Kerry

I reached for the bedside phone. "Hello," I answered.

"Mr. Newman?"

"Speaking."

"Mr. Newman, this is Doyle Matthews. Reverend Keller spoke to me earlier today about a situation you have gotten yourself into."

"Yes, Mr. Mathews. Thank you for calling. But if you don't mind, hold on for a second while I get to my office phone." I pressed the hold button and went to my office to continue the conversation. "Reverend Keller highly recommended that I retain you as my attorney in this matter. I have a call into my regular attorney, Brad Braxton, but he hasn't returned my call yet. I understand he was in court all day today."

"Yes, he was. I spoke with Brad earlier today during one of his breaks, and I believe we can take care of this thing in short order. Brad and I have worked together before, and we agree on most things. He knows your history very well, and that's always a plus. Could you please tell me your version of what has happened so far?"

I gave Mr. Matthews a detailed account, as far as I could remember it, of every event and every conversation I had had since meeting Kerry in the church parking lot. He asked a few questions, and I answered every one I could. If Mr. Matthews saw any red flags, he didn't say so.

"Also, just in case, I recorded the conversation I had with the boy's stepfather. For Kerry's sake, I would rather not use it unless it becomes necessary, but if it does, you can crucify the man with it as far as I am concerned."

"That's good. I won't ask for the tape unless I need it. I'll contact him tomorrow and have the papers couriered to him tomorrow afternoon. So you have not been able to locate any blood relatives of the child, is that correct?"

"Well, as I said earlier, Kerry tells me the only blood relative he has is a great aunt in Chicago. I don't have any contact information about her, but Kerry says she is unable to care for him. His biological father died some years ago, and neither Kerry nor his stepfather knows of any relatives on that side."

"Well, that sounds good for now. I guess I have to formally ask you if you would like me to represent you."

"If you would be willing, they would be great. Brad Braxton has been my attorney for several years now, and I feel we should include him as well, but since you are the apparent expert, you would be primary."

"Okay. I'll accept your case. Now, let me describe our plan of action at this point. First, I am going to petition the court for a temporary order allowing Kerry to stay with you rather than be put into the child welfare system. That will be filed tomorrow morning, and with any luck, you should have that order by the end of the day. I will also contact Mr. Sanders and try to get his signature tomorrow - that will help tremendously. If both those items go in our favor, then I will file a petition to have you declared managing conservator of the boy - that is much less complicated than going for guardianship, and is actually better in a lot of ways. After you have been managing conservator for a year, then we will petition for adoption. Does that sound okay to you?"

"You are the attorney, so you tell me. It sounds great, but I am willing to do whatever it takes to allow Kerry to live with me as long as he wants."

"That's what we both want, Mr. Newman. I know we don't know each other that well, but I have heard nothing but good things about you, and I have seen what you have done with the church's music program. That was one of my biggest reasons for joining First Church. I hope we can meet face to face before long - I would like to shake your hand."

"Same here, Mr. Matthews."

"Please, call me Doyle," he said earnestly. "Also, if you don't mind, I am going to contact the child welfare office and inform them that I am your attorney, so most, if not all, of the paperwork can be handled through my office."

"Sounds fine to me. And please, call me Mike. Also, I believe Reverend Keller has already spoken to a Mrs. Flora Adams at the child welfare office - if you could speak to her, she probably knows more about the situation than anyone else at the office."

"Good. Mrs. Adams knows her job well, and we have worked on cases before. If she is in our corner, we won't have any problems with the child welfare office. Is there anything else you can think of that I need to know?"

"Not right now, but I will stay in touch. My caller ID has your number as 555-486-3200. Is that correct?"

"Yes. I'll be sending you copies of all the papers regarding this case, and I'll include full contact information so you can always get in touch with me. If you can't get in touch with me, call Brad, and we will handle things for you. Is there anything else that you need now?"

"No, not that I can think of. I just want to thank you for taking this case. Reverend Keller spoke very highly of you, and now I can see why. It seems to a layman like myself that you have the situation well in hand already."

"My pleasure. I'll be in touch. 'Bye, now." 

"'Bye."

I hung up the phone and let out a deep breath. Things seemed to be going well after only one day, and I could tell I had a good team working for me. All the bases seemed to be covered, and everyone was optimistic. I decided I would be as well - even more so than before. I turned away from the phone and encountered a familiar naked boy. He must enjoy being naked around me, I thought. I had already told him several times to put something on, and it didn't seem to be working, so I just decided that as long as it was inside the house and just the two of us, to let him do what he wanted. Besides, I did enjoy the view.

Kerry lifted his arms up to me, so I picked him up and hugged him. "That was my attorney," I told him. "He thinks this is going to work out fine for us. How do you like that?" I said. 

Kerry smiled. "That sounds great." He sat in my lap with his arms wrapped tightly around my neck. I figured that he just wanted to be held for a little while, but then I felt something wet fall on my neck, then another. I realized that Kerry was softly crying.

I held him back from me so I could see his face. He had tears in his eyes. "What's wrong, Little Buddy?" I asked.

"Nothing's wrong. I'm just so glad that your attorney says that everything is all right. I have never been so happy in my life, and I don't want this to end. I hope your attorney is right - I couldn't stand to lose you now. Hold me, Dad. I love you so much." He hugged me so tight it squeezed the tears from my eyes. I held him as he quietly sobbed for a few minutes, but I could have held him until it snowed in Panama City. I realized, now more than ever, that I not only loved this boy, I was in love with him, and I had no doubt he felt the same for me. No one could hug like that and not mean it.

After a few minutes, Kerry broke our hug and sat up straight in my lap. "Come back to the bedroom with me, Dad," he said. He got up, caught my hand, and started to lead me.

When we reached the bedroom, I casually sat on the side of the bed. Kerry suddenly pushed me over backward on the bed so that I was on my back and he was on top. Then he raised his head and shoulders and propped himself up on his elbows. I saw the playful side of Kerry emerge. "No fair," he said. "You have seen me naked several times, but I haven't seen you yet." He attacked the belt and fly of my shorts with a gusto I couldn't believe. It was all I could do to stop him.

"Kerry, I don't think either of us is ready for that now," I said. "Remember, just this morning we had a talk about it, and I thought we agreed that we would think about it a while."

"I know, but I don't want to wait."

"Well, I am sorry, Little Buddy, but I do. I told you this morning that the idea of having sex with you is still a little uncomfortable for me right now. I love you very much, and I want to show you my love in a way that you can feel it, but I wouldn't feel right about having sex with you."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Kerry, I'm very sure."

He threw his arms around my neck, and we lay side by side on the bed and cuddled each other for a while. I slowly rubbed his bare back. He seemed to like that. "That feels so nice," he said after a while. "I love you, Mike. I guess I can get by with just cuddling for a while," he said. "You feel so warm against me."

"Well, I have to agree it feels good to me, too," I answered. "It has been a long time since anyone wanted to cuddle with me. I guess I just forgot how much I missed it." I continued to rub his back, shoulders, chest, and legs, and he explored my body as well, but both of us stayed away from the other's equipment. We ran our fingers through each other's hair and of course we supplied each other with plenty of hugs and kisses. After a couple of hours, Kerry snuggled up to me and put his leg over mine like he did whenever he slept. I kept one arm around him, but moved onto my back, holding him closer to me. I peered at him and found myself looking into those wonderful blue eyes of his. 

"I love you, Mike. Do you feel my love now?" he asked quietly.

"More than ever," I answered, "and I love you, Kerry, more than I will ever be able to explain to you, more than I will ever be able to show you." I put my other arm around him and held him close. We lay there until it was time to get up for dinner. Neither of us slept, but we did a lot of cuddling, stroking, kissing, and holding each other. He nuzzled his head between my shoulder and neck, his breath falling softly on my neck and chest, and his soft, silken hair brushing against my cheek. I hadn't felt so content, so relaxed, and so loved in years. And I had never seen a little boy show a bigger smile than he did when he looked at me. There was no mistaking the love in that little boy's eyes, and it humbled me to know that it was all for me. It had been such a long time.

I had loved my Mary every bit as much as any man ever loved his wife. We had had a great life together for over seventeen years, and I still wished she were with me. I know that she would have loved Kerry as much as I did, and he couldn't help but love her, too. But God, in His wisdom, had not allowed that to happen. He must have had a reason. Kerry couldn't replace my wife - no one could - but I had Kerry with me right then. The love I felt for Kerry was not the same kind of love I had had for Mary, but it was just as warm, just as real, just as beautiful, just as strong, and I believe - no, make that I know - it was just as right, for both of us.

Someone else, somewhere else, might believe himself to be the happiest person in the world. Right then, I knew that distinction belonged only to Kerry and me. We had each other, we had a good legal team working for us, and I was ready to fight a buzz saw if necessary to keep him with me.