Date: Fri, 28 Dec 2018 23:42:12 +0000
From: Douglas DD <thehakaanen@hotmail.com>
Subject: Aiden 2  Chapter 61

Welcome back. The time has come for Keegan's custody hearing. How will the
decision affect Aiden?

Please contribute to the Nifty Archive to keep the stories flowing.

Emails welcomed. thehakaanen@hotmail.com

Eric

CHAPTER 61
FATHERS AND SONS

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20

The referee signaled that time had expired and the game was over. Like the
rest of his teammates, Aiden was cold and wet and more than ready to get
off the field. The game had been played in a steady drizzle at the Mayfield
Sports Complex. The Parks Department could get two soccer fields on what
was essentially a baseball/softball complex. The turf was in good
condition, so while the grass was wet it wasn't muddy. The fields were laid
out so that they didn't overlap the dirt infield.

The Cobras had defeated the Cougars from Benville 3-2 to raise their record
to 3-0. The Cougars had been their toughest opponent so far. Gordy scored
two goals and Aiden added one. Lance made two amazing saves considering the
conditions of the pitch and the fact that Jared Finn played most of the
game as keeper. While Jared played well, he allowed both of the Cougars'
goals. They were the first goals he'd allowed in the Cobras' three games.

When Aiden got home he took a hot shower in his bathroom. As the hot water
warmed and cleansed him he went over two problems in his mind that he'd
been thinking about for the past few days. He wished he'd asked Marty for
his opinion. Instead, he'd made the mistake of keeping his thoughts locked
up, which wasn't usual when he was around Marty.

He thought about waiting to talk about one of the problems, but in some
ways it was connected to the other one, and that one was going to hit his
life on Tuesday. His father's visitation rights hearing was scheduled
Tuesday morning at ten o'clock before Judge Newman. Aiden knew there was
nothing he could do about that, but there was something he could do about
his other problem.

Aiden finished his shower, dried himself, and returned to his room. It was
time to talk to his daddy. Normally he would have gone downstairs naked,
but this time he donned his new Mayfield Titans t-shirt, a pair of gym
shorts, and a pair of white socks. He didn't think wearing underpants was
necessary.

Phil was in Aiden's favorite recliner partly reading Sports Illustrated and
partly taking in the Mariners game on TV. "What's the score?" Aiden asked.

"M's are up 2-0 in the top of the fourth," Phil answered. "Wow, you must
want to sit with me seeing as you're all dressed up."

"I need to talk to daddy.  Where is he?"

"I guess he snuck past you while you were showering. He's upstairs in his
office."

Aiden took a couple of steps to exit the room and stopped next to the
recliner. He looked down at his dad. "We need a hot tub, especially for
days like today when you freeze your butt off playing soccer."

"There is a Jacuzzi in our bathroom," Phil reminded his son.

"Like I ever get a chance to use it."

"Do you ever ask to use it?"

"No, but I was thinking of a hot tub outside somewhere by the pool, like in
a place with a roof over it."

"You mean a gazebo."

Aiden shrugged. "Whatever that is."

"Look it up and tell me if it's what you mean."

"When I have time. I gotta see daddy right now." Aiden left without waiting
for any kind of reply. Phil went back to reading his magazine although he
knew something was on his son's mind and he couldn't help wondering what it
was. He figured eventually his husband would explain.

Aiden went upstairs and walked into Larry's office. He was sitting at his
computer compiling some lesson plans for his Basic Math class. "Hey, son,"
Larry smiled when Aiden sat in the seat next to his desk.

"Hi."

"What are you all dressed up for?"

"I'm just wearing a t-shirt and shorts. It's not like I'm wearing a tuxedo
or something." Aiden was annoyed that his dads thought he just ran around
the house naked all of the time, even though it was basically true. Aiden
was dressed because as he thought it was important to be dressed for
important discussions. This wasn't the first time he'd dressed for a big
talk with his dads or a dad. He was upset because his dads seemed to be too
dense to figure it out.

"Well, either you're expecting a girlfriend to show up or you have
something important to discuss."

"I'll give you a hint—I don't have a girlfriend."

 "Aha, that means you have something important to talk about. I would
venture to guess it involves your father."

"Kinda. But mostly it is about you."

"Me?" he asked Aiden. What did I do now? Larry asked himself.

Aiden sat quietly and stared at the desk, avoiding eye contact with his
daddy. This was turning out to be more difficult than he thought it would
be. He didn't realize how telling his daddy what he wanted to say would
also bring up thoughts of his father, even though the problems weren't
directly related.

"Well, son," Larry said in the quiet, firm voice that always gave Aiden the
feeling that love and support and trust were being offered.

Aiden realized he would create more issues saying nothing than he would
speaking his mind. The love and trust Larry's voice conveyed gave the
eleven-year-old the confidence to move on.

"I'm in middle school now," Aiden began. Larry fought down the urge to make
a snide remark about Aiden stating the obvious. His instincts told him that
Aiden needed to be able to thread his way through the maze of whatever was
bothering him. "That means, I'm, like, growing up and getting into puberty
and stuff like you and dad and Marty and my teachers and my friends keep
talking about."

Larry wondered where this was going. He'd had more than one talk on sex and
sexuality with his son. Once again he listened to his instincts, which told
him that this was not going to be a talk about sex.

"I'm listening," Larry said softly.

"Well, it's like I'm not a little kid any more, and when I was calling you
daddy I thought it was the coolest thing I could call you. But now it makes
me feel like a little kid instead of grown up." Aiden wiped away a tear. He
hadn't expected to tear up and was embarrassed by the show of emotion. "I
love you tons, but I want to call you something more grown up and I don't
know what do to." Aiden left out how saying daddy in front of his friends
made him feel like he wasn't really a big boy in middle school.

As soon as Aiden had told him what the meeting was about, Larry
relaxed. He'd taught middle school for many years before moving to high
school and he knew how important it was to a middle school boy to give the
impression of being cool and grown up. He had anticipated the topic would
come up, probably before the holidays, but Aiden brought it up much sooner
than that.

 "I understand, Aiden. I've even thought about what you are saying."

"You have? How?"

"Call it a dad's instincts. I think I might even have a solution."

"You mean you're not mad at me?"

"Why should I be mad at you for growing up? I love you, Aiden, and am proud
when you're willing to make a step forward in the world, which is what
you're doing here."

"So, then what is your solution?"

"Pop or pops."

Aiden looked at Larry and emitted a light giggle. "You mean like pop goes
the weasel?"

"Silly boy, I mean pop as in that's something you can call your father,
dad, daddy, at sometimes."

Aiden mentally chewed on that for a few seconds and then said, "I love you,
pop. I love you, pops. Hey, pop, what's for dinner? Hey, pops, I wanna
spend the night at Mason's house. I guess it will work. But I'll probably
end up saying daddy some times. But, it's never going to happen at school."

"Remember what we said about new habits," Larry reminded his son. "It takes
two weeks to unlearn one..."

"...and two more weeks to learn the new one," Aiden finished.

"Are you happy now?"

"Yep. I got a new name for daddy, and you didn't get mad at me, and
dressing up to talk to you helped. I mean, you know, dressing up with
something on instead of nothing."

Larry decided that the moment was good to bring up the subject he thought
Aiden was going to talk about. "Do you want to talk about your father now?"

Again, Aiden stopped to think, something that had become increasingly
frequent as he remembered the lessons on pausing he'd been getting almost
from the day he came to Mayfield. "Yeah, but I want to talk with you and
dad both."

"Then let's go downstairs."

Larry and Aiden left the office. Aiden told his pop he would be down in a
couple of minutes. Larry nodded, thinking Aiden had to use the can, which
turned out not to be the case.

When Larry entered the conference room he told Phil Aiden would be coming
down for a chat on Keegan's upcoming hearing.

"Was that what the two of you just talked about?" Phil asked.

"I'll tell you that one later." Larry sat on the couch and Phil remained
ensconced on his recliner.

When Aiden entered the room, he was naked, which told Larry how much
importance the boy gave to the upcoming discussion. "I want to sit in my
chair," Aiden announced officiously.

Normally Phil would have gotten into a friendly dialog as to whom the
recliner really belonged to, but despite Aiden's nude statement Phil felt
the seriousness of the topic negated giving his son a hard time over chair
ownership. He left the chair and sat next Larry on the couch. Aiden sat in
what he considered to be his recliner.

Without mincing words, Aiden went straight into the subject. "Is my father
going to win in court?"

Phil looked at Larry, who nodded for Phil to proceed. "Your daddy..."

"My pop," Aiden interrupted.

That answered Phil's question about what Larry and Aiden had
discussed. "Okay, your pop and I feel that your father will be awarded
visitation rights at his hearing. Mary Polk says he appears to have done
everything expected of him to have the no contact order rescinded and
visiting rights awarded."

"But I don't have to let him see me, right?"

"That is correct. You have the power to keep him away from you."

"So, it's like I'm a boy no contact order."

"Something like that," Phil chuckled.

"Good, because I don't want to see him—ever. I'll say no the first time
he asks and every time he asks."

"It is entirely up to you, son." Larry nodded in agreement.

Aiden moved into thinking mode. He knew his dads well enough to be able to
tell they didn't agree with his decision. He also knew that they were men
of their word and were not going to try to influence him unless he asked
for their opinions.

Larry and Phil sat silently on the couch, their hands touching, wondering
what was running through their son's head. They were proud of Aiden for
taking a moment to think over his decisions, even if he didn't come to the
conclusion they hoped he would reach.

Aiden finally spoke. "You guys don't agree with me. I can tell."

Phil squeezed Larry's hand and Larry took the cue. "Whether we agree with
you or not is immaterial. The decision is yours and yours alone," Larry
answered.

"So, what do you think I should do?"

"Remember that you don't want to ask a question if you might end up not
wanting the answer."

Aiden frowned. "Sheesh, just tell me, okay? I asked now tell me what you
think."

This time Larry took a moment to think. He hadn't been ready for Aiden's
irritated reply. "Your dad and I both think you should agree to meet with
your father."

"But..."

Larry held up his hand traffic-cop style and continued slowly. "If your
father wins visitation rights it will be because he worked hard to do
it. It will be because he wants to see you very badly. He is not the kind
of person who jumps through the hoops he's had to jump through for no
reason at all."

"Your dad and I feel you should give him his chance. Don't give him the
opportunity to say he never got a chance because we wouldn't let you, or
because you were too young to know what you wanted, or whatever excuse he
might come up with. Your father is the master of making excuses and placing
blame on others when things don't go his way."

Aiden frowned again as he absorbed what Larry said. "So, how would I do
it?" Phil and Larry were pleased that Aiden didn't immediately reject the
idea. "Would he come here to the house? I don't want to be alone with him."

"Well, we'll give you our idea," Larry said, "and then go from there."
Aiden nodded and Larry went on. "Tell him you want him to take you to
lunch..."

"But..."

"Hear us out, son. Just tell him you want him to take you out to
lunch. Tell him it has to be in Mayfield."

"What restaurant?"

"There aren't very many of them here, as you know. Pick the one you want
and tell him that's where the lunch will be."

"The Bear and PIZZA!" Aiden shouted.

"We are going to give you your privacy, but we will be outside if you need
us."

"Right on one of the benches I bet." Aiden was referring to the benches
across the street in the town square, which was part of the downtown park.
"What do I tell him?"

"That, my friend, is up to you. Just be yourself and follow your heart. You
can't go wrong."

Phil broke in and said, "Just remember, it won't be your job to make your
father happy. This meeting will be all about you being happy. Nothing else
is important. Just like your daddy...your pop...said, follow your heart."

Aiden rose from the recliner, walked over the couch, and scooted between
his dads. Naked or not, right at that moment he needed their touch. "I love
you both so much. I'm the luckiest boy in the world to have two dads like
you." He felt a shiver of emotion pass through him. "I'm gonna do my teeth
and then I'll be ready to tuck in."

"One of us will be there for you," Larry grinned.

"How about both of you tonight?"

"Sounds like a plan, kiddo."

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22

<Keegan>

Keegan liked having Natalie cuddled up against him. He'd had a good night's
sleep, not to mention a good evening of love making beforehand. He got out
of bed and headed to the bathroom to take a piss. He noticed that the door
to the guestroom hadn't been closed. Drake must have left it open to listen
to the gymnastics in Natalie's bedroom. Natalie had moved to a two-bedroom
apartment in the same complex, which worked out well for Drake. He now had
his own room and his own bed and no longer had to sleep on the couch during
his regular visits.

Keegan decided that since it was past seven he didn't really want to go
back to bed, so he went to the kitchen to start up a pot of coffee
instead. It was nice to be able to wake up every morning instead of coming
to from being drunk on his ass. Maybe there was something to be said for
sobriety. The judge's ruling on Tuesday would really tell him if it was
worthwhile or not. He wanted to see his kid badly.

He had done everything he'd been told to do, but he'd been lied to so often
by legions of bastards and by bitches like the judge that he was prepared
to go to war if she ruled against him. His lawyer had advised him to push
for custody but to be happy to just have the no-contact order rescinded and
get visitation rights.

"You have to be willing to do this a step at time," the lawyer told him.

"Sure, and when I finally win what I'm supposed to have, I'll get custody
of a seventeen-year-old a month away from his eighteenth birthday. This
whole process totally sucks, and you know it," Keegan moaned.

"Good morning, Uncle Keegan," Drake said cheerfully as he entered the
kitchen. He was dressed in the same clothes as Keegan—namely, none.

"How can you be so cheerful this early on a Saturday morning?" Keegan asked
grumpily.

"Because I haven't had booze or weed in almost a month. Makes me feel good
in the morning. What's your excuse for being a grump?"

"My excuse is fourteen-year-old know-it-alls who don't close their bedroom
doors."

"When did you become an old fart? I mean once upon a time we were getting
drunk and high together, and now you get on my case for leaving my door
open?"

"It's dangerous."

"I know, it's supposed to be closed in case of fire, but what are the odds
of that happening. Besides you and Aunt Natalie got me off twice last
night."

"Damn, you're a dirty minded kid."

"Blame it on my mom and her long line of boyfriends. Fuck she's almost a ho
the way she goes through them."

Drake's mother reminded Keegan a lot of Aiden's mom. Both were women who
couldn't get enough sex.

"Did you make enough coffee for me?" Drake asked.

"There's enough for everybody."

Natalie entered the kitchen wearing a terry cloth robe. "Good morning to
both of my nude boyfriends."

"I wish I was your boyfriend," Drake said. "But not like I used to."

"Who has your eye this time?"

"Other than Uncle Keegan? Try Mitch Everett. I've got him in English and
he's so fucking sexy I'm usually boned up during the whole class. And Aiden
always has my eye. It's a good thing he don't live around here or I'd die
of blue balls because I couldn't touch him."

Natalie shook her head. "Keegan has not obtained uncle status yet. There
are no plans for us getting married, which I think I tell you just about
every time you're here."

"Which seems to be almost every day," Keegan remarked.

"You guys know you love it. Keegan is close enough to uncle status to be
called uncle Keegan." He held up his teen cock in his hand. Aunt Natalie
hungers for this. But now that I know I'm gay, she's just gonna have to be
disappointed."

"How about you two shower and get dressed and let's go out for breakfast,"
Natalie said.

"IHOP it is," Drake whooped. "Want to shower with me?" he asked Keegan.

"You can do fine without me," Keegan replied. "You go shower and I'll talk
with your aunt."

 Natalie shook her head after Drake disappeared into the bathroom. "It's
hard to believe he's actually calmed down. I like how he finally followed
your lead and quit getting drunk and stoned. He really likes you, you
know."

"I've kinda gotten fond of him, too. Maybe I should become Uncle Keegan for
real."

"It that a proposal?"

"It's a thought."

"Pretty damned good one, too, now that you're sober."

"Hell, I've never said this to anyone, but I love you Natalie. I wish we
could live together again."

Natalie pointed to the bathroom. "Even with him around?"

"Even with Drake around."

"You've got to get your business with your son straightened out and then we
can talk about marriage."

"By straightened out, do you mean me getting custody?"

"You know that's not gonna happen. No, what I mean is just knowing where
the hell you stand." Once again she pointed to the shower. "And as we've
discussed before, getting married could mean we end up getting custody of
my suddenly gay nephew—or at least he's gay until the next horny girl
sits on his lap."

"Or on his face," Keegan laughed.

<Aiden>

Aiden woke up in Gordy's bed, snuggled up to his best friend. As he took in
Gordy's unique smells he thought about the fun they'd had before falling
asleep. Messing around with Gordy was different than with any of his other
friends. There was something special about it, especially when they rubbed
off on each other like they had that night. Gordy never seemed to go all
out, hardly ever kissed, and yet when it was finished he felt really
satisfied.  If Aiden had been a bit older and more mature, he might have
grasped the fact that sex with Gordy was so satisfying because Gordy rarely
let his ego take over.  As much as Gordy liked his own good feelings, he
also liked to make his partner, Aiden in particular, feel equally good
without compromising his own standards. Yes, he was willing to do much more
than when he first started doing sexual things with Aiden, but that was
more a matter of growing into new things than doing what he really didn't
want to do.  For Aiden, doing sexual things with Gordy didn't send the kind
of shivers through him that having sex with Nolan did.


Aiden thought about what he and Gordy talked about before going at it on
top of Gordy's bed. Kalie's cousins were coming to Mayfield for the
three-day Columbus Day weekend and Gordy not only had been invited to an
overnight with them, his parents had approved after some long talks with
Kalie's parents. Rules were set down, which Gordy was certain would be
violated.

"I know we're going to mess around," Gordy said. Based on previous visits
to Kalie's house, that was a no brainer.

"Are you going to sleep with Kalie?" Aiden asked.

"I hope so and I hope we mess around. But no way are we having sex. We've
both said that already." By sex, Gordy meant fucking.

Aiden had been invited. He said he wasn't sure what his dads' plans were
and left it at that. He wasn't sure about going to an overnight where he
might end up sleeping with a girl; it didn't seem right to him. Sleeping
with Kalie's cousin Ian held some allure, but her cousin Gretchen just
didn't have the proper tools between her legs for overnight fun.

Before arising, Aiden and Gordy talked about what was happening in Aiden's
life on Tuesday. Gordy asked if Aiden was going to the hearing.

"No. My dad will be there. Everybody knows what's going to happen this
time. I hope everybody gets surprised and the judge tells Keegan to go fuck
himself," Aiden said with more than a hint of bitterness.

"Well, it won't matter since you're never going to see him, anyway."

"I am going to see him. If he asks to see me I'm going to make him buy
lunch for me at The Bear."

"For real? You're going to see him? I thought you hated him."

"I do. But my dads think it might be best for me to talk to him and tell
him what I think."

"What do you think?"

"I think I'm scared." Aiden blinked hard to avoid crying. "But you know
what?"

"What?"

"I'm going to take Horace with me to protect me and make me strong."

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25

Phil sat patiently in Family Court as Judge Newman efficiently presided
over Keegan's hearing. He thought about the ambivalent feelings he held for
his brother. On the one hand, he loved him as a brother and was saddened by
the mess he had made out of his life. On the other hand, he resented his
brother for the hell he'd put Aiden through. As soon as that resentment
entered his head, Phil knew he had to fight it.

Resentments were the bane of all alcoholics. Phil knew that they had
dominated Keegan's life, which explained much of the reason for his
bitterness and continued addictions. By letting resentments into his head,
Phil was also letting Keegan occupy a place in his head rent free. Yes, he
loved his brother, but Keegan would just have to deal with his world on his
own.

He brought his thoughts back to Earth when Judge Newman said she was ready
to make her ruling on Keegan Miller's petition for visitation rights. She
asked Keegan to stand while she presented her ruling. Keegan did so.

Phil listened intently to what the judge had to say. Judge Newman
congratulated Keegan on fulfilling all his requirements. She rescinded the
no-contact order. She gave Keegan visitation rights contingent on Aiden
Miller's full consent for any meeting to take place. It was what Phil and
Larry expected unless Keegan managed to screw things up at the last minute,
which was not out of the question considering Keegan's past behavior.

"Is there any further business before the court?" Judge Newman remembered
Keegan's threat to ask for full custody. She was giving him the chance to
open his mouth so she could quickly shut it for him.

Keegan turned to Dave Brown, his lawyer. "For the time being, Mr. Miller is
satisfied with the ruling, Your Honor." That statement told Judge Newman
all she needed to know--Keegan Miller would be coming back before the court
to ask for the adoption of his son to be annulled and for him to be granted
complete custody.

Keegan wanted to get the adoption ball rolling at today's hearing, but his
lawyer told him why it wouldn't be a good idea. "There is no way you will
be able to take that boy out of a loving home which is not only meeting his
basic needs, but has given him happiness and success. It doesn't matter
that his adoptive fathers are gay married men. You will to have to show
that Aiden's staying in the relationship with your brother and
brother-in-law is doing and will do irreparable harm to the boy. And you
will also have to show that you have developed a rapport with the boy,
which puts the ball squarely in your court."

"How can I establish a rapport when my son is going to refuse to see me?"
Keegan had accepted that his darkest thoughts were true; thoughts that told
him Larry and Phil had brainwashed Aiden to refuse any contact with him.

Keegan had seen Phil at the back of the courtroom during the hearing and
noted that Aiden was not there. Keegan saw his brother as being a coward
for walking out of the courtroom before he could say anything, and for
being a backstabber for not bringing Aiden to keep him from talking to the
boy now that he could. He was furious when he stepped into the lobby and
saw Phil standing along the wall.

"Congratulations, Keegan," Phil said before Keegan could escape talking to
him.

"Fuck you, too, Phil. I know you and your faggot husband brainwashed my son
and that his whole thing was bullshit. I don't see him around so I can talk
to him, which tells me a lot."

Phil, happy that he had swallowed his resentments in the courtroom, handed
Keegan a letter sized envelope. "There's a note in there from Aiden. Make
it a great day, bro." He turned and walked away before Keegan could say
anything. Keegan opened the envelope and pulled out a carefully scripted
hand-written note.

"Dear Father, I know you can now see me because you have this note.  If you
want to see me you can at The Bear Pizza in Mayfield at 1 o'clock on
Saturday October 6.  You can buy me pizza and soda. Only you and me will be
eating, my dads won't be there.  Your son, Aiden"

Keegan walked out of the courthouse and lit a cigarette. He thought about
going after his brother, but changed his mind. This was more than he
expected. He was going to have lunch with his son without having to beg for
it. He was ecstatic until he wondered what the catch was.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6

<Nolan>

Nolan was happily sitting at the workbench in the model railroad room
building his new Lego train station. It was going to replace the premade
plastic station that didn't fit into his layout. While he worked, one of
his trains was running along the outer track. He heard a sound behind him
and saw his father enter the basement room.

Paul Moyer couldn't help but admire his scantily dressed son. Nolan was
wearing nothing except a pair of boxer shorts and flip flops. Just a little
over three weeks short of his twelfth birthday, Nolan was reaching the
pinnacle of preteen boyhood. He was a handsome boy with a firm, athletic
build. Paul thought his son was beautiful, but he had also thought that
when Nolan was just short of being twelve minutes old. He felt blessed to
have been given such a wonder in his life.

"How's the station coming?" Paul asked his son.

"Hey, dad. So far it's good, but I don't have everything I need. We might
have to go Lego shopping so I can make the platform the way I want."

"Don't tell me you didn't plan things right." Nolan was a very thorough
planner. Paul would be surprised if poor planning was Nolan's problem.

"I had good plans, but then I wanted to extend the platform for a longer
train, plus add a deck for the outside station café. So, I guess you
could say I changed my plans and now I'm, I think it's called, over
budget."

"It happens to the best," Paul grinned. "You look very comfortable."

"I wanted to take everything off," Nolan said. He didn't add he wanted to
get naked because that's what Aiden did at home, even though that was a big
reason for his desire for nudity.

"That's not a problem as far as I'm concerned, just as long as you have
clothes to wear when you go upstairs."

"I have them right over there," Nolan said, pointing to the neatly folded
pile under the main table. "But, are you serious? I really can work naked
down here?"

"Only if it's just you, or just you and me."

"What about me and a friend who doesn't care that I'm naked?"

"I'd say okay, if you're really careful about making sure what he really
wants." Paul wondered where this fascination with nudity had come
from. Nolan had always liked being in just his underwear which Paul didn't
mind at all and his wife Susan had ambivalent feelings about. He suspected
Nolan and his friend Carter had been naked in the room more than once.

"Dad, can I ask you something really personal?"

"Son, you know I'm here for you all the time."

"You promise not to laugh at me?"

"Nolan, you know I would never laugh at you at any time. Laugh with you,
yes, that's what fathers and sons do. But laugh at you? Never."

"Thanks dad. I love you."

"And I love you with all of my heart, son. So, tell me what your question
is."

"If two guys like each other a lot but don't live close to each other and
get a chance to go to a movie and go to dinner and spend the night
together, could that be called a date?"

"I take it you're talking about Aiden and yourself on your birthday
weekend?" Nolan nodded. "Well, I'd like to say you're both a bit young to
call it a date, and that being as you're both boys it's more a boys' night
out, anyway. But, what I am going to say is this: if you boys want to call
it a date, then I would say it's a date. How does that sound?"

Nolan rose off his stool and walked over to his dad. He wrapped his arms
around Paul's waist and placed his face against his t-shirt clad
chest. "Thank you. That's perfect. I love you, dad."

Paul hugged his prize treasure tightly. He wasn't sure what Nolan's
question was about, but it did make him wonder, not for the first time, if
his son might be gay. He hoped that wasn't the case, but if it turned out
being true, then he would do everything a father could do to help make his
son's path a smooth and happy one.

<Aiden>

"Good morning, pop," Aiden mumbled as Larry pulled back the covers.

"Good morning, son." Larry kissed his son on the forehead. "I tried not to
wake you up. I guess I wasn't successful."

"That's okay. I think I was ready to wake up. I was having a weird dream
about being chased by penguins."

"Penguins? You mean Megrez and friends?"

"More like Megrez and cousins," Aiden giggled. "I guess dad went out
jogging. I should have asked him to wake me up so I could jog, too. But, I
think it's raining."

"That it is. Now get up and I'll fix breakfast."

"No way, that's not how it's gonna work. I'm gonna get up, but I'll fix
breakfast."

Later, as the family sat at the table eating fried eggs, bacon, and toast,
Phil brought up the subject of Aiden's upcoming lunch with Keegan. "Are you
nervous?"

"Nope, I'm not nervous, I'm scared. But I know I can do it and I'll have
Horace with me. We both slept with you and you made us strong enough for
anything."

"Keegan didn't seem pleased about you bringing Horace to court when you
went to his first hearing."

"So? If he doesn't like it he can leave and my real dads can buy me pizza."

"In other words, you can't lose," Larry chuckled as he held back the
temptation to ruffle Aiden's hair.

"Exactly."

After showering, Aiden stayed naked. He booted his computer and wrote Marty
an email. Then he wrote one to Nolan, telling him how he couldn't wait for
their—he typed date, deleted it, and wrote---their trip to the movie
together. After he finished he went to work on a story he was writing. He
had no idea what kind of stories he would have to write for Creative
Writing when he took it, but he hoped some of the ones he'd already written
would work.

The story he was currently writing was inspired by Mason. Even though Mason
was willing to play and sing for Larry and Phil, he was embarrassed to play
for Aiden or for his friends. Aiden had seen the video, however, and all
but begged Mason to play until he could see he was upsetting his
friend. The story he was writing was about a boy who had a lot of talent on
the piano but was afraid to play for anybody except his music teacher.

While Aiden was writing, Keegan left his apartment in Seattle. He gave
himself almost three hours to make the trip, which took just under two
hours in normal traffic. He arrived in Mayfield just before noon for his
one o'clock lunch date with his son.

He parked his pickup a block from The Bear and walked across the street
into the town square. He pulled up the hood on his windbreaker to protect
from the steady drizzle. He looked at his surroundings, wondering how his
brother, Phil, could stand living in the little one horse town of Mayfield.

He knew he had to get his son out of the place and to Seattle where he
could live and breathe. He was certain his gay brother and his idiot
husband had turned his son into a sissy. Seeing him in court with his
stuffed animal a few months back had told Keegan all he needed to know. He
was also certain that the little pussy didn't play sports—that would go
against the code of raising a kid to be gay.

While Keegan had been sober for a while, he hadn't been dedicated to
completing the Twelve Steps. Had he been ready to think sanely, he would
have wondered about his thinking. He would have wondered why he thought two
men who had played multiple sports in high school, had played college
baseball, and who coached championship teams wouldn't have pushed their son
to participate in athletics.

The drizzle let up enough for Keegan to light a cigarette, ignoring the "No
Smoking in the Park" signs. At quarter to one, Keegan went into The Bear
and took a seat in a corner booth. He took off his windbreaker and baseball
cap and asked for a cup of coffee when a high school age kid came over to
his table with a menu. He told the young waiter that he was expecting
somebody. Keegan was impressed that the dump had table service, although he
saw a couple ordering at the counter in the back of the restaurant.

After receiving his coffee, he perused the menu to see what he would order
for his son and himself. Aiden, who was admittedly afraid of the meeting,
would have been surprised to know how nervous his father was.

As Aiden got ready to go into town with his dads, he wondered if he should
put any work into combing his hair. He decided not to—his father should
see him the way he usually was, not how he looked when he was going out for
something special. He thought a Mayfield Mustang baseball hat and a
Mayfield Titan sweatshirt would tell his father exactly where he was coming
from and what was important to him.

Keegan looked at the door at one o'clock. Within seconds it opened and a
blond-haired boy entered the pizza parlor. He was wearing a brown hoodie,
blue baseball cap, and jeans. He was also carrying a gray stuffed
donkey. Keegan knew the boy was Aiden. Seeing the little sissy with his
stupid stuffed animal caused Keegan to lose his nervousness.

He could see that he was going to have to take control of this situation
right away. The boy was going to have to learn that the sissy behavior his
brother tolerated was not going to fly with him.

Aiden saw his father in the corner booth and walked over to the
table. After all of his planning for this moment, Aiden couldn't remember
what he had decided to say first, so he simply said, "Hey." He set Horace
on the bench seat next to the place where he was going to sit, took off his
Mayfield baseball cap, but kept his Mayfield Middle School hoodie on. He
sat across from his father and waited for his reply to the greeting, such
as it was. He could smell the cigarette smoke on his father's breath, and
it disgusted him.

Keegan fought down the urge to start with a comment about the stuffed
animal and said, "Hi, son." The father and son sat awkwardly looking at
each other, wondering where their minds had disappeared to. What Keegan saw
almost made him want to cry for what he had missed. The blond had a
sprinkling of light freckles across his cheeks and the bridge of his
nose. His thick blond hair looked like it needed combing and trimming, and
yet the boy looked beautiful as it covered his forehead and the tops of his
ears. Keegan thought that one of the first things he would do when he got
custody of his son, after getting rid of the fucking stuffed animal, was
get his head buzzed.

"Thanks for being willing to see me," Keegan found himself saying. He knew
it was a dumb thing to say, because it told him, as the father, and the
boy, as the son, who was in control of the situation at the moment. Keegan
could see that it wasn't him. In fact, it hadn't been him since the moment
he read the note and agreed to the meeting.

"I think it is the other way around," Aiden said with an assertiveness that
belied his thumping heart and churning stomach. "I wrote you the note."

"Well, we can only do things the way the judge ruled it. But I think it
would be a good idea if we agree that during a meeting like this I should
take charge."

"Why?"

Damnit, Keegan thought. I'm in the company of another snooty young
adolescent. "Because I am your father."

Aiden sat impassively and said nothing, not because he was intimidated, but
because he couldn't dispute the statement.

"I think we should start this by you taking that stuffed thing somewhere
else—maybe ask to have it stored behind the counter?"

This time Aiden reacted. "He's staying here," he said even more
forcefully. The kid sure doesn't sound like a sissy, Keegan thought.

"You're what, eleven years old now?"

"Like you don't know? I mean, you are my father." Aiden was moving from
being afraid of the situation to realizing the meeting with his father was
his meeting—that he initiated it and he would be the only one who could
set up a follow up.

"Son, I think you should calm down and be respectful. Now, once again,
please remove that thing."

Keegan felt a moment of triumph when Aiden lifted Horace from the seat. But
instead of making any attempt to get up and move the stuffed animal, he sat
it on his lap and wrapped his left arm around it. "This isn't a thing. This
is Horace. Horace has been here for me since I was like six or
seven. Horace was there when you hit me with a belt. Horace was there for
me when you never were. Horace is my talisman, and he is staying here
because he makes me feel safe and loved." Aiden felt proud about using the
word talisman. He could almost feel the wise presence of Espowyes looking
over his shoulder.

"You have had him since you were six? And now you're eleven? Have Larry and
Phil ever mentioned you might have outgrown it. That maybe it's turned you
into a little sissy."

Aiden glared at Keegan, wishing he had never agreed to meet with his
father. He was hungry, which was making him cranky, and his father's stupid
talk was making him cranky and angry. "I'm not a sissy and it is wrong to
call me one."

"So tell me...what sports to you play? I mean real sports, not video game
sports."

"Right now I am playing on the Cobras. They're a soccer team. I was going
to ask if you wanted to watch me play next week, but I don't think I will
now. I played baseball for the Yard Goats and I am going to turn out for
the Mayfield Titans JV basketball team. So, I ain't no sissy!"

Keegan could see that he had lost what little control he'd had of the
meeting. If he was going to establish any kind of rapport with his son, he
was going to have to back off for now before the boy bolted. "Look, I
really didn't come to argue, and I'm sorry. Maybe we're both hungry which
is making us cranky, so how about we order pizza? Your note did say I was
supposed to buy you lunch. I think the Mustang Meat Lovers pizza sounds
good."

Aiden had already made up his mind for sausage, mushroom, and onion, but he
made a concession and agreed to Keegan's choice, since the Mustang pizza
was pretty good. Keegan could thank Marty and Aiden's dads for teaching
Aiden the art of pausing. Had Aiden not paused a new argument would have
broken out over the choice of pizza. "Okay, and I want a Dr. Pepper to
drink."

Keegan looked around for the young waiter, who had stayed away from
whomever it was who was arguing with Coach Sanders' son. "Hey, Christian,"
Aiden called out when he saw him near the counter. While table service as
available at The Bear, most customers ordered at the counter, with the
pizza being delivered to the table when it was ready.

"What is this soccer game you were talking about?" Keegan asked after
Christian took their order to the kitchen.

"We play the Lacey Grizzlies next Saturday at Lacey. That's closer to you
than Mayfield, so maybe you could come watch us play."

"Let me look at my work schedule." Keegan took his phone out of his pocket
and looked at his calendar. "I thought I might be working, but it's the
Saturday after that. So, yeah, I'd love to watch you play. How's your team
doing?"

"We're undefeated so far. Five and oh."

"Nice. Do you play much?" He envisioned Aiden as one of those skinny little
players that coaches played as little as possible by the rules.

Aiden wondered what kind of a stupid question that was. "Yeah, and I have
three assists and two goals scored."

"Oh, I see." Keegan saw another part of his sissy theory go out the window
with that answer. He decided to change the subject as the pizza
arrived. Aiden took his glass over to the soda machine to fill it. When he
returned, Keegan decided to change the subject.

"What kind of grades are you getting in school?"

"I got almost all A's last year. I'm doing pretty good so far this
year. Middle school is way different than elementary school."

"Nice job. And yes, I remember having lots of trouble when I started going
to middle school." Keegan didn't mention that he never bothered to study
and was often high during the school day.

Thinking he was regaining control of meeting he never controlled, Keegan
decided to broach the opening subject. "So, it sounds like things are
really going your way."

"I am grateful that I have so much. I am grateful I have lots of friends, I
am grateful I have Marty to be my big bro, and I am grateful I have the two
best dads in the world to love me."

"Doesn't it bother you to have two dads instead of a mom and dad?"

"Nope, because when you have two parents who love you so much it doesn't
matter. They could be space aliens and I'd love them and be grateful for
them."

Keegan thought he saw an opening into a possible troubling subject. "Who is
this Marty guy you call your big bro?"

"He helps me figure things out. Things I can't always ask my dads."

"I see. And how old is this guy?"

Aiden didn't sense any danger in Keegan's inquiry. "He's twenty-four and he
plays minor league baseball for the Mariners. I think he's going to be in
the Majors next year because he's really good. He played for pop in middle
school and high school."

"And why do you like him so much?"

"Because he teaches me a lot. He helps me learn to do things right, like
pausing when I get mad so I don't say dumb things."

"Is he married?"

"Yep." Aiden was beginning to wonder why Keegan was showing so much
interest in Marty, so he elected not to say he was married to a man.
Besides, if his father really wanted to know, it wasn't hard to find out.

"Well, if you have so many things going your way, why do you still need the
protection of Howard? Isn't it about time you started growing up?"

"His name is Horace, and I thought we were done talking about that. Why do
you have to ask me that? You're not my dad and I don't need to do what you
say, anyway." Aiden was surprised at how quickly the conversation turned.
For a moment, when they started talking about sports, he had actually been
enjoying it. He had no idea why his dad was hung up on Horace, but he
remembered that he had been in the courthouse, too.

"I am your father, and I think you should respect that."

Aiden finished the slice of pizza on his plate. "You're my sperm donor and
you left me for most of my life. And if you're supposed to be respected,
how come you smell like cigarette smoke? I hate that smell."

"I'm trying to think what's best for you, son."

Aiden took another pause, which quieted the "Fuck you, you're an
asswaffle," that he was about to say. Instead he said, "How do you know
what's best for me? You don't even know me."

"Then you need to give me the chance."

"I'll see you next at the soccer game, if you think you want to come."
Aiden wondered if Keegan would show up. He stood up, put his cap on, and
picked up Horace. "Thanks for the pizza, it was good. Horace thinks you're
a dork, and he's never wrong." Aiden turned and walked out of The Bear.

Keegan sat on his seat, stunned by the turn of events. His son wasn't a
sissy at all. Instead, he was a mouthy little bastard with some unhealthy
habits, like his attachment to the stuffed creature. He paid for the lunch
and walked out to his pickup. He did have an open invitation to one of
Aiden's soccer games. He wondered if anything would come after that or if
he would have to beg for visits.

 Whatever, things weren't tolerable as they stood. What the boy needed was
a new environment, but he had no idea how to get custody. He certainly
couldn't do it if he didn't have a good rapport with his son—or could
he?

As he sat down in his truck he was shaking. He didn't know if it was from
anger or from having his nerves jangled by an eleven-year-old boy who had
obviously outmaneuvered him. The meeting with Aiden had not gone at all
like he'd planned. Somehow he had lost control of what was happening. What
I need, Keegan thought, is a good, stiff drink.

Next: An Eventful October