The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 3

The days were flying by as we entered February, and that was partially due to the fact that the month wasn’t quite as hectic as it used to be.  We no longer held a big Valentine’s Day party at the house, seeing there were no lovers in this group of boys and none of them had anyone special to share their love with.  However, we still had to purchase Valentine’s cards for Tristan and Wyatt to hand out at school, seeing their classes held parties on Valentine’s Day. 

I never bothered to find out how Wyatt’s teacher handled it, but Tristan had to take an empty cereal box to school that he could decorate as his Valentine’s Day mailbox.  Mrs. Argentine also sent home a class list so he’d know the names and correct spelling for everyone in his classroom, and Brandon helped him prepare a card for each of the other students.  He also reminded Tristan to take the cards with him on Wednesday morning so he’d have them to hand out. 

When we got home that evening, the boys were buzzing about something, so we asked what was going on. 

“Tristan’s got a secret admirer and he doesn’t know who it is,” Benny answered. 

“So how do you know he has a secret admirer then?” 

“Cuz he got a special Valentine’s card today.” 

Tristan handed the card to me so Brandon and I could look at it.  It wasn’t one of the typical package cards, like the ones we bought for Wyatt and Tristan to give to the other students in their classroom.  This was a regular Valentine’s Day card, made by a well known company, which meant someone had purchased it specifically for him.  On it was a special message, printed by hand, that read, “I really like you a lot and want to get to know you better.”  The problem was that it was signed “Guess who?” 

“We can probably use your class list to check off who gave you the other cards and then you’ll be able to see who gave you this one,” Brandon suggested. 

“Yeah, let’s do that,” Tristan eagerly agreed. 

As Tristan extracted the cards from the temporary mailbox one at a time, they looked at who it was from and then checked off that name on the list.  However, when they finished every name on the list, with the exception of Tristan’s name, had been checked off.  It was not only a special card, but it was an extra one too. 

“Damn, I guess you do have a secret admirer,” Ryan teased. 

“Can’t you tell who the person is by comparing the handwriting to what was written on the other cards?” Noah asked. 

“Unfortunately, the signatures are all printed so it’s difficult to pin the handwriting down to just one person,” Brandon replied. 

“Can you at least tell if it was written by a boy or a girl?” Joshie followed. 

“Not really,” Brandon replied.  “Whoever wrote this took their time and did it very carefully, so all I can determine is that it was done by someone with really good penmanship.” 

“So how am I s’posed to know who it’s from?” 

“Have you picked up a new friend lately or has anyone been extra nice to you?”

“Not that I can think of.” 

“Maybe somebody from another classroom went in while you guys weren’t there and left it for you,” Benny suggested. 

“Maybe, but I kinda doubt it, cuz they’d get in a lot of trouble if Mrs. Argentine caught them in her classroom.” 

“Then you’ll just have to pay attention and see who seems to be particularly friendly or extra nice to you from now on,” I offered.   

“K, I’ll try.  I just hope it works.”

“But why would someone write that stuff on the card and then not sign it so Tristan would know who it was from?” Benny wondered. 

“Either that person wants Tristan to guess who sent it, or maybe they just want to add a little mystery to the process,” Brandon reasoned. 

“I think it’s kinda dumb,” Benny persisted.  “If you want someone to know that you like him then you just tell him.” 

“Some people are too shy to do that and others want to see how interested you are first,” I offered. 

“I guess so, but it still seems kinda dumb,” Benny countered. 

When it was time to sit down for dinner, we discovered that Dad had prepared a special meal.  He’d also turned off the dining room lights and lit candles instead, to set the mood for Dion and Trey, Brandon and me, and Jake and him. 

“Why are the lights off?” Tristan demanded before taking his seat. 

“It’s because Valentine’s Day is for lovers and the candles make it more romantic,” Joshie explained. 

“But we aren’t lovers,” Tristan challenged. 

“No, but our dads and grandpas are,” Benny pointed out. 

“Oh yeah,” Tristan conceded before sitting down.  “I didn’t think about them.”

Dad had fixed chicken cordon bleu for each of us, along with a baked potato, creamed corn, and a green salad.  When we finished our meal, he gave each of us a cupcake with cinnamon candy hearts on top, along with a heart shaped cookie for dessert.  It was really very lovely. 

After we finished our desserts, we handed out Valentine cards and presents to each other.  That’s when Dion, Trey, Brandon, and I discovered that Dad had taken the boys out in groups to run errands with him on Monday and Tuesday.  While they were out, he had each one select a card and a present for their dads.  We’d done something similar with the boys over the weekend, and while Brandon was helping the boys select something for Grandpa Josh and Grandpa Jake, I took the opportunity to select something for each of them. 

After thanking one another for the card and small gift, we agreed to go to the family room and watch a movie together.  What we settled on was About a Boy, a 2002 film about a young man named Will (Hugh Grant) who joins a single parent group hoping to hook up with one of the mothers.  Instead, he ends up befriending a teenage boy named Marcus (Nicholas Hoult), and they start spending a great deal of time together.  In the end, Will becomes a surrogate big brother to Marcus and they both go out of their way to do nice things for each other.  It was a lovely movie, with some romantic scenes too, which involved Will and a young woman, and everything worked out for each of them by the end of the movie. 

As soon as the credits began to roll, we sent the boys up to shower and get ready for bed.  It had been an enjoyable and very rewarding day, at least for most of us, because it had created a new problem for Tristan. 

He spent Thursday and Friday trying to figure out who had sent him the special Valentine, but nothing jumped out at him.  He said several of the other kids were nice to him, but he didn’t think they were being nicer than normal.  It was really bugging him, but he was temporarily distracted when we held a birthday party for Trey after dinner on Friday. 

Shortly after we had the cake and ice cream, we gave Trey his presents.  Dion gave Trey his present first, and then Dad went next and handed Trey a card.  He opened it and read what was written inside, and then he looked up at Dad. 

“I don’t understand,” he said looking bewildered. 

“We didn’t really do much for Dion’s birthday, since it was on the Monday after Thanksgiving weekend, so my present is for both of you.  I’ve paid for you to stay overnight at the Hilton Harrisburg tomorrow so you can enjoy a quiet weekend alone.  All you have to do is announce who you are at the front desk and the hotel will charge everything to my credit card.” 

“Thank you.  That’s very thoughtful and I know we’ll enjoy it,” he replied as he glanced over at Dion and handed him the card. 

Pop went next and handed Trey another card.  Once again Trey opened it and then looked at Pop for an explanation.  “I made a six o’clock reservation for you guys at Char’s at Tracy Mansion, which is also in Harrisburg.  It has an excellent reputation and I want you to order whatever you want, because the staff will charge your meals to my credit card.” 

“But don’t you and Dad usually go in on gifts together?” 

“Yes, we usually do, but since this is for both of you, we decided to do it separately this time.” 

“Thank you.  It’s very considerate of you and I’m sure we’ll enjoy having a quiet dinner alone too,” he added as he handed that card to Dion.

“And this one is from Danny and me,” Brandon stated as he handed Trey another card. 

Trey opened and read what was written inside, and then he looked at us surprised.  “So you’ve purchased tickets for us to attend a performance of the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra on Saturday night?” 

“Yes, it starts at 8:00, so you should have more than enough time to enjoy your dinner first, before driving over to the concert hall.” 

“Damn, this is really nice of you guys,” he responded as he handed the card to Dion as well. 

“And this is from all of us boys,” Joshie stated as he handed his poppy another card. 

Trey opened and read this one as well, and then he looked from face to face of the various boys before he spoke.  “I want to thank each of you for this, and it looks as if our Sunday is planned for us as well.”

“Why?  What did they give you?” Dion wanted to know. 

“The card says that they’ve purchased tickets for us to attend the matinee performance of Rent at the Hershey Harrisburg Theater.”

“But I don’t see any tickets with either card,” Dion followed. 

“You just have to go to the box office at either place and tell them your names.  They’re holding the tickets for you there.” 

“Wow, this all sounds wonderful!” Trey exclaimed. 

“It certainly does,” Dion agreed. 

“If you leave after breakfast tomorrow morning, you should be able to enjoy a leisurely drive to Harrisburg,” Dad told them.  “I suggest you check in at the hotel first, and then have a nice lunch in one of the restaurants there.  Make sure they add it to your room bill, so it will also be charged to my credit card.” 

“Then after you’ve eaten, you’ll have time to relax for a while in your room or use the indoor pool before you have to get ready for the rest of the evening,” Pop continued.  “I’m sure you’ll enjoy doing either of those things.” 

“And Grandpa Josh says you’ll also have a complimentary breakfast in the morning, before you go to see the musical,” Joshie added. 

“Wow, this all sounds fantastic,” Trey confirmed. 

“And very romantic,” Dion interjected.  “I’m going to enjoy it as much as Trey.” 

“And we’ll take good care of the boys while you’re gone,” Brandon told them. 

“Yes, we will,” Pop agreed. 

“Damn, you guys have thought of everything,” Dion gushed. 

“But I want to go with them too,” Wyatt whined. 

“Some other time,” Brandon offered trying to console him.  “This is just for your daddy and poppy so they can have a wonderful birthday weekend alone.  We’ll take you boys to Hershey Park this summer, cuz that’s near where your daddy and poppy will be going.” 

“K,” Wyatt conceded, although he still didn’t look happy.  It was obvious that he would have preferred to go with them, but the promise of a trip to Hershey Park later was enough to placate him for now. 

After thanking us all again, Dion and Trey went up to their room and started packing for the trip.  It was easy for the rest of us to see how excited they were about this, and they were going to have a lot to do in just a couple of days.  I hoped it wouldn’t prove too taxing for them. 

Almost as soon as they’d disappeared upstairs, Wyatt went over to Tristan and asked a question.  “Will you shower with me and let me sleep with you tonight?” 

Tristan could tell that Wyatt was still feeling down and left out because he couldn’t go with his fathers.  “Sure, I’d like that.” 

His answer brought a smile to Wyatt’s face, which had been scrunched up in a mild pout until then.  “Thank you,” he replied as he gave Tristan a hug. 

This also helped us out as well, because it kept Tristan from dwelling on his secret admirer.  In fact, he was also smiling broadly because Wyatt had asked to do this, instead of asking Joshie or one of the other boys, so it meant he had a secret admirer at home as well.  It didn’t matter that this was probably due to the fact that he was closer in age to Wyatt, than Wyatt was with the others.  He just knew that Wyatt had chosen to do these things with him. 

The boys went to play video games and didn’t go upstairs to get ready for bed for another hour.  When they did, Wyatt grabbed Tristan’s hand and walked up the stairs beside him as they made their way to take their shower.  It was really cute watching him do this, and Tristan glanced over his shoulder and smiled at us as they were heading up the stairs. 

We gave the boys plenty of time to wash up, put on their PJs, and get into bed before we went up to tuck them in.  We went to Tristan’s room first and Wyatt was lying on his side facing Tristan, with an arm draped over Tristan’s belly. 

“Well you two look comfortable,” Brandon acknowledged after seeing this. 

“Yeah, I like sleepin’ with Tristan,” Wyatt confirmed with a slight grin. 

“Then sleep tight and enjoy yourselves,” I said as I kissed both of them on the forehead. 

“We’ll see you in the morning,” Brandon added as he did the same. 

After wishing both of them pleasant dreams, we turned off the light and shut the door before heading to Benny and Joshie’s room.  They were also in bed when we got there. 

“I’m glad Tristan is letting Wyatt sleep with him,” Joshie said as I bent down to kiss him on the forehead.  “He was a little bummed out cuz he couldn’t go with Daddy and Poppy.” 

“Yes, I know, but he seems fine now.” 

I then kissed Benny on the forehead too, and moved aside so Brandon could do the same, and then we said goodnight to both of them before turning off the light and shutting their bedroom door.  We then headed up to the third floor to say goodnight to Ryan and Noah. 

“Uncle Trey and Uncle Dion seemed to really like the presents we gave them,” Ryan stated. 

“Yes, they did,” Brandon agreed, “and I’m sure they’re going to enjoy each one.” 

After leaving his room, we went over to say goodnight to Noah too, but he didn’t say anything about Trey’s party.  We merely bid him sweet dreams before leaving his room, and then we went back to the second floor to chat briefly with Trey and Dion. 

“Are you all packed and is there anything you need?” Brandon asked after we were told to “come in.” 

“No, we have everything we need,” Trey confirmed. 

“I can’t believe you guys did all this for us,” Dion added. 

“We all got together to discuss what we might get Trey for his birthday, and that’s when we realized we hadn’t done very much for your birthday,” Brandon began.  “After talking it over, we decided to give you guys a weekend away from this nuthouse.” 

“But you not only paid for your gift to us, but you obviously paid for the boys’ gift as well,” Trey commented. 

“Not really.  The boys agreed to work off what we spent on their gift by doing extra chores around the house,” I explained.  “They’re going to help shovel the snow for the rest of the winter, and then they’re going to help out with the yard work when the weather gets nicer.”

“And they’re going to be responsible for keeping the family room and rec room clean,” Brandon added.  “So they’re working off their share of what it cost.” 

“That’s good to know and it makes their gift even more special, since their doing those things to reimburse you,” Trey concurred. 

We also let them know that Wyatt was sleeping with Tristan, in case they went to his room looking for him later, and then we bid them goodnight and left them to finish up.  We then headed downstairs to chat with Dad and Pop. 

“I thought everything went pretty well,” Pop said as we sat down at the dining room table to chat. 

“Yes, they seemed to like the whole idea of a weekend away, as well as the individual presents,” Dad agreed.  “Would you two like to join us for a cup of tea, because I’m brewing a pot?” 

“Sure, that sounds great,” we both agreed. 

“And I’ll give you a hand bringing it out,” Brandon added.

We drank our tea as we continued to chat with them, and then eventually we agreed to call it a night and headed to our bedrooms.  Brandon and I had to work the following day, but we were planning on having breakfast with Dion, Trey, Dad, and Pop first, along with any of the boys who woke up before we left for the health center. 

Dad fixed waffles for everyone, along with a platter of sausage links, and we sat down to eat together.  “Just drive carefully, because there might be some icy spots along the way,” Dad warned Dion and Trey as we were chowing down. 

“Yes, I know and we’ll be very careful,” Dion agreed.  “I’m driving.”

“Have a great time and make sure you take full advantage of this special treat,” I added.  “I know your birthdays don’t fall at the best times of the year, but I’m sure you’ll still enjoy it, even if the weather isn’t perfect.” 

“Oh, I know we will,” Trey confirmed.  “We both like indoor activities and I’m sure we’ll give the bed in our room a workout as well.” 

“Good for you,” Pop chimed in.  “I just hope the walls aren’t too thin.” 

“That will be a problem for those in the neighboring rooms, not for us,” Trey joked. 

“You’re right about that,” Brandon agreed. 

When we finished eating, Brandon and I went upstairs so we could brush our teeth before leaving.  Dion and Trey headed up to their room at the same time and grabbed their suitcases, so we ended up leaving the house together.  They let us pull our car out of the driveway first, seeing we had to get to work.  We then waved and tooted as we drove off to let them know we appreciated that small courtesy and we wanted them to have a great time.