Gregory A. Patrick 10/17/2020
Jaiden - Chapter 68
Disclaimer: This story is the writer's/owner's intellectual property protected by US and international copyright laws.
No portion of this story may be used in any manner without the express written permission of the author/owner.
This story is wholly a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living or dead, events that may have occurred, or places or businesses that exist or may have existed is purely coincidental.
Jaiden, the story, contains sexual inferences toward or direct mention of male-to-male sexual contact. If you are under the age of 18, or access to this story is a violation of community laws of the city, state, or nation in which you live, or if this type or style of writing offends you, leave this site immediately.
The writer and Nifty.org assumes no liability regarding an individual's access to or an individual's reading of this story.
Nifty.org runs off financial donations made to their site. Please remember to donate accordingly.
https://donate.nifty.org
If you wish to comment on this story, address your comments to: gp932260@gmail.com. Your comments must be non-argumentative and respectful, otherwise your comments will be deleted, and you will be blocked from making further remarks.
Greg Patrick
NOTE: This chapter of Jaiden is the result of what I heard Sunday morning. I hope each of you who reads this story understands the love behind this chapter, and the story in general, and understand that each of you deserves to be loved with no strings attached. When you feel like nobody loves you, know that you are loved by one person, me. It is the reason I started writing this story and ensuring each chapter centers around five central themes: love, acceptance, inclusion, forgiveness, and family. May you each receive, have and freely give of and from the five central themes.
"Good morning, Jeremy. How are you feeling this morning?" "Mr. Jaiden, I'm sore, but I guess that is to be expected; Dad beat me up pretty badly." "That he did, Jeremy. Let me check you out and make sure you are doing as well as possible at this point in your recovy."
Jaiden removed all the bandages, and the incisions looked great with no infection anywhere. He checked Jeremy's eyes since they had been beaten shut by Jeremy's bio-dad. "Jeremy, your eyes are looking better, but I still want Jay to take you to an eye doctor and let him do a complete eye exam to make sure you don't have any retinal detachment or bleeding inside the eyes. Your head is still fairly bruised up. How is your face and head feeling? Are you having any headaches since your injuries?"
"Mr. Jaiden, my head is still pretty sore, but I'm not having any headaches. As long as I don't hit my face when I roll over in my sleep, I am starting to feel better." "Good! How would you like to go home today and get settled into your new home?" "Mr. Jaiden, could I go home?" "Jeremy, as soon as I can get Don and Jay to come pick you up, I will release you from the hospital, and you can go home with Jay. I am going to write you a couple of prescriptions, one for pain and one to help you sleep. I'll give you enough for two weeks and ask Jay to make sure you take the medicine according to my instructions. Can you do that?" "Yes, sir," I can, and I will. I just want to go home so I can sleep better without the nurses waking me up during the night, and without being scared." "I understand, buddy, but they have to follow certain rules and get specific things done to help you get well."
"Jay, this is Jaiden. I am in the room with Jeremy, and he is doing well enough to go home this afternoon, provided the x-rays I am about to order look good. He should be ready to go home at about one pm today. It will take the nurses about an hour to get all the paperwork ready. They will give you two prescriptions I am writing: one for any pain Jeremy might have when he gets home and one to help him sleep at night. Each prescription will be written for a two-week supply with no refills unless Dr. Brannen authorizes a refill. When you get here, get the nurses to page me. If I am at the office when you pick him up, I would like for you to bring him to see me so I can see how he is responding to movement since he has been in bed since getting to the hospital." "OK, Jaiden. I'm going to call Don to let him know what is happening. He may want to come to the hospital and your office with me." "That would be great, Jay. I would like to see my two favorite cousins."
"Mr. Jaiden, did I hear you, right? Did you just say Don and Jay are your cousins?" "Jeremy, you know I can't tell you, "yes." And even though I can't tell you, 'yes,' you can't say anything to anybody about me not being able to answer your question with 'yes,' do you understand what I am saying to you?" "Yes, sir, Mr. Jaiden, I understand. You, Don, and Jay are really good friends, is that right." "We can say that, Jeremy," Jaiden said with a big grin on his face.
"You really are trying to help me, aren't you, Mr. Jaiden?" "Son, more than you will ever know!" You, Jay, and Don will be coming to my and Peyton's home for dinner Sunday evening around 7:30. I am going to help Peyton with rounds here at the hospital so we can get home early. When you get to the house, Jay will introduce you to my brothers since I can't legally tell them who you are. I have already told you why, remember?" "Yes, sir."
"Peyton and I are pretty good at patient care, but Dale, you might say, is an expert in helping people with stress control and release, and he has said he wants to work with you on that. Don and Jay can introduce you to Charley and Dale, and then you three can talk to each other and work on things you need help with."
"Mr. Jaiden, why are you, Peyton, and your brothers trying so hard to help me?"
"Jeremy, I am going to let you ask Dale and Charley that question after you meet them. I'll clue them in to ask you if you forget to ask them, OK?" "Yes, sir."
"Jeremy, do you like steak?" "I like hamburger, Mr. Jaiden, but I've never had steak." "Jeremy, you are fifteen years old, and you are telling me you've never had steak, ever?" "No, sir, Mr. Jaiden, I haven't." "Well, Jeremy, get ready to have the best meal you have ever had because Dale is going to fix something special just for you." "Thanks, Mr. Jaiden; it is going to be hard for me to wait until Sunday." "Jeremy, that is called anticipation, and this time, that is a good thing for you. Let me go authorize your release when Jay gets here; Don may be with him." "Thanks, Mr. Jaiden." "You're welcome, buddy."
Jaiden went to the nurse's station and gave them release orders for Jeremy, prescriptions for the medication Jeremy is to take home with him, and told the nurses to page him when Jay or Don arrives.
Jaiden continued his rounds checking patients for Dr. Brannen; he will be busy through the afternoon since he had release orders to prepare for four more patients. He was completing orders for his second patient going home when he got a page: "Jaiden, 224. Jaiden, 224."
Jaiden picked up the phone and dialed 224: "This is Jaiden." "Jaiden, Mr. Stanislauski is in Jeremy's room." "Thank you, I am on my way."
Jaiden got to Jeremy's room, knocked on the door, and walked into the room. "Hello, Jay, Don. Are you guys ready to take your son home?" Jay broke into a huge grin, looked at Jeremy, and said, "Son, are you ready to go home?" Jeremy looked at Jay and said, "I'm ready to go home, Dad." When Jeremy called Jay 'Dad,' Jay teared up, and so did Don – and Jaiden was doing the same.
"Jay, I told Jeremy you three would be at my and Peyton's for dinner Sunday night around 7:30. I didn't tell him what were are going to serve him so it would be a surprise. He's never had steak before, so the meal Dale is preparing will knock his socks off." "Jaiden, is it going to be what you told me the day before yesterday?" "It is, Jay."
Jay looked at Jeremy and said, "Son, Dale prepared what you will get Sunday for me about a month ago, and I can promise you, the meal is going to be fabulous!"
"Dad, I can hardly wait. Jaiden told me you will introduce me to Dale and Charley so they could talk to me about stress control and release." "We'll introduce you when we get to their home. You are going to love Dale and Charley as much as you love Jaiden and Peyton." Jeremy has the happiest glow face that Jaiden has not seen before.
The nurses brought in the release paperwork while Don and Jay were in the room and went over the release orders and prescriptions Jeremy would need for the next two weeks. Thirty minutes later, Jeremy was being wheeled out of the hospital in a wheelchair. Jaiden ordered a walker with four six-inch wheels, brakes, and a seat so Jeremy could sit down if he got tired while walking for his exercise.
As Jay and Don got Jeremy situated in their Benz, everybody had tears rolling down their cheeks.
When Jeremy was in the car, and his door was closed, Don looked at Jaiden and said, "At the beach at 2:00 Saturday afternoon." "Two o'clock, and I didn't tell him. He can meet Charley and Dale there, and see the boys too. And then we'll have dinner Sunday at 7:30 unless we have an emergency at the hospital. Either way, dinner is still on at the house." Don said, "Good deal, cuz; See you Saturday at the beach and at the house Sunday." "That works, Don. You have my number if Jeremy starts having night terrors about what happened to him. The sleeping medicine should take care of that possibility. If it doesn't, call me and I'll go by the office and prepare an injection and bring it to your house." That said, Don and Jay got in the Benz and headed to their house with Jeremy.
Saturday, Jaiden got a call from Jay asking if the walk at the beach was still on. Jaiden told him it was and that he, Dale, and Charley would be there with all their children at 2:00 as planned. Peyton was taking morning rounds on Saturday, so Jaiden and the brothers would be at the beach. Jaiden would start evening rounds at the hospital around six that night.
Jaiden, Dale, and Charley were at the beach getting the babies into their prams when they saw Don, Jay, and Jeremy drive up. As they finished getting their children in the prams, Don, Jay, and Jeremy walked up. Jeremy didn't say anything as he went to Jaiden, hugged him, and said, "Thank you" as he looked up at Jaiden. Jaiden didn't say a word; he embraced Jeremy and held him for several minutes before he let go of Jaiden.
Jay said, "Jeremy, this is Dale, and the red-head is his husband, Charley. Jeremy shook their hands and told them it was nice to meet them since Jaiden had told him so much about them. Dale and Charley smiled and hugged Jeremy. Jaiden watched Jeremy so he could note his progress to make sure he was walking with minimal pain. He told Jeremy to let him know if he started hurting while they were walking.
They started walking down the beach, and every time they passed someone, they were recognized and had to stop so the people could see the babies. As they walked, Charley and Dale held hands with Jeremy and talked to him about how he was feeling, how well he was sleeping since getting to his new home from the hospital, and if he was eating regular food OK with the injuries he suffered to his head.
They would sit with Jaiden when they got home and talk about where they thought Jeremy was psychologically. They walked for about an hour when Jeremy said he was getting terribly tired, so they packed up and went home. When Jeremy got home, he went straight to bed.
Jaiden had given him a prescription for 5/325 hydrocodone, BID-q8h, WF (twice per day, eight hours apart, with food), and Ambien CR, 5 mgs, HS (at bedtime). Once Jeremy got home with Jay, he began sleeping better than he did in the hospital. He did take the Ambien at bedtime, and it helped him sleep worry-free. Jeremy only took a pain pill at bedtime so that turning over in his sleep wouldn't hurt so much; that he could go almost all day without a pain pill was a good sign of progress in his recovery.
On Friday, Jay took Jeremy to Dr. Brannen's office for a follow-up visit. Peyton had the x-ray tech make digital images of the arm and his ribs, and since Jeremy seemed to limp during the walk at the beach, they also took images of his legs. The ribs and the arm were healing beautifully, but when the x-rays were read, there was a stress fracture in Jeremy's right leg that didn't show up at the hospital due to swelling in the thigh muscle.
Peyton told Jay that Jeremy would be sore and that he needed to take it easy and not walk too long at one time, and if walking made his leg start hurting to let him sit down until the pain eased. Jay said that was what they were already doing. Peyton thanked Jay and Don for helping Jeremy with his medical care and told them he, Jaiden, and their brothers would see them Sunday night at 7:30 for dinner.
When they were leaving Dr. Brannen's office, Jay went to the check-out desk to pay Jeremy's share of the bill for the check-up. When he asked the office assistant how much he owed for Jeremy's visit, she winked, smiled, and waived by to Jay. As he got outside the office with Jeremy, he told the boy that Peyton didn't charge for the visit. Jeremy hugged Jay and said, "Peyton and Jaiden really want to help me; I'm not used to people liking me." Jay replied, "Jeremy, Jaiden, and Peyton love you as much as Don and I. Get used to that love because it is not going away."
When Jeremy got in the car to go home, tears were streaming from his eyes. He is having a hard time being with people who actually love him. Jay was choked up because he had never seen a teen so deserving of love and, yet, never having had it. That changed the day Jay got custody, and the day Jaiden and Peyton met Jeremy.
Peyton got to the hospital at six Sunday evening and was joined by Jaiden, who was already there, so they could get rounds made more quickly and get home for dinner by 7:30. Their patient load was down, so they accomplished their goal of getting off work by 7:00.
At 7:30 Sunday, Peyton and Jaiden were at home when the front doorbell chimed. Jaiden asked Dale and Charley to answer the door so they could speak to Jeremy.
When the door was opened, Don said, "Dale, Charley, Jeremy is ready for his surprise; he has been antsy anticipating tonight. "Charley said, "Don, it will be easier to talk if y'all come into the house." Don and Jay got a chuckle out of Charley's comment and followed him and Dale to the den.
Dale went to the kitchen, put the vegetables on the dining room table, and then carved and plated the prime rib. When the meat was placed on the table, everyone was called to the dining room to eat. When Jeremy saw the prime rib, his eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his head. He had never had steak and to see expensive steak on the table; he didn't know what to think.
Charley saw the surprised look on Jeremy's face and said, "Jeremy, after what you've been through, you deserve this meal. We hope you enjoy it; nobody prepares prime rib better than Dale."
The brothers were taken aback by Jeremy not knowing what asparagus was. Dale had peeled it before cooking the asparagus, so it was incredibly tender. When Jeremy tasted the potatoes, he told Dale how delicious they were.
When Jeremy tasted the prime rib, a single tear fell from his eye; he had never tasted something so good. Dale asked Jeremy if he wanted coffee or tea to drink, and Jeremy told him he had only been allowed to drink water.
Dale gave Jeremy a glass of Southern sweet tea made from tea leaves grown by the American Tea Company off the coast on one of North Carolina's barrier islands. You can't buy better tea from anybody.
Jeremy tasted the tea and closed his eyes as he savored the flavor. Dale invited everybody to go sit on the deck after dinner to talk and have some coffee. Don looked at Jeremy and told him that if he thought the tea tasted good, "just wait until you taste Dale's coffee." The guys and their guests sat at the deck table and talked for an hour or so. Then everybody but Jeremy, Dale, and Charley went inside.
When they were alone on the deck, Dale broached the subject of what had happened to Jeremy. Dale asked Jeremy, "what do you think about what happened? How do you feel about your parents?
Jeremy looked at Dale and Charley and said, "I feel guilty because if I had not come out to them, none of this shit would have happened to me. In one sense, I lost my entire family in one night. My grandparents won't talk to me, and I have no brothers or sisters, so I feel really lonely." Charley said, "Jeremy, come with me for a minute." They walked inside the house and went upstairs. Charley took him to the nurseries and let him see his and Dale's children and then Peyton's and Jaiden's children. "Jeremy, the children you see, we call them your cousins and me, Dale and our brothers consider you our nephew, so you have family that will never hurt you, never chastise you for being gay, and we certainly won't ever abandon you. Do you understand what I am telling you?" "Yes, Mr. Charley, I do, thank you!"
Charley pulled Jeremy into a light embrace while trying not to hurt him. He held Jeremy as the boy cried alligator tears; Charley had the same tears. When Jeremy calmed down, he and Charley walked back onto the deck to talk with Dale. Just before they got to the deck, Charley said, "By the way, it isn't Mr. Charley, it is Uncle Charley, OK." "Yes, sir."
Dale said, "Jeremy, what Charley told you upstairs, we mean what we say, and we live up to what we say and promise. You are a nephew to us, and all ten children are considered your cousins, so you have a big family.
There are four three-letter sentences that are the most critical in life, do you know what they are?" "Uncle Dale, I'm not sure I do."
"Jeremy, the four most important statements in life are: (1) I love you; (2) I forgive you; (3) I am sorry; and (4) Please forgive me. I think the statement, I forgive you, is the most important statement you can make right now. It doesn't mean you have to forget what your parents did to you, but it does mean what it says. When you let go of the hurt and anger in your heart, you also let go of the stress that can weigh you down in life. If you hang on to that stress, it will destroy your health, consume your thoughts, and deny you happiness. The best thing you can do is forgive your parents and write them a letter telling them you forgive them."
"If you don't want them near you if they get out of prison early, you can tell them that and why in the letter. You can use the Department of Family and Children's Services' address, and they won't know where you are."
"To help you keep your location a secret, the office here can mail your letter to one of their offices across the state to be mailed from there. Don can make that happen for you."
Dale told Jeremy how his and Charley's Dad had rejected them and wouldn't speak to them or have anything to do with them for years after they came out as gay. Then he asked Jeremy, "Do you know what happened that made them a part of my and Charley's lives and the lives of their grandchildren?" "No, sir, I don't."
"Jeremy, we didn't know what had happened until we were given scholarships to come to grad school at Jaiden's and Peyton's graduation. We had become so close at the university that our families wanted us to stay together in Erie. Our parents and people from back home bought and gave us this house to live in. The house is paid for, we don't owe a dime on it."
"Jaiden let us know he told you about his Mom. Charley and I can tell you that she can be as mean as he said she could when she gets mad. Or, his Mom can be as loving as she has been to Charley and me since she found out about our circumstances."
"Dr. Mom and Peyton's parents paid for us to take our honeymoon with Jaiden and Peyton for three weeks in Maui, Hawaii. We still wonder how she could love us so much without really knowing us, but she considers us her biological son's just as much as Jaiden. What Jaiden's mother was telling us and still tells us every time she calls is, "I love you – no strings attached."
"Come with me; I want to show you something."
Dale and Charley walked to the oversized garage their vehicles are parked in. When they went into the garage, Dale said, "Jeremy, do you see that new Subaru Forrester sitting on your left? When we got home from our honeymoon, that car was sitting in the driveway at Jaiden's Mom's house. We were sitting in the basement den when she went upstairs and came back down a few minutes later. When she got back downstairs, she handed me this set of keys and said, "Dale, Charley, that Subaru sitting in the driveway is yours. Then she gave us a gas credit card and told us to use it but don't abuse it."
"The first time our Dads told us they loved us was when they showed up at Jaiden's and Peyton's graduation at Wellstone. They hugged us, cried with us, and apologized for, as they put it, being asses because Charley and I were gay and were a couple. What we didn't know was that Mom, what we call Jaiden's Mom, got so angry she called Peyton's Dad and Mom, got on a Jet and flew to Orange Beach in Alabama."
"We also call Peyton's father, Dad, and we call his mother Mom; they won't have it any other way. And Peyton's sister, Jenny, has loved us since she heard about us and what we went through. Jenny was the surrogate Mom for the three children Jaiden fathered, and her sister-in-law, Jennifer, wanted to be and was the surrogate Mom for the two boys Peyton fathered. Two of their friends who are members of the Synagogue where Peyton's brother-in-law, Ron, is the Rabbi, told Jenny that they wanted to be surrogate Mom's for the children Charley and I fathered. The rest is history. I fathered two boys and a girl, and Charley fathered two boys."
"If you could see our parents with our children, it would make you cry. The way they are loving us, and our children, is so unlike it was when Charley and I grew up. We sometimes have a hard time believing it is a reality."
"Jaiden's and Peyton's families taught us to love because it is the right and biblical thing to do." Jaiden and Peyton can tell you what a psychological difference it has made for us. We want the quality of life we now have to be the same for you."
"What I started telling you about Jaison's mother flying to Peyton's parent's home, She, Dad Riley, and Mom Riley went to where our Dad's work in Florida and she flew into a rage and backed our Dads up against a wall as she got them told. My Dad told me she was like a pissed off mother lion protecting her cubs. When she got through with them, they were white as a sheet and crying. That was the day our lives changed for the better forever. Our relationship with our parents is now so loving we don't even think about the past. Like Jaiden told you, his mother can be unbelievably mean when she gets furious, but she has a heart the size of Texas and love that nobody can compromise; She won't let them. Get used to it; that love will be a part of your life until we all have left this earth, and when that happens, there will be our ten children and their children here to love you."
AS for saying, "I am sorry," that is not something you need to say because you didn't do or say anything wrong. You are who you are and who you will be because that is the way God made you. We are gay like you, which is not the lifestyle we would choose for ourselves due to the bullying we had to endure as we grew up. We don't have the rejection problems from people here in Erie like we did in the south; that is why we want to settle here. We became part of Temple Anshe Hesed Synagogue, and they welcomed us with open arms and have loved and helped us since we arrived in Erie. Your parents need to apologize to you for their attitude and behavior, but they can't do that unless you give them a chance. That is what a letter to them can invite and allow them to do. The most powerful statement you can make to them is that you forgive them. That will do more to touch their hearts than anything else you can or could ever do. Even so, to write them such a letter is your choice and nobody else's. Do you understand that" "Yes, sir, I do."? "Think about it for now, whether or not you want to do that, and, if you do, what you want to say and the way you want to say it. That is your decision.
The fourth most important set of four words anyone can say is, "Please forgive me." Again you have done nothing wrong, so you don't need to ask for forgiveness. If you forgive your parents, whether or not you want to ever be around them again, that will allow them to ask for your forgiveness. If they say they are sorry for what they did to you, that may indicate that their hearts are changing toward you. That is something only time will tell."
"If they never say to you that they are sorry for how they hurt you, that speaks volumes about their lack of love or lack of character or both, and it isn't just for you, it is that way for everybody they know. Either way, you will know how they truly feel toward you, and you can move on with your life and become a successful person who makes his marks on life the way Jaiden, Peyton, Charley, and I have done. When you have your own children down the road, you will have a valuable lesson in your head about how to love and treat your children. Understand too that when you have your children, you will also have six adults and 10 cousins who will always have your back."
"Jeremy, we all love you without question; nothing you might or could do will change that. We hope you will choose the road that will lead you to a happy and successful life in the future with a spouse who loves you as much as Don loves Jay, as Jaiden loves Peyton, and as much as I love Charley."
Jaiden motioned for Dale to see him for a moment, so he left Charley and Jeremy at the deck's railing and went inside.
"Dale, Mom called Mr. Pope on Jeremy's behalf. He is bringing a gift over for Jeremy, and we don't want him to see it just yet. Will you and Charley please take him for a walk around the neighborhood? I will call you after Mr. Pope gets here.
Knock on Dr. Brannen's door so he can see and speak with Jeremy. That will take up 20 minutes or so. I'll call Dr. Brannen and tell him what we are doing."
Dale had a massive grin on his face as he opened the French doors at the deck and said, "Hey, you two, let's take a walk around the neighborhood."
About ten minutes after they left the house, Mr. Pope drove up, and Jay signed all the paperwork that needed signing. I signed for my Mom with her permission. Peyton got the camera and set it on movie mode to film what was about to happen so Don could send a copy to Dr. Mom.
Jaiden waited fifteen minutes and called Dale to let him know Mr. Pope was at the house. Dale said they would be back home within ten minutes or so.
When they walked into the house, Don introduced Jeremy to Mr. Pope as a friend of ours. We talked for another 20 minutes and drank a cup of coffee. Mr. Pope looked at Jeremy and said, "Jeremy, I have something I want to show you. Can you and your Dads come with me for a few minutes?" Jeremy had a quizzical look on his face.
When everybody got outside, Mr. Pope asked Jeremy to sit in a car he had with him, a certified 2017 Ford Fusion with 33,000 miles on it; a beautiful dark blue sedan. "Jeremy, what do you think about the Ford Fusion?" "Mr. Pope, I would love to have a car like this someday, but after what my parents did to me, it is going to be a long time before I could ever get a car like this." "Jeremy, what do you mean by saying `what your parents did to you'?" Jeremy looked at Jaiden and asked him to tell Mr. Pope what happened because he didn't want to talk about it. Jaiden looked at Don, who shook his head that it would be OK for Jaiden to fill in Mr. Pope on the last few weeks events.
"Mr. Pope, you know Peyton, and I passed the State's Physician's Assistant exams after our professor and Dr. Brannen arranged for us to take them. They didn't tell us until after we helped Dr. Brannen with a complicated tumor surgery. Then Mom, and Dr. Riley, Peyton's Dad, stepped around the corner and let us know what they had watched us do. The next week, Peyton and I were seeing patients in the hospital for Dr. Brannen and working in the Emergency room. While I was in the emergency room, Jeremy was brought in with injuries so bad you couldn't tell it was him while looking at his picture. He had two severe compound breaks in his right arm and six ribs broken completely in half. Four and half hours of surgery later, the injuries were repaired. He was admitted to the hospital where he stayed for the better part of the month as Peyton and I worked our butts off trying to get him well enough to go home."
"I was making rounds one night and heard his mother screaming at him mercilessly. I stepped into his room and quickly shut her down. His parents lied to emergency personnel. When I shut his mother down, he was comfortable enough to tell me the truth in front of his Mom. When I asked her about the argument, she made the mistake of telling me it was none of my business. I let her know otherwise, picked up the phone, and called for police officers in the hospital to be quickly sent to Jeremy's room. They were in the room within a minute. They took a statement, called in a child abuse detective, and called for a DFCS agent to come to the hospital and take control of Jeremy's custody."
"I made a phone call to ensure someone who would love and care for him got custody. That is how he wound up with Jay after his Dad, in my estimation, tried to kill him for coming out as gay."
"That son-of-a-bitch!" I would love to have some of my guys pay him a visit. Jeremy, I am so sorry that happened to you. I can tell you without a doubt in my mind that you are now with people who will love you for the rest of your life." Mr. Pope got so bitter tears flooded his eyes, and it took him a short while to regain his composure so he could talk to Jeremy about the car.
"Jeremy, did Jaiden tell you about his Mom?" "Yes, sir, Peyton told me about her first, then Jaiden talked to me about how sweet but strict she was, and Charley and Dale told me what she did for them. Charley and Dale had it pretty bad for a while, but at least their Dads didn't do to them what my Dad did to me when I told my parents I was gay."
"Jeremy, Jaiden's Mom called me the other day and said she wanted to do something special for you. Do you really like this car?" "Yes, sir, it is beautiful. I have never ridden in a car this nice. Maybe someday I can get me a car like this one."
"Jeremy, this car is yours! Jaiden's Mom bought it for you. Your insurance is paid for two years. If you do well at Wellstone, the insurance will be paid until you graduate college and grad school. I didn't know what happened to you until tonight. My heart is breaking for you. I want you to realize people love you because you deserve it."
"I am going to set up a fund in the morning for you to go to grad school at my expense. I will pay for your food, tuition, and books if they don't give you a scholarship to attend Penn State here in Erie. If you do well at Wellstone and want to go to medical school like Jaiden and Peyton, I will pay for that as well, up to $200,000. By the time you get to grad school, that money should be in the bank waiting for you. All you have to do is call me and let me know when you apply to grad school."
Jeremy stood up, looked at Mr. Pope, and then at the brothers and asked, "Why? Y'all don't really know me; why would you try so hard to help me?" Jaiden said, "Jeremy, the nurseries for the children that you looked at, the new bedrooms and baths downstairs that you saw, Charley's Dad built all of that. That's how far his Dad has come since my mother ate him for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and then spat him out. He is now very loving to us, especially to Charley. You should see him with his grandchildren. He is awesome when he plays with all ten of our babies, and five aren't his through marriage or biologically, but he treats them like they are. Dale's Dad is the same way."
"When he picks up Alaina Nichole, you can see the pride in his face and hear it in his voice. That is what we all want for you, and I intend to see that you get it. You have two wonderful new Dads, four new uncles, and ten cousins who are going to love you no matter what."
"All we ask is that you do your very best at whatever you have to do, and if you need help, let us know so we can get it for you."
"You asked why. The answer is as simple as it gets: it's because you deserve to be accepted for who and what you are, and you deserve to be loved without reservation."
That said, Jaiden gave Jeremy the Riley ritual kiss on the forehead, and so did Peyton, Dale, and Charley.
Jeremy has his learner's license to drive, so Jay got in the passenger side of the car and made Jeremy drive home.
When the guys got back inside the house, Jaiden took Peyton to the bedroom where they undressed and climbed into bed. Jaiden looked at Peyton and said, "sweetheart, all I want tonight is for you to hold me, nothing else, please just hold me. Jaiden then got very quiet and still and didn't say one word, he fell asleep in Peyton's arms.