Disclaimer: This story is the writers/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.
The story Jaiden 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
The morning air was brisk on this mid-fall morning as Jaiden and Peyton began to awaken and get up to check on their sons. Peyton had prepared their breakfast meal the night before and went to warm it so they could eat after Jaiden had helped them potty. The boys are only seven months old, but they potty trained themselves at six months old and are better trained than most three-year-old children.
Jaiden got the morning duties completed and washed off the boys, got them dressed, and in the den. Ten baby chairs had been purchased so all the boys and Alaina Noelle could sit in the dining room to eat. The wooden floors took the punishment of dropped food better than the carpet in the den, and clean up was easier and faster. Peyton put a plate of food on each baby chair and was ready when Charley and Dale brought their children down for breakfast. When the babies had been fed, Jaiden and Charley waited 30 minutes and then took the babies back to their potties. Dale was thankful the babies were no longer soiling their diapers because it meant he was no longer retching like he did when he changed a dirty diaper. The babies fell asleep soon after eating, so Jaiden took Peyton onto the deck and sat in the chaise lounge chair holding Peyton in his lap. Both guys enjoyed the crisp, fall mornings in Erie and Jaiden cherished getting to cuddle with Peyton like he did on the farm in Alabama. There was something about the smell of Peyton's hair and skin that was intensely endearing to Jaiden; it was a scent Jaiden would never tire of smelling. He rested his head on the side of Peyton's and would sneak a kiss on Peyton's cheek every few minutes. The smile Jaiden had on his face was the one that was endearing to Peyton's heart.
Dale and Charley were sitting in the den looking out the French doors watching Jaiden and Peyton when Dale looked at Charley and said, "I'm so glad Peyton chewed us a new one when you and I had that angry fight at Wellstone. Had he not done that, you and I would not have learned to love each other the way Jaiden is loving Peyton. Sweetheart, I love you a million times more today than ever before. I could never have been as happy as I am right now with you if Peyton hadn't set us on the right path in our relationship."
Charley leaned back on the sofa and Dale put his arm around him, pulled Charley's head to his chest, and rested his head against Charley's. That is when Charley felt Dale's warm tears as they rolled down his face. Charley didn't move a muscle as he said, "Dale, it is the same for me, I don't want to live without you and your love." Charley stretched out on the couch, laid his head in Dale's lap, and fell peacefully asleep. Dale never took his eyes off Charley as he ran his fingers through his husband's auburn red hair.
Jaiden's phone rang, and as he took it out of his pocket to answer it, he noticed the call was from Ginny. "Good morning, Ginny, I hope you and Gampy are having a wonderful Thanksgiving today. It's such a beautiful day, and the air is nicely crisp, so I'm sitting outside with Peyton."
"Jaiden, it really is a beautiful day. Granny and I have cooked a feast and we want the four of you and Richard and Sally to have Thanksgiving dinner with us."
"Ginny, we'd love to, what time would you like for us to be there?" "Why don't y'all get here around 5:00 and we'll go over to the church to have dinner. There are enough baby chairs there for my grandbabies, and there will be a lot of church members bringing food as well." "I'll let everybody know and we'll be there at 5:00. I'll have to check to make sure Sally isn't working. I know Richard can be there. If Sally isn't working, we'll bring her with Richard."
Jaiden walked inside and told Dale Ginny invited them to Thanksgiving dinner and they are supposed to be there at 5:00. She said to bring her grandbabies. Dale smiled and said, "well, that takes care of where we will have dinner; we know the food will be the best in town."
"Richard, this is Jaiden. Ginny and Granny invited us to have dinner with them and their husbands at her church and she said she wanted you and Sally to be there. The dinner will be at her church social hall with other members of her church. The four of us here at the house are going and we have orders to bring the children." "Jaiden, hold on a minute and let me ask Sally. Sally, Jaiden is on the phone and he said Ginny and Granny have invited us to Thanksgiving dinner at five this afternoon. Would you like to go?" "Richard, tell Jaiden I would love to go. I am sure the food they cook is going to be out of this world." "Jaiden, did you hear Sally?" "I did, Richard. If you come to the house you can follow us to the church."
As the guys entered the fellowship hall at Ginny's church, they heard her yell, "Ladies, my grandbabies are rolling in the door. It seemed to Jaiden and Peyton that every lady dropped what they were doing to come see the babies they had heard so much about from Ginny and Granny. Those babies were being doted on by no less that fifty ladies and they were enjoying the attention their `grandmas' were giving them. The grandmas were having a ball watching and listening to the babies laughing and giggling at the attention they were getting. Jaiden, Peyton, Dale, and Charley were enjoying seeing their children so happy, and they were enjoying the little bit of rest they were getting.
At 5:45, the Reverend stepped up to the mic in the fellowship hall and asked everyone to please be seated so the food could be blessed and God could be thanked for the food of which everyone was about to partake. After the Reverend said the blessing over the food, Granny and Ginny got up and got the food they had prepared for their grandbabies and put it on their plates and sat the plates on the highchairs. The Dads got up to feed their babies and were told to sit back down; the ladies of the church would feed the babies. Jaiden shook his head, smiled, and sat back down in his chair.
Sure enough, each baby had their own Grandma' to feed them and they were eagerly eating the food they were being fed. Ginny and Granny looked at the ladies feeding the babies and said, "Told ya! Those babies love our cooking just like their daddy's." The grandmas' seemed to be having the times of their lives feeding and loving on those children.
When the Reverend and Gampy walked over to properly greet the guys, Jaiden, Peyton, Dale, Charley, and Richard stood to shake their hands and hug them. Since Gampy and the Reverend had not met Sally, Richard introduced them. Like Richard had done, Sally hugged Gampy and the Reverend. She was having a wonderful time with the new friends she was making at Ginny's church, and she was enjoying the love the church members were showering on her. While those who attend Granny and the Reverend's church are primarily Black, there is no such thing as black or white when it comes to attending this church and worshipping the Lord. Every church in the United States should be so accepting and loving. The welcoming nature of the church and its members is what it is going to take to destroy the last vestiges of segregation in the United States. It would be incredibly beautiful if Sunday would stop being the United States' worst remaining example of the pain and sin of segregation.
"Jaiden, this is Mom. I hope you, Peyton, your brothers, and my grandbabies have had an enjoyable Thanksgiving Day together." "Mom, we have. Ginny and Granny called us this morning and said we would be having Thanksgiving dinner with them and the members of their church. We all went, including Richard and Sally, and we had the best time. The people at Ginny's church are so loving and accepting, and they respect the fact we are Jewish and don't try to convert us; we're just six of their children. Granny and Ginny had taken vegetables and meats they had cooked and made baby food for the children. They put the plates of food on the babies' high chairs that the church had purchased for them, and when we got up to feed our children, the ladies in the church told us to sit down that they had the feedings covered. Mom, the boys and Alaina Noelle were fed and entertained by the ladies and they laughed and giggled the whole time. I was so appreciative of the love they were showing our children, but more so, I was amazed. It was evident they truly loved our children and our children loved them back."
"Jaiden, that is so awesome. Ginny and Gampy have always been amazing people." "Mom, Granny and the Reverend are no different. The Reverend came over with Gampy to greet us when we got to the church and he treated us like we had been his sons all our lives. It was incredible to feel that love. It was just like when we are with you and Mom and Dad Riley."
"Jaiden, thank you for saying that. You sound like you have had a good week." "We have, Mom. School has been awesome, and we didn't have any bad cases at the hospital. And speaking of the hospital, Sally and Richard are engaged. He asked Sally's dad for permission to marry her and he gave Richard his blessing. When Richard asked Sally to marry him, she immediately said yes and then held him as the cried together. She has been so good for Richard and he has been so happy. Seth has been ecstatic about the fact he will have such a `hot' sister-in-law. He has had so much on the farm playing with and feeding the sheep, and that cranky old jackass down there has become his best friend, which is incredible in and of itself since the old jackass has never liked anybody, not even Dad Riley."
"Dad Riley sent us a couple of texts of video footage of the old mule following Seth around. He told us the mule acts as Seth's protector." "Jaiden, that may very well be true. Animals will often care for the vulnerable offspring of other animals in an environmental situation. I bet he knows what Seth has gone through." "I didn't think about that , Mom. It does make sense when you think about the lionesses in Africa protecting Giselle calves from other lions. Whatever it is, Richard says he has never seen Seth so happy. Every evening Dad Riley and Seth watch tv together and have a snack and a soda, and Seth eats up the attention."
"Jaiden, Phyllis tells me the same thig. They are just as happy with Seth as he is with them. She is almost giddy when she talks about Seth. They have him in a Jewish private school there and he is excelling in everything – and enjoying doing it. Every weekend he has school friends at the farm and Jim takes them to the beach together. Seth seems to have developed a major interest in Marine Biology and he is always studying sand fleas and other crustaceans. There is something about the ocean that mesmerizes him."
"Peyton and I didn't know that, Mom, and we haven't heard Richard say anything about it. I'll have to ask him if he knows. If marine biology becomes Seth's interest for college, he can go to the University of Florida and get a great education in marine science and make good money practicing in that profession. He can travel the world doing that kind of work. That field is wide open when it comes to marine bio-diversity conservation." "Jaiden, Seth has really blossomed since moving to Alabama with Jim and Phyllis and his future seems to get brighter every day."
"Mom, I hate to run, but I hear the babies waking up and that means potty time. I don't think Peyton knows what I do so poop doesn't make me gag." "Jaiden, tell me quickly the secret you have." "Mentholated salve and cotton balls. Works great!" "Jaiden, that is sneaky – and funny. I'll talk to you later, son, have a good evening." "You too, Mom."
Jaiden stuck his head out the deck door and told Peyton the boys were waking up and asked him to help get them to potty. They went upstairs and helped their sons potty and then got them dressed. "Jaiden, do you think it would be ok to take the boys into the back yard and let them play on the grass?" "Peyton, I have thought about doing that and I don't think there would be any harm in letting them play on the grass unless one of them is allergic to the grass. There is only one way to fine out, so let's do it."
When Peyton and Jaiden put their sons on the grass, they boys immediately started crawling around and inspecting everything in the yard. The dads had made sure nothing was planted in the yard that could be remotely dangerous for their sons. The boys laughed and giggled as they talked to each other in their language and chased each other in the grass. Jaiden and Peyton were all smiles watching their sons having fun on their first foray into the back yard. The boys played in the yard for at least an hour before their dads put them in their prams and took them for a walk around the neighborhood.
When they got back home, Dale and Charley were outside with their children and they all were crawling on the ground on the grass. It was hard for Jaiden and Peyton to tell who was the parent and who was the child. Either way, what they were seeing was hilarious. Jaiden used his cell phone to record Dale and Charley playing with their children and texted a copy of the video to Dale's and Charley's parents. A few minutes later, his phone rang and it was Dale's Mom and Dad calling to thank him for sending the text, and saying that Dale and Charley were so funny playing with their children. Jaiden told them he wanted them to see that because it was such a loving sight to see, especially since you couldn't tell who was the parent and who was the child.
Shortly after Dale's parents called, Charley's parents called Jaiden to thank him for sending the text. Charley's Mom said Dad Chuck had downloaded the video to the advertising screens in the office and was playing it over and over. She said one client asked Chuck who the children were and he beamed with pride when he said, "Those children are my grandsons and my granddaughter."
When the client told Chuck it looked like all the babies were very young, Chuck told him that the five grandchildren were seven-month-old-babies born to his son and son-in-law. He called his friend he had reamed a new one a while back and told him about the video, so the friend drove to the office to see it and then he and Chuck went to lunch. "Jaiden, you have no idea how you touched Chuck's heart with that video text. He has been on cloud nine ever since." "Thanks, Mom, I'm glad it made him so happy. Dale and Charley don't know I sent you and Dale's parents the video. I'll let you say something to them when they call you."
Jaiden's phone rang again and it was his Mom calling back. "Jaiden, I forgot to tell you what has happened to Laurie. Are you sitting down with Peyton?" "Yes, mam, we're in the den letting the boys play on the floor. We let them play in the grass for an hour or so and then took them on a long walk in the neighborhood."
"Good. Can you put your phone on speaker phone? Do you remember meeting Laurie's new husband last time you were home, well, he has screwed up and Laurie is in a fix, son?" "Mom, what did he do?" "Jaiden, he screwed up royally one night and Laurie is pregnant." The guys howled when Mom said Laurie's husband royally screwed up and she was now pregnant.
"Everything in her blood work indicated there are no problems from Mark's problem before her Dad killed him, so I gave her my blessings on getting pregnant. The baby is due in five months. She is still working in the office and having a ball with the ladies here, and they are giving her unbelievable support."
"Mom, that is the best news I have heard since Mom and Dad adopted Seth and Richard. As soon as Charley and Dale come inside, I will let them know. It is potty time for all the children, so they should be in shortly. I'll let you know what their response is when I tell them." "OK, son, I just wanted to let you know the good news."
Jaiden and Peyton took the boys upstairs and sat them on their potty seats, which they promptly used. As they were cleaning the boys up and getting them re-dressed. Charley and Dale brought their children upstairs for the same purpose. When all the children had accomplished the task at hand, and were re-dressed, they went downstairs.
As the dads sat on the couch, Jaiden asked Dale and Charley if they remembered Mark's wife, Laurie. They said they did and Jaiden then told them her lab results were totally negative and that his mom had spoken to her and said what she wanted to do was perfectly safe. Guys, Laurie is pregnant! She is going to have the family she has always wanted. Dale and Charley were stunned at the news.
"Doc, this is Jaiden. I just got some news I thought would make your day and make our classmates extremely happy." "Jaiden, that news would be?" "Doc you know a gorgeous, little, dark-haired Jewish lady in Abingdon, Virginia who loves to play matchmaker? And Laurie, who married a surgeon there?" "Yes, Jaiden, I remember vividly that matchmaker getting Laurie married fairly quickly, what has she done now." "Doc, all of Laurie's lab tests have been perfect and Mom gave her the go-ahead to have a baby and Laurie is four months pregnant." "Doc cleared his throat, was quiet for a few minutes, and then said that was the best news he had heard since Seth's good news. "Jaiden, is your Mom providing Laurie's pre-natal care?" "She is, Doc, and Laurie is still working at Mom's clinic even though she married a very successful surgeon." "I am so glad to hear that and I am sure the class will also be ecstatic about the news.
Since the boys had not gotten too dirty or sweaty, Jaiden and Peyton dressed them in their night clothes and laid them in their beds. Jaiden called Ginny. "Ginny, I wanted to say thanks for inviting us for dinner this afternoon. We had our best day in a long time and I was so happy to see how our sons responded to the love shown to them by the ladies in your church. Sally told Richard that she had a wonderful time and really loved the people she met at church and how special they had made her feel."
"Ginny, if we weren't devoutly Jewish, we'd join your church in a heartbeat. The members are such loving people that we don't see elsewhere when we speak in churches." "Son, thank you for saying that, we try hard to be the Christians we are supposed to be." "Ginny, you definitely succeed at doing that and y'all have made us feel so loved and accepted. I'll talk to Granny Monday when the two of you get here."
"Before I forget, I also called to let you know Laurie is four months pregnant. Mom called today tonight to let us know." "Jaiden, there is nothing you could have said tonight that would make me happier than hearing that. I am going to sleep so well tonight. Thank you." "You are welcome, Ginny. I know you love Laurie and would want to hear the good news. We'll see you and Granny Monday morning."
When the guys woke up Friday morning, there was the unmistakable smell of banana-macadamia nut waffles in the air along with the smell of the India Monsoonal Malabar coffee. Jaiden looked at Peyton and said, "Babe, surely Ginny and Granny aren't here today. They are supposed to take the day off." "Jaiden, put your shorts on and let's go downstairs to see who is cooking the waffles."
When Jaiden and Peyton got to the kitchen, their suspicions were confirmed: Ginny and Granny were in the kitchen preparing breakfast. "Jaiden said, Ginny, Granny, you are supposed to be off today. Why are you here?" Granny said, "Jaiden, we had such a good time with you boys and our Grandbabies at church yesterday that we couldn't stay away. And after what all the ladies said about you and the children after you went home made our hearts so proud, so we a celebrating this morning and we are going to spend the day with our grandbabies unless you have something planned." "Granny, we don't have anything planned, but if you and Ginny don't mind, I'd like to take Peyton to a movie and lunch today. I'll ask Charley and Dale if they want to join us."
Jaiden and Peyton went back upstairs to put the babies on their potty seats. When the boys finished their `business' and their dads redressed them, Jaiden walked into the bedroom of Dale and Charley's children and asked them if they'd like to join him and Peyton taking in a movie and then going to lunch together. Dale asked Jaiden who would take care of the babies. "Dale, step into the hallway and take the mentholated cotton out of your nose and take a whiff of the air." Dale did that and then came back into the children's room and asked Jaiden if Ginny and Granny were at the house since it was supposed to be a day off for them. Jaiden told him they were and breakfast was ready.
When they got downstairs, Ginny and Granny had pureed the waffles so the babies could eat them. The dads help feed the children and were surprised the children loved the waffles as much as they did. They were a bit fussy that the dads weren't getting the waffles to the quickly enough. As Ginny likes to do, she looked at Granny and said, "I told you those babies would love those waffles. If they were old enough, they would also love the coffee." Jaiden heard Ginny say that, so he walked into the kitchen and got a teaspoon.
"Ginny, let's test your theory. A little coffee on a teaspoon for the babies to taste should be OK." He was betting they wouldn't like the coffee, but he was wrong! As soon as he let the babies taste the coffee, they wanted more. He looked at Ginny and Granny and said, "it looks like I'll be going by the coffee shop on the way home to get some decaf coffee. That won't hurt the babies as long as they don't drink too much and as long as it's cool. We'll buy some sippy cups as well." Granny started laughing as she said, "Martha, you were right again!" "Geraldine, I know my grandbabies! They are too much like their daddy's." Both ladies started laughing.
Jaiden asked Peyton to look at the movies playing at local theaters to see what he might like watch. A few minutes later, he said, "Jaiden, I think it would be fun to see the movie, `The War with Grandpa.' It seems like a story that could come from Seth and Dad. It has that kind of ring to it." "What time?" "1:15." "OK, sweetheart, that's the movie we will see."
Jaiden, Peyton, and Dale and Charley went to see the movie and laughed hard throughout the show. They could see every situation in the movie happening between Dad Riley and Seth, given they both had the same sense of humor and loved to pull pranks against each other; not mean pranks, funny pranks that would make each other laugh.
When they left the theater, they went to the Wharf on the Bay restaurant for a good seafood meal. They would never tell a patient to eat healthy and not do it themselves, so the four got broiled seafood platters. When they finished eating, they went for a walk on the beach.
"Peyton, this has been an incredible holiday weekend. The only thing that could have made it better would have been to have had our friends, Alan, Ian, Keith, Tom, and Donna here to celebrate with us." "Jaiden, that would have been so much more fun to have had them here." Jaiden and Peyton put their arms around each other and quietly walked down the beach wondering what their friends were doing, hoping their day was just as loving as the day they were having.