Hi there everyone. I hope each and everyone of you has had a good labor day weekend. Mine has been nice and I cannot believe that college football is back! Next week brings the NFL back, and the AL central teams continue to beat each other up fighting for that number one spot. Go Guardians! As you can tell, I love September and all of the sports that accompany the month.
I continue to rewrite, add to and write more chapters of this story and I'm seeking any suggestions, constructive or positive feedback you have about the story. Please send information to cjwilson328@aol.com. For those if you who have already reached out to me - my thanks! I'm working your ideas into future storylines.
The week has continued on and the group of friends continue to recover from what happened to Darrell during the week. The weekend is busy for a number of the group members, including CJ.
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The hours on Wednesday afternoon have gone by and have now extended into days. All of us continue to alternate schedules and work with Darrell as much as we can. I know he acknowledges that we're with him, but I can feel he's in a dark place and having problems reaching outside of his own space. I know I can't wave a magic wand and make everything disappear. I do fear that Darrell's recovery is going to take much longer than even I expect it to.
Darrell is starting to share deeper feelings with several of us. Specifically, he is sharing more with me, Bailey and Randy. All of the other members of our group continue to work with him, and know that eventually he will come back around to be the caring, courteous and joyful individual we all know and love.
On Saturday morning, I cooked breakfast for Darrell and Mack. It's my weekend specialty of scrambled eggs with ham, toast, fruit, juice and coffee. I'm so pleased to see Darrell dig in and eat heartily since his appetite has been non-existent after the shooting.
It is a nice December morning, so Mack said "why don't you two head out to the patio and I'll clean the breakfast dishes?" I insisted on helping, but Mack said "no, go enjoy the morning fresh air with Darrell. I'll be fine, and will join you two in a while."
Darrell and I refilled our coffee cups and headed to the patio. It is a very refreshing morning, and we each took a seat at Mack's bistro set. For the first couple of minutes, Darrell looked aimlessly at the beach area. I did not say anything to him as I want him to be the first to break the ice. Randy suggested I do this, as it helps the victim come out of their shell when ready.
Darrell took a sip of coffee and said "I'm not ignoring you CJ. Thank you for breakfast and being here with me. Please know it does help. I hope that everyone else does not think I'm ignoring them. I can't cope with a lot of questions now, and find true solace with only a few of you." I smiled at Darrell and said "we recognize that Darrell, and all of us want to give you your space. Please know I'm here for you anytime of the day or night. You can share whatever you want to with me, and it won't leave our space."
Mack came out to the patio with the coffee pot, and refilled our coffee cups. He said "I've got the dishwasher running, and I need to run to the store for some groceries. Sweetheart, is there anything special you want from the store?" Darrell broke into tears and said "Mack, you are being so good to me, and I can never thank you enough for the love and tenderness you're giving me. I love you, and I promise at some point I'll be back to myself."
Mack leaned down and gave Darrell a kiss. He looked at him, gave him a smile and replied "I know that Darrell, and I'll be here for you. We're going to make it through this Darrell, and someday I know I'll encounter a bad fire scene that I will need your help getting over. I'm here for you, just as I know you are here for me. Nothing is going to change that. You two enjoy the morning, and I'll be back from the store soon." Darrell smiled at Mack and said "will you get plenty of fresh fruit? I enjoyed the fruit that CJ prepared for us this morning, and I think I can eat much more of that." Mack gave a laugh and said "I sure will babe. I'll see you soon, and enjoy the time with CJ."
I'm not sure if Mack is taking an opportunity to spend some time away from Darrell, or if he knows that Mack is comfortable with me and may open up more without him around? Whatever the reason is, I'm happy to be helping out in any way I can.
Darrell started into more chit chat and asked me how work is going? I told him that it's been a crazy week and that we have a number of community events planned for the holiday season. I said "tomorrow we have a float in the Chamber of Commerce Christmas parade. Bailey's going to dress up as Santa Claus and sit on a big chair in the middle of the float. I hope it's not too hot tomorrow, as he may sweat his ass off in that suit." Darrell broke into a laugh and said "will you get some pictures of him for me? I can imagine him now in that suit. I'm sure since it's a Sunday, he will have a water bottle or two filled with his famous lemonade vodka." We both had a good laugh at the visual and I said "Wally, Alex and several others will be along the parade route tomorrow. How about you join them and participate in the festivities?" Darrell said "we'll see CJ. I'll see how I'm feeling tomorrow and let you know." I smirked and said "okay. As an added plus, you'll get to see Ronny, Aaron, myself and several other handsome men dressed in tight leggings performing as Santa's elves!",
Darrell took a sip of his coffee, looked at me and said "it's been a tough week CJ. I have to start next week on my mandated department treatments. I know I have to do it in order to maintain my status at the department. I'm not sure I'm ready for it." I smiled at Darrell and replied "I know Darrell. I can only imagine what you're going through. If you need me as a sounding board today, please unload on me and see if it will help you get started on your sessions for next week."
He took another sip of his coffee, thought for a few minutes and said "did you know that was my first killing this week in my career? I've shot several people while I've been on the force, but killing Lucas was the first life I have ever taken while being on the force. God CJ, why did it have to be him and why did I even respond to the holdup the other day? I was on my way to headquarters when the alert went out. I did not have to go, but I felt as though it was the right thing to do for my fellow brothers."
I reached my hand across the table and grabbed Darrell's hand. I squeezed his hand and said "Darrell, the items you just said and questions you asked are excellent starting points for your treatments this week. Unfortunately, I don't have the answers for you, but perhaps someone with more training will be able to help you peel back the layers and help you to discover the answers with you. I can give you my outside observations if you want to hear them? I don't know if they will help, but it may give you some thoughts to ponder before you meet with a psychiatrist this week?"
Darrell gave me a smile and replied "of course I want to hear your observations. As our friendship has developed, I've found you to be a very analytical person who has a way to express his ideas in a manner that is generally non-offensive to others. I may not accept or agree with what you say, but you'll give me plenty to think about as I progress ahead."
Darrell's response pleased me very much and I decided to use my common sense that I've acquired to proceed on with him. I smiled and said "first, there is no doubt in my mind why you went to the hostage scene the other morning. The Darrell I know will never turn his back on fellow police officers or citizens of this community, no matter how busy his schedule may be. You're a caring individual Darrell and want to help anyone you can from perils that present themselves. Additionally, at the time you responded, you did not know that one of the gunmen was Lucas. Even if you did know he was there, I have no doubt in my mind that you would have had the same reaction and race to the standoff scene in order to assist." I stopped for a moment, to let Darrell process what I said and see if he had any response to it.
Darrell took a sip of his coffee, and thought for a moment. He looked at me and responded with "I cannot argue at all with you on what you just said. I have always gone above and beyond the call of duty to help anyone in need. I believe it's in my DNA, and once I get back to my normal self, I will most likely return to performing the same trait. You also gave me something to chew on CJ. There is no way that I knew how far Lucas had spiraled downward and that he was involved in the standoff. If I did know he was involved, would I have responded? I need to dig into that a little more. Perhaps my new shrink can help me chisel away at that big rock."
I took another drink of my coffee and said "are you ready for another observation of mine?" Darrell nodded yes and I continued with "You have not shared much with me about your time with Lucas and his drug use. In the time we have been friends, I know you will not put up with any drug use around you. I also believe that you know in order to help some people, you have to let them crash and burn alone. I believe when you broke up with Lucas and kicked him out of your life, you were forcing him to hit rock bottom on his own."
After another sip of coffee, I continued with "there is nothing wrong with what you did Darrell. Any addict needs to make their own choices. Some do realize they need help, and seek it out. Others never realize they need help and eventually are seriously injured or kill themselves. Judging from what you told me about Lucas and your interactions on Wednesday, Lucas chose to blame everyone around him. You took the brunt of the blame not knowing that it was going to be his last day alive."
I stopped for a few minutes to let Darrell reflect on what I said. He eventually looked me in the face and said "wow CJ, you just dumped a pile of crap on me!" We both had a laugh, and Darrell took a drink of his coffee. I said "did the crap stick Darrell, or did it slide off of you totally?" He smiled and said "it stuck my friend, and while I can't agree with you on everything, you gave me way too much to think about and discuss in my future treatments."
I looked at him and said "good, you don't have to agree with me on everything. But, please know those are my views about your situation. I hope they help you dig yourself out of your own personal hell. Are you ready for one more observation for today, and then we can save the rest of them for later?" Darrell replied with "yeah, these are good CJ and probably what I need. Give me one more, and that should be enough to start me off next week on my treatments."
Before continuing on, I went into the kitchen and filled up our coffee cups. Once I returned and handed Darrell his cup, I said "my last observation for today is more of a request for you. As you feel yourself thinking about Lucas and holding his lifeless hand in the parking lot, quickly change the picture if you can for me. Think about that young boy who escaped from Lucas and whom you saved with your actions. You probably don't think you saved him since he escaped from Lucas. Darrell, you did save him as Lucas did not have time to react to his escape, but you reacted and shot Lucas which saved the boy. When I saw Lucas holding onto that child, I wanted to risk my own life and rush Lucas to save that boy. All I could think about is the boy is about Jimmy's age and he doesn't deserve this in his young life. So, the next time you see Lucas in your thoughts or a dream, change the picture to one of Jimmy with his big smile facing you."
I must have given Darrell something to think about as he was looking out towards the gulf again. After a few minutes he said "are you sure you're not a psychology major, because you seriously challenged me with your three observations today. I've got a lot to ponder now before my treatments this week, and I can honestly say I want to repeat this session at least once a week with you, if you are willing to do it with me?" I smiled at him, stood up, pulled him in for a hug and said "of course I'm willing to do it and anything else you need from me Darrell. I'm here for you, and we're all here for you. Just take care of yourself, and give one of us a yell if you ever feel overwhelmed with any of your feelings."
Before we sat back down, there was a knock at the door. I made my way to the door and found Bailey standing there with Darrell's brother Bill. I smiled at the two of them and said "it's good to see both of you. Bill, I'm glad you're here as I think your brother needs family support now." Bill looked at me and said "Alex told me what happened yesterday when he picked up a keg from my shop. I would have been here last night CJ, but I needed to compose myself before seeing him. Is he okay and up for seeing me?" I replied with "he's got a tough journey ahead of him Bill. All of us are determined to get him through this, and I hope we can count on your help as well?" Bill said "of course you can. I hope I can strengthen our relationship as brothers in helping him through this ordeal."
Bailey and Bill went out to the patio, while I brewed another pot of coffee for everyone. I returned to the patio, and found Darrell and Bill hugging each other as they were exchanging pleasant messages. I gave Bailey a wink and said "Mack is at the store and will be back later. Darrell and I have had a good talk this morning."
Bailey looked at me, smiled and said "you are being requested at your residence soon! Your young friend Jimmy is looking for you saying that you promised to help him today make Christmas gifts for everyone." Once Darrell heard this, he turned to me, gave me a hug and said "thank you my friend for talking with me this morning. Maybe we can do this again next Saturday morning? I'll let you know how my sessions go this week, and please stop by whenever you have some free time. Go ahead and help Jimmy. I'm good and have so much to think about thanks to you. I'd like to spend some time with Bill and Bailey now."
After I said my farewells, I exited Mack's condo and saw Mack pulling into the parking lot. I went down to meet him and helped him carry the groceries in. I told Mack that Darrell and I had a very good discussion this morning. Mack smiled at me and said "Darrell told me yesterday that he enjoys talking to you, Bailey and Randy. I hope you don't mind if I lean on you and them for extra support during Darrell's recovery?" I quickly replied "not at all Mack, I'm here for both of you. Will you let me know if Darrell talks to you about our discussion this morning? I know I did not push the envelope too far with him, but I do want to hear if he's thinking about what I said to him." Mack said "of course I will, CJ."
We returned to Mack's place and I introduced Bill to Mack. I quickly gave Bill a condensed version of how Mack and I met, and that Mack and Wally are brothers by the same father. Bailey said "CJ, I don't mean to rush you, but Jimmy will be sending out the police to search for you if you don't return soon. I'm sure that Mack can fill in the pieces to your story as they get to know each other."
I took my queue to leave, and headed back to our condo. I did not find anyone inside, but as I went out to the patio, I heard a young voice laughing at something Alex is saying. I went around the patio corner to the pub side and found Alex, Wally, Ronny and Jimmy playing a round of cricket. Jimmy saw me first and screamed "CJ, I missed you this week. Are you okay?" I went over to my young friend, gave him a big hug and said "it was a very rough week at work Jimmy. But it's all better now seeing you today!" He smiled at me and said "let me finish this cricket game, then we can work on my presents together. Alex and I are beating Wally and Ronny!" Wally gave me a wink and said "you okay babe?" I smiled at him and said "yeah, it's been a good morning. I'll fill you in on everything later today."
The foursome finished their game up with Jimmy and Alex winning the match. Being the polite youngster, Jimmy gave Wally and Ronny a fist bump and said "good game guys. Thanks for keeping me company while I waited for CJ. I know you all have things to do now, so go ahead and leave when you need to. I'll be fine here now with CJ."
Alex and Wally are meeting Joe and Roger for a final walkthrough on their house. Wally and Alex believe they have covered everything on their punch list, but want to give Joe and Roger one final look before the house closing scheduled for next Friday. Ronny is heading to the station for a few hours to do some editing on a couple of Buccaneers packages that are needed for tomorrow's away pregame show. He's also going to pick up our outfits for the Christmas parade tomorrow.
After Ronny left, I looked at Jimmy and said "did you eat breakfast this morning?" He smiled at me and said "yeah CJ, daddy, Toby and I had a nice breakfast before they left this morning. If you don't mind, I'd like something to drink." I ruffled his hair and said "what do you want sport? Milk, juice, water, ice tea or lemonade?" Jimmy thought for a moment and said "ice tea sounds good today; will you have some with me?" I replied "I sure will. You go get the stuff out of the office closet, and how about we work on the patio?" Jimmy said "okay CJ. I'm also going to the bathroom before we start."
While Jimmy gathered his supplies, I poured us two ice teas. My little friend did not know it, but I put some bourbon in my tea to enjoy while we work on his creations. I put a lemon quarter on the rim of my glass, knowing that Jimmy doesn't like any fruit in his ice tea.
Jimmy returned with everything, and said "CJ I forgot to bring scotch tape with me today. Do you have any here at your place?" I said "let's go look in Alex's junk drawer in the kitchen. He always has a bunch of stuff in there." Sure enough, we found scotch tape in his drawer, and headed back to the patio. I looked at Jimmy and said "we need to do one more thing before we start. Do you know what this is?" Jimmy cracked up laughing at me and said "we need music while we work!" He and I picked out a music channel, adjusted the volume and now we're ready to begin work on his gifts.
We sorted out Jimmy's pictures on the table and he needs to decide which sixteen pictures he wants to include in the collage. He does not know it yet, but I picked up some inexpensive picture frames this week and I'm going to suggest we use them for his extra pictures. He has 25 pictures in total, and I'm sure we'll be able to use them all.
He quickly decided on the pictures to use in the collage, and we went to work. I had him use scotch tape instead of any adhesive in case Fred and Toby want to use the pictures later in another frame or album. We were joking around, singing and enjoying our time together on the patio. We both needed a refill on our drinks, so I went to the kitchen and refilled the cups. Once again, I added bourbon in mine, just to give that flavor that I really enjoy. When I went back out to the patio, Jimmy announced "I think I have all of the pictures taped down in place. Can we look at them now and make sure they're all lined up good before putting the back of the frame on?" I said "sure, big guy. Let me hold everything for you first, and you tell me how it looks to you."
The smile on Jimmy's face said it all to me. He said "it looks great CJ. Let me hold it for you and see if you agree?" I let my friend hold the picture frame, and I agreed with him on how it looks. I said "wow Mr. Peterson, you've done a great job on this! Are you ready to secure the back of it on, and call this done?" Jimmy busted out in laughter at me and replied "come on CJ, I'm not a mister yet! I'm glad you like it as well, and I'm so thankful for you helping me with this. I know daddy and Toby will enjoy this as a gift to both of them."
I looked at Jimmy and said "let's go to my office closet. I think I have a box that will fit this, and I have some Christmas wrapping paper for you to choose from." We found a box that should work, and Jimmy picked out a red background wrapping paper that has Christmas trees and stockings on it.
We went back to the patio, and I held the box while he slid the picture frame into it. The box size is perfect and it's all ready for the wrapping paper. Jimmy looked at me and said "will you help me with the wrapping? I'm not good at wrapping presents, but I'll hold paper down and put tape on where you tell me to." I cracked up at him and said "what makes you think I'm good at wrapping gifts? Tell you what, we'll make it through this together, and if it doesn't look good, we'll have Alex re-wrap it for us. He's an expert gift wrapper!" Jimmy laughed at me and said "okay CJ, that sounds good."
Jimmy got tape ready for me, as I wrapped the box. Five minutes later, he looked at me and said "you're a good wrapper too, CJ. I like how this turned out, and I don't think it needs re-wrapped by Alex. Thanks for your help with it."
He took a drink of his ice tea and said "CJ, can I talk to you about something that I don't want to talk to daddy and Toby about? Once you hear it, if you think I should talk to them, I will for you." I smiled at him and said "of course you can talk to me about anything Jimmy, we're friends, aren't we? He smiled and said "yeah CJ, you're one of my best friends and I like spending time with you. I missed you this week, but I'm glad we're together today."
I sat down on one chair, while Jimmy sat on another chair. He looked at me and said "one boy in my school was caught in a store with his mom this week. Several gunmen went into the store and took everyone hostage. I know who the boy is, and he has not been back in school this week. He's in a different class than me, but he's in my grade."
Jimmy continued by saying "I overheard some kids talking about him. The one kid said one of the gunmen took him outside the store and pointed a gun at him. The kid also said the boy escaped from the gunman and a police officer shot the gunman. Do you know if all of this is true CJ, and did channel 2 cover the story?"
I took a big swig of my drink, smiled at Jimmy and said "okay my young friend, I'm not going to lie to you. All that you just asked is true. I was at the scene and did the live reporting for it." Jimmy looked at me in awe and asked "were you scared CJ?" I smiled at Jimmy and said "I was very scared Jimmy. The scene bothered me very much as there was a boy your age in danger. I wanted to run out there and risk my life to save the boy from the gunman. I knew I couldn't do it, but I was ready to in order to save the boy's life."
I took another drink and said "Jimmy, before you ask me any more questions, I want to continue this discussion with your dad and Toby. Don't worry, you have not done anything wrong, and you cannot control what you hear at school. I think it's important to share what you heard with your dad, and if he's in agreement the three of us can share more with you. Does that sound fair to you Jimmy?"
Jimmy got off his chair, came over to me and gave me a hug. He said "okay CJ, we'll do that when they come to pick me up. I'll make sure I tell them that you did not tell me anything, and that I told you everything I heard at school. Thank you for being honest with me CJ. I love you and I'm so glad that you and I can share things together."
I showed Jimmy the extra picture frames I had and asked him "do you want to use these for your other pictures?" He smiled at me and said "I like these CJ, will you let me buy them from you?" I smiled at him and said "nope, but you can have them for being so honest with me today." He grinned again, and off to work we went on the remaining photos.
While we were working on the photos, I asked him "besides Taylor Swift, who else do you like to listen to on the radio?" I did this, because word spread through our group quickly that he's getting a stereo system with a turntable for Christmas. He rattled off so many groups, that I could not keep up with him. I said "whoa there Jimmy, will you write me down a list of who you like? I think you and I have very similar tastes in music. I want to make us some playlists that we can listen to in the jeep when we're together." He cracked up at me and said "okay CJ, I'll make you a list. You don't have to create us any playlists, but that will be nice. Will you show me how to make some playlists sometime?" I smiled and said "I sure will and it's easy to do Jimmy. You'll have it down in five minutes or less, because you are a smart guy!" He laughed at me and said "let's get these wrapped up before daddy and Toby surprise us by walking in."
Once we had all of his gifts wrapped, he placed them in the office closet. He looked at me and said "we'll put them around our Christmas tree closer to Christmas. I want to surprise them with these. Is it okay to keep them here, CJ." I said "it's no problem at all, Jimmy. Is there anything else that your dad and Toby need or want for Christmas? I want to get them each a gift and need your help with picking something out for them. Also, do you need any help with your friendship bracelets?"
Jimmy said "let's go back to the patio and we can talk some more." When we made it back to the patio, he continued on by saying "I'm doing good on my bracelets for everyone. I was able to make six up this week, and I will have the rest done before Christmas. I need to find small boxes for all of them though." He continued on and gave me some great ideas for Fred and Toby. I finally told him "I know where we can find small boxes for your bracelets. Do you want to go now and get some, before anyone comes back here?" He screamed "yes!" at me, and in a few minutes, we were off to our local dollar store to obtain small boxes for my dear friend.
Before leaving, I sent Fred and Wally a text to let them know we're out shopping, and will be back soon. They both acknowledged me and said they will be returning in a little over an hour.
Jimmy and I found the boxes he needed. He did not have enough money for them, and promised to pay me back for them. I looked at him, smiled and said "you've already paid me back today. What do you say if we look for more wrapping paper? I'm going to need some more to wrap my gifts for everyone." We left the dollar store about thirty minutes later, and my wallet was $100 lighter. It amazes me how much the two of us can find together that we really don't need! Ah well, as the love of my life says "it's only money, and we can't take it with us."
We got back to the condo ahead of everyone else. Ronny was the first one to return with our costumes for the Christmas parade. Jimmy laughed and said "I can hardly wait to see you two tomorrow." Ronny laughed at him and said "well guess what? I have an extra costume for you." Ronny then showed us a smaller version of the costume and said "Jimmy, run into my bedroom and change into it. If it fits you, how about you join me and CJ in the parade tomorrow? You can help us pass out candy and gifts to people along the parade route." Jimmy quickly exited to Ronny's bedroom with the elf costume in hand.
Ronny looked at me and said "Danielle had an extra outfit for a child. I texted Fred to ask him if Jimmy can be on the parade float with us, and Fred said yes to the idea." Jimmy came running back out to the two of us and said "how does the costume look guys?" We both smiled at him and said "it looks great, Jimmy!" He smiled at us and said "good. We're going to have fun tomorrow on the parade float. I hope there is a big crowd and we can make them all smile. Who else is going to be on the float with us?" Ronny leaned down and said "Bailey, Aaron, Trev, Carl, Jennifer, Angela and Danielle. Do you remember Danielle from the football game?" Jimmy replied "yeah, I remember her. Thanks, Ronny for including me, we're going to have so much fun!"
Just as Jimmy finished speaking, Fred and Toby opened our front door. Fred and Toby both saw Jimmy, and Fred said "look Toby, there's Jimmy our elf!" Jimmy ran to Fred and said "sorry daddy that I did not ask for your permission, but can I be in the parade tomorrow with Ronny, CJ and several others?" Fred got down on his knee and said "Ronny already asked me and I said yes you can do it. Do you want me and Toby to be on the parade route?" Jimmy gave Fred a hug and said "of course I want you two on the route. When I see you both, I'll make sure to give you each a candy cane."
Fred continued on and said "why don't you go change so you won't get your outfit dirty for tomorrow. When you are done changing, come out to the patio because Toby and I want to talk to you about something."
Jimmy scurried off and I said "is everything okay you two, and do you want Ronny and I to give you some privacy when you talk to Jimmy?" Fred said "no, we want you two to be with us when we tell Jimmy about our day." I told them "Okay, Jimmy has some news for you two also. Don't worry, it's all good as he shared a secret with me. I told him before I answer any more questions for him, he needs to tell you two what he heard at school."
I poured each of us an ice tea, and we all headed for the patio. We all sat down at the table and Jimmy said "daddy, before you and Toby share your news with me, can I tell you both something I heard at school?" Fred smiled at him and said "of course you can sport. What's on your mind?"
Jimmy told them everything he had shared with me earlier in the day. He also informed them he talked to me about it, and I answered him honestly. Jimmy continued on by saying "CJ told me about how scared he was, and that he wanted to save the boy because it reminded him of me." Fred motioned for Jimmy to come over and sit on his lap. He gave him a hug and said "thanks for talking to CJ about this, and thank you for sharing it now with Toby and me. We always want you to share anything with us, because it's important to be open and honest about everything you see or hear." Jimmy smiled at Fred and Toby and said "I know that and promise to be open with both of you about everything. Now it's your turn, what do you two want to share with me?"
Fred took a drink of his ice tea and said "Toby and I went to see grandma and grandpa today. Please don't be mad at us for not taking you, but I wanted to introduce Toby to your grandparents and I was not sure how the visit was going to go. It ended up going very well, and I told your grandparents that I love Toby, and the he is living with me and you." Jimmy smiled at both Fred and then Toby. Jimmy said "so grandma and grandpa are okay with us becoming a family soon?" Toby kneeled down next to Jimmy and took Fred's hands. Fred said "yes Jimmy, I don't think they understand the news from me, but they are accepting Toby into the family. Both grandma and grandpa want you and I to be happy. They said if the three of us are happy, then they are happy for us. We're going to spend Christmas day with them. I'm going to pick them up after you, Toby and I open our presents and bring them to our new home." The three of them joined in a hug and Jimmy said "thanks for telling me the news daddy. I love you both, and I'm happy that we're going to be a family soon. It makes me even more happy that grandma and grandpa will love Toby just as much as they love us."
Ronny and I shared hugs with Fred and Toby over their joyful news. As Ronny and Fred broke their hug, Ronny said to him "thanks for sharing your story with me today. You and CJ have given me the needed confidence to come out to my parents Fred. I think doing it in person like you did will be the best way to handle the news with my parents. I'm so happy for you both."
About twenty minutes later, my two construction studs entered the condo both smiling. They joined us on the patio and Alex announced "Joe and Roger want to close on their house today! Everything went well on the walkthrough and they want to take us all out to dinner tonight at the Beachcomber. We told them that we'll meet them there around 5:00 pm. Fred, they love the patio, pool and the cage over the pool. It turned out better than they expected, and they want us all to help them christen it in." Wally added "they're so excited about moving in and plan to start their move next Friday after the closing."
Even though there is a general sense of happiness in our condo, my mind drifted to Darrell and I wonder how he is making it through the day? I excused myself from everyone and said I will be back in a few minutes. I pulled Wally aside and whispered to him "I feel as though I need to go check on Darrell. Do you want to stop in with me, or I can go by myself?" Wally smiled at me, took my hand and said "let's go check on them together. I'll make sure Mack is doing okay as well."
When we got to Mack's place, he opened the door and a big smile appeared on his face. He said "he there, guys. I'm fixing dinner for the three of us. Will you join us, and I'll prepare some more chicken breasts.? Wally said "actually Mack, CJ and I are having dinner with clients of mine. I did a final walkthrough with them today, and they're so happy with their new home. We're having a celebratory dinner prior to their house closing next Friday."
Mack said "CJ, whatever you said to Darrell this morning appears to be working on him. His mood swings have been less frequent today, and he's enjoyed his day with Bill. It's been a nice day for me and Bill to get to know each other today as well. Please step out on the patio and say hello to them while I finish some side dishes in the kitchen."
Wally and I stepped out on the patio. It is apparent that Darrell and Bill have had an enjoyable afternoon with each other. We informed them about our dinner plans. I said "Darrell, have you given any thought to going to the parade with Wally and Alex tomorrow?" Darrell cracked up and said "Mack and his crew are driving their fire truck in the parade also. Wally, do you mind if I tag along with you and Alex tomorrow?" Wally replied "not at all Darrell. We'll stop down and get you before we leave tomorrow."
We made our exit from Mack's condo and headed back to our place for a quick shower. The condo had cleared out, and I heard Ronny and Alex's shower running. I looked at the kitchen clock and saw that it was nearing 4:00. I grabbed Wally's hand and headed for our shower. We quickly disrobed and entered the shower. I looked deep into Wally's eyes and said "I need some alone time with you, stud. It's been a long week and I'm looking forward to a passionate evening with you once we return home from dinner.
Wally and I began kissing and embracing each other under the shower head. He broke away from the kissing and said "so is this the appetizer prior to dinner, and then we'll return to our abode for dessert later?" I smiled at him and said "yeah sweetheart. Even though it's been a good day for me, I've missed you today. We're both so busy helping others and our alone time slips away from us. Please tell me this won't hurt us in the future?" He tenderly put his hands on my head and said "no sweetheart, put your mind at ease. All that we're doing now for everyone else is only going to make us stronger together. I love you so much and cannot wait for the upcoming holidays to embrace us with even more love and joy than we have today."
I smiled at him, began kissing him again and eventually dropped to my knees giving his chest, stomach and groin area plenty of kisses along my way down. I heard him moaning as I took his cock in my mouth and began giving him one of my famous blowjobs. Too bad we have dinner plans as I think we're content being alone in our own little pleasure zone.
I can feel it now everyone, it's going to be a good evening followed by an even better day tomorrow. I know it's going to be a long recovery period for Darrell, but I'm committed to help him in anyway I can. Right now all I want is to please my man all through the night.