kept me informed about how things have gone, and how worried you were in the beginning. I've seen some of the pictures from yesterday, especially the ones with Michael and the boys (maybe that's where he noticed Michael) coming in from the car here yesterday. I am absolutely amazed at how quickly you have all bonded. Oh, and JoAnne put a USB drive with the pictures in here for you, too," for which we thank her several times.

Continuing somewhat sadly, and with a sigh, he says, "I'll be totally honest... My husband Noah and I talked seriously about trying to adopt Luke and Steve, but we're not quite at the point that we can easily do it yet. We would have figured out how, to prevent them from being split up. We never said anything to them. We thought it would be unfair to raise the issue unless it was necessary. You are our first `gay adoption' and we wanted this to go really well, and it has. It has exceeded ALL of our expectations."

"But, I want to be completely honest here... even though we're very disappointed at not being able to adopt Luke and Steve, you are by far the best choice for these boys. ALL of these boys, especially after what you just said about helping Diego and Daniel continue with their Spanish. And allowing them to stay together. I'm amazed guys, and more pleased than you will ever know. Trust me!"

Ok, another damn tear or ten. This is a huge surprise, but maybe it explains how this all happened.

They are all probably tired of us, but I can't resist pulling out my phone and showing them a couple of the pictures from the amusement park yesterday, all with Michael and the boys. They all ask us to send them copies.

Alex is very rarely this forward, but bless his heart, looking toward the three adults, "Thank you all. We're incredibly happy... about everything. And, we'll make you an offer. All of you, and your husband too Mr. Kleindienst. We have one bedroom left, a guest house, and it's available to any of you on a moment's notice, but I'm sure the boys will be more than happy to `double up' at any time... so we have enough bedrooms for all of you at the same time. It would be great for you to come and see how the boys are doing. We're sure they would love to see you. We really hope you can plan a trip to Palm Springs some time... would NOT recommend summer for your first trip."

Gets a few laughs, and several promises to consider it. We'll see.

Alex goes thru and shakes all three of their hands.

My turn, "So, I guess this is it everybody. And trust us, we will NEVER be able to thank you for what you have done... for all of us. We will be forever grateful to you. And, we really do hope you'll plan a vacation in Palm Springs sometime. I know the boys would love to see you all, and us too, and meet your husband Mr. Kleindienst. SO, THANK YOU... more than I will ever be able to say," I say, trying not to tear up. There were at least four agreements from the boys, who have wandered over by now.

Michael steps up to start shaking hands and share, "Yes, thank you ALL. I was really stressed about this before we got here, but I've gotten the four most incredible little brothers in the world. THANK YOU!" Even he doesn't escape a few tears this time.

The next one up, the one with the envelope, is Steve. We had expected him to wait until the other boys all say their piece...

Steve starts, "Mr. Frank and JoAnne. We can't thank you enough for what you've done for us, but not just for us. ALL of the boys here love you both. We certainly do. You took us all in at the worst time in our lives. You helped us. You helped us look forward to having a new family, and a new life. You told our dads about us, and if you hadn't, they never would have found us. We will never forget you," with tears running down his and the others' faces.

He continues shakily, "We've known our new dads and big brother for two and a half days, but honestly we feel like we've known them," and, turning completely to look directly at the dads and Michael, "...and have been waiting on you... for our entire lives," which gets actual sobs from the dads and Michael.

Continuing barely, smiling, with tears running down his face and still facing the dads and Michael, "We've gone from being more worried than ever in our lives about what it would mean to have you as our dads... and big brother (smiling sweetly at Michael), to being the happiest we've been in a very long time... and in many ways, our entire lives. We'll never be able to thank you enough for giving us all this incredible new family," pretty much everybody is almost crying at this point.

Steve continues unsteadily and looking very sadly at Daniel and Diego, and then Luke, and actually has the courage to reach up and gently stroke his face, and while looking directly into his eyes says, "We were all so afraid that we would be separated from the one person we love. We knew that the chances anyone would adopt two gay boys... much less four... (looking at Diego and Daniel and chuckling sadly) were almost zero, but you didn't give up on us... any of us. Thank you. You've made all of our lives amazing," at this point everybody is crying.

Continuing slowly, "And dads and Michael, we promise you that we'll do everything we can to be the best sons and little brothers for you that we can be. And we'll do everything we can to never disappoint you," which causes the dads and Michael to pretty much become complete basket cases.

Turning to Mr. Kleindienst and trying to continue, "Mr. Kleindienst, you look familiar, but I don't remember ever meeting you," looking at the other boys, who all shake their heads no, "but I think it's obvious you had a lot to do with... this," he said motioning to all of us.

"Probably a lot more than we'll ever know about, but thank you so much... for everything. We will never in our lives be able to repay you... all of you (looking around) for what you've done for us," even Mr. Kleindienst not escaping tears at this point.

Turning back, "Mr. Frank and JoAnne, our dads want us to give you, they said, a small gift of appreciation for what you've done for us and all the other boys too," he says as he hands the envelope to Mr. Frank.

Taking the envelope with tears and a sad look on his face, he opens it and reads it out loud,

"Mr. Frank and JoAnne. We will never be able to thank you for what you have done here, for all of the boys, for us... all of us. You have changed our lives in ways we never thought possible, and for that we will be forever grateful. The check is only a small token of gratitude for what you did here for these boys, and what you do here every day for all of the boys. So, in the names of Daniel, Diego, Luke, and Steve - we say from the bottoms of our hearts... THANK YOU!"

The letter is signed by all of us, including the boys. As Mr. Frank and JoAnne are reading the notes the boys left, a few new tears appear. We don't know what the boys said in their notes. Need to remember to send an email and ask for a copy.

Mr. Frank looks at the check, a little teary eyed. He announces, "The check is for $25,000. Wow, thank you so much. We can certainly use the money to get more things for the boys. Thank you all. And guys, we wish all of you the very best futures you can possibly have. And boys, please believe us, you are all incredibly, incredibly lucky. We wish all the boys who come here could be this lucky with their new families. Go and enjoy your new family guys, every moment of every day."

All of the boys, starting with Steve, shake their hands, and give each of them a heartfelt hug, including a surprised Mr. Kleindienst. They each give a short but heartfelt `THANK YOU' and a few words. We're a little surprised they say as little as they do, but I guess they're worn out at this point.

Everybody has their eyes full of tears, and not just the boys.

Leave it to Luke, who looks directly at the dads and Michael and while wiping his eyes says,

"What happened to me? All I've done since I met you three is cry! I never used to cry. Ever!"

Which is exactly what everybody needs, because we all laugh harder than we have since this visit began. And it gets Luke an amazing long hug from his big brother.

After that there are a few more hugs, but everybody is exhausted. One look at the faces of the boys confirms what we already know.

It's time to go... home. Michael has his arms around Steve and Luke, and Kevin has his around Diego and Daniel, all of whom look exhausted. Alex asks, "Guys, are you ready?" which gets more tears and sad nods.

- - - - -

We all pile in the car, a mix of sad and excited, but subdued. Lots of waves goodbye as we drive away. And tears... Damn. Luke's right, this trip has been nothing but tears.

But, leave it to our `beloved, lovable, problem child' Luke....

The FIRST thing out of his mouth is, "So, are you all like spies or something? What's with the German?" which gets a round of laughs.

Since I'm sitting in the back with the boys, I give him the most serious look I can, and say, "Well, do you guys watch much TV, or movies?" which of course gets nods all around.

"Do you know what they say in movies when somebody asks, `are you a spy'?" which gets a round of `no' nods...

"They say, `If I tell you, I'll have to kill you'," giving Luke the most `mysterious' look I can...

Which gets some serious big eyed looks... but, nobody says anything else, even Luke.

"SO, now that that's settled, ready?"

There are a lot of half-mumbled `yeah's. That went well, I thought.

What's the point of having kids if you can't torture them... At least a little.

:-O

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If the new family in the SUV could have heard the conversation behind them as they drove out of site, they would have heard:

"You know, I don't have a clue what just happened here, but I am absolutely amazed at those seven. I feel better about this adoption and family than I have about many in a long, long time... maybe forever honestly. I really hope those boys can understand someday just how incredibly lucky they are," offers a pretty subdued Mr. Kleindienst, with a few tears still running down his face.

Mr. Frank, a little subdued, says, "I don't pick favorites among the kids, but in this case it's hard not to. I agree, Peter. I hope those boys realize just how damn lucky they are."

JoAnne, also with tears, says, "They do. The way they look at the dads, and Michael, and each other... and the ways the three of them look at the boys. They know! Trust me. They ALL know how lucky they are."

Mr. Frank softly asks Peter, "I know you and Noah didn't want Luke and Steve to know that you wanted to adopt them unless it became necessary, but are you both ok with not adopting Luke and Steve?"

Mr. Kleindienst hesitates a bit and finally says sadly, "Honestly no, we're not ok with it. And seeing how amazing those boys were here... just now, makes it even harder. We're both really disappointed that we aren't in a position where we can easily adopt them, but like I told the two dads, honestly they are by far the best choice for those boys... All of those boys. They are all so damned lucky."

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Next: 07 - Palm Springs Family - Long Road Home