Jeffery Comes Home Chapter 16
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Jeffery Comes Home
Previously
Once we had the legal documents signed and notarized, we left Martha to rest.
"I'm going to stay with Martha tonight," Mel explained. "I don't want her to be alone. You and the boys need to get some sleep."
"You are certain you want to do this?" I asked.
"Yes," Mel replied. "I owe it to Martha to be with her tonight."
"We will be back tomorrow morning as quickly as we can," Philip said. "But, please call us if you need us."
Chapter 16: And, Then We Were Five
Approximately 2 seconds after Sam and Chris greeted us at the door of their condo, chaos erupted. Of course, what did we really expect when we put three four-year-old boys and five dogs together under one roof?
Philip began the introductions, "This is Sam, Chris, and Donny, guys. And, these two are Tim and Sam."
Donny introduced Sam and Tim to the dogs, "This one is Lincoln. That one is Roosevelt. Simon is the one nearest you. The smallest ones are Winthrop and Wallaby. Do you like doggies?"
Tim answered first, "We wanted to have a doggie, but mommy said we couldn't feed it."
"Do you want to pet the doggies, Sam?" I asked.
"Can I?" He exclaimed as I lowered him to the floor.
Tim and Sam were immediately getting welcome licks from the dogs.
"Do you want to come see my room?" Donny added.
"Can we, Uncle Jeffery?" Tim asked.
"Of course," I replied.
The boys and dogs all ran to Donny's room.
"They should be able to entertain themselves for a few minutes," Chris said with a smile. "Drink?"
"Scotch on the rocks," I replied.
"Same," Philip said. "This has been a long day!"
Once we were settled in the living room of Sam and Chris's Lake Point Tower condo, we leaped into our discussion.
"How did your day go?" Chris asked.
"Emotional," I replied. "Sam and Tim's mother, Martha, realizes and accepts her forthcoming death. Her biggest concern was for Sam and Tim."
"Does she have relatives here?" Sam asked.
"Not ones she communicates with," I replied. "Mel from the coffee shop is her cousin. They have a very close bond. Mel wanted to stay with Martha tonight."
"So, what will happen to the boys?" Chris asked.
"I can't believe I am saying this," I continued. "Philip and I are their guardians as of this afternoon. We were with the boys on the farm yesterday. We've developed a fondness for them. Philip reminded me of what you two said when you adopted Mathew and Joshua. `We're suckers for kids and dogs.' So, when Martha asked us to be the boys' guardians we couldn't say anything but `yes.'"
"Your situation is a lot like ours when we found Donny in the bushes while we were walking the dogs," Chris explained. "We didn't have much time to make decisions. And we don't regret it one bit. Right Sam?"
"Yup," Sam agreed. "We knew it was the right choice with Donny and then Mathew and Joshua. And, after the first few weeks, the panic turns into calmness. How are Sam and Tim taking all of this?"
"Surprisingly well," I explained. "They've known for some time their mother was not feeling well. We've talked about their mommy going to Heaven where she will no longer be in pain. We've told Sam and Tim that Martha was ready to go. She was just concerned about her boys, and we prayed to God to be with them on their journey of life. Tim asked if God had answered her prayers. I told them—after we prayed together—she seemed more peaceful."
"Kids are amazing," Chris added. "We think of them as very fragile human beings, but sometimes I think they are more resilient than many of the adults. They will miss their mother. But, I also know the two of you will give the two of them lots of love and attention. You'll be terrific parents."
"Yea," Trevor said. "Just look at how terrific I turned out!"
"Keep it up, Trevor, and we will send you to bed without supper," Philip said.
The end of the calm came with the arrival of Donny, Tim, Sam, and the five dogs.
"Uncle Jeffery! Uncle Philip! Donny's bedroom walls have horses, cows, and bunnies on them," Tim enthused. "And, Donny knows Mabel!"
"And, what would Mabel say if it was time to eat dinner?" Chris asked.
"Wash your hands," Donny replied.
"Show Sam and Tim your bathroom so you can all wash your hands," Chris suggested.
We watched as the three boys ran off to wash their hands with five dogs in hot pursuit.
"I think we have had our last quiet evening at home until the boys are out of high school," I said.
"You get used to it after a while," Sam said just as the baby monitor picked up the sound of Mathew and Joshua screaming for attention. "I'll see what they want, Chris."
"You need to get a few dogs to take the edge off the chaos," Chris suggested to Philip and me.
"A FEW dogs?" I asked. "Shouldn't we start with ONE dog?"
"Do you have commitment issues, Jeffery?" Philip asked. He was smiling at least.
"I believe we should be a one dog household for a few years," I replied.
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Philip and I were awakened by voices next to the bed. I rolled over and saw Sam and Tim standing next to the bed. They looked very, very sad.
"Good morning, guys," I whispered. "What's wrong?"
"We don't want to be alone," Tim whimpered.
"Our mommy just went to Heaven," Sam added.
By this time, Philip and I were completely awake.
My feet were quickly on the floor as I scooped up Sam and put him in the middle of the bed. I did the same for Tim. I slipped back under the covers.
"How do you know your mommy just went to Heaven?" I asked.
"She told us," Sam replied.
"When?" Philip asked.
"A few moments ago," Tim explained.
Philip pulled Sam into a hug and I did the same for Tim.
"She doesn't hurt anymore," Sam continued.
"Just like you said, Uncle Jeffery," Tim added.
"I'm sorry, guys," I whispered.
"Mommy told us not to be sorry she went to Heaven," Sam explained.
"She told us you would take good care of us," Tim said.
My phone started chirping on the night stand. It was Mel.
"Mel," I said into the phone.
"She's gone, Jeffery," Mel said quietly. I could tell she was trying to hold back her tears.
"Sam and Tim just woke us up with the news," I said into the phone.
"Huh?" Mel replied.
"Their mommy told them she was on her way to Heaven," I began. "She also told them she doesn't hurt anymore, not to be sorry she went to Heaven, and Philip and I will take good care of them."
"It makes sense now," Mel said quietly—almost in disbelief. "She took one last breath and said something. I didn't understand then, but, now, it makes sense. I think she said, `I'll tell my boys.'"
"We will be at the Hospice unit in a few minutes," I said to Mel.
"No," Mel said. "Someone will drive me to the condo. It is arranged. I should be there in 30 minutes."
Philip and I hugged the boys until we heard rustling in the kitchen. Chris had said Henry would be here to make us breakfast at 7:30.
Philip and I climbed out of bed, and pulled on our slacks and shirts from yesterday. We each picked up a boy and made our way into the kitchen.
"Good morning!" Henry effused.
"Good morning, Henry," Philip replied. "It's so nice of you to fix us breakfast. Oh! This is Sam. Jeffery is holding Tim."
"It's good to meet two fine boys," Henry said to the boys. "I am Henry. Are you hungry?"
Both Sam and Tim nodded their heads yes.
"Good," Henry continued. "How does scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, toast, and fruit sound?"
"It sounds terrific," Trevor added as he joined us in the kitchen. "It is good to see you again, Henry."
"You, too, Master Trevor," Henry said. "You've grown taller since I last saw you!"
"Trevor," I began. "Why don't we go into the living room and leave Henry to his duties? Besides, Sam and Tim have something they want to tell you."
We went into the living room. Trevor sat in the middle of the sofa. Sam and Tim took seats on each side and scrunched as closely to Trevor as possible.
"What's up, little dudes?" Trevor asked.
"Our mommy just went to Heaven," Sam added.
"How do you know your mommy just went to Heaven?" Trevor asked as he pulled Sam and Tim even closer.
"She told us," Sam replied.
"She doesn't hurt anymore," Tim continued.
"I'm sorry, guys," I whispered.
"Mommy told us not to be sorry she went to Heaven," Sam explained.
"She told us Uncle Jeffery and Uncle Philip will take good care of us," Tim said.
"And they will," Trevor said as he kissed each one on the top of their heads. "They took me in when I had no one who cared. They make great dads. Also, if Jeffery and Philip are going to be your dads from now on, I will be your older brother. So, I promise to watch your back, too."
I wiped a tear from my cheek. So did Philip.
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Philip, Trevor, Tim, Sam and I arrived home on Saturday morning. We scheduled a moving company to pack up Martha's house and move it into our garage. Our car was also full with a box of photos Martha wanted Tim and Sam to have and a lot of their clothes and toys. We were all tired but happy to be home after our few days in Chicago. We were planning a service for Martha on Tuesday at the church.
On Sunday morning, my mother wanted me to give the talk and to introduce the two newest members of our family to the congregation. I took my place behind the lectern after the choir sang "Angels Calling."
Angels Calling
The sun, the sun is going down.
All I see is love around me.
You know, what I believe.
Now I see it so completely.
I, I need you to know, that time, time is letting go.
Don't cry, dry your eyes.
Can't you hear the angels calling, me up? Up above?
Can't you hear the angels calling me home? Me home?
(They're) calling me home.
Take, take my hand.
Stay with me, as I surrender.
We've lived a life of happiness.
You will be in my heart forever.
I, I need you to know, that time is letting go.
Don't cry, dry your eyes.
Can't you hear the angels calling, me up? Up above?
Can't you hear the angels calling me home? Me home?
(They're) calling me home, home.
Home, home.
Home, home.
Don't cry, dry your eyes.
Can't you hear the angels calling me up? Up above?
Can't you hear the angels calling?
Don't cry, dry your eyes
Can't you hear the angels calling me up? Up above?
Can't you hear the angels calling me home? Me home?
Calling me home...
They're calling me home.
I'm going home.
"Thank you for the terrific song" I said to the congregation as I began my talk. "Just to give you peace of mind, this talk will NOT be about a cow, a sheep, or a billionaire. Instead, it is about grace in the face of desperation and the power of prayer in times of need. Philip, Trevor, Mel, and I spent some time in Chicago this past week. We hadn't planned the trip. And, some of the facts of the trip are so new to our minds; we are still contemplating our next moves."
"Mel's cousin, Martha, checked herself into a Hospice unit in Chicago on Tuesday..."
I recounted the events of the next several days, including praying with Martha about her time to go to Heaven and her fears about her two boys being left alone.
"... So, we returned from Chicago. It was a taxing experience. It was a heartwarming experience. We will be saying our good byes to Martha, Sam and Tim's mother, on Tuesday morning here in this sanctuary. But, we won't be shedding tears of anger, hurt, disillusionment, or sadness—thanks to the gift Martha gave to all of us. We will, I am certain, be shedding tears for the life cut too short, two boys left without their beloved mother, and the knowledge Martha will be looking down upon us and helping to guide our way forward in the days and years ahead. And, please, please say hello to the newest members of Philip's and my family, Tim and Sam."
I sat down beside my mother. Trevor and three other male members of the choir took places in front of the congregation.
"I have never sung in public, so if I mess this up don't hold it against me. This song is for my two dads," Trevor said. "They are two of the most awesome dads in the world. They took me in when my parents tossed me out of their home for being gay. And, now, they are bringing my little brothers into our family. The name of the song is "My Father's Son."
"My Father's Son"
I was young when I was told
Take a chance before you're old
Live a life you're proud to share
Don't look back and don't be scared
Say your prayers and don't be late
When in doubt, just keep the faith
Learn to walk before you run
And soon you'll be a man, my son
Now I am right where I belong
I hear your voice, and I am strong
And I will carry you with me
Till journey's end, I'll always be
My father's son
My father's son
He left me lessons all around
Like keep your feet on solid ground
Let your words and honor be
The truth and strength for all the world to see
Now I am right where I belong
I hear your voice, and I am strong
And I will carry you with me
Till journey's end, I'll always be
My father's son
My father's son
Find the one, don't let her go
In your heart you'll always know
Raise your boy to love his mom
Cuz soon he'll be a man, my son
Now I am right where I belong
I hear your voice, and I am strong
And I will carry you with me
Till journey's end, I'll always be
My father's son
My father's son
I'll always be my father's son
When Trevor and the other two guys finished, tears streamed down my cheek. Trevor hugged me and then he walked down the aisle and hugged Philip.
My mother took her place at the lectern, "I agree with you, Trevor. Your dads are awesome. And, you need to sing for us more often. Now, shall we stand and sing the closing song..."
As we walked down the aisle to the entry hall, I paused and picked up Sam and Tim.
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The day after Martha's funeral, Philip returned to work after an almost two-week absence. I was home alone with two four-year-old boys.
"Uncle Jeffery," Tim began as he and his brother peered over the top of my desk in the office of our house. "When can we start calling you and Uncle Philip daddy?"
I paused to contemplate my answer. "It depends, I think, on when you want to start calling us daddy," I replied. "Do you have thoughts on the subject?"
"Soon," Sam replied. "We've never had a daddy before—only a mommy. Now, we have two daddies and no mommy."
"Can we keep mommy's picture on the shelf in our room?" Tim asked.
"Of course," I replied. "Your mommy also made certain you had a lot of pictures to help you remember her and your life with her. Do you want to go through the photos now?"
"Yup," Sam replied. "When did mommy give them to us?"
"Right before she went to Heaven," I explained. "She had packed the box especially for you before she left."
"Before we look in the box, can we get a doggy?" Sam asked.
"Ahh...," I stammered. "I think we need to talk with Uncle Philip before we make the decision to get a doggy."
"We shouldn't wait too long or all of the doggies will be taken," Tim explained.
"There will always be plenty of doggies," I countered. "Now, why don't we see what is in your box?"
"Okay," Sam agreed.
I made a calculated decision. I could leave the boys alone for a few seconds while I retrieved the box. Fortunately, it was not a bad decision. They were still parked on the sofa looking at my tablet when I returned. I put the box on the coffee table and began to open the box. The boys' mother secured it with LOTS of packing tape. When I finally had the box opened, I saw an envelope with the boys' names on it.
"This looks like it is something your mommy put in here to explain some of the contents of the box," I said. "Do you want me to read it to you?"
"Yes, please," Tim replied as he sat on my right side. Sam scrunched in closely on my left side.
"Dear Tim and Sam,"
"I collected the items in the box to help you remember our fun times together, and also to explain about some of the family you were never able to meet. Everything in the box is very special to me, and I hope everything will be special to you as you get older."
"The first group of items include your birth certificates and photos of the three of us after you were first born. When the nurses put the two of you in my arms for the first time, I suddenly felt an instant exchange of energy. I felt, for the first time in my life, I had something to live for—something to make my life meaningful. From the first moment I held you, I had a purpose in my life: to love and nurture two of the most beautiful babies in the world. I have always been, and always will be, proud of you and your achievements."
I put the letter down and handed the envelope to the boys. Sam watched intently as Tim put his hand inside the envelope and pulled out the contents. Tim pulled out two birth certificates and several unframed, unmated photos.
"Mommy had this one in her bedroom," Sam said as he took one of the pictures from Tim.
The photo was obviously one of a newly born Sam and Tim in Martha's arms. She was beaming with pride.
"Is this us?" Tim asked as he held up two photos.
I looked on the back. "This one is of you, Tim. This one is of you, Sam. You had just been born," I explained.
"Why are we wrinkly?" Tim asked.
"Babies are always a little wrinkly shortly after being born," I continued. "Do you want to continue?"
"I think we should wait until Daddy Philip is here," Sam suggested.
"Daddy Philip?" I asked.
"Yup," Tim explained. "You said it is up to us when we started to call you daddy. So, from now on you are our Daddy Jeffery and he is Daddy Philip."
I pulled both of the boys in for a hug. "Thank you," I said quietly.
We sat on the sofa for a few more moments until Sam broke the silence. "When can we go see Mabel again, Daddy?"
"We can talk to your Daddy Philip to make certain Mabel is not busy," I replied.
"Can we call him now?" Tim asked.
"We need to eat lunch first," I replied. "Do you want to have lunch at your Aunt Mel's restaurant?"
"YES!" The boys screamed in unison.
"Why don't you get your shoes on?" I asked. "I will call Ph... Daddy Philip and see if Mabel is busy."
"Okay," Sam yelled as they both raced to their room to get their shoes.
I pulled out my phone, "Hello, Daddy Philip!"
"Huh?" Philip asked.
"The boys want to start calling us Daddy Philip and Daddy Jeffery," I explained. "I hope you are ready for this."
"I'm pretty certain I no longer have a vote on this issue," Philip replied.
"Pretty much," I said with a smile. "The boys and I are going to lunch at Mel's place. Do you want to join us?"
"I would be honored to join you," Philp replied.
"The boys also were hoping to see Mabel later today," I further explained. "I told them we would need to ask you if Mabel was busy."
"Mabel is busy doing what she loves to do most," Philip said. "Eating, lounging, and eating. She would be delighted if you wanted to visit."
"I'll tell the boys the good news," I said. "I will see you at Mel's in about 20 minutes."
"I can't wait!" Philip replied. "I take things are going smoothly with the boys."
"So far, yes," I added.
"I will see you at Mel's," Philip said as we ended the call.
The boys ran back into the living room. They had their shoes on... Sam's shoes were on the wrong feet.
"I think we need to switch your shoes, Sam," I said. "Do you want help?"
"Nope," Sam replied. "I can do it. I knew something was wrong."
Once Sam switched his shoes, we were ready to roll.
"Why do we need to sit in car seats, Daddy?" Tim asked.
"So you don't get hurt if we have an accident," I explained as I backed out of the garage.
"Why don't you and Daddy Philip sit in car seats?" Sam asked.
"Car seats are for boys and girls under 6 years old," I explained.
"Okay," Tim acquiesced. "Can we talk to Daddy Philip about getting a doggie?"
"I don't believe we should ask him at the beginning of lunch," I suggested.
"Okay," Sam agreed.
"What kind of doggy do you boys want?" I asked. I assumed they had no idea about the types of dogs.
"Two doggies like Donny's doggies," Tim suggested. "They are fun."
"Don't you think they might be too big?" I asked.
"Nope," Sam replied.
"Wait...," I sighed. "You said two doggies. Can't we start with only one doggie and work our way up?"
"Two right away," Tim explained. "Mathew and Joshua have two doggies who sleep with them, and they are littler than we are."
I was pleased we had finally arrived at the coffee shop. Our attention shifted to removing two boys from their car seats instead of discussing doggies.
"What a nice surprise," Mel almost shouted as we entered the restaurant. "How are you doing, Jeffery?"
"Great!" I enthused. "This is my first day alone with the energizer bunnies."
"You still have your hair, at least," Mel replied. "So, you must be adjusting well to fatherhood."
The words were barely out of Mel's mouth when Philip bounded into the restaurant. The boys were ecstatic to see their Daddy Philip.
"Daddy! Daddy!" Tim and Sam exclaimed in unison as the dashed toward Philip.
Philip grabbed one of the twins in each arm and picked them up.
"At least someone is happy to see me today," Philip said as he carried the boys to the counter where Mel and I were standing.
"Bad day?" I asked.
"It was perfect until I arrived at the farm," Philip explained. "I had to intercede between Brian Martin and an employee. Brian had just finished his bad cop routine. It seems one of our less than stellar employees made some disparaging remarks. Brian told him to change his vocabulary or to hit the bricks. I went one step beyond Brian's warning and told him to hit the bricks without any thought of a vocabulary change. We can talk about this later. I, for one, am starving!"
"Tim and Sam," Mel began. "Do you want your usual peanut butter and jelly sandwich?"
"Yes, please," Tim replied. Sam echoed his response.
"Jeffery?" Mel asked.
"Grilled chicken," I replied.
"Same," Philip said.
"Go sit," Mel suggested. "I'll bring your coffee and milk first."
Once Philip and I settled at a table and Sam and Tim were situated on booster seats, we began our discussion.
"Do we need security at the house after your employee is no longer your employee?" I asked.
"Brian and I both decided he was pretty harmless—just not in control of what comes out of his mouth," Philip replied. "So how was your day with the boys?"
"It went remarkably well," I answered. "Especially considering I have no idea about what I am doing. We did start going through the box of photos for Tim and Sam. They decided after the first round to wait until Daddy Philip was around to help us."
"You are enjoying this, aren't you?" Philip asked with a smile. "The Daddy Jeffery and Daddy Philip."
"Now that it is a reality, yes," I explained. "Before it happened, I was totally freaked out."
"I am happy, too," Philip added. "Another item of discussion. I had a talk with our Chicago people. They want me to consider leaving the truck at the farm for other employees to use during the daytime on work related matters. They offered to give me a car allowance for a new vehicle for me to drive. It would essentially be our car, but it would, for the most part, be paid for by the company. So, I thought it might be wise for us to visit the Chevy dealer here and look at SUVs."
"Are you telling me my car is too small for a family of four?" I asked.
"It will be just fine for driving around locally," Philip explained. "But, for longer trips, I believe we will want something larger."
"No minivans!" I replied. "Anything but a minivan. I have an image to protect!"
"You're not ready to be a soccer mom yet, Jeffery?" Mel asked as she delivered our coffee and milk for the boys.
"Nope," I replied.
"Me either," Philip agreed. "Do you want to call your friend at the dealership?"
"Sure," I replied. "How much do you want to spend?"
"I will get a $2,500 monthly car allowance for the company," Philip replied. "I think a Chevy Tahoe with all of the options should be a starting point."
"Maybe I shouldn't be a part of this vehicle selection," I began to explain my position. "When I spent $25 thousand for my Chevy Cruz, I almost had heart palpitations. I can see this will be a much larger amount of money. Big money makes me nervous."
"Then, you and I will pick out the car and you will go off somewhere while I talk finances," Philip suggested with a smile. "Before I started managing the farm, I got nervous about spending big chunks of money, but I have overcome my fears. Since I have been working with the farm, none of the people in the Chicago office bat an eye when I propose to spend several hundred thousand on a piece of equipment."
"Suit yourself, Philip," I replied. "Just don't tell me how much it is. I have only one request: exterior should be red."
"Consider it done!" Philip replied.
"What about a doggy?" Tim asked Philip.
"We could consider a doggy, Tim," Philip replied. "What kind of a doggy do the two of you want?"
"Two like Donny's doggies," Sam explained.
"Two?" Philip asked.
"Yup," Tim replied. "We will need at least two."
Philip looked at me with a smile before he replied to the demand of a four-year-old boy. "We will consider a doggy like Donny's. As a matter of fact, Chris gave me the name and phone number of the doggy farm where Chris and Sam got their doggies from. How about we start with only one doggy and work our way up?"
"We really need two, daddy," Sam answered. "Please, daddy, can we get two doggies?"
"Daddy Jeffery and I will discuss the number of doggies and let you know our decision," Philip explained. "Okay?"
"We are certain you will decide on two doggies, but okay," Tim replied.
We continued with our lunch without returning to the topic of one or two doggies. When we were ready to visit Mabel, the boys eagerly accepted being strapped into their car seats.
"I'll see you at the farm," Philip said as he turned to get into his truck.
"Okay, boys," I said as I started the car. "We are on our way to see Mabel. What do you want to tell Mabel when you see her?"
"We like living with our daddies," Tim explained.
"And, our daddies are considering getting two doggies," Sam continued.
"Anything else?" I asked.
"We should tell Mabel we will show her the pictures our mommy left us when we have gone through the box," Tim added.
The boys were humming for the rest of the trip to the farm. They were excited when they were finally out of their car seats and on our way to visit Mabel.
Mabel saw the boys and immediately began to welcome us, "Moooooooo!"
"I think Mabel is happy to see you," I added as I picked up Sam and Philip picked up Tim.
Philip handed each boy a sugar cube. They didn't hesitate to hold the sugar cube out for Mabel's swipe of her tongue.
To be continued...
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