A New Life for Jordan ch 37

The following is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living or deceased is purely coincidental. This story may depict sexual situations between minor males, and if reading such is illegal where you reside, or you are not at least 18 years of age, please read at your own risk. This work is the property of the author, Rob Warr, and should not be re-posted or reproduced without his permission. Story and some images ©2020-2022 Rob Warr.

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A New Life for Jordan

By: Rob Warr

Chapter 37

Tragedy Strikes

🙏

"What's wrong?" Jordy said coming up behind Lee and placing his head on his shoulder. He was gazing down at his phone as if trying to will it to produce a response and when it didn't he turned to Jordy and frowned.

"We're using WhatsApp, and it's usually pretty reliable. They've never gone this long without texting or something," Lee said, sounding genuinely worried.

Mrs. Kelly was sitting at the dining table, her laptop open before her, but she seemed to be daydreaming as the boys approached her.

"Well, the last I heard they were headed to Rome. I think they rented a car. Maybe they don't have good reception, or they turned their phones off. I wouldn't be too concerned at this point, but if it will make you feel any better, I'll try messaging them as well."

"Thanks," Lee said, sounding a little better, but deep down inside he was worried. It wasn't like his folks, especially his mom, to go this long without some kind of message. Usually the messages were accompanied by a picture of some sight they were visiting or their hotel, and Lee had come to expect and enjoy them.

"Why don't you guys go on and do whatever it was you were going to do, and if I hear anything I'll text Jordy, all right?"

"Yes ma'am," Lee agreed, "I need some fresh air anyway. Come on Jordo, let's take a walk."

Once out of the cabin and in the fresh air, Lee felt some better, but there was still a nagging feeling deep down inside that wouldn't go away. Sometimes he wished he'd gone with his folks, but those times were few and far between. He'd meant it when he'd told Jordy that he'd rather be there with him than in Europe, but it didn't keep him from missing his parents.

Seth and Jerry came bounding out of their cabin just about the same time Lee and Jordy reached it, and they quickly fell in step.

"Just walking, we needed some fresh air," Jordy explained, "Lee's kind of worried cause he hasn't heard from his folks since yesterday afternoon."

"Nah, probably not. Probably just busy," Lee said, but he wasn't sure who he was trying to convince most, himself, or the others.

"Well, I'm sure they're fine. Probably just enjoying the sights or something. Anyway, there's the time difference and all."

"Yeah, they're six hours ahead, so it should be 5:30 in the evening there, so it's not like they're asleep or anything," Lee said frowning.

"Yeah, well...I'm sure they're okay," Jordy offered, but he had to admit, now he was a little worried too.

They strolled the length of the camp, noting that all but a couple of the campsites were occupied and all but one of the RV sites. People were everywhere, boating, swimming, fishing, sunning, or just taking it easy. They waved at some kids standing beside a bright orange tent, and Seth said he recognized one of the boys from school.

"That's Danny Mathewson, he was on my ball team one year. He has a sister that's a real slut," he chuckled.

"You were supposed to be a virgin when I got a hold of you," Jordy said, giving him the stink eye.

"I was, in all the ways that matter," Seth quickly added, "besides, that was then, this is now. Now I belong to you, buffalo butt."

"Sorry," Jordy said laying a hand on Lee's shoulder, "I know you're worried about your folks, but I'm sure they're okay."

"I hope so, man...I really hope so," Lee muttered beneath his breath, but that gnawing sensation in his stomach was getting stronger by the minute.

At the end of the campground, near the RV dumpsite, they quickly turned back and headed in the other direction, and finally wound up on the small bridge that spanned the inlet. As they stood on the bridge, gazing out at the lake which was alive with activities this June morning, they chatted about this and that, hoping to keep their minds off Lee's folks, all the while hoping for the best.

Around two o'clock, they headed back to Jordy's cabin and what they found there caused all four boys to screech to a halt. On the sofa sat Mack and Mark, while Mr. Kelly occupied his usual spot in his recliner. Mrs. Kelly was standing, her phone in hand, pacing the floor and listening to someone on the other end of the line.

One look at her face caused dread to creep through the boys veins like ice water. The fact that there were tears in Mrs. Kelly's eyes and that the three men had solemn looks on their faces pretty much sealed the deal. Something was wrong, something was very wrong.

"All right," Mrs. Kelly said in a voice choked with emotion, "and you're absolutely sure it was them? All right, thank you for calling. Yes, we will contact our lawyer immediately. Thank you, I've got to go now...yes, you too...goodbye."

"Mom..." Jordy said looking at his mom expectantly, his heart beating nearly out of his chest as he imagined the worst, as did the other three boys, but of course, Lee was the most concerned.

"Guys, sit down please," she said wiping at her eyes and motioning the boys to the dining table.

"Mom, what is it. Is it bad?" Jordy whined, ready to cry at any moment if it was bad news about Lee's folks.

His mother sighed and turned around, a sob escaping her throat as she tried to get her emotions under control.

"Dear, would you like me to tell them?" Mr. Kelly said coming to stand by his wife. Jordy thought his dad looked white as a ghost, and the red rings around his eyes said he'd been crying himself.

"It's my folks, isn't it?" Lee said in a voice so filled with despair that Jordy immediately began to cry in earnest.

That got Jerry started, and even Seth was wiping away tears as he tried to console his boyfriend.

"I'm afraid so. That was your aunt Edna, the one who lives in Paris. Your parents listed her as their contact person while they were in Europe, and well...she had a list of people to call in case of...an accident, and we were first on the list," she sighed.

"Oh honey, come here," Mrs. Kelly said holding out her arms, "I'm afraid so, both of them. There was an auto accident, and I'm afraid neither of them survived. It was rainy, and they missed a curve, and plunged down a steep embankment."

"Both of them," Lee choked out, obviously in shock, "my parents are...are...dead," he muttered.

"Oh dude," Jordy said hugging his best friend and sharing his tears and anguish, "they were the best, awesome. I loved them almost as much as I love my own mom and dad," he sobbed.

"What will happen to me now?" Lee said, suddenly realizing he was officially an orphan.

"You will stay here with us," Mrs. Kelly said wrapping him in a mother's embrace, "I don't know if you remember this, but a few years ago we asked you boys about the contract we were thinking about signing. What the contract said was: that if anything should happen to either set of parents, the surviving set would take their child or children."

"I don't understand," Lee said wiping at his eyes, "you mean, you're gonna be my mom now?"

"Yes," Mrs. Kelly said kissing the top of Lee's head, "I've always loved you like a son, but now it will be for real. And if you will allow us to, we will adopt you formally and give you our last name, or you can use your last name with a hyphen. Some kids are doing that these days."

"I don't know," Lee said, "I can't think about that right now," he said breaking down completely at last.

"I know honey," Mrs. Kelly soothed, "there will be plenty of time to talk about that later. Then to Jordy, "Jordy honey, why don't you take Lee to the bathroom and get him a cool wet washcloth. Maybe he'd like to lie down for a bit."

"Yeah, I just wanna be alone," Lee said, "but Jordy can come," then giving Seth and Jerry a sad smile, he added, "Sorry guys, I'll see ya later though."

"We understand buddy," Seth said giving Lee a brief hug, then stepping aside so Jerry could give him one as well.

In the bathroom, Jordy did as his mom had asked, then escorted Lee to the room they shared and had him sit down on the bed.

"I can't believe it," Lee said, the tears still falling softly from his big brown eyes, "I had a feeling...like I could tell they were gone," he sobbed, "Oh Jordy, I should have gone with them. At least we'd have died together."

"Dude, don't say that. I couldn't stand losing all three of you," Jordy said wiping at his eyes, "you all agreed that this was where you should be, and...well, maybe it was meant to be...so you wouldn't...you know, die too."

Lee shuddered as a sob escape him, "Jordy, I miss them sooo much. I wish I could have at least said goodbye to them and told them how much I love...umm...loved them."

"Dude, you told them every time you texted or called them, that much I know. They knew you loved them, and they loved you too. I loved them, everyone loved them. We're all gonna miss them, but we'll get through this somehow...I promise. Seth, and Jerry, and I will help you every way we can, and mom and dad, and Mark and Mack. You still have a family. I know it sucks right now, and I know you're hurting, we all are, but it will get better, I promise."

Jordy thought he had never seen Lee look so sad, so beaten, and with good reason, because he sort of felt the same way too. He'd meant it when he said he loved Lee's folks almost as much as his own. Over the years they had been an important part of his life and always treated him like a second son.

"Nah, if it's okay...I just wanna be alone for a while," Lee said wiping at his eyes. The sobs were coming less often now as fatigue set in, and he hoped to escape his sorrow by lapsing into slumber.

"Yeah, thanks, you're the best," Lee said smiling sadly at his friend, "I just realized, we're going to be brothers," he laughed sadly, "what a hell of a way to do it though."

"Dude," Jordy said hugging his friend tight, "I love you so much, man, you've always been closer to me than any brother could be."

"I love you too," Lee almost whispered, "so...so tired..." he said as he stretched out.

Jordy hung around a few minutes to make sure Lee was really okay, and by the time he quietly exited the room, Lee was asleep.

"No, and he probably never will be again," Jordy said, "but right now he's sleeping, and that's a good thing. When he wakes up it's gonna hit him all over again, that...that..." but Jordy couldn't finish.

"Dude, I'm so sorry. I didn't even know them and I liked them, just from hearing you two talk about them and seeing the pics and stuff."

"Mack and Mark took him home, he really took this hard. I think it reminds him of when his own mom died."

"What about you?" Jordy asked with concern, considering Seth had lost his mom as well.

"Well, at least with mom we knew it was coming, and it wasn't like all of a sudden. I sort of feel guilty sometimes...cause, well...when she went: I was sort of relieved, cause she wasn't suffering anymore. She was really sick there at the end, and I hated to see her like that. Was that selfish?"

"No, dude...you just didn't want to see her hurting. I've never really lost anyone close to me...till now. I really loved Lee's folks," Jordy said, new tears spilling down his cheeks.

"Sure. Are you okay?" Jordy asked, always putting other's welfare before his own.

"Okay, but call or text me later. When Lee wakes up I'd like for you to be here with us, even Jerry if he feels up to it.'

"Yeah, I will," Seth said leaning in to give Jordy a hug and a kiss on the cheek, "Love ya."

"I love you too," Jordy said giving Seth a sad smile, "Just knowing I have you keeps me strong."

"Yeah...thanks. I'd be lost without you," Seth said smiling back, "well...see ya later."

Jordy walked Seth to the door, then went in to find his parents, who were sitting on the couch holding hands and looking solemn.

"Grief will do that to a person," Mrs. Kelly said, "sleeping is a form of escape from it though. We'll let him sleep as long as he can, but when he wakes up we need to be there for him."

"Thank God he has you, son," Mr. Kelly said giving Jordy a fond look, "if anyone can help him get through this, it's you."

"All of us will help," Jordy said firmly, "we're his family now, Mack and Mark, and Jerry and Seth too."

The phone call to the lawyer who had prepared the parental rights contract only confirmed what the Kellys already knew, that they were now legally Lee's guardians. He further agreed that if, and when they wanted to adopt Lee, that he would handle the paperwork personally.

The Walkers' funeral was held in a small town in Illinois where the Walkers had grown up. Since the bodies had to be flown home from Italy, the funeral was not held till 10 days after their passing.

The Kellys, Lee, and Seth flew to Chicago, then rented an SUV and drove the hundred miles to the small church where the funeral was being held. Mr. Walker's parents, both in their 70s now, had made the arrangements, and their son and his wife would be buried side by side in the family plot in a small cemetary.

This had been his parents wish, and Lee accepted it without comment, and though he hadn't been looking forward to the long arduous trip, he was eager to see his grandparents again. For who knew when they too might be taken from him, just as his parents had been?

The Senior Walkers were as warm and loving as their son and daughter-in-law, and made the Kellys and Seth feel very welcome. Though at first the Kellys had intended to stay over in a hotel, the Walkers had insisted that they stay with them, and it didn't take much persuading on their part to get them to agree.

Jordy, Lee, and Seth would be spending the night in their son's old room, the room he had slept in as a child, although these days it had been redecorated for use as a guest room for their numerous grandchildren. The Kellys would be staying in a third bedroom that the old lady used for a sewing room, though it was still furnished with a bed and such.

The day of the funeral it was sunny and warm, not a cloud in the sky, and hundreds flocked to the small church to pay their respects. Not all of them knew the deceased, but practically everyone in town knew the senior Walkers, who were well respected and liked.

Lee did fine until it was time to lower the casket into the ground, but somehow he managed to find the strength to toss a single rose into the grave before breaking down completely. Jordy and Seth were there for him, one on each side as they practically held him up for the remainder of the service.

On the way back to the Walker's home, Lee, Jordy and Seth rode in the back of the limo the funeral home had provided, while the Kellys drove back in the SUV. Lee's grandparents sat across from the boys, and despite the sadness of the situation, Jordy thought the old couple seemed to be at peace.

At the Walker's home at last, the boys were surprised to see a number of cars already there, most belonging to other family members, the aunts, uncles, and cousins that Lee barely knew. He was surrounded by family, but he had to admit he felt more at home with Jordy and the Kellys, and he was glad that he would be going back with them and not staying here with these near strangers.

As more people showed up, nearly every one of them carrying some kind of food dish, the house began to fill up and Lee felt a bit overwhelmed. Jordy could see his distress and suggested they go outside and get some fresh air.

Lee's grandparents home was an older house, actually built on two lots in a quiet residential neighborhood, with a greenbelt behind it. Their backyard was surrounded by a six foot privacy fence and was well maintained with mature trees, bushes, and flowers. A gate led out into the greenbelt, and beyond the fence the boys could see old growth trees tower high into the sky.

"I remember coming here once and my cousin Joe and I went out there. There's a path leading to a little creek. It might be overgrown now, but there used to be kids in the neighborhood who kept most of the paths cleared out."

"Let's check it out," Jordy said enthusiastically. Anything was better than hanging around this crowd and being subjected to their sympathy.

There was a latch on the back gate, but no lock, and Seth opened it and led the way. The path was still there, and though there was new growth along the sides, the path itself was fairly clear. Single file, they started up the path, and after about a dozen yards they came to a fork.

"Well...sure, I guess it's cause I've lived by the lake so long. A creek smells different though, dirtier or something," Seth explained.

"He's right," Lee said, this creek does smell. I remember that much, but it was kind of dry that day my cousin and I went there. There were some dead fish there too."

The creek was indeed not far away, and even Jordy smelled it before he saw it. Rounding a corner, they suddenly came to a tree that had fallen across the trail, and just beyond it the water of a small winding creek ran between tall trees.

"There she blows," Seth said hopping over the fallen tree and leading the way once more.

"It's pretty full today," Lee noted, "and the water looks cleaner. It just smells like water."

"Yeah, it's pretty nice," Seth said bending to test the water with his hand, then pulling it back quickly he teased, "Oh my god, something bit me!"

"It's cold," Seth said then, "and pretty clear for a creek. Hey, what if we took off our shoes and socks and went wading?"

"Yeah, it looks like it," Seth said, sitting down on the grass and removing his shoes.

After rolling up their pant legs, the boys were soon ankle-deep in the cool water, and for the first time in a number of days, they felt like kids again. Grief had taken it's toll on them, but now that the funeral was over, they hoped to finally find some kind of closure and begin to move forward.

"It's nice here," Lee said softly, "I wonder...if my dad ever came here...when he was a boy?"

"Yeah, my grands were living here when he was born. They've lived here forever. It's sort of cool to think my dad played here and stuff," Lee said staring off into the distance.

"Are you...umm, having second thoughts about living with us?" Jordy asked, then quickly added, "I mean, you have family here and all..."

"What? No, no way. I want to live with you guys. My grands are old and they can't take care of me, and my aunts and uncles all have families of their own. Mom and dad considered all of them before they chose your folks to be my...umm, whatever you call it."

"Parents," Jordy finished smiling sadly, "They wanted you to be with us, and we want you with us too."

Eventually, the boys tired of wading and sat on the fallen tree and wiped as much water off their feet as possible before donning their socks and shoes again. For a moment they just sat there, staring out at the little creek and listening to the low burble of the stream and the sounds of nature.

Suddenly, Lee noticed something carved into the bark of the tree, and though it was weathered and the tree bark had grown up around it, it was still obvious that it was someone's initials, in fact, two sets of initials.

"Hey, check this out," Lee said excitedly, then tracing the letters almost reverently, "T.W. that was my dad's initials, do you think...?"

"What, hey...let me see," Jordy said hopping down and walking over to get a look at what had attracted Lee's attention, "Oh wow, I bet it's your dad's, but I wonder who W.R. is," he added, noting the other set of initials.

"Maybe a girlfriend," Seth offered, joining the other two boys, "but usually there's a plus and a heart. Maybe it was just his best friend or something."

"I don't remember my dad ever talking about any friend in particular, but I know he was pretty popular in high school. My mom told me that," Lee said looking thoughtful, "maybe this W.R. was one of his friends."

Jordy had whipped out his phone by then and took several pictures of the carvings from different angles before showing them to the other two boys, "Maybe your grands would know?"

"I'm sure they would," Lee said tracing the letters of his dad's initials again, a tear escaping his eye, "I can't believe they're really gone..."

"I know," Jordy said sitting down beside his best friend and hugging him, "I'm glad you found this though, in a way, it's like...like some kind of sign that your mom and dad are still watching over you."

"Yeah," Seth said, wiping at his eyes, "it's like with my mom, when I'm really missing her, sometimes I just sit down and think about the stuff we used to do, and I can almost feel her, in my head, and in my heart."

Lee smiled sadly, "We should go back now," he added softly, finally pulling his eyes and fingers away from the carvings, "your folks...our folks, are probably missing us by now."

"Yeah, come on, bro," Jordy said pulling Lee up from the log and into a ferocious hug, which Seth soon joined, "we're family now, all of us."

"We love you too," both Seth and Jordy assured him, and with that, they started back to Lee's grandparent's house.

Back at Bennett Falls Campgrounds, things began to level out once again. Though there was still some grieving to do, Lee found that being surrounded by Jordy and the others who loved him, helped him to get through the worst parts.

Though the mystery of the second set of initials had been on their mind at the creek, they'd forgotten to ask Lee's grandparents about them, and the mystery went unsolved until one day when Lee was going through some of the things they'd retrieved from the house in Chicago. His Aunt Sally and Uncle Clark had taken on the responsibility of sorting through their belongings, forwarding all of Lee's things, as well as items such as pictures and mementos that they thought Lee would like to have.

Among those items was Lee's dad's senior yearbook, and it was there that they found the picture of a young, long haired boy with glasses, named Walter Rogers. Further proof that this was W.R. came in the autograph pages of the yearbook, where Walter had written a note to his best friend and signed it: Walt.

Dude, thanks for being my lab partner and for letting me hang out at your place so much. I really liked going down to the creek and...well...you know, ha ha. Stay cool. Looking forward to hanging out this summer before we go off to college next year. Too bad we're going to different schools, but we can stay in touch, right? Well, better stop writing so much so all your other pals have room to write in this, ha ha.

Further proof was the signed picture of the two of them clowning it up in Chemistry class, with Walter making bunny ears behind his pal's head as the two smiled for the camera.

"Wow," Lee said smiling despite himself, "my dad was just like me. He had friends, and they clowned around just like we do."

"Yeah, I wonder what Walt meant by that part about what they did down by the creek," Seth said, studying the message on the page.

"Maybe they went skinny dipping," Jordy chuckled, "you gotta admit, it would be a perfect place for that."

"I bet they did," Lee said wistfully, "I wonder what else they did though," he added, looking deep in thought.

"You know, best pals and all..." Seth said, "after all, we didn't invent sex," he chuckled.

"I wonder if my grands know how to get hold of this Walter guy. Oh my God! I wonder...I wonder if he was there at the funeral and we just didn't know it?"

"I don't remember anyone by that name being introduced to us, but I don't think I met everyone," Jordy said, trying to remember the names of the sea of faces he'd been introduced to at the funeral and the house.

"I'm gonna call my grands and see if they know anything about him," Lee said resolutely, "but right now, I want to go through the rest of this stuff and decide what to do with all of it."

"You should def keep it, all of it," Seth advised, "we saved everything that was mom's, and...even though we don't keep it just sitting around, sometimes we dig it out and just go through it, just to remember her by," he said sighing, then wiping at a stray tear.

Jordy smiled at his boyfriend and threw an arm around him, "Why don't we go for a ride and let Lee have some time alone?"

"Sure, take all the time you need," Jordy said, giving his best friend a brief hug, "see ya soon."

As it turned out, Walter Rogers was not only not at the funeral, he had proceeded his best friend in death by twenty years, having died in a car wreck at the age of 21. Lee's grandmother spoke fondly of him, saying he was Tommy's best friend from middle school till the day he died. His grandmother said Walt had hung out a lot at their house, explaining that his home life was less than idea, with a dad who drank, and a mom who was super religious.

"Walt was like another son to us," the old woman said fondly, "it was very sad when he passed, he'd just gotten engaged to this girl from school and Tommy was going to be his best man. Then one rainy night he was coming home from college to visit for the weekend and a drunk driver hit him head on. It was awful, Tommy took it very hard, we all did. You say you found some initials down by the creek. The two hung out down there a lot, so I'm not surprised. I think I may take a little walk down there myself."

"They're easy to find grandma, the tree has fallen, and there they were, right beside me when I sat down."

"All right honey, I'll check them out. How are you doing dear? Is everything okay at the Kellys?"

"Yes ma'am, fine. I miss mom and dad and all, but I really like it here. It's quiet and peaceful, and everyone is so nice."

"That's good, honey. Your grandad and I are planning to come visit you this fall, "it will be nice to get away for a while and to see where our grandson is living."

"That would be great, grandma. I bet the Kellys will let you use one of the cabins, just let me know when you'll be here and I'll ask them."

"Well, I really need to go, grandma. Thanks for the information, I feel like I know a little more about dad now, even if it is all kind of sad."

"Oh honey, it wasn't sad at all when they were boys," she sighed, "the two were always together and they had so many good times, we all did. Walt was just like family, and spent more time with us than he did at home."

"I love you too son, tell your new family hello from us," the old woman said, a catch in her throat, "Call anytime honey, we're always glad to hear from you."

Lee filled the other two in on what he'd discovered when they returned from their ride, and they took the news much as Lee had. Even though they only knew Walt from pictures in a yearbook, and from his initials on a tree trunk, they felt like they knew him, and they mourned his death, even if it had happened long before they were born.

"That's just too much sadness for one day," Lee said at last, "can we please do something fun?"

"Well, how about we find a nice quiet place in the woods...and go natural?" Lee said grinning.

"Oh, we're always up for that kind of fun," Jordy chuckled, "too bad Jerry is at Carl's."

"That's okay, three is enough for what I have in mind," Lee said grinning lewdly.

After loading up a few items in the trailer, the boys headed off to the overlook, which by now had become Lee's favorite place, as well as Jordy's and Seth's. Once there, they spread out a blanket on the grass near the overlook and began to undress. Soon, three naked teen boys stood tall and hard as the gentle wind and warm sunshine caressed their bodies.

"I love both of you," Seth said joining the two in a three-way hug, "and I am gonna lick every inch of your bodies," he added grinning.

The laughter rang out across the clearing then, echoing off the cliffs and reverberating across the lake as the three fell down on the blanket. Soon their grief was forgotten, even if for only a while, as Seth went about making his promise come true.

Many thanks to my buddy Michael in NY for his invaluable help with editing, story ideas, and pics. But most of all: for his friendship and support.