Second Chance, Chapter 61
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This story contains descriptions of love and sexual fulfillment between people of the same gender. If possessing or reading this kind of material is illegal where you live, please leave this site at once.
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Chapter 61
On Monday afternoon, Reese and Cameron attended their first counseling session at the university. The school was making an effort to meet the emotional needs of students as well as their educational ones by offering such services on a sliding fee scale or completely free, depending on students' financial situations.
The pleasant young lady, Clare Harter, with whom they had their appointment, didn't bat an eye when they explained their reason for being there. She said she and her husband had undergone similar counseling sessions before they were married and those had been helpful in making their union harmonious.
Clare put the guys at ease and it wasn't long before they were freely telling her about their hopes and fears. The hour passed so rapidly that both of them felt like it had been only a 10 minute conversation.
Most of the time, Ms. Harter simply listened. She would ask a leading question now and then to keep the conversation going, but didn't offer opinions or solutions.
When time was up, she scheduled a session with them for the following week and gave them homework assignments. Some of those involved answering questions and rating lists of things according to how important they were in the eyes of the guys. They were to work independently and not consult with each other.
Another assignment was to have a romantic evening out of the house – a scheduled date. They were to linger over dinner in a restaurant where they were not likely to be interrupted by anyone they knew. They were not to go out to a club or somewhere where the noise level made intimate conversation difficult.
"Wow, I think I've learned as much about me as I have about you today," Cam said on their way back to the apartment. "I also understand why you were, uh, searching in so many beds for fulfillment. I think you've always missed the love of a father in your life. In my case, I have a father, but he always used to be emotionally distant. So I kept my emotions in check along with my desire for other guys. I was so constricted that when I came out of my closet I came out with a big bang. I felt I needed to screw any guy I could find. It was like the conquest was more important than the emotional part. Am I making any sense here?"
"Yeah you are – perfect sense," Reese agreed. "I think you've just psychoanalyzed both of us and we're a matched set!"
"But don't they say that it's opposites that attract?" Cam said.
"Look at us. I'm an Amerind and you're a Norseman. We're like salt and pepper, so we ARE opposites. But that's an old wives' tale anyway. I've read that people who have things in common are more likely to stay together. Our exteriors may be different, but our needs, our dreams, and our souls are alike."
"You're right on both accounts, my handsome Indian Brave. It's great to know we both have common goals - like helping gay youths. I think we could become an effective team and perhaps make a difference. Also, we both want to settle down and have kids someday. We both have faith in God. We don't care as much about material goods as we do human beings. The list goes on..."
"Cam, have I told you how much I love you?"
"Yeah, you've said you think I'm hot and you want my bod." Cam grinned.
"No, I mean LOVE, not lust. Yeah, I lust for your trim bod, big cock, and bubble butt. I admit it, but I LOVE you – the you inside. I've never felt like this before. I cared for Blake. I really did, but now that I've fallen in love with you, I realize my feelings for him were superficial at best. I'm sorry I hurt him, but he's better off married to Rob and I'm better off living with you."
"I honestly love you, too. Do you think we could spend some time just cuddling and talking tonight? We don't even have to make love."
"Yes we can, but I can't guarantee we won't make love. Cuddling with you makes me want to be one with you."
Sam Bradbury was still ecstatic the next day when he saw Rob and Robbie at noon. After he'd gotten back to the mission, the man at the desk had told him he was to call his son, Gary, collect. Poor Sam had had to collect himself before he made the call.
Despite trying to be calm and unemotional, the father and son had both cried initially - to the point of not being able to converse for a couple of minutes. Once they got past the tears, they began to reconnect.
It turned out that Mike had called Gary with the good news of Sam's rehabilitation and Gary had immediately tried to contact his father. Having not been able to locate him, Gary had nearly panicked. He told his dad that he had feared an accident or something, but they both Gary had feared he'd fallen off the wagon.
Gary made plans to bring his family to the Twin Cities the following weekend for a reunion at Mike's place. The prospect made Sam feel like he was walking on air.
As Rob listened to Sam, he could scarcely keep from tearing up too. Deep in the back of his mind, he wondered if this was the purpose behind being thrown out of his home a year and a half before. He'd heard that God moves in mysterious ways to perform his wonders, but he wasn't sure that God would have made him into a street person to have this moment come about. No, it was probably that God could work miracles in any situation. Rob was really pleased to have played a small part in this one. Somehow it validated everything he'd been through. Yeah, he would be willing to do it again – hunger, cold and all - if the outcome were the same.
When Eric and Josh got home from their job, there was a FedEx package waiting for them. Scott said it had arrived in the morning and he'd been curious all day as to what was in it.
The return address was that of a design firm in Chicago.
"It's addressed to both of us. Do you want to do the honors, Babe?" Josh asked.
"I think I know what it is and if I'm right, it's really more for you. Here's a knife; have at it!"
Inside were two prototypes of the adorable plush armadillo that was being produced to accompany their book. It was a faithful three-dimensional copy of the animal Josh had painted for the cover. Since the designer had been alerted that the book was a joint effort by the author and the illustrator, she had felt both of them would appreciate the stuffed animals as keepsakes.
Rob came down the stairs with Robbie in his arms in time to hear the guys getting excited over the toys.
"Wow! Those will surely be hits for Christmas giving. Will they come with the book or be marketed separately?"
"Separately, I think," Josh responded. "This is going to be milked for all it's worth. Mr. Overman hopes by bringing out the toy and the book simultaneously people who like the book will buy the animal and vice versa. He wants us to create something to go on YouTube about a week before they're released. He's thinking we might film in Norm's gallery with some of my paintings in the background. How's that for getting your money's worth in publicity?"
"It's great!" Rob agreed. "I wonder if you'd want to consult with Mike Bradbury for ideas on publicity. He's getting involved for free for the charity ball. You might see if Mr. Overman is willing to pay his company for helping to set it up."
"It's possible, but I suspect that Mr. Overman has a full-time staff for that purpose. All we can do is ask."
"If mom's hosting a luncheon for my brother and Blake, do you think everyone will guess about you and me when they see us there together without girlfriends?" Luc asked Garret in the afterglow of a romantic interlude.
The two of them were propped up naked in Luc's bed after an especially hot session.
"Of course they will, if you look at me like you are right now," Garret giggled. "By the way, you have cum on your cheek and neck. That'd be a dead giveaway!"
"Would it bother you if they did?" Luc continued as Garret licked up the evidence.
"No. I'm ready to be out at school if it happens. But you have two more years than I do. I think we should play the old `don't ask, don't tell' game like the military does. I'd like to stand on the roof top and shout to the world about what a great lover you are, but I'm afraid for you since you'll be in high school without me. I want you to be safe! It's going to be tough enough trying to keep our relationship together after I graduate. I don't want to have to worry about all the guys who'll be hitting on you if they know you're gay."
"Yeah and how am I going to cope with knowing you're on a campus with free time between classes and lots of hot guys around?"
"I guess we'll have to be trusting and honest with each other," Garret said. "I don't want us to fall for anyone else, but if it did happen, I'd want to know – not be left hanging you know."
"You're really sensitive and mature. How did I get so lucky?"
"How did WE get so lucky? But let's not worry too far into the future. You seem to have a problem that's popped up again in the present," Garret snickered. "Let me see if I can help you with lt!"
Garret turned his body around so that he could lick the drying cum out of Luc's pubes while thoughtfully leaving his crotch in easy range of Luc's mouth. Conversation ceased as the boys confirmed that young guys have plenty of stamina.
Reese and Cam were again sitting with Claire Harter at a round table a little larger than a card table. It was big enough to spread papers out on, but small enough to feel intimate. They were waiting for her to finish checking their "homework" assignments.
"I see you've taken all the questions seriously and not skipped anything. Will you honestly tell me if you compared answers on the sheets you were supposed to do individually?"
"Not peeking at Cam's answers has been killing me all week," Reese said. "But we really didn't look at each other's sheets. What do we do now? Do we get to look?"
"Yes, now that I've had a quick look at them, I want you to exchange and see how you've meshed."
The guys spent several minutes carefully checking the choices each had made and reading the justification statements. The longer they read, the wider their grins became.
"Wow," Cam exclaimed. "I can see why you wondered if we'd cheated. They're almost identical. In the ones where we made slightly different choices, we still came very close as we wrote our explanations for our choices."
Claire nodded. "Yes, you are very much on the same wave-length. I'm pleased to see minor variances because that's healthy. You both need the stimulation that differences bring, but you also need the stability that your similar core values provide. I think you're well matched. How did your date go?"
"We followed your advice about a leisurely time in a quiet place. It was great for us to stop our busy lives and really talk to each other." Reese admitted. "The experience has brought us closer and we're going to continue taking time for each other. I don't want to gross you out, but we experienced the best love-making we've ever had as a result of following you're advice. We were really connected. Our quiet dinner was way better than going to a club where I'd be worried that someone would be hitting on Cam."
"I'm a lot more secure with Reese than I was just a week ago. I feel like this is going to work, but I don't want to give up our conversations with you just yet. May we continue; or are you going to cut us loose?"
"I'm not so overworked that I'm going to discharge you from my care until you say you're ready. It's early days. You may still have some hurdles to overcome."
"I've already overcome the major one," Cam said. "Reese, I'm calling Mom tomorrow to see when it will be convenient to take you home to meet the parents."
"Really?"
"Really!"
"Oh man, I love you!" Reese proclaimed.
"Excuse me a moment. I'm going down the hall to get us something to something to drink. Would you like water, pop, coffee, or tea?"
"Water for me."
"Me too."
"Please feel free to express your love while I'm gone. Uh, I mean kiss or whatever," Claire blushed realizing how she'd phrased it.
After she had left the room, the guys chuckled. Then their lips met in a tender kiss. They backed off slightly and looked deeply into each other's eyes.
"Reese, I know what you mean about really loving the person inside. You ARE my soul-mate. I intend to keep you, not on a leash, but in my heart."
"Cam I'm so glad you're taking me to meet your family. It shows me that you're beginning to trust me more and I'm not going to break your trust for anyone. I wouldn't even stray if Lukas Ridgeston walked into this room naked in all his glory."
"Whoa! That would be the acid test. That guy's really hung. I've seen clips from his movies."
"Yeah, he's hot, but he's probably as empty inside as a politician's promise. You are hot, smart, and compassionate."
"Actually, Ridgeston has a degree in architecture, so he's no dummy."
"Maybe not, but he can't be as sweet as you are. And, I know you want what I want in life."
They weren't kissing when Claire came back into the room with bottles of water, but they were sitting close together holding hands and looking like lovebirds.
"I have a feeling you were well on your way toward becoming partners before you came to see me," she remarked. "Is there anything else you want to talk about before we set up another appointment?"
"Yeah," Reese grinned. "Will you go down to Iowa to attend our wedding next year?"
Sam had a weekend he would remember to his dying day. Not only did he get to see Mike's family again, but he got to meet and hold two grandchildren he didn't know he even had. Gary's younger ones were Gavin who was four and Cara who was two. Cara was kind of shy, but sat on his knee without making a fuss. Gavin was outgoing and loved his "new" grandpa because Sam got down on the ground and played with him.
Gary's oldest child, Dawson, was eight and Sam had seen him as a baby once. Of course Dawson had no recollection of his grandfather, but seemed to enjoy meeting him.
Sam's sons were careful to serve only soft drinks at their gathering so as not to put temptation in Sam's way. They would both have enjoyed drinking a beer or two, but knew it wouldn't be fair to do it in front of their father - particularly at this stage of his recovery process.
It was fairly late when Mike drove Sam back to his room. It was hard for Mike to leave his dad in those Spartan quarters, but he understood the older man's resolve to make it on his own and it made him proud.
Rob didn't come to the mission at noon on Monday, and Sam was disappointed because he wanted to share the details of his time with his family. When he got off work in the late afternoon, he called Rob to relate his news and to thank him again for getting him reconnected with his family.
Rob already knew some of the details because he had had lunch with Sam's son Mike. Mike had worked up an ad campaign for Rob's fund raising efforts. It would begin airing in late September to interest people in the Halloween costume dance, but would also attempt to garner donations from individuals in the community.
Sophia and Tinker were also at the noon meeting. They had insisted that Rob bring Robbie along and had promised to help entertain him so Rob's parental responsibilities wouldn't impede his involvement in the discussion. Of course when it came to changing Robbie's diaper, Rod did the honors anyway.
Labor Day weekend marked the official end of summer for students in Minnesota. Tuesday would be the first day of the new school term. For some it was just another year, but for the three high school students in the Larson-Brady household it was the beginning of their senior year. They could hardly wait to get it started.
The guys were all invited to Sophia's place on Sunday afternoon. She provided an elegant picnic which was served around the pool. Everyone, including Robbie, spent time in the water.
Interestingly, Gloria got to feed Robbie his lunch. His reaction to her had changed when she began to be more accepting of his fathers. It was as if he could sense her inner feelings.
Having his mother and siblings doting on his son allowed Rob to play in the pool like the teenager he was. It pleased Sophia to see him acting his age. She was proud of him for standing up to the responsibility of being a parent, but she also wanted to see him have fun.
On Monday, the guys from the Larson-Brady house were invited to a cook-out with Chuck and Rob at the house they were beginning to restore. Wade and Roger had been invited too, but were going to Camelot (Greta's cottage at Lake Delhi in Iowa). Dane and Colt would be there and everyone would ski the lake one more time before school began.
"Wow, it's been an awesome summer," Josh exclaimed as he snuggled next to his husband that night. "I'm eager to get this term going so we can graduate and head for college."
"Me too, but we shouldn't wish our lives away as your dad always says."
"Yeah, we should enjoy our senior year. We're gonna kick ass in swimming now that you're healing from your operation.
Are you sleepy?"
"Not too sleepy. What did you have in mind?"
"I was thinking you might enjoy seeing if you can get me prego," Eric snickered.
"Uh, if you remember your biology classes, you know that's not likely."
"But there's no harm in trying."
"No harm at all!" Josh agreed as he began nibbling on Eric's left nipple.
Author's notes: Thanks to all who emailed since last posting: Paul L, Karserus, Mark H, Paul R, Caleb, Jim C, Jim We, Rutabaga, Chea, Paul L, Vann, and Ron M.
Happy Birthday to Tom H who is one of my editors!
Same-sex marriage is safe in Iowa at least until 2014 because an amendment to change the state constitution didn't get enough votes to get out of committee! By then, I hope people will know that it doesn't spell the doom of Western Civilization!