Secrets 3: The Road to the Future

As soon as we returned to the motel after the concert, Clint asked his dad a question.  “Can I stay with Michael and Devin again?”

“Clint, they were nice enough to let you stay with them one night, but I’m sure they’d prefer to be alone tonight.”  Undaunted, Clint turned to me.

“Michael, can I stay with you and Devin again?” Clint pleaded as he flashed me that same puppy dog expression as the night before.  I glanced at Devin to get his reaction before I replied. 

“It’s ok with us, but it’s up to your dad,” I responded.  “Maybe he doesn’t want to be alone.”

“Is that it, Dad?  You don’t want to be alone?’ 

“No, that doesn’t bother me.”

“Good, cuz I really want to stay with them again, cuz it’s like they’re my big brothers.”

“Well, I planned this vacation for you, so if you’ll be happier staying with them again, and I hope they’re being honest when they say they don’t mind, then it’s ok with me.  I’ll bring you a change of clothes in the morning and pick up all of your other things at that time.”

“Thanks, Dad.  I love you,” he said before giving his dad a hug, and then we watched as Lonny got in his car and drove away.

Clint followed us to our room, and when we got there, I asked him a question.  “Did you really mean what you said to your dad about us being like your big brothers, or was that just something to make him give in to you.”

“No, I meant every word of it.  You guys are like my big brothers and I really love being with you.  You’ve also saved me a bunch of times already, so you’re also kind of like my own superhero.”

“Oh, so you’re the superhero now,” Devin stated with a smirk. 

I ignored Devin’s comment and focused on Clint instead.  “I’m really glad you feel that way, but we’re not always going to be around.”

“Maybe I won’t see you every day, but we don’t live that far apart, so we can get together once in a while.”

I chose to ignore his last comment.  “But after Devin and I graduate we’re going to have to start looking for jobs, and the kind of jobs we’re hoping to get are in Texas and California.”

“So, you’ll be movin’?”

“Yes, if we get hired at one of those places.”

“Then I’ll have my dad take me to see you when I’m on vacation.”

“You could, but I don’t know if we’ll have any time off at first, so we wouldn’t be able to spend much time with you, except maybe at night or on the weekends.  And our parents are going t want to spend time with us too.”

“I already know your parents, so I’ll just have to meet Devin’s parents, and then we can all spend time together.  We can spend Christmas together too.”

“Devin and I will have to talk to our parents about that, but for now, let’s get ready for bed.  You can use the bathroom first, while I’m setting the alarm on my phone.”

After Clint entered the bathroom, Devin asked me a question.  “What are you thinking?” 

“I’m thinking that even though I like Clint, we can’t spend that much time together.  I mean, what if we have to transition and he and Lonny see that?  How are they going to react?  And would we be able to trust that they won’t freak out or tell others?”

“Ok, I understand and you’re probably right, but we can stay friends with them without overdoing it.  I mean, he’s lost enough already when his mom died, so he doesn’t need to lose two big brothers as well.”

When Clint came out, Devin and I used the bathroom next, and then Clint wanted us to sleep the same way as the night before, and we agreed to do that for him.

When the alarm went off in the morning, Devin and I got up and got dressed, but Clint had to wait for his dad to bring his clothes.  When Lonny showed up, he made a comment while Clint was putting his clothes on. 

“It appears that Clint has adopted you two into our family.”

“And he’s adopted himself into our families as well,” Devin countered. 

“What do you mean?”

“Last night, I explained that we wouldn’t be around much longer, because we’ll be looking for jobs in either Texas or California after we graduate.  That didn’t seem to bother Clint, because he said that you could take him to see us when he’s on vacation.  He also said that he wants you both to spend Christmas with our families as well.”

“Oh, I didn’t know it was getting that out of hand.  I’ll try to talk to him about this tonight.  I hope it helps.” 

“Look, we don’t mind spending time with you guys.  In fact, when Clint told us that you wanted to go to the Colorado-Colorado State football game, we offered to buy tickets so you could sit with us in the student section.”

“I know, but I’ll reimburse you for the tickets.”

“That’s not necessary, because they’re not that expensive, since they’re priced for students and their families.”

“Ok, but I’ll make it up to you while we’re there.”

As soon as we were ready, we headed out for breakfast, and then we went over to the outfitters for our last rafting adventure.  Today we were signed up for the full-day rafting trip that would take around 7 hours and we’d be facing class II and III rapids, since the rain had stopped and the rivers had returned to normal. 

After getting the standard introductory and safety lectures, we were given the gear we’d need and were assigned to a raft and tour guide.  We were taking the bus again and the rafts and paddles were already loaded on the trailer.  As soon as everyone was on the bus , they drove us to today’s launch point. 

The lead tour guide then explained what we’d be doing.  “We’ll be starting out on a special section of the Colorado River that we reserve for the full-day tour, and the first obstacle that we’ll encounter will be the Shoshone Rapids.  We’ll come to many more rapids after that, including those named The Wall, Tombstone, Man Eater, and many more.  You all have previous experience as rafters and I promise this will meet all of your expectations.  Have fun out there.”

We then carried the rafts down to the river and got underway.  It didn’t take long before we encountered Shoshone rapids, and they were an extreme class III due to the recent rain, but not the class IV rapids that they would have been the day before.  I kept glancing at Clint to make sure he was doing ok, and he seemed to be holding his own.  He was paddling as hard as anyone and was handling all of the bouncing around as the raft was being pummeled by the waves and other obstacles. 

When the river began to mellow out, our guide started telling us about the history of the area, including the fact that there are natural hot springs that flow into the river.  He also offered to stop for a while at one of these hot springs, if we wanted to soak in the relaxing water.  After talking it over, the majority of us figured that we were already wet, so we decided to give it a try, and it was wonderful.  Soaking in the hot springs also helped to drain some of the soreness and tension out of our muscles from fighting our way through the multiple series of rapids.

After we did that, we got back in the rafts and traveled a little farther downstream before we came to a private picnic area.  That’s when our guide told us to paddle over to the shore and we’d stop for a hot catered lunch, which was way more than a step up from what any of us were expecting. 

“Do you do this for all of your full-day tours,” I asked our guide. 

“We try to, because it helps to make our tour a step up from what’s being offered by our competitors.”

When the entire group finished eating, the lead tour guide made an announcement.  “For those of you who are interested, we have a large collection of one and two-person inflatable kayaks we keep here that you can take out on the river for a while before we get back into the rafts.  You’ll have about 40 minutes to try them out, if you’d like.”

“Michael, I want to go on a 2-person duckie with you,” Clint said with a twinkle in his eye. 

“You’ll have to ask your dad if it’s ok,” I replied, and he spun around and raced off to ask his dad. 

“He said it’s ok,” Clint responded when he returned, so we went over to borrow one of the two-person duckies, while Devin got a single. 

“I know I did this with my dad, but I wanted to do it with you too.” 

We all paddled against the current for a while and headed upstream, and that’s when I spotted something, so I pointed at it to get Devin to look there as well.  It was a large, scraggly looking wolf with red eyes, and seeing Clint was sitting in front of me, I knew he was too busy paddling to notice what Devin and I were looking at.  Shortly after that, we spotted the lead tour guide standing on the shoreline and waving at us to come in. 

“Ok, it’s time to bring the kayaks back so we can continue the tour,” he said when we got closer.  

Everyone in the duckies paddled back to shore and turned them in, and then we helped to put our raft back in the river so we could continue the tour.  As we made our way a little farther downstream, we encountered a few additional rapids, including the South Canyon rapids, and then the tour came to an end.  After paddling back to shore and loading the rafts onto the trailer, we settled in for the short ride back to the outfitters. 

When we arrived there, we learned that there were photos of our tour that we could look at, and possibly purchase, if we were interested. 

“How did they take these pictures?” Clint asked.   

“I imagine there were poles somewhere along the route that could take the photos, the same way a traffic cam catches speeders.”

We looked the photos over and they had some great shots of our raft, especially one when we were going through Shoshone rapids.  “That’s the one I want,” Clint quickly pointed out. 

“We’re going to buy that one, and then we’ll have you and your dad autograph our copy for us. 

“I’ll see if my dad will buy this one for me, and then I’ll have you, Devin, and your parents autograph my copy.”

“Sounds like a deal.”

Once all of that had been taken care of, it was already after 4:00, so we headed out to the SUV.  However, Lonny stopped me so we could talk privately.  “Do you know what your dad has planned for tonight.” 

“As far as I know, after we have supper, we’ll start packing up and getting ready to leave after breakfast in the morning.”

“I think I’ve got a better idea, if he’s interested,” he said, and then he went to find my dad. 

“Michael told me that you plan of heading home in the morning, but I have another proposition for you.  Clint and I are planning to go to the Lost Forest Adventure Park in Snowmass Village tomorrow, and we’d love to have your family join us and you can drive home on Sunday instead.”

“I’ll tell you what.  Why don’t you and Clint go back to your motel to clean up and change, and then you can join us when we go out for supper.  You can tell my family about this after we order, and that way you can answer any questions they might have.”

“Great, and will you be going to Yesterdays again, because I’d love to try that other room.”

“Sure, we can go there, because my family loves that place too.”

After they started out for their motel, we returned to the Quality Inn so we could shower and change before going out to eat.  Dad told us that Lonny wanted to have supper at Yesterdays, so when he and Clint returned about an hour later, we all hopped in the SUV and headed to the restaurant.  When we arrived there, Lonny told the hostess that we wanted to sit in the 60s and 70s room, and she guided us in to a table. 

“Clint loved the other side and wanted to see what sorts of things they had over here,” Lonny explained. 

“Ok, let’s order first, and then Devin and I can answer any questions he might have about anything in this room.”

After we ordered, Devin and I answered all of the questions Clint had about the items on display, but as soon as our meals were delivered, we gave Lonny our complete attention.  “I know you’re planning on leaving in the morning, but I have something to run by you first.” 

“Ok, we’re all listening,” Dad agreed. 

“Clint and I are planning to go to The Lost Forest Adventure Park in Snowmass Village tomorrow and we’d really like it if all of you would join us.  We could spend tomorrow there, and then you could leave Sunday morning instead?  What do you say?”

It was obvious that Devin, I, and Clint liked this idea, so Dad looked at Mom and spoke.  “What do you think, honey?”

“I think it sounds like fun and one more day isn’t going to kill us.”

“Ok, you’ve got a deal then,” Dad agreed. 

“Can I stay with Michael and Devin again?” Clint pleaded.

“No, I think tonight you need to go back with me.”

“But this might be the last chance I have to do it.  Please?” Clint begged, and Lonny looked at Devin and me.

“Since we’re all going to the Adventure Park tomorrow, we don’t have a problem with that,” I replied after checking with Devin.

“And then tomorrow night he’ll ask me to pack all of his things so he can go home with you,” Lonny joked as he stared at his son. 

“I’m afraid that wouldn’t do him much good,” I responded with a grin, “because Devin and I will be leaving for Fort Collins on Tuesday.”

After that, we talked about our day on the raft, and when we finished eating, we headed back to the motel.   As soon as we arrived there, we said goodbye to Lonny, and then we waited for Clint to give his dad a hug before we went to our room.  As soon as we got there, we talked it over and decided that we wanted to take a dip in the pool before turning in, so I called Dad to let him know what we’d be doing. 

“Ok, just don’t get into any trouble.”

“Moi?” I teased, and then ended the call. 

Since there was no one else there, we spent a couple of hours just horsing around in the pool, and then I noticed an inflatable beach ball lying beside one of the lounge chairs.  Clint hopped out of the pool to get it, and when he got back in the pool, we started batting it around.  When we grew tired of doing that, we decide to race, but we agreed to give Clint a one-second head start, since he was younger and smaller.  We felt that would be a sufficient head start, since this wasn’t exactly an Olympic size pool.

Clint actually did quite well against us and we all had a good time, plus it also helped to tire us out even more than we already were.  When we returned to our room, we were about to take quick individual showers to rinse off the chlorine, but Clint wanted to shower with both of us. 

“Why do you want to do that?” Devin asked. 

“Cuz if you really were my brothers, then we probably would have taken baths and showers together as we were growing up.”

“Maybe, but since we’re quite a bit older than you, maybe not.” 

“I don’t care.  I want to do this before we all go home.”

We relented and gave in to him, and then after we dried off, we put on our underwear and got into bed.  Once again, Clint was in the middle and Devin and I draped an arm across his body as we fell asleep. 

In the morning when my alarm went off, Devin and I got up and dressed, and once again we had to wait for Lonny to show up with Clint’s clothes.  As soon as he arrived, Clint dressed quickly and then we met up with my parents to head out for breakfast. 

 

As soon as we finished our meal, Dad got out his phone and pulled up the address for the Lost Forest Adventure Park before we loaded into the SUV.  Now that he had the directions, he drove to our next destination.  As soon as we arrived there, my parents started asking questions and making comments. 

“What kind of park is in the woods?” my mom asked. 

“From what I can see,” my dad added, “it looks like some kind of military training camp or a confidence building course.” 

“You may look at some of the activities that way,” Lonny responded, “but it’s something Clint and I want to do.  Just give it a chance and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it, because I know Devin and Michael will.  Each of the activities is set up with several different levels of difficulty, so you can choose to do the easiest level if you want, but at least give it a try.”

“Ok, we’ll do it,” Mom agreed.  “Who knows, it might even be fun.”

We started out on something they called the ‘Treeline Challenge Course’, which had five different levels of difficulty.  My mom chose the easiest level, while my dad agreed to try the middle degree of difficulty, and Devin and I chose to try the next to the hardest challenge.  Lonny agreed to do the middle level challenge with Dad, and I got the feeling that he also wanted Clint to do that level with him, but Clint wanted to tag along with Devin and me. 

“Clint, I’m not sure you’re ready for that level yet,” I explained. 

“But I want to be with you and Devin.”  I glanced at Devin before I responded. 

“In that case, we’ll do the middle level too.” 

To my surprise, Clint looked horrified when he heard my response.  “I don’t want to ruin this for you guys!  Ok, I’ll go on the other level with my dad then.”

“And if you do well enough on that one, then I’ll go with you on the next level after Devin and I have a chance to try it out.”

He agreed and went with his dad and my dad, because the various levels were in slightly different locations, although still close together.  When Devin and I got ready to go to the next higher level, we found out that we’d start off crossing a rope suspension bridge. 

Each level had a similar task, but my mom’s rope bridge was only five feet off the ground, while Dad, Lonny, and Clint’s rope bridge was 20 feet in the air, and Devin and my rope bridge was set at 30 feet.  The rope bridge for the most difficult challenge was 40 feet high, and after glancing between the different heights, I’m glad that Clint agreed to go with his dad. 

Carefully, I watched the others as they began to navigate the rope bridge that they had to deal with, since Devin was going first.  Mom was going slowly, but she seemed to be doing ok, and Dad and Lonny seemed to be doing even better, although none of them displayed a great deal of confidence.  Devin seemed to also be doing quite well,  and when he reached the other end, it was my turn to go. 

I found the rope bridge stimulating as I moved from one end to the other, and at one point I took a second to look over and see how Clint was going.  Actually, I was surprised to see that he was going more slowly than any of the others. 

As soon as we’d all finished crossing our rope bridge, we all got together to discuss the experience.  “The ropes swayed quite a bit, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” Mom offered.  “I felt like a tightrope walker, except that I had rope handrails to hold onto to help me keep my balance.”

“I was glad I didn’t have acrophobia,” Dad said next, “because that was like walking across the ledge above a two-story building.”  

“Yes, it was,” Lonny agreed.

“And I’m glad I didn’t go with Michael and Devin, cuz their rope bridge looked way higher than I wanted to go,” Clint followed. 

“I know what you mean,” Devin concurred, “because ours was about a story higher than the one you were on, but it was still kind of neat.”

“I found it exhilarating,” I stated, “so let’s see what’s next.”

It turned out to be the ‘Rugged Ascent Climbing Wall’, and my mom balked at the idea the moment she saw it. 

“I’m not as strong as you guys and I don’t think I can do this.”

“Just give it a try.  You’ll be attached to a belay and wearing a helmet, so there’s no chance of you falling and getting hurt.”

“What do you mean, I’ll be attached to a delay?”

“It’s a belay, with a ‘B’, and it’s a safety harness to make sure you’re safe.”

“So, how high do I have to climb?”

“Just go as far as you think you can.  I just want you to give it a try.”

We all did this, and it turned out better than I expected.  My mom did fairly well at climbing the wall, although she had a little trouble climbing down again.  She actually slipped off the wall on her way down and had a chance to see what the belay did and why we had to use it. 

My dad and Lonny seemed to enjoy doing this even more, and Clint was like Spiderman as he climbed the wall.  I guess that after he saw my mom fall and the belay kept her from getting hurt, it seemed to give him an extra boost of confidence.

“It reminds me of my boot camp training when I first entered the army,” Dad said.  “I didn’t think I could still do things like this, but I did much better than I thought I would.” 

“That’s great!” Devin and I concurred as we chatted with him about the experience.  “I have a feeling that our previous vacation helped you build up your stamina enough that you were able to do this again,” I added. 

“Yes, I think maybe it did,” he agreed. 

“I also did better than I thought I would,” Lonny followed, “and Clint went up that wall like he’d been doing it all his life.” 

“Yeah, it was a blast and I loved doing it!” Clint agreed.

Devin and I had decided to see how high we could climb, as well as agreeing to race up and down the wall.  I was planning to do this straight, but it seems Devin had a slightly different idea.  He didn’t transition completely, but I believe he beefed up the muscles in his arms and legs, so I did the same thing when it was my turn, and we ended up calling it a tie. 

“Wow, you guys were awesome!” Clint stated when we finished, and we immediately realized our error in judgment and I had to find a way to explain our performance.  

“It’s just that we’ve had plenty of practice on the climbing wall at the rec center on campus,” I quickly replied. 

“You may have practiced a bit, but that was outstanding,” Lonny confirmed, and this let Devin and me know that we had to be more careful about what we did from now on. 

From there, we went on the ‘Canopy Run Zipline Tour’.  At first my mom was reluctant about doing this, but then we reminded her that she’d been on ziplines before at the amusement parks, so she relented and did it with the rest of us.  I couldn’t wait to see what she would say when her trip through the treetops was over.

“Wow, what a great view I had while I was going down the zipline,” Mom said when we were all together again.

“I thought it was awesome,” Clint stated next.  “It made me feel like a bird and I was flying through the upper branches of the trees.”

“I didn’t think about it that way,” Mom stated, “but you’re right.  It was like we were flying through the trees.”

“But we were doing it using training wheels of a sort,” Dad added, “since we were attached to a cable.”

“That’s one way of looking at it,” Lonny agreed, “but we couldn’t have done it any other way.”

“And we thought it was great,” Devin said.  

“It was a thrilling ride as we soared among the treetops and a great deal of fun,” I added.  

From there, we went over to try the ‘Breathtaker Coaster’, which consisted of a metal track that weaved its way down the fairly steep incline.  It was about the same as the Mountain Coasters that Devin and I had been on before, and the Alpine Coaster I assumed that we’d all been on. 

“I want to go first, because I don’t want to take the chance someone else will come flying down the track and crash into me,” Mom said. 

“Don’t worry, we’ll give you plenty of space,” Dad agreed, and then he went down after her.

“Have you ever ridden on one of these?” I asked Clint. 

“Yeah, I rode on the Alpine Coaster at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park.” 

“I wasn’t sure if you went on it while you were there.”

After Clint went down the track, Lonny went down after him, and then  Devin and I agreed to go down without using the brake.  I made sure to give Lonny a good lead first, and then I went next.  When I reached the bottom, Clint ran up to me before I could even get off the sled. 

“That was a total blast and I hardly used the brake.”

“Yeah, you did really well and I’m glad you enjoyed it.” 

When Deven reached the bottom, he asked me a question.  “Did you use the brake.”

“Nope, not at all.”

“I didn’t either,” he replied. 

And then Clint repeated that he’d hardly used the brake either.

“I’m impressed,” Devin stated as he tousled Clint’s hair.

“Was that the last thing we’re going to do here?” Dad asked.

“No, there’s one more activity, but it’s nothing like the other things we’ve done so far,” Lonny answered.  “We’re going to play disk golf.”

“But I don’t know how to play golf,” Clint protested.

“You really don’t have to, because you don’t have to use golf clubs or golf balls.  It’s played using Frisbees instead, although it’s done on a course that resembles a regular golf course – at least that’s how it is here.  You throw the Frisbee toward each target and count how many times you had to throw it on every hole.  You then enter that number on the scorecard, and at the end we’ll add up the scores on each hole to see who did the best.  The person with the lowest total score wins.” 

“Is there anything else we should know?” I asked. 

“Yes, when you reach the end of each fairway, you’ll see a metal bucket with a number on it in a white circle above the bucket?  The object is to hit that to finish the hole.  Normally you’d have to hit the chains so your Frisbee falls in the basket, but we’re going to vary the rule slightly.  We’re going to count it if you hit any part of the target – the pole, the chains, or the basket, without the Frisbee having to end up inside the basket.  Ok?”

“Yes, that sounds a little easier,” Clint agreed.

“And you’ll find the layout of the course drawn on the back of the scorecard, and since we won’t all be able to go together, we’ll allow you boys to go first.  We just have to collect one scorecard for each group and we’ll also select the Frisbee we want to use.  They come in four different colors – red, blue, white, and yellow, so each of you should choose a different color. 

“What color do you want, Clint?”

“Uh, I’ll use the white one, because it will be easier to find.”

“Which one do you want, Devin?”

“I’ll take the blue one.”

“Fine, then I’ll use a yellow one.” 

“How long are the holes?” Mom wanted to know.  

“There are 18 holes that vary in length from 200 to 400 feet (61-122 m), and there’s one that’s only 100 feet (30 m) long.”

“I won’t be able to throw my Frisbee as far as you guys,” Mom complained. 

“Then we’ll make a lady’s and kid’s tee for you and Clint to use.  After the other two have thrown their Frisbees, we’ll allow you two to take 20 giant steps in front of the tee for every 100 feet of that hole, and that’s where you will start from,” Lonny offered.

“Using the other tee should even things up a bit for you and Clint,” Dad pointed out. 

I looked at Devin and whispered a comment.  “Play it straight and no cheating.”   He nodded in agreement. 

Devin and I threw our Frisbees first, and then we took 20 giant steps for each 100 feet of this hole to show Clint where he’d start from.  As soon as he threw his Frisbee, we began to make our way toward the first target.  After locating our Frisbees, we threw them again, and we kept picking them up and throwing them again.  When we got close enough to the first target, we took aim at the bucket.

When we finished that hole, we began to wind our way through the remaining holes as we made our way down the mountainside.  We’d started at Elk Camp and we ended up at Base Village.  As soon as we finished, we added up our scores and then we compared them to see how we’d done.  Devin had the lowest score, but Clint and I were only a shot or two behind him. 

“I did a lot better than I thought I was going to do,” Clint proclaimed. 

“Actually, you did very well,” Devin and I agreed, and then we waited for the adults to join us

Although we checked to see how they had scored, we didn’t really care about the scores.  As far as we were concerned, they were only for a personal sense of accomplishment and it wasn’t a big deal.

“I really enjoyed that,” Mom said when she finished.  “It was a nice walk, a little exercise, and some wonderful scenery.”  And then she turned toward Lonny and continued.  “Thank you for inviting us to come here with you today.  It was a lot of fun.”

“Yes, I enjoyed it too,” Dad concurred. 

“Yeah, it was great!” Clint chimed in, and Devin and I agreed.

“I’m glad, and I’m happy that you joined us,” Lonny said.

“And I’m thrilled that we were all willing to try everything, even if it wasn’t on the same level of difficulty,” I followed. 

“And now that we’re done here, we’ll head back to our motels to freshen up and change before we go out for supper,” Dad added. 

“I’ve got to go to Michael and Devin’s room first, to make sure that Clint hasn’t left any of his clothes there before we head back to our motel.”

“But then you’re coming back to join us for supper, right?” Mom asked. 

“Yes, we’ll come back to join you,” Lonny verified.    

After Lonny and Clint found all of the clothes that Clint still had in our room, they carried them out to the car, and then they left  so they  could clean up and change before they returned.  As soon as they had gone, Devin and I hit the shower first and brushed our teeth, and then we got dressed.  Once we were ready, we chatted while we waited for Lonny and Clint to return. 

When they arrived, we all piled into the SUV and took off for the restaurant, and along the way we noticed the sky was beginning to darken.  “I hope it doesn’t start storming until we get back to our motels,” Dad stated. 

“I agree,” Lonny followed, “and I hope the storm blows over before we leave for home in the morning.”

“Yes, driving in a downpour is always very nerve wracking,” Dad agreed.

We enjoyed a wonderful supper together, but the mood around the table was tepid.  That’s because we all hated to see our vacations come to an end, and Clint also knew that tomorrow would be the last time he saw us for a while. 

“I wish I could spend the night with you guys again,” Clint told us. 

“I know, but we’ll be busy packing our things so we can head home in the morning.”

“I know, and my dad says we’ve got to do the same thing, but he said we’ll be joining you for breakfast in the morning, so I’ll get to see you then.”

“Ok, that sounds good.”

When we finished eating, Dad picked up the tab.  “I can’t believe you did that again, but at least let me leave the tip.”

“Sorry, it’s already been taken care of,” Dad assured him, and then we went out to the parking lot to leave. 

Once we reached the motel, we all said goodbye to one another, and Lonny said we’d see them again in the morning, and then he and Clint got in their car and drove off.  As soon as they left the parking lot, we headed inside. 

“Pack everything tonight, because we’ll load our belongings in the back of the SUV and check out before we go to breakfast.”

“Ok, we’ll be ready.”

We hadn’t been in our rooms for very long before we heard a clap of thunder, saw a streak of lightning, and the heavens opened up in another heavy downpour.  “I hope Lonny and Clint got back to their motel before this happened.”

“They’ll probably have an additional minute or two to get there before the storm hits, since the motel they’re staying at is east of here.”

We finished packing and left out the clothes we were going to wear tomorrow, and then Devin and I decided to take advantage of the opportunity to make love.  After all, it was the first night in quite a while that Clint wasn’t with us and it would be the final time before we returned home. 

After we woke up the next morning, we loaded all of our things in the SUV first, and then Dad took our key cards before going to the front desk to check out.  By the time he returned, Lonny and Clint had arrived, and then Lonny followed behind the SUV as we headed out for breakfast. 

Once again, it was a very subdued meal and no one had much to say, other than we had a great time and enjoyed each other’s company.  Clint also leaned against my left side as often as he could, and every now and then he would whisper, “I’m going to miss you.”

“We’re going to miss you too,” I whispered back, and then I encouraged him to eat, or else he’d be hungry before they got home.

To our surprise, Lonny had somehow told the server to give him the check this time.  “Why did you do that?” Dad asked.

“Because you picked up the tab last night.”

“But there are four of us and only two of you.”

“That’s true, but last night’s meals were more expensive than having breakfast, and I’ve already given her my card and told her what to add for the tip.”

“Well, thank you for doing that.”

“Yes, thank you,” the rest of us added.

We now headed outside where we said goodbye to each other before we got in our vehicles.  Clint wrapped his arms around me and didn’t want to let go.  “I’m going to miss you,” he said. 

“Not for long, because you’ll be coming to join us for the Colorado-Colorado State football game.”

“When is that?”

“September 14^th.”

“That’s over a month away.”

“Yes, but the time will go by quickly once you’re back in school.”

“And then I won’t see you again until Christmas.”

“You might see us again before then, if you and your dad decide that you want to go to another football game, or even a basketball game first.  Just have your dad call me and we’ll buy the tickets.”

“Ok, I’ll tell Dad that too when he’s driving us home.”

Clint then hugged Devin and talked to him briefly, while I said goodbye to Lonny.  “I already told Clint that if you want to watch another football or a basketball game, just give me a call and we’ll get the tickets.” 

“Ok, and I was wondering what Clint was talking to you about while you were trying to eat.  I’m really glad you’ve been so good with him, because he idolizes you and has put you up on a pedestal.”

“I know and I’ve been trying not to fall off that lofty perch.  I believe his attachment will start to fade when we aren’t with each other all the time.”

“Just don’t become a stranger, because he thinks of you and Devin as the big brothers that he’s always wished he had.”

“Ok, we’ll keep in touch, starting with the football game.”

“Ok, sounds good,” and then we shook hands and got into our own vehicles. 

“All set?” Dad asked once I was inside.

“Yeah, everything’s good, but I hope you don’t mind two more joining us for Christmas.”

“Did you invite them?”

“Not really, but Clint is insistent that they’re going to celebrate Christmas with us.”

“Ok, just let us know if they say anything more about it when it gets closer to the holiday.” 

“Ok, I will.”