New Neighbor
by Rob Warr
Chapter 5
So Happy Together
We made it home in plenty of time, and we were surprised to see dad was out back grilling. He loves his grill, and won't let mom near it, but insisted that he pass along the art of grilling to his son. I can take it or leave it, but I must admit, dad does grill some tasty meat on that grill of his.
"Something smells good," I said as I gave mom a hug and thanked her once again for the use of the car and the twenty bucks.
"Steaks, baked potatoes, grilled corn on the cob, salad, and for dessert: Lemon meringue pie."
"My favorite dessert, Mrs. Miller, how did you know?" Simon said, sounding surprised.
"Your mom told me," she chuckled, "we moms share the strangest things about our children."
"Mooommm," I warned, "you didn't tell her about the....you know what?"
"Of course not," she assured me, "that's a private matter."
"What?" Simon asked digging me in the ribs, "you gotta tell me later...okay?"
"Hmm...maybe, if you're good," I said grabbing him in a headlock and threatening him with a noogie.
"Boys, no scuffling in the house," mom scolded, "Simon, take this plate of steaks out to your father. The corn should be about ready to come off the grill and it won't take long to cook the steaks. The potatoes are in the oven keeping warm."
My mouth was watering as I grabbed the plate and headed outside, Simon right behind me.
"Hi boys," dad said grinning, "are those for me to grill, or are you boys going to eat them raw?" he teased.
"I like them a little pink, but not raw, dad. You know how I like them. So...why are we having steak tonight? Don't we usually save that for special occasions."
"Well, this is kind of a special occasion, but you'll have to wait till after dinner to find out why," he said grinning.
"I see what you're trying to do, dad, but I won't beg or plead. I can wait," I smirked.
"You guys are funny," Simon observed, "I like it here."
"We're glad you do, son," my dad said, "so...tell me all about your day, did you boys win any prizes, or just ride the rides...?"
Mom came out about then and we filled both of them in on our day, of course omitting the most fun thing of all, the blow jobs. Mom seemed distracted, however, and several times she seemed to be staring off into space and not listening.
I wondered if she wasn't feeling well, or if something had happened with her family or friends that she hadn't told us about, yet. Dad, however, was his usual jolly self and kept us entertained as he worked the grill and brought forth the masterpieces that we soon sat down to devour.
"It's all in the marinade and the seasoning," Dad said after Simon complimented him for the second time on the deliciousness of the steak, "and of course: having the right grill with the right temperature," he added with a chuckle, "Does your dad grill?"
"Nah, not really...I mean, we own one of those cheap grills from Kmart or somewhere but nothing like the one you have," Simon said frowning.
"Well, we'll have to invite your whole family over for a BBQ, maybe cook some burgers and brats, I bet they'd love that."
"Yes, sir," Simon said enthusiastically, "if they're as good as these steaks, I bet my folks would consider investing in a better grill."
"Or..." I said smiling at Simon, "we can just invite you over every time dad grills."
"Yeah, we could even bring the meat," Simon suggested.
"So...besides the amusement park, what have you boys been up to lately?" Dad asked.
"Well, we've been swimming a lot, at the creek," I said, then wished I'd kept quiet about that.
Because next dad said, "Do you boys still skinny-dip there, or do they make you wear swim trunks now?"
"It's, umm, kind of up to the individual..." I lied, no one wore clothes at the creek.
Mom seemed interested in the conversation all of a sudden and said, "What about the girls, they don't swim...umm, unclothed, do they?"
"Not many girls go there, mom," I said hoping she'd let it go.
"But some do? Are they older girls or young ones...?"
"Mooommm, can't we just let it go?"
"I'm simply curious, that's all. I mean, you boys are getting to that age that...well, you know? You're becoming interested in girls..."
My face must've been beet red because dad took one look at me and began to laugh, "Son, it's nothing to be ashamed of, or embarrassed by. What your mom means is: remember our little talk, and stick to the rules, and you'll be fine."
Mom didn't challenge dad, but I could tell she had more on her mind. I wondered what she'd think if she knew it wasn't the girls that got me aroused, or that Simon and I were intimate.
Fortunately, dad changed the subject and by the time we got to dessert I had all but forgotten about the creek and naked girls. Simon looked as if he was having an orgasm as he ate his pie, and every other bite he was telling mom how good it was and thanking her for making it just for him.
"Hey, I like it too," I chuckled, "I like all pies, except maybe rhubarb, whatever that is."
"I'll make coconut cream next time," mom said patting my hand, "I know that's your favorite."
"Oh, man, I like that too," Simon said, "be sure to save me a piece, Joey," he teased.
"I'll just invite you to dinner when we have it," I assured him, daring to stare into his eyes, and for a moment I got lost in them. I hoped mom or dad didn't notice, but I was helpless to look away.
When I did finally manage to pull my eyes away, I swung around to see that dad was smiling, but mom didn't seem to notice us at all. Again, I wondered what was going on with her. Ordinarily she wouldn't have given up as easily on the naked creek talk as she had, and I had mixed feelings about that.
"Shall we share our good news now?" dad said smiling at mom and taking her hand.
"What are you guys up to?" I chuckled.
Mom seemed to come alive then, and whatever had been troubling her before seemed to have gone away, if only for the time being.
"Do you want to begin, or shall I?" dad prompted.
"You go ahead," mom said, actually blushing.
Oh wow, something weird was going on here, but in a million years I would never have guessed what it was.
"Well...umm, son, you're getting older and in a couple years you'll be off to college, and well...your mother and I always wanted more children, but it just never seemed to happen..."
"Dad, what are you trying to say?" I said, still clueless.
"What your dad is trying to say," mom sighed, "is that...you're going to be a big brother."
"Big Brother, you mean that organization that pairs men with boys who need a....?"
Then, it hit me.
"Oh my God, do you mean...are you going to...have...to have...a baaaa...baby?" I stuttered.
Mom smiled, and dad beamed, "Guess your old man still has a few live rounds of ammo left."
"Dad, gross," I said, but I was smiling, happy, giddy really, then my excitement waned and I suddenly felt cheated, "why...umm, why now? I mean...I won't even be here for him or her when I go off to college. Are you...uh, replacing me, is that it?"
"No, honey, not at all," mom said looking ready to cry, "you will always be our son, our first born, and you will always have a special place in our hearts. I can't say we planned this, but it's a blessing. And you'll be the best big brother any child has ever had, I just know it."
Simon had been quiet, but his face said he'd shared my emotions, good and bad. Now he finally spoke up.
"I think it's neat, Joey, "yeah, it would be nice if he had been born say, ten years ago," he sniggered, "but he's still gonna be your brother or sister, and you're gonna love him and treat him special like you've treated me."
Well, not exactly like that, I chuckled to myself, but Simon was right. I would love that kid, and mom was right, I'd be the best big brother, ever, and so what if I'd be...umm, 26 when he was 10 and ready to play baseball. Maybe I could coach his team.
"I'm sorry, mom, dad, I'm happy for you, for us," I said, finally rising to hug them both. I patted dad on the back and whispered, "Way to go, old man," and he laughed. "So, when are you due?"
"Not till Spring," mom said looking more relaxed now, "thank God, I'd hate to carry a baby through the summer months."
"So....a baby," I said, trying that on for size, "what are you gonna name, him...or her?"
"Well, we have a few names picked out, but we're open to suggestions," mom said smiling.
"I'll think about it," I agreed, "a little sister would be neat..."
Later in my room, after a shower, Simon and I lay on my bed in just our undies and reran the day. It had been a crazy, whirlwind of a day, beginning with fun, moving on to more fun (sex), then a great meal, and finally some life altering news, a new baby in our family.
"I wish..." I said, but couldn't finish.
"Yeah, I know, I always wanted a little brother too," Simon said, "Ruthie is okay, but you know...a brother would have been cool."
"How did you know what I was thinking?" I chuckled.
"Cause I know you so well, and...because I'd feel the same way too if my folks said, 'hey, guess what? mom's preggers.'"
I laughed, "Am I being selfish? I mean, this is about mom and dad, really. They're so happy, and they'll need a kid to keep them busy when I go to college then go out into the world to seek my fame and fortune."
Simon frowned, "I hadn't really thought much about that, but when you do go to college, you'll be leaving me behind."
"Well, I'll come back to visit, and by the time you make it through college I'll be established and you can move in with me, and..."
"Joey," Simon said putting a finger to my lips, "let's be logical about this. We probably won't still be together then. I mean, it would be great, and I'd love that, but people change and we might find someone else or just grow apart. Not to mention, being separated will make it harder to keep things going. So...for now let's just enjoy what we have and not worry about the future."
"Okay, I can, if you can," I sighed, "two years is a long time, we can enjoy each other a lot in two years," I added with a lewd grin.
"Why don't we start now?" Simon said as he began tugging at my underwear.
"Well, as Phil said, 'hell yeah'," I laughed as we both got naked.
The rest of the story:
We lived a lot, and loved a lot those two years as boyfriends, but Simon was right, it was hard to keep the romance going once we were separated. I met guys at college, he met guys in high school, and though we still got together occasionally when I visited the folks, it just wasn't the same.
Mom had a healthy 9 pound 6 ounce baby boy, March 29th, and we named him Kevin Donald Miller. I say we: because Kevin was one of the names I'd suggested. Unlike some babies, Kev was beautiful and perfect from the start, even if I am a little prejudiced.
I turned 17 shortly after that, and I'd shot up to 6'1" by then. I worked out and weighed in at 165, most of it muscle, which I might mention, Simon loved. I'd grown some between the legs too, but stopped just short of seven inches, which was fine with me, and with Simon, who by then was taking it in places where the sun don't shine.
Simon had grown too, and was as fit and healthy as I was. His angelic baby face had matured a bit, and though still beautiful, he was more masculine looking, which complemented his growing body.
I don't know exactly when our folks first figured out that Simon and I were lovers, heck, maybe they always knew, but they were cool with us and never gave us any grief. I was as welcome in Simon's home as he was in ours, and we slept together as often as possible. However, we were always respectful and didn't flaunt our relationship, though we did occasionally hold hands while in our parents' company.
So...I graduated after 4 years at a state school about two hours drive from my hometown, and my last year there Simon joined me. We'd seen each other over the summer and were excited at the prospect of attending the same school, but we were also a bit nervous about how things might go.
I hadn't been seeing any one guy in particular, though I had dated a few (well...if dated means having sex) but I wasn't sure where Simon stood, because I refused to question him about his other relationships. I guess I felt like as long as I didn't know about the other guys he was dating I couldn't get hurt, but it didn't keep me from wondering what was going on with his love life.
I helped him move into his dorm room and he introduced me to his roomy, Jeff, who was a skinny, pimple-faced redhead from Arkansas. I know this is going to sound awful, but I was relieved to meet his roomy, because Jeff was butt-ugly, and I was sure Simon wasn't going to hook up with him.
Of course, the campus was full of handsome, sexy guys, and even some of the straight ones were fine with messing around once in a while. I knew, because I'd messed around with a few of them.
Our initial nervousness seemed to evaporate over the next few days and weeks, and suddenly it seemed like old times. Not that we'd fooled around or anything, yet, but I had a feeling that would happen soon, and I was right.
It happened one weekend when Jeff was away on a field trip and Simon had the dorm room to himself. It started out innocently enough, we had dinner in the union hall dining room, then took a walk around campus, and somehow we wound up back in Simon's room.
My memory is a blur as to who made the first move, but suddenly we were all over each other, kissing and pawing at each other's clothes and we didn't stop till we were naked and in bed and doing just about everything two guys can do together.
We were both adults, and the three year age difference meant nothing now. In a way we were both finally free to do what we wanted and what we wanted was to be together.
After that night, we officially became boyfriends, at least among our trusted friends, and finally our parents, who seemed happy and relieved that we'd gotten back together.
I finished college that year, and with dad's help I opened an Ace Hardware store back in our growing town. When Simon graduated three years later with an accounting degree, he joined me and we opened a second, then a third location. Simon handled all the business details of the stores while I was more of a hands on type guy who loved working the floor, doing the setups for the stores, and helping our customers.
When Kevin was 15 he came to work for us part time and he spent a lot of time with us. We saw a lot of our parents as well, and the BBQs that had started when we were teens continued to be held at least once a month.
We were both very happy and stayed busy, but I always felt like something was missing. Eventually I voiced my feelings to Simon, and wasn't surprised to learn that he felt the same way that I did. What was lacking in our lives was children of our own. Oh, sure, we had Kev, and we both loved him dearly, but we wanted more.
Of course, this was years before marriage equality and gays being able to adopt, so technically there was no legal way to have kids. Well, unless of course one of us knocked up some girl and she gave us custody. And don't think we didn't consider that. However, fate had seemed to be on our side from the start of our relationship and once again it came to our rescue.
In November of my 30th year on earth, we hired a young girl named Dana Evens. She was 20 at the time and had just lost her parents in a house fire. Fortunately she had not been home at the time, for she had been staying with her parents after leaving an abusive relationship, and...she was pregnant.
We hired her on the spot after hearing her story and assured her we'd work around her doctor's visits, etc and help her in any way we could. We didn't even consider that she might not be a good worker, or that she'd take advantage of us, we just genuinely wanted to help.
As it turned out, Dana was an excellent worker, kind and friendly, and very good with the customers. We had her working the registers mostly, even providing a stool for her to sit on if she needed it.
Though we provided health insurance, her pregnancy was what they called a 'pre-existing condition', and most of it wasn't covered. What wasn't covered, however, we paid for out of our own pockets.
We were both looking forward to the baby's birth and to being the God Fathers, but again fate was in charge here and dealing the hands as it saw fit.
When Dana was in her 7th month of pregnancy she confided to us that she felt as if she wasn't ready to be a mother and that she was considering giving the baby up for adoption.
Well, you can guess what we suggested.
The wedding ceremony was simple, and there was no consummation of course, but on Valentine's Day, a bride big with child, and Simon, looking as proud and happy as any groom, walked down the aisle. Our moms cried, and our dads shook our hands and patted us on the back, even knowing what we were really up to, they approved.
Ruthie was the maid of honor and Kevin was the ring bearer, and of course I was Simon's best man. There were only a few people in attendance, mostly co-workers or friends of the family, but only a handful knew what was really going on.
A quiet divorce a year later left Simon with custody of their son, Daniel Michael Thompson, although Dana would remain a part of all our lives for many years to come, until she died of breast cancer when Daniel was 9.
We raised Daniel as our own, teaching him the importance of family and love, and that love knew no boundaries, neither race, nor sex, nor religious belief, and that everyone should be allowed to love who they pleased. We did not, however, try to persuade him in any way as to his sexual orientation, and were pleased when he finally found a nice girl, got married, and gave us grandchildren in our old age.
Today, Simon and I are still together. Daniel lives not to far away, and though we've lost both our dads, our moms are still active and live close by as well. Kevin moved to California but we see him often, and Ruthie and her wife (yes, Ruthie was gay) live an hour's drive away.
If I've forgotten anyone, I apologize, but suffice it to say that we are happy, and though there are more days behind us than ahead, we look forward to each one of those days and thank God, or fate, or whatever for bringing us together and for placing such wonderful people in our lives.
Many thanks to my friend Michael for his help with editing, story ideas, illustrations, and most of all, for his support and friendship. Love ya Mikey. Thanks to Tim as well, for providing this wonderful venue for internet writers.
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