The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 3

Shortly after we returned from taking Revin home, we sat down to eat dinner, and then we had a small party for Brandon.  After we sang Happy Birthday to him, we had cake and ice cream, and then Dion made an announcement. 

“We wanted to do the same thing for you guys that you did for us on Trey’s birthday, but we know it isn’t easy for you and Danny to get away.  We thought we could plan it for Danny’s birthday instead, and not only will the weather be nicer, but it will give you an opportunity to plan on taking time off from work.” 

“Yes, that probably would work out better,” Brandon agreed. 

“Great, then you can plan on taking off the weekend of Danny’s birthday.” 

“I’m sorry, but that’s not a good time,” I apologized.  “My staff has already hinted that they want to do something special for Brandon and me after work on Saturday, May 5th.” 

“Then how about the weekend after that?” Trey followed. 

“I’m afraid that won’t work either,” Brandon stated.  “That’s Mother’s Day weekend and I’m sure the restaurants will be booked and very crowded. 

“What about the following weekend?” Dad chipped in. 

“That’s the weekend of Elliot’s commencement ceremony at Yale,” I pointed out. 

“Then the weekend after that,” Dion suggested. 

“That’s Memorial Day weekend,” Brandon replied somewhat hesitantly.  “I supposed we could do it then, but I’d rather spend that weekend with the family.” 

“Any plans for the first weekend in June?” Dad asked hopefully. 

“That’s the weekend Noah graduates from high school and we were planning to have a graduation party for him here.”

“Damn, you guys have one hell of a busy social schedule,” Pop chimed in trying to make light of the situation. 

“Yes, we do,” I confirmed.  “We’re sorry if this is making it difficult for you.”

“That’s ok, but we’re still determined to do this,” Trey confirmed, and then he referred to a calendar.  “How about the weekend of June 16^th and 17^th?”

“That’s Father’s Day Weekend,” Pop announced after looking at the same calendar that Trey was referring to.

“Yes, but that’s not as busy as Mother’s Day, and since we’re planning this so far in advance, it shouldn’t be a problem.  Is that a good time for you?”

Brandon and I looked at each other and mentally considered if we had any commitments for that weekend, and then Brandon answered for both of us.  “No, that would work out nicely.”  

“Great, then make sure you don’t schedule any late appointments on Friday the 15^th,” Dad stated, “or Saturday the 16^th.” 

“Ok, we can do that,” we agreed. 

After this had been taken care of, the boys and I gave Brandon our presents.  After he opened them and thanked us, I checked with the boys to make sure their homework was done.  Once they confirmed that they’d completed their assignments, we went to the family room and watched a couple of shows on TV before sending the boys upstairs to get ready for bed. 

The next week was unusually quiet and uneventful; at least when you consider what had happened during the preceding weeks.  This time there were no individual hysterics, undue tension, or anything going bump in the dark.  The only activity of importance was getting Tristan ready to stay over with Revin on Friday night. 

“I wish I could go with you,” Wyatt said when he walked into Tristan’s room as we were helping him pack. 

“Maybe Revin and his mom will ask you to stay over the next time, cuz Revin likes you too,” Tristan countered, but when he saw the sad expression on Wyatt’s face he continued.  “And cuz I won’t be here tomorrow night, go ask your dads if you can shower and sleep with me tonight.” 

That seemed to perk Wyatt up and he raced off to find his dads.  He returned a minute later with a big smile on his face.  “They said it’s ok for me to do that.” 

This made Thursday night go more smoothly and less eventful than I’d feared, at least on Wyatt’s part, and both boys appeared to be in upbeat moods when we went up to tuck them in. 

The next morning we made sure Tristan had what he needed as he got ready for school, but he would leave his overnight bag in the SUV while he was in class.  He was really excited when he said goodbye to us as we were getting ready to leave for work. 

“Thanks for letting me do this and I really love you guys.”  He then gave each of us a hug. 

His comment touched us deeply.  Even though he’d been calling both of us Dad since shortly after he came to live with us, he rarely used the ‘L’ word.  This was one of those rare occasions and we could tell he really meant it. 

After we hugged, Brandon and I headed for the door, but he called out and stopped us.  “Wait!  I want to do something else before you go.” 

We turned around and waited as he moved toward us.  “I want to give you guys a kiss too.” 

This was also unusual, but we bent down and offered him our cheeks.  “Not like that.  I want to kiss you on the mouth.”

We were surprised because we hadn’t done anything like this before, but we allowed him to give each of us a peck on the lips.  After he was satisfied, we gave him another hug before going outside and getting in the car. 

“Man, I wasn’t expecting that,” Brandon said after he closed the car door. 

“Neither was I,” I concurred.  “I wonder what has gotten into him.” 

“Maybe he saw Revin do that with his mom.  Otherwise, maybe he’s been doing it with Revin.” 

“Oh, Lord, I hope not.  That might encourage them to start trying other things before they’re ready.” 

“Maybe we’d better watch them more closely next weekend when Revin stays with us again.” 

“Yes, that’s probably a good idea.”

When we arrived home that evening, the first thing we noticed was that Wyatt looked liked a poor lost soul.  He wasn’t smiling and merely shuffled about the house, and even after Benny and Joshie asked him to play video games, he didn’t appear to be as into it as when Tristan was here.  And during dinner he only picked at his food, which prompted his dads to comment. 

“What’s wrong, Wyatt?” Trey asked.  “Aren’t you feeling well?” 

“I’m ok,” he replied without being convincing. 

“What’s wrong then?” Dion followed.  “You aren’t eating very much.”

“I’m not hungry.” 

Dion and Trey looked at each other and realized what the problem was.  It was fairly obvious to them, since Wyatt had wanted to be with Tristan the evening before, and now he was missing his buddy. 

“Ok, but try to eat as much as you can,” Dion responded.  “We don’t want you going to bed hungry.” 

Joshie and Benny seemed to pick up on this too, because Joshie asked his brother a question.  “How would you like to shower and sleep with us tonight?”

“Yeah, ok,” Wyatt replied, perking up slightly. 

I think we all understood that this might become a reoccurring problem if Tristan stayed over with Revin every other weekend and Wyatt was left at home.  Maybe Dion and Trey could encourage Wyatt to invite one of his friends from school to stay over on those weekends so he wouldn’t feel so lonely.  I filed it away to suggest to them later. 

When the boys went to the family room to play video games, I pulled Dion and Trey aside.  “I think you noticed that Wyatt wasn’t himself tonight.” 

“Yes, and we’re glad Joshie and Benny asked him to spend time with them, because it seemed to help,” Dion replied. 

“Yes, that was good, but I’m not sure they’re going to want to do the same thing every other weekend when Tristan stays over with Revin.”

“You’re probably right,” Trey agreed.  “They’re good with Wyatt on a short term basis, but they’re quite a bit older and have other interests.” 

“I agree, and that’s why I think you might want to encourage Wyatt to invite one of his friends from school to stay over when Tristan isn’t here.” 

“You know, that’s a good idea, but I don’t remember hearing him mention anyone in particular recently,” Trey countered.  “How about you, Dion?” 

“I can’t think of anyone he’s mentioned either.  In fact, whenever I’ve picked Tristan and Wyatt up after school they’re usually waiting with Tristan’s friends.  I’ve never noticed any boys his age with them.” 

“I guess we’ll just have to ask him if he’s close to anyone in his class,” Trey conceded.  “Thanks for the suggestion, Danny.” 

“You’re welcome, and I care as much about your sons as I do about my own.” 

“We know, and we feel the same way about your sons,” Dion added. 

When we went upstairs to tuck the boys in later, Benny and Joshie were lying on their sides facing Wyatt, who was nestled in between them.  “It looks like we have a Wyatt sandwich here,” Brandon commented when he saw them. 

“I’m not a samich,” Wyatt countered. 

“Well it sure looks that way to me,” Brandon replied.  “Joshie and Benny are the slices of bread and you’re the good stuff in the middle.” 

Wyatt thought about this for a few seconds and giggled.  “Yeah, I guess I am a samich.” 

We then tucked the covers around all three boys, kissed each one on the forehead, and wished them sweet dreams.  We then left the room feeling that Wyatt would be fine. 

In the morning, after we’d all finished eating breakfast, Dion and Trey told us they were going to go shopping at the mall and asked if we wanted to go with them.  We declined, but they took Wyatt along so Benny and Joshie could have some time to themselves.  Dion and Trey realized the older pair hadn’t been able to do anything the previous evening, and knowing how horny boys that age are, they figured Benny and Joshie might need some time alone.  I’m sure the older boys appreciated that fact, and Wyatt was thrilled to get some extra attention from his daddy and poppy. 

When they returned to the house later, Wyatt came through the door with a huge grin on his face.  “Daddy and Poppy took me to the pet store and I got to play with a bunch of dif’rent puppies.  They licked my face too and it tickled.”  He giggled thinking about it.

“Yes, puppies like to do that,” I agreed. 

“I wanted to get one, but Daddy and Poppy said we had to check with everyone else first.” 

“Yes, because we’ll probably have to share it and everyone will have to help take care of the puppy when we’re not here,” Trey clarified.

“Especially Grandpa Josh while we’re at work and school,” Dion added. 

“Yes, and puppies grow into dogs and they require lots of attention,” Brandon agreed. 

“Not only do you have to feed and water them,” I continued, “but you have to take them outside so they can pee and poop, because they don’t know how to use the toilet.” 

Wyatt laughed.  “It would be funny if they did, but I’ll do all that stuff for them if we can get one.” 

“Let’s talk it over with Grandpa Josh and the other boys first,” Trey suggested, “because they’ll have to agree to help out too.”

“K, but I hope we can get one,” Wyatt added, ending the discussion. 

When Wyatt went to the bathroom, Trey told us something else.  “If no one else has a problem with it, we thought that Wyatt having a dog might be another alternative to keeping him from getting depressed when Tristan isn’t here.” 

“Yes, that would probably work too,” Brandon agreed. 

“And I’ll talk to Dad, Pop, and the other boys to see if they’ll help out with it,” I offered

Around 4:00 that afternoon a car pulled in the driveway, and after glancing out the window I realized it was Becky and Revin bringing Tristan home.  I hurried over to the door and headed out to her car so I could invite them in. 

“Becky, how would you like to join us for a cup of coffee?” 

“Actually, that sounds pretty good,” she replied.  I opened the car door for her, and after Revin and Tristan joined us, I led them inside. 

“Let me introduce you to the others first, since they’ve all come out to see who’s here,” I said after taking her coat.  “You’ve already met Wyatt,” who was waving and smiling at her, “and this is my dad, Josh, and this is Pop, but you can call him Jake.  The two over here are Benny and Joshie, and these two are our brothers, Dion and Trey.  They live here as well, and they’re Joshie and Wyatt’s dads.” 

She didn’t seem shocked or have a problem as I introduced her to the various couples, but then again many in the community already knew about us.  I’m glad she wasn’t judgmental and still willing to let her son spend time with us.

“Revin was right.  There are a lot of people living here,” she said before letting out a little chuckle.  “It doesn’t look like anyone would ever be lonely here.” 

“No, but sometimes I think we all wish we could get away for some quiet time alone,” Brandon stated. 

“Yes, it’s kind of the opposite problem that Revin and I have, and I can see why Revin likes being here with you.” 

“Danny, why don’t you give Becky a tour of the house while I brew a fresh pot of coffee,” Dad suggested.

“Good idea, but I’ll let Revin have that honor,” I agreed. 

Revin seemed thrilled that we were going to let him show his mother around, and I expected Tristan would go with them.  However, I was mildly surprised when I noticed Wyatt following along as well.  As the boys were leading Becky back to the rec room, I saw Brandon slip away and disappear into the family room, presumably to ensure it was presentable.  Seeing him do this made me wonder about the condition of the rec room, but if I later discovered it was a disaster area when they got there, I’d merely explain to Becky that it was our ‘wreck’ room.

 

They were back there for quite a few minutes, so I assumed the boys had challenged her to play a couple of games with them, and when they finished the boys escorted her to the family room next.  They showed her the PlayStation and Revin even challenged her to play a game against him so she could see what it was like. 

When they emerged from that room, I saw them heading upstairs.  I knew our bedroom was in good shape, and Dion and Trey always kept their room immaculate as well, but I wasn’t so sure about the boys’ rooms.  I hoped they hadn’t left things lying on the floor and had made their beds, although I realized they didn’t always keep their bedrooms as neat as we liked.

After showing her around the second and third floors, the boys brought her downstairs again, and as soon as they reached the foyer I took over and led her to the dining room table.  While she had been taking the tour, we had set out the cups and saucers, along with the creamer, the sugar bowl, and a container of artificial sweetener.  Dad had also brought in a platter of cookies for us to nibble on. 

“Make yourself comfortable and fix your coffee the way you like it,” I said as Brandon was filling the various cups.  “You can help yourself to the cookies too, if you’re so inclined.” 

“Thank you.  You’re very generous and I can see why Revin likes it here.  This place is huge, almost like a bed and breakfast, and you have plenty of activities to keep the boys occupied.” 

“Yes, some of our friends refer to this place as the Currie Hotel, and our dad accumulated many of those things over the years to keep us occupied, seeing there were so many of us living here.  We’ve just added to it from time to time.” 

“It’s a lovely house and it must take a lot of work to keep it looking this nice.  I was impressed that even the bedrooms were kept neat for the most part, and I wish I could get Revin to do that with his room.  Maybe you can teach him how it’s done.”  She giggled after saying this. 

“Yes, we urge the boys to keep their rooms nice because we never know when we might have company.  Sometimes it’s their friends staying over, and at other times it’s family members returning home for a visit.” 

“I noticed a few empty bedrooms, so aren’t there enough for whatever company you have?” 

“Most of the time, but not at Christmas or Thanksgiving.  At those times we have to outsource some of our guests to other family members who live in the area, and we even recruit a few friends to help with the overflow.” 

“Wow that must be one heck of a gathering.” 

“Yes, for most families it would be like having an extended family reunion,” Brandon concurred, “but for us it’s just the immediate family and their offspring.” 

“I’ll bet there isn’t a lot of room to move around in here then.” 

“No, there isn’t, but it’s especially true at meal times.  We have this huge table in the dining room, but we also set up banquet tables in the living room and foyer.  We also utilize a few card tables, so you have to move about carefully.” 

“Do you spend time with your family on the holidays?” Trey asked.  

“Sadly, we don’t have any family living close by.  I was an only child and my parents are deceased, and my husband’s parents moved to Arizona when his dad retired.” 

“Then you’ll have to join us, if you don’t have agoraphobia,” Dad offered. 

“What’s that?” Revin wanted to know. 

“It’s a fear of being in crowded places,” Dad explained simply.

“No, I don’t have that, but I’d hate to impose on your family when you have so many others here already.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Dad countered.  “The more the merrier.  In fact, some of our friends come too, and you’re more than welcome to join us.” 

“Yes, we’d love to have you and Revin here at those times, if you don’t have other plans,” I added.  “Maybe you’d be more comfortable joining us for Easter first, as sort of a trial.  That’s a much smaller gathering, because those living out of town don’t usually come home for Easter.”

“That would probably work out better, since there won’t be as many here.  It would also allow us to get to know some of the others first, so we won’t feel out of place.” 

“Then let’s make it official,” Dad offered.  “You’re invited to have Easter dinner with us, and you can also join us when we go to church, if you wish.” 

“Revin said you don’t go to the same church we do, although he said it’s nearly the same and he really likes it there.  We don’t go to church every week, so I guess it wouldn’t make a huge difference where we attend, so maybe we’ll do that too.” 

“It sounds like a wonderful idea,” Brandon confirmed. 

“And I have something to ask you as well,” Becky stated.  “Revin said that when he was here he spent time with both Tristan and Wyatt, and he asked if next time Wyatt could stay over as well.  It’s fine with me, but I wanted to make sure it was ok with Wyatt’s parents first.” 

“Yes, that would be fine,” Dion concurred.  “In fact, Wyatt was a little lonely because Tristan wasn’t here, because they’re the closest in age and do the most things together.” 

“Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t know that earlier or I would have been happy to invite him.” 

“No, it was fine, and you had no way of knowing about Wyatt,” Trey said reassuringly.  “In fact, it’s very nice of you to invite him now.” 

“Tristan was a pleasure to have and he and Revin spent most of their time entertaining each other.  Other than fixing meals for everyone, I only watched a movie with them.” 

“They like playing board games too,” Pop offered.  “Do you have any?” 

“We have a few games that I’ve purchased for Revin at different times.  I know we have Connect Four, Trouble, and Operation, but we might have others as well.”

“If you want, you could always play those games with them,” Pop suggested.  “They seem to like playing board games against the adults because they get a kick out of beating us.”

“I’m sure they do, and that’s not a bad idea.” 

“And would it be all right for Revin to spend this coming weekend with us?” Brandon followed. 

“Yes, I’m sure he’d like that, if it’s no trouble.” 

“No, not at all.” 

We continued chatting a little longer, and a short time later Revin, Wyatt, and Tristan came back to speak with us.  “Revin wants to go to church with us tomorrow.  Is that alright?” Tristan blurted out. 

“It’s fine with us,” I agreed, “but you also need to check with his mom.” 

“Mrs. Kramer, can Revin go to church with us tomorrow?” 

“I don’t have a problem with that, seeing your fathers don’t mind.” 

“Not at all, and we can pick him up at your place in the morning,” I confirmed.  After hearing that, the boys cheered and then raced back to the family room to play video games again. 

“Ok, I’ll make sure he’s ready.  You don’t have to keep him all day, though, if you have other things to do.  You can just drop him off after the service is over.” 

“We go out for brunch after church, so he’ll be with us a little while longer, if that’s ok.” 

“You don’t have to take him out to eat and can just drop him off before you go to do that.” 

 “It’s not a problem and he enjoyed doing it with us last Sunday.” 

“No wonder he’s so anxious to go to church again,” she joked.  “Ok, if you don’t have a problem with that.” 

“No, its fine,” I agreed.  “We’ll pick him up around 9:30, because Sunday school starts at 10:00, and you’re also welcome to join us.” 

“Not this time, but maybe another.  It’s been lovely meeting all of you, and thank you for doing these things with Revin.  I know he enjoyed being here last weekend, and I made good use of the time too.  I could get used to having a weekend to myself every now and then.” 

“As far as we’re concerned, he has an open invitation for every other weekend, unless you have other plans.” 

“I can live with that, and then Tristan and Wyatt can spend the opposite weekends with us.” 

“You don’t have to feel obligated to take them for the entire weekend,” Brandon stated.  “Just Friday or Saturday night would be fine.” 

“Ok, what if we do this?  I can do my grocery shopping on Friday night, and then I’ll pick up Wyatt and Tristan on Saturday morning.” 

“That will be fine, and then we’ll stop by to pick them up on Sunday morning for church, and you and Revin are welcome to join us as well.” 

“He probably will, and I’ll most likely join you on the holidays, but I prefer to use that time catching up on the other things I have to do.” 

“Ok, it’s certainly your choice, and I’m glad this will work out for you.” 

“I am too.  Oh, and Revin says he wants you to be his doctor and Brandon his dentist.  Would either of you have a problem with that?”

“Not at all, and you can just call our offices when you’re ready to make an appointment.  We’ll even give you the family discount.” 

“That would be very helpful and very much appreciated.  Oh, and one other thing.  I think the boys may have showered together last night.  I didn’t know they were planning to do that and only figured it out when I went back to ask Revin a question and he and Tristan weren’t in his room.  When I went looking for them, I noticed the bathroom door was closed and I heard the water running, so I put two and two together.  I didn’t say anything about it when I saw them later, because I didn’t want to embarrass either of them.  I hope that’s not a problem for you.” 

“No, the boys often shower together to save time, so that might have been where Revin got the idea in the first place.  I hope it’s not a problem for you either.” 

“No, I actually feel it might be good for Revin, because it will help to sate some of his curiosity.  I’m sure he would have grown up taking baths with his brother, if I’d been able to give him one, but regrettably I had two miscarriages after he was born and before my husband died, so that wasn’t to be.”  

“I’m sorry to hear that, and I’m glad this hasn’t caused a problem.” 

“No, and it might even help him when he’s older and has to take a communal shower, like at the Y or at school.”

“That’s a very good point,” Brandon agreed.

She left shortly after our discussion ended, and I think we were all pleased that we’d had the opportunity to have this little chat.  During that time we were able to clear up a few potential problems, and she’d been the one to offer having Wyatt stay over.  I believe it will make all of the boys happy from now on.